Daren's steps came to an abrupt halt, catching everyone off guard. As Saturn's deadly poison spheres flew toward him, a gleam lit up in his eyes—like he'd just discovered buried treasure.

With a wide grin, he suddenly opened his mouth.

He took a deep breath, and the powerful draw of his lungs stirred the air into visible spirals.

To everyone's shock, the dozen or so purple-black venom orbs Saturn had fired were all sucked in—swallowed whole!

Saturn stared in disbelief at the absurd sight before him. A ludicrous thought flickered through his mind.

Did that little brat realize he was going to die and decide to just give up... commit suicide?

But before he could react—

The Marine Vice Admiral's bloodstained face darkened with a tinge of purple and black. His body wobbled slightly... but then the effect faded just as quickly.

Daren's eyes lit up. He let out a satisfied burp and exhaled a puff of deep violet mist with an expression of sheer bliss.

Physique +0.339!

Physique: 96.083 → 96.422 (Indestructible Body)

Strength +0.123!

Strength: 90.087 → 90.210 (Giant's Body)

He could feel it—his physical functions and immune system had surged to life, not only neutralizing the venom but also rapidly healing and reinforcing his internal organs and muscle fibers.

The boost was so exhilarating that Daren almost howled with joy.

Now that was worthy of a Five Elder!

Now that was a Mythical Zoan!

He hadn't feasted like this in ages!

Just a few venom orbs had jolted his long-stagnant physique stat upward by over 0.3.

And under that intense toxic stimulation, even his strength was rising!

Daren had never felt anything like it.

If this kept up, wouldn't his body evolve into something on par with a Mythical Zoan hybrid form?

Good thing he'd gone through hellish poison-resistance training with that fat guy in suspenders and Magellan. Without that, even he wouldn't have survived a hit like that. An ordinary person? They'd be face-down and foaming by now.

Grinning like he was drunk, Daren turned to Saturn and flashed a row of bloodstained teeth, eyes burning.

"Hm... bit bland. Got any more?"

Saturn stumbled back two steps, eyes wide with disbelief.

He was one of the Five Elders—supreme authority of the World Government. For 800 years, he'd ruled this sea like a god. What scene hadn't he witnessed?

—But this?! He had never seen anything like this.

His most vicious, insidious, and deadly technique... completely useless against this brat?

Impossible.

Saturn stared blankly at Daren's unrestrained smile, his entire body prickling with humiliation. His old, bloodshot eyes narrowed, and he roared through gritted teeth,

"This can't be real!!"

Furious, he launched another barrage—more venomous spheres blasting from his abdomen in rapid succession.

A rain of purple-black poison flooded the air, blanketing the area. It even blotted out the falling snow, covering a full twenty-meter radius in toxic death.

Daren's eyes lit up—but then his expression turned annoyed.

Tch. You old fossil—can you not spray it all over the place?

You're gonna waste it all!

Without hesitation, he acted.

Soru: Godspeed!

Daren's figure blurred into motion, flickering left and right like a bolt of lightning. His speed was so intense, afterimages streaked through the air.

Under Saturn's stunned gaze, the Marine turned into a moving bullseye—deliberately colliding with the venomous orbs as they rained down!

Direct hits!

Physique +0.221! Strength +0.422!

Physique +0.188! Strength +0.411!

Physique +0.166! Strength +0.379!

Physique +0.152! Strength +0.315!

…

As more and more venom invaded his body, Daren's skin and even his entire frame took on a deep, sickly purple hue.

Yet the grin at the corner of his mouth only grew wider—disturbingly so—making Saturn's brow furrow and his eyelid twitch uncontrollably.

Once every last drop of the toxic mist had been absorbed—nothing wasted—Daren suddenly froze, his whole body shaking violently.

Thick clouds of purple smoke poured from his pores. His muscles spasmed and writhed beneath the skin.

His fists clenched tight. The veins and muscle cords on his arms bulged and coiled like writhing dragons.

It was as if a dragon's heart beat inside his chest—thundering like war drums. A volcano churned in his throat and lungs, ready to erupt at any second.

Then—

He stomped forward, eyes glowing a feral, blood-red hue, like he'd been consumed by madness.

BOOM!!

A torrential burst of energy and blood exploded from his body in a visible shockwave, sending cracks spidering through the ground.

A low growl, like that of a wild beast, burst out of his throat—deep and booming like thunder—and rippled through the air, scattering the falling snow in all directions.

In that instant...

Every beast and bird across Philseque Island reacted in terror. As if sensing the overwhelming presence of a superior predator, they scattered in every direction. Flocks of birds took to the sky like a great black net sweeping upward.

"Hahahaha!! This feels incredible!"

Daren let out a wild, unrestrained laugh, the surging blood and power within him setting every cell in his body ablaze with exhilaration.

A rush of unprecedented strength and vitality coursed through him, burning in his veins like wildfire.

He had to let it out.

Seeing this Marine Vice Admiral erupt with such frenzied energy, Saturn's expression finally twisted.

What the hell was going on with this brat!?

Why weren't his attacks having any effect at all?

"Then... let's go another round!"

Daren hunched low like a beast ready to strike, a ribbon of hot vapor curling from his lips.

The moment he dropped his stance, a terrifying force detonated beneath him.

BOOOOM...

Everything within a hundred meters—trees, rocks, and soil—shattered in an instant.

Using the sheer blast as momentum, the blood-soaked Vice Admiral launched from the rubble like a man possessed.

No!

Saturn's heart lurched.

His body ballooned once again, transforming into the towering Gyūki form—dozens of meters tall.

Two razor-sharp spider legs shot out like massive lances, piercing through the air.

Shhk!

Shhk!

Saturn's pupils shrank to pinpricks.

Did he land a hit?

Blood exploded as the two spider legs stabbed deep into Daren's abdomen... but they stopped.

It was like trying to push through solid steel—his ultra-compressed muscles locked them in place, refusing to let them go even an inch deeper.

Saturn's eyes went wide.

This brat's physique... it's gotten even stronger!

Physique: 98.267!

"Yo, old fossil... Don't just stand there!"

The Vice Admiral's wild grin filled his vision.

Before Saturn could react, Daren clamped both hands around the embedded legs. His arms bulged with muscle like coiled pythons—and then he pulled.

With a violent rip, he tore both spider legs clean from Gyūki's enormous body!

Strength: 94.315!

Bathed in jets of thick, green blood, Daren—eyes blazing red—charged forward again.

Rip!

More green blood sprayed into the air.

Another leg was torn off with brute force!

Gyūki's titanic frame staggered. It lost balance... and crashed to the ground.

The overwhelming pain left Saturn's vision swimming.

Confusion and disbelief swirled in the depths of his eyes.

"What... what the hell is going on...?"

That brat had clearly been hit by his poison...

So how—how had his body and strength only grown stronger!?

Was this... even possible?