"This isn't over yet! Beautiful Sword: Nine Sky Thunder Strike!"
As Cavendish roared his battle cry, the long sword that had been blocking Bullet's massive arm was quickly raised overhead before being brought down in a devastating arc. His entire body transformed into pure, explosive lightning in an instant.
The storm clouds gathering overhead seemed to have been waiting for precisely this moment. When Cavendish converted himself into electrical energy, countless wild lightning bolts struck the battlefield almost simultaneously, creating a concentrated barrage of natural fury.
The earth-shattering roar that followed caused the hearts of both the island's terrified residents and Deuce's group—who had just reached the edge of the battlefield—to skip several beats from the sheer intensity of the sound.
However, just as smoke and debris were beginning to fill the air, Cavendish's figure suddenly went flying backward through the chaos, hitting the ground with a bone-jarring impact that sent tremors through the earth.
At the precise moment Cavendish had launched his ultimate attack, Bullet hadn't simply stood there like a statue, passively accepting whatever punishment was coming his way.
His breathtaking Armament Haki had burst forth with overwhelming intensity, and his pitch-black fist—large as a cooking pot and gleaming with hints of deep blue luster—had connected with devastating force, sending Cavendish flying before his sword technique could reach full power.
Conversely, in that split second of commitment to his counterattack, Bullet had found himself with no way to dodge Cavendish's lightning assault and could only endure the thunderstorm head-on.
Cavendish spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, clutching his abdomen with his left hand while using his right to wipe blood from the corner of his mouth. He gasped heavily, his aristocratic composure finally beginning to crack as he stared through the settling dust toward his opponent's position.
After this fierce exchange, Cavendish had finally understood the fundamental problem he was facing.
While he possessed a solid foundation in Armament Haki and had even begun to grasp the principles of internal destruction techniques, his abilities were still vastly inferior to his opponent's absolutely terrifying mastery of advanced Haki.
The combination attack he had just executed represented nearly the strongest offensive he could currently perform by fusing his swordsmanship with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's electrical powers. However, due to Bullet's perfectly timed counterpunch, his sword technique had failed to unleash its full devastating potential.
Even so, the lightning strikes alone had carried incredible destructive force that couldn't be easily dismissed.
A moment later, the sound of steady footsteps echoed from within the smoke and debris that had yet to completely settle.
"Ha-ha-ha! Now that was interesting, but it's still not nearly enough!" Bullet's voice rang out with obvious satisfaction as his imposing figure gradually became visible through the clearing haze.
Smoke rose from his entire muscular frame, and his skin showed burns and charred patches in numerous places. He continued moving and stretching his limbs as he walked, making it clear that the lightning barrage had indeed affected him significantly, leaving his muscles temporarily numbed by the electrical assault.
If Cavendish's razor-sharp blade had successfully connected during that exchange, it would most likely have inflicted serious, potentially crippling injuries on the legendary fighter.
It was precisely because of this tactical assessment that Bullet had chosen to accept the lesser danger, preferring to endure the lightning strikes rather than allow Cavendish's sword to complete its deadly arc.
He understood perfectly well that although lightning attacks were formidable, as long as he possessed sufficient Armament Haki density, he would be able to resist their destructive power through sheer defensive capability.
"This man is just too powerful," Brook observed quietly, nervously scratching his distinctive afro. "Cavendish might be in serious danger here."
Deuce and the others nodded in solemn agreement, but they showed no signs of genuine worry or panic. This was primarily because Jerry—who had been casually observing the battle from the sidelines—was still performing what appeared to be radio calisthenics with complete nonchalance.
As soon as Kotatsu had returned to ground level, the enhanced lynx had launched himself skyward once again, his eyes blazing with obvious excitement as he maintained his aerial position.
It seemed that after hearing Festa's earlier words about live broadcasting and global attention, the passion that had been lying dormant in Kotatsu's heart for months had suddenly been reignited. He could barely contain his eagerness to begin transmitting this spectacular battle to audiences across the world.
Since Jerry raised no objections to this plan, the others quickly realized what Kotatsu was preparing to do based on his actions and positioning. However, none of them voiced any complaints or concerns—after all, they genuinely didn't care whether their battles became public knowledge.
From that moment forward, not only Treasure Island where Jerry's crew was currently located, but countless other islands throughout the vast waters of the New World found their Video Den Den Mushi suddenly broadcasting the fierce confrontation between Cavendish and the legendary Douglas Bullet.
"Is that really the Devil's Descendant Douglas Bullet fighting against Pirate Prince Cavendish?" In a Marine branch office, a captain who had been sorting through routine intelligence reports saw the unexpected broadcast and immediately barked orders to his subordinates. "Check immediately! I want to know their exact location right now!"
Simultaneously, Kotatsu's command over the Den Den Mushi network surged like an unstoppable tide, rapidly spreading the live broadcast of this epic battle to every corner of the ocean. The signal reached Gran Tesoro, Dressrosa, Big Mom's Totto Land territory, Whitebeard Pirates' domain, and countless other islands and ships throughout the seas.
Aboard the Moby Dick, after receiving reports from their intelligence division about the mysterious broadcast that had appeared on their Video Den Den Mushi, the division commanders who happened to be recuperating on the ship gathered together to watch.
"That's definitely Cavendish," Ace observed with a serious expression, staring intently at the video screen. "But where exactly are they fighting? And who is that opponent? He's incredibly powerful!"
Not only Ace, but even Marco showed genuine concern on his usually relaxed features. The First Division Commander glanced up at Whitebeard, who was watching the battle with obvious interest and amusement, before responding carefully, "If I'm not mistaken, that man should be Douglas Bullet—a former member of Go... Roger's pirate crew."
Noticing that Ace didn't react strongly to the mention of Roger's name, Marco continued explaining the historical context and Bullet's notorious reputation.
At the same time, countless Marines, pirates, civilians, and other individuals who recognized either Cavendish or Bullet from thousands of miles away found themselves unable to look away from this unprecedented confrontation.
At the headquarters of the World Economic News Agency, when Morgans recognized the identities of both fighters in the live broadcast, his journalistic instincts immediately detected something extraordinary unfolding.
Although he was unable to organize his own large-scale broadcast infrastructure, the veteran newsman had already begun drafting countless sensational headlines and exciting articles during his brainstorming session. Everything would be ready for immediate publication the moment this historic battle concluded.
"Hmph! It seems your training, tactical awareness, and combat experience are all still insufficient," Bullet declared with growing confidence. "If you don't have any stronger techniques up your sleeve, I'll show you what real power looks like—the kind that's approaching world-class strength—and then you can die knowing you faced the best!"
Bullet's grin widened as his entire body's aura surged outward with overwhelming intensity. His majestic Conqueror's Haki swept across the surrounding area in an instant, spreading its intimidating presence throughout the entire island and beyond.
The next second, Bullet's entire muscular frame seemed to be coated with a layer of metallic blue energy, and his eyes flashed with dangerous crimson light. This was the "Devil Form" he had developed through years of solitary training—a state based on extremely powerful Armament Haki that was enhanced and amplified by his Conqueror's Haki emanating in a controlled burst.
He stomped his foot with tremendous force, creating a deep crater in the ground beneath him. Then he rushed toward Cavendish at lightning speed, his fist loaded with enough power to shatter mountains.
Just when his devastating punch was about to connect with Cavendish's position, a figure suddenly burst from the sidelines, raising his own hand to intercept the attack with a thunderous counterpunch of his own.
The two fists collided with tremendous force, and the massive impact created a shockwave that rustled through the air like a hurricane, sweeping across the battlefield and beyond.
All three figures were thrown backward by the tremendous force of the collision. After they had stabilized themselves, Jerry casually twisted his wrist and spoke with characteristic calm, "Cavendish, I'll take it from here."
"Understood. I'll leave this to you then, Captain," Cavendish replied with a respectful nod, showing no hesitation or wounded pride at being replaced.
He understood perfectly well that if he had continued fighting in his current condition, there was a high probability he would face complete defeat or, at best, achieve a pyrrhic victory that left both combatants severely injured.
Of course, before accepting defeat, Cavendish remained confident that even if he were to be seriously wounded or killed, he would make his opponent pay an equally heavy price for the victory.
On the other side of the battlefield, seeing Jerry finally step forward to take direct action, Bullet's eyes seemed to ignite with flames of pure anticipation. His grin stretched even wider as he declared with bloodthirsty enthusiasm, "Has the real boss finally decided to come out and play? Excellent! Today, I have only one goal—I want to kill all of you, or be killed trying!"
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