One Piece: So What If I Sin, Lie, and Lust? I'm Still a Good Marine Chapter 220: Volume 2 – - 122: Refining the Combat System

But for now, it was just a passing thought.

Managing to sever Kozuki Oden's arm and take Enma had already been an incredibly difficult feat.

Not to mention, at the time, Marco—wielder of the Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit—had been guarding him closely, while Whitebeard, the "Strongest Man in the World," loomed nearby, watching like a hawk.

That "invincible" samurai might not have reached Admiral level yet, but he was already dangerously close.

If it hadn't been for his lack of experience in fighting close-bat specialists, Daren might not have gotten the upper hand at all.

And right now, Kozuki Oden was still far from the peak version seen in the original story—the one who slashed open the mighty Kaidou with a single blow.

From the looks of it, the true leap in Oden's power happened during his time with the Whitebeard Pirates and later the Roger Pirates.

Especially during the Roger Pirates' final voyage around the Grand Line—when he mastered the Conqueror's Haki infusion. From that moment, he broke into the threshold of Admiral-level strength, being what Kaidou called "one of the rare peak powerhouses in this sea."

"Next time we meet... things won't be so easy."

The thought made Daren murmur under his breath, clenching his fists without realizing it.

In terms of raw talent, Kozuki Oden—whose life had been nothing short of legendary from the moment he was born—was undeniably stronger.

Like all those so-called "natural kings," Oda had given him an extraordinary, near-mythical origin.

He was born with a body beyond what normal people could imagine.

Not even a year old, and he'd already thrown his nanny clear across the room.

At two, while other toddlers were still learning to walk, he was already chasing and catching two rabbits at once, showing off astonishing leg strength.

At four, while kids were playing in the dirt, he was hurling boulders to crush giant bears.

By six, his body was so developed he was already frequenting the pleasure quarters...

That kind of inborn physical ability might not match Charlotte Linlin, the "natural-born destroyer," but it was still something far beyond the ordinary.

Unmatched talent.

After suffering this setback, Oden would surely take it as a lesson. Even if he didn't realize it himself, someone with Whitebeard's insight would definitely give him a nudge—and help him train in targeted ways.

Which meant, the next time they crossed paths, things were going to get much more troublesome.

As for the loss of an arm? It probably wouldn't affect Oden much. Losing limbs was a regular occurrence on this sea.

And true warriors would find ways to minimize that kind of setback as much as possible.

"But even so... next time we meet, Kozuki Oden—will you still have the guts to e at me?"

A faint smirk crept across Daren's face.

Oden was growing stronger all the time—but it's not like he'd been slacking off either.

More importantly...

Daren looked at Enma, still hovering silently in front of him, and his grin widened.

After this latest battle, he'd finally started to piece together a bat system that was uniquely his own.

Close-quarters bat, built on a powerful physique, Haki, and superhuman martial arts.

Magnetic sword control, as a supplement for mid-to-long-range and large-area attacks.

They balanced each other perfectly, filling the gap in his bat style that Devil Fruit powers alone couldn't cover.

All that was left now was to train steadily, strengthen his Haki, and gather more Meito to expand his Magnetic Control Sword arsenal...

It wouldn't be long—before he stepped fully into Admiral-level power.

"Gururu..."

Just as Daren was deep in thought, a loud stomach growl broke the silence.

He looked up to see Amatsuki Toki's face flushed bright red. He couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Ah, sorry, that was my oversight. You've been looking after me all day—you must be starving."

Amatsuki Toki lightly bit her lower lip and shook her head.

"I-I'm not hungry..."

"Gururu..."

Another grumble from her stomach cut her off, and the blush quickly spread to her translucent ears.

Daren laughed.

He gave a small flick of his finger.

Enma shot out like a bolt, vanishing silently beneath the sea's surface without even a splash.

"Daren-san, what are you doing...?"

Amatsuki Toki widened her eyes in curiosity.

Before she could finish her sentence, Enma burst back out of the water and returned to Daren—only now, several silvery-white fish were skewered along its blade, their tails still twitching as they caught the sunlight and shimmered like jewels.

"This... this is possible?"

Her eyes sparkled as she covered her mouth with a hand in surprise.

Wasn't that... one of the world's most legendary swords?

Daren casually gathered some stones and built a small campfire. Smiling, he asked, "Do you prefer sashimi or grilled?"

Amatsuki Toki tilted her head, thinking for a moment.

"I'm fine with both."

"Then let's do a bit of each."

Daren detached a portion of metal from the silver hoverboard embedded in the sand nearby and shaped it into two plates and a pair of chopsticks for each of them.

Under Amatsuki Toki's amazed gaze, he skillfully gutted the fish. Two were placed over the fire, while the other two were sliced into neat sashimi.

There were no seasonings, but in this world, with its untainted oceans, the best seafood often needed nothing more than the simplest preparation to bring out its natural flavor.

"Bon appétit, my lovely lady."

Daren smiled as he served the grilled fish and sashimi. He even mimicked the flourish of a high-class chef, plete with a polite hand gesture, which made Amatsuki Toki giggle, her eyes crinkling in amusement.

"Thank you, Chef Daren-san."

Playing along, she neatly adjusted the hem of her kimono and sat gracefully across from him, the picture of a refined noble lady.

She reached out with her pale, slender fingers, picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks, and gently placed it in her mouth. As she chewed, her eyes slowly narrowed in bliss.

"It's really delicious..."

In contrast to her elegance, Daren was far more straightforward. He grabbed several slices of sashimi at once, stuffed them into his mouth, and barely chewed before swallowing.

His body was still extremely weak, and he needed energy fast.

After finishing an entire fish, his plexion finally began to show a hint of color, no longer the ghostly pale it had been.

Exhaling slowly, he asked offhandedly, "Toki, aren't you afraid of me?"

Amatsuki Toki looked at the modore before her with soft eyes and shook her head with a gentle smile.

"Do you mean what happened earlier... when you fought those pirates?"

"You were protecting me—why would I be afraid?"