The world was deathly silent, like a grave that buried the hearts of men.

Heavy snow poured down from the overcast sky as the sea of clouds above Philseque Island gathered. Billowing waves of dark clouds rolled and surged like a storm-tossed ocean.

Tick... tick...

Hot blood dripped steadily from the fingertips of the Vice Admiral's right hand, spreading into a glowing red stain on the snow at his feet.

Not far off, every single Celestial Dragon stood frozen in place, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, their faces filled with disbelief.

A bone-deep chill surged up from their soles, raced along their spines, and numbed their minds, making their scalps tingle.

Their bodies felt like they had plunged into an icy abyss—colder than even the frigid winds of the North Blue.

"What... did he just do...?"

"Figarland Barbo... is dead."

"He actually killed Figarland Barbo!!"

"He's insane!!"

"That Marine is finished!!"

"..."

Gasps of horror erupted, swelling into terrified and hysterical screams.

Still young and inexperienced, they simply couldn't believe someone had dared to kill a Celestial Dragon—especially right in front of one of the Five Elders, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn!

...

Snow drifted gently onto Saturn's black flat cap and cloak, the contrast making it all the more stark.

He leaned on his mottled cane, not sparing a single glance at Barbo's corpse. His eyes, cold and grim, locked onto the blood-soaked Marine Vice Admiral before him. Black lightning coiled around the magic circle at his feet.

"You have truly disappointed me, Daren."

He exhaled slowly, his hoarse voice echoing in the silence.

"You held out for so long... why not endure a little longer?"

His aged, sunken eyes were clouded with confusion.

"As far as I know, you were once responsible for protecting this island. But you're no longer the Admiral of the North Blue. There's no need to waste your time, energy—even your future and your life—for these insects."

"Your strength and abilities have earned our respect. You've long transcended the category of 'insects' and 'ants.'"

"In other words, you are no longer of the same species as the slaves and insects on this island."

As he spoke, wisps of black flame began to burn around him like smoke, slowly wrapping around his entire body.

A suffocating pressure spread outward with the emergence of the black smoke, blanketing the surroundings.

"And yet now, for the sake of some insignificant insects, you would pit yourself against a power you cannot resist... Do you truly believe that is a wise decision?"

Daren stared silently at Saturn-sama, then suddenly smirked.

He shook the blood from his hand, pulled out a gold-embossed cigar from his coat, and bit down on it—brazenly, in front of the Five Elders and the watching Celestial Dragons.

"I don't get all that insect talk."

"If I take the money, I do the job. That's the rule of the North Blue... a rule I set myself."

"As for this power you say I can't resist..."

He blinked, eyes gradually lighting up with a fierce, feverish gleam, his grin growing ever more reckless.

"The more you talk like that, the more I feel the urge to fight you!"

That brat... Saturn-sama was momentarily stunned.

And in that instant—

"But before that..."

The Vice Admiral suddenly grinned and vanished like a phantom.

His sinister laughter rang out again—this time from nearby.

So fast!

Saturn's pupils narrowed as he whipped his head around.

"No... damn it...!"

An elite Celestial Dragon in hunting garb shrieked in terror as he was lifted off the ground, held high by the neck in the Vice Admiral's single bloodstained hand. His legs flailed frantically in the air.

"Let—"

Before he could finish the sentence, Daren's fingers clenched tight.

Crack!

The man's neck snapped cleanly.

Shff!

Blood burst forth in a high-pressure spray. The Celestial Dragon's wide-eyed head soared into the air, tracing a vivid arc of crimson through the falling snow.

As if feeling some power coursing into him, the Vice Admiral's blood-covered face twisted into an expression of pure ecstasy.

The ghastly, savage sight sent the young Celestial Dragons—most of whom had never witnessed such violence in their lives—into a frenzy of screams.

Overwhelmed with terror, they staggered back, their faces pale, and fled in all directions.

"He's crazy!"

"He really wants to kill us all!?"

"Run!"

"This madman!!"

"..."

The Celestial Dragons had never witnessed anything like this. They scrambled and stumbled away, desperate to escape the terrifying god of death.

As for the so-called Noble Hunting Competition—forget it!

If they didn't run now, they'd be the madman's next prey!

Screams, frantic footsteps, and panicked gasps echoed endlessly at the base of the snowy mountain.

...

"It seems you've made your choice. In the end, you're still just a worm."

Despite watching two Celestial Dragons die right in front of him, Saturn didn't even blink.

He slowly narrowed his aged eyes, and the scar beside them began to redden slightly—fueled by a surging, restrained rage.

"Obeying foolish, outdated rules and chasing after naïve freedom... is utterly meaningless."

"Is that so? Are rules and will truly meaningless?"

Daren casually tossed the Celestial Dragon's corpse aside, sneering coldly.

"If they were meaningless, then why go through all this trouble to push me to this point?"

"You dangled power and status in front of me as bait, deliberately arranged the hunting tournament here in the North Blue, and even assigned me the escort mission—forcing me to watch helplessly as the civilians under my protection were butchered..."

"Grinding down my edges, eroding my will, suppressing my spirit... Isn't that exactly what you lofty Five Elders have been trying to achieve all along?"

Saturn replied coolly,

"As a Marine, what need do you have for willpower or spirit?"

"A soldier's duty is simple—follow orders and carry them out without personal emotion. Nothing more."

"What a shame. Worthless things must be destroyed."

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. A demonic red gleam burst forth from them.

Explosive Gaze!

BOOM!

An explosion erupted.

Daren didn't even have time to react before his entire head seemed to be struck by a massive cannon, swallowed by a storm of black smoke and flames.

Saturn shook his head.

"You brought this upon yourself, Daren."

His technique was subtle and lethal—so discreet that even top-tier fighters couldn't anticipate or react in time, much less defend with Armament Haki in advance.

No one had ever survived this move.

"If you had just endured a little longer, you could've had everything you wanted."

He murmured with a trace of regret, just as he turned to leave.

...

"Is that so?"

A low, rumbling laugh came from behind.

Saturn paused, frowned, and turned around.

From within the smoke and flames, the figure of the Marine Vice Admiral slowly emerged. Not a scratch marked his sharply defined, handsome face.

"Your ability's not bad. At least it helped light my cigar."

A shadow crossed Saturn's expression.

The pinnacle of Indestructible Body...

"Saturn-sama, you're actually right. A lot of things can be endured, and they'll pass."

Daren took a slow drag from the cigar lit by the explosion, exhaling smoke with a wicked grin.

"I thought I could endure it. But I didn't expect you all to keep pushing... pushing so far, even stepping on my face. So I thought it over and realized—this isn't right."

"Because the more I gave in and retreated, the more I noticed a serious problem."

"My Conqueror's Haki kept weakening. It even started to lose its effect."

"Until just now... when I finally couldn't hold it back anymore, and killed that disgusting Barbo-sama."

He spread his arms wide, eyes blazing with defiance as he stared at the World Government's supreme authority.

Then, he simply clenched his fists.

Zzzzz!

Surging black-and-red lightning erupted from his body in near frenzy, flooding the space around him.

The sky shifted. The wind howled like a furnace from hell.

A terrifying aura, like the depths of an abyssal sea, burst outward in every direction across the island—sweeping up snow in a storm of white chaos.

Amid the thunder and lightning, the Marine Vice Admiral roared with wild laughter.

"At that moment, I felt... the whole world had fallen silent."

Conqueror's Haki +0.2!

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / PinkSnake