In the luxurious suite of the hotel, Daren sat quietly at the edge of the bed, activating his "perception" talent to check his physical condition.
Physique: 78.312
Strength: 70.001
Speed: 70.391
Fruit: 77.998
Armament Haki: 32.012
Conqueror's Haki: 51.001
After the "Escape Battle" from the Beasts Pirates' base, each of his stats had improved, though not drastically. Compared to when he was "imprisoned," the rate of his strength increase wasn't exactly slow.
Still, Daren wasn't discouraged—he accepted it calmly.
The kind of massive leap he had previously experienced from "virus injections" was rare and couldn't be replicated easily. As his physique improved and his resistance to the virus grew, the effects of that method continued to diminish, eventually reaching a plateau.
After all, his body was constantly adapting to the stress.
To push his stats even further, he'd need stronger external stimuli and pressure, harsher training, and... fights against even more powerful opponents.
The strike he and Bullet had launched together against Kaidou seemed to have triggered something—perhaps it was the pressure of facing the Conqueror's Haki head-on. His own Conqueror's Haki stat had jumped by a full point!
"What even is a Top-Tier Master Teacher supposed to mean?"
Daren suddenly remembered the strange memes from his previous world and couldn't help but chuckle.
As ridiculous as some of them sounded, he had to admit—this whole "being captured" ordeal really did boost his strength significantly.
Knock knock knock...
Just as his thoughts were drifting, a knock came at the door of the suite.
"Daren-sama, it's me."
Senor's voice came through.
"Come in," Daren replied.
Senor stepped in, biting down on a lit cigarette. He wore a sharp new notch-collar suit, moving with refined poise and offering a gentlemanly bow to Daren.
"I've contacted the young master and made arrangements with the island's underground forces. Their fleet will set sail in an hour—the route goes through the North Blue."
"Are you returning to the North Blue with me? The young master expressed how much he misses you through the Den Den Mushi."
Daren gave a dry laugh.
"I don't buy that. Out on this sea, I'm probably the last person Doffy wants to see."
Senor pursed his lips, trying to defend his young master.
"Actually, the young master really—"
Daren waved him off with a grin.
"I've already left the North Blue, and I'm not going back anytime soon."
"Doffy's still young, going through his rebellious phase. No need for me to get in the way."
"Anyway, more importantly—is this fleet trustworthy?"
Senor nodded.
"Yes. The fleet's owner has business ties with our Donquixote Family."
Daren raised an eyebrow, then smiled with some emotion.
"Looks like Doffy's business is really taking off—already expanding into the New World."
Senor replied seriously,
"All thanks to Admiral Momonga's support."
Daren chuckled.
"Alright. Head back for now. Let Doffy know—I'm accepting the favor this time. As his godfather, I appreciate it."
"And one last thing... Senor, like I said before, my door is always open. If you ever change your mind, you're welcome anytime."
His eyes gleamed with open appreciation as he looked at Senor.
Senor gave a deep bow.
"Thank you for your kindness, Daren-sama. I'll pass along your words to the young master exactly as you said."
With that, he turned and strode out of the room without hesitation.
Watching Senor's back disappear behind the door, Daren pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and placed it between his lips.
As if suddenly remembering something, he picked up the Den Den Mushi provided by the hotel and dialed a familiar signal.
"Buru buru... buru buru..."
It only rang for two seconds before being picked up.
A calm, deep voice came through.
"This is Momonga."
A relaxed smile spread across Daren's face.
"Momonga, it's me."
…
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi—
North Blue, Rubeck Island.
Momonga stood on the deck of a massive warship, gazing into the distance at the Donquixote Family's base.
It had already been eight days since he received news that Daren had been captured by Kaidou. But even now, there was still no update from the New World, and the lack of information made him increasingly anxious.
He glanced at the three warships docked in the harbor and the two cruising just offshore, then clenched his fists unconsciously.
The longer the rescue dragged on, the more danger Daren would be in.
If no new intel came in soon, he'd have to prepare to act.
Just then, the personal Den Den Mushi tucked in his coat started ringing.
While directing several subordinates to adjust the fleet's patrol course, Momonga pulled out the Den Den Mushi.
"This is Momonga."
"It's me."
Hearing the voice, Momonga froze for a moment—then a smile of surprise spread across his face.
"Daren! You made it out!?"
Daren's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, tinged with amusement.
"Yeah. There were some twists and turns along the way, but I've gotten out."
Momonga let out a long breath of relief.
"If that's the case, you should pull the fleet back. It's not exactly polite to have their base completely surrounded."
Daren chuckled.
Momonga blinked, then gave a helpless smile.
"You really don't miss a thing."
Daren smiled as well.
"You did great. If something had happened to me, I doubt even the whole North Blue could've kept Doflamingo in check for long."
"That said, I have to thank Doffy for the help he sent this time."
"It was a young guy named Senor. Solid guy."
Momonga paused for a moment, then laughed.
"You didn't try to recruit him? That's not like you."
Daren shook his head.
"I did, but he turned me down."
"He's a man of principle—loyal and honorable. I won't force it."
Momonga nodded, then asked,
"When are you coming back to headquarters?"
Daren's voice came through again.
"Probably in a few days. Since I'm already in the New World, I figured I'd look around a bit... that's all for now."
"Alright."
Momonga nodded and ended the call.
He stood there silently for a moment, then suddenly waved over a nearby officer.
"Admiral Momonga!"
The young officer snapped to attention and saluted.
"Pass the order: all ships are to return to Branch 321."
Momonga said sternly,
"And... Doflamingo's birthday is coming up. Send a generous gift in the name of the North Blue Fleet."