Bullet maintained his terrifying Form as he turned his head to glance at Deuce and the other Black Star Pirates who were safely watching the battle from a distance. A flash of understanding crossed his mind as he processed what he was seeing.
After the overwhelming Conqueror's Haki he had released earlier, there were only a handful of people remaining on the entire island who could move freely without being knocked unconscious.
Since Jerry had shielded his crew from that devastating pressure at the critical moment, all members of the Black Star Pirates remained in perfect condition to observe the unfolding spectacle.
"Leviathan Jerry," Bullet observed with calculating interest, "it seems you value these weaklings quite highly."
Hearing this pointed comment, Jerry blinked with apparent confusion and replied casually, "Of course I do. We're all crewmates, after all. What's your point? Are you interested in joining us?"
Upon hearing this unexpected invitation, Bullet's face twisted with obvious contempt. "Hmph! Companions only serve to make people weak and vulnerable. Even someone as powerful as Gol D. Roger was ultimately trapped by such boring, sentimental relationships."
"Oh really?" Jerry responded with mild amusement. "If you've seen through that fundamental truth, then why exactly haven't I seen you become the Pirate King yet?" Since his opponent seemed eager to engage in philosophical debate, Jerry didn't mind indulging him with some conversation before the real violence began.
Hearing Jerry's slightly mocking tone, Bullet showed no signs of irritation and continued with growing fervor, "People who constantly babble about partners and friendship have inherent limitations that prevent true greatness. Those who lose their lives are nothing but pathetic losers! My strength exists for one purpose only—to achieve solitary victory and become the strongest individual in the world!"
"You'll discover soon enough who truly deserves the title of strongest man alive," Bullet declared with increasing intensity. "Naturally, the position of strongest Pirate King will belong to me and me alone!"
"Unfortunately, you may not live to witness that glorious moment," he continued, his expression growing more unhinged with each word. "You're going to serve as my stepping stone for returning to declare war against this entire world! Whether it's the Marines, other pirates, or anyone else who dares stand in my path—I'll kill them all without mercy!"
Bullet's facial expression became increasingly manic as he spoke, and by the time he finished his declaration, his entire muscular frame radiated pure murderous intent and overwhelming Haki.
"Ah, another complete lunatic," Jerry sighed with obvious disappointment, shaking his head helplessly. Then he stretched out his left hand, gently crooked his index finger in a taunting gesture, and spoke with perfect calm. "Well then, there's really nothing left to discuss. Come at me!"
"I'll show you exactly what kind of strength belongs to the man who's destined to become the next Pirate King!" Despite Jerry's ridicule, Bullet displayed no additional anger on the surface—after all, he had already transformed into a demonic presence that radiated intimidation without needing emotional outbursts.
Before he'd even finished speaking, Bullet took a single step forward, his figure vanishing instantly as he launched a thunderous assault.
"Tsk, so you think raw power makes you special?" Jerry's eyes tracked the movement easily, capturing Bullet's lightning-fast approach with his enhanced Observation Haki. "Then let me show you what a fisherman who's climbed every mountain can accomplish!"
Noticing that his opponent was approaching from his left side after several rapid direction changes, Jerry pivoted quickly. His arms became wrapped with writhing streams of dark energy, and with a whistling rush of wind, he threw his own punch with devastating speed.
Both fighters' fists collided with tremendous force, but they quickly released the impact in perfect synchronization before immediately swinging their opposite hands, striking toward each other like twin bolts of lightning.
"Conqueror's Haki coating? I won't be defeated by techniques I've already mastered!" A hint of nostalgic recognition flashed through Bullet's eyes, followed immediately by a roar that echoed across the entire island.
Bullet's Devil Form had been developed after his bitter rejection of Roger's philosophy. The technique was inspired by his Clank-Clank Fruit abilities and combined with Armament Haki that surpassed what ordinary people could even imagine.
The Conqueror's Haki that emanated from his body constantly could unconsciously overwhelm weaker opponents. His already extraordinarily powerful Armament Haki was supplemented by his Devil Fruit's fusion capabilities, integrating portions of his Conqueror's Haki directly into his defensive coating to create a formidable state of both offensive and defensive supremacy.
In this enhanced form, Bullet's attack power, defensive capabilities, speed, and raw strength could all be dramatically improved simultaneously. He had essentially become a perfectly balanced warrior with no significant weaknesses in any combat attribute.
Jerry didn't seem inclined to use his fishing rod techniques today, having put the Supreme-Grade weapon away early in their confrontation. Instead, he relied entirely on his fists and treated every part of his body as a potential weapon in close-quarters combat.
"Whether I lose to you or not isn't something that can be decided with words alone!" Jerry's speaking rhythm perfectly matched the pace of his punches. Amid shouts of determination, he and Bullet engaged in an absolutely fierce exchange of fists and feet.
Jerry suddenly leaped upward and delivered a crushing blow to Bullet's head, causing the larger man's skull to snap backward and his entire body to stagger from the impact.
The next moment, Bullet spun around and counterattacked with tremendous force, his fist connecting solidly with Jerry's midsection and blasting the smaller fighter's airborne body backward through the devastated landscape.
But in a brilliant display of aerial recovery, Jerry leaned back and executed a perfect mid-air flip. He used advanced Moonwalk techniques to push off the empty air itself, rushing back toward Bullet with renewed momentum. His kick sent his opponent flying dozens of meters until Bullet crashed hard into a small hillside, completely shattering the rocky formation on impact.
"Now that's what I call power!" Bullet's voice roared from within the rising cloud of smoke and debris. His figure cut through the air like a launched arrow, instantly closing the distance as he swung his massive fist toward Jerry's position.
"Like hell!" Jerry instinctively raised his left hand to block the incoming attack while shouting defiantly, "You want to hit me in the face? Not happening!"
After sliding backward more than ten meters across the ground from the tremendous impact, Jerry faced Bullet's relentless pursuit and another enormous fist heading directly for his head. He decisively executed a perfect bridge maneuver, leaning far backward to avoid the strike completely. Supporting his weight on his hands, he kicked upward with both legs in a devastating counter.
With a thunderous impact, Bullet felt sharp pain explode through his abdomen. His entire body spun involuntarily like a top as he was launched vertically into the sky above.
Before Bullet could stabilize his position or orientation, Jerry had already vanished and reappeared at an even higher altitude like a shadow moving at impossible speed.
"Time to enjoy the thrill of battle! Raging Tempest Kick!"
Jerry positioned his feet against the empty air itself and dove downward at absolutely astonishing velocity. His leg, coated with Conqueror's Haki, descended from the heavens like divine judgment and connected directly with Bullet's midsection, driving his opponent toward the earth like a falling meteorite.
The impact resembled a powerful bomb detonating on the battlefield itself, creating a deafening explosion accompanied by massive clouds of dust and debris flying in all directions.
Deuce and the others felt the ground beneath their feet shaking violently, and the entire surrounding area seemed to tremble as if struck by a major earthquake.
From their distant observation point, they could see countless cracks appearing across the landscape, spreading like an enormous spider web from the impact crater outward in all directions until the fissures extended hundreds of meters away.
The originally flat forest and grassland had already been rendered rugged and uneven by the day's earlier battles, but now countless deep ravines and gorges had formed throughout the terrain.
This spectacular display of destruction not only silenced Deuce and the other observers at the scene, but also left countless viewers watching the live broadcast completely stunned by what they were witnessing.
"Can... can anyone actually survive something like that?" Deuce asked reflexively, voicing the question that was running through everyone's mind.
However, before they could fully recover from their shock, they heard the dull sound of something heavy striking the ground from within the dust cloud, followed immediately by a figure shooting out at high speed.
At the same time, Jerry's loud, exasperated voice revealed the answer to everyone's unspoken question: "Are you kidding me?! You're like a damn cockroach! How are you still okay after that?!"
As smoke and debris continued filling the air around the impact site, Jerry skillfully released the downward momentum while airborne and landed smoothly with a graceful backflip.
He casually reached out to brush dust particles from his clothing, then looked up with obvious amazement at the imposing figure emerging from the gradually clearing haze.
Douglas Bullet stood battered but unbroken, his Devil Form still active despite the tremendous punishment he had just endured. Blood trickled from various wounds, but his eyes burned with even greater intensity than before.
"Is that really all you've got, Leviathan?" Bullet called out with a savage grin. "I'm just getting warmed up!"