Jerry's earth-shattering punch moved with the speed of lightning itself. It not only pierced completely through the back of the giant's neck, but also obliterated the massive head entirely, reducing it to nothing more than scattered dust and debris.
Before the smoke and rubble could even begin to spread across the battlefield, powerful winds had already swept the destruction far away, carrying all the fragments into the distance like leaves in a hurricane.
Because Jerry had carefully adjusted his attack angle in advance, the severed arm that Bullet had previously detached was also completely shattered by the devastating shockwave.
The next moment, the steel robot that Bullet had created through his fusion abilities reappeared in the sky above, but it was now in an absolutely dilapidated state—barely holding together through sheer force of will.
"This isn't over yet, Leviathan Jerry!" Bullet's voice rang out with desperate defiance.
As he spoke, he took the initiative to cancel his fusion state entirely, revealing his true form in that terrifying Devil configuration.
A self-deprecating smile crossed his battered features as he reflected on his tactical error. "I should have known better! Even treating a pirate ship as a partner only makes me weaker and more vulnerable!"
At this crucial point, Bullet suddenly roared with renewed fury: "I alone am sufficient to become the strongest fighter in the world!"
"Come at me!" His demonic expression twisted into a genuinely disturbing smile. "This time, I will defeat you once and for all!"
After delivering this declaration, Bullet stomped his feet with tremendous force, causing the air itself to explode from the pressure. His entire body shot forward at incredible velocity as he swung his clenched fists with wild abandon toward Jerry's position.
Seeing this desperate assault, Jerry moved with fluid grace, constantly dodging or deflecting the increasingly violent attacks through superior technique and positioning.
He suddenly raised his eyes to stare directly into Bullet's gaze, a hint of cold determination appearing at the corners of his mouth.
"The strongest in the world?" Jerry replied with obvious disdain. "Defeat me first, then you can talk about such grandiose dreams!"
When Bullet had attempted to include Deuce and the other crew members within his attack range, Jerry had decided not to waste any more time playing around with his opponent.
"Hmph! Let me see exactly what you're truly capable of!" Bullet's roar became even more fierce and brutal as his attacks reached new levels of desperation.
Bullet was genuinely an outstanding master of all three types of Haki, particularly excelling in Armament Haki applications. He had trained every form of Haki to extremely high levels and hadn't neglected the development of his comprehensive physical attributes or Devil Fruit abilities. The strength he possessed was indeed among the absolute top tier of world-class fighters.
Except for situations like what had occurred in the original timeline—where Luffy had been inexplicably overwhelmed by traumatic memories, causing his defensive capabilities to drop significantly—Bullet could engage any opponent in serious combat and even crush the vast majority of challengers.
"You'll see what I'm capable of very soon!" A fierce gleam flashed across Jerry's eyes as he suddenly released a breathtaking surge of Conqueror's Haki.
"That's not going to be enough to—" Bullet hadn't finished his dismissive words when he was shocked to discover that Jerry's figure had completely disappeared from his field of vision.
A kick carrying unparalleled power but delivered without any warning suddenly connected with Bullet's midsection, causing him to plummet toward the earth like a falling meteorite.
Smoke and dust erupted instantly, and the tremendous shockwave caused by his impact with the ground spread outward in all directions, making the landscape—which had already been reduced to complete ruins—even more chaotic and devastated.
Bullet launched himself upward from the settling dust cloud and rushed toward Jerry's airborne position, shouting in complete disbelief: "Impossible! How could you possibly—"
Another thunderous impact echoed across the battlefield. In the eyes of Deuce and the other observers, Jerry's figure became a blur for just an instant before reappearing directly above Bullet's head. The former prisoner was struck by a devastating punch and sent crashing earthward once again.
"This can't be happening! You..." Bullet's demonic appearance was now streaked with blood flowing from multiple injuries, but he still rushed toward his enemy with reckless determination, refusing to acknowledge defeat.
However, what awaited him was another of Jerry's attacks wrapped in absolutely amazing Haki enhancement.
This time, Bullet displayed his own Haki mastery to its absolute limit, raising both arms with eyes wide open as he attempted to resist the incoming assault and mount a counterattack.
But Jerry vanished like a phantom in the blink of an eye, and the next moment he delivered a tremendously powerful punch with the force of divine thunder from a completely unexpected angle.
As Bullet crashed to the ground yet again, the entire island shook from the impact and massive cracks spread outward like a spider's web.
"Heh... ha-ha-ha... how is this even possible? My Observation Haki should have..." Bullet clutched his chest with his left hand, gasping heavily for breath. He raised his right hand to wipe blood from his face, staring at Jerry in complete shock while speaking in a low voice filled with utter disbelief.
Jerry's three consecutive attacks had all been devastatingly effective, not only inflicting serious injuries on Bullet but also creating three enormous craters across the island's surface.
At this moment, not only could Bullet not understand what was happening, but even Deuce and the other crew members—along with virtually every viewer watching the live broadcast—couldn't figure out why Bullet, who had been able to fight Jerry relatively evenly before, was now being rapidly overwhelmed.
"Dad! Did you see that? What exactly is happening with Jerry?" On the deck of the Moby Dick, Ace stared at the unfolding scene in amazement before slowly turning his head to address Whitebeard.
"Gura-ra-ra-ra! That kid... when did he reach this incredible level?" Whitebeard didn't answer the question directly. Instead, he burst into delighted laughter and sighed with obvious appreciation before speaking earnestly. "Ace, you'd better start working much harder if you want to keep up."
Ace tilted his head in confusion, a massive question mark practically appearing above his head. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku—who had been receiving real-time intelligence reports through Den Den Mushi communications—set down the receiver and sighed with profound gravity. "Can't an old man get some peace and quiet before his retirement? This is getting ridiculous..."
He paused, then added with obvious concern, "Also, what the hell is Zephyr thinking with his timing..."
In the quiet office, only Sengoku's weary sighs echoed through the room, but no one was present to respond to his frustrated complaints.
Back on Treasure Island, seeing that Bullet was no longer maintaining his earlier stubborn confidence and was charging toward him with desperate fury, Jerry rotated his joints several times, clenched his fists tightly, and spoke with perfect calm.
"Nothing is impossible on these vast seas," Jerry declared with absolute certainty. "The ocean is far larger and more unpredictable than you could ever imagine!"
"So I've decided," he continued with growing intensity, "that I'll be the one performing on the stage you wanted to build for yourself!"
After delivering this proclamation, Jerry's terrifying Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body with unprecedented force, covering a circular area several hundred meters in diameter centered on both combatants. The release caused howling winds to tear through the sky and earth within that zone, as if the very heavens and earth were changing color in response to his overwhelming presence.
Witnessing this spectacular display of power, some distant memories seemed to stir within Bullet's consciousness. He murmured in a barely audible voice, "This level of Conqueror's Haki... it's even more intense than Roger's was..."
Having spoken these words while feeling the overwhelming pressure that seemed to possess physical weight pressing down upon him, the fury on Bullet's face gradually dissolved, replaced by genuine excitement and anticipation.
The corners of his mouth curved upward as he threw back his head and laughed with manic enthusiasm. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! This is exactly what I've been waiting for! Come at me with everything you've got!"
"Then I'll grant your wish!" Jerry's expression remained as calm as still water in this crucial moment, but his aura and the Conqueror's Haki arcing visibly around his arms continued growing more violent and concentrated.
Before Jerry could make his move, Bullet rushed forward first. Moving like a vengeful spirit, he twisted his waist and prepared to strike with his right hand, which was wrapped in dense, azure-colored Haki.
As Bullet stepped forward to attack, Jerry launched his own assault simultaneously.
The Conqueror's Haki emanating from Jerry's body suddenly condensed with incredible focus, as if being drawn by some invisible gravitational force. The energy flowed toward Jerry's moving form like countless rivers converging into a single ocean.
When the distance between both fighters had been reduced to striking range, Jerry's Haki aura had contracted to within ten meters of his position, but the density and concentration had reached absolutely extreme levels.
Even though Bullet could sense just how shocking the invisible Haki pressure filling the air had become, he remained utterly determined. He raised his right arm, which flashed with brilliant azure energy, and struck out with every ounce of strength he possessed.
"Ultimate Cannon!"
A sharp gleam flashed across Jerry's eyes as he threw his own thunderous counterpunch with devastating intent.
"Water God: Dragon's Heavenly Roar!"
The final clash between two titans was about to determine the outcome of this legendary battle.
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