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Chapter 14: One Person Destroys A Country?
"This... what kind of ability is this..." Kake stared blankly at the cannonball changing direction above his head, stuttering as he spoke. "The ability to manipulate... metal?"
Gion was also stunned. Next to him, Flying Squirrel crossed his arms and lit a cigarette with a smile. "Darren's ability to manipulate magnetic fields is becoming more precise..."
Far away, on the Saint-Germain, Vinsmoke Judge watched the oppressive scene with shock. He gritted his teeth. But Darren's words reignited the anger in his heart. "This Marine brat has a big mouth! Does he really think he can fight against Germa Kingdom's 'army of evil' with the power of a Devil Fruit?"
"Stop joking! If we cannot even handle an old brat like you, how can Germa66 dominate the North Blue?" Vinsmoke Judge roared, his eyes red with fury. "Attack with everything we've got! Let's take down that warship!"
After his command, the Germa fleet erupted into action. Driven by the giant snail, they accelerated toward Darren's warship.
Darren remained silent, slowly raising his hand. His movement was slow but deliberate, contrasting sharply with the onslaught of Germa 66's warships that roared forward, kicking up massive waves. On the coast, thousands of people from the Kingdom of Yadis could see his actions clearly.
He stretched his slender, powerful fingers gently in mid-air, then made a fist. The next second, a violent sonic boom filled the air. Everyone watched in disbelief as the dense artillery shells in the sky trembled violently, as if caught in an invisible storm.
As the Marine Admiral made his move, the shells hurtled back toward Germa 66's ships at twice the speed. Vinsmoke Judge's pupils dilated in shock.
The bombardment was relentless; the war fortress made of dozens of ships was overwhelmed by massive explosions, blooming like fiery red mushroom clouds. The replicant soldiers had no time to react as their cutting-edge weapons exploded, engulfed by flames and shockwaves.
Flames leaped into the sky as the Kingdom of Germa shuddered under the indiscriminate bombardment. The explosions sent out shockwaves, stirring up massive, turbulent waves. Thick black smoke billowed, and the vibrations and wind waves turned the soldiers of the Kingdom of Yadis on the coast pale.
On the warship buffeted by the storm, everyone, including Gion and Kake, held fast to the mast and other fixed objects to avoid being thrown overboard.
Gion and the others couldn't help but stare at the figure standing steadfastly at the bow, like a rock in the storm. In the distance, the explosions of the Germa Kingdom created a fiery backdrop. Admiral Darren of the North Blue smoked his cigar, his usual calm smile still on his lips. His white cloak, illuminated by the fire, shone as brightly as blood.
In that moment, they realized why Darren could keep the tumultuous North Blue sea under control so effectively. In addition to his strong and subtle political skills,
The most important thing is his monstrous strength, strong enough to easily destroy a country single-handedly!
The successive explosions lasted for a full minute before slowly ending. As the icy sea breeze cleared the thick smoke, the tragic aftermath of the Germa Kingdom, composed of dozens of warships, became visible, and everyone gasped. The ground was scorched, embers were still burning, and potholes of various sizes littered the landscape. The once majestic and fortified forts and fortresses had collapsed into charred ruins. Clone soldier bodies were strewn about, many torn apart, with only limbs and broken arms remaining.
On the main battleship, Saint-Germain, the "Cross Falcon" flag that hung at the highest point was gradually turning to ash in the flames. Most of the Germa Kingdom lay in ruins.
"Cough cough cough..."
A violent cough suddenly broke through the silent ruins.
"Damn Marine brat...how dare you..."
With a tremble of scorched rocks, the figure of Vinsmoke Judge struggled to stand. Gone was his earlier arrogance; his body was covered in blood and looked utterly disheveled. The cloak with the "66" emblem unfolded like a living entity from his body.
"It seems that you have developed the first generation of battle suits," murmured Darren, eyebrow raised, showing a hint of interest. Germa 66's battle suit was a high-tech creation of Vinsmoke Judge, made of special shape-memory armor, remarkably strong. Its cloak served as a shield, impervious even to fire, and it was this cloak that had shielded Judge from the explosion's impact.
"In that case... then let me test the power of this battle suit..." whispered Darren, his eyes shining.
He turned and said to the Marines, "Hold on tight."
Gion and Kake were surprised, but before they could respond, they noticed other Marines, including Flying Squirrel, gripping the railings on the ship tightly. Without a second thought, they too clutched the fixtures on the warship.
Then, they saw Darren take a deep breath.
With his inhalation, the cigar in his mouth visibly shortened. Darren looked disdainfully at the Saint-Germain a hundred meters away, his knees bent slightly, body lowered, cloak fluttering, and muscles tense like a coiled spring, ready to pounce like a cheetah.
"Hey, hey, hey... This can't be good," Kake muttered, his eyes twitching as though he had an inkling of what was about to happen.
As if on cue, the corners of Darren's mouth curled up, and with his body compressed like a spring, he suddenly unleashed his power.
Boom!
A dull noise echoed from the hull of the warship. Kake and Gion's world seemed to flip as a terrible centrifugal force erupted, nearly throwing them off their feet. The entire massive warship tilted as Darren pushed off it, the bow plunging into the sea and the stern rising high, the deck angling at nearly 45 degrees.
Boom!
Darren's feet exploded with an unparalleled force, moving the huge, tilting warship sideways several meters. With the recoil, his figure shot out from the bow like an arrow released from its bow, breaking the sound barrier and creating a sharp sonic boom. His silhouette roared parallel to the sea surface at an incredible speed, the trailing waves forming a long white groove on the water's surface.