Special instructor...
Momonga's expression shifted slightly in surprise.
So Daren was going to be involved in the Marine training camp's teaching work?
Out of habit, he began to analyze the situation and quickly grasped the weight of the position.
The Marine training camp aimed to cultivate elite officers who would become the backbone of the Marine Corps. If Daren really took on the role of special instructor, he would essentially be forging a teacher-student bond with a whole generation of future mid-ranking officers.
It would be an incredibly valuable piece of political capital!
Combined with his leadership and camaraderie during the second training camp, among the "golden generation" of Marines... In just a few years, Daren's comrades and students would be spread throughout the entire Marine system!
He would hold tremendous influence and authority across the world's Marine forces!
"This is a great opportunity."
With the political insight and experience Momonga had gained during his tenure in the North Blue, he quickly came to this conclusion.
Daren smiled and said,
"Maybe, but don't get your hopes too high."
"The so-called bond between master and disciple is often overrated. It's just the icing on the cake. Compared to that, the North Blue Fleet is our true foundation and core."
Momonga frowned and gave Daren a look, then nodded.
For some reason, he always picked up a faint sense of oppression and tension from Daren.
It came from Daren's own distrust—not just of the World Government, which was understandable given the "Celestial Dragon assassination incident" in the North Blue—but also of the Marines themselves.
That was harder for Momonga to comprehend.
He couldn't figure out why Daren would harbor such distrust toward the Marines.
Did he really believe the Marines would become his enemies one day?
He didn't understand.
But he wouldn't question Daren's judgment.
Years of fighting side by side had built a rare kind of tacit understanding between them.
Often, there was no need for many words.
Momonga trusted Daren, and that was enough.
"I'll be heading off then. I'll leave Gecko Moria to you," Daren said, snuffing out his cigar and stretching lazily.
"I'll be coming back to the North Blue often."
He turned his head and flashed Momonga a grin.
"Don't worry. Even though you can't leave the North Blue to join the headquarters training camp for now, I'll personally guide you."
Momonga's mouth twitched, but before he could say anything, Daren had already soared into the sky and disappeared into the distant clouds.
The sky was a raging sea of wind and thunder.
Purple lightning roared and cracked, each blinding flash lighting up the darkened heavens.
Howling winds twisted into towering, dark green pillars, rampaging across the land, tearing up military factories and shredding them to pieces midair.
"Damn you! This time I'm going to kill you!!"
In the barren wilderness, Kaidou roared in fury.
Already in his dragon-human hybrid form, his vertical pupils were bloodshot, and the way he glared at the figure in the dark green hooded coat was filled with pure hatred and murderous intent.
This bastard, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, had been showing up in his territory every week for over a month, wreaking havoc.
Although Kaidou had managed to stop and drive him off each time, the damage done by his Devil Fruit abilities was still considerable.
Every time it happened, Kaidou couldn't help but think of that damn brat Daren, and the rage inside him only grew more uncontrollable.
Suddenly, dense purple lightning surged over the thick black kanabō in his hands.
In one explosive step, his massive body shot forward like a nuclear blast, transforming into a flash of purple lightning and covering hundreds of meters in an instant.
He slammed down with ferocious force!
A wave of air suddenly burst outward.
Flashes of lightning and hurricanes intertwined, creating a powerful shockwave that spread rapidly, turning the ground within a radius of a kilometer into a churning ocean, raising huge waves of dust dozens of meters high.
Thick smoke billowed through the air.
A shiny black three-fingered dragon claw shot out from beneath the hood, firmly blocking Kaidou's kanabō.
Under the crackling lightning, a sharp-featured, cold face could be vaguely seen beneath the wide hood, the blood-red, grid-like tattoo adding an air of mystery and dominance.
Seeing that distinctive martial arts move, Kaidou's pupils instantly contracted.
His face twisted in disbelief, and he couldn't help but roar.
"How do you know that little bastard Daren's move!?"
He was all too familiar with this technique.
So familiar that it often haunted his dreams, waking him up in a rage in the middle of the night.
"Ryusoken isn't Daren's move. It's a technique I created myself."
A proud smile tugged at the corner of the hooded man's mouth.
In the next instant, a mighty and solemn aura erupted from his body, whipping his wide dark green hooded coat into a frenzy.
Under the explosion of Conqueror's Haki, there was a faint sense of equality with the "Beast" Kaidou!
The two completely different storms of purple and green Haki clashed, dividing the entire world before them into two starkly distinct halves.
Dense bolts of lightning wrapped around hellish hurricanes, shaking the cloud sea above Wano Country, scattering and ripping it apart.
Far away on the battlefield, King the Conflagration and Queen the Plague stood frozen, their expressions shifting wildly.
They stared in horror at the two clashing figures, their hearts overwhelmed by towering waves of shock.
"Damn it! That guy's back! How many times has it been now?"
The fat man in suspenders trembled, gritting his teeth.
"That guy... compared to when he first showed up, his aura has gotten even stronger!"
Next to him, King's face was grim under his mask.
He clearly remembered—one month ago, when this mysterious hooded man first arrived in Wano Country, he was no match for Kaidou-san.
With just three strikes, Kaidou-san had beaten him bloody, forcing him into retreat.
But now, after several fierce battles, this unknown intruder... had visibly grown stronger.
Whether it was his Haki, his mastery of martial arts, or even the strength of his Conqueror's Haki... everything had clearly advanced!
If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, King would never have believed that such absurd growth could exist on this sea!