And just like that, a secret Marine operation targeting Shiki was finalized at the end of the meeting.
An hour later, in a black market intel hub somewhere in the New World, a highly classified and incredibly expensive piece of information... was purchased by a pirate operating in those seas.
The gears of fate had begun to turn.
Fleet Admiral's Office – Conference Room
Sakazuki and the others had already left, moving swiftly to prepare for the coming conflict.
Garp, especially, had completely dropped his usual laziness. Ever since he found out that Roger was Daren's chosen target, he'd been buzzing with excitement. He didn't even bother finishing the senbei he'd stolen from Sengoku. For original chapters go to novᴇlfire.net
"Well then, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading out."
Daren took the final drag from his cigar, nodding slightly toward Kong and Sengoku.
Sengoku suddenly called after him.
"What is it, Admiral Sengoku?"
Daren turned with a hint of confusion.
Sengoku exchanged a glance with Kong, then asked seriously,
"Daren, if a war does break out between Roger and Shiki... how likely do you think it is that Kaidou will get involved?"
He paused, then added,
"Shiki's Flying Pirates get most of their weapons from Kaidou. There's a real possibility those two might form an alliance."
Daren thought for a few seconds, then grinned.
"Don't worry, Admiral Sengoku."
"I'll make sure Kaidou's too busy to join in."
Kong and Sengoku looked at each other, uncertain, their expressions skeptical.
Then, as if something clicked, both men's faces changed. Their eyes locked onto Daren in shock.
"You little brat... don't tell me..."
As if to confirm his suspicion, Kong suddenly shot up from his seat, his overwhelming presence surging. In an instant, he was in front of Daren.
His muscles bulged with power as he launched a punch—nothing fancy, no tricks, just raw force.
The punch wasn't fast. In fact, Daren could clearly see the rough, callused knuckles of Kong's fist.
With a grin, Daren met the strike with one of his own.
Neither man used Armament Haki.
This was pure physical strength—a clash of raw, unadulterated power.
Their fists collided midair with a deafening thud. Shockwaves burst out in rippling rings, blasting their cloaks into the air.
The entire Fleet Admiral's office seemed to tremble from the impact.
Both men remained perfectly still.
Long, thin fractures split across the floor and crept up the walls.
The crystal chandelier above them swayed and creaked, casting flickering light over Daren's chiseled face, now full of depth and intensity.
Kong stared at Daren, his gaze stern.
Daren simply responded with a radiant smile.
Sengoku stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.
He stammered, looking like he'd just seen a ghost.
"An Indestructible Body... I can't believe you actually managed to train yourself to that level."
Kong took over for him, slowly lowering his fist, eyes filled with complex emotion as he looked at Daren.
He glanced at the faint, metallic gleam lingering on Daren's knuckles, then shook his head and sighed.
"You really are something else..."
With their experience, it only took a glance.
There was no mistaking it—Daren had trained his body to the level of the Indestructible Body!
Until now, only Kaidou had ever reached that point.
It was that very power that earned Kaidou the title of Immortal Monster. Not even Marine capture, torture, or any kind of execution could pierce his defenses.
And now... Daren had done it too.
What was even more shocking—just from that brief exchange, Kong could tell Daren's physical power was now fully on par with his own!
Even without charging up or bracing for the hit, Daren could unleash the overwhelming force of a giant warrior.
And Kong... had once ruled the seas on brute strength alone, with almost no one able to match him.
"How the hell did you train, kid? Back at Marineford, your body wasn't anywhere near this tough..."
Sengoku walked over, eyes gleaming with curiosity. He looked at Daren like he'd found a national treasure, poking and prodding at his body with sparkling eyes.
His muscles and skin felt springy, no different from a normal person at first glance.
But only when applying pressure could one feel the terrifying resilience hidden beneath the surface—the hardness in his flesh, the explosive strength coiled in every fiber of muscle.
Daren took a quiet step back to dodge Sengoku's overly eager hands, smiling calmly.
"I made a trip to Wano. The fight with Kaidou gave me quite a bit of inspiration."
"What kind of inspiration?" Sengoku asked, his eyes lighting up.
So fighting Kaidou came with perks like that? Why hadn't he known?
If Daren's training method could be replicated, maybe it could be introduced across the Marine ranks.
As an Admiral—and likely future Fleet Admiral—Sengoku instantly recognized the massive potential.
Not that he was jealous himself.
Sure, such a body was incredibly powerful. Once achieved, it meant not having to worry about sneak attacks or stray shots in the chaos of a battlefield. Even under a storm of cannon fire or bullets, one could charge ahead without flinching.
But when it came to clashes between top-tier powerhouses, an Indestructible Body alone wouldn't decide the victor.
Too many other factors came into play—Haki strength, physique, raw power, Devil Fruit mastery, the terrain, the weather, stamina, physical condition...
There were just too many variables.
Even Kong was getting curious now.
The Indestructible Body was something of a legend. They'd tried special training to achieve it in the past—and every attempt had ended in failure.
Eventually, they'd all reached the same conclusion:
It wasn't something you could train. You were either born with it or you weren't.
But now, Daren had shattered that belief.
"It's actually pretty simple," Daren said, a flicker of pride slipping into his voice as he puffed out his chest.
"Just take dozens of hits from Kaidou head-on, without using Haki."
Take dozens of hits from Kaidou, head-on?
Even they wouldn't survive that!
You'd be dead before the training even started!
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