Clank...
The cold, hard clatter of Seastone shackles echoed through the dim, hollow prison. Daren stomped down, his hands half-raised in a fierce, predatory stance. The chains rattled and swayed around him as his body lunged forward like a tiger.
Crack!
The solid floor tiles groaned, scattering fragments of stone into the air. The prisoners, already backing away, gasped sharply, eyes widening in disbelief. The sheer power behind Daren's step had shattered the tiles, leaving a deep footprint etched into the floor.
Had they not seen it with their own eyes, none of them would have believed such a thing was even possible for a human. And yet, Daren was wearing Seastone shackles. Forged from the highest-purity Seastone of Impel Down, these restraints would make most Devil Fruit users collapse, unable to even stand. Even the fearsome pirates of the New World would be rendered weak and powerless.
But this monster, Daren, still managed to unleash such terrifying strength despite the Seastone's suppression.
Before anyone could react, a blinding golden light suddenly flared through the darkness. In an instant, countless photons streaked across the air as a golden light blade cleaved downward.
So fast!
The prisoners' pupils shrank, cold sweat running down their spines. They even felt a tingling chill on their foreheads—if that strike had been aimed at them, death or grave injury would've been certain.
The next moment—
Clang!
The Seastone chains snapped taut, blocking the descending blade. Sparks exploded, lighting up two faces wearing the same mocking grin. Daren and Borsalino faced each other, the Ama no Murakumo blade hovering less than two centimeters from Daren's forehead.
"You really are getting close to seeing the future, Daren."
Borsalino's smile deepened. In the reflection of his sunglasses, Daren's eyes blazed with battle lust, shining like distant stars.
"I might not have your ridiculous talent... but don't forget, I'm one of the 'Monsters' too, Borsalino!!"
Daren's grin turned feral as his bare torso tightened and bulged. Veins writhed like serpents beneath his skin, muscles swelling like molten rock. He slammed his foot down, using the recoil to drive both arms forward at once.
With a resonant hum, Borsalino's Ama no Murakumo Sword was knocked upward. His brows lifted slightly.
"And don't rely too much on your Devil Fruit powers."
Daren's right hand curled into a three-fingered dragon claw, bursting forward with force enough to shatter mountains as it shot toward Borsalino's face. At the same time, the Seastone shackles on his wrists trembled with his movements, glinting ominously under the flickering prison light.
This was...
Magellan's pupils shrank to pinpoints, his heart hammering wildly. Instructor Daren's Ryusoken was just the visible technique—the true killing move was hidden beneath it.
He was using the Seastone shackles themselves... to capture Vice Admiral Borsalino!
"You're not that annoying old man Zephyr-sensei."
Borsalino sneered, his form abruptly dispersing into countless photons. He dodged Daren's Ryusoken while simultaneously evading the grasp of the Seastone shackles on Daren's hands.
Missed!
Seeing this, both Magellan and the gathered prisoners flashed a hint of regret in their eyes. Daren's strike had been flawless in both timing and angle... Yet, bound and restrained by the Seastone shackles, he couldn't unleash his full combat power. His Devil Fruit abilities were sealed, and he couldn't exert his complete strength. His speed, power, and reflexes were all noticeably weaker than at his peak.
"Better be careful now. My speed has increased."
A voice tinged with amusement rang out. In an instant, Borsalino materialized behind Daren. Seizing the momentum of Daren's forward motion, his right foot—clad in a white leather shoe—swept upward, trailing a golden streak of light as he kicked viciously through the air toward Daren's back.
At that moment, an eerie red glow surged deep within Daren's eyes. He suddenly clenched his teeth. As his body lunged forward, his left hand slammed into the ground, propelling him upward as his form flipped sharply.
Clang!!
The Seastone shackles emitted a shrill crack as sparks burst forth. The chain snapped clean in two mid-air! A kick traveling at the speed of light—its terrifying penetrating force and scorching heat—had completely destroyed the iron chain.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The impact rippled through his hands. Daren felt a searing, stinging pain in his wrists as his body recoiled, sending him hurtling backward through the air.
Before he could fully land and steady himself, an overwhelming sense of danger suddenly washed over him. His pupils shrank to pinpoints.
In their reflection, not far away, Borsalino had once again raised his right index finger. A playful yet cold smile curved on his lips as he looked at Daren with chilling amusement.
This strike... was absolutely not a joke!
That chilling thought surged into Daren's mind, momentarily freezing him in place—because he could feel it.
Borsalino's killing intent!
That damn Kizaru!!
Is he really trying to kill me?
"Sayo-na-ra, Daren."
Borsalino revealed a sinister grin, his tone light but unmistakably final.
By now, Magellan and the other prisoners had also realized something was wrong. Their faces went pale. Even "Red the Aloof" Redfield narrowed his eyes, a crimson gleam flashing across his gaze.
The next instant—
BIUBIUBIU!
Three slender golden beams sliced through the air, streaking across the long prison corridor toward Daren.
The blinding golden light rushed closer, yet Daren's rapidly pounding heart suddenly slowed. In that life-or-death instant, he did something no one could have expected.
—He closed his eyes.
Time itself seemed to freeze.
A faint smile curved at Daren's lips. Then, his head tilted left and right three times in quick succession.
Three laser beams—powerful enough to pierce through metal and stone—grazed his skin and shot past him, vanishing into the depths of the prison corridor behind.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
A series of dull explosions thundered through the prison as rolling black smoke billowed outward.
Amid the flickering firelight, the dark-haired man smiled as he slowly opened his eyes. Deep within his gaze, a blood-red light flickered faintly.
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, he slowly opened his eyes and grinned as he spoke.
"Were you planning to take me out while I was distracted, Borsalino?"