As Daren charged forward in powerful strides, the ground beneath him quaked violently. The earth cracked open as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, caving in with a burst of flying debris.
With this surge of inhuman strength, Daren shot out like a cannonball, cloaked in a violent hurricane. In the blink of an eye, he lunged toward the enemy.
In that instant, Vinsmoke Judge felt an overwhelming pressure crash into him. A chill ran down his spine, as though he had been locked onto by a colossal Sea King. The killing intent radiating from the Marine Captain was like that of a demon rising from a mountain of corpses—so intense it felt like even the sea breeze carried the stench of blood.
"Kill him! Take him down!!"
Recalling the ruthless methods this Marine used to suppress pirates, Vinsmoke Judge's eyes were bloodshot as he roared the command.
The moment the order left his lips, dozens of surrounding Clone Soldiers raised their weapons and charged at Daren.
Twin gleaming longswords came slicing down at him. Daren's lips curled into a faint smirk as he tilted his body to the side.
The blades narrowly missed him, skimming past.
In that brief moment as they passed each other, the Marine Captain's hands—like steel-forged lances—morphed from open palms into blades, and with terrifying speed, he drove them into the throats of the two Clone Soldiers.
Shhk!
Blood burst into the air as their pupils quickly dimmed.
Wasting no time, Daren surged forward again like a tiger let loose from its cage.
His body, as tough as iron, crashed into the formation of Clone Soldiers like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep, tearing through them with unstoppable force.
From a distance...
The tightly packed army of Clone Soldiers had completely surrounded the Marine Captain. From the heart of the encirclement came the chilling sounds of flesh being shredded and bones snapping.
Warm, blood-soaked bodies were flung out from the crowd, splattering blood as they fell.
In less than ten seconds, the battlefield was drenched in red, with mangled corpses strewn across the ground.
From the warship, Gion and Tokikake stared at the scene in shock, their expressions pale, their hearts pounding.
At that moment, Daren had become a killing machine—efficient and unrelenting.
Everywhere he went, the Clone Soldiers, whose physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary humans, were slaughtered in an instant. None could survive even a moment under his monstrous body and brutal close-range combat.
He tore through them like a storm sweeping fallen leaves. Every part of Daren's body had become a lethal weapon, reaping lives at a terrifying pace.
Bullets, steel swords, battle axes, longswords... no matter the weapon, when they struck his body, it was like hitting solid steel. Sparks flew, and at most, they left shallow red marks.
The blood-drenched Marine Captain laughed wildly, his once-white cloak of justice now soaked in crimson.
"That guy... he's enjoying the thrill of the kill."
Gion stared blankly at the grinning Marine Captain, and the image of yesterday's training ground flashed through her mind.
Back then, Daren had chosen to tank her sword technique, "Iron-Cutting," head-on.
Now, it was clear—he wasn't just relying on his body's defense. He was reveling in that razor's edge between life and death... completely immersed in the chaos of battle.
"This... he's a total maniac!"
Gion gritted her teeth, unable to stop herself from cursing under her breath.
Beside her, Tokikake glanced over and noticed her staring blankly at Daren's back.
Suddenly, as if something clicked, he spun around and shouted urgently at Momonga.
"Hurry up! We're going too!"
"I'm going to beat the crap out of Vinsmoke Judge!"
Momonga blinked in surprise, confused by how this usually lazy, pig-headed guy had suddenly gotten so fired up. He blurted out instinctively,
"You sure? Captain Daren doesn't like us interfering in his fights."
"He's having a blast right now... Besides, according to our intel, Germa 66's commander Vinsmoke Judge is no joke. The high-tech weapons he developed—"
Before he could finish, Tokikake grabbed him by the collar.
His face flushed bright red as he snapped,
"Damn it, Momonga! Who do you think I am!?"
"I'm Tokikake, the genius of HQ!"
"How could some second-rate Germa 66 clown be a match for me!?"
He let go, spun around dramatically, his beady eyes darting sideways to steal a glance at Gion, then looked solemnly toward Germa 66's fleet. With a low, theatrical laugh, he said,
"It's been ages since I felt this kind of blood-pumping thrill..."
"Didn't think anyone in the North Blue could put pressure on a genius like me."
Watching Tokikake's "cool" retreating figure, Momonga's mouth twitched.
With a sigh, he waved his hand and gave a signal.
The Marines sprang into action. The engines roared to life, and the warships surged forward at full speed, heading straight for Germa Kingdom's fleet.
...
Clang!
A sharp metallic clash rang out.
Several steel blades struck Daren's chest with full force, sending sparks flying—then snapped in half.
The Clone Soldiers in front of him stared at their broken swords in disbelief.
Though Vinsmoke Judge had stripped them of pain, fear of death, and betrayal, they still retained some basic emotions.
Yet they couldn't understand it—why was this man's body harder than the weapons they'd forged with refined steel?
And more than that—compared to earlier, the Marine's defense had clearly become even tougher!
"Almost there... Just as I thought, real combat is the best way to grow stronger."
Daren grinned.
Within the field of perception granted by his "Insight" talent, he could feel it clearly—after the last bout, his physique and strength had risen sharply. His endurance, in particular, had just broken past the 60-point threshold!
"Time to get serious."
Now that his body had reached 60 points, fighting the Clone Soldiers no longer brought significant gains.
And since these guys lacked fear, never tired, and weren't afraid of dying, dragging the fight out would just be a waste of time.
With that thought, Daren licked his dry lips.
A sharp whistle sliced through the air behind him.
Several Clone Soldiers leapt high into the sky, steel blades raised, aiming to slash down on his neck.
But the next moment—they froze in shock. Their swords, still a hand's width from the back of Daren's head, suddenly stopped midair.
A low hum reverberated through the stifling silence, spreading through the battlefield.
The hovering blades trembled and buzzed.
Then—without anyone seeing Daren make a single move, the ground beneath him suddenly came alive!
Black steel bars erupted from below like giant serpents, weaving together as if sentient, forming a dense, writhing net that shot toward the Clone Soldiers.
They had no time to react. In an instant, the bars wrapped around them, binding them tightly before violently ripping them apart.
The steel bars pierced their bodies, both ends driving deep into the ruined earth, squeezing tighter and tighter.
In Vinsmoke Judge's horrified, near-frozen gaze, hundreds of Clone Soldiers within a hundred-meter radius of Daren were caught in the steel trap that had burst from the ground, bound and crushed.
Blood gushed in streams. The rusted steel bars tore into their flesh, cutting through muscle and skin.
In just seconds, blood flooded the ground. Their bodies were impaled, twisted, and torn apart by the writhing steel, their organs spilling everywhere.
The battlefield fell silent.
At the center of a wasteland soaked in crimson, the supreme commander of the North Blue Marines stood still, surrounded by black steel bars thrashing like serpents—like a demon risen from the depths of hell.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake