Finally...
As Daren felt the changes and enhancements surging through his body, his eyes blazed with intense fervor.
He had unraveled the secret behind Kaidou's "Raimei Hakke" and fully grasped the principle of "lightning-induced physical activation," pushing his Speed stat past the 90-point threshold!
And it wasn't just Speed—under Kaidou's hands-on "instruction," his other stats had also seen marked improvement.
However, just like with Conqueror's Haki, his Devil Fruit ability had hit its current limit.
At 89.999, it was just a step away from breaking the 90-point barrier.
But after what happened with his Conqueror's Haki, Daren knew this wasn't something that could be forced overnight.
He was certain that once his Devil Fruit ability crossed the 90-point threshold, it would mark the true awakening of the Jiki Jiki no Mi.
Given how uniquely he had developed the Jiki Jiki no Mi, the sheer strength and power he could unleash had already surpassed what Kid achieved in the original timeline by countless magnitudes. Naturally, that meant awakening it would be exponentially harder as well.
"Come on, Kaidou-sensei… keep the surprises coming!"
Grinning wickedly, Daren didn't even bother to wipe the blood from his face as he charged at Kaidou again with reckless fury.
...
Hours passed.
The brutal clash raged on.
As the blood coating their monstrous bodies thickened, time slipped by unnoticed.
Half a day had gone by, and everything within several kilometers had been leveled. The terrain was utterly transformed, and all of Onigashima groaned under the devastation.
From a distance, the Beasts Pirates watched silently. Their expressions had shifted from early shock and awe to quiet resignation. After a few hours, it all just became routine—they were numb to it now.
"It's official… that guy's on the same level as Kaidou-sama."
Queen had dragged out a small stool from somewhere, slumped down with a deep sigh, and puffed on a cigar, resting his cheek on his hand with a look of utter helplessness.
King said nothing, his lips pressed into a tight line.
Even if he didn't want to admit it, the brutal truth was right in front of him.
Clashes between rulers of the sea rarely ended quickly.
At their level, the gap between combat strength was razor-thin. Unless it was a group ambush or a war of attrition, one-on-one battles like this could go on forever with no clear outcome.
Kaidou and that man had been fighting for half a day now. Their injuries looked gruesome, but King could still sense their unyielding will to fight.
"This is bad."
Seeing King remain silent only confirmed Queen's fears. He clutched his head in frustration and muttered like a man on the verge of a breakdown.
"If even Kaidou-sama can't bring him down, that lunatic's going to treat Wano like his backyard and come and go whenever he pleases."
"Don't tell me... we're moving again?"
"But where the hell would we even go?"
The suspenders-clad fatty smoked with a sour expression, complaining weakly.
Islands rich in resources were scarce in this vast sea, and nearly all of them had long since been claimed by the major powers.
The Beasts Pirates' last headquarters had already been wrecked once—courtesy of that bastard Daren.
They had finally secured Wano, a nation rich in mineral resources and sealed off from the outside world—a perfect place to build up military strength. But who would've thought that walking disaster would keep showing up to ruin everything?
If it had been before, even if Kaidou couldn't kill him, he could at least beat him back.
But now? Daren's strength had grown to the point where he could go head-to-head with Kaidou himself…
Queen didn't even want to imagine how miserable life was about to become.
"Enough!"
A voice like rolling thunder suddenly boomed from afar, snapping everyone out of their daze and even jolting a few pirates awake.
The two monstrous figures had stopped fighting at some point, standing a distance apart, covered in blood and staring each other down as they panted for breath.
"Any more of this and it's just pointless!"
"I'm done for today—I need a drink!"
"If you still want more, wait till I've had my fill, and I'll take you on anytime!"
Kaidou wiped the blood from his face with a swipe of his hand, slammed his kanabō into the ground, and blasted a crater into the earth. Rocks flew everywhere—a clear venting of frustration.
Daren, pale-faced and breathing heavily, let out a tired chuckle. He didn't reject the offer.
Truthfully, he was close to his limit too.
After the "enhancements" from the Five Elders and the future Admirals, he had firmly stepped into the realm of legendary combatants. Even going blow-for-blow with Kaidou didn't put him at a disadvantage.
But Kaidou's mastery of Conqueror's Haki gave him an edge. The destructive shockwaves he could emit allowed him to ignore the defenses of the Indestructible Body to some extent, striking organs directly.
In an all-out brawl, Kaidou definitely held some advantages.
Even so, Daren figured Kaidou wasn't much better off than he was.
If Kaidou really thought he could finish him off, he wouldn't have called for a truce.
"Is there any for me? I'm thirsty too."
He let out a long breath and grinned.
Kaidou's expression stiffened.
This guy… really has no shame.
He's acting like Onigashima is his own house now?
Queen and King's faces darkened, their pupils shrinking.
Is he insane!?
Does he think he's some kind of king?
Not only did he come barging in, now he's shameless enough to ask Kaidou-san to drink with him?
"If you've got the guts to drink, go ahead. Up to you."
Kaidou shot Daren a sideways glance, his voice low and threatening.
"But with the state you're in, if you get drunk… I can't promise I won't take the chance to kill you."
"And don't forget—Queen and King might jump in too. They won't hold back against a guy who's half-dead."
Daren glanced over at Queen and King, smiling cheerfully.
"I'm kinda looking forward to it."
Queen shrank back slightly.
King's eyes turned cold.
"Tch."
Kaidou snorted with a cruel grin.
"Fine then, come on—suicidal little brat."
...
One minute later.
"Wororororo! Daren, don't just hog the meat—drink, damn it!"
In front of a roaring bonfire, a red-faced Kaidou raised his sake gourd high and burst into hearty laughter.
King stood stiffly to the side, his face sour, lips twitching.
The suspenders-clad fatty clutched his head in pain and muttered miserably,
"I knew this was gonna happen…"
...
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