The sky was clear and blue, the sea stretching endlessly beneath drifting white clouds.
A massive warship cruised steadily across the open ocean, leaving a long white wake behind it.
Inside the dimly lit cabin, Daren sat cross-legged on the deck, eyes closed.
The flickering oil lamp cast his blurred silhouette onto the wooden wall.
Three smooth metal orbs hovered midair, circling his body in perfect unison, drawn inward like satellites in orbit.
Anyone witnessing the scene would be stunned.
Even as they moved, the orbs maintained an absolutely fixed distance from one another—a feat requiring incredible control.
Time ticked by.
With each subtle motion of Daren's fingers, the orbs flowed and morphed like liquid—stretching into razor-sharp spikes, writhing like sinister iron chains, or spreading out like solid steel shields.
At one point, Daren slowly opened his eyes.
The orbs immediately drew together and merged, reforming into a sleek silver wristguard that locked into place around his right wrist.
He exhaled softly, a hint of satisfaction curling his lips into a smile.
Body: 60.451
Strength: 55.890
Speed: 58.048
Fruit: 71.871
"It's true that actual combat and bloodshed push you to grow faster..."
Daren spoke to himself, using his Insight talent to assess his condition.
Over the past few months, his training had slowed significantly. In fact, both his speed and Fruit ability had nearly plateaued.
Though every stat was still improving with increased training intensity, the pace had become disappointing.
But after that fight with Germa 66, both his physical strength and endurance had jumped by more than a point.
With regular training, it would've taken a whole month to get the same result.
"Too bad Germa 66 was too weak... I never even got into the right rhythm."
He chuckled and lit a cigar.
Germa 66 and Vinsmoke Judge weren't exactly weak—his own abilities just happened to counter their tech-based weapons too well.
No question about it—if not for his interference, the military might of Vinsmoke Judge and Germa 66 would've made "slaying the four kings of the North Blue" and even ruling the region entirely within reach.
"I really miss those brutal fights with that madman Sakazuki..."
Daren's expression softened with a touch of nostalgia.
Before Sakazuki had left the North Blue to train at Marine Headquarters, the two of them often sparred—without using their Devil Fruit abilities.
Of course, their version of "sparring" was a deadly affair by any normal standard.
Sakazuki never held back.
One misstep, and you'd be dead—brushed off as just another "training accident."
Those days were brutal, sure, but also exhilarating—every fight pushed him to the brink, forcing breakthroughs in the heat of battle.
It was the fastest he'd ever grown in strength.
But that was all in the past.
After going through the Marine Officer Training Camp and learning under former Admiral Black Fist Zephyr, Sakazuki had likely already mastered Haki.
The gap between them had become immeasurable.
After all, Kaido once said...
Haki is the greatest power on these seas.
With that thought, Daren rose to his feet.
He wasn't in a rush.
The third round of Officer Training Camp was about to begin, and unless something unexpected happened, he was already guaranteed a spot.
Even if his talent wasn't on par with monsters like Sakazuki or Borsalino, Daren believed his abilities were more than enough to secure a place within the Marines.
But first, he had to build up the North Blue Fleet.
He would turn this powerful force—soon to be equipped with Germa tech—into a fleet entirely loyal to him alone.
A determined gleam flashed in Daren's deep-set eyes as he stepped out of the cabin and pushed open the door.
Sunlight streamed down.
Outside, Marine soldiers patrolled the deck, inspecting firearms and cannons as part of their daily maintenance routines.
On the broad deck, Tokikake and Gion were drenched in sweat, deep in training.
Tokikake was doing inverted push-ups while holding a one-ton barbell, face twisted in a grimace of strain.
Gion practiced her swordsmanship nearby, her expression focused and stern.
Her blade sliced the air with a sharp, piercing whistle...
"Are the two of them having a seizure?"
Daren looked on in confusion and turned to ask the approaching Momonga.
Momonga rubbed his temples helplessly.
"The Germa 66 incident hit them pretty hard. Especially Tokikake... ever since we got back, he's been training like a maniac."
Daren chuckled as the image flashed through his mind—Tokikake getting stomped in the face by Vinsmoke Judge, then sent flying like a ragdoll.
Boom!!
Just then, a massive column of water, dozens of meters high, suddenly exploded from the side of the warship.
Waves surged wildly as the entire ship jolted with the impact.
"What's going on!?"
"Is it an enemy attack?"
"No! It's... it's a Sea King!!"
...
The Marines on deck turned pale and sprang into action. Swords were drawn, rifles raised, and the ship's cannons adjusted into position.
From the crashing waves, a colossal shadow slowly emerged, casting darkness over the entire vessel.
The blazing sun overhead seemed to vanish, replaced by the towering figure of a behemoth—at least sixty or seventy meters tall.
Its slick black scales and gill-like organs made it look like a monstrous eel.
Its eyes, as large as lanterns, stared down at the Marines from above, and its huge mouth—lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth—gradually opened wide.
"A small Sea King?"
Daren eyed the bizarre creature with interest.
At this point in time, Vegapunk hadn't yet developed a way to install seastone under warships, so Marines still had to deal with Sea Kings in the Calm Belt.
In other words, Sea Kings could still sense the presence of ships.
Momonga instinctively reached for the saber at his waist, ready to act—
But Daren placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
Momonga hesitated—then a wild voice suddenly echoed across the deck.
"Hahahahaha! Perfect timing! I'll use you, little fish, to test the fruits of my genius training!"
With that arrogant roar, Tokikake launched himself like a cannonball, one foot slamming down on the railing before he blasted into the air.
Roar!!
A flash of fury flickered in the Sea King's blood-red eyes, almost human in its expression.
Enraged by the audacity of the "ant" before it, the beast let out a thunderous roar.
The sound wave struck the deck like a physical force, knocking several Marines off balance.
Then the Sea King opened its gaping, fang-filled maw and lunged at the airborne Tokikake.
Bang!!
Tokikake's fist connected.
A visible shockwave rippled outward.
The Sea King's pupils froze—its face blank with disbelief.
Crack crack crack...
With that single punch, fractures spread across its fangs, then shattered them completely.
Sea King: ...
Tears welled up in its eyes.
At that moment—
Clang!!
A blade was drawn with a sharp metallic hum.
A golden Meito tore through the air.
A brilliant slash of golden light streaked out and vanished in a flash.
Ssst!
A thin red line appeared across the Sea King's neck.
A clean cut—done in one strike.
Then—
Boom!!
The Sea King's massive head separated from its body and crashed into the sea, sending waves surging again.
Blood gushed out in torrents, dyeing the ocean surface a deep red.
On the deck,
Tokikake landed cleanly, striking what he clearly thought was a cool pose.
Gion silently sheathed her blade, her cloak billowing in the wind.
The surrounding Marines stared in stunned silence at how easily the two had taken down the Sea King.
A beat later, they erupted in cheers of relief and excitement.
A few even sprang into action, casting nets in hopes of turning the beast into tonight's feast.
"Truly worthy of being a genius from Headquarters... a future Admiral candidate..."
Daren muttered to himself, watching the scene with a trace of emotion.
Just from that brief display, he could instantly tell—both of them had grown significantly since arriving in the North Blue.
Tokikake's strength, speed, and close-quarters combat ability had improved by at least thirty percent.
As for Gion...
She had grasped the art of Tobu Zangeki (Flying Slash Attack), unleashing sword aura—officially stepping into the realm of swordmasters.
And all this in just a few days!
Even if they weren't quite at the level of monsters like Sakazuki and Borsalino, they weren't far off.
"Hahahahaha!! Daren, did you see that?!"
Tokikake swaggered over, beaming with pride. He raised an arm and flexed his bicep.
"That Sea King was massive, but this genius smashed all its teeth with a single punch! You can't—"
Boom!!
Before he could finish, the sea erupted once more into towering waves, as if drawn by the scent of blood.
One.
Two.
Three...
...
A total of eight Sea Kings, each over a hundred meters tall, burst from the rolling surface of the sea, heads raised high as they let out a unified, earth-shaking roar.
As their enormous bodies twisted and surged, the ocean heaved violently, waves crashing toward the warship with deadly force.
The "tiny" vessel, dwarfed by the colossal Sea Kings, rocked and trembled under the pressure.
Daren raised a hand.
The metal gauntlet on his arm suddenly detached, twisting and stretching like a living creature until it morphed into a long, sharp spear.
With a thunderous crack, it shot through the air.
Explosive pops rang out one after another. Pushed by a powerful magnetic field, the metal spear left white ripples in its wake, tearing through the sky.
Its speed reached the limit in an instant—
Too fast for the naked eye to follow.
Everyone on the deck only saw a flash, like something slicing back and forth through the air—a flickering silver phantom.
The eight charging Sea Kings froze mid-roar.
Ssst!!
Countless tiny blood-holes burst open across their massive bodies, spraying high-pressure streams of blood like a sieve.
Rumble!!
One after another, the enormous beasts collapsed into the sea, their impact sending waves soaring skyward.
Behind Daren, the lifeless corpses of eight Sea Kings sank into the ocean.
Casually, he recalled the metal spear and reformed it into a gauntlet, slipping it back onto his arm without a second thought.
Then he turned to Tokikake, who stood frozen in disbelief.
"Lieutenant Commander Tokikake, what were you trying to say just now?"
Tokikake's mouth twitched, then he forced a grin.
"I was saying there's no doubt you'd do it better than me!"
Daren gave him a look, patted his shoulder, then turned his gaze toward the horizon.
An island's silhouette was beginning to take shape in the distance.
"Everyone, get ready. We're about to land."
A faint, mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.
"This time, our mission is to protect the great, sacred, and noble Celestial Dragon."
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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