Adrian slowly opened his arms, striking a pose of absolute confidence. "I am the man who wants to become the supreme ruler of this world... Join me and we will forge a new era together!"
BOOM!
In the next second, an invisible aura erupted. An imperial pressure, almost palpable, emanated from his Conqueror Haki. This terrifying pressure didn't cause physical damage but directly impacted the mind. Under its influence, Betty's mind went blank for a moment. Then, like a devout follower, she unconsciously prostrated herself at Adrian's feet in worship. If Adrian had told her to die at that moment, she wouldn't have hesitated.
"This extraordinary aura... it's truly astonishing," Bullet said, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He had never felt such a terrifying presence from anyone, not even Roger, the man he had dedicated his life to surpassing. Bullet was stunned for a few seconds before he regained his composure. An invisible awe now filled his eyes as he looked at Adrian. What kind of man is he?
But Bullet was sure of one thing: Adrian was not joking. He possessed the qualifications to be a "King."
"Very good! Let me use my fists to see if your strength is enough to support your astonishing ambition!" Bullet was, after all, an untamable beast. If he could be subdued by words alone, he wouldn't have been worth Adrian's trouble. With wild fighting intent in his eyes, his large figure flew low to the ground, arriving in front of Adrian in the blink of an eye. He brought down a powerful blow, his fist wrapped in a menacing purple Armament Haki.
But it was blocked by a wall of sand that rose from the air in front of Adrian.
BANG! The sand wall shattered instantly.
"Slash Wave!" A massive, golden slash shot into the sky, knocking Bullet back.
"This... isn't this Crocodile's devil fruit ability, and the slash is of that old guy, the Golden Lion?" A look of surprise crossed Bullet's face.
"That's right, I killed both of them. If you don't want all your abilities to be plundered, you'd better choose wisely," Adrian said without holding back. Don't join, then die. That was the principle he followed, even when facing a powerhouse like Bullet.
Adrian lightly tapped his right foot, and the ground under Betty's feet slowly rose into the air. The entire Level 4 was already crumbling, and Adrian was worried that it would be a waste if she fell and died in the fight.
"Thank you for your concern..." A morbid blush crept onto Betty's beautiful face, and her eyes held a captivating look that made Adrian cringe. Is this girl a masochist? There's no time for this now!
"Beat me, and you will be my captain," Bullet grinned, his body's blue-purple ghostly aura instantly fusing with his Armament Haki, covering his whole body in a ferocious, hellish phantom. This was his unique "Demon Form" and one of the reasons he was known as the "Heir of the Demon." In this form, both his speed and strength were greatly enhanced. It was his strongest state before using his Clank-Clank Fruit to transform.
In the next second, Adrian's sharp blade collided with Bullet's iron fist once more.
BOOM!
The moment fist met blade, a terrifying explosion erupted. The Bomb-Bomb Fruit ability wrapped around the blade took the lead, neutralizing most of the force from Bullet's fist. Then, the swordsman-level slashes followed, directly overwhelming Bullet and blowing his tall, powerful figure away.
This was the "Explosion Slash Two-Stage Strike" that Adrian had used against Bartholomew Kuma at Sabaody. It was a new skill he had created by combining his swordsmanship with the Bomb-Bomb Fruit. In close combat, against pure strength fighters like Bullet or Kuma, it produced an incredibly powerful effect. Adrian's command of his many abilities was now at a very high level. He could seamlessly combine every Devil Fruit and every skill.
"Again!" Bullet's right fist was in pain, but his eyes were filled with excitement and madness. Even with his top-tier Armament Haki, Adrian's attack had still broken through his defense. Wasn't a man with such terrifying strength exactly what he had been seeking to surpass?
"How about we decide this with one blow?" Bullet smiled grimly, the aura around him steadily rising, his strong muscles swelling rapidly like a mountains of flesh.
"Don't you need to transform?" Adrian asked, putting Oto and Kogarashi away. Bursts of lightning suddenly appeared on his body. He had wanted to try out his improved versions of Enel's "Raikiri" or Pica's "Thunder Titan" but was now worried that if he missed, it would kill Bullet. Never mind, I'll switch it up!
"Lightning Gun!"