The earth rumbled without end, dust swirling into the air.

For a moment, it felt like the entire world had come to a halt.

"Saint Saturn..."

"Saint Saturn was defeated..."

"This... how is this possible..."

"That monster... he's terrifying..."

...

The Celestial Dragons who had fled to the distance stared blankly at the unbelievable scene. Their eyes widened to the point of nearly falling out of their sockets, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably in fear.

They had believed that as long as Saturn—one of the Five Elders, known as the 'Warrior God of Science and Defense'—personally stepped in, he would effortlessly take down that reckless Marine brat.

Some of them had even dared to stop running and turned around with mocking grins, ready to enjoy the show.

They expected to watch that defiant Marine get crushed under the might of the World Government's highest authority.

But no matter how they tried to make sense of it, the outcome was completely the opposite of what they imagined!

What the hell was going on!?

"What are you thinking about?"

A cold voice suddenly rang out behind them.

Two of the Celestial Dragons jolted in terror, realizing with horror that the figure who had just been standing atop the massive Gyūki was now gone.

A dark shadow silently rose behind them.

They instinctively turned their heads.

There stood the Marine Vice Admiral, his face drenched in blood, appearing beside them like a demon from the abyss.

An icy chill surged straight to their brains, paralyzing their bodies. Their pupils shrank to needlepoints—they couldn't move a muscle.

Then they felt two strong, rough hands press lightly down on their heads.

Bang!

Bang!

With a sickening crunch, fingers with defined joints crushed their skulls. The two heads exploded like smashed watermelons.

Their headless corpses wobbled, then collapsed.

Conqueror's Haki +0.07!

Conqueror's Haki +0.05!

"This feeling..."

Daren felt another surge in his Conqueror's Haki. The ferocity and satisfaction in his eyes deepened.

But just then, the enormous Gyūki—its head still sunken into the ground—suddenly began to change.

"It seems I truly underestimated you, Daren."

A strange cloud of black smoke burst upward, flames blazing from within as Gyūki's massive body rapidly shrank before their eyes.

In less than two seconds, Saturn stepped calmly out of the swirling black smoke.

His upper body retained a human form, surrounded by a wreath of black flames. His wrinkled, age-marked hands gripped an ancient cane.

But his lower body remained that of a spider, standing around six meters tall, exuding a chilling presence.

A human-beast hybrid form.

The most unsettling part—his head, which had been nearly shattered by Daren's earlier attack, was now completely restored. Other than the bloodstains, there wasn't a single trace of damage.

Even the severed spider leg had regrown.

Watching this, Daren's eyes instinctively narrowed.

"Enhanced regeneration from a Zoan awakening, huh?"

No... it doesn't feel that simple...

The thought flashed through his mind, but Daren quickly dismissed it.

While awakened Zoan-type users do possess unmatched durability and recovery compared to other Devil Fruit users, there was no way it could reach the absurd level Saturn was displaying right now.

"Unfortunately for you, that's all you amount to."

Saturn's eyes regained their earlier coldness and arrogance as he spoke flatly.

"As I said before, you have no idea what you're up against."

"The World Government's eight centuries of founda—"

Boom!!

Saturn raised his staff just in time to block the roaring, tyrannical dragon claw.

A violent shockwave exploded outward, making the ground ripple like ocean waves.

In the blink of an eye, the Marine Vice Admiral surged forward. His three-clawed hand clamped down on the staff, a wild grin spreading across his face.

"Save the speeches for after you've killed me!"

With those words, Daren lunged forward again.

He blocked the stabbing spider legs one after another, then unleashed a powerful side kick.

Bang!!

His Haki-coated military boot struck Saturn's chest like a meteor, unleashing a sickening chorus of bone-cracking sounds.

Crack, crack—!

With a second burst of Haki, Saturn was blasted back like a rag doll, spiraling through the air in a blast of white shockwaves.

He crashed into the distant, snow-covered mountains like a falling star, instantly leveling the jagged peaks.

The surrounding terrain collapsed along with the ice and snow, sinking several hundred meters deep.

Snow erupted skyward. The mountains continued to crumble.

But barely three seconds had passed before Saturn's cold, mocking voice echoed out from the collapsed rubble.

"You still don't get it, do you?"

"You never had a chance against me."

Dark smoke surged as Saturn once again crawled out, completely unscathed.

But in the next instant, his expression darkened sharply.

Daren suddenly let out a cold laugh. Without sparing Saturn another glance, he turned on his heel and dashed straight toward the motionless Celestial Dragons in the distance—his movements utterly decisive.

He was like a starving wolf loose in a pen of sheep, tearing into them with savage fury!

No Celestial Dragon could stop him.

Before those tyrannical black dragon claws, even defenses imbued with Armament Haki shattered instantly. One strike—dead.

The results of years of brutal combat and relentless training were on full display.

His killing efficiency exceeded even the most elite CP0 assassins!

Conqueror's Haki +0.07!

Conqueror's Haki +0.06!

Conqueror's Haki +0.05!

With the Celestial Dragons' screams echoing across the island as they fled in terror, Daren could clearly feel his Conqueror's Haki growing—at a rate visible to the naked eye!

"That damned brat!!"

Rage exploded in Saturn's eyes. His six spider legs moved with blinding speed as he chased after him, face twisted in fury.

This bastard was treating the sealed island like his personal Celestial Dragon hunting ground!

A creeping urgency clawed at his heart, swelling into dread.

Because Saturn could feel it—undeniably.

With each Celestial Dragon Daren struck down, his presence was steadily, methodically rising!

That bastard… he was using the blood of gods to water his spirit!

...

At the same time...

Philseque Island—Coastal Blockade.

Rows of Marine warships stood at the ready, sealing off every possible exit from the island in a tight formation.

"Ahhh!!"

"Don't kill me!"

"I'll give you anything!"

"Dammit!!"

...

A chorus of desperate screams echoed from deep within the island, laced with frantic footsteps and wails that tugged at the hearts of the Marines.

On the decks, thousands of Marines could hear the distant cries growing clearer. Their expressions grew increasingly grim.

They weren't fools.

A large number of slaves had been transported onto the island, and elite Celestial Dragons in hunting garb had followed... Everything pointed toward a single, horrifying truth.

On that barren but once peaceful winter island—a brutal, inhumane massacre was unfolding!

Just imagining the high probability was enough to make many young Marines grit their teeth, clench their fists, and feel their eyes burn red with fury.

Civilians were being slaughtered like animals, and all they could do was stand there, block the sea, and help cover it up... cleaning up the Celestial Dragons' mess.

"Admiral Sengoku, there might be a massacre happening on the island! Should we go ashore?"

One officer, with a warm yet upright presence, finally cracked under the weight of his conscience. He stepped up behind Sengoku, clenching his jaw and speaking through his teeth.

"Didn't I already tell you?"

Sengoku's voice was devoid of emotion, yet it trembled slightly.

"No matter what you hear... pretend you didn't."

He turned slowly. Bloodshot eyes locked onto the young, earnest officer in front of him.

"Arthur. As a Marine... your only duty is to follow orders."

It sounded like he was convincing Arthur.

But maybe, more than anyone, he was trying to convince himself.

Each word felt forced out between clenched teeth—cold as ice.