Rumble...

As Daren's strike split the island's landmass clean in two, thunderous booms echoed one after another.

The two halves of the shattered island trembled violently as massive waves of seawater surged into the fissure like a dam breaking, shooting skyward in a roaring spray.

"The island... it actually broke apart!"

"What kind of power is that?!"

The two CP0 members quickly retreated, putting distance between themselves and the island's core, panting heavily.

Covered in wounds, they stared in shock at the fractured land, hardly able to believe what they were seeing.

The ground beneath their feet trembled violently—it was hard to even stay upright.

They simply couldn't accept that a human could do this.

He had split an island apart... with pure physical power!

"Did you see that?"

At that moment, a figure slowly emerged from the dark green tornado ahead.

Dragon stepped forward with pride, his hands gradually forming the starting stance of Ryusoken, and smiled.

"This is the fighting style I personally developed... Ryusoken! A technique meant to completely crush the World Government's tyrannical rule with overwhelming force!"

The two CP0 members looked at Dragon, then at the blood-drenched, lightning-cloaked figure in the distance who resembled a rampaging beast, and fell silent.

They didn't even know what to say.

They just gave Dragon a long, skeptical stare—as if to say:

"Are you seriously calling that Ryusoken?"

Dragon's expression froze. His face flushed slightly red, and he snapped in irritation,

"Damn it! You don't believe me?!"

"Fine! Then I'll show you... what the real, original Ryusoken looks like!"

The moment the words left his mouth, half his body suddenly dispersed, transforming into a roaring hurricane.

His hands were fully coated in black Haki. The three-clawed dragon fists, swept up in the storm, faintly crackled with wind and thunder.

His speed exploded!

A deadly sense of danger hit them like a wall. The CP0 members' faces twisted in alarm, hearts pounding wildly.

If Daren had any energy to spare, he would've been shocked to see that Dragon, too, had mastered a high-speed movement technique!

Using the elemental flexibility and agility granted by his Kaze Kaze no Mi, he had turned himself into a living storm!

It was an advanced application unique to Logia users!

"The storm of revolution will sweep across the entire world!"

"You lapdogs of the World Government... will be torn apart by this storm!"

Behind him, the roaring wind coalesced into the shape of a massive wind dragon. Dragon's clawed hands leaned forward like the beast's fangs, its tail dragging across the earth as it howled through the battlefield.

"Wind Fury: Dragon's Breath!"

It completely engulfed the two CP0 agents—already gravely wounded and unable to react.

…

Seawater splashed into the sky, crashing down in waves of raging blue.

For a moment, the whole world felt like it was trembling.

"You're starting to dodge..."

Daren was gasping, each breath steaming from his nostrils like smoke from a furnace, as if his very breath was burning.

His body had begun to undergo a terrifying transformation. Exposed muscle bulged like it had been carved from stone, and dark red skin was stretched taut over throbbing veins that pulsed violently.

In the state of Magnetic Field Rotation, the activity of his cells was forcefully driven to inhuman levels.

The extreme strain and consumption rapidly drained his sweat and blood, dehydrating him. His muscles grew lean and wiry, his whole frame appearing smaller than before.

His nose had become sharper, the corners of his eyes slightly drawn back, his chin more pointed... and with that wild, beast-like grin, he now exuded a feral, primal aura.

"Which means... you're afraid."

"And that raises a question... If you really couldn't die, what would there be to fear?"

Boom!

The ground beneath him collapsed, and Daren's figure shot out like a thunderbolt, tearing through the air.

Struggling to his feet, Michael gritted his teeth, crimson light flaring in his eyes as his Observation Haki foresaw the incoming attack.

In front of him, a pitch-black dragon claw suddenly materialized in the air.

It carried the power to pierce anything—headed straight for his face.

A chill shot down Michael's spine as he instinctively leaned his head back.

His movements were slowing.

His stamina was fading... this strange state was unraveling!

At this speed, I can dodge—

But the vision in his mind shattered like glass. Michael's eyes widened in confusion—then a black fist, crackling with red and black lightning, appeared out of nowhere.

Like a meteor trailing a crimson tail, it slammed into his gut with brutal force.

Bang!!

Hiss!!

Blood sprayed as Michael froze in place.

He was still holding the posture of dodging with his head thrown back, but he couldn't understand—why hadn't the future he foresaw played out?

"I predicted your prediction."

Daren appeared before him, panting, electricity still dancing across his body as he held his fist locked in place from the strike.

"Your speed... actually surpassed the future?"

Michael muttered in disbelief.

He stiffly looked down—Daren's entire arm was embedded in his abdomen.

He didn't even need to turn around to know—the fist had pierced straight through his back.

"I... I can't feel my body."

Michael rasped hoarsely.

"...This can't be."

"It can—because I destroyed your nerves."

Daren grinned, a savage, toothy smile.

Anyone watching from the side at that moment would have seen a truly horrifying sight.

Daren's black dragon claw hadn't just pierced through Michael's back...

It was gripping a pale, blood-drenched spine.

"Which means, you're not quite like those five old immortals after all."

Daren sneered.

As he spoke, the violet-blue lightning surrounding his body began to recede, vanishing quickly.

Without its support, his presence diminished in an instant—his aura went still, and his face turned ghostly pale, as if he were already dead.

"If it were one of those five undead bastards, even getting their heads blown off wouldn't kill them."

"—So what!!"

Michael suddenly roared, eyes blazing red, and gripped Daren's arm tightly with newly formed hands, exerting all his strength.

"AAAAAAAH!!"

He forcibly pulled his body backward, letting Daren's hand tear his own spine out of him.

Splat...

Sticky blood and internal fluids gushed everywhere as Michael staggered back, barely staying upright.

Black flames surged again, burning his life force to repair the massive hole in his torso.

"You can't move anymore, can you?! Hahahaha!"

Michael trembled all over, exhaling a chilling breath that wrapped his body like a spectral mist.

He shot Daren a quick glance—then a dark green hurricane roared in from the distance.

Gritting his teeth, Michael kicked off the ground and flew upward.

That silver-white halo of icy flame around him—like Kaidou's flame clouds—granted him the power to soar.

"You can't kill me!!"

"Hahahahaha!"

He laughed wildly, blood trailing behind him across the sky.

"Is that so?"

But just then, a cold, hoarse laugh echoed out of nowhere.

Michael's grin froze. His pupils shrank.

He couldn't move!

It felt like an invisible hand had seized him in midair—no matter how he pushed his cold flames, his body refused to fly.

"This... this is impossible..."

Panic crept across his face as he turned his head.

He saw purple arcs of electricity flickering across his own body.

And that black-haired youth—barely standing, about to collapse—was holding one hand aloft, fingers curled.

Grinning at him.

"You didn't really think I went berserk just to beat you up, did you?"

...

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