Just as Gern's final words fell and the birth of a new Admiral—one who upheld "Benevolent Justice"—was officially declared…
An ill-timed sound broke the moment.
A cold, mocking laugh.
"...Heh."
Aramaki stood with his arms crossed, staring straight at Gern. His lips curled into a sneer.
"So the blind man… really managed to climb to the top, huh?"
"Marine Admiral." He clicked his tongue. "Sounds pretty impressive."
Then his tone shifted.
Without the slightest attempt to hide his provocation, he strode forward several steps and lifted a finger—pointing directly at Gern.
"If that's how it is…"
"Then I guess I'll challenge you."
He grinned fiercely.
"Heavenquake."
After a pause, his voice dropped, each word pronounced slowly and clearly.
"After all… you're the one everyone on this sea recognizes as the strongest Marine."
"If I succeed…"
Aramaki emphasized each syllable like a declaration of war.
"I… want… your… position."
Hearing this wildly arrogant proclamation, Gern didn't even bother lifting his eyelids.
He merely frowned slightly.
"Oh?"
A faint sound escaped his throat—an undisguised sneer filled with contempt.
"You? Challenge me?"
"…Heh."
That single dismissive chuckle was like striking a match against a powder keg.
"HEY! This counts as starting already, right?!"
Aramaki roared, completely ignoring rules or etiquette.
The ground beneath his feet exploded as his powerful physical strength erupted outward. In a flash he lunged forward!
His right fist clenched tight—
Armament Haki surged across it like flowing metal, instantly hardening into a dark, gleaming shell.
With a shriek that tore through the air, his punch shot straight toward Gern's face without the slightest flourish.
Direct.
Brutal.
Absolute.
He intended to prove his strength in the most straightforward way possible—by crushing the man who stood above him.
Unfortunately for him…
Just as his full-force punch was about to reach Gern—
A massive shadow suddenly appeared.
It carried the oppressive aura of a savage beast.
Moving even faster than Aramaki himself, the figure stepped in front of Gern—completely blocking his attack path.
The man was Douglas Bullet.
Bullet grinned viciously as he looked down at the charging Aramaki.
"Hey! Move!! Or I won't be responsible for what happens!"
Aramaki's roar hadn't even finished when his fist smashed directly into Bullet's chest with full force.
BOOM!
A heavy impact exploded outward.
A violent shockwave rippled through the air, visible to the naked eye as it blasted across the training grounds.
But—
Bullet, who had taken the blow head-on, didn't move an inch.
His chest muscles didn't even dent.
Instead, the recoil from the strike sent numbness shooting up Aramaki's arm, and a surge of shock flashed through his mind.
Bullet lowered his head.
His oppressive eyes locked onto Aramaki's slightly changed expression.
Then his mouth split open into an even more savage, mocking grin.
"A guy who's only… barely brushed the threshold of an Admiral…"
"…actually dares dream of challenging Gern?"
"Who gave you such unrealistic courage?"
His smile grew colder.
"Was it your pathetic… Logia ability?"
The ruthless mockery struck straight at Aramaki's deepest nerve.
His face twisted violently with humiliation and fury.
"What the hell did you just say?!"
The moment the words fell—
The ground beneath Aramaki's feet suddenly began sprouting flowers of every kind, blooming uncontrollably.
Aramaki had once been a police officer in the Taya Kingdom of the South Blue.
During a major injustice involving a woman, he had angered the ruling elite by attempting to uphold justice. In the end, the very country he had sworn to protect threw him into prison.
Only later did his strength reach the ears of the World Government.
He was pardoned.
Then recruited into the Marines as one of their "outstanding talents."
That experience had carved something deep into his soul.
He had personally tasted the despair and helplessness of having no power and no influence.
And it twisted him.
In his mind, the so-called "justice" people spoke of was nothing but a fragile illusion in the face of absolute authority.
Only power and position were real.
Only strength and authority could be trusted in this world.
That belief hardened even further after he obtained the Logia-type Mori Mori no Mi.
With its overwhelming abilities, he had fought his way through the ranks—
Defeating the former Admiral Zephyr, and even overcoming two Admiral candidates, Momousagi and Chaton.
Each victory pushed him closer to the peak.
He had seen the shortcut.
If he could defeat the man called Heavenquake—
He could ascend to the summit of power in a single step.
"You bastard!!!"
Aramaki roared like a wild beast.
Bloodshot veins filled his eyes.
"Who the hell do you think you're mocking?!"
"Mori Mori: Wild Timber Rampage!!"
Driven by pure rage, Aramaki pushed his Devil Fruit power to the limit.
His arms instantly transformed into wood—
Two gigantic wooden limbs like siege hammers.
Their fists were coated in dense Armament Haki, and they moved with absurd speed, raining down like a storm upon Bullet's body.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG—!!
The training field erupted with the sound of rapid impacts, like war drums beating without pause.
Wood fragments and sparks from colliding Haki scattered wildly through the air.
And yet—
Faced with this frenzied barrage, Bullet didn't move.
Not even slightly.
He stood exactly where he was.
Even the feral grin on his face never changed.
The wooden fists slammed into his body—covered in top-tier Armament Haki—but aside from dull thuds…
They couldn't even push him back half a step.
After all—
Ever since joining Gern's command as one of the Heavenly Disasters, what kind of monsters had Douglas Bullet fought on a daily basis?
His primary opponent was Gern Reginald Sigmar—the man known as Heavenquake, the only King-level powerhouse on the seas.
There was Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman.
There was Enel, lightning incarnate—speed and destruction combined.
There was Bartholomew Kuma, whose bizarre abilities could repel anything.
Sometimes even Kizaru would spar with him out of boredom, forcing Bullet to stay constantly wary of those lethal lasers.
And there was also the aging yet still terrifying Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp, whose fists remained monstrous despite his years.
Anyone worth mentioning among the sea's strongest…
Bullet had practically fought them all.
His combat experience.
His durability.
His adaptability against top-tier powerhouses—
All of it had been forged to an unbelievable level through relentless battles.
So Aramaki's seemingly ferocious assault…
To Bullet—
It felt no more threatening than a tickle.
Weak.
Almost laughable.
"…Is this really all you've got?"
Bullet's oppressive voice slowly echoed across the field.
He looked down at Aramaki, who was still attacking frantically.
The playful mockery in his eyes gradually faded.
In its place remained only the cold gaze one reserved for the weak.
"So after all that anger…"
"You're still this weak?"