"The Den Den Mushi signal... it's being jammed..."
Not far off, under the shadow of the trees, Byojack stared at the slumbering Den Den Mushi in Byrnndi World's hand, a storm raging in his heart.
"World! That Marine brat's ability isn't just manipulating metal! He's controlling magnetic fields! He's directly jamming the Den Den Mushi signal!"
Gritting his teeth, Byojack shouted hoarsely, ignoring how the cold air scraped against his throat.
Right after yelling, he bent over in a violent coughing fit, even spitting up blood-tinged phlegm.
But his eyes were filled with sheer, unnameable terror.
If his hunch was right... this was a trap that had been set long ago.
Doflamingo's weapons... the time and place of the deal... the magnetic field interference... four pirate ships taken out instantly... all escape routes cut off...
That could only mean one thing: they were about to be hit by a full-force assault from the Marine top brass!
The thought sent fear flooding through Byojack's mind. Gasping for breath, he dropped to his knees with a thud, his body trembling from oxygen deprivation.
Byrnndi World roared, eyes bloodshot and locked on Daren, his gaze seething with fury and killing intent.
He had finally realized it too.
"You're the one who's finished, Byrnndi World."
Daren raised his hand. The metal binding Byrnndi World's legs suddenly "reactivated," stretching into long, sharp spikes that shot toward his body.
The metal spikes collided with Byrnndi World's body, which was coated in Armament Haki, spraying sparks with each hit.
"I've told you already—this kind of trick doesn't work on me!!"
Byrnndi World bellowed.
"More More Tenfold Speed!"
The ground beneath his feet exploded, cracking apart in all directions.
The explosive force, coupled with a second surge of Armament Haki, allowed him to rip free of the metal restraints.
He stomped hard, sending rubble flying into the air, suspended in midair by the blast.
He spread his large, rough hands and slammed the debris forward, launching them at Daren.
"More More Tenfold Shotgun!"
The flying stones suddenly accelerated, their speed multiplying tenfold mid-flight. The resulting force gave them the deadly impact of a shotgun blast.
The shrapnel-like stones slammed into his body but bounced off harmlessly.
Byrnndi World's pupils shrank.
This Marine brat's physical durability... was off the charts!
But before he could react, a barrage of cannon fire echoed from the horizon.
Dozens of heavy cannons from ten warships roared in unison, spitting orange-red flames into the sky in synchronized volleys.
Shells rained down like a storm, forming a deadly net of smoke and flame that closed in on Byrnndi World.
"More More Tenfold Speed!"
Byrnndi World vanished on the spot.
As the bombardment poured down, his silhouette danced through the air like a phantom, weaving and darting effortlessly through the dense rain of shells.
He had mastered Soru and Geppo of the Rokushiki to perfection!
Explosions erupted across the battlefield as shells struck the ground, igniting roaring flames.
"Hahahahaha!! Speed is power! Out here on the sea, nobody can keep up with me!!"
Byrnndi World laughed wildly, dodging another shell with a blur.
He opened his hands and clawed the air with spread fingers—then yanked hard, as if grabbing something invisible!
Byrnndi World froze in confusion—then suddenly realized, the cannonballs, which should've been falling in smooth arcs, had veered off course midair.
One shell curved sharply and exploded right in front of him.
Shell after shell twisted in midair, as if guided by invisible hands, defying the laws of physics as they rained down on Byrnndi World in a savage storm.
Blazing fire and choking black smoke filled the sky, painting it red. The surging heat rolled across the battlefield, and the rising temperature quickly melted the snow on the ground.
A thunderous sonic boom split the air.
Wreathed in smoke, his skin scorched, Byrnndi World appeared behind Daren like a ghost.
"More More Fiftyfold Speed!"
Daren's pupils shrank to needlepoints.
"Brat—depending on tricks like yours, you'll never understand the true terror of this sea!"
With bloodshot eyes, Byrnndi World swung a fist at the back of Daren's head!
At fifty times speed, the punch shattered the air, producing a violent white shockwave.
This brat hadn't awakened Observation Haki—he couldn't possibly react in time!!
But what happened next left Byrnndi World utterly stunned.
The Marine, who had his back turned, suddenly twisted around. The metal wrapped around his arm warped and expanded, forming a high-density shield in front of him.
He... predicted the attack!?
A mountain-crushing punch landed.
The metal shield twisted, then shattered completely.
Byrnndi World's fist crashed into Daren's crossed arms.
A massive shockwave exploded outward in rings.
Blood sprayed from Daren's arms as bones cracked loudly.
The next second, Daren was blasted away like a cannonball, tumbling through the air for over a hundred meters before crashing into the ground, carving a long, blood-soaked trench through the snow.
Thick blood dripped from his mangled arms. Gritting his teeth, Daren pushed himself back to his feet. His arms throbbed with searing pain, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
That punch from Byrnndi World had fractured the bones in his forearms.
If not for the metal shield's cushioning and his inhuman physical conditioning, his arms would've been shattered completely by the force of that Armament Haki.
"Haki really is the greatest power on this sea..." New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel{f}ire.net
Daren wiped the blood from his mouth and glanced down at his hands.
Blood still gushed from the torn wounds—his left forearm was a mess of flesh and gore, with twitching veins visible beneath. A large chunk of muscle was gone from the back of his right hand, leaving bone exposed to the air.
And yet... he grinned fiercely.
"But... I can still fight!"
p@treon com / PinkSnake