Dust swirled in the air.

Cold steel thrashed wildly.

Vinsmoke Judge stared at the wreckage that was once the Germa Kingdom, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

"Damn it! I was supposed to lead Germa to dominate the North Blue!"

Daren narrowed his eyes with a faint smile.

"The Marines rule these seas. You're not the king of anything—certainly not the North Blue."

He raised his hand and swung it forward.

Dozens of twisted steel bars surged to life, stretching and elongating violently. Under the pull of a magnetic field, they pierced through the air and shot toward Vinsmoke Judge with a shriek.

Hiss!

White jets burst from the heels of Judge's combat boots. Boosted by the thrusters, he soared into the sky like a monstrous bird.

"Then let me show you the true power of Germa 66, you little brat!"

Spinning the metal spear in both hands, he knocked away the incoming steel bars one by one. Then he dove from the sky, golden hair streaming behind him.

Crackling sparks lit the air.

Brilliant blue electricity surged along the spear, flashing with blinding intensity.

"Denji Shaft!"

In an instant, Judge had closed the distance, driving the electrified spear down toward Daren with full force!

The intense current and piercing momentum cracked the air with a resounding blast.

"The power of technology, huh?"

Daren gave a quiet chuckle as the deadly spear bore down—sharp enough to pierce steel and shatter fortresses.

The wind whipped at his black hair. The spear's tip closed in fast, its scorching heat prickling at his brow. Yet he didn't flinch. He kept smiling.

A magnetic pulse suddenly rippled out from his body.

The air shimmered.

The speeding spear hit something—an invisible resistance. Its momentum slowed drastically, like it had stabbed into gelatin, until it came to a complete stop.

Vinsmoke Judge's pupils shrank.

No matter how much strength he poured in, the high-tech weapon in his hands—once unstoppable—refused to budge, as if clamped in an iron grip.

"Trying to beat me with tech? That's your biggest mistake," Daren said calmly.

"Damn it! I don't believe this!"

Judge roared, voice hoarse with fury. He let go of the spear and twisted in midair, his boots flaring with light as he lashed a fierce kick at Daren's head.

"Denji Crack!"

But the same thing happened again.

The boots, spewing bursts of white energy, froze in place—suspended midair, completely immobilized by that same eerie force.

A flicker of terror crossed Judge's face.

His cutting-edge weapons... completely neutralized by this man's Devil Fruit power?

Before he could react, everything blurred.

The Marine Captain in front of him vanished.

So fast!

The shockwave of his movement exploded beside him. Judge clenched his teeth, a chill running down his spine.

Behind him, Daren's cloak rippled like a living thing and suddenly wrapped around him.

Boom!

A heavy boot smashed into his gut.

With that crushing blow, the commander of Germa 66 was launched like a cannonball, slamming into a distant military fortress.

Rumble...

The fortress was pierced through instantly. Cracks spiderwebbed across its walls before the entire structure collapsed with a deafening crash.

Chunks of rubble rained down. The earth groaned under the weight.

Daren landed steadily.

"Damn it! This can't be happening! My technology is supposed to be invincible!"

Watching Vinsmoke Judge stumble out of the rubble, Daren let out a satisfied smile.

He had been testing the limits of the Raid Suit.

Unlike some of his future children, Vinsmoke Judge hadn't undergone any genetic modifications. He didn't have that monstrous, weapon-proof body. Nearly all of his strength came from his high-tech gear—the Raid Suit.

Without it, he wouldn't be stronger than a typical Navy officer.

Although this was only the first-generation Raid Suit—far less powerful than the ones seen during the Whole Cake Island arc—it was still more than adequate. Judging by the force of Judge's attacks and how well the cloak had held up, Daren was quite pleased with its performance.

In his estimation, any professionally trained Marine equipped with a similar suit could reach a level of combat power comparable to a Navy Commodore.

Just then...

"Hahahaha!! Let me help you, Daren!! The genius of Marine Headquarters, Tokikake, will defeat the evil army's commander in this battle, rescue the war-torn Yadis Kingdom, and become a hero of the Marines!!"

A boisterous laugh echoed from nearby.

Daren blinked and turned to look.

At some point, their warship had docked. Gion and Momonga were leading the Marines in fierce combat against the remaining Clone Soldiers.

Tokikake charged out of the crowd with dramatic flair, kicking up clouds of dust as he charged at Vinsmoke Judge like a human battering ram.

A few dark lines formed on Daren's forehead.

This guy... showing off again?

He instinctively opened his mouth to say something, but Tokikake shouted proudly:

"Daren! Don't interfere!!"

Daren paused, then decided to let him go.

Tokikake's heart leapt with joy.

Staring at the winded Vinsmoke Judge, a smug grin crept onto his face.

From what he'd seen so far, this guy wasn't that strong. If he could take him down, Gion would definitely start seeing him in a new light.

And even if she didn't, he'd still be hailed as the hero who saved the Yadis Kingdom. How many noble ladies would be waiting for his attention then?

Pumped up by the thought, he charged even faster.

"Vinsmoke Judge, commander of the evil army! I, Lieutenant Commander Tokikake of Marine Headquarters, in the name of justice—"

He didn't finish the sentence.

Boom!

A pair of combat boots crackling with blue electricity slammed squarely into his face.

And then—

He was sent flying back at double his original speed, crashing into a military fortress with a loud crash.

Not far away, Momonga covered his face in pain.

Judge's total defeat wasn't because he was weak—it was just that Daren was too damn strong...

Gion shook her head in silence.

After kicking away the clueless Marine who'd just jumped into the fray, Vinsmoke Judge, breathing heavily, turned and glared at Daren.

"Damn it... One after another... you Marines just keep getting in the way!"

Boom!

The thrusters on his boots ignited once more, launching him back into the air as he dove toward Daren again.

He refused to accept it—the technology he'd spent years developing with Vegapunk... completely overpowered?

But as he closed in, Daren simply raised his hand and made a light clenching motion.

A magnetic field rippled out.

Vinsmoke Judge froze midair.

An instant later, a sharp pain tore through his limbs.

Hiss!

The sound of flesh being pierced rang out.

The metal spear in his hand—

The combat boots on his feet—

The embedded metal components twisted and shot out like living things, stabbing through his hands and feet, blood pouring out.

"Aaaghhh!!"

The pain was unbearable. He couldn't help but scream.

But then, thick steel bars burst from the ground, coiling around him like snakes and locking him in place midair.

Clang!

A slab of metal sealed over his mouth, cutting his screams short.

Blood vessels burst across the whites of his eyes, filling them with crimson.

"Shh..."

The Marine Captain stepped in front of him, holding a finger to his lips with a gentle smile.

"Sorry... but your plan to dominate the North Blue ends here."

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / PinkSnake