Physique +0.04!
Feeling the subtle, almost imperceptible change within his body, Daren's eyes burst with an unprecedented light!
His heart couldn't control itself and began to beat faster and faster!
It moved!
The strength of his physique, which had been stuck there for a long, long time, finally showed signs of loosening and rising again!
Although the 0.04 increase was almost negligible, it was still a good start, wasn't it?
Moreover, that was just a breath that Magellan accidentally exhaled. If he used all his strength to attack him and corrode him with highly concentrated poison, the gains from his physique training would surely increase!
Breathing in the poisonous mist every moment, rolling around and bathing in deadly poison, even swallowing the poison directly...
Once his mind was opened, Daren's gaze toward Magellan suddenly became shifty, carrying a strange meaning.
Magellan, this socially awkward kid... He really is a "treasure boy"!
And this is also a path for long-term development.
After all, Magellan is currently very weak, and his development of the Doku Doku no Mi ability is very crude and poor...
Under his guidance, as his strength and Devil Fruit ability continue to improve, the poison he releases will also become more and more threatening, and by then, the effects of his "training" will naturally increase.
Thinking this, the smile on Daren's lips gradually became perverted.
Noticing Daren's "ill-intentioned" expression and smile, as if he wanted to swallow him whole, Magellan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and subconsciously took a step back.
Vice Admiral Daren's smile was terrifying...
Noticing Magellan's slight movement, Daren immediately suppressed the smile on his face and asked with a serious expression,
"Well, Magellan, are you willing?"
"Your situation is very special, and I'm afraid that other instructors would not be able to take on the responsibility of teaching you."
"But I'm different. You saw it just now... Your poison abilities are indeed very strong, but their effect on me is quite limited."
As he spoke, he quietly moved closer to Magellan, his nostrils twitching again as he sucked a wisp of purple poison gas into his body.
Magellan: ...
"I can train you to become even stronger. With my guidance, you may even be able to gradually control the side effects of your Devil Fruit ability and finally live like a normal person."
"Really!?"
Magellan was somewhat indifferent to the idea of "becoming stronger," but Daren's last sentence caused a glimmer of hope to flash in his despondent eyes.
"Daren-sensei, can I really live like a normal person?"
He stared at the special instructor in front of him with anticipation, so excited that he subconsciously grabbed his hand, even forgetting Daren's "strange" little gesture and smile just now.
At this moment, becoming stronger was not Magellan's biggest goal in coming to the training camp... His greatest hope was that through the training camp and the guidance of the instructors, he would learn to control the side effects of the Doku Doku no Mi and live a normal life.
He didn't want to be despised by his comrades and friends, and he didn't want to accidentally poison his friends like he had in the past.
Being unable to get close to others, unable to make friends, and even unable to fulfill such a simple wish as sitting at the same table to eat with others... For a teenager of sixteen or seventeen, this was an unbearable blow.
Apart from his terrifying appearance, Magellan was still a kid who longed for friendship and excitement, but he could only hide in the distance and watch his peers train, play, and party...
What a pitiful kid.
Daren couldn't help but think to himself.
"I can't give you any guarantees, but I'll do my best."
He paused for a moment and smiled slightly.
"Then I promise you, Daren-sensei!"
Magellan was so excited that his face turned red, as if he had grasped the last straw.
However, in his excitement, the hand that was grabbing Daren's arm suddenly "melted" into a liquid purple poison, corroding Daren's skin with a sizzling sound.
Daren's smile froze.
His face visibly began to turn purple, looking as if he had been poisoned, with wisps of white smoke coming out of his nostrils and ears.
"Ah!?"
Magellan was so frightened that he turned pale and hurriedly backed away, bowing and apologizing:
"I'm sorry, Daren-sensei! I got too excited! I'm really sorry!"
He saw Daren fall to the ground with a bang, his body beginning to convulse uncontrollably, and he was suddenly overcome with fear, his whole body trembling.
"It's over... Daren-sensei is going to die again..."
He spun around in a panic, gritted his teeth, and ran to pick up the military knife on the ground.
"I'll commit Seppuku to atone for my sins!"
With a determined look in his eyes, he turned his hand and stabbed himself in the stomach!
"Wait..."
A hand suddenly pressed down on the military knife.
Magellan froze for a moment.
He looked up in a daze.
He saw the Vice Admiral of the Marines, foaming at the mouth, suddenly grin painfully at him, his face purple and his voice trembling as he said,
"I'm fine."
"No, don't stop... continue..."
???
Magellan was stunned.
Daren was foaming at the mouth and spitting blood, purple veins bulging on his forehead.
But his eyes were bloodshot, crazy and fiery.
Physique +0.07!
...
Dusk passed and night fell.
In the pitch-black night sky, the stars shone brightly like the Milky Way.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
A dormitory at the military academy.
Vergo gently placed his knife and fork on the porcelain plate, picked up a napkin with an elegant movement, and gently wiped the oil stains from the corner of his mouth.
"So... it was Doffy who made you choose Borsalino as your instructor?"
A low, interested voice suddenly rang out behind him.
The sudden sound made Vergo's pupils shrink.
Without a word, he grabbed the knife and fork in front of him, turned around without looking, and threw them!
The air exploded with a sharp bang.
The sharp knife and fork seemed to hit an invisible barrier and hung motionless in midair.
"Good reaction. Looks like you've improved a lot, Vergo."
Hearing this increasingly familiar voice, Vergo's expression changed slightly.
Starlight shone through the window, and Daren-sama's cold smile appeared in the silver light, his figure gradually emerging from the darkness.
"You..."
The moment he recognized the figure, a look of fear flashed across Vergo's eyes.
He gritted his teeth, hesitated for a moment, then knelt on one knee.
"Godfather-sama."
He lowered his head, his voice inaudible.