"Let you experience... despair."
As the Commodore's words fell, a chilling pressure swept over everyone present, sending shivers down their spines.
Smooth, metallic spheres spun endlessly around Daren's body, reflecting the Marines' stunned expressions in the refracted sunlight.
"What kind of ability is that...?"
"Is he controlling metal?"
"A Paramecia-type Devil Fruit...?"
...
Uncertainty flickered across the Marines' faces, replaced by a deep wariness. Even though they knew Daren wasn't targeting them, something about those eerily orbiting metal spheres sent a wave of dread through their hearts.
Not far off, Zephyr squinted beneath his sunglasses, muscles tensing.
He had read about Daren's Devil Fruit ability in a report from Sengoku.
If it's that technique... I'll need to stay sharp.
"So then..."
Daren looked calmly at Yamakaji, standing several dozen meters away with both hands gripping his sword.
"Try coming to me, Captain Yamakaji."
Yamakaji clenched his teeth. His billowing cloak of justice flared behind him as he stomped the ground, launching forward like a white arrow released from a bowstring, streaking toward Daren at high speed.
The pressure Daren exerted was suffocating... Yamakaji knew if he didn't attack now, he wouldn't get another chance!
Even if Daren didn't strike first, his own hesitation—or even a trace of fear—would be enough to crush his resolve!
But just as Yamakaji charged, the rising sand across the field was abruptly torn apart. A howling blast surged forward like a tornado.
So fast!
Yamakaji's pupils shrank, his body flaring with instinct as a surge of danger overwhelmed him. He slashed forward with full force!
Clang!!
His saber crashed against something hard moving at incredible speed, sending out a shockwave of explosive air.
Yamakaji was struck with overwhelming force, his body flung backward like a kite with its string snapped.
The blast shredded his uniform sleeves into countless fragments.
Gasps erupted from the surrounding Marines.
None of them saw what happened—one moment Yamakaji had charged, the next, something invisible had slammed him away.
Twisting mid-air, Yamakaji barely managed to stabilize himself before hitting the ground, skidding backward as his worn military boots carved two long grooves into the earth.
His chest heaved violently, each breath rasping like a bellows. His eyes were bloodshot, and he dropped to one knee.
Drip...
A bright drop of blood fell from the hand gripping his blade.
Everyone could clearly see the torn flesh at the base of his thumb—his palm split open.
One blow. Devastating.
Their gazes slowly shifted.
A deep groove, nearly a meter wide, stretched from Yamakaji's position all the way to Daren's feet, cutting across the entire field—a shocking sight.
At that moment, a metallic sphere with a mirror-like surface drifted back through the air to Daren's side, rotating in sync with two others already orbiting him.
The Marines seemed to realize something all at once and collectively sucked in a breath.
That trench in the ground... was caused by the sheer air pressure from the sphere's flight!
Just how fast was that thing moving to carve through solid earth like that!?
"Still going? You might not be so lucky next time."
Daren looked at the panting Yamakaji, his face expressionless.
He stood in the middle of the training field, his bare upper body gleaming under the scorching sun, every muscle sharply defined like it had been carved by the gods themselves.
Three silver spheres, each the size of a clenched fist, floated silently beside him like ghostly wraiths, casting a cold glint that sent a chill through the air. Their quiet presence alone radiated a terrifying pressure.
Just one of those orbs had shown overwhelming power—enough to rival, maybe even surpass, a warship's main cannon.
What if all three were fired at once?
Combined with the Commodore's body covered in gruesome scars, those abyssal black eyes, and the thick stench of blood and war that clung to him...
From a distance, this man from the North Blue looked like a demon god risen from hell.
Elegant. Cold. Grim. Commanding.
Yamakaji knelt on one knee, his tattered uniform stained with dirt and grime, his face smeared with dust. Blood dripped from his palm, and his right arm trembled uncontrollably from the blow he'd just taken.
The contrast between them was stark—like a battle-worn god and a battered beggar.
He stared at Daren's steady, unshaken eyes and suddenly took a long drag from his cigar.
Then, without a word, he tore off the remnants of his shredded uniform and tossed it aside, revealing a muscular body etched with old scars.
From the torn fabric, he pulled out a strip and wrapped it tightly around his wrist, tying it off with his teeth and yanking the knot firm.
Then he stood up again, bracing himself.
With the cigar clenched between his teeth, he grinned.
His eyes burned like wildfire.
"Of course."
Daren paused for a beat.
"Good."
He raised his hand again.
Boom!!
A silver orb exploded from his side, propelled by a violent magnetic field. In the blink of an eye, it tore through the air, engulfing his figure in a howling vortex of wind.
Here it comes!!
Yamakaji's bloodshot eyes snapped into focus. The pressure barreling toward him felt like a tsunami about to crush his remaining will.
He forced his eyes wide, trying to track the orb's path.
No... too fast...
In that instant,
Just as a blur of metal streaked past his vision, his instincts—honed through countless battles and relentless training—took over. He swung his blade!
Clang!!
A deafening metallic scream rang out in front of him.
The trajectory—was off!
Yamakaji's eardrums throbbed painfully. The orb screamed past his shoulder, tearing open flesh and spraying blood into the air.
The deflected orb didn't stop. It smashed into a nearby training cannon, ripping straight through it before triggering an enormous explosion. Fire and debris burst outward as the structure collapsed in flames.
Dust surged in all directions. The flames flickered wildly.
Everyone watching froze in shock, hearts pounding. Even the onlookers silently broke into a cold sweat for Yamakaji.
That thing didn't just tear through flesh—if it hit a warship, it would rip through the hull and send it straight to the ocean floor!
The wind howled as yellow sand whipped across the field.
His shoulder throbbed with searing pain, but Yamakaji ignored it and burst forward again.
If he stayed still, he'd just be a sitting target for Daren.
Maybe he could block once. Maybe twice. But three times? Four? Five? Six?
Attack was his only chance!
No matter what—
Even if he lost—
He was going to reach Daren!
...
(60 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake