A deserted island.

A violent airwave erupted outward as Whitebeard roared, wrapped in streaks of black and red lightning like a god or demon unleashed.

His golden, crown-like hair whipped in the storm. In the instant both hands gripped his naginata, Murakumogiri, he let out a deafening roar—unleashing a strike wreathed in thunder that tore the sky apart.

"Daren, you brat! You're still far from being able to stop me, Whitebeard!!"

Boom!!

A thunderous explosion shook the heavens, as if the world itself froze for a split second. A furious shockwave burst forth, radiating over a thousand meters in the blink of an eye.

Crack... Boom, boom, boom!

From a bird's-eye view, the scene was terrifying—

Everything within a kilometer radius—earth, jungle, vegetation, trees—was torn up from the roots. The land, unable to withstand the crushing force, collapsed several meters downward in an instant.

Arcs of black and red lightning shot into the sky, filling the heavens like the curtain of a hellish nightmare.

The next moment...

A tall figure was blasted out from the center of the inferno, carving twin ruts hundreds of meters long into the ground with his heels before finally skidding to a stop.

Blood trickled from the corner of Daren's mouth. His arms were split open, raw flesh exposed, blood dripping steadily onto the earth.

Panting heavily, a wild and ecstatic grin stretched across his face.

"Hahahaha! That's the feeling!!"

"The strongest power in the world… Every second feels like death is right around the corner, my heart pounding out of control."

He didn't bother wiping the blood from his lips. His bloodstained teeth gleamed, and his eyes burned with an intense light. Every muscle in his body trembled with excitement.

"Whitebeard! Other than Roger and Shiki, you're the third person to give me this kind of pressure!"

At the same time, he could clearly feel it—after every exchange with Whitebeard, the Armament Haki in his body steadily surged.

Armament Haki +0.301!

Armament Haki +0.249!

...

This was it!!

The long-dormant stats in his body had begun rising again!

Daren tried to restrain his laughter—but he couldn't stop it.

Pushing his body beyond its limits to achieve greater strength… that was the most primal instinct of the human soul!

Whitebeard stared at the Vice Admiral, stunned for a moment. Then his eyes narrowed with weight and caution.

The look in this kid's eyes… there was joy—genuine, deep joy.

He was enjoying it. Enjoying the thrill of fighting Whitebeard.

Even though he was clearly being suppressed, even injured...

"What a lunatic..."

Whitebeard furrowed his brows.

Daren's strength had already far exceeded his expectations.

That diamond-like durability, the overwhelming brute strength beyond even the Giants… in close combat, he was a serious threat.

More than that—compared to their last encounter, Daren's Haki was on a whole other level.

Whitebeard squinted at the flashes of black-red lightning flickering across the Marine Vice Admiral's body. The ground beneath him was cracking bit by bit. A heavy feeling sank in his chest.

His presence and willpower… were strong enough to physically affect the environment. He was only a step away from entering that final domain.

Whitebeard had ruled the seas for decades, met countless monsters with terrifying talent.

There was Charlotte Linlin—the "Natural Destroyer"—with an indestructible body and steel-like skin.

There was Kaidou, gifted beyond belief, with no weaknesses in strength, defense, speed, or power.

But someone like Daren... he had never seen a "freak" like this before!

His growth was too fast.

So fast it defied logic.

The speed of his progress was, in a way, even more outrageous than Linlin or Kaidou!

It was like he had an army of seasoned masters guiding him every moment, pushing him to full-spectrum strength at an unimaginable pace.

If not for the fact that Daren's Haki was still weaker than his own, Whitebeard would've struggled to suppress him.

In a pure contest of strength, speed, and fighting ability—this kid, with his monstrous physique and raw power, could go toe-to-toe with him!

Feeling a faint, tingling soreness in the hand holding his naginata, Whitebeard gritted his teeth.

He couldn't afford to be dragged out by this Marine brat any longer.

Using his Observation Haki, he had already sensed that his crewmates on the far shore were losing ground under the assault of the Shichibukai. They were barely holding on.

And worst of all, he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but it felt like that Marine kid was getting stronger the longer the fight went on!

Making his decision, Whitebeard's expression darkened.

But then—

The Marine Vice Admiral suddenly drew a deep breath. His breathing... slowed.

Snap.

He stepped forward, and something strange and unknown changed in his body.

A savage, scarlet light of violent intent began to glow in his eyes.

The muscles on both arms rippled and swelled, continuously bulging. Under the enhancement of his devil form, they emitted a cold, metallic gleam.

With one hand in front and one behind, he took a stance like a beast ready to hunt, fingers curved tightly—

Forming three razor-sharp dragon claws.

"Ryusoken—Giant's Strength—Demon Dragon Claw!"

His black hair whipped in the wind. The Marine Vice Admiral's chiseled jaw lifted in a savage arc as a puff of white breath escaped his lips.

"Now, let's fight."

He let out a fierce laugh, raising his head—

Whitebeard's eyes narrowed in surprise.

Boom!!

Dozens of towering dust pillars exploded from the ground beneath Daren's feet. The instant they erupted with a deafening roar, the fierce, dragon-like figure vanished on the spot!

So fast!

Was that explosive speed enhanced purely by brute strength?!

Whitebeard's pupils shrank. A flash of red surged in his eyes, and without any warning, he slashed into the air to his left!

Boom!!

A black, domineering dragon claw slammed down from above, colliding with the massive naginata. The impact unleashed a whirling shockwave of force.

Whitebeard's expression shifted under the pressure of the surging air current—he could feel the sheer power and speed behind Daren's strike!

"Hahahahaha!! Come on, Whitebeard! Show me what it means to be 'the strongest in the world'!!"

Daren vanished again, his body a blur like a pitch-black hurricane, darting wildly around Whitebeard with relentless assaults.

The dragon claws unleashed terrifying shockwaves, tearing jagged trails into the earth.

Whitebeard swung his naginata again and again, blocking and evading as best he could—but Daren's onslaught was too fierce. Before long, cuts of varying depth had begun to appear across his body.

"You've got a death wish!"

With a roar, Whitebeard brought his blade down and intercepted the dragon claw. In that moment, a soft, milky white halo lit up around his left fist.

"Kaishin..."

A shockwave laced with immense destructive power and crackling black-red lightning burst out as Whitebeard's fist drove straight for Daren's chest in fury.

The suffocating weight of death loomed.

Daren clenched his jaw and charged straight in, eyes blazing with heat.

"Demon Dragon... Breath!!"

The black dragon claw unleashed a jet-black shockwave—exploding out in an instant!

Fist met claw!

Boom!!

A thunderous quake and shockwave erupted once more, rippling in all directions.

The entire island trembled violently—mountains crumbled, the sea of clouds split apart.

The sheer scale of the blast instantly drew the attention of both warring sides in the distance.

"That Marine… he's gotten that strong?!"

Vista muttered grimly.

Jozu, too, stared on in disbelief.

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