"Hmph! 'War Fanatic' Douglas Bullet. Where's your captain, Kaido of the Beasts? He's not scared, is he? Did he specifically send you small fries with bounties not even reaching a hundred million to die in his place?" Though Dook III's tone was contemptuous, a wary glint flickered in his eyes.
Pre-war, Dook III could never have imagined the vast gap between the bounties the Marines had published for the Beasts Pirates and their actual combat strength. According to his original battle plan, the kingdom's several commanders would each deal with one of the Beasts Pirates' three top-tier pirates with bounties over a hundred million—King, Queen, and Kuzan—while he himself would face Kaido of the Beasts.
However, reality had dealt him a stunning blow. "Moonlight" Moria, with a mere 35 million Berry bounty, was already tying up the kingdom's strongest commander, Hain Becker, and from the look of the fight, Becker was clearly at a disadvantage. On another front, Powers was also being held back by some unknown swordsman.
What shocked Dook III even more was that the "War Fanatic" Bullet before him, with a bounty of only 45 million Berries, had just displayed strength far surpassing what his bounty should indicate. At this moment, Dook III wished he could personally slaughter those Marine officers who issued the bounties—the "low-bounty" members the Beasts Pirates had sent were already giving the Duchy of Dook a massive headache, let alone the fact that the enemy still had more high-tier combatants who hadn't even appeared.
"Hahaha, dealing with trash like you doesn't warrant the Captain's personal attention. Remember this: I am now 'Armament' Douglas Bullet, one of the four All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates!" Bullet strode confidently up to Dook III, arrogantly declaring his new status.
"Hmph, whether you're 'Armament' or 'Cannon Fodder,' today is the day you die!" Confirming that Kaido had not come personally, Dook III secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then issued his own threat to Bullet.
"Evans, leave this to me. Go support the other fronts," Dook III ordered his adjutant.
"As you command, Your Majesty," Evans acknowledged immediately and moved to leave.
However, he hadn't gotten far before Sebastian, wielding two flails, blocked his path.
"Well then, are you ready to die?"
Bullet cracked his neck, emitting a spine-chilling series of pops. His bloodshot eyes gleamed with a beast-like ferocity, his lips curling into a cruel arc. Before the words even faded, his figure vanished from sight like a ghost, leaving only a blurry afterimage in the air.
Dook III's pupils contracted sharply, his body instinctively tensing every muscle. He had experienced countless life-or-death battles, but the speed Bullet displayed still shook him. In that split second, he sensed a lethal pressure bearing down on him from the front.
"So fast!"
Dook III was inwardly shocked, but his body had already reacted on instinct. He took a deep breath, the Busoshoku Haki within his body instantly flowing to his right fist. Simultaneously, his Devil Fruit ability was fully activated. His entire right arm instantly burst into raging flames, the heat warping the air around it.
BOOM——!
Two iron fists, both wreathed in Busoshoku Haki, collided violently mid-air, unleashing a deafening explosion.
A wild shockwave exploded outwards from the two combatants, flinging gravel several meters into the air.
Soldiers standing relatively close were sent stumbling back by the blast wave; some even lost their footing and fell.
"Hahaha!"
Bullet let out a deranged laugh, bloodthirsty excitement gleaming in his eyes. His fists became a blur of afterimages, pouring down on Dook III like a storm. Each punch carried terrifying power enough to shatter mountains, the air screaming as it was compressed.
Dook III gritted his teeth, crossing his arms before his chest, barely managing to block the torrential onslaught. His feet carved two deep furrows into the ground as he was forced to retreat step by step. Sweat beaded on his skin only to be instantly vaporized by the intense heat radiating from his body, forming a thin mist over his skin.
"Damn it!"
Dook III realized that continuing to defend passively would only lead to ruin. He abruptly took a step back, creating some distance. The flames on his right fist suddenly blazed, forming a gigantic fire fist over five meters in diameter.
"Fire Fist!"
With a roar, the fireball, containing terrifying heat, shot towards Bullet, instantly engulfing his figure completely. The scorching flames baked the air for dozens of meters around to a blistering temperature. Sand and stones on the ground began to melt, forming a patch of glowing red.
Yet, not a trace of joy appeared on Dook III's face; instead, his expression grew even more severe. Because he knew clearly—Bullet's voice cut through like an arctic gale: "Rankyaku: Chaos!"
Before the words faded, over a dozen pitch-black vacuum slashes tore through the curtain of fire, screaming forth like scythes of death.
Where these slashes passed, the air was cut with sharp sonic booms, as if the very space was being rent open by dark fissures. Each slash contained terrifying power enough to slice steel in two, bearing down on Dook III with an overwhelming, crushing force.
Facing this lethal strike, Dook III appeared exceptionally calm. His right hand traced an elegant arc before him, blazing flames rapidly coalescing in his palm.
"Flame Dragon!" With a low shout, a vividly detailed giant dragon of fire soared into the sky. This dragon was over ten meters long, every scale formed of the purest flame, radiating suffocating heat that distorted the very air around it.
"BOOM——!"
The flame dragon and the vacuum slashes collided violently in mid-air, unleashing a world-shaking roar. A blinding flash of light instantly illuminated the entire battlefield. A turbulent storm of energy swept outwards, scouring the ground within a hundred-meter radius. Countless shattered fireballs scattered like meteors; pirates and soldiers unable to dodge in time were struck, letting out agonized, heart-rending screams.
Dook III gave his opponent no chance to recover. "Flame Bullet: Fire Meteor!" He spread his hands, and dense clusters of fireballs materialized all around him. With a sweep of his arms, these fireballs rained down on Bullet like a torrential downpour.
"Fire like this is only good for warming your hands by the hearth," Bullet snorted disdainfully, his right arm slashing out violently. A sharp vacuum slash shot forth, cleaving every incoming fireball in two. However, when he looked up, Dook III's figure had already vanished from its previous spot.
"Above!" Bullet snapped his head up to see Dook III, who had somehow leapt high into the air. His right hand was raised high, a colossal fireball dozens of meters in diameter coalescing in his palm, emitting a heart-stopping, intense heat.
"Flame Emperor: Celestial Fire Meteor!" With a furious roar, the gigantic fireball plummeted like a meteor.
"Run!"
"Get away from here!"
"Take cover!"
Pirates and kingdom soldiers on the battlefield fled in terror, fearing they would be caught in this world-obliterating strike.
"Heh! Now we're talking." A glint of excitement finally flashed in Bullet's eyes. Piercing cold air began to coalesce around his right leg. The surrounding temperature plummeted, and even the ground frosted over with a thin layer of ice.
"Rankyaku: Freezing Ice Bird!" With a fierce shout, his right leg kicked out fiercely. A giant ice bird, formed of freezing air and a vacuum slash, spread its wings and soared up to meet the descending fireball.
BOOM——!
The ultimate collision of fire and ice erupted in the sky, a deafening explosion echoing through the heavens. A violent blast wave surged outwards, causing even people dozens of meters away to stagger, tossed about by the shockwave.
Scorching flames and piercing cold devoured each other, forming a spectacular vortex of energy in mid-air, as if trying to tear the very sky apart.
On the battlefield, Sebastian, wielding his twin flails, pressed a fierce assault on Evans. The heavy flails moved with toy-like agility in his hands, each swing carrying a whistling wind, tracing lethal arcs through the air. The powerful muscles in his arms bulged as he wielded the flails with great force. The heavy iron balls, guided by their chains, constantly changed trajectories, making them difficult to predict.
Evans gripped his longsword tightly, constantly parrying attacks coming from all directions. Though his swordsmanship was exquisite, under Sebastian's storm-like offensive, he could only manage a desperate defense. Each metallic collision sparked brilliantly. Evans's palms ached faintly, and fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
"Hahaha, is this all the might of a Duchy of Dook general amounts to?" Sebastian mocked between attacks, a scornful smile on his face. His assault grew even fiercer; the two flails were like venomous snakes, striking at Evans from tricky angles again and again.
"You bastard! Don't underestimate the Duchy of Dook!" Enraged, Evans bellowed, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. The muscles in his arm suddenly swelled, veins popping out. A faint glow enveloped his longsword. "One-Sword Style: Mountain Splitter!" With a roar, a massive slash shot forth. The sword energy plowed a deep trench in the ground as it raced towards Sebastian.
However, this powerful slash was easily avoided by Sebastian. He nimbly leaped to the side; the slash whistled past, grazing the edge of his clothes, ultimately leaving only a deep furrow in the ground. Sebastian steadied himself, a cold smirk curling his lips. "Is that all?"
"Fish-Man Karate: Grand Impact Water!" Sebastian suddenly intoned. Countless tiny water droplets materialized around his body. These droplets glistened crystalline in the sunlight. As he swung his flails, they shot towards Evans like a dense hail of bullets. Each droplet contained astonishing impact force, cutting through the air with sharp whines.
Evans frantically swung his sword to block, but how could the Fish-Man's unique karate techniques be so easily defended against? Though his longsword blocked most of the water droplets, many slipped through his defense. In moments, several new wounds had appeared on his arms, shoulders, and cheeks, blood slowly trickling from them.
Evans clenched his jaw, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by unwavering fighting spirit.
***
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