Chapter 406: Volume 3 – Chapter 49: The Madman Who Likes Getting Beaten

The explosive storm condensed into a crushing pressure that descended from above.

Even before the kanabō wrapped in Conqueror's Haki came down, its overwhelming force had already shattered and torn the ground beneath Daren's feet, sending rocks flying in every direction.

Though every one of Kaidou's moves was just another swing of his club—with different angles and force—this strike was on a whole other level.

Daren could feel it.

Unlike the last time, when he and Bullet combined their strength to launch a joint attack, this time, he had to take Kaidou's blow head-on, relying entirely on his own power!

Kosanze Ragnaraku—a move named after the Four Wisdom Kings, wielding crushing might to shatter both body and spirit!

"Hahahahahaha!! This is the kind of fight I live for!!"

Daren suddenly let out a wild, defiant laugh. His eyes lit up with savage intensity, burning with bloodlust and battle-lust.

With a loud crack, both feet dug into the earth like iron stakes. Inherited from Garp himself, the Iron Fist was unleashed, crashing upward to meet Kaidou's strike!

Genkotsu: Indestructible!

His arm, gleaming with a cold, metallic luster, clenched into a fist. The Indestructible Body was instantly coated in rock-solid Armament Haki, surging with immense power... and slammed directly into Kaidou's club!

For a moment, the world stood still.

Daren's body sank sharply, his legs buried deep into the ground as shards of stone exploded around him.

BOOM!!

A thunderous roar tore through the battlefield. A massive shockwave burst outward from the clash, raging in all directions like a storm gone wild.

It was as if a tsunami had hit the land, sending waves of earth hundreds of meters high rolling outward.

The shock spread so far that even the seas beyond Wano's shores churned with colossal waves.

The sky flickered unpredictably, clouds splitting apart under the force.

"AAAAAAHHHH!!"

Both Kaidou and Daren's eyes were bloodshot, their screams raw and frenzied as they clashed.

"Daren, you brat... I'll admit it—your physical strength is now on par with mine."

Kaidou gripped the kanabō with both hands, slowly pressing Daren down. Lightning crackled wildly around him, casting his twisted face in a maniacal glow.

"But..."

A sinister grin curled across Kaidou's fang-lined mouth.

"Haki is still the strongest force on these seas!!"

As the words left his lips, Kaidou's arms bulged like flowing magma. A violent surge of Haki burst from his body.

Countless streaks of lightning howled through the void, flickering in and out of existence as they tore through the Armament Haki cloaking Daren—ripping into even his supposedly indestructible body.

BOOM!!!

Advanced Haki—Second Stage—erupted!

Daren was smashed straight into the earth. The sheer impact caused the ground across several kilometers to collapse downward by meters, sending dust billowing skyward.

Massive cracks spiderwebbed out from the point of impact, stretching so far they seemed endless.

The shockwave swept through the area like a hurricane, forcing both King and Queen to raise their arms to shield their faces.

Their eyes quaked with disbelief as they stared at the apocalyptic scene before them.

"H-He actually pushed the boss this far... What the hell is that Marine made of...?" Queen stammered, his jiggling cheeks trembling with every word.

"He's gotta be down now—mmf!"

King quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes glowing red as he growled through clenched teeth.

"If you say one more stupid thing, I swear I'll kill you!!"

Queen's face turned bright red, his eyes darting around, full of grievance.

But before he could say another word, the blood-soaked figure of the Vice Admiral erupted from the rubble—charging up from the ground once more.

His blood- and mud-soaked black hair whipped through the air as he laughed like a lunatic.

"Hahahahaha!! Hell yeah, hit me again!!!"

King: ...

Queen: ...

Boom!!

Under their dumbfounded stares, the two figures collided once more with a thunderous crash!

"It's useless!"

"Whether it's strength, speed, Armament Haki, or Conqueror's Haki... you can't beat me!!"

Kaidou's bloodshot eyes flared as he roared, his strikes now fueled by genuine fury.

"No matter how many times you come at me, you'll never be my match!!"

The kanabō in his grip crackled with erupting lightning. With impossible speed and power, he swung it again and again, unleashing a storm of force that filled the sky with a flurry of strikes, completely engulfing Daren's figure.

There were no openings. Every angle was covered. Daren had no room to dodge. Explosive shockwaves tore through the earth, blasting out massive craters one after another.

"Gundari Ryuseigun!!"

Another devastating technique named after the Four Wisdom Kings—each blow infused with overwhelming Conqueror's Haki. The Vice Admiral's body was battered until it seemed wrapped in a mist of blood.

Daren clenched his teeth hard, every cell in his body screaming with pain. His strength was being wrung dry, and the blood clouding his vision left him reeling. For a moment, all he could do was block and fall back under the relentless assault.

It was true—just as Kaidou had said—he was being overwhelmed on every front.

But even so, Daren's physique had already broken into the realm of the Indestructible Body. Even someone like Kaidou couldn't take him down that easily.

This was what it meant to clash with the top "monsters" of the sea!

These elite titans, with bodies beyond human, could battle for days and nights without pause!

Daren wasn't quite on that level yet, but with his Indestructible Body, he could still hang in there!

Bang!!

Daren's figure was launched once again, skidding hundreds of meters across the shattered earth. His heavy-duty Marine boots, forged to endure, were finally torn apart—completely destroyed under the relentless punishment.

His face drenched in blood, Daren raised a hand to wipe it from his eyes. His bare toes dug hard into the ground—and with a roar, he charged again.

"That's exactly why I challenged you!!!"

They clashed again.

Bang!!

Clashed again.

Bang!!

Daren looked less like a man and more like a primal beast—an untiring, unfeeling monster—throwing himself headlong at the so-called "strongest creature on land, sea, and air" with reckless abandon.

Over and over again.

Again and again...

In the distance, King and Queen stood frozen, eyes wide, lips parched, and expressions gradually turning blank with disbelief.

If they weren't seeing it with their own eyes, they'd never believe it—someone actually going blow-for-blow with their monstrous boss for this long, even while being completely outmatched!

And as time dragged on...

Even Kaidou, who had started the fight in a rage, began to falter—doubt creeping in, followed by a gnawing sense of unease.

He had been crushing this guy the entire time.

Every strike he landed drew blood and injury.

That little Marine had been knocked down who-knows-how-many times, and yet... every single time, he stood back up with that eerie grin on his face.

It was like the more he got beaten, the more hurt he was... the more excited he became.

Kaidou had never met a lunatic like this before.

And something about it sent a chill crawling up the back of his neck.