"Hmm, then let's begin!" Nero stood opposite Bullet, slightly stretching her wrists.
"Ah, I'll crush you head-on, Nero!" Bullet's arms gathered Haki, his eyes fixed on Nero.
"Hmm!" Nero's lips curled into a calm smile: "Here I come!"
Her emerald eyes were stained red, and blood-colored demonic patterns appeared on Nero's body; this was her special state with Haki fully unleashed.
At this moment, Nero was already no weaker than first-class veterans like Garp and Roger; her only drawback was that this form, much like Luffy's Gear Four, could only be used for a short time.
The terrifying Haki made the air heavy. Unlike the release of Haoshoku, Nero's current aura was completely different from usual; just standing there, she exuded a demonic power.
Bullet's forehead was covered in fine cold sweat, more Haki surged, and he forced out, "Come on!"
A corner of the earth shattered, sand erupted like a fountain, silent like a mime, and for a moment, heaven and earth stood still.
Nero flashed above Bullet in the blink of an eye, not using a weapon but truly holding nothing back.
"Hell's Descent!"
It was then that the sound, like a mountain collapsing, finally reached them, resembling the roar of a volcano.
???
Bullet's thoughts ceased, his mind blank, but his well-trained body bypassed his brain at that moment, making the quickest response.
The shadow of death enveloped every inch of his skin. His abandoned childhood, becoming a child soldier in the army, betrayal, slaughter, going out to sea, meeting Roger, then being defeated and joining the Roger Pirates... countless images and memories he thought long forgotten erupted from the depths of his mind, then constantly twisted, finally transforming into a pair of crimson eyes.
Without using his Devil Fruit ability, all of his Haki was mobilized instantly, gathering entirely into his right fist. Bullet did not retreat but instead swung that punch with all his might.
"Ultimate Faust!"
Invisible waves rippled out, turning into a fierce wind, cracking rocks and bending trees, as the two remained locked in a stalemate.
"Come on, Bullet!"
"Beat Nero!"
"Bullet, create a miracle!"
Several people managed to shout with the momentum of a mountain and a tsunami. It was the first time in Bullet's life he had received such sincere cheers.
Unfortunately, he was fully engaged in fighting Nero and could not hear the cheers of the crowd.
The sand, which had covered their ankles, was still slowly sinking. Two disproportionate fists grappled, but it was Bullet who couldn't hold on.
Both roared, and the scales of victory slowly tilted towards Nero.
Finally, after Bullet's arm had retreated to a certain extent, it was suddenly flung open, and Nero's fist landed on his face.
Because the force was slightly off, Bullet didn't sink into the sand but was sent flying, crashing through a patch of trees before coming to a halt against a giant rock.
"Mwahahaha, it's my victory again!" Nero laughed heartily, exiting her full Haki mode and panting slightly.
Compared to the after-effects of collapsing before, she could now withstand such side effects for a short period.
On the other side, Bullet looked at the clear blue sky, and the voices of the crowd finally entered his mind.
"Come on, Bullet!"
"Get up! You can do it!"
"How can you fall here, Bullet!"
"Nero is also exhausted! Now it's a battle of wills!"
"If you're a man, get up!"
Bullet was a little dazed; a force seemed to surge into his heart, making it pound. This was the first time; were these his comrades?
Although he had joined the Roger Pirates, he had always remained outside the group. His goal was clear from the start: to become stronger! Strong enough to defeat Roger!
When was it? He seemed to have changed a little; it must have been when Nero came aboard!
Running quickly ahead of him, a true genius, favored by the gods, with visible talent, added another great mountain to his path of becoming the strongest.
He struggled to his feet, swaying. Roger was already not long for this world; he wouldn't be able to surpass him before he died, but Nero definitely could!
The king of the new era had appeared; he would definitely surpass her in the future, and only by defeating her could he become the strongest!
It was time to make a decision!
It was truly good to have met you!
"Nero!!!" Bullet roared, like a demon, unleashing a ferocious Haoshoku Haki.
"Hmm? Still have strength?" A smile appeared on Nero's face, and her Haoshoku Haki also clashed with Bullet's Haoshoku, unwilling to be outdone.
There was no Haoshoku collision as imagined; Bullet's Haki was like a bubble that burst with a poke, and Nero also stopped releasing her Haoshoku.
Frowning, she looked at Bullet and found that he had already fainted, but he was still standing, a wide smile on his lips.
"Bullet fainted standing up! The winner of this battle is Nero!!" Handing a bag of money to Hathaway, Rayleigh weighed the remaining Berries, a reassuring weight.
"Ah! Damn it!"
"I knew I should have bet on Nero!"
"Well, don't say that, Bullet did his best."
"But Captain, the ship's alcohol was completely privatized just now."
"What?! Bullet, the fight's not over! Wake up quickly!!!"
Roger was dumbfounded, not expecting the cook to have bet all the brewed alcohol. Did that mean there would be no alcohol until the next resupply point?
"Bullet!"
"Wake up quickly!"
"Fire! Bullet, run!"
"It's raining! You haven't taken in your clothes!"
With Roger leading the way, the others also shouted loudly.
Ignoring these 'animals,' the ship's doctor, Crocus, walked towards Bullet and began to examine his body.
After a thorough examination, he found nothing serious, just a slight concussion, concluding that a little spit would fix it.
As a ship doctor, Crocus professionally intended to take him back, but looking at Bullet's huge body, he suddenly remembered that his meat seemed to be burning.
And after the others confirmed Bullet was fine... they must have confirmed it, looking at his body that didn't fall even after losing, they couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
Then they took out cameras and started taking group photos. The descendant of the devil, graffiti, pigtails, lipstick, plus the smile on her lips—the resulting photos should be the legendary 'pure prison style.'
Nero, Buggy, and Shanks also came over and took many funny pictures together.
Later, according to rumors, Bullet left the Roger Pirates that year because he suffered inhumane bullying on the ship, which further demonized the legend of the Roger Pirates...