Lightning crackled around Enel's body with sharp sizzling sounds as he was about to make a move.
Boom!
Bullet smashed down from the sky.
"I'll handle this. There should already be movement on Knox's side. You all take your positions. Get ready for war."
Enel withdrew the lightning and nodded.
"Alright."
Zzzt!
He turned into lightning and vanished.
Under Carlo's teleportation, the others were sent one by one to the fleets prepared in advance.
* * *
On a warship.
Doberman stood there after being teleported back, feeling dazed.
'Talent…'
To be honest, the blow hit him hard.
In the previous fight, he had barely contributed. His attacks were almost useless the whole time, only surviving by relying on Law's control.
Being crushed by Bullet's talent was one thing. But even Drake and Law had caught up, even surpassed him.
After a brief moment of gloom, he pulled himself together.
"Set sail. Head to the target sea."
Talent or not, it never stopped him from killing pirates.
* * *
On the deserted island.
Only two figures remained, staring at each other like savage beasts.
Bin Black's body shone brilliantly. Under the sunlight, he looked like a golden god descending to the world.
"Starting already? Sakazuki's ambition is truly something. He just stationed himself in the New World and already wants to move against us. Did he never think about the consequences? And you let them all leave. So you're certain you can take me down, huh?"
Bullet stood in his Demon Mode. Malice spilled from him as thick Haki wrapped around his body. Ghostly shadows of evil spirits flickered constantly.
His eyes burned crimson as he grinned. "Is Admiral Sakazuki's name something you're allowed to say directly? Show some respect, sea trash."
Smack!
A streak of blue light flashed past.
Black did not even have time to react. Bullet, using multiplied speed, had already rushed in and slapped him away.
Boom!
His body crashed into the mountain behind him.
A blinding beam shot out from within the mountain. Bullet swung his ghostly palm.
The arm-thick laser was knocked off course and shot past him at an angle. Immediately after, a massive diamond burst out of the mountain and charged toward him at extreme speed.
Bullet's grin widened. He entered the Great Ashura King mode at once. His arms swelled to three times their size, like those of a giant ape.
He raised his right shoulder, took a firm stance, and stomped down.
Boom!!!!
The ground shook violently. Even the sea around the island exploded upward from the shock.
At the center of the island, the shockwave from their collision spread outward like burning flames.
Black's face remained expressionless. "You… are very good…"
His voice was low, but the killing intent was unmistakable. If any member of the Steam Pirates were here, they would know this meant their chief steward was truly angry.
After all, being slapped in the face and sent flying was something no one could tolerate. Especially not someone of Black's status.
Bullet grinned fiercely. "You're not bad either. That hurt a bit. This ability is really nice."
The destructive power added by the Twinkle-Twinkle Fruit, the sharp pain as it slammed into his body, made his blood boil nonstop. It had boiled once not long ago against Garp.
But who would ever get tired of this kind of thrill?
He continued with a savage smile, "As for the consequences you mentioned… you're thinking too much. Killing a few pieces of sea trash doesn't need consequences. The dead have no value."
Black suddenly laughed. "That's right. The dead have no value. Then go die!!!"
With a roar filled with killing intent, his body expanded another size. The pressure he gave off increased exponentially, forcing Bullet back several steps.
Bullet's expression tightened slightly. His left leg suddenly sank deep into the ground.
"The one dying is you!!!"
His left arm stretched to its limit and swung out violently.
The arm, tripled in size under the demonic aura, slammed squarely into Black's chest.
His body trembled. Fully diamondized, he took no real damage, but the overwhelming force kept crashing into him.
The impact tried to hurl him away.
Black sneered and abruptly locked eyes with Bullet. Sunlight that had been endlessly reflected and compressed gathered into laser beams and shot from his eyes straight toward Bullet's.
The instant their gazes met, Bullet had already sensed something.
Whoosh!
Two lasers pierced straight through Bullet's… afterimage.
With the opponent gone, Black was carried forward by inertia and shot several hundred meters ahead before stopping.
Boom!
The earth shook violently and a massive crater appeared where Bullet had vanished.
Bullet, who had shot into the sky at a hundred times speed, reappeared and slowly walked out of the crater. The grin on his face grew even wider.
Black's expression turned serious. 'What a headache… that speed…'
Suddenly, light burst from his body, blinding to the eyes. In an instant, countless shining afterimages surrounded Bullet from all directions.
Formed by refracted sunlight and wrapped in outward-flowing Haki, they crashed in like a meteor shower.
Bullet did not dodge. He let the afterimages and Haki slam into his body from every side.
Then he sensed something. His right arm snapped up to block.
Black emerged from within the illusions, frowning slightly. 'That fast again…'
Sensing it with Observation Haki was one thing. Reacting in time was another.
Seeing the strike fail, he stomped the ground and tried to retreat.
Bullet grinned. "Goodbye."
Smack!
A blue afterimage flashed past.
Black was hit by another slap he could not react to or dodge, sent flying once more into a small mountain.
"Looking for death!!!!"
A furious roar echoed out. That humiliating attack finally made him snap.
The small mountain was ripped straight out of the ground, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, and hurled at Bullet.
Bullet pulled out a small meteor hammer, multiplied and enlarged it, and coated it with Haki.
With one swing, he shattered the flying mountain. Then, carrying unstoppable momentum, he charged toward Black, who was throwing a punch.
Boom!!!
The black meteor hammer collided with the diamond fist, triggering a violent explosion. Extreme heat surged out, flames crawling over Black's entire body.
But under the protection of thick Armament Haki, it had little effect.
Bullet ignored it.
He pulled out another small meteor hammer and multiplied it again.
Boom!!!
A scorching wave swept outward once more.
The hammers in the pocket split into two sets, one blazing hot, the other freezing cold.
* * *
Three days later.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Weeooo—Weeooo—Weeooo—
Piercing alarms rang across the entire island. After a moment of surprise, the stationed soldiers quickly moved to prepare for battle, as if already used to it.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office.
"Report! Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Admiral Akainu is mobilizing large-scale forces in the New World. He has launched simultaneous attacks on islands under Emperor Knox and Emperor Kaido.
"According to intelligence, Knox has assembled his fleet. Their direction is the G-14 branch, where Admiral Akainu is stationed. Emperor Red-Haired Shanks has also begun moving. Based on our estimates, his destination is likely G-14 as well."
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