"Fuck! That's a good sentence!" Someone muttered in disbelief. Even after going back and thinking it over, the reaction stayed the same. Speechless.
Katakuri stood calmly amid all the gathered powers, his sharp gaze sweeping the battlefield as he searched for a chance to reclaim the Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale.
But as his eyes passed over the Marines, he exhaled quietly. With Kizaru's speed, there was almost no chance of getting the Eternal Pose back before Marine hands snatched it.
"Oh? Hawkeye. Boa Hancock. As Shichibukai, are you planning to help us Marines this time?" Kizaru asked lazily, tilting his head.
"Just watching the fun," Hawkeye replied.
"Looking for someone," Hancock added.
"Well, as long as neither of you want the Eternal Pose, I won't complain," Kizaru sighed.
His gaze lifted toward Marco. "What about you? Do the Whitebeard Pirates and Big Mom Pirates want to join in too?"
"Don't pin it on us, Kizaru," Marco chuckled. "Like Hawkeye, I'm just here to enjoy the show.
But judging from your lineup, it sure looks like everyone's aiming for the Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale."
Their banter filled the air while, below them, the supernovas Bullet had crushed began waking up one by one.
Pain pulsed through their bodies. Faces pale, voices weak, they instinctively gathered together as the figures surrounding them grew more and more overwhelming.
"You bastard!" Luffy shouted at Bullet, gripping his stomach.
"Luffy, don't rush in," Zoro warned sharply, pulling him back.
Everyone understood now. This was no longer their battlefield.
Shichibukai, Marines, Emperors' crews… too many giants had stepped in.
Even with numbers, the supernovas were the weakest group present.
None of them could even see Bullet in a real fight.
"Bullet, I didn't expect you to be the mastermind behind this Expo," Kizaru said with uncharacteristic seriousness.
"Hahaha! Kizaru, I didn't expect Marine to send you here either! We only separated recently."
"Not even a month," Kizaru recalled, rubbing his chin.
"Then we must be destined enemies," Bullet sneered.
The two talked casually, completely ignoring the newly awakened supernovas, as though discussing homework rather than a battle.
"For your captain's sake, we won't make things hard for you," Kizaru said lightly. "Hand over the Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale and we'll leave."
Inwardly, his headache grew.
He had thought this mission would be simple.
He never imagined Bullet was the mastermind.
Bullet didn't scare him.
Ayanami Kaito and Redfield did.
Kaito, a man capable of overturning all of Marine HQ alone.
Redfield, a legendary lone pirate who kept pace with the Whitebeard and Roger crews decades ago.
Even Kizaru couldn't match either of them.
Not even Sengoku wanted to provoke those two. Kizaru was sure that once the Fleet Admiral learned Bullet was behind all this, he'd make the same choice: avoid unnecessary conflict.
"Captain? Don't worry," Bullet laughed. "Everything today was arranged by me alone. The captain already allowed it, meaning he won't know or interfere with anything happening here."
Bullet grinned as he raised the Eternal Pose in his palm.
"You want this Eternal Pose? Defeat me."
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Not for the Eternal Pose.
For the question burning in everyone's mind.
Who… is Bullet's captain?
If Bullet alone possessed power equal to an Admiral, able to rebel against any order, then who was strong enough to command such a monster?
Two Emperors remained in the New World—but could any of them truly control Bullet?
Before anyone could settle on an answer, Bullet threw back his head and roared.
The sound pulsed outward like a shockwave, rippling across the entire Treasure Island.
"Fine! I'll show you my true strength! Today, only one person on this island survives! And that person is ME!"
His voice, dripping with arrogance and killing intent, made even the strongest frown.
Hum!
A heavy ripple burst from his body, expanding across the battlefield in an instant.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
A terrifying suction force erupted outward.
Marine battleships, pirate ships, rubble, buildings—all were dragged toward Bullet as though swallowed by a vortex.
His body began expanding, swelling at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In moments, a towering giant composed of earth and debris loomed over the island.
"In order to make you happy, I skipped the basic fruit ability and went straight to awakening!" Bullet's voice echoed from within the armored giant. "Be grateful! I'm sending you straight to hell!"
Another hum resonated.
A dark blue surge of Armament Haki erupted, flooding across the colossal structure, coating the giant entirely.
The hardened aura wrapped around it like a dark sea of steel.
"What a terrifying guy," Kizaru whispered. "This giant's not any smaller than that captain's giant."
"This… what is this…?" Luffy's expression hardened. "It's huge. And… strong."
"Zoro, Usopp, everyone—if he moves, we run!" Luffy warned. "That giant is insane!"
"Idiot!" Kid snapped with an ugly scowl. "Who the hell would've guessed something this terrifying was hiding behind the Expo?!"
High overhead, Marco hovered in phoenix form.
"So big. And that pressure… tsk. No wonder they call him the Devil's Descendant," he murmured.
Katakuri swallowed hard, his complexion pale.
"Cracker, get our younger siblings back to the ship," Katakuri ordered. "Or at least far from here. You won't be able to participate in this battle."
"Got it, Katakuri-san!" Cracker nodded, summoning a Biscuit Soldier and moving quickly.
A rebellious voice boomed from above.
"Trying to leave? Did I say you could? Your corpse will test the strength of my fist!"
A massive blue-coated giant fist descended from the sky, crashing downward like a meteor.
WHAM!
The earth collapsed, impact waves tearing across the entire island like a plowing storm.
Wind pressure slashed outward, turning the gusts into razor-thin blades that shredded everything in their path.
On the battlefield, Katakuri planted himself beside Cracker, meeting the enormous fist with a hardened giant mochi fist of his own.
The collision detonated like thunder.
"That's right!" Bullet roared. "This is the strength of an Emperor's right hand!"
A piercing birdsong echoed.
Cawoooo!
Blue flames crashed downward as massive phoenix claws raked across the giant's shoulder.
The impact tore open a large gap in the giant's arm.
Marco reverted to human form, his expression grave.
"Yeah… he's strong. Really strong."
Whoosh!
Light flashed from the distance, streaking toward the battlefield.
Marco's eyes narrowed and he darted away from the incoming beam.
---
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