Chaos raged on.
Amid the rubble of the 3A box, Darren stood motionless, eyes calm, surveying the turmoil below from his elevated perch. The entire battlefield unfolded beneath him.
Above, Borsalino and King clashed like lightning in the sky. Lasers and fire met in fierce collisions, sending shockwaves scattering in all directions—gods knew how many bystanders had already been caught in the crossfire.
Yet, for all of King's ferocity, Borsalino looked utterly relaxed. He would lazily fire off a few beams, swing his Ama no Murakumo with half-hearted flair, and add in a few irritating quips—like he was merely humoring his opponent.
Not far away, Sengoku was on the move.
Facing both Perospero and Daifuku, he demonstrated overwhelming dominance. The towering golden Buddha loomed at the center of the hall, each casual sweep of his hand sending crashing shockwaves that sent the Charlotte brothers staggering, blood spilling from their mouths.
Darren cast them only a brief glance before turning away.
They were decent. Competent with Haki, strong command of their Devil Fruits. But they were still young—barely in their twenties. Far from their peak forms in the original timeline.
And even at their best, they would never be a match for Sengoku, a veteran admiral.
They were simply outclassed.
As for the More-More Fruit—
Greedy pirates and underworld agents surged toward the auction platform in waves, eyes bloodshot. Lu Feld's men held them off as best they could with superior firepower, but it was only just enough.
Darren watched for a few seconds, then drew his conclusion:
They wouldn't reach the fruit. Not yet.
"So…" he murmured, eyes narrowing. A cold smile curled his lips.
"When exactly are you planning to show up, Golden Lion Shiki?"
He lifted his gaze toward the open sky above the auction.
Waiting.
Suddenly—
Rumble.
A section of the auction wall gave way with a crash, bricks and dust tumbling down.
Dozens of terrified pirates stumbled from the smoke, fleeing for their lives.
"Kahahaha!! I knew it!!"
A harsh, growling laugh tore through the air.
A black boot stepped from the smoke—
Crack! It crushed the head of a wounded pirate underfoot, splattering blood.
The ground trembled slightly under the sheer force of the stomp.
Then he appeared.
A massive figure strode forward, dragging the limp body of another pirate in one hand.
He wore a sharp black military uniform. Wild golden hair whipped around him in the wind. His aura was brutal and beastlike, eyes glinting with madness.
With a careless swing, he hurled the unconscious pirate into the wall—blood splattered wide.
Then he looked up, eyes wild with bloodlust.
"Darren!! The moment you opened your mouth during the bidding—I knew it was you!!"
Douglas Bullet locked eyes with the Marine Rear Admiral standing in the ruins of Box 3A, pointing at him with his metal arm.
"Been a long time!!"
The moment his words ended, a monstrous pressure erupted from his body, surging across the entire hall like a crashing tide.
Everything stopped.
Colors seemed to drain from the world. Only shades of grey remained.
Pirates halted mid-fight. Their gazes grew dull.
Then, as if struck by lightning, realization hit them.
"A member of the Roger Pirates!!"
"Douglas Bullet! The demon who destroyed an entire nation's army!!"
"The 'Demon Heir'—bounty, 300 million!!"
"He's here too!?"
"Damn it!!"
"That aura—like a walking natural disaster!!"
Weaker fighters dropped to one knee without realizing, raising their arms to shield their faces, eyes filled with dread.
Then—
BOOM.
Another massive wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded—this one from the sky.
From Darren.
Everyone forced their eyes upward.
A storm of pressure poured from Darren's body, no weaker than Bullet's.
The air cracked. Red and black lightning surged like rivers clashing in the sky.
Their Haki collided in a titanic storm—two tides, one crimson, one black, battling for supremacy.
Thunder boomed across the auction hall. Walls cracked. Seats splintered. Even the ground split apart beneath the weight of their wills.
The sky darkened.
"A clash of Conqueror's Haki…"
Sengoku sent Perospero and Daifuku flying with a golden shockwave, then paused. He narrowed his eyes at the golden-haired figure laughing maniacally across the hall.
"So that's Douglas Bullet," he muttered. "His Conqueror's Haki… this powerful? Even Roger's crew is showing up now…"
"Found your opening!!"
Daifuku suddenly lunged from the side, blood still dripping from his mouth.
"Genie Hunt!!"
The massive blue genie raised its naginata, swinging down hard at Sengoku's face.
"Tch… This is getting ridiculous."
Sengoku frowned.
He'd been holding back, saving his strength in case Shiki showed.
But these two—did they really think they could take him on?
"If you want to kill me—tell your mother to come do it herself!!"
With that, golden light erupted from his body.
The golden Buddha reached out with immense force, catching the genie's naginata in one hand.
Then—
In Daifuku's bloodshot, trembling eyes, the massive golden palm descended.
SLAM!!
It hit like a landslide. Half the auction hall crumbled in the impact. The floor and walls cracked, rubble flying in every direction.
As dust billowed upward, the storm of Conqueror's Haki began to fade.
...
"Darren!! Let's fight to our hearts' content!! Kahahaha!!"
Bullet stomped on a chunk of rubble, laughing maniacally.
Darren didn't even look at him.
"I don't have time to play with you. Go find someone else."
Bullet's smile froze.
But before he could react, the sky darkened.
Clouds gathered, swirling like black ink.
The air grew cold.
A vast, crushing pressure descended—thick with death, bloodlust, and malice. It blanketed the entire Island of Coins.
Darren, Sengoku, Bullet—every powerful fighter present—looked up, faces tensing, pupils shrinking.
"Jihahahaha!! Looks like the party's just getting started!!"
A cruel, arrogant laugh echoed from beyond the clouds.
---
To be continued…