As Darren charged forward with long, powerful strides, the ground beneath his feet trembled and cratered, as if struck by an invisible hammer.
In that moment of inhuman explosiveness, his figure rocketed ahead like a cannonball, cloaked in a raging whirlwind.
Vinsmoke Judge felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation crash down on him. A chill raced down his spine, as though a colossal Sea King had locked its gaze upon him.
The killing intent exuding from the Marine Captain was so suffocating it was like a devil born from a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood. Even the sea breeze carried the scent of iron and slaughter.
"Kill him! Take him down!!"
Flashes of Darren's brutal anti-pirate methods echoed in Judge's mind. Blood filled his eyes as he roared his command.
Immediately, dozens of cloned soldiers surged forth from the rubble of nearby fortifications, weapons raised.
Two gleaming blades slashed toward Darren's chest. He smirked, subtly shifting his body.
The blades whistled past, missing by mere inches.
In that passing instant, Darren's arms moved like spears forged in steel. His palms became blades, piercing the throats of both soldiers with ruthless precision.
SPLURT!
Blood sprayed as their pupils dimmed.
Without missing a beat, Darren charged again like a tiger unleashed. His body, hardened beyond steel, crashed into the clones like a storm tearing through straw.
From a distance, the Marine Captain appeared engulfed by the clone army. At the center of the encirclement, the sounds of flesh tearing and bones snapping echoed.
Cloned bodies, drenched in blood, were hurled outward. In less than ten seconds, the ground was awash in crimson, littered with torn limbs.
Onboard the Marine ship, Gion and Tokikake watched in stunned silence, faces pale.
In that moment, Darren resembled a precise, efficient killing machine. His monstrous physique and savage close-quarters combat tore through enhanced clones like they were paper.
He was unstoppable.
Bullets, blades, axes, and spears bounced off his body with metallic clangs, leaving nothing more than shallow welts.
Bathed in blood, the Marine Captain let out a wild laugh. The white cloak of justice on his back had turned crimson.
"He's enjoying the slaughter..."
Gion watched in awe, her mind replaying their duel the day before.
Darren had taken her sword strike head-on, not out of arrogance, but because he relished walking the edge between life and death.
"This guy's insane..."
She bit her lip in frustration.
Nearby, Tokikake noticed her dazed gaze and suddenly snapped to attention.
"Quick! We have to move in too!"
"I'm gonna send Vinsmoke Judge flying!"
Momonga blinked in surprise. "You sure? Darren doesn't like interference in his fights. He's enjoying this, and according to intel, Judge's strength and tech are—"
He didn't finish. Tokikake grabbed his collar and snarled, face flushed red.
"Damn it, Momonga! Who do you think I am!?"
"I'm the genius of Headquarters! The one and only Tokikake!"
"Like hell a little Germa 66 is enough to stop me!"
Releasing his grip, he spun around dramatically. Peeking at Gion from the corner of his eye, he spoke in a deep, solemn tone:
"This rush of battle... It's been too long."
"Who knew the backwater North Blue would push even a genius like me to this extent."
Momonga twitched at the sight of Tokikake's theatrical pose and signaled the crew.
The Marine vessel roared forward, engines at full throttle, charging into Germa's fleet.
Meanwhile...
CLANG!
Several steel blades struck Darren's chest, only to shatter in a spray of sparks.
The clone soldiers stared in disbelief at their broken weapons.
Though they lacked pain and fear, the flicker of confusion remained.
Why was this man's body tougher than their weapons forged in reinforced steel?
And even more disturbing—his defense had clearly grown stronger.
"That should do it... Real combat really is the best way to grow."
Darren grinned.
According to his sensory talent, his physique and strength had surged. Most notably, his Physique stat had broken past the 60-point threshold.
"Time to move on."
With his enhanced defense, fighting clones provided diminishing returns. Tireless and fearless, they were now just a waste of time.
He licked his dry lips.
A high-pitched whistling rushed from behind.
Several clones leapt into the air, blades aimed for his neck.
But just before their swords struck, they froze.
WHIRR...
An eerie silence fell.
The suspended blades vibrated in place, held still by unseen force.
Suddenly, without Darren moving an inch, the ground around him stirred.
Rebar burst forth like black serpents, twisting and intertwining into a massive net that ensnared the clones.
Before they could react, they were bound tight, pulled down violently.
Steel skewered their bodies, tightening until it tore flesh and shattered bones.
Vinsmoke Judge watched in frozen horror.
Centered around Darren, within a hundred-meter radius, hundreds of clones were impaled and crushed by rebar that had "grown" from the ground.
In seconds, the ground ran red.
Flesh ripped. Organs spilled.
Silence returned.
Darren stood alone in a field of blood and twisted metal.
Steel tendrils writhed around him like serpents—
Like a demon risen from hell.
---
To be continued...