One Piece: So What If I Sin, Lie, and Lust? I'm Still a Good Marine Chapter 575: Volume 4 – - 94: The Cage of Genes

It was late at night.

Daren leaned back against the bed, using the faint moonlight outside the window to quietly flip through a piece of intelligence in his hands.

According to the latest report, Roger's pirate crew had entered the New World's Totto Land and turned the entire sea upside down. Big Mom had also reacted quickly, setting out from Whole Cake Island... A great battle was on the horizon.

'That old fool Garp... did he actually grow fond of Roger? It really feels like he's letting him go.'

Daren flipped through the battle reports, a flash of helplessness passing through his deep eyes.

When he had been at Fish-Man Island, he had done everything he could to cripple the Roger Pirates' mobility. Thanks to Enma's strike, the Oro Jackson's speed had dropped by at least a third.

Logically speaking, with Garp's ability to hurl cannonballs, even if he couldn't capture the Roger Pirates outright, he shouldn't have let them keep escaping all over the sea.

As for Big Mom's intervention, Daren didn't hold much hope.

Although at this period Big Mom's strength had already peaked, and her food obsession hadn't yet spiraled into madness like it would in later years, against Roger—the strongest man of his ti—she would likely still co up short.

Unless sothing completely unexpected happened, the Road Poneglyph in Big Mom's possession would probably end up in Roger's hands, just like in the original tiline.

Unless...

"Husband..."

A soft whisper suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts.

Daren lowered his head and looked to his side.

The cold, clear moonlight filtered through the window, casting a soft glow on Toki's sleeping face.

Tiny flecks of silver lit up her bare, porcelain skin, making her seem ethereal, almost unreal.

Her lips trembled slightly. Still fast asleep, Toki instinctively tightened her hold on Daren's hand, her petite body curling up as if caught in a nightmare. Her long eyelashes fluttered gently.

Daren's sharp gaze softened. He gently stroked Toki's hair, as if soothing a frightened kitten.

Sensing his warmth, Toki gradually cald down, her breathing steadying once more.

"Forget it. Even if Roger becos the Pirate King... what does that have to do with ?"

Daren suddenly smiled, his tone indifferent.

Even if he rushed to join the battle, it wouldn't change much. His injuries hadn't fully healed yet—he'd be more burden than help.

He simply wasn't strong enough yet...

While comforting the sleeping Toki, Daren shifted his attention inward, activating his innate perception to carefully assess his physical state.

The fierce battle at Fish-Man Island against Roger had finally pushed his Conqueror's Haki past the 80-point barrier, reaching the level where it could "affect matter."

Aside from his Conqueror's Haki, all of his other attributes had also improved by about one point—a small but welco surprise.

Physique: 92.117 (Indestructible Body)

Strength: 83.951 (Giant's Strength)

Speed: 84.668 (Soru's Godspeed)

Fruit Ability Developnt: 86.186 (Island-Wide Coverage)

Armant Haki: 73.765 (Internal Destruction, Devil Form)

Observation Haki: 76.521 (Magnetic Field Induction)

Conqueror's Haki: 81.469 (Affects Matter)

"Everything else still has so room for growth. At least before breaking through the 90-point bottleneck, Kaidou can help push further. But this physique..."

Daren muttered softly, his brows gradually knitting together.

After all the brutal fights, every other attribute had managed to inch forward, except for his physique, which now advanced at a snail's pace.

He was beginning to feel that his physical strength had reached the limits of human genetics.

He wasn't so gifted prodigy. He didn't possess Big Mom's innate "iron balloon" body, nor did he have the oni blood of Kaidou or the unique racial traits of King "The Conflagration."

Just by relying on a human body—and through countless brushes with death and relentless training—he had managed to forge a physique that had reached the level of "Indestructible Body." That alone was nothing short of miraculous.

Daren knew that even if Kaidou continued to "teach" him, it would no longer significantly strengthen his physique.

He had already brushed against the genetic limits of the human body.

Unless he could sohow break through the "lock" engraved deep into his genes.

But that wasn't sothing easily achieved.

At least from what Daren knew, not even Vegapunk had found a thod or technique to accomplish it.

The application of lineage factor technology might be a possible direction for experintation, but Daren wasn't willing to beco a test subject, much less be transford into sothing neither human nor ghost.

"I'll figure sothing out later. Anyway, there's still room for improvent in other attributes..."

Daren shook his head and pushed away the restless thoughts.

After making sure Toki was sound asleep, he carefully got out of bed, casually threw on a cloak, and headed to the courtyard for a smoke.

Being too strong wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Back in North Blue, after a full day of training, he'd be so exhausted he'd pass out the mont he hit the bed.

But now, it felt like he had endless energy.

He could go eight or ten days without sleep and barely feel any discomfort.

From the days in North Blue until now, after years of struggle, Daren suddenly realized this was the first ti he had ever experienced such peace and leisure... yet he found himself feeling strangely uneasy.

It was just too boring...

As Daren was lost in thought, he suddenly raised an eyebrow.

Outside the courtyard, a sneaky figure was poking his head around, clearly up to no good.

The corner of Daren's mouth twitched. He walked over, looking annoyed.

"Why are you here?"

Tokikake chuckled.

"I heard you ca back today, so I thought I'd swing by for a late-night snack."

Daren narrowed his eyes, smiling faintly.

"You have one more chance."

Under Daren's gaze, Tokikake shrank his neck a little and gave a sycophantic grin.

"Hehehe, uh... can you teach how to train my physique?"

Physique?

Daren paused, giving Tokikake's skinny arms and legs a once-over with a confused look.

"Aren't your martial arts skills already pretty good?"

"Besides, why ask ? Isn't Zephyr-sensei still at the military academy?"

"No, it's not martial arts..."

Tokikake stamred, looking a little embarrassed.

"What I want to learn is... pure physique."

Pure physique?

This guy Tokikake... don't tell ...

Daren frowned.

Tokikake took a couple of steps closer, flashing a grin that only n could understand, and lowered his voice.

"Well... I want to beco harder."

Daren: ...

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / PinkSnake