"Damn it!!"
Gion's face darkened as she took in the scene, finally realizing that Darren had been toying with them all along.
Kaji specialized in close-combat martial arts, boasting immense physical strength.
Yet his attacks hadn't left so much as a scratch on Darren!
As Gion's gaze fell on Darren's scarred, muscular torso, a single thought surged through her mind:
This guy's physical defense… it's already beyond human limits!
In fact, his natural toughness might rival Tekkai itself!
Her thoughts raced, but hesitation was no longer an option.
She and Kaji represented Headquarters, and with so many marines watching, they had to reclaim their dignity no matter the cost!
"Be careful, Captain Darren!"
The words had barely left her mouth when Gion's figure blurred, launching herself forward like a streak of pink light.
Her eyes burned with intense determination as the golden blade in her hand gleamed with a dazzling, icy brilliance.
Retreat was not an option now.
The blade cut through the air with a sharp, piercing sound.
"Iai: Peach Smoke!"
The golden blade struck down with a sharp hiss!
Fresh blood spurted through the air.
A deep, jagged wound appeared on Darren's chest, blood pouring out in torrents.
Gion's pupils contracted sharply as she stared in disbelief.
He didn't dodge?!
Her face froze in shock as she stared at the Navy captain in front of her, unable to process what had just happened.
Her golden blade was lodged firmly in Darren's chest muscles, unable to cut any deeper!
Then she saw it, a smile.
A cruel, delighted, and faintly mad smile slowly crept across Darren's lips, spreading into an unrestrained grin.
"Feeling the breath of all things... the realm of cutting steel, is it?"
Darren licked the salty blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze toward Gion filled with a strange admiration.
"You truly are a genius from Headquarters. You're just one step away from becoming a true swordsman."
Before his words could fully sink in, Gion felt a violent gust of wind slam into her, the sheer force stinging her cheeks.
A loud, sharp explosion tore through the air in front of her.
So fast!!
Her expression shifted dramatically. Instinctively, she brought her blade up to block.
Clang!!
A black military boot smashed heavily against the blade of her sword.
Gion felt an overwhelming force crash into her, as if a high-speed marine train had hit her head-on.
She was hurled backward like a cannonball.
Ripples of force expanded through the air in concentric circles.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Her body crashed through several heavy stone targets before finally tumbling to the ground.
Rocks and debris scattered everywhere as Gion landed, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. Her hand, still clutching the sword, trembled uncontrollably. Blood seeped from the torn skin at the base of her thumb, a sharp, searing pain radiating from the wound.
She stared at Darren in the distance, her expression a mix of disbelief and shock, her thoughts in turmoil.
This man… He's not just a monster with an incredible defensive body, but he also has strength comparable to an adult giant?!
"AAAAARGHHH!! DAMN IT!! Darren, YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU HIT MY FACE?!"
A furious roar suddenly erupted.
"I make my living with this face!!"
Kaji, his face swollen like a pig's, finally managed to pull his head out of the crater. Breathing heavily, his eyes were now bloodshot with rage.
His aura shifted instantly, resembling a ferocious beast awakened from its slumber.
"To think you'd push me to use this strength… You should feel honored."
Kaji hunched over, his body trembling as he struggled to stand.
His uniform began to bulge, his previously wiry frame swelling as muscles erupted like volcanic rock. His expression twisted into something almost inhuman.
Crack... crack...
The ground beneath him groaned as cracks radiated outward from the sheer force of his unleashed energy.
The surrounding marines watching the fight visibly paled at the sight.
"What incredible physical strength!"
"Who knew he had this kind of power hidden inside him!"
"So this is the talent of a Headquarters officer?!"
With their faces filled with awe and fear, they watched Kaji, now brimming with raw power, charge at Darren with thundering steps.
His speed increased exponentially, surpassing his previous attacks in both power and velocity.
Like a meteor, he streaked toward Darren.
And then—
Bang!!
—he was sent flying back at an even faster speed.
Crimson blood sprayed from Kaji's mouth as the explosive force shredded his uniform into tatters.
His body tumbled across the ground for dozens of meters before curling up like a boiled shrimp.
His mouth gaped wide, gasping like a fish out of water. His bloodshot eyes bulged grotesquely from the sockets as pain wracked his entire body.
"Urgh!!"
A foul-smelling pool of bile spewed from Kaji's mouth, filling the air with an unbearable stench.
Silence.
The entire training ground fell into an eerie stillness.
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, the new North Blue Admiral, Darren, began walking slowly toward Gion and Kaji.
His towering frame cast a long shadow under the blazing sun, engulfing the two of them.
Looking down at the two "inspectors" sent by headquarters to monitor him, Darren's face lit up with a sunny smile.
"You two really live up to your reputations as top talents from headquarters..."
He blinked playfully.
"—I'll be counting on you in the future."
"Damn it!! Darren, you bastard! How can you be this strong?!"
Kaji, still gasping for air after his retching fit, lifted his head, his bloodshot eyes glaring daggers at Darren.
Hearing Kaji's words, Darren seemed to recall something amusing. A grin spread across his face.
"Compared to the real monsters out there, I'm not that strong at all..."
He chuckled, lowering his gaze to the scar on his chest.
It had stopped bleeding and was already beginning to scab.
"Well, sparring with you two was fun."
Turning around, he began walking toward the far end of the training ground.
"Warm-up over. Time for real training."
Kaji and Gion: ???
They stared blankly at him.
That exchange just now... was only a warm-up to you?!
But you got slashed! Blood was gushing out!
Oh, wait. It's scabbing already. Never mind.
They exchanged a glance, the shock on their faces evident.
Rumble!
Just as Kaji and Gion were reeling from the revelation, a tremor rose beneath their feet.
Dust and pebbles began to jump on the ground.
Sensing something, they looked up.
What they saw left their minds completely blank.
A hundred meters away, the man who had just overpowered both of them with an overwhelming display of strength was now holding a massive black iron chain.
The rusted chain stretched over ten meters, its other end connected to a decommissioned warship at the edge of the training ground.
Darren's muscles bulged grotesquely, solid as volcanic rock, as he gripped the chain with both hands.
With immense effort, he dragged the 6-meter-tall medium-sized warship forward.
Step by step,
Each of his steps left a shallow crater in the ground beneath his boots.
As he advanced, the colossal warship gouged a deep trench into the earth, shaking the training ground with each movement.
From Gion and Kaji's perspective, the scene was surreal.
The seemingly small Navy captain pulling a warship of such scale under the blazing sun created a striking, unforgettable image.
Gion and Kaji were dumbfounded. Their mouths opened, but no words came out.
"You've just arrived in the North Blue, so there's a lot you don't know."
At that moment, Maynard appeared beside Kaji and Gion.
He watched the distant Darren struggling forward with the warship, his eyes filled with unconcealed admiration.
"Before Rear Admiral Sakazuki was reassigned to headquarters, Darren was his adjutant."
"The scars covering Darren's body... most of them were inflicted during sparring sessions with Rear Admiral Sakazuki."
These words made Gion and Kaji simultaneously gasp.
Those terrifying scars... were from sparring?
This... this wasn't sparring.
It was more like a savage beast's life-or-death struggle!
A man capable of going head-to-head with the "monster" Sakazuki...
Recalling their earlier "sparring" session, Kaji and Gion's faces turned crimson with shame.
In Darren's eyes, their all-out efforts must've looked like child's play.
"Another monster..."
Kaji swallowed dryly, his voice hoarse.
The saying "monsters emerge from the North Blue" had been widely circulated at Marineford for the past year or two.
This chaotic sea had produced two vastly different, yet equally terrifying, individuals.
Sakazuki and Borsalino.
Both had graduated from the officer training camp in less than half a year, rising with unparalleled talent and unstoppable momentum. They had been personally acknowledged by Admiral Zephyr as true "monsters."
Perhaps it wouldn't be long before another "monster" emerged from these chaotic seas.
His name was Rogers Darren.