One Piece: So What If I Sin, Lie, and Lust? I'm Still a Good Marine Chapter 106: Volume 2 – - 8: Sparring with Dragon

The cabin of the warship swayed with the rolling waves. The oil lamp on the table flickered softly, casting shifting light and shadow.

Daren sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, while three coins hovered in the air around him, spinning and circling.

Anyone watching closely would be stunned to see just how precise the motion was—the speed, spacing, and orbit of the coins were perfectly uniform.

It was like watching three miniature satellites revolving around a single planet.

The cabin was quiet.

Only the rhythmic sound of waves lapping against the hull ca from outside.

But as ti ticked by, a thin layer of cold sweat slowly ford on Daren's forehead.

Faint blue arcs of electricity began crackling across his skin... a clear sign that his control over the magnetic field was beginning to overload.

Then, all at once, the coins lost their suspension and dropped to the floor.

Daren opened his eyes slowly and let out a long breath.

"It really isn't that easy..."

He wiped the sweat from his brow.

Among the three main Devil Fruit types, the developnt of Paracia-type abilities was the most unique.

Zoan-type users had to adapt to the survival and combat instincts of their animal archetype, constantly tempering their physique to match those traits.

Logia-type users focused on assimilating with the elent of their fruit, then developing diverse offensive techniques from that foundation.

But Paracia was different.

Even within the Paracia category, there were distinct subtypes—like Charlotte Katakuri's Mochi Mochi no Mi, a special Paracia, or rule-based fruits like the Hobi Hobi no Mi, practically bugged by design.

The Jiki Jiki no Mi was another outlier.

It didn't drastically alter the user's body. Instead, it manipulated external tal objects through the application of magnetic fields.

After years of trial and error, Daren had identified two main thods to develop his Jiki Jiki no Mi further.

The first was adapting to magnetically "transport" heavier and bulkier tal objects—this helped increase the overall output of his magnetic field.

The second was improving the precision of his control within a fixed range.

Making all tal move in the sa direction within a given field was relatively easy. That was how he controlled cannonballs—or even "piloted" the warship before.

But directing multiple tal objects to move independently in different directions within that sa space required layering complex magnetic lines—sothing that demanded extre ntal control.

It was a tough process, but this second thod had produced real results. His previously stalled fruit developnt was finally showing signs of advancent.

With that in mind, Daren activated his innate "perception" ability to assess his body stats.

Physique: 63.513

Strength: 61.395

Speed: 62.115

Fruit: 73.067

Leaving aside the Devil Fruit progression, his battle with Byrnndi World had pushed his Physique, Strength, and Speed to noticeable new heights.

"Yep, only top-tier fights can really help you break your limits... No wonder Rayleigh trained Luffy for two years with limited results, and Kaido's training stick got him to master Advanced Conqueror's Haki in three swings."

Daren quipped with a mocking smirk.

Of course, that was just a joke.

Not everyone had Luffy's main character aura or his absurd "sit-up" resilience.

Anyone else getting hit by even one of Kaido's strikes would be eting their maker, let alone three.

That's why Daren pushed himself so relentlessly, even resorting to borderline self-harm to strengthen his physique.

In ga terms: the higher your Physique, the thicker your armor and HP bar. More survivability ant more chances to turn the tide in battle.

Though even that couldn't escape the curse of "the tankiest always takes the nastiest hits."

Daren picked up the three coins and stood. He ducked slightly to pass through the low door and stepped out of the cabin.

The blinding sunlight made him squint.

"There you are. Been waiting for you..."

Daren turned toward the voice. Dragon had just finished a set of one-finger push-ups, sweat pouring down as he stood with a grin.

He wore a loose shirt, a few buttons undone to reveal his broad chest.

That bright, sunlit smile matched with his rugged fra had an oddly striking beauty.

"I heard you're a training maniac. It's still a long trip to Headquarters—how about a little sparring?"

Dragon's smile was genuine, not a hint of provocation. His eyes were full of excitent—like soone eager to test themselves against a worthy rival.

Daren glanced toward Tokikake nearby, who imdiately ducked behind the mast like a kid caught red-handed.

Daren chuckled.

Looked like he'd "tornted" Tokikake a bit too much back in the North Blue. The guy was probably hoping Dragon would beat him up to blow off so steam.

"Rear Admiral Dragon, I'm no match for you."

Daren said it plainly, with zero hesitation.

According to the data Momonga gathered from the Officer Training Camp, Dragon was a top graduate of the second class—on par with Sakazuki in final evaluations.

First class? Borsalino.

And on top of that, Dragon's father was none other than "Hero" Garp.

Thinking of the brutal "training" Luffy endured growing up under Garp, it was easy to imagine Dragon had suffered the sa fate.

That ant Dragon not only had elite credentials but also inherited even more resources and training than either Borsalino or Sakazuki.

Daren didn't kid himself—he wasn't Dragon's equal.

More importantly, he hadn't yet mastered Haki.

His fight with Byrnndi World had made it painfully clear just how massive the gap was between having Haki and not.

"No problem. I won't use Haki or my Fruit."

Dragon's eyes glead, clenching his fists with anticipation.

"Let's take this chance to get to know each other."

"A real man speaks with his fists!"

That's the line I was waiting for!

Daren grinned. If Devil Fruits and Haki were off the table, he wasn't afraid of anyone in close quarters.

"Alright!"

He grabbed his collar and tore it off in one pull!

His uniform and cape hit the deck, revealing a body covered in savage, dense scars—a feral, bloody aura radiated from him instantly.

Dragon's pupils narrowed.

Just how many serious injuries had this guy survived to get here?

"Bring it on, Rear Admiral Dragon!"

The words had barely left his lips before Daren shot forward like a leopard.

Against an opponent far stronger than himself—he didn't hesitate to strike first!

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / PinkSnake