Rumbling...
Through his spyglass, Momonga watched as buildings in the distant town ruins collapsed one after another, while dust rose from the ground like a dragon twisting and soaring. The muscles at the corner of his eye twitched.
Even as Daren's adjutant, Momonga still had no clear idea just how strong that guy really was.
But judging from the relentless, inhuman training he put himself through day after day, Momonga could only deduce one thing—within the waters of the North Blue, aside from a handful of notorious "Great Pirates" who arrived here under special circumstances, no one could stand up to Daren.
Thanks to the power of the Jiki Jiki no Mi, he had large-scale offensive and control capabilities on par with Logia users.
As for close-quarters combat?
Aside from Sakazuki—back when he was still stationed in the North Blue—who else could go toe-to-toe in hand-to-hand combat with that lunatic?
At least Momonga had never met anyone as ruthless as Daren.
When facing an enemy, once he locked onto a target, he would go all in, never backing down until the job was done—never second-guessing, never hesitating.
And he was even more ruthless to himself than to others.
As for that arrogant, twisted, and sickly brat Doflamingo?
Let him pray for his own survival. His life was already in Daren's hands.
The civilians had been evacuated. The town was sealed off. No news would ever make it out.
An ex-Celestial Dragon?
So what if he dies?
It wouldn't be the first Celestial Dragon to die in the North Blue...
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Momonga suddenly snapped to attention, a jolt of realization hitting him.
Had he really... entertained such a disrespectful thought toward the exalted Celestial Dragons!?
Before he knew it, cold sweat had seeped down his back.
He took a deep breath, gave a bitter smile, and murmured under his breath,
"Daren, you were right."
"Zero and one... they really do mean completely different things."
...
Rubeck Island.
Town center.
Rumble...
One building after another collapsed after being blasted through, throwing up clouds of dust that soared into the sky. The ground let out a tortured groan, sending tremors that made the heart race.
Click...
A lighter sparked to life.
Daren stood on cracked, ruined ground, desolate and barren. He pulled out a cigar and lit it.
His uniform was already tattered from battle. Clenching the cigar between his teeth, he casually unbuttoned his Marine cloak, ripped off his black tie, and grabbed the shredded uniform with one hand—yanking hard!
Rip!
The fabric tore apart, revealing the Captain's wild, powerful upper body.
His muscles were sharply defined, pulsing and shifting with every breath. His skin was covered in crisscrossing scars, and paired with that fierce, deep gaze of his, he looked like a wild beast ready to strike.
"Ahh, much better."
Daren grinned.
At that moment, a sluggish yet furious voice rang out.
"I said, I said, how dare you!!"
Trebol, blood dripping from his mouth, waved his cane furiously. Disgusting slime burst from it, latching onto the remains of a four-meter-high residential building. With a violent yank, he hurled the wreckage at Daren!
"Beta Betton Meteora!!"
The wreckage was flung high into the air, groaning and creaking as it plummeted at speed.
A gust of wind whooshed past, fanning the cigar's tip into a bright glow.
Daren narrowed his eyes and casually flicked his hand to the left.
From the rubble flying toward him, steel bars suddenly burst from inside the building's frame.
Rip!
The structure was ripped in half by the twisted metal, the debris whistling past both sides of Daren and gouging long trenches into the earth.
Daren then raised his hand.
Without any command, thick steel bars and pieces of metal shot up from the ground. They slashed, split, stretched, and extended like living creatures.
Dozens of sharp, gleaming metal spikes hovered in midair around Daren.
Trebol stared in stunned disbelief as Daren smiled and gestured toward him.
Whoosh!
The metal spikes shot out all at once, breaking the sound barrier and streaking toward Trebol with astonishing speed!
Boom!!
Dust exploded across the ground as thick mucus splattered under the onslaught of piercing metal.
Daren began to walk forward—only for his body to suddenly sway.
The ground before him started "fluttering" like a flag, rippling like wild grass dancing in the breeze across a vast plain.
His eyes narrowed, instantly locking onto a figure.
Diamante, dressed in his flamboyant matador outfit, crouched in the distance, hands bloodied and one palm pressed firmly against the earth.
"Army Bandera!"
The ability of the Hira Hira no Mi!
It allowed the user to turn the ground within a certain radius into a soft, cloth-like texture, making it ripple and sway as if caught in the wind. The terrain would behave like a massive floating sheet, throwing off an opponent's balance and causing them to stumble—disabling their ability to counterattack.
And in the very moment Daren lost his footing...
A figure suddenly leapt high into the air behind him.
The young man wore sunglasses and an emotionless expression. A piece of leftover steak was still stuck to the stubble on his chin, and both hands gripped a bright green bamboo staff.
Vergo!
"Oni Take!"
Vergo's eyes turned cold as he brought the staff crashing down with all his might toward the back of Daren's head!
Crack!!
The bamboo, as tough as steel, shattered on impact, exploding into countless fragments.
Vergo's pupils shrank instantly, his heart pounding in shock.
This guy's body…
Was he even human!?
Before he could react, his vision blurred—and the black-haired Marine vanished like a phantom.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!!
The air exploded beside his ear.
Vergo struggled to turn his head.
A gleaming black military boot was growing larger by the second in the reflection of his sunglasses.
Boom!!
Vergo was blasted away like a cannonball, crashing straight into a building.
The structure collapsed with a thunderous rumble.
Amid the swirling smoke...
The Marine Captain emerged, cigar clenched between his teeth, his face cutting through the haze. A long spear forged from twisted metal suddenly shot forward, piercing through the air.
Before Diamante could even react, it drove straight into his abdomen, lifting him off the ground and slamming him hard into a nearby wall.
Blood gushed from Diamante's mouth. The searing pain gripped his body, and for the first time, his eyes filled with sheer terror as he looked at the Marine Captain.
Rumble...
Just then, a nearby building suddenly erupted, and the "animated" rocks swelled into a towering 20-meter-tall stone giant. It raised a massive fist—at least three meters in diameter—and swung it down on Daren from above!
This was it... a golden opportunity!
"You're dead!!"
A sharp, grating voice rang out.
It was Pica!
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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