The moment the two combatants came into contact again, they launched into another fierce, flesh-against-flesh exchange that left Deuce and the other spectators feeling completely overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of what they were witnessing.
After Jerry had delivered that devastating aerial assault, the fact that Bullet was able to immediately fight back with such ferocity undoubtedly challenged everyone's common sense and tested their nerves to the breaking point.
After all, Bullet had been kicked tens or even hundreds of meters into the air, then struck again and sent plummeting toward the earth at an absolutely alarming velocity. Even though many people watching the live broadcast didn't fully comprehend the lethal potential of Conqueror's Haki coating, just from the visual spectacle alone, they could tell that Jerry's attack should have been a fatal blow capable of killing or permanently crippling any normal opponent.
Of course, Bullet hadn't emerged completely unscathed from the exchange. This was clearly evidenced by the way he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth with his crimson-stained gloves while his other hand gently massaged his battered abdomen.
However, seeing that he remained capable of knocking Jerry backward, throwing his opponent through the air, and still moving with complete freedom, observers could infer that Bullet's injuries weren't nearly as severe as anyone had initially imagined.
Correspondingly, Jerry had naturally sustained some damage as well, but during combat his Haki would instinctively flow to whatever part of his body was being attacked, providing automatic defensive reinforcement.
After absorbing and neutralizing most of the incoming damage, the remaining force from his enemy's techniques amounted to little more than minor injuries for someone of his caliber.
These superficial wounds would heal rapidly thanks to his enhanced recovery abilities and would have virtually no impact on his overall fighting capability.
Hearing Jerry's genuinely surprised exclamation, Bullet clenched both fists tightly, flashed his characteristic savage grin, and spoke in his usual supremely confident tone, "Hmph! You're certainly powerful, I'll grant you that. But as long as you continue believing in these so-called 'companions,' you can never hope to defeat me!"
"This entire ocean serves as my personal battlefield, and I believe only in myself!" Bullet declared with growing fervor. "Because I possess the unwavering determination to live and fight completely alone, I've gained truly invincible strength!"
"Just wait and see what happens next," he continued with obvious relish. "After I finish with you, the Marine Admirals and the Four Emperors will all become my targets for elimination. I'll defeat every single one of them systematically. Only by accomplishing this complete domination can I prove that I'm the strongest individual who has truly surpassed Gol D. Roger!"
At this point, Bullet raised his foot and stomped down with tremendous force, laughing with arrogant satisfaction. "But before any of that can happen, let's settle this based purely on our individual strength!"
The moment he finished speaking, the ground beneath their feet began shaking violently. Then a massive steel submarine rapidly rose from underground directly beneath Bullet's position, carrying his body upward and lifting him high into the air above the battlefield.
"Clank-Clank: Fusion Armament!"
Under the absolutely astonished gazes of all the witnesses present, Bullet quickly merged his body with the submarine beneath him. The vessel's metallic structure began changing and reshaping itself, eventually transforming into a towering giant robot that stood dozens of meters tall.
"Whoa! What the hell is that thing? What an incredibly cool ability!" Witnessing this spectacular transformation, Skull's eyes lit up with obvious excitement as he shouted enthusiastically.
Jerry tilted his head slightly, blinked with apparent interest, but said nothing in response to the dramatic display.
Hearing Skull's amazed reaction, Bullet burst into renewed laughter. "Ha-ha-ha! Even insignificant ants can sometimes recognize true greatness when they see it! My natural strength, combined with the ultimate power of the Clank-Clank Fruit, is more than sufficient to make me completely invincible!"
"Come and fight me now, Leviathan Jerry!" Bullet controlled his giant mechanical form with practiced ease, raising one enormous arm to bring his massive fist crashing downward with devastating force.
What made the attack truly terrifying was that the giant mechanical fist was completely coated with intensely concentrated Armament Haki, giving it the appearance of something capable of destroying absolutely anything in its path.
Faced with this overwhelming assault, Jerry remained perfectly calm as he stretched out his right hand. In his open palm, a violently spinning sphere of compressed water began forming with tremendous energy.
"Water Release: Odama Rasengan!"
As Jerry finished speaking his technique's name, he launched himself into the air with explosive movement, rushing directly toward the incoming iron fist without showing the slightest hint of fear or hesitation.
The rapidly spinning water sphere expanded dramatically in his grip, quickly forming a massive orb of liquid energy that matched the size and apparent power of Bullet's mechanical punch.
The violently rotating water technique not only successfully blocked Bullet's giant fist, but the impact actually knocked the massive robot off balance instantly, causing the mechanical giant to stagger backward several steps.
Jerry seized this crucial opportunity and continued controlling his water sphere, pressing the spinning Rasengan directly against the robot's armored torso and driving it forward with relentless force, creating a deafening roar that echoed continuously across the devastated landscape.
Bullet's reaction time proved impressive as always. He quickly realized that trying to break through his opponent's technique by force would be nothing more than wishful thinking, but he wasn't completely helpless in this situation.
The steel giant, which had originally appeared cold and mechanically rigid, was instantly covered with an additional layer of thick Armament Haki coating. Bullet swung his other massive palm vigorously, attempting to bypass the spinning water sphere and strike directly at Jerry behind it.
Seeing this tactical adaptation, Jerry pushed forward with his right hand and shouted with renewed intensity, "Transform and strike! Dragon Emerges from the Depths!"
The enormous Rasengan separated from Jerry's palm and continued pressing forward for several more seconds before suddenly dispersing and transforming into multiple gigantic water dragons. These liquid serpents crashed into Bullet's mechanical giant with tremendous force, sending the entire construct tumbling backward toward the ground.
The thunderous impacts and violent vibrations spread outward in all directions from the collision point, and the island once again suffered catastrophic collateral damage from their epic confrontation.
The fertile land where countless plants had once grown was completely plowed up by the steel giant as it slid backward through the terrain. Amid the flying earth and scattered rock debris, all that remained visible was a landscape of yellow devastation—the green vitality of nature had been almost entirely obliterated.
"It looks like the Marines have arrived on the island!" Skull's voice suddenly rang out with obvious concern, startling Deuce and the others from their fascination with the ongoing battle.
"Are Carina and Carrot back safely?" Deuce turned toward Cavendish and Brook, asking in a deliberately low voice to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
Both crew members nodded reassuringly, and Cavendish replied with his characteristic confident smile, "Don't worry about them—they're already on their way back to our position. The Marines came here primarily to evacuate the civilian population first. They won't interfere with our business."
Hearing this explanation, Deuce turned around and looked toward the distant shoreline, where he could indeed observe the landing Marines organizing the orderly evacuation of the island's residents with military efficiency.
The Black Star Pirates had strategically positioned themselves on elevated ground atop a nearby hillside much earlier, providing them with an excellent vantage point from which they could clearly observe both the battle and monitor surrounding developments.
"They probably discovered this island's location through our live broadcast," Deuce speculated thoughtfully as he watched the civilians gradually boarding the waiting warships. "Although this place isn't officially under Marine jurisdiction, they're likely conducting a routine emergency evacuation. I wonder which officer is leading the operation."
Skull held a telescope to his eye, carefully observing the Marine fleet anchored offshore. Suddenly his gaze focused intensely on something specific. After confirming his observations were accurate, he moved closer to Deuce and gestured for Cavendish and Brook to join them before whispering several words of intelligence.
"Yeah, that should be fine," Deuce replied after processing the information. "It shouldn't affect our situation for the time being. Let's just wait and see how things develop." He turned his attention back toward Jerry, who appeared to be attempting to dismantle the mechanical giant with nothing but his bare hands.
After Bullet activated his fusion ability and transformed into the towering robot, his offensive and defensive capabilities had certainly improved, and his attack range had expanded dramatically. However, it was inevitable that all of his various movements would display some degree of sluggishness when changing directions or adjusting trajectories.
If it weren't for the fact that his Armament Haki had reached such an extraordinarily thick density—surpassing normal human limits—which made the robot's defensive capabilities immune to many of Jerry's indirect attacks, the mechanical construct would likely have been reduced to scrap metal long ago.
"Seriously? That's all you've got?" Jerry's habitual verbal taunts arrived right on schedule, making Bullet absolutely furious with their casual dismissiveness. "You still dare to call yourself the strongest fighter around? Are you living in some kind of fantasy world?"
Since beginning his career as a pirate, Bullet had only suffered defeats at the hands of Gol D. Roger and had been captured by the Marines while in a state of complete exhaustion. But even all those previous failures combined had never made him feel as frustrated and humiliated as he did at this very moment.
During their fierce hand-to-hand combat in individual form, both fighters had exchanged devastating blows. However, Bullet had gradually realized that he didn't possess a clear advantage in close-quarters combat, which had led to his decision to rely on his Devil Fruit abilities.
He had firmly believed that after completing his fusion transformation, his dramatically enhanced attack power and expanded attack range would provide him with significant tactical advantages, enabling him to defeat his opponent much more quickly and decisively.
But the current reality seemed quite different from what he had originally imagined.
After this extended period of fierce combat, Bullet realized that continuing this approach wouldn't pose any substantial threat to Jerry. Instead, it would only waste his own energy and valuable time to no productive end. So the mechanical giant raised both arms simultaneously and suddenly brought them crashing down on either side of its massive body, attempting to create a devastating shockwave attack.
"What the hell are you doing?" Jerry dodged backward with fluid grace, easily avoiding the double-handed strike while his face displayed obvious bewilderment. "You're already in your forties—can't you act a little more mature, like me? Why are you taking out your frustration on the ground when you can't land a hit on your actual opponent?"
The mechanical giant's palms struck the earth with such tremendous force that the impact created massive fissures and sent debris flying in all directions, but Jerry's amused commentary suggested he viewed this display as nothing more than an adult temper tantrum.
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