106. Kizaru, Marine Intervenes

Armament Haki's wrapped arms sliced through the air swiftly, igniting fierce flames of high temperature.

As the Conqueror's Haki twisted around, the flames took the form of two dark pillars reminiscent of hellfire.

The flames crashed into Bullet's sturdy steel giant.

The intense heat enveloped the entire steel behemoth.

Boom.

The massive steel giant, now a burning black fireball, hurtled hundreds of meters away, crashing into a hill.

If Zoro and Hawkeye's duel is elegance mixed with violence, then Luffy and Bullet's clash is sheer brutality. It's a collision of pure destructive force capable of shattering the world.

Their battle leaves the land pockmarked with craters, a testament to its ferocity.

"Wow, that's powerful."

The steel giant extracted itself from the hill.

Bullet, atop the Iron Giant, grinned.

Luffy's punch had left a massive dent in the iron giant's body, the high temperature even slightly melting its hard steel exterior.

Even the Armament Haki coating was shattered by the blow.

"So, this is the fist that took down the Four Emperors?"

Bullet's fighting spirit intensified, feeling the rush of excitement that only intense combat can bring.

Born and raised on the battlefield, Bullet had no friends, family, or memories worth recalling. War was his life, his purpose.

In the never-ending wars of his homeland, strength was everything.

"Give me more! Let me revel in the agony of battle!"

Bullet's eyes gleamed with madness.

A purple aura enveloped his body, swiftly healing the dent on the Iron Giant and restoring the shattered Armament Haki.

"This is my Gasha Gasha no Mi Fruit. As long as you don't completely destroy my steel body, I'm unbeatable!"

Bullet exclaimed triumphantly.

The essence of the Gasha Gasha no Mi Fruit allowed him to rearrange and merge inorganic substances at will, granting him unparalleled resilience.

A dent in the steel? No big deal.

Unless it's melted down completely, any surface damage won't faze Bullet.

Since awakening, he can rearrange even without touching with his hands, as long as his purple aura covers it.

With his power, even scrap metal can bounce back instantly like memory foam.

"That's insane, his Devil Fruit power."

Usopp couldn't help but exclaim.

Bullet's combat prowess now seems even scarier than the Admirals during the Summit War. He's a true monster.

Even compared to the original Big Mom, Bullet's presence feels more oppressive.

"No, it's not just the fruit's power. It's Bullet himself, worthy of being Whitebeard's successor, to reach this level," Marco said gravely.

He can see it clearly.

The real power lies not just in the steel giant created by the Fusion Fruit but in Bullet's terrifying and boundless Armament Haki.

Armament Haki, like all forms of Haki, has its limits.

Even the Four Emperors are no exception. Even someone as strong as Luffy has his limits with Armament Haki. Once depleted, it takes time to recharge.

Even the strongest fighters can't use Haki recklessly. It's tied to their physical condition.

Just like my father during the Summit War, his body deteriorated, and using Haki wasn't as easy as when he was younger.

Conqueror's Haki needs fighters like Luffy and Rayleigh to handle the lesser foes.

But Bullet is different. Marco can't fathom how strong his body truly is, and his Armament Haki is beyond imagination.

Just covering his massive form in Armament Haki alone is impressive. Each layer is incredibly potent, making him a fearsome opponent.

If Luffy used Haki like Bullet does, he'd tire out quickly.

And Bullet's Armament Haki is even stronger than Luffy's. If it weren't for Luffy's superior Conqueror's Haki and fruit flexibility, Bullet could easily overpower him.

Right now, Bullet stands at the pinnacle of the sea.

He's on par with the Four Emperors.

Even stronger, he's got the strength to vie for the title of the world's strongest.

"That's tough, you jerk," Luffy muttered as he watched Bullet bounce back instantly, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

While Bullet's current destructive power might not match the original Big Mom's, overall, he's definitely above her.

He's faster and less predictable, has stronger Armament Haki, and has a more resilient Devil Fruit ability.

A complete powerhouse with no weaknesses.

"Straw hat, show me what you've got. Put more pressure on me," Bullet challenged, landing a punch on Luffy that sent shockwaves through the ground, causing it to cave in.

During this, the massive robot he controlled was evolving.

Under the purple light, it shrunk, becoming more humanoid and its movements more agile.

It's a terrifying evolution that raises the difficulty of facing Bullet to new heights.

Luffy realizes how challenging it is to deal with a genius fighter like himself who can adapt so quickly in battle.

"Here's something fun for you, Straw Hat," Bullet chuckled maniacally.

His humanoid robot, now with four arms, all coated in powerful Armament Haki, started to transform.

The purple light covered its body, allowing him to manipulate its shape at will.

He could extend his arms instantly for a wider attack range or dent parts of his body to lessen the impact.

But soon, he abandoned the defensive tactics.

He noticed Luffy's Observation Haki was superior, so he opted for straightforward, violent suppression.

"Luffy, being suppressed?" Sanji was surprised.

Even against the Four Emperors, Luffy could hold his own effortlessly. To see him being pushed back by Bullet was unimaginable.

"It's no surprise. Douglas Bullet, the prodigy from the Roger Pirates era, is the most talented monster of his time. It's only natural for him to reach this level," World remarked calmly.

"That guy's talent could make him the strongest in the world. That's not surprising," he added.

"It's more surprising that the brat wearing Roger's straw hat could reach this level. After all, he's our captain. How could he stop now?" Sanji said confidently.

"Perhaps it's the era of newcomers, the era of great pirates started by the Roger Pirates. Boring as it may be, it has produced a group of monsters," World said calmly, his expression unchanged.

He wasn't spurred to attack the Straw Hat Pirates because of Bullet. It was just a debt he wanted to cash in to strike a blow against the World Government.

After realizing Sanji's strength wasn't inferior, he didn't force the issue. He's old, after all.

At seventy-eight, he's considered ancient in the world, except for giants.

At his age, maintaining such combat prowess is fueled by his thirst for revenge.

He doesn't have the energy to fight these young, peak performers to the death.

As long as Sanji doesn't intervene against Bullet, he's content to watch.

"You're a monster too," Sanji thought to himself, looking at World.

This old man, possibly around eighty, still boasts terrifying combat abilities.

Especially that strange Devil Fruit power.

It's all thanks to that weird Devil Fruit power.

World managed to maintain his strength even as his body aged and his Haki weakened.

Even his Observation Haki, which can see into the future, struggled to keep up with the sudden bursts of speed from the Moa Moa no Mi Fruit's acceleration.

It's hard to fathom how formidable World was in his prime.

But if Sanji knows about World's treatment during his arrest as a young man, he might understand just how powerful this old man is.

Byrnndi World, the World Destroyer.

The World Government went to great lengths to capture this legendary pirate.

They enlisted the help of Marines and pirates alike, deploying Sengoku and Garp together, along with CP's covert operations, to apprehend him.

Even on the sixth floor of Impel Down, they attempted to freeze him permanently in ice.

What Sanji is facing now is a World that's been frozen for thirty years and weakened by age.

The abilities of the Moa Moa no Mi Fruit are undeniably twisted, making it one of the most bizarre Paramecia fruits out there.

Meanwhile, amidst the fierce battle on Luffy's side, atop a distant hill, a man in a white suit, cloak, and mask observes the scene.

"The Straw Hat Crew and the remnants of the White Beard have joined forces," the Cipher Pol (CP) member says into a small phone bug.

These bugs can transmit information even in places with poor magnetic fields, like Wano, to the first half of the Grand Line.

Members of CP are scattered across the world, with even the secretive Wano infiltrated by their agents.

With the conflict escalating between the Revolutionaries and the Straw Hat Crew, the Five Elders were alarmed, dispatching CP and Marines to join forces.

"I understand," Sengoku acknowledges from Marineford, hanging up the bug.

He furrows his brow in thought, then retrieves another phone bug.

"I am Sengoku. The battle for Wano has commenced. You are the frontline. Be ready to act, but remember, don't intervene unless both sides are significantly weakened."

"If necessary, retreat immediately."

"This operation falls under your command, Kizaru."

Sengoku muttered under his breath.

"I see, Mr. Sengoku," the phone bug replied with a smirk.

"Let's hope for a favourable outcome," it added, with a hint of lewdness.

After hanging up, Sengoku paced around his office, deep in thought.

It's a gamble.

If they win, the Marines might apprehend key members of the White Beard and Straw Hat Pirates, weakening their forces.

If they lose, they can always retreat, relying on the Straw Hat Pirates and the White Beard remnant's strength after their gruelling battle.

"It's a shame Sakazuki and Kuzan's fight isn't settled yet. We could use two more top players, and we'd have to keep forces to guard against Golden Lion Shiki's side. It's currently deemed the most dangerous area in the world by the Marines and World Government," Sengoku mused.

"You're overthinking it, Sengoku," Garp interjected, munching on senbei. "You're making my head spin."

"Damn it, it's not your grandson's fault," Sengoku snapped at the leisurely Garp. "And why am I so busy while you're lounging around eating senbei and drinking tea?"

"Because I'm retired," Garp retorted matter-of-factly. "I can choose not to bring recruits or even not to work at all. With my status, who's going to question it?"

"Damn it, I'd be retired too if Sakazuki and Kuzan's fight had a winner already," Sengoku lamented.

"Asshole," he muttered under his breath, then seized all the senbei from Garp's hand and started munching on them.

"My senbei! Bastard Sengoku, what have you done?" Garp exclaimed in frustration.

As the two high-ranking Marines bickered outside the waters around Wano, several warships were docked.

These were the warships arranged by Naval Headquarters in anticipation of the impending conflict between the Straw Hat Crew and the Cross Union.

"Are you ready to act?" Fujitora asked, a rebellious expression on his face.

"Ah, it's such a hassle. I really don't want to get involved in this mess," Kizaru scratched his head, showing some reluctance.

Dealing with the Cross Union and the Straw Hat Pirates wasn't easy—they were all formidable opponents.

"I mean, Borsalino, are you really an Admiral? You seem too soft. Pirates should be crushed," Fujitora remarked, looking at Kizaru in surprise. "Just like we stomp on other creatures to survive in this sea, if we want to thrive, we should crush those weaker than us."

"It's your Marines who aren't as tough as Sakazuki, which emboldens the pirates," Sengoku accused disdainfully.

His idol was Akainu, and he admired his tough and uncompromising approach.

Of course, he didn't join the Marines solely because of Akainu. It was his belief in the law of the jungle: the strong should dominate the weak.

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