Chapter 489: Bullet's Mecha
"Medium Bullet form!" Bullet shouted.
As he spoke, the surrounding soil began to swirl and envelop him.
Like battle armor, it layered over Bullet's robust frame.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Soon, a new form of Bullet emerged.
The rocks encased him in a mecha-like structure, glinting with a cold, black sheen.
The mecha's components were studded with countless muzzles and gun barrels.
It was an intimidating sight.
This was Bullet's latest combat form, the "Medium Bullet" form.
The name remained unchanged.
But its appearance was entirely new.
Once, during a certain battle, Crocodile's words had sparked inspiration in Bullet.
"Since you can make yourself explode, why stick to that junk?" Crocodile had said.
It was a casual jab, criticizing Bullet's use of the fusion effect from a submarine he called the Catapult.
Crocodile's offhand remark had awakened Bullet.
Thereafter, his intermediate form transformed.
He began using local materials, adapting on the spot.
Explosions became his power source, mimicking endless gunfire.
This evolved into the mecha-like style he now employed.
The mecha drew inspiration from a comic book.
Ironically, that comic featured a mecha protagonist modeled after Bullet himself.
It was a mutual exchange of ideas.
"Is this your fighting form? It looks intriguing." Aizen remarked.
He observed Bullet's new appearance and nodded approvingly.
It had a sci-fi flair, though its true power was yet to be seen.
"There's something even more interesting!" Bullet replied.
From within the mecha, his voice sounded muffled but undiminished in fervor.
He wasted no more words and launched into action.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A giant fist, cloaked in thick Armament Haki, swung toward Aizen.
The ten-meter-tall mecha's fist created an oppressive height difference.
For Aizen, it held no fear.
He merely extended his left hand and firmly blocked the descending fist.
In an instant, the fist exploded, the blast deafening.
A massive shockwave sent nearby earth and rocks flying.
Many contestants, previously stunned by Bullet's Conqueror's Haki, snapped awake.
They quickly retreated to the outer perimeter.
Among the Thousand-Year Dragons under the waterfall, the weaker ones instinctively flew to safety.
This scene made many eyes flicker with interest.
Some began to follow discreetly.
As these movements unfolded, the battlefield between Bullet and Aizen roared with continuous explosions.
At its center, the towering mecha unleashed a barrage of firepower.
Countless muzzles blasted the area ahead.
The smallest bullets and shells were as thick as an average person's arm, propelled at high speed by explosive force.
Upon impact, they detonated instantly.
Indeed, these projectiles were explosive, designed to burst on contact.
Their explosive power rivaled TNT of equivalent weight.
Each detonation carried Armament Haki, amplifying their lethality.
Such attacks were effective even against Logia users.
Their power was considerable.
Most crucially, the attacks were rapid and dense.
Unlike slow-firing warship cannons, Bullet's assaults were swift and relentless.
In a single second, he could unleash over ten rounds, like a submachine gun.
For an ordinary foe facing Bullet, enduring such close-range bombardment would be dire.
At the very least, it would be far from easy.
Boom!
Boom!
Waves of shockwaves swept outward.
The ground trembled, centered on the battlefield.
Contestants who had gathered watched in awe.
"Is that the power of Sengoku Bullet? It's terrifying, like a war machine!" a Demon Pattern user remarked, observing from a distance.
Marine Admiral Kizaru, nearby, overheard and smirked.
"Sengoku Bullet? I wonder what Fleet Admiral Sengoku's face would look like hearing that nickname still in use."
Kizaru chuckled at the thought of Sengoku's livid expression.
He was professionally trained.
Unless he couldn't help it, he wouldn't laugh.
But Sengoku's name being used as a nickname was indeed amusing to Kizaru.
The title "Sengoku Bullet" stemmed from Bullet's current bombardment style.
This approach was also evident in his signature "Large Bullet" form.
When activated, it resembled a colossal, mobile war fortress with staggering destructive power.
It could easily raze a kingdom in short order, rivaling Marine's Buster Call.
Thus, Morgans had once dubbed him Sengoku Bullet.
At the time, Sengoku, already Marine Fleet Admiral, was baffled.
His name became someone else's nickname?
That was unacceptable!
He spent a night in a "pleasant" discussion with Morgans.
The title was subsequently retracted from the newspapers.
Yet, even now, some still recognized Bullet by the Sengoku moniker.
The name Sengoku Bullet had faded.
Were it not for the more striking Reverberation Devil title, Bullet's devil-themed nickname might have changed.
Kizaru found it amusing that the name lingered.
However, his amusement gave way to solemnity.
Bullet, the Reverberation Devil, had earned his title facing three Marine Admirals.
Seeing Bullet's battle now, Kizaru felt uneasy.
Since when did Marine Admirals gain fame by being trampled by pirates?
After that major battle, some voices claimed the Admirals were unworthy of their rank.
This sentiment frustrated Kizaru, who felt unfairly blamed.
They trained diligently in Haki and fruit abilities.
Yet, Bullet, with his brute strength, had bested them.
In this new era, everyone seemed to have cheats, except them. That was the most infuriating part.
No, that wasn't entirely true.
Kizaru recalled Akainu.
Sakazuki's stern, brooding face flashed in his mind.
That man had embraced the Demon Pattern era, wielding magical power.
Kizaru had great confidence in Sakazuki's magical abilities.
If he committed to mastering it, his strength could soar.
Becoming a demigod, or even greater, was not impossible.
But there was no "if."
Sakazuki resisted such power, rejecting its cultivation.
This left Kizaru slightly regretful.
Even with the Holy Light Potion from the Kingdom of Miracles, Demon Pattern users' lifespans were far shorter than ordinary people's, especially at higher levels.
Thus, Kizaru's regret was fleeting.
( End of this chapter)