Rumble…
A deep tremor rolled beneath their feet, sending sand and pebbles shivering into the air. Every Marine stiffened, their hearts pounding as dread crawled up their spines.
"This… this is the Float-Float Fruit…"
Zephyr's eyes were bloodshot, threads of red spreading through them as he pressed his remaining arm to the ground. The veins in his forearm bulged violently while he struggled for breath.
"…A truly loathsome power."
Darren gave a faint, wry chuckle.
Men like Zephyr—veterans of an older, harsher era—had never worshiped Devil Fruits. They viewed them with suspicion, even disdain. To them, the essence of strength lay not in tricks or powers, but in Haki. In the raw, primal clash of fists and will. That was a man's truest romance.
Even legends like Whitebeard and Golden Lion had used their Devil Fruits to magnify what was already theirs: muscle, technique, destruction. In battles between equals, it was still martial skill, swordsmanship, and Haki that decided victory.
The old guard of that bygone age had always trusted their fists more than any fruit.
The earth rumbled harder. Marines glanced at each other, faces pale, unsure what to make of the power radiating from the purple-haired giant before them.
Pinned beneath four blades, Sengoku tore his way out of the wreckage, fury burning in his eyes. "Young Darren, do you know what—"
But Zephyr spoke first.
He was panting, his lone arm trembling as he tried to control the alien power coursing through him. With effort, he lifted his head to meet Darren's gaze.
"For years… I regretted not being there at God Valley," he said hoarsely. "I regretted not defeating Rocks with my own hands. I wanted to be a Marine Hero… like Garp."
Darren's eyes flicked to the severed arm again, sorrow darkening his face. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Zephyr-sensei."
Zephyr shook his head, smiling faintly. "No. I've long stopped caring about that."
"Because now I finally understand what it truly means to be a 'Marine Hero.'" His voice hardened, words cutting through the rain. "It's far crueler than I ever imagined—a title bought with genocide. A Marine forced to shield monsters."
He laughed, wild and bitter. "You're right, Darren. Those Celestial Dragons deserve to die!"
Then his eyes shifted toward the mansion that had survived every blast and quake, still standing behind him like an untouched sanctuary.
On the second-floor balcony, a woman stepped into view.
Her pale green hair spilled like silk down her shoulders, swaying with the breeze. Dressed in a loose pink kimono, her eyes were clear and luminous, her expression gentle as water. Even amidst the storm's wreckage, she seemed to glow—fragile, yet unbroken.
"Toki…" Darren whispered.
Their eyes met. For a moment, everything—the chaos, the noise, the world itself—fell away.
Zephyr watched the pair with a wistful smile. A trace of longing crossed his face.
At least this way, he thought, I'll have fewer regrets.
He muttered softly to himself, almost a prayer. "Then… let's begin."
Resolve flared in his eyes as he clenched his fist.
Rumble…
The ground shuddered again—but before he could move, a strong hand caught his arm.
"I told you," Darren said quietly, his tone calm and unshakable, "your final lesson isn't today."
Zephyr froze, staring up at him.
He saw the same steel in the young man's eyes that he had seen long ago—the same determination, now tempered by something deeper.
"You're the only one I can trust, Zephyr-sensei," Darren said. "So please… take Toki and leave first."
Zephyr's pupils contracted sharply. His entire body trembled. "You little brat… you wouldn't…"
The words died on his lips, his throat tightening. The thought alone was too much to voice.
The rain had stopped, but the world was darker than before.
For a long moment, Zephyr simply looked at him. Then, sighing, he shook his head helplessly.
"What a madman."
His fist clenched.
Crack!
The ground split open. His eyes blazed, his once-white coat now soaked black with dried blood, the air around him rippling with murderous heat. Behind him, the earth rose—massive slabs of stone and the entire mansion itself lifted into the air.
"Stop him!!" Sengoku bellowed, voice hoarse with rage.
Dozens of his personal guards vanished in bursts of speed, their Soru steps striking toward Zephyr.
Boom!!
A storm of power erupted from Darren, shaking heaven and earth. Black and crimson lightning crackled across the sky, a storm of pure Haki that swallowed Marineford whole.
The countless Marine flags whipping in the wind withered, collapsing beneath the sheer pressure of it.
Even Sengoku's elite guards buckled under the crushing weight, eyes wide with terror as they dropped to one knee.
Darren's voice cut through the chaos—steady, cold, and commanding.
"To my esteemed colleagues…"
He turned, blood streaking his face, but his eyes burned clear and unwavering.
"After all, we've known each other. Next time we meet… it may be as enemies, locked in battle to the death."
He tilted his head back and grinned, wild and fearless.
"So let's make the most of this moment—"
His grin widened, electric light flickering behind his eyes.
"—and witness your Justice!"
Across the shattered field, Sengoku stood frozen, mind blank.
Gion, Tokikake, Doberman, Yamakaji—every one of them stared at Darren in stunned disbelief, as if they were watching a man lose his mind.
"Hey, hey, hey… you're kidding, right?!" Tokikake's voice cracked with panic.
Gion's pale lips trembled, her eyes wide with shock.
"This is getting more and more interesting…" Borsalino murmured, a crooked smile curving his lips.
Sakazuki's head tilted upward, the shadow of his cap barely hiding the fire burning in his eyes.
Kuzan's shoulders trembled with excitement, his voice breaking into breathless laughter. "This is… absolutely awesome!"
Among the rest, confusion rippled—then realization struck. Awe and terror melted into something else: reverence.
They looked at him—this man who had stood against gods and now against the Marines themselves—and their hearts swelled with something they didn't understand.
A wave of silence swept across Marineford, heavy and electric.
Everyone knew.
That man…
He was about to challenge Marine Headquarters alone.
To be continued...