As these thoughts crossed his mind, Dragon instinctively glanced at the black-haired young man on the hospital bed, calmly puffing on a cigar. Blood-stained bandages wrapped his entire body. Dragon quickly shook off the thought.
Who in this world isn't a madman in their own way?
Without that insane obsession with growth—that willingness to risk even one's life—it was simply impossible to reach the pinnacle of power on these seas.
He rubbed his temples, a trace of rueful admiration flickering in his eyes.
Ever since I founded the Freedom Fighters, I really have grown complacent...
He clenched his fist.
Both he and Darren commanded armies, yet the North Blue Fleet under Darren far surpassed the Freedom Fighters in both scale and combat strength. Even so, Darren had never allowed his responsibilities to blunt his hunger for power. No matter how busy he became, he never stopped fighting.
Compared to Darren's relentless drive, Dragon had to admit he'd grown relatively "lax."
Yes, part of it was because the Freedom Fighters had only just been established, and rebuilding everything from nothing demanded most of his time and energy. But that still wasn't a good enough excuse to neglect his own growth.
I need to find a reliable second-in-command as soon as possible. Otherwise, I'll keep being dragged down by logistics—and Darren will leave me completely in the dust.
Dragon silently made up his mind.
While his thoughts churned, Darren sat quietly on the bed, his gaze unfocused, a faintly dazed look in his eyes.
He seemed completely oblivious to Overalls Fatso's spit-flecked lecture and analysis. His mind was stuck on a single looping thought:
I actually awakened Kaido with a single punch?
Me... I'm actually a master sensei now?!
Me?
Rogers Darren?
A T0-tier Renowned Sensei?!
An indescribable sense of absurdity flooded his mind and refused to leave.
He reflexively glanced down at his hands. The corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
I... I'm actually that strong?
"Hey, hey... are you even listening?" Queen waved impatiently in front of him, snapping Darren out of it.
Darren's eyes sharpened again. He took a slow drag on his cigar and asked in a low voice, "So, did you manage to collect the experimental data...?"
"So was all my experimental data recorded successfully?"
Queen puffed out his massive belly and declared proudly, "Of course! You're looking at the world's foremost scientist!"
With a flourish, he manipulated his mechanical arm to flip a switch beneath the whiteboard.
Whoosh! A beam of light swept across it, and a detailed chart sprang into view.
Dense data points formed a jagged line graph labeled: Biomagnetic Field Strength Over Time.
The curve resembled an enormous inverted U, highlighted in vivid color. As the field strength climbed, the line shifted from red to purple, and at its peak turned pitch-black—a stark warning of "extreme danger."
"This is the fluctuation of your biomagnetic field during your Devil Fruit Awakening," Queen explained, eyes burning with excitement as he stared at the chart. "The horizontal axis is time, and the vertical axis is your Biomagnetic Field Strength."
"The baseline numbers for biomagnetic field strength vary a lot between races, body types, and species."
"In general, the stronger a living being's natural physique, the stronger its internal biomagnetic field. Based on my analysis and the data I've collected, I'd estimate that a normal adult human's body magnetic field ranges from around 80 to 120 units, while an adult Tyrannosaurus Rex would be about 180."
"Your baseline biomagnetic field in your normal state is already 200."
"That alone exceeds what an ordinary human body should be able to withstand."
"But once you enter your Devil Fruit Awakening state, your magnetic field intensity... skyrockets at a truly terrifying rate."
His voice dropped, colored by the thrill of discovery and a faint, incredulous suspicion.
"His biomagnetic field shot up from 150 to 400... and at its peak—when he unleashed Magnetic Storm: Qilin—it even broke past 500."
"Based on all the data and research I've gathered, that value is far beyond the tolerance limit of any living creature on this planet."
"Even the Super-Large Sea Kings in the Deep Sea have a maximum biomagnetic field of barely 350."
Dragon clicked his tongue.
He didn't understand much about so-called "biomagnetic fields" or human physiology, but Queen's explanation was clear enough that he instantly grasped the key point.
"So what you're saying is, in terms of pure physical specs alone, Darren in his Magnetic Field Rotation state is even stronger than a Super-Large Sea King?"
"Exactly!" Queen nodded hard.
"Theoretically, if it weren't for the Devil Fruit curse—the fact that Devil Fruit users can't swim—he'd be capable of engaging a Super-Large Sea King in close combat in the Deep Sea itself."
Dragon's eyes widened.
A bare-handed fight with a Super-Large Sea King in the Deep Sea...?
Only Sea Kings over a thousand meters long qualified as "Super-Large." Those monsters were virtually invincible in their own element; their rampages could erase small islands from the map. Even Marine fleets boasting overwhelming firepower would hesitate to provoke such creatures at sea.
"Of course, that's all in theory," Queen added.
Dragon raised an eyebrow. "You mean Darren isn't actually capable of fighting a Super-Large Sea King hand-to-hand?"
Queen shook his head. "No. I'm saying even ten of those Sea Kings together wouldn't dare try to kill him."
Dragon: "..."
"With your IQ, it's hard to convey exactly how vast the gap is between the magnetic field strength of a Super-Large Sea King at 350 and Darren's peak of 500."
Queen glared in disdain at this "second-generation Marine."
"It's not some simple 1.428-fold increase. Every 30-point rise in a living creature's biomagnetic field marks a massive qualitative leap."
"A 150-point difference in biomagnetic field strength... is like the difference between an ant and an elephant."
As he spoke, his gaze burned hotter and hotter as it fixed on Darren, his eyes practically glowing as though he'd found the perfect research specimen.
"Boss Kaido was right. You truly deserve to be called the 'Strongest Creature.'"
To be continued...