Under a sky of blue, a massive naval warship cruised steadily across the endless ocean, leaving a long white trail behind.
In the dim light of the cabin, Darren sat cross-legged alone, eyes closed.
The soft glow of an oil lamp cast his shadow onto the wooden walls, flickering faintly.
Three smooth metallic orbs hovered in midair, circling him in a perfect orbit.
Anyone witnessing the scene would be stunned.
The orbs maintained absolute precision, their distances unwavering even as they moved.
Such control was extraordinary.
Time passed slowly.
With a slight motion of Darren's fingers, the orbs shifted like liquid, transforming fluidly—sharp spikes, writhing iron chains, or sturdy shields of solid steel.
At a certain moment,
Darren slowly opened his eyes.
The three metallic spheres immediately converged, reshaping into a sleek silver wrist guard that solidified on the navy captain's right wrist.
He exhaled softly, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Physique: 60.451
Strength: 55.890
Speed: 58.048
Fruit: 71.871
"Indeed, only true combat and life-or-death struggles can force rapid growth," Darren mused, using his "Insight" ability to perceive his physical condition.
Over the past few months, his training progress had significantly slowed. His speed and fruit abilities, in particular, had nearly hit a plateau.
Although his consistent increase in training intensity led to gradual improvements in his stats, the rate of growth was far from ideal.
However, after the battle with Germa 66, Darren's physique and strength had both increased by over one point—an effect that would normally take a month of rigorous training to achieve.
"It's a pity Germa 66 was too weak to truly challenge me," Darren remarked with a chuckle, lighting a cigar.
In truth, Germa 66 and Vinsmoke Judge weren't weak; it was just that his abilities countered their technological weapons too well.
Without him, it was undeniable that with Germa 66's military strength, Vinsmoke Judge could have easily "executed the kings of the North Blue's four nations" and perhaps even dominated the North Blue.
"I do miss those battles with that lunatic Sakazuki," Darren thought, a nostalgic glint in his eyes.
Before Sakazuki left the North Blue to train at Headquarters, the two often sparred without using their Devil Fruit powers.
Of course, their "sparring" was deadly in the eyes of others.
Sakazuki never held back. A single misstep could result in death, passed off as an unfortunate "accident."
Those days, though grueling, were exhilarating. Constantly pushed to the brink of death, Darren found himself breaking limits repeatedly.
That was when his strength improved at an unprecedented rate.
But those days were long gone.
Now, after training at the Headquarters Officers' Training Camp under the former Admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr, Sakazuki had likely mastered Haki.
The gap between them had widened indefinitely.
After all, as Kaido once said, "Haki is the most formidable power on this vast sea."
With this thought, Darren rose slowly to his feet.
He wasn't in a rush.
The third session of the Officers' Training Camp was about to begin, and he had already secured a spot.
Though his talent couldn't compare to monsters like Sakazuki and Borsalino, Darren believed his abilities would ensure him a place in the Navy's elite ranks.
But before that, he had to strengthen the North Blue Fleet.
He would build a powerful fleet armed with Germa technology—a force entirely his own, answering solely to him.
A resolute gleam flashed in Darren's deep eyes as he stepped out of the cabin and pushed the door open.
Sunlight poured down as naval soldiers patrolled and maintained their weapons and cannons outside.
On the spacious deck, Gion and Kaji were sweating profusely, engrossed in training.
Kaji carried a massive one-ton barbell, gritting his teeth as he performed handstand push-ups.
Gion practiced her swordsmanship with focused precision, her sharp blade slicing through the air with a piercing whistle.
"Have they lost their minds?"
Darren quirked a brow at the scene and turned to inquire of Mouse, who was approaching.
Mouse rubbed his temples helplessly. "The Germa 66 incident hit them hard—especially Kaji. He's been training like a madman since we got back."
Darren couldn't help but laugh, recalling the pitiful sight of Kaji being stomped in the face by Vinsmoke Judge and sent flying.
Suddenly, BOOM!
A massive column of water erupted tens of meters high on one side of the battleship.
Waves surged violently, causing the ship to sway.
"What's happening?!"
"An enemy attack?"
"No! It's... it's a Sea King!"
A shadow loomed over them, immense and menacing.
The colossal creature emerged from the waves, towering six or seven stories high. Its black scales glistened, and its lantern-like eyes glared down at the sailors.
A giant maw filled with sharp teeth opened wide, ready to devour.
"A small Sea King?" Darren muttered, intrigued by the "monster fish" before him.
At this time, Vegapunk hadn't yet developed the technology to coat battleship hulls with Seastone, meaning Sea Kings could still detect naval ships.
Mouse instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword, ready to strike, but Darren placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.
Mouse hesitated, and then a loud shout erupted from the deck.
"Hahaha! Perfect timing! I'll use you, little reptile, to test the results of my training!"
With a burst of laughter, Kaji leaped from the ship's railing like a cannonball.
The Sea King roared, its crimson eyes flashing with anger, and lunged to swallow Kaji whole.
BOOM!
Kaji's fist collided with its maw.
Ripples of shockwaves spread outward, and cracks formed on the Sea King's teeth before shattering entirely.
The Sea King froze, its massive eyes wide with disbelief.
Tears welled up in its defeated gaze.
At that moment—
CLANG!
The sharp hum of a blade rang out.
A golden blade sliced through the air, leaving a streak of light that vanished in an instant.
SHLICK!
A thin line of blood appeared on the Sea King's neck.
In the next instant, its head and body separated, crashing into the ocean and staining the waves crimson.
On the deck, Kaji landed with a self-satisfied pose.
Gion, expressionless, sheathed her blade as her cloak fluttered dramatically in the wind.
The sailors erupted in cheers, some hastily casting nets to prepare for a feast.
"Truly the geniuses of Headquarters... future admiral candidates," Darren murmured, impressed.
From their brief display, Darren immediately gauged their progress.
Kaji's strength, speed, and martial arts had improved by at least 30%.
As for Gion, she had mastered the "Flying Slash," stepping into the realm of swordmasters.
All in just a few days!
Their terrifying talent was nearly on par with monsters like Sakazuki and Borsalino.
"Hahaha! Did you see that, Darren?"
Kaji strutted over, flexing his biceps.
"That giant Sea King? I shattered its teeth with one punch. Can you—"
BOOM!
The sea erupted again, this time with eight enormous Sea Kings, each over a hundred meters tall, emerging from the depths.
Their deafening roars reverberated as they surged toward the ship.
The small battleship quivered under their massive presence.
Darren raised a hand.
The metallic wrist guard detached, morphing into a sharp spear that shot into the air.
The spear pierced the sky with a deafening whistle, propelled by a powerful magnetic field, leaving rippling shockwaves in its wake.
It moved so fast that no one could follow its trajectory.
All they saw was a fleeting silver blur darting through the heavens.
The eight sea king beasts charging forward suddenly froze in mid-motion.
Shh!!
Tiny blood holes burst open all over their massive bodies, as if riddled with bullets, spraying high-pressure streams of blood.
Boom!
The colossal creatures collapsed one after another, crashing into the sea and sending towering plumes of water into the air.
Darren casually recalled the metal spear back into his hand, where it reformed into a wristband. He nonchalantly put it on, his backdrop a grim scene of eight lifeless sea king beasts sinking into the ocean.
He turned to look at Major Kaji, who was staring in stunned silence, and said:
"Major Kaji, what were you saying earlier?"
Kaji's lips twitched. He forced a smile and replied,
"I was saying that you'd definitely handle it better than I could!"
Darren gave him a glance, patted his shoulder, and turned his gaze to the horizon.
In the distance, the silhouette of an island began to emerge on the ocean's surface.
"Prepare yourselves; we'll be landing soon," Darren said with a faint, mocking smile curving his lips.
"This time, our mission is to protect the great, sacred, and noble Celestial Dragons."