"D... Conqueror's Haki... What is that?"
These two words were utterly unfamiliar to Flare, and even the rest of the crew aboard the ship—except for Tiger—wore expressions of confusion. But Dr. Kureha had no time to explain, for the battle had already reignited.
...
"Kahahahahahaha... Excellent... Absolutely excellent..."
"This Conqueror's Haki of yours—compared to when we met on Skypiea—you've changed completely."
"It seems five years have done you well."
"Let me see for myself whether you truly possess the right to inherit Roger's will."
The two stood locked in a fierce standoff, their Conqueror's Haki clashing head-on. To the naked eye, their auras seemed evenly matched.
If Bullet's Conqueror's Haki carried the arrogance and destructive power to annihilate everything in its path, then Yemu's was like the boundless ocean—deep, vast, and capable of embracing all.
This was the confrontation between a tyrant and a king.
In that moment, thought became meaningless. Both men desired only one thing—battle.
Boom.
As the final shockwave of their Haki collision faded, both figures vanished from sight. Their speed exceeded what human eyes could track.
The crew of the Twin Goddesses could only hear deafening explosions like thunder, watching as the island's ice surface cracked and collapsed under the impact.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
It was the purest contest of strength, endurance, and speed—without a single wasted movement. Their bodies flashed through the air, colliding again and again.
Fist met fist. Foot met foot.
It was no longer a fight between humans, but the collision of two mountains.
At that instant, both fighters seemed to share the same thought—neither used Haki, relying solely on the power of their bodies.
From where they clashed, devastating shockwaves erupted outward, sweeping across the sea in an instant.
On the surface, the crew aboard the Twin Goddesses were thrown off their feet, struggling to stay upright amid the chaos.
"Whoa, this is insane! It's even scarier than Loguetown!"
Flare clung tightly to the mast beside her, her heart pounding with shock and fear.
"But Yemu... he's amazing! He's actually keeping up with that monster!"
No sooner had she spoken than Enel's brow furrowed, his expression turning grim.
"Something's not right..."
Everyone froze.
"What do you mean?"
Gritting his teeth, Enel replied, "That guy's physical defense is terrifying. Even though they look evenly matched in speed and strength, Yemu can't break through his defense. On the other hand, Yemu—"
As if to confirm his words, a deafening crash echoed from Reykjavik Island.
A figure plummeted from the sky like a meteor, slamming into the ice and carving a crater nearly two hundred meters wide.
Above, Bullet slowly descended, his proud head tilted high. With a sideways glance into the depths of the crater where Yemu lay buried beneath the ice, he let out a wild, triumphant laugh.
"Hey, kid, your strength doesn't seem to match your big mouth..."
Boom.
As the sound of shattering ice echoed, the ground split open once more. A burst of flames shot out from the fissure and landed on the frozen surface.
Yemu's entire body radiated scorching steam—his wounds rapidly closing under the combined effect of Nirvana and the Mera Mera no Mi, drawing on the life force stored within his body to heal at an incredible rate.
Bullet's sharp gaze instantly recognized the nature of Yemu's ability, yet instead of alarm, excitement flashed in his eyes.
"Kahahaha! Now this is getting interesting. If it had ended that quickly, I would've had to take back our little agreement."
Yemu's injuries healed fast. Despite how evenly matched their earlier clash had seemed, he hadn't managed to deal even the slightest damage to Bullet. His own fists and muscles, however, were throbbing in pain.
"Pfft..."
He casually spat out a mouthful of blood, wiped his lips, and grinned in exhilaration.
"What terrifying strength and physical durability... It feels like my bones are shattering... and you're standing there without a scratch..."
"Hehehe... You're still far from Roger's level. For me, this is only a warm-up. Show me your full power. Let me see what makes you worthy of being called the inheritor of Roger's will."
The moment his words ended, Bullet's figure disappeared.
And this time, he was even faster.
In an instant, his fists were coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, spreading down to his legs.
"So fast..."
At a speed close to teleportation, Bullet appeared in front of Yemu and swung his fist.
What did it feel like to be struck by a mountain? Yemu had never known—until now.
Even though he reacted in time and reinforced his arms with Armament Haki, the blow sent his entire body flying like a cannonball. The sheer force traveled from his arms through his body, driving him deep into the ground. Against such overwhelming power, resistance was impossible.
Boom.
The devastating impact shattered nearly a hundred meters of ice, leaving a crater that spanned nearly half the island.
"!!!"
Everyone aboard the Twin Goddesses turned pale.
Moments ago, the two had been evenly matched, but in an instant, the tide had turned completely. Yemu had been struck down without even a chance to resist.
Judging from the terrifying destruction caused by that blow, his situation looked dire.
"...Yemu can't be... Enel, you have to save him!"
Flare grabbed Enel's sleeve, shouting in panic.
Enel's brow furrowed tightly. He seemed torn, but after a brief hesitation, he shook his head and turned away.
"You... Where are you going, Enel?"
His answer was calm and simple.
"I'm going to carry out Yemu's orders. The Marines are closing in. I can't let them interfere with our captain's battle."
"What are you talking about!? Yemu's already—"
Flare yelled, reaching out to stop him, but before she could, someone pressed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't panic, young lady. Your captain isn't someone who dies that easily."
"Dr. Kureha..."
Flare turned in surprise to see Dr. Kureha wearing a confident smile.
"After all, he carries the blood of the D lineage. The outcome of this battle may still be uncertain, but he won't fall so easily."
"If you don't believe me, take a look at your fish-man friend."
Flare quickly turned toward Tiger.
Sure enough, though Tiger's expression was grave as he watched the island, he hadn't moved an inch since the fight began.
Then, without looking away, Tiger finally spoke.
"Dr. Kureha, what you said... is it true?"
"What!?"
"That the captain might be one of the D..."
"Ah... of course. I discovered it during his blood test."
"I see..."
Tiger exhaled slowly, then glanced at Flare with a reassuring tone.
"Don't worry. If Dr. Kureha is right, this battle won't be easy to win—but if we lose, it won't end in total defeat either."
"Eh..."
At that moment, Flare remembered Dr. Kureha's earlier words and asked,
"D... What exactly does that mean? Is there something special about it?"
"Don't ask too many questions, young lady. When the time comes, you'll understand. For now, just believe that miracles exist."
"Miracles!!!"