"This is the result of my training!"
"Can you feel it? That endless surge of strength!"
Bullet laughed proudly, clearly very satisfied with the power of his devil form, his eyes burning with confidence.
It was like showing off a brand-new Land Rover to a friend, expecting to see a face full of shock.
"You really are strong. Your speed, defense, and even your strength have all improved significantly. I didn't expect you to come up with such a fighting style."
Daren frowned slightly, his gaze growing serious.
After that brief exchange of blows, he had personally felt the sheer force behind Bullet's transformation.
There was no doubt—Bullet, in his devil form, had completely closed the gap between them in physique, strength, and speed!
Their battle was once again evenly matched.
"Of course!"
Bullet let out a wild laugh and swung his fist again!
A meaningful gleam flashed across Daren's eyes, and he threw his punch forward as well.
Bang!
Their fists clashed and instantly separated, a surging shockwave bursting between them as both figures vanished at the same time.
In the next moment when they reappeared, they were already on the ground, fists colliding, elbows locked against each other.
Armament Haki burst again, and the ground beneath them crumbled violently, creating a massive crater.
Once, twice, three times—
Under the stunned and frozen gaze of the Marines, Daren and Bullet's figures collided wildly through the sky and across the ground, separating and clashing again like two flashing streaks, one black, one white.
Every impact between them made the island groan under the pressure, the powerful shockwaves carving deep, exaggerated craters into the earth.
In less than a minute, half of the island was scarred with a network of crisscrossing cracks, the ground sinking in places, dust and stones billowing into the sky.
"What terrifying combat skills!"
"They're only using the most basic moves, but every strike is deadly!"
"It's like two feral beasts locked in battle!"
The three Vice Admirals felt their scalps tingle, their faces turning pale.
There was no need to speak about Vice Admiral Daren's close-quarters ability—his superhuman body techniques were among the best in Marine Headquarters, and his melee skills had already reached an unbelievable level.
But the fighting prowess Bullet was displaying now was completely on par with Daren!
The two figures seemed like war gods, emerging from a sea of corpses and blood, every strike hiding deadly intent.
These three Vice Admirals were considered the pillars of the Marines, and even in the New World, their combat strength was no joke.
Yet as they watched, they realized that if they were to step into that battlefield, they would be wiped out in less than three seconds!
"Kahahaha! Daren, weren't you boasting earlier about how you could take me down anytime you wanted!?"
Bullet roared, swinging his fists with increasing madness, his eyes a deep blood-red.
"Or were you just talking big!?"
Having found an outlet to vent his rage, Bullet's attacks grew fiercer, like a raging storm.
While blocking Bullet's assault, Daren's eyes flickered, as if deep in thought, his expression turning serious.
"Your form... it seems it's not just simple Armament Haki coating..."
Seeing Daren struggling to keep up, Bullet laughed even more wildly.
"That's right!"
"You had no idea, did you!?"
"Kahahahaha! Most people on this sea think that Armament Haki is only a method to counter Devil Fruit users, but that's not true!"
"The essence of Haki is actually energy!"
Bullet clearly enjoyed lecturing Daren and laughed even louder.
"By forcefully compressing Armament Haki and merging it into the body, it becomes an energy source to enhance it! Only then can you push your body to its absolute limits!"
"Compared to my devil form... your method of simply training your body and strength is too crude, too primitive!"
"Kahahaha! Get ready to die right here!"
He sneered arrogantly, his eyes burning even brighter with a blood-red glow, attacking Daren with crazed ferocity.
...
On the warship, the three Vice Admirals stood frozen in place, their expressions stiff.
"Uh... Did Bullet just... accidentally blurt out the secret of his devil form?"
One of the Vice Admirals asked, twitching at the corner of his mouth.
"Y-Yeah... it sounded like he did..."
Another nodded, his face full of disbelief.
They exchanged glances, all momentarily speechless.
...
Boom!
Daren flew backward like a cannonball, crashing heavily into the ground.
Smoke and dust shot up into the sky as he slowly stood up from the giant crater, a bright smear of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"My defense got broken..."
Daren wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, shaking his head helplessly.
"But..."
A playful smile slowly curved at the corner of his lips.
"Kahahaha!"
Bullet landed heavily from midair, stomping the ground so hard it rumbled beneath him.
"This is where it ends, Daren!"
"I have to admit, you're a pretty good opponent!"
Military boots smashing into the ground, Bullet roared and charged forward with a ferocious grin. A purple-black afterimage slashed through the void as he shot out like an unchained beast, his devil form punch swinging viciously at Daren's head!
Ultimate Cannon!
"In the end, I still win, haha—eh!?"
A dull thud rang out, cutting Bullet's laughter short.
His blood-red eyes shrank into pinpricks. His face twisted, his expression freezing like he'd seen a ghost.
A single hand.
Daren's right hand, wrapped tightly in Armament Haki,
had caught his punch.
There was no explosive collision, no violent shockwave—Daren had simply reached out and caught Bullet's strike effortlessly.
"This... impossible!!"
Bullet roared in disbelief.
"It should've taken me a bit longer to master... but since you kindly explained all the secrets of your devil form, if I didn't figure it out now, it'd really be my fault..."
Daren lifted his head.
Bullet's heart suddenly hammered in his chest.
It was only now that he realized something terrifying.
Even after all that brutal fighting…
Daren still hadn't dropped the lit cigar from his mouth.
Wait...!
A freezing chill swept up Bullet's spine, his entire body bristling with unease.
"Thanks, Bullet."
Daren grinned wide.
Then, under Bullet's stunned and furious gaze, a red-black aura suddenly surged from Daren's arm, rippling out like a tide and, in a flash, enveloping his entire body.
An overwhelming, hellish aura exploded from the Marine Vice Admiral's frame!
"Devil Form!"
Seeing this, Bullet's expression changed dramatically.
But before he could even react, a black and red fist had already filled his entire vision.
"Devil Form—!"
A punch fell.
It was like a nuclear blast detonated on the spot, or a missile crashing into the heart of a calm lake, instantly sending waves roaring in every direction.
Under the stunned stares of all the Marines, Daren's punch seemed to rip apart the very fabric of the air, distorting everything around it, with endless rubble and shattered earth sweeping outward.
Bullet's face twisted horribly as the supposedly invincible armor of his devil form shattered piece by piece, spraying outwards like splintered glass. Blood mixed with broken teeth spewed from his mouth.
Daren clenched his teeth, black and red muscles bulging like magma across his arm, pouring every ounce of his strength into the blow.
"Genkotsu Meteor!"
Boom!
Bullet was sent flying like a baseball smacked by a bat, his body spinning wildly through the air at an insane speed, tearing rings of white shockwaves through the sky.
After hurtling more than two kilometers away, he smashed into a distant mountain, causing the entire mountain to collapse with a deafening roar.
Dust blanketed the sky. The earth trembled.
Daren exhaled lightly, the devil form fading from his body.
Without any unnecessary movement, he disappeared from the crater in an instant, reappearing casually on the deck of the warship.
He smiled at the three stunned Vice Admirals.
"I'm injured. Mind grabbing that guy for me? He should still be alive."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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