Bullet's massive fist was like a charging truck, larger than his own body, carrying overwhelming momentum as it smashed straight toward Ryokugyu. Ryokugyu roared and threw a punch of his own. In an instant, countless vines burst forth from his arm, rapidly intertwining and compressing into a gigantic vine-covered fist.
BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, the two fists collided. In that split second, the violent clash of power tore the air apart, with lightning erupting everywhere as if space itself had been ripped open. At the same time, the wooden soldiers rushed forward, their target clear: Bullet. Even though they were no match for him, as long as they kept swarming him endlessly, they could still wear him down and interfere with his movements. After all, as long as Ryokugyu remained unharmed, they would never truly be destroyed.
But Bullet was no ordinary opponent. After briefly clashing with Bullet, Ryokugyu was suddenly blasted away, his body sent flying. In close combat, Ryokugyu was simply not Bullet's equal. Compared to his terrifying Devil Fruit ability, Bullet's physical strength was no less monstrous, perhaps even surpassing his Devil Fruit itself.
BOOM!
Ryokugyu crashed hundreds of meters away, smashing a massive crater into the ice. On the other side, Bullet spun like a raging top. With a sweeping motion of both fists, all the wooden soldiers around him were shattered almost simultaneously. Of course, those wooden beings were far from truly destroyed, but Bullet was completely unfazed.
In the next instant, he stepped forward and vanished. Under extreme speed, Bullet crossed several hundred meters in less than three seconds, right toward Ryokugyu's position. Ryokugyu had just managed to stand up. He knew Bullet would pursue him immediately; there was no room for carelessness. Just as Ryokugyu regained his footing, Bullet arrived. Descending from above, he plunged downward and smashed a fist straight down. That fist was far larger than Ryokugyu's entire body.
BOOM!
Despite Ryokugyu's attempt to block, the fragile ice beneath him couldn't withstand Bullet's terrifying impact. Ryokugyu's body was driven straight into the ice. As the ice shattered, seawater surged upward, reaching Ryokugyu's thighs.
"Damn it, seawater!" Ryokugyu cursed inwardly. For Devil Fruit users, seawater was nothing short of a nightmare. Almost immediately, he felt his strength begin to drain, subtle but unmistakable. It had only just begun, yet Ryokugyu knew all too well that if this continued, he would be in serious trouble. Even for top-tier powerhouses, seawater was never something to be taken lightly.
At the same time, the wooden soldiers rushing from afar suddenly collapsed and disintegrated. The reason was simple: Ryokugyu was submerged. Though brief contact was tolerable, nearly half his body was now immersed, and the duration kept increasing. There was no way his powers wouldn't be affected.
Bullet noticed this instantly. He was positioned above Ryokugyu. Because his fist was pressing Ryokugyu down, he was effectively borrowing force, keeping the seawater from affecting him at all. Bullet grinned savagely. This was no longer a contest of strength; it was a battle to the death. Ryokugyu was powerful, but compared to Bullet, he was still weaker. Even if only by a small margin, that difference was enough.
From the very beginning, the outcome had already been decided. Just like in the original history when Admirals Aokiji and Akainu fought for ten days and ten nights, the slightly stronger Akainu emerged victorious. Aokiji had always been just a bit weaker. Bullet's smile was ferocious, arrogant, and contemptuous. And he had every right to be.
"That man has already killed several top-tier fighters. I can't afford to fall behind!"
Bullet's intent was crystal clear: Ryokugyu had to die. Even though Bullet knew he would likely never catch up to Elior, he absolutely refused to lag too far behind. Ryokugyu must die. Elior had already slain Shanks, Garp, Zephyr, Black Viper, and Mihawk. His strength was unfathomable and utterly despair-inducing.
Under Bullet's follow-up punch, Ryokugyu was driven even deeper into the ice. Suddenly, countless vines erupted from the shattered ice, lunging toward Bullet like venomous serpents. Each vine was razor-sharp, seemingly capable of piercing anything. Bullet was inevitably hindered. Taking advantage of the moment, Ryokugyu dragged his weakened body free from the mixture of seawater and ice and retreated dozens of meters away.
"Haa...!" After retreating a hundred meters or so, Ryokugyu finally managed to breathe easier. Escaping the seawater alone made a world of difference. For Devil Fruit users, the sea was a nightmare. He wasn't Kaido, after all.
But at that moment, a massive shadow suddenly appeared behind him. Or rather, it had been there all along. Urouge. In truth, he had already been behind Ryokugyu earlier, but Ryokugyu, having just escaped the seawater, hadn't noticed him at all. After hours of combat, Urouge had absorbed massive damage through the Karma-Karma Fruit. His strength had grown terrifyingly powerful.
Urouge unleashed his strongest punch, smashing it straight into Ryokugyu's back. The power concentrated in that fist had reached its absolute peak. This blow was something even elite Marine Vice Admirals couldn't ignore, and even an Admiral would suffer heavily from it. It was a sneak attack, but judging from Urouge's occasional sly grin, it was obvious he was never a man of honor.
"What?!" By the time Ryokugyu sensed the incoming force and turned, it was already too late. Urouge's fist crashed straight into his left cheek. Ryokugyu had no chance to counter. His attention had been entirely on Bullet. Under normal circumstances, sneaking up on Ryokugyu would have been nearly impossible.
Urouge's strongest blow landed solidly. Ryokugyu's face visibly twisted at a terrifying speed. WHOOSH! Overwhelmed by the sheer force, Ryokugyu's body was sent flying uncontrollably, straight back toward Bullet.
"Heh... guess this is karma. Sorry about that." Urouge stared in disbelief. He had aimed for the back of Ryokugyu's head but ended up smashing him square in the face. Moments later, Ryokugyu was once again sent flying toward Bullet, very much against his will.
Bullet had just emerged from the sea of vines. Perfect timing. "Urouge, that bastard..." What Bullet really meant was: well done.
He swung his enormous fused fist, coated in overwhelmingly dense Armament Haki. The muscles in Bullet's right arm bulged to three times their size. Scalding steam erupted from his entire body. Then, he threw a punch. The air twisted violently, white mist exploding outward as the punch tore through space itself. Just from its pressure alone, the blow was terrifying.
With a thunderous explosion, Bullet's punch slammed directly into Ryokugyu's head as he flew in. Under the crushing force, Ryokugyu's entire body bent unnaturally. Even worse, from this angle, his spine and back bones shattered instantly. He wasn't Kaido. He didn't possess that absurd, ironclad defense. Compared to Kaido, Ryokugyu's physical toughness was merely average.
Of course, thanks to his Devil Fruit, Ryokugyu's regenerative ability was terrifying. Even shattered bones could heal with time, as long as his heart wasn't destroyed. Just like Doflamingo could stitch his organs back together with strings, some abilities truly defied common sense.
Bullet slammed Ryokugyu down onto the ice with a reverse press. The ice shattered instantly. This time, Bullet had no intention of sending him flying again. He wanted to finish it right here.
PUFF!
Ryokugyu spat out three mouthfuls of blood, his face turning deathly pale. Unimaginable pain surged through his body. Multiple bones inside him were shattered or completely pulverized. Worse, he had completely lost sensation in his lower body. An ordinary person would have died instantly, but Ryokugyu was an Admiral. Given time, he could recover.
But he was facing Bullet. Would Bullet give him that time? Obviously not.
"Ryokugyu... dying by my hands isn't something to be ashamed of." Bullet laughed. At the same time, he leapt into the air. Both fists merged together mid-dive, aimed straight at Ryokugyu. Ryokugyu's expression changed drastically. His lower body wouldn't move. His arms could barely exert force. He was completely at Bullet's mercy. And Bullet gave him no time at all.