Something strange happened.
Daren smiled as he took Kuma's massive paw in a handshake—and then... nothing.
Dragon's smile froze for a beat.
Kuma's expression blanked as well, giving off a dopey look.
"Nice to meet you, Kuma," Daren said with a grin.
Both Dragon and Kuma stared at Daren's hand in confusion. It looked as if it had been dipped in black metal—coated in a cold, hardened sheen.
"Daren, why the hell are you using Armament Haki just to shake hands?!"
Dragon grabbed at his messy hair in frustration, nearly tearing it out.
Daren shrugged, looking a bit sheepish.
"Well, I just got back from the bathroom and didn't wash my hands. I figured this was more hygienic, you know... sanitation and all."
Dragon went from irritated to exasperated, gritting his teeth.
"You didn't wash your hands!?"
Daren gave him a glance. "Do you?"
"...No," Dragon muttered under his breath.
Kuma turned suddenly to Dragon, eyes wide in disbelief.
Avoiding Kuma's gaze, Dragon quickly turned back to Daren.
"Just drop the Armament Haki already!"
Armament Haki could defend against and resist the effects of Devil Fruit powers. Theoretically, as long as your Haki was strong enough, it could counter any ability.
"I was just a little worried Kuma might accidentally slap me into some remote, godforsaken place. That'd kinda suck."
"Why the hell would he do that?!"
"Your injuries haven't even healed yet! He just wanted to help relieve your pain and fatigue! You bastard—don't you trust me even a little!?"
Clearly, he was fuming.
He'd originally planned to have Kuma treat Daren's injuries first—build up a bit of goodwill—then bring up the favor he needed. That way, Daren would owe him, and he could up the amount he asked for.
But this damn guy... was so ridiculously paranoid he'd even defend against his own allies!
Seriously, who uses Armament Haki just to shake hands!?
Daren finally caught on and laughed.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Dragon—it was just habit.
After all, this sea was crawling with strange Devil Fruits. The Hobi Hobi no Mi could turn people into toys. The Noro Noro no Mi could slow their movements. There were even fruits like the Raki Raki no Mi, capable of tampering with someone's luck...
And when it came to countering Devil Fruits, the only real option was Haki.
Better safe than sorry.
"Sorry, sorry. Let's try that again."
Daren grinned as he reached his hand out once more.
Dragon shot him a glare, clearly annoyed.
Kuma nodded, then gently patted Daren's hand.
In that instant, Daren's pupils contracted sharply.
A strange, indescribable sensation surged through his entire body the moment Kuma's hand touched his.
He could feel it—every bit of fatigue and pain that had built up since his battle with Kaidou in Wano was suddenly flushed out of him.
Even the exhaustion buried deep in his muscles from countless life-and-death fights, the hellish training routines he'd pushed himself through—all of it was being drawn out by Kuma's Nikyu Nikyu no Mi.
Injuries could heal, but fatigue and pain? Those sank in. They lingered.
Especially for someone like Daren, who trained and fought like a lunatic. His body carried way more internal wear and tear than most.
Anyone who's ever been seriously hurt would understand. Like when you recover from severe pneumonia—your tests are normal, doctors say you're fine, but every step feels off, and stairs make you wheeze like an old man. Or when you've broken bones or gotten deep bruises—sure, the scars heal, but movement feels stiffer, weaker than before. And when the weather turns, the pain returns too, like a ghost.
Those were hidden injuries—buried fatigue that medicine couldn't touch.
A sensation of unmatched lightness and vitality roared through Daren's body like a tidal surge. He felt more in tune with himself than ever before, like his control had reached an entirely new level.
Instinctively, he triggered his perception ability to scan his physical status and data:
Physique: 91.031 (Indestructible Body)
Strength: 81.891 (Giant's Power)
Speed: 81.222 (Soru's Godspeed)
Devil Fruit Mastery: 85.445 (Island-Wide Coverage)
Armament Haki: 66.315
Observation Haki: 73.887 (Magnetic Field Sensory)
Conqueror's Haki: 64.091
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Compared to right after Kaidou's "lesson" in Wano, every one of his stats—except for Devil Fruit mastery—had increased by nearly a full point.
With numbers already this high, especially for core attributes like physique, strength, and speed, even a tiny increase was ridiculously difficult. Normally, even Kaidou-sensei would have to beat the hell out of him a dozen times to reach that gain.
But Kuma? Just one gentle tap...
And it gave him a full 6-point boost across the board.
The Nikyu Nikyu no Mi... was totally busted.
Meanwhile, a crimson ball of light shaped like a bear's paw floated slowly from Daren's body and hovered in the air.
"So... this is all the hidden pain and fatigue in my body?"
Daren narrowed his eyes as he studied it, clearly intrigued.
The Devil Fruits really were incredible. They could do this?
"How do you feel now, Daren?"
Dragon looked smug, chest puffed with pride as he watched Daren's stunned expression.
"Amazing. I've never felt this light before."
Casually, he clenched his fist.
The moment his fingers curled inward, the pressure generated triggered a deep, low boom—a muffled sonic crack rippling through the air.
Dragon and Kuma both flinched.
His raw physical power had gone up again—even stronger than before.
They stared at him like he was possessed, unconsciously taking half a step back.
"But..." Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on noⅴelfire.net
Daren pointed to the floating dark red light.
"What are we supposed to do with that thing?"