Darren accepted the title of "Strongest Creature on Land, Sea, and Air" without the slightest hesitation.
Even he couldn't fully grasp the extent of his power while using Magnetic Field Rotation. But when it came to sheer, overwhelming dominance in direct combat, he had undoubtedly surpassed Kaido.
However, now that one punch from him had awakened Kaido's Devil Fruit—instantly pushing the Emperor into the ranks of T0-tier renowned sensei—the outcome of any future battle between them was no longer so clear.
Zoan Devil Fruit Awakening was terrifying enough on its own, a nightmare for any opponent to contend with. What made it worse in Kaido's case was that his Devil Fruit wasn't just any Zoan—it was a Mythical Zoan, and not just any Mythical Zoan, but the most mysterious of them all: the Azure Dragon, the apex of mythical beasts.
The thought of Kaido's already monstrous physical prowess combined with an awakened Azure Dragon form sent a chill down Darren's spine.
I've actually pushed Kaido all the way to his peak with my own hands...
A wave of helplessness washed over him, the corner of his mouth twitching.
On top of that, Kaido was still in his prime, still getting stronger. Once he fully mastered his awakened powers, he would inevitably reach a legendary level of combat strength, enough to rival Roger and Whitebeard.
"What a damn mess..." Darren pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.
But after a moment's thought, he realized there was nothing to regret.
If he himself could learn new techniques and abilities through battle, growing stronger at an accelerated pace, then there was no reason his opponents couldn't do the same.
Take Kaido, for example. His natural talent was on par with the "monster" Vice Admirals from Marine Headquarters, like Sakazuki. From childhood, he had been steeped in war. While other kids were still wetting the bed, he was rolling around in piles of corpses with his Kanabo in hand.
By the age of ten, he had become the Vodka Kingdom's "strongest warrior." His incredible physique drew the attention of the World Government—only for the very nation he had fought to protect to betray him in the end.
A natural-born monster like that, combined with the tempering he received as a member of the Rocks Pirates, had long since pushed his Devil Fruit usage to the edge. In a life-or-death battle like this one, it was only natural that he'd seize that fleeting spark of inspiration and break through at last.
Battle is a two-way street. Why should only he be allowed to improve while his enemies stayed stagnant?
Darren and Dragon had been bleeding Kaido dry for so long; it was only natural the man would eventually claw back a bit of interest.
What surprised them was that Kaido had remained so still for so long. After enduring their continuous encroachment, he had finally swung back with his strongest card.
"But let's get back to the important part..."
Overalls Fatso suddenly shifted his tone. His gaze sharpened as he stared hard at Darren, his voice turning serious.
"While your Devil Fruit Awakening has indeed gifted you with tremendous combat power," he said, "from my observations, that state also comes with some major drawbacks."
"If I'm not mistaken, your personality and emotions undergo significant changes during Awakening, don't they?"
Dragon's expression darkened slightly at that.
Darren pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly. "They do."
"When Magnetic Field Rotation activates, my emotions spike into a sustained state of heightened excitement. I can clearly feel an endless torrent of raw power erupting from every part of my body, driving me to find an outlet to release it."
"Just as I thought."
Overalls Fatso pulled out a cigar, bit off the tip, lit it, and took a long, deep drag. Smoke seeped from his nostrils as he spoke in a raspy tone.
"This heightened excitement and impulsiveness are completely normal physiological responses. Those bodily reactions, in turn, influence your emotions and personality, flooding your subconscious with an overwhelming urge to destroy."
Dragon's eyes widened. "So in that state, Darren might not be able to distinguish friend from foe? He might even attack his own allies?"
Queen nodded, then shook his head. "Under normal circumstances, that would be highly likely. That destructive urge comes from the subconscious overflow of physical strength, coupled with the chaotic, violent fluctuations of your internal magnetic field. Those fluctuations disrupt the brain's bioelectrical signals."
"In essence... this is the raw power drawn out by Magnetic Field Rotation, far beyond what Darren can perfectly control."
"However," he added, glancing at Darren, "judging from his current state, he still retains some degree of self-control—at least while Magnetic Field Rotation is active."
He clicked his tongue in reluctant admiration.
"I really do want to know... how you've managed to withstand this kind of torture. It's practically like having every cell in your body torn apart."
Darren shrugged. His face was pale, but he managed a weak grin.
"You get used to it," he said flatly. "When the pain is constant, the nervous system dulls the pain receptors. In actual combat, that can be quite useful."
Queen and Dragon exchanged stunned looks.
They had always known Darren was crazy—but hearing him say it so casually still sent a chill running down their spines.
What kind of will does it take to stay conscious through pain like that?
"So," Darren continued, paying no attention to their expressions, "did the data we collected this time give you anything concrete?"
The moment he finished speaking, Queen's lips curled into a triumphant grin. His face lit up with excitement, his thick eyebrows practically dancing.
"I did find something!"
He pressed a button, and the image on the whiteboard shifted. A second curve gradually appeared, overlaid atop the original line chart of "Magnetic Field Strength."
"This is an analysis of your blood composition, measured by the instrument over the same time period."
In "scientist mode," Queen's demeanor became far more composed. If you ignored the occasional twitch of his hips and that lecherous, chubby face, his earnest focus was surprisingly convincing.
"Cell division and apoptosis—that is, natural cell death—generate large amounts of metabolic waste and toxins. These toxins are carried into the bloodstream, then filtered out by your kidneys and liver."
"...Which means that by tracking the concentration of specific toxins, we can infer the rate of cell apoptosis."
"In other words," Darren said slowly, blowing out a thin stream of smoke, "how quickly my life is being used up."
"Exactly!" Queen exclaimed, eyes gleaming with manic light as he tapped a data point on the chart. "Based on my calculations and analysis, I've reached the following conclusion..."
"If you want to continuously stress your body through low-frequency activation of Magnetic Field Rotation—using daily training to increase your physical capabilities—then I recommend keeping your human magnetic field at around 230 units."
"This is the dividing line."
"From your normal baseline of 200 up to 230, the concentration of apoptotic toxins in your blood remains within a relatively safe range. It won't significantly shorten your lifespan."
"But once your human magnetic field exceeds 230, the toxin concentration in your bloodstream will surge exponentially, putting an enormous metabolic burden on vital organs like your heart."
To be continued...