NOVEL NEXT Chapter 324: Organizing Forces
Days passed one after another.
Daren hadn't left the island shrouded in tropical rainforest. On one hand, he was still worried about Zephyr-sensei. On the other, the island's climate was perfect for Toki's recovery.
Besides that, he himself needed a quiet, undisturbed place to fully heal the lingering wounds on his body.
From leading the Shichibukai to intercept the Whitebeard Pirates in the New World, to the brutal fight against the Five Elders on Philseque Island, and finally clashing with Sakazuki and the others at Marine Headquarters... all of this had happened in less than ten days, leaving him with no time to breathe.
Even after three days of treatment in the Pleasure District post-battle, his horrifying injuries still hadn't completely healed.
But the global situation was shifting rapidly.
Daren had no chance to rest. He had to rush to contact Morgans for a world broadcast to declare strategic deterrence, then race across the seas to help Zephyr-sensei search for a doctor... and, well, he even exchanged a blow with Roger.
Though it looked like he'd fought Roger's earth-shattering Kamusari to a standstill, the truth was that the sheer power of Roger's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki had caused fresh internal damage.
So, with this rare opportunity, Daren had decided to settle down, focus on recovery, and review everything he had gained during this period.
...
Deep in the wilderness of the island.
An empty, uninhabited clearing in the tropical rainforest.
The sunlight filtered down, shimmering in the misty air.
A clear stream flowed by, sparkling with iridescent colors. Tiny fish darted through the water, weaving between vivid green aquatic plants.
Daren sat cross-legged on a massive rock in the middle of the stream, using his innate perception ability to closely observe his physical condition.
The external wounds on his skin and muscles were mostly healed, with the scabs flaking off to reveal fresh new flesh.
As for his internal injuries, the resilient patterns of his organs were laid bare under his perception ability.
"Looks like I'll still need some more time to fully recover."
After a few seconds of contemplation, Daren came to this conclusion.
There was no denying it—this was the most severe damage he'd ever taken.
The continuous battles and relentless travel had pushed his body beyond its limits. At one point, he had even relied on Ivankov's Horu Horu no Mi to force his body into a higher state of combat.
Even for someone like Daren, that level of overexertion demanded time to recover.
Still, the growth in his combat power during this time was just as astonishing as the damage he'd taken.
As he quietly sensed the condition of his body, Daren slowly exhaled a deep breath, a faint smile forming at the corners of his lips.
Physique: 98.826 (Indestructible Body)
Strength: 95.015 (Giant's Body)
Speed: 89.098 (Soru's Godspeed)
Devil Fruit Ability: 89.010 (Island-Wide Coverage)
Armament Haki: 85.335 (Emission Burst)
Observation Haki: 79.917 (Magnetic Field Induction)
Conqueror's Haki: 89.999 (Affects Matter)
There was no need to say much about physique and strength. Thanks to the "assistance" of the Five Elders—especially Saint Saturn—these two previously stagnant attributes had seen obvious improvement.
In fact, Daren's ability to endure the Five Elders' onslaught was largely due to the enhanced survivability granted by those gains.
As for speed, there wasn't much progress—it had hit a plateau.
Daren figured it was likely because he hadn't found a proper training method yet, or perhaps he just hadn't met a qualified "master" to guide him.
After all, in the original storyline, there weren't many people in this vast ocean who truly excelled at ultra-high-speed movement.
"I wonder if Devil Fruit users count. If they do, then maybe Momonga or Borsalino could pull it off..."
Daren rubbed the stubble that had just started growing on his chin, lost in thought.
In truth, it wasn't just speed. His "Observation Haki," which worked in tandem with speed, had also hit a serious bottleneck. No matter how hard he trained, he just couldn't break through.
To a large extent, how one's abilities develop is deeply tied to their fighting style and direction. Different styles and habits inevitably lead to a degree of specialization.
Typically, swordsmen focus their growth on speed and Observation Haki—using sharp perception to break down their opponent's moves, predict their actions, and then strike with explosive speed to land a deadly blow in a single instant.
Clear examples of this approach include Katakuri, Hawk Eyes, Red-Haired Shanks, and Rayleigh—all fighters who've honed their technique above all else.
On the flip side, you have people like Garp and Zephyr—more traditional brawlers who excel in close-quarters combat.
But Daren didn't fall into either of those camps.
With his "Indestructible Body," his combat style resembled Kaidou and Big Mom more closely. And when it came to brutality and fighting dirty, he had thoroughly "inherited" the worst of Shiki's tendencies.
Why bother dodging attacks if you can just tank them?
After all, in real combat, constantly dodging puts you on the back foot, making it easier for opponents to exploit your openings. But with a body that can take the hit, you keep the pressure on—and once an opening appears, you can launch an immediate counterattack.
His brawling style, driven by raw strength and endurance, had left Daren extremely unbalanced in other areas.
On the other hand, his Armament Haki had progressed significantly.
After enduring the relentless beatdowns from Sakazuki and the other two "monsters" at Marine Headquarters, Daren had been pushed to develop a stronger form of Armament Haki. His abilities had evolved from "Internal Destruction" to the more advanced "External Burst."
"Internal Destruction" is one form of Armament Haki's "externalization"—releasing Haki from within the body to invade the opponent's insides, bypassing their defenses. It's an incredibly powerful offensive technique.
Another advanced use, "Emission Burst," however, is even more efficient. A prime example is the iconic scene during the Battle of Marineford, where the three Admirals raised their hands and stopped Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi shockwaves in mid-air to protect the execution platform. That was "Emission" in action.
As for Conqueror's Haki...
"Eighty-nine point nine nine nine... Even Puzzle & Dragons' final hit wasn't this damn hard…"
Daren rubbed his temples and let out a bitter smile.