Full strength

"It seems like Nicholas has joined forces with you, Dragon."

Shanks looked at Charlotte Linlin in the distance, writhing in agony. Her eyes were now hollow sockets with pinkish muscles squirming, and blood streamed down her cheeks, making her appearance especially terrifying.

Losing both eyes had sent Charlotte Linlin into a frenzy. The loss of vision and the excruciating pain made her nearly forget she still had the power of Observation Haki.

"Nicholas, I'm going to kill you!"

"Mom! Don't go that way!"

"There's nothing there, Mom!"

Thundercloud Zeus and Prometheus kept shouting at the blinded and rampaging Linlin.

Bullet, however, ignored the rampaging Charlotte Linlin and coldly focused on Nicholas.

An intense aura of violence radiated from Bullet, with black and red lightning crackling all over him.

"Not striking earlier… is that confidence?"

Nicholas looked at Bullet and spoke. During the earlier attack when he gouged out Linlin's eyes, Bullet could have intervened but chose not to.

"For me, it only counts if I defeat you with my own hands."

The thought of Nicholas's strength filled Bullet with a hard-to-describe excitement. Adrenaline and dopamine surged through him. Crushing the strong was Bullet's very purpose for living.

Bang!

Bullet suddenly stomped down, the ground cracking beneath him with a dull thud.

In an instant, Bullet's figure shot forward like a black shadow, appearing right in front of Nicholas.

A massive fist cloaked in ghostly energy tore through the air, aiming directly at Nicholas's face.

This punch perfectly demonstrated Bullet's overwhelming prowess in hand-to-hand combat in both strength and speed.

But Nicholas had no intention of dodging.

With Bullet's relentless strikes, Nicholas's figure was shredded into pieces.

Yet, Bullet's face showed no thrill, only growing anger.

"Nicholas, are you only going to hide? Fight me like a man!"

Bullet roared furiously at the shattered ground.

"Bullet, after all your battles, you're still so naive? Or did growing stronger make you forget what you learned on the battlefield? In war, only those who survive are the victors."

As Nicholas's words echoed, countless bolts of lightning once again converged in the distance, reforming his image.

"Naive…"

Bullet's anger abruptly halted, replaced by silence.

"Are you… underestimating me?"

Bullet stared at Nicholas.

"No, no."

Nicholas shook his head and calmly replied, "To be precise, I don't consider you worth my attention. A beast that only knows how to fight is dangerous, but not enough to make me take it seriously."

"…"

Bullet fell silent once more.

And Nicholas's words, transmitted through the visual Den Den Mushi, reached the ears of every audience member watching the broadcast.

"What does that guy mean?"

"He means he doesn't take Bullet seriously at all, like he's saying Bullet might be dangerous but not much."

"Huh? Are you kidding me? He doesn't take a monster like Bullet seriously? How arrogant is that?"

"But he just blinded Charlotte Linlin."

"I refuse to believe he's that strong, able to ignore a powerhouse like Bullet."

"But he just blinded Charlotte Linlin."

"If he's really that powerful, then what's the point of the Four Emperors? Sounds like he's just boasting."

"But he just blinded Charlotte Linlin."

"Can you stop repeating yourself? I know he just blinded Charlotte Linlin!"

...

In the flagship conference room of the Navy Grand Fleet.

The cabin was silent.

The elite navy officers gathered here were all quietly watching the live broadcast.

"What do you all think… is he serious or just bluffing?"

After a while, Vice Admiral Tsuru slowly broke the silence and asked the group.

No one answered. Given Nicholas's performance since the start of the battle, they couldn't accurately gauge his strength anymore.

In fact, many subconsciously began to believe Nicholas wasn't bluffing.

After all, he was holding his own against two powerhouses, even managing to blind one of the Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin—all evidence in favor of his claim.

...

"Yes, this is war. The enemy won't go easy on you."

After a brief pause, Bullet spoke again. The ground beneath him suddenly cracked and lifted.

Moments later, a submarine shaped like a whale emerged from underground, with Bullet standing on top.

Bullet then activated his ability. His legs fused with the submarine, which quickly transformed into a giant robot.

This was not the extent of Bullet's power. If he wanted, he could merge the ships and debris scattered along the shoreline to create an even larger form.

But it wasn't necessary…

Such a gigantic form was more suited for large-scale warfare, not this kind of battle.

"Come on, show me your full power, Nicholas!"

Bullet's voice boomed from inside the robot.

Nicholas sighed as he looked at the robot before him.

"Alright, as you wish."

As Nicholas's voice fell, a massive lightning bolt, hundreds of meters wide, struck down from the sky, engulfing him.

Moments later, Nicholas reappeared, stepping out from the lightning, with countless bolts dancing around him, forming intricate tattoos on his skin. His hair flowed behind him as if it were pure energy.

A terrifying aura surrounded him, causing the debris around him to levitate and disintegrate into dust.

From within the robot, Bullet's expression turned serious.

He could feel Nicholas's power growing even stronger. His beast-like instincts were warning him of a deadly threat.

"So this is your true power?!"

Bullet controlled the robot, leaping high into the air and raising a massive fist. He concentrated all his Haki into the punch, black and red lightning crackling across it.

As Bullet's enhanced punch bore down on him, Nicholas's gaze remained calm as he simply reached out his right hand.

The colossal fist and Nicholas's palm collided.

To everyone's surprise, the giant fist couldn't advance at all against Nicholas's palm.

Crack, crack—

With a sound like shattering glass, the space between them fractured.

Visible white fissures spread from where their blows met.

At the same time, Nicholas suddenly clenched his outstretched palm.

A grating metallic sound followed.

With Nicholas's movement, the giant robot began to crumble from its arm, quickly spreading across its entire body.

When the robot was completely disintegrated, Bullet's figure emerged, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"What kind of power is this?!"

Bullet stared at Nicholas, eyes full of shock. Inside the robot, as Nicholas moved, he felt an overwhelming force twisting and compressing the space around him—so powerful even his Haki couldn't block it.

If not for his strong physique and quick escape from the robot, he was certain he would have been torn apart by that force.

This scene was broadcast worldwide via the Den Den Mushi.

As the world watched Nicholas, who seemed almost divine in power, everything fell silent.