"What… what kind of ability is this?" Kaji stammered, his voice tinged with disbelief as he stared at the redirected projectiles.
"Is it… the power to control metal?" Gion murmured, equally stunned.
Mouse nearby crossed its arms and lit a cigarette with a grin.
"Darren's control over magnetic fields is getting more and more precise…"
In the distance, aboard the Saint Germain, Vinsmoke Judge's pupils trembled violently as he watched the overwhelming scene unfold. Gritting his teeth, he couldn't suppress his anger.
But it was Darren's next words that ignited the flames of fury in his heart once more.
This Navy brat… What arrogance!
Did he really believe that just because he possessed the power of a Devil Fruit, he could challenge the "Army of Evil" from the Germa Kingdom?
"Ridiculous!! If an old man like me can't even deal with a runt like you, how could Germa 66 ever hope to dominate the North Blue?!"
With bloodshot eyes, Vinsmoke Judge roared:
"Attack! All forces, advance! Ram his ship into pieces!"
As his order echoed, the Germa fleet surged forward, dragged by massive snails with full propulsion, charging madly toward Darren's warship.
Darren said nothing.
Once again, he raised his hand slowly.
His movements were deliberate, almost sluggish compared to the thunderous advance of the dozens of Germa warships that roared across the sea, sending waves crashing in their wake.
Even from the coastline, tens of thousands in the Kingdom of Yadis could clearly see his actions.
His long, powerful fingers stretched out gently in midair.
Then—
He clenched his fist!
In the next instant—
BZZZZZZZ!
A piercing, thunderous sonic boom tore through the air.
Every eye widened in shock.
The dense cluster of cannonballs, hovering ominously in the sky, suddenly began to tremble violently.
It was as if an invisible storm had erupted from thin air.
Then came the deafening crackle of the atmosphere breaking apart.
The rain of suspended cannonballs.
A lethal net of destruction capable of leveling half a mountain.
With a motion as simple as a clenched fist, the Navy admiral unleashed them with double their previous velocity, sending them hurtling toward the fleet of Germa 66.
Blood vessels burst in Vinsmoke Judge's eyes.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Like a torrential downpour, the cannonballs plunged into the warships, turning the Germa Kingdom's mighty fortress of steel into a fiery inferno.
Explosions erupted one after another, blooming like crimson mushrooms across the battlefield.
Under this relentless bombardment, the cloned soldiers of the Germa army had no time to react. They could only watch helplessly as their advanced technological weapons exploded around them, consuming them in flames and shockwaves.
Towering pillars of fire rose into the sky, and the Germa Kingdom, an island in its own right, trembled under the devastating assault.
The force of the explosions rippled outward, stirring massive waves in the surrounding seas.
Thick, black smoke billowed into the heavens, and the distant rumble of the blasts left the soldiers of Yadis Kingdom ash-faced along the coast.
Amid the gale shaking the Navy warship, everyone, including Gion and Kaji, clung desperately to masts and railings to avoid being thrown overboard.
From the bow of the ship, their eyes were drawn to the figure of Darren, unmoving like a rock in the storm.
Against the backdrop of Germa Kingdom's fiery devastation, the Northern Admiral stood steady, a cigar clenched between his teeth, his trademark calm smile etched on his lips.
The white cape draped over his shoulders, catching the firelight, seemed as vivid as blood.
In that moment,
Gion and Kaji finally understood.
Darren had brought order to the chaotic North Blue not just with his shrewd political maneuvers,
But with his monstrous strength.
Power so immense that it could singlehandedly destroy an entire kingdom.
…
The barrage lasted a full minute before finally subsiding.
When the cold sea breeze cleared the smoke, everyone gasped at the sight of the Germa Kingdom, once fortified by dozens of warships, now in ruins.
The land was scorched, flames smoldering amidst craters of varying depths.
Imposing artillery emplacements and fortresses had collapsed, reduced to charred rubble.
Among the wreckage lay the shattered bodies of cloned soldiers, many obliterated beyond recognition, their limbs scattered amidst the debris.
Atop the flagship Saint Germain, the iconic Crossed Falcon flag, once fluttering proudly at the highest mast, burned away into ash.
Half the Germa Kingdom had been leveled.
Cough… cough…
A ragged cough broke the silence, coming from the rubble.
"Damn Navy brat… How dare you…"
Vinsmoke Judge staggered to his feet, his body covered in blood and grime, his earlier arrogance long gone.
Behind him, the "66" insignia on his tattered cape seemed to ripple like a living thing.
"So, you've developed the first-generation combat suits…"
Darren raised an eyebrow, muttering with interest.
The combat suits of Germa 66, crafted by Vinsmoke Judge, were advanced technological marvels.
Made of memory alloy, they were extraordinarily resilient.
The cape served as a "shield," impervious even to flames.
It was this cape that had shielded Judge from the brunt of the explosion.
"In that case…"
A sharp glint flashed in Darren's eyes.
"Let me see just how strong these combat suits really are."
He turned to his crew.
"Hold on tight."
Gion and Kaji were momentarily stunned.
Before they could react, they noticed the other crew members, including Mouse, gripping the ship's rails tightly.
Without hesitation, they followed suit.
Then—
Darren took a deep breath.
HISS!
The cigar between his teeth burned visibly shorter.
His piercing gaze locked onto the Saint Germain, just a hundred meters away.
With knees slightly bent and his body sinking low,
His muscles coiled like a spring ready to unleash.
Behind him, his cape flared dramatically in the wind.
"Don't tell me…" Kaji's face twitched as realization struck.
As if to confirm his suspicions,
Darren smirked,
And then—
BOOM!
The force of his leap caused the entire warship to tilt sharply, its bow dipping into the sea while its stern rose high, creating an almost 45-degree angle.
Propelled by an explosion of raw power, Darren shot forward like an arrow loose from a bowstring, breaking the sound barrier with a resounding crack.
He skimmed across the surface of the water, carving a white trail as he surged toward the Saint Germain.