Germa's Rise?

That evening.

The residence of the Branch 321 base commander.

Having finished his training, Darren took a quick shower and stepped out of the steam-filled bathroom.

He stared blankly at the reflection in the mirror, observing a body covered in scars, lean and explosive like a leopard.

Physique: 58.418

Strength: 53.890

Speed: 57.548

Fruit: 71.345

Following his final round of impact training, his body had gained quite a few new wounds, but they had mostly scabbed over; he estimated they would be fully healed after a good night's sleep.

Reflected in his physical perception data, his physique had successfully increased by 0.312, reaching 58.418—another step closer to the 60-point milestone.

"The progress is indeed slowing down. It seems I'll need to find time to have some heavy cannons from the warships hauled into the training grounds."

Darren frowned as he looked at the dense, jagged scars covering his skin.

As his physical defense grew stronger, standard blades and gunfire had become essentially useless against him.

Saber slashes and flintlock bullets could now only leave faint red marks on the surface of his skin.

In today's training, the majority of his injuries had actually come from Momonga's artillery fire.

Darren knew that if he wanted to continue improving his physical recovery and impact resistance, he had to increase the "intensity."

This was the benefit of his "Perception" talent.

With precise data feedback, he could masterfully control the intensity of his "training."

He could avoid injuries that wouldn't heal or, worse, prove fatal, keeping the training intensity within a reasonable range.

Compared to the beginning, the growth of his physical stats had become increasingly slow, but he was still making progress nonetheless.

Although Darren had been promoted to Governor-General of the North Blue, commanding the naval forces of the entire region, he knew better than anyone that personal strength was the foundation for survival on this sea.

What he needed to do now, before passing the "review" and heading to the Marine Headquarters officer training camp, was to turn the North Blue into an iron fortress and make the entire North Blue Navy his own "territory."

More power meant better access to training resources.

On that basis, he would maximize his personal strength.

Before mastering Haki, increasing his strength, speed, and physique was the best way to grow stronger.

Darren didn't consider himself a monster with exceptional talent like Sakazuki, so he trained harder than anyone else.

According to Darren's assessment, the strength of an adult Giant was roughly around 60 points.

Once his physique reached 60 points, even in his normal state, his body's durability would reach the level of the Six Powers technique "Iron Body."

And he was getting closer and closer to that goal.

That's right, Darren was walking the path of a monster.

A path with no weaknesses, powerful in every aspect!

The kind of power that brings despair!!

He believed that with the help of his "Perception" talent, one day he would reach a level of physical strength as terrifying and inhuman as Kaido's.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

At that moment, a series of knocks sounded at the door.

Darren threw on a bathrobe and walked over to open it.

"Base Commander Darren."

Standing outside was Momonga.

"The ice you requested has arrived."

Darren nodded and smiled.

"Sorry for the trouble."

Momonga signaled to the two naval soldiers behind him, and they quickly carried crates of ice into the residence.

Clatter, clatter...

The cold ice was dumped into the bathtub all at once. The two soldiers cast a look of admiration at Darren before respectfully taking their leave.

"What's the status of those two?"

Darren stripped off his bathrobe and stepped into the ice-filled tub without changing his expression, submerging his entire body into the zero-degree water as he asked casually.

Ice baths were his habit.

After high-intensity training, an ice bath could promote blood circulation, aid recovery, reduce inflammation, and soothe muscle soreness.

Momonga looked at the tub full of icy water, feeling goosebumps rise on his own skin.

Hearing Darren's question, a strange smile appeared on his face as he said:

"They were likely provoked by you; they're currently training at the drill grounds."

Darren was stunned for a moment, then let out a dry chuckle:

"It seems the geniuses of the Headquarters have their own pride, after all."

But upon second thought, the reactions of Gion and her partner were perfectly normal.

Within the Marine system, there exists a clear chain of contempt.

The elites of Marine Headquarters look down upon the branches stationed in the Grand Line, and the Grand Line branches look down upon the Marine bases in the Four Blues.

This is only natural.

After all, whether in terms of strength, military discipline, or equipment, the Headquarters Marines possess an overwhelming advantage.

Meanwhile, because the Four Blues Marines enjoy high autonomy and are far from the reach of the central authority, they are prone to lax management and loose discipline.

Gion and her partner grew up in Headquarters, born and bred with the best resources and doted upon, and their own talents are exceptionally high. How could they have imagined that upon arriving in a place like the North Blue, they would be so easily crushed by Darren?

And so, their competitive spirit was ignited in an instant.

"But Darren, are you sure their arrival won't affect anything?"

When no one else is around, Momonga, as Darren's right-hand man, usually addresses him directly by name.

Darren squinted his eyes slightly.

"My actions here cannot actually be hidden from Headquarters. This so-called 'inspection' is really just a superficial formality."

"That shrewd old man Sengoku sent Gion and her partner here largely because he wants me to show them the ropes."

"The third Officer Training Camp is about to begin. Although they are already pre-selected candidates, they still need to go through the motions, get some gilding, and accumulate a resume and military merits."

"If Headquarters really wanted to move against me, they wouldn't have sent these two greenhorns; I would be the one receiving a 'baptism' from Vice Admiral Tsuru."

Momonga fell silent for a moment.

"I still feel your situation is too dangerous. I suspect Headquarters will be able to uncover something soon."

Darren shook his head with a smile.

"The North Blue is too small; Headquarters doesn't think much of it."

"And even if Headquarters does find something, so what?"

"If they want to investigate, let them. I will let them see the situation in the North Blue clearly and openly."

Darren paused, then shifted the topic:

"I heard that fellow Vinsmoke Judge has been acting quite aggressively lately?"

Momonga replied:

"That is correct. He is flaunting his power everywhere, expanding his military on a massive scale, and leading his forces on campaigns. He has declared that he will behead the kings of four nations, including the Yadis Kingdom, to 'reclaim hegemony over the North Blue'."

Darren sneered:

"That guy seems to have obtained quite a bit of advanced weapon technology; he must be getting carried away."

Vinsmoke Judge once collaborated with Vegapunk, the "genius scientist who is 500 years ahead of the world."

In the original timeline, After Vegapunk was taken away by the World Government, he fled back to the North Blue with a portion of Vegapunk's technology.

Upon returning to the Germa Kingdom, Vinsmoke Judge used that scientific technology to revitalize Germa 66, and subsequently led Germa 66 to trigger the "Massacre of the Four North Blue Nations" incident, beheading the rulers of those four nations and commissioning a giant painting of the event as a memorial.

"Send someone to deliver a message to him. The North Blue won't tolerate Germa 66 running wild. Even if the Headquarters inspection is just for show, I can't have Vinsmoke Judge turning the North Blue upside down under my jurisdiction."

He tapped his fingers lightly against the edge of the bathtub.

"The hegemon of the North Blue is not his Germa 66."

Momonga nodded, then hesitated, looking as if he had more to say.

"Is there something else?"

Darren glanced at him.

Momonga weighed his words carefully before speaking slowly:

"A new faction has recently arrived in the North Blue. Their strength is formidable, and their methods are extremely cruel."

"They have already crushed several well-known mafia families, including the Gallen Family, and have taken over their businesses."

"I sent men to investigate the background of this group and discovered that it is not simple."

He took a deep breath, his expression grave:

"The leader of this group is a brat not even ten years old."

"His name is..."

Momonga slowly let out a breath.

"--Donquixote Doflamingo."