Staring ahead, Barrett furrowed his brow. He was someone with vast battle experience and had seen all kinds of situations.
Though the environment here was complex and visibility was poor, it wasn't enough to make someone like Barrett frown.
What truly bothered him was that he couldn't pinpoint Jon's location. Even with his Observation Haki, he was unable to detect Jon's exact position.
After their brief skirmish, Barrett had already dropped his underestimation. Of the many strong opponents he had faced during his years of conquest, Jon ranked among the top—someone he had to take seriously.
Inside the chaos, Saul and Dominok had led their remaining comrades far from the battlefield.
"I wonder what's happening in there. Why does it seem so quiet all of a sudden?"
Ever since the massive wooden giant had collapsed, there was nothing but thick black smoke and swirling dust. They could no longer see anything, and now there was no sound either—causing them to worry deeply.
Saul said in his deep voice, "No movement isn't necessarily bad. That Barrett guy hasn't emerged, so he's likely still tangled up with Jon, which means Jon should be okay for now."
Dominok muttered, frustrated, "Damn it, these youngsters today are all monsters. I've been a Marine for decades, and now I have to rely on a junior to save me. What a disgrace."
Saul just chuckled, saying nothing. As a giant who had lived even longer, he had already seen past such matters. Face or no face—it didn't matter to him anymore.
Clap!
A sudden clapping sound echoed through the smoke. Barrett immediately honed in on it and shot forward like an arrow.
But when he reached the source, his face darkened—it wasn't Jon waiting for him, but a massive wooden palm that smacked him away the moment he arrived.
Barrett shook his head and got back up, his expression even darker. The poor visibility was clearly a disadvantage to him.
Enraged, Barrett forced himself to calm down. Jon could locate him accurately, but his Observation Haki couldn't do the same for Jon—putting him at a severe disadvantage.
"I want to see how long you can hide."
Barrett snorted coldly and stopped rushing. The Navy was here to capture him; there was no way Jon had more patience than him.
But as he waited, he suddenly caught a strange scent. "What is that smell?"
He quickly realized something was wrong. The feeling of numbness returned—but unlike before, when it was just fatigue, this time his strength felt suppressed.
"Pollen… it's poisonous!"
Barrett held his breath immediately, but he had already inhaled a large amount. His body was now numb. Though not paralyzed, his sensory ability had significantly dropped.
Whoosh!
A sudden burst of air shot toward Barrett. It struck him and then split into multiple bamboo spears.
Clang! Clang!
This time, the bamboo spears and air bullet combo didn't work. Even though Barrett was poisoned, he was still alert enough to coat himself in Armament Haki and defend against the attack.
"You coward," Barrett mocked. "Using poison to weaken me and still too afraid to fight close-range? You don't deserve that kind of power."
This wasn't a provocation. Barrett genuinely believed it. As someone who pursued absolute strength, he looked down on timid tactics.
He twitched his ears, picking up on strange noises again—something approaching.
Clang, clang, clang…
More metallic clashing. Even now, Barrett managed to keep his Armament Haki active.
Whether Jon was using flying knives or whip-like branches, none of it could break through Barrett's defenses. At most, they bruised and battered him, but nothing critical.
Still, if Barrett became accustomed to the pollen's effects, this advantage would disappear.
Tap tap, tap tap!
Barrett suddenly looked up and spotted a shadow in front of him. He grinned.
"So you've finally shown yourself."
"I had to. You're way too tough. From a distance, there's no way to hurt you."
Jon stepped forward. Though his plant powers were strong, against a top-tier fighter like Barrett, they weren't enough on their own.
He had already maxed out the poison pollen tactic, but Barrett hadn't died—he still had plenty of fight left. Clearly, that wouldn't cut it.
To Jon, this Barrett—who appeared in the film version—was almost like a cheat character. His durability was insane. After testing every trick he had, Jon realized he had to resort to something simpler.
"Armament!"
No more words. Jon coated his fists in Armament Haki and launched himself at Barrett like a bullet.
Barrett tried to move, but in his current state, he couldn't evade Jon's speed.
Boom!
Jon's punch landed square on Barrett's face. Even with Haki defense, Barrett spat blood from the impact.
And that was just the beginning.
Jon pounded Barrett like a training dummy, blow after blow landing on him. Though Barrett was bleeding all over and visibly weakened, he still didn't fall.
"What the hell is this guy made of? Even after all this, he's not critically injured?"
Jon's mind reeled. Barrett was by far the toughest opponent he'd ever fought. With his absurdly high durability and Haki, he had taken hundreds of Jon's strikes and survived.
In the movie, Barrett could withstand Luffy's Fourth Gear attacks. Maybe he wasn't quite there yet, but he was terrifying nonetheless.
Despite the low damage output, Jon refused to stop. He didn't believe anyone was truly invincible. If he hit the right spot enough times, he was sure he could bring Barrett down.
Then, after landing another heavy blow—
Barrett suddenly looked up. His face was covered in blood, but he grinned menacingly.
"Crap—!"
Jon's pupils shrank. He tried to dodge, but Barrett's incoming punch was fast and brutal.
BOOM!
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