At that moment, almost the whole island was cloaked in a black-and-crimson backdrop. The pressure of the Haoshoku Haki made space itself feel stagnant.
The two men standing in the field locked eyes, their gazes colliding as if sparks were flashing in the void.
Bullet's eyes, like a demon's, were especially ferocious and bloodshot. The aura surrounding him had already reached its absolute limit.
He could not accept the brief yet earth-shattering defeat that had struck deep into his heart.
"Roar!"
A thunderous, low growl erupted as Bullet suddenly kicked off the ground. His figure vanished in an instant.
At the same time, Kojin, who was standing directly in front of him, moved as well, also disappearing.
Their speed was inconceivable, clearly showing that both their Rokushiki had reached a superhuman level.
"Shua!"
Less than 0.1 seconds later, the two appeared face to face.
Bullet's eyes burned with rage, and his face twisted as he threw a violent punch.
Kojin grinned broadly. His right fist clenched tightly, producing a faint cracking sound as black-and-crimson lightning flickered into existence.
In the next instant, their fists collided head-on.
"Bang!"
A dull explosion rang out before a shockwave burst forth in a circular ripple laced with dense lightning, sweeping violently in all directions.
Bullet's expression changed drastically. His right arm, coated in Busoshoku (Armament) Haki, cracked and shattered instantly under the force of the impact, unable to withstand the terrifying force surging from his opponent.
"Haoshoku-infused Haki!" He roared inwardly. This was the same power he had once felt from Roger.
In the very next second, an even more overwhelming force came crashing in. Black-and-crimson lightning surged wildly, threatening to travel up his arm and engulf his entire body.
Bullet's body shuddered, and he reflexively retreated at top speed.
"Boom!"
He fell heavily to the ground, his immense weight causing the earth beneath him to cave in.
Crocodile took a drag from his cigar as he stared fixedly at Bullet's right arm. After just one exchange, the arm hung limp and powerless; it looked completely ruined.
It was obvious that in that brief clash, Kojin's strength had been utterly overwhelming.
"Hahahahaha! Compared to last time, Bullet, your reactions are sharper!" Kojin laughed loudly as he spoke.
He stomped hard in midair, shifting position as he appeared above Bullet. He clenched his right hand into a fist, drawing his arm back as he entered a charging stance.
Bullet's expression changed slightly. He had already experienced the terrifying might of that fist firsthand.
A red glow flickered in his eyes as he predicted what would happen next.
Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki).
Almost immediately afterwards, a sharp, violent gale crashed down from above. The air pressure in the void shifted dramatically as black-and-crimson lightning shot downwards.
Kojin moved as fast as lightning, swinging his fist downwards with great force.
"Buzz...!"
The air howled like thunder. Lightning flared as a ferocious impact slammed down over an area spanning several thousand meters.
Bullet's body moved, retreating rapidly to evade the impact. He could clearly see the ground, trees, and grasslands shattering inch by inch before him, collapsing into chaos like a broken mirror, the cracks spreading at a terrifying speed.
Fast! Everything was moving far too fast!
And this meant that the destructive power of that punch was terrifying.
"This guy...!"
Bullet's heart trembled.
During the direct confrontation, he could feel the overwhelming pressure emanating from his opponent. Every single breath felt like being crushed by countless mountains.
His opponent's iron fists were incomparably violent, his speed like flashes of lightning, and his attack rhythm like a raging storm.
It was only the second exchange, yet he could only dodge!
"Hahahahaha!"
At that moment, the loud laughter rang out from above once more, and immediately afterwards, an overwhelming, terrifying pressure bore down on him.
Looking up, Bullet saw a black and crimson sky laced with lightning and a fist swinging down at him with brutal force.
The sight caused his pupils to shrink violently.
He already realized that in this extremely short span of time, he had already retreated nearly two thousand meters from his original position, yet his opponent was clearly even faster than him!
"Fist Bone · Aerolite!" Kojin laughed loudly as he attacked.
Black-and-crimson lightning burst forth from his right fist, rolling with crushing force as it descended straight towards Bullet.
"Bang!"
The punch plunged downward. Even though it was still dozens of meters away from the ground, the shockwave it produced erupted in less than one ten-thousandth of a second. Endless dust and debris were swept up as weeds were ripped from the ground, and like a massive boulder crashing into the center of a lake, ripples spread across the earth in layers.
Bullet's entire body nearly twisted as he was smashed straight into the ground, embedded without the slightest pause.
His consciousness instantly fell into nothingness.
Before losing consciousness, this iron-willed man, who had devoted his life to pursuing strength, was still filled with shock and terror akin to facing a natural disaster.
That fist carrying black-and-crimson lightning made him feel as though he was facing another Roger!
The same unstoppable momentum. The same overwhelming, domineering power!
Defeated, he was utterly and completely defeated!
At the same time, Bullet's unwillingness finally turned to submission. Faced with that terrifying power, he felt an irresistible fear rise within him.
Three punches!
This time, it took just three punches!
Kojin landed on the shattered ground, his white cloak fluttering behind him as he looked down.
"Take him away, Crocodile San! This guy's tough-skinned and thick-boned, he shouldn't be dead!"
Crocodile walked over, exhaling a smoke ring. With a movement of his hand, he lifted Bullet's blood-soaked, broken-bone-riddled body.
Then he swept his gaze across the surroundings.
When he saw the two massive craters, each spanning several thousand meters as if struck by meteors, his eyes narrowed slightly. The shattered trees in the surrounding forest were especially shocking.
Three punches had completely altered this island's ecological environment.
"So this is the power of the world's top-tier fighters…" Crocodile murmured as he took another drag from his cigar.
He recalled his former self, who had once dreamed of challenging Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.
'Did that man also possess such power?'
The two of them returned to the battleship. When the rest of the crew saw Bullet covered in blood, they were left speechless.
"Sir, didn't you say we were going to recruit someone this time?"
"Is this guy dead?"
"With all the bones in his body broken, even if he doesn't die, he's basically finished."
"The famous Douglas Bullet, reduced to such a miserable state when facing the senior officer…"
"Senior Officer Kojin, just how strong are you?"
The officers exclaimed one after another.
Kojin waved his hand. "He should still be salvageable. This guy has a good physique, once he's fixed up, he can still be used!"
After a brief pause, he grinned.
"I believe this time he'll truly be convinced!"
A short while later, everyone who examined Bullet let out sounds of amazement.
"His constitution is unbelievable!"
"He's far too robust, he must have fought in tens of thousands of battles."
"Maybe... he really can survive."
Three days later, Bullet opened his eyes.
This devil-like man then instantly locked his gaze onto the Marine Rear Admiral, who was standing with his back to him.
(End of Chapter)
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