Dust billowed everywhere.
Cold steel danced wildly.
Vinsmoke Judge stared at the Germa Kingdom, most of it reduced to ruins, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
"Damn it!! I'm the man who will lead Germa to conquer the North Blue!!"
Darren narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"The Marines are the rulers of these seas... As for the title of King of the North Blue, I won't let you have it."
He raised a hand and swept it forward.
Dozens of twisted steel bars suddenly sprang to life, stretching and lengthening before the magnetic field sent them piercing through the air toward Vinsmoke Judge with a shrill whistle.
Whoosh!!
Two jets of white smoke suddenly burst from the heels of Vinsmoke Judge's boots. Propelled forward, he soared into the air like some monstrous bird.
"Then I'll let you witness the true power of Germa 66 with your own eyes!! You brat, Darren!!"
He swung his metal spear with both hands, batting away every steel bar that hurtled toward him. Then he dove from the sky, his golden hair streaming behind him.
Bzzzt...
Brilliant blue electricity crackled along the spear, shining with a dazzling light.
"Electromagnetic Thrust!!"
In the blink of an eye, Vinsmoke Judge had dived right in front of Darren. Gripping the electrified spear in both hands, he thrust it down with ruthless force!
The high-temperature current and piercing force made the air itself erupt with a sharp boom.
"The power of technology?"
Facing the electrified spear, powerful enough to pierce steel and fortresses, Darren merely chuckled.
The raging wind stirred the ends of his black hair. The spearpoint drew closer and closer to his brow, close enough for him to feel the searing heat of its current, yet he kept smiling.
An invisible magnetic field abruptly spread out from his body.
The next moment,
ripples seemed to pass through the air.
The crackling spear plunged into what felt like a mass of transparent glue. Its piercing speed slowed at an astonishing rate, until it finally stopped dead.
Vinsmoke Judge's pupils contracted.
No matter how hard he tried to drive the spear forward, the high-tech weapon that had never failed him remained completely motionless, as if a giant hand had clamped down on it.
"Using technology against me was your greatest mistake," Darren said coolly.
"Damn it!! I don't believe it!!"
Vinsmoke Judge let out a hysterical roar and simply abandoned his spear. Spinning in midair, he unleashed a dazzling burst of electricity from his boots and swung a powerful kick at Darren's head.
"Electromagnetic Smash!"
But the same thing happened again.
The boots, still blasting out waves of white exhaust, were also "frozen" and "restrained" in midair by that strange force, unable to move.
A flash of horror crossed Vinsmoke Judge's face.
His high-tech weapons... were completely countered by this guy's Devil Fruit power!?
Before he could react,
Vinsmoke Judge's vision blurred. The Marine Captain standing in front of him had vanished.
What incredible speed!!
A violent gust exploded beside him. Vinsmoke Judge gritted his teeth as a chill crept down his spine.
Behind him, his flowing cape suddenly writhed like a living thing, wrapping around his body.
Boom!!
A military boot slammed into his abdomen with tremendous force.
As the immense power erupted, the commander of Germa 66 flew through the air like a cannonball, hurtling toward a military fortress in the distance.
Rumble...
The entire fortress was pierced in an instant. Countless cracks spread across its walls before it collapsed with a deafening crash.
Rubble rained down, and the earth groaned beneath the strain.
Darren landed steadily.
"Damn it!! This can't be happening!! My technology is supposed to be invincible!!"
Vinsmoke Judge stumbled out of the ruins. A satisfied smile tugged at Darren's lips.
He was testing the Battle Suit's power.
Unlike his future children, Vinsmoke Judge's body had never undergone genetic modification. He didn't have the monstrous body that could shrug off blades and bullets.
Most of his strength came from his high-tech weaponry—the Battle Suit.
Without it, he wouldn't be any stronger than a Marine officer.
Although this was only the first-generation Battle Suit, and far less powerful than the one seen in the Whole Cake Island arc, it was still impressively effective.
Judging from Vinsmoke Judge's attacks and the cape's defensive ability just now... Darren was very satisfied with the first-generation Battle Suit's performance.
At least, it was within his expectations. Any Marine who had undergone professional training and received a similar Battle Suit would likely gain combat strength on par with a Marine Commodore.
Just then—
"Hahahaha!! Let me help you, Darren!! The genius Gion's partner from Marine Headquarters... will defeat the evil army commander in this battle, save the war-torn Yadis Kingdom, and become a hero of the Marines!!"
A loud, arrogant laugh rang out nearby.
Darren froze and looked back.
Their warship had somehow already reached shore. Gion and Momonga were leading the Marines in a fierce battle against the remnants of the Clone Soldiers.
Meanwhile, Gion's partner charged out of the crowd with a mighty presence, kicking up clouds of dust as he barreled toward Vinsmoke Judge.
Several black lines appeared on Darren's forehead.
Was this guy trying to steal the spotlight again?
He was about to say something, but Gion's partner laughed proudly.
"Darren, don't interfere!!"
Darren thought it over and stopped.
Gion's partner was overjoyed.
Looking at the panting Vinsmoke Judge, he couldn't help grinning smugly.
From the fight just now, he could tell that this guy wasn't very strong.
If he could take him down, Gion would surely see him in a new light.
And even if that didn't work, he could still become the hero who saved the Yadis Kingdom. Just think how many ladies and young women would be waiting for him to shower them with affection!
With that thought, Gion's partner charged faster and faster.
"Vinsmoke Judge, commander of the 'evil army,' I, Gion's partner, a lieutenant commander of Marine Headquarters, in the name of justice—"
He didn't get to finish.
Boom!
A boot wrapped in blue electricity landed squarely on his face.
Then,
he flew back at twice the speed of his charge, crashing through a military fortress.
Nearby,
Momonga covered his face with one hand in pain.
Vinsmoke Judge's defeat had been so thorough not because he was weak, but because Darren was too strong...
Gion shook her head in speechless disbelief.
After kicking away this foolish Marine who had appeared out of nowhere, Vinsmoke Judge turned back, panting, and glared at Darren.
"Damn it... One after another! You Marines are all so damn annoying!!"
Boom!
The boots beneath him blasted out another burst of scorching air, and he soared into the sky once more, diving toward Darren.
He refused to accept that the technology he had worked so hard to develop with Vegapunk had been so thoroughly defeated.
But in the face of his attack,
Darren merely raised his hand and loosely curled his fingers.
The invisible magnetic field spread out and took hold.
Vinsmoke Judge's body stopped in midair.
The next instant, violent pain shot through his hands and feet.
Whoosh!!
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out.
The metal spear in his hands,
and the boots on his feet—
their metal components wriggled like living creatures and thrust outward, piercing his hands and feet until blood streamed down.
"AAAGH!!"
The intense pain forced a scream from him.
But thick steel bars soon shot up from the ground, coiling around him like giant snakes and pinning him tightly in midair.
Clang!
A piece of metal sealed his mouth, abruptly cutting off his cries.
Bloodshot veins densely surrounded his pupils.
"Shh..."
The Marine Captain walked up to him, raised a finger to his lips, and smiled elegantly.
"I'm sorry, but your plan to conquer the North Blue is over."
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