Chapter 491: Shiki the Golden Lion's Double Standard
Boom!
With a violent explosion, Aizen's Hadō Black Coffin expanded briefly before tearing apart.
A dazzling light burst forth.
A massive fireball, hundreds of meters wide, erupted suddenly.
Using offense as defense, nearly all materials in the "Medium Bullet" form were converted into explosives, blasting outward.
This method countered Black Coffin's attack, allowing Bullet to escape the crisis.
Time passed swiftly.
The fireball gradually faded.
An overwhelming mushroom cloud rose rapidly.
It formed a thousand-meter-high cloud, faintly glowing with flames within.
The spectacle was striking.
Contestants who had retreated hundreds of meters stared at the rising cloud.
Their faces bore solemn expressions.
Compared to the Nine Tails' ultimate move earlier, it seemed less extreme.
Yet, they knew the title "Reverberation Devil" was well-earned.
If Bullet continued his assault, their position would be far from safe.
"Large Bullet form!" Bullet shouted.
Amid the firelight, he activated a more powerful form.
Boom!
A terrifying wave of Haki swept outward.
In the flames, Bullet's colossal new form appeared before everyone.
A gigantic figure, hundreds of meters tall and gleaming with an icy sheen, emerged.
"Did that guy really use this move? We need to make those Marines retreat to the warship." Kizaru said.
He gazed at the towering form Bullet had unleashed, his eyes filled with gravity.
In their last battle against Bullet, they had suffered greatly because of this form.
Seeing it again now, Kizaru still felt lingering fear.
"In that case, let them evacuate! Explore other directions instead." Vice Admiral Tsuru said.
Standing nearby, she wore a solemn expression.
If the situation spiraled out of control, staying to watch would be unwise.
Even observing from here could endanger their lives, let alone the other Marines.
There was no point in lingering.
Mythical Beast Island had more to offer beyond the Thousand-Year Forest Ridge.
Other areas could be explored.
"Well! Sakazuki is heading toward the Magma Cave. I'll go join the fun." Kizaru said.
"Then, Tsuru-san, my subordinates are under your command for now." he added smoothly, abandoning his usual slow tone.
Without waiting for Tsuru's refusal, he transformed into light and sped away.
"Sakazuki?" Tsuru murmured.
Recalling Akainu's brooding aura, she felt a twinge of concern for his state.
It would be good for Borsalino to check on him.
But was Borsalino dodging his subordinates? How unreliable!
Looking at the large group of Marines around her, Tsuru felt a headache coming on.
Elsewhere, on a floating Sky Island far from Mythical Beast Island, Shiki the Golden Lion stood up as he saw Bullet activate this form.
"That guy Bullet has no restraint. If this continues, it'll cause great harm to Mythical Beast Island."
Orochimaru, standing beside him, glanced at Shiki the Golden Lion with a teasing look.
Shiki the Golden Lion appeared slightly embarrassed.
He hadn't spoken when the Nine Tails Fire Fox unleashed its power.
Yet, when Bullet did, he seemed deeply concerned.
His double standard was evident.
Of course, Bullet's ultimate move would indeed be more destructive.
However, Mythical Beast Island, shaped by Orochimaru, had a self-defense mechanism.
Shiki the Golden Lion knew this but was merely seeking an excuse to visit the island.
He coveted Mythical Beast Island.
He always felt it was within his grasp.
Allowing others to exploit it freely pained his heart.
"Go if you want, Shiki-san. You know I don't mind." Orochimaru said.
His magnetic, low voice resonated.
Shiki the Golden Lion grinned and said, "Jiehahaha! Orochimaru, then I'll go catch up with old friends."
He leaped through the window and soared into the sky.
His lion-like golden hair flowed wildly, gleaming brilliantly.
Watching Shiki the Golden Lion's departing figure, Orochimaru shook his head.
Without dwelling on it, he refocused on the mirror.
On Mythical Beast Island, the battle continued.
Rumble!
Aizen retreated a distance using Shunpo.
He gazed at the massive figure before him, resembling a war fortress.
Countless gun muzzles fired in all directions.
The terrifying scene was daunting.
From the figure, a thunderous voice boomed.
"Aizen, come feel my true strength!" Bullet roared.
With his frenzied cry, countless cannons aimed at Aizen's position.
Firelight gleamed in the endless muzzles.
Massive bullet-shaped cannonballs surged forward, swarming out.
Aizen faced the endless firelight above.
This time, he did not let Bullet attack freely.
"Bakudō 81: Splitting Void." (Dankū, Airtight)
A massive, transparent wall formed in front of him.
Rumble!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As Splitting Void expanded, dense explosions rang out.
Fire, smoke, and shockwaves spread endlessly.
The ground before Aizen was quickly blasted into a massive crater by the relentless bombardment.
Aizen, standing behind the barrier, had no ground to stand on.
Fortunately, he didn't need one, hovering effortlessly in mid-air.
Click! Click! Click!
In a short time, the Splitting Void emitted an overwhelmed groan.
The barrier, built on spiritual power, had its limits.
It could block two, three, or even four waves of Bullet's attacks, but it couldn't withstand his relentless firepower.
The towering figure was bristling with countless muzzles—hundreds, thousands, perhaps ten thousand.
Each wave, fired every second, unleashed over ten attacks.
The impact was fearsome, compounded by the explosions' secondary effects and high temperatures.
Such intense firepower would force even a demon Apostle to retreat temporarily.
No one dared confront it head-on.
Under this onslaught, even Aizen couldn't fully protect himself a single Bakudō.
Seeing this, Aizen grew intrigued and prepared to engage Bullet further.
Whoosh!
In an instant, he used Shunpo to ascend into the sky.
Bullet's artillery had a flaw.
Adjusting tens of thousands of muzzles took time.
For the strong, this brief window was enough to launch a powerful counterattack.
Normally, Bullet mitigated this by aiming muzzles in various directions.
But Aizen's pressure had been too great.
Most muzzles were aimed downward, leaving only a few aligned with Aizen.
These posed no threat to him.
"Hadō 88: Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon." Aizen intoned.
A massive blue light erupted.
A blinding beam shot from his hand.
The sky-piercing light cannon surged toward Bullet's colossal form.
The battle shifted from defense to offense.
( End of this chapter )