"This, this..." Morgans was completely speechless, staring blankly at the scene before him. For perhaps the first time in a long while, even the man who lived for "Big News" could not immediately find the words to describe what he was witnessing.
Because he was actually on the battlefield, Morgans felt the terrifying might far more acutely than those watching through the broadcast. The overwhelming pressure made his muscles stiffen, and he instinctively held his breath.
Before such a gigantic body, ordinary strength was practically meaningless. Bullet possessed an equally terrifying amount of Armament Haki, making the enormous beast even more frightening.
Such power seemed almost impossible to stop, even for Whitebeard, whose Tremor-Tremor Fruit possessed destructive power capable of shaking the world.
The entire world fell silent.
On Fist Island, Hot was likewise completely stunned. He had never expected Bullet to possess such terrifying power. He had clearly underestimated the Devil's Heir.
Now, it seemed that Bullet truly possessed a strong chance of defeating Whitebeard. Whitebeard's power was immense, but Bullet's overall strength was by no means inferior.
The image continued to display that earth-shattering behemoth, resembling a god of destruction descending upon the world. In front of it, even Kaido in his full dragon form would appear incredibly small.
That terrifying punch had been an invincible strike, its immense force affecting the entire island.
The Marines stationed at the island's edge were severely injured by the punch. Many were directly swept into the sea as the ocean surged violently around them. The powerful currents instantly swallowed them, dragging many of the Marines beneath the surface, never to return.
The warships that had arrived were also caught in the aftermath and were tossed upside down.
The very foundation of the island had been destroyed. Massive cracks spread across the land as the island split apart and gradually shifted. Seawater poured into the newly created fissures, while the monstrous beast had already withdrawn its arm, leaving behind a massive crater hundreds of meters in diameter.
Seawater continuously gushed upward from below, faster than the water flowing in from the surrounding sea. Bullet's punch had actually pierced straight through the island.
As for Garp and Freda, neither could be seen. They had undoubtedly been submerged beneath the seawater.
As soon as the punch ended, Bullet deactivated his awakened ability and released the combined state of his giant form. The entire construct possessed a skeletal structure, and if he had not deactivated it, the enormous beast would have remained standing on the island.
Without Bullet's Armament Haki reinforcing it, however, the structure was considerably more fragile, although its hardness still surpassed ordinary steel.
A sufficiently powerful individual could certainly destroy it, and Bullet had no intention of leaving behind such a massive creation for others to study.
Without his ability sustaining it, the entire behemoth collapsed with a tremendous crash. Bullet emerged from within the collapsing structure and quickly moved away from the area where the gigantic construct was falling apart.
Borsalino, meanwhile, appeared above the area where the punch had landed and looked down with some concern.
Garp and Freda were both down there.
However, the location had already become a massive lake, and as a Devil Fruit user, Borsalino could not simply dive into the water.
Not long afterward, a ripple appeared on the surface.
A dark shadow emerged beneath the water, causing Borsalino's eyes to light up.
Two figures finally broke through the surface. Garp was pulling the unconscious Freda behind him as he emerged from beneath the water.
Both of them looked extremely disheveled and were gasping for breath. Freda had been severely injured by that punch and looked as though he had barely survived. If Garp had not saved him, he might already have drowned.
That terrifying punch represented absolute power. Even Garp had been unable to withstand it and was clearly not feeling well.
Seeing the two of them emerge, Marine Headquarters, the World Government, and countless civilians watching around the world all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Compared to the devil-like Bullet, the Marine Admirals and the Hero Garp were far more reassuring to ordinary people.
Bullet, meanwhile, was already preparing to leave.
Seven days of intense fighting, followed by the expenditure required for that final punch, had left him with little stamina remaining. Although he could still fight for several more days if necessary, there was no point in continuing.
He had already enjoyed the battle enough.
After reaching the shore, Bullet used his ability to synthesize a submarine from the materials of the destroyed warships. He then leaped onto it.
"Bullet is leaving? What is he planning?" Morgans asked.
As he spoke, the scene on the broadcast immediately shifted from Garp to Bullet.
Bullet stood inside the submarine and produced a switch-like device from somewhere. He glanced toward the island with a sinister smile before lightly pressing the button with his finger.
Most people did not understand what was happening.
Then, the entire island suddenly exploded.
Boom!
Soaring flames and a violent shockwave engulfed the entire island, swallowing everything in sight.
At the moment of the explosion, Borsalino instantly transformed into light and escaped, while Garp covered his body in Armament Haki to withstand the blast.
Freda reacted slightly slower and was directly struck by the terrifying explosion. However, for a monster like him, the damage was not particularly significant. He quickly reinforced himself with Haki and used his ability to stabilize his condition.
The Marines on the shore were not so fortunate.
Those still in the water were relatively safe, but the Marines on land were completely swallowed by the explosion. Most were already in poor condition after the previous battle, and they suffered catastrophic losses almost instantly.
Caught within the endless flames and shockwaves, only a small number survived. The rest were torn apart by the tremendous force of the explosion.
The explosion did not last long, but the destruction it caused was immense.
No one had expected Bullet to have buried so many explosives beneath the island, covering the entire area with bombs. The sheer quantity was enough to destroy an entire kingdom.
The already devastated island was completely annihilated by the explosion. Smoke filled the sky, the land was scorched black, and the area where the Marines had gathered was littered with corpses.
Very few remained alive.
On the surface of the surrounding sea, body parts belonging to Marines floated among the debris.
"That bastard!"
Garp was furious beyond words.
The Marines at Marine Headquarters were equally enraged. If they had simply lost a battle, they could have accepted it. But this was different.
More than ten thousand Marines had already been caught in the aftermath of Bullet's previous attack. After the explosion, less than half remained alive.
They might even have to thank Bullet's terrifying punch. Because the impact had thrown many Marines into the sea, their losses were actually lower than they could have been. Without that, the explosion might have annihilated nearly all of them.
Even so, seven or eight thousand Marines had been killed.
Combined with the two thousand Marines who had died at Marine Food Base No. 3 earlier, the Navy's total losses had already reached roughly ten thousand personnel.
This did not even include the destruction of Food Base No. 3.
Such losses were enormous.
They were the greatest losses suffered by the Marines since their period of recovery, and all of it had been caused by Bullet alone.
Even as he departed, Bullet had left them one final "surprise."
By this point, Bullet had already disappeared beneath the sea aboard his submarine.
Bullet had won this battle.
Although he had not literally defeated the entire Marine force, the world viewed the confrontation as Bullet's victory. The Marines had suffered devastating losses, while Bullet had survived a seven-day battle against Garp, Freda, and Borsalino and still possessed enough strength to unleash that terrifying final attack.
Few people cared about the Marines' grief.
They were too focused on Bullet's terrifying strength.
Everyone knew that the New World was about to change.
If Bullet planned to make another move, his footsteps would certainly not stop here. Bullet wanted to surpass Roger and become the strongest man in the world. Defeating Garp alone was nowhere near enough, especially since he had not actually killed him.
Even that terrifying final punch could be avoided if one possessed sufficient speed.
Garp was merely the beginning.
Golden Lion, Whitebeard, and even the Dark Emperor could all become Bullet's targets.
Bullet had demonstrated the power to challenge the Yonko. He had fought Marine Vice Admiral Garp for three days and three nights, then endured another four days while fighting Garp alongside two Admirals.
Even after all that, Bullet had still retained enough stamina to unleash such a terrifying technique.
At this point, simply calling him the "Devil's Heir" was no longer sufficient to describe his power.
With his terrifying strength and complete disregard for human life, Bullet was a true devil.
"Damn that Bullet!" Sengoku roared. "For the reputation of the Marines, we must capture him!"
Bullet's actions had completely enraged Sengoku and the other senior Marines.
Most importantly, Bullet's strength was simply too great. The power he had displayed was no weaker than Whitebeard's.
"Buruburu..."
At that moment, a Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
The agitated Marine conference room instantly fell silent.
The call came from the World Government.
"Initiate a Buster Call. Capture the Devil's Heir at all costs. We cannot allow such a dangerous element to remain at large on the seas."
The stern voice of one of the Five Elders echoed through the conference room.
"At all costs" clearly demonstrated the World Government's resolve.
Bullet's power, especially the strength displayed through his final awakened attack, made the Five Elders wonder whether he might eventually come to cause trouble for the World Government itself.
Whitebeard had only recently revealed his hidden strength, further cementing his position as the world's strongest man. Now Bullet had demonstrated power no weaker than Whitebeard's, while also possessing the potential to surpass him.
People did not remain idle.
A reckless monster like Bullet might cause trouble for Whitebeard and Golden Lion today, then decide to wreak havoc in Mary Geoise tomorrow.
If that happened, the World Government would undoubtedly suffer severe damage, and Mary Geoise itself might even be destroyed.
Therefore, before such a possibility could become reality, Bullet had to be apprehended.
His strength was simply too great a threat.
"The World Government will also provide support. Four CP0 agents and one CP0 Deputy Director will be dispatched."
The Five Elders were not the only ones who felt threatened.
Even the Celestial Dragons, who stood at the very pinnacle of world power, had been frightened by Bullet's display.
With the arrival of the video era, it was perfectly normal for Celestial Dragons to spend their leisure time watching major events.
Bullet had genuinely instilled fear in them.
As a result, they were willing to release part of their personal security forces and dispatch four CP0 agents who normally existed solely to protect them.
To be precise, CP0 existed to protect the Celestial Dragons, although there were distinctions within the organization. Some agents were dedicated to protecting the Celestial Dragons, while others were assigned missions elsewhere.
Over time, CP0 had effectively split into two factions.
On the surface, they remained one organization, but in reality, different portions were controlled by the Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons.
CP0's strength had already been greatly diminished. Several agents were also stationed in Wano Country, leaving the organization unable to spare many additional personnel.
To mobilize them now, the Celestial Dragons naturally had to release some of their own forces.
Relatively speaking, those four CP0 agents would primarily serve as support and containment.
True top-tier combat power would still have to participate in the operation.
"Yes. We are currently holding a meeting to discuss this," Sengoku said seriously.
The World Government's willingness to send additional combat power was highly beneficial to the Marines. CP0 was a formidable force.
"Then I will leave it to you. Don't disappoint us."
The Den Den Mushi went silent as the call ended.
The meeting continued.
Sengoku slowly stood up and looked around the conference room.
"You all heard them."
The last Buster Call had been executed eight years ago, when Ohara was destroyed.
Everyone understood that their opponent this time was the Devil's Heir, Douglas Bullet.
Against such an opponent, a standard Buster Call configuration would be nowhere near enough.
The fact that the World Government was sending such powerful support was proof of that.
Everyone waited for Sengoku to speak. They knew the Fleet Admiral must already have an idea for how to configure this Buster Call.
"Select ten thousand elite Marine soldiers."
"Garp and I will lead them, along with Kuzan and Sakazuki. We will also bring eight Vice Admirals. Borsalino and Freda will remain behind to guard Marine Headquarters."
Sengoku's expression became extremely solemn.
"We absolutely cannot let Bullet escape. Absolutely."
The final two words were spoken with extraordinary resolve.
Sengoku intended to personally participate in the operation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fleet Admiral was expected to remain at Headquarters rather than personally leave for the battlefield. This situation was different.
To eliminate such a massive threat, they needed overwhelming power and had to leave Bullet absolutely no opportunity to escape.
Everyone understood the purpose of those ten thousand Marines.
They were there to stall Bullet and exhaust his stamina.
Bullet's monstrous endurance was even more terrifying and unfathomable than Kaido's. The Marines had to drain that stamina before attempting to capture him.
This was not merely about defeating Bullet.
It was about capturing him.
And capturing someone of Bullet's level was far more difficult than defeating him.
Such a terrifying lineup caused even the Marine officers present to gasp.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku intended to crush Bullet with absolute strength, thereby restoring the prestige of both the Marines and the World Government.
Even Bullet would be incapable of turning the tide against such a lineup.
Logically, Sengoku and Garp alone should have been enough. There was no obvious need to send two additional Admirals, especially with the CP0 support promised by the World Government.
Although Bullet's strength was terrifying, the deployment could easily be described as excessive.
If this became public knowledge, some might even mock the Marines for making such a huge show of force against a single pirate.
The officers present were somewhat puzzled.
Strong individuals valued their reputation, after all. Having so many powerful figures gang up on a single opponent did not look particularly dignified.
Tsuru, however, understood Sengoku's intentions.
She stood and explained, "Capturing Bullet is extremely difficult. His abilities mean that the sea itself cannot restrict him. As a lone wolf, we may only have one opportunity, and there can be no mistakes."
"Otherwise, there may never be another chance. Instead, we could end up facing Bullet's retaliation."
"At the same time, we must prevent unexpected strong individuals from joining the battle."
Such incidents had happened many times before.
Although Bullet was a lone wolf, his only known connection was the Brotherhood. While that organization could cause some trouble, it was not a major concern.
That did not mean Bullet had no secret connections with other forces.
If powerful individuals suddenly joined the battle, the Marine operation could fail.
Therefore, sufficient strength was necessary.
Some of that strength would shorten the time required to defeat Bullet, while the rest would guard against possible interference from outside forces.
Sengoku had to prepare for the worst possible scenario.
After all, similar incidents had occurred repeatedly in recent years, causing heavy Marine casualties.
They had only one chance.
That was precisely why Sengoku was acting so cautiously.
Furthermore, the World Government had issued an explicit order to capture Bullet.
This was the Marines' first major external operation in two years. If it failed, their prestige would inevitably suffer another severe blow.
Prestige constantly diminished without achievements to reinforce it.
If the Marines failed to produce impressive victories, civilians would gradually lose faith in them, while even allied nations would become insecure. That would eventually affect the World Government itself.
The Marines would inevitably be held responsible.
For Sengoku, this was an operation that absolutely could not fail.
The Marines' internal reforms had been highly successful in recent years, and the organization continued to improve.
However, since Sengoku had become Fleet Admiral, the Marines had produced few notable achievements on the external front. Instead, their situation had deteriorated, eventually reaching rock bottom after a series of heavy losses.
Some of those losses had been caused by the World Government itself, but as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku still bore unavoidable responsibility.
The unstable situation in the New World, the emergence of the Fifth Emperor, Bullet's terrifying strength, and the increasingly formidable pirate forces all placed immense pressure on the Marines.
The combined strength of the pirates was so terrifying that even the Marines could be overwhelmed if they were ever properly united.
Fortunately, pirates mistrusted one another.
If a Pirate King emerged who could unify the various pirate forces, even the World Government would struggle to survive against such overwhelming power.
This was precisely why the World Government had paid an enormous price in agents and even CP0 personnel to obtain a Road Poneglyph from Wano Country.
They wanted to eliminate the possibility of a Pirate King emerging at its source.
The Marines, meanwhile, desperately needed a great victory to restore morale.
After Tsuru finished explaining, the other Marines finally understood the significance of the operation.
This was a core Marine conference.
Aside from a few recording officers and intelligence personnel, everyone present was a Vice Admiral or higher, representing the true core of the Marines.
Someone like Novoa could not participate in such a meeting.
The decisions being discussed were too important to risk exposing, and everyone present had to be completely trustworthy.
"In that case, when do we begin? And how are we supposed to launch the Buster Call? Bullet won't simply stand there and wait for us, will he?"
That was indeed a troublesome matter.
If Bullet escaped before the operation began, the entire Buster Call would become meaningless.
"Don't worry. He is an incredibly arrogant man. He won't run away," Sengoku said with confidence. "Instead, he will want to crush our strongest Buster Call ever."
Sengoku understood Bullet's personality.
"Just like Bullet, we will also declare war directly on an island in the New World. Bullet will definitely come. Make a big spectacle of it. Kuzan and Sakazuki will hide first."
"The operation will begin one month from now. We need time to prepare."
Bullet had become the focus of the entire world.
His terrifying strength earned him the admiration of countless pirates, particularly after he suppressed Marine Hero Garp during their battle.
If the battle had continued without the intervention of the two Admirals, Garp might genuinely have been defeated.
That was exhilarating news for the pirates.
Garp possessed immense prestige within the Marines and an equally notorious reputation among pirates.
He could be considered one of the pillars of the Marines.
If Garp truly fell, the impact on the Marines would be enormous.
"It seems you have another formidable opponent, Teach," Redyat said with a smile.
"Zehahaha Isn't it better for our opponents to be stronger?" Teach shook his head slightly. "However, Bullet's flaws are too obvious. The World Government and Marines will definitely make a major move against him."
Redyat naturally understood what Teach meant.
On this sea, possessing terrifying strength while simultaneously becoming a massive threat to the World Government and Marines, all while standing alone, was not a good combination.
Unless the individual was willing to remain extremely low-key.
But that was impossible for Bullet.
When confronted by a powerful organization, even the most monstrous stamina eventually had limits. No matter how terrifying Bullet was, he was still human.
"I wonder how the Marines and World Government will act. Should we have someone investigate?" Redyat asked.
"No need. It is already difficult enough to infiltrate their preparations without alerting them," Teach replied with a chuckle. "Besides, if the Marines want to move against Bullet, they have to come to the New World. There is no way to hide such a large-scale operation. We'll know as soon as they make their move."
"That Morgans fellow has a nose sharper than a dog. He'll definitely spread the news at the first opportunity."
Redyat laughed softly.
"Then let's just watch quietly. This sea is becoming more and more interesting."