Like the furious punch of a volcanic eruption, a sinister red light surged forth like a hellhound's breath, rapidly expanding in Bullet's pupils!
Sakazuki launched his punch!
Bullet's mind reeled. His eyes instantly bloodshot, veins bulging with rage. A burst of overwhelming Armament Haki exploded from his body. The massive, scorched metal cannon on his arm erupted with more crackling blue electricity and thick smoke.
He actually managed to break free from the strange, oppressive force field and narrowly twisted his body to dodge the attack.
Screeech!!
A roaring pillar of magma blasted upward at an angle, grazing the left side of Douglas Bullet's body. The searing heat charred his flesh, reducing it to blackened carbon.
The excruciating pain twisted Bullet's face into something grotesque, but he didn't flinch. As if he couldn't feel it at all, he swung his arm back and smashed a heavy punch into Sakazuki's chest.
"I'm Douglas Bullet! I'll become the strongest in the world!!"
Boom!
The blast of Armament Haki sent Sakazuki flying like a severed kite. A sharp crack of bones echoed, and he tumbled dozens of meters across the ground before crashing down, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
At the same time, Bullet staggered back a few steps, swaying, his face turning ghostly pale.
His left side—from shoulder to arm, across his chest and abdomen—had been scorched pitch-black by lava's searing heat, black smoke billowing off his charred flesh.
The horrific burn melted the muscle beneath, turning it into a thick, oozing liquid that dripped to the ground along with molten magma.
Sakazuki's desperate, all-out strike had punched straight through even Bullet's fearsome defenses, leaving him gruesomely wounded.
"You two..."
Bullet's eyes glowed red, glaring like a demon as he stared down Daren and Sakazuki, now slowly rising from the smoke.
"One's just a Rear Admiral, the other a Commodore... How the hell do you have this kind of power?"
He was an orphan, raised by the military from childhood.
The battlefield was his entire life. Combat, his sole creed. He could instantly recognize the ranks on Daren and Sakazuki's epaulets and had a deep understanding of military operations and combat styles.
But these two... They were nothing like any army, soldier, or even Marine he had ever encountered.
Unheard-of Devil Fruit abilities—one bizarre to the extreme, the other possessing unprecedented piercing force.
They didn't even seem to communicate, yet in the chaos of life-and-death battle, they executed near-perfect coordination.
Even more terrifying was—
Their combat style: fierce and wild to the extreme. To gain the slightest edge or find an opening, they'd gladly trade blows, fighting like two emotionless beasts...
They were the polar opposite of the by-the-book, rigid Marines he'd dealt with in the past!
As he spoke, Bullet disengaged his ability. The tattered metal cannon fell from his hand with a heavy thud, creating a crater in the ground.
But just as he moved to act—gunfire erupted!
Clang! Clang! Clang!!
The Marines, finally arriving from afar, raised their rifles and opened fire. A hail of bullets rained down on Bullet, but every shot was deflected by his Armament Haki, scattering dirt across the sand.
At that moment, Daren's weary voice came through the smoke.
"What a shame... I really thought we had him."
He slowly emerged from a deep crater, blood streaming from his arms, a vivid trail dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Lifting his blood-soaked hand, Daren fumbled in his pocket for a cigar.
It was damp and stained red, but he didn't care. He bit down on it and lit it up with a lighter.
As the acrid smoke filled his lungs, some color returned to his pale, drained face.
"His Armament Haki is ridiculously strong. As long as it's powerful enough, it can resist—or even nullify—outside Devil Fruit effects."
On the other side, the smoke was blown away by the wind, revealing Sakazuki's figure.
One hand braced against the ground, blood streaming from his mouth, his ribcage sunken inward at an unnatural angle.
While speaking, he reached for his ribs, eyes flashing with ruthless resolve.
His gloved hand pressed down hard—
Crack!
A sharp snap echoed as the fractured ribs snapped back into place.
He said flatly,
"But... things won't be so easy from here on out."
Daren's last strike had caught Bullet off guard—a move meant only to seize a fleeting opening.
Now that Bullet was alert, he'd likely maintain a constant flow of Armament Haki to counter Daren's Devil Fruit abilities.
Hearing this, the fully armed Marines stationed at the harbor, eyes sharp and on high alert, were left dumbfounded.
Wait—
That entire battle that nearly leveled the town... was just a "light" test run!?
Daren grinned at Sakazuki's warning, blood-stained teeth bared. Despite being seriously injured, his aura kept rising.
"Of course I know."
As he spoke, the twisted metal scraps around them suddenly lifted into the air, rapidly condensing into three high-density metal spheres. Their surfaces gleamed like mirrors as they hovered, orbiting Daren's body.
High-level battles are always drawn out wars of attrition.
Especially against a monster like Bullet—someone molded by the battlefield itself. Physique, strength, speed, technique, martial arts—he had pushed every aspect of combat to superhuman extremes. There was no quick resolution against an opponent like that.
Purely in terms of individual combat power, Daren admitted he was weaker than Bullet. Sakazuki, on the other hand, was evenly matched with him.
Working together, they could apply real pressure, even take the upper hand—but it was far from enough to dominate the fight.
Sakazuki gave a slow, cold smile.
He stood up.
Magma flowed beneath his feet, flames flickering and swirling around him.
Though the internal bleeding hadn't stopped, at least his broken bones wouldn't hinder him anymore.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and rose fully, thick black smoke once again billowing from his right arm.
Adjusting his military cap, his eyes glinted from under the shadow of the brim—dark, cold, and full of menace. Staring at the battered, blond-haired Douglas Bullet, a cruel, mocking grin crept across his face.
"Rank means nothing."
...
At that moment, all three exploded into motion from where they stood, murderous grins twisting their faces as they launched themselves at each other!
Magma blasted out, metal screeched and warped, blood splattered in the air...
The clash of Haki sent shockwaves through the land, shaking the very ground.
From afar, the three were drenched in blood, eyes wild—like beasts trapped in a cage, fighting for survival!
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
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