A towering, powerfully built blond man appeared suddenly, exuding an overwhelming aura.
From his body, waves of Conqueror's Haki erupted uncontrollably, sweeping across the battlefield with reckless abandon.
Hundreds of Marines lay sprawled on the ground, serving as the most striking backdrop to emphasize this man's terrifying strength.
"The Demon Heir..."
Garp furrowed his brows, his gaze locked onto the blond man as he solemnly called out his name.
"Bullet."
Rayleigh, Gaban, and Sol's eyes all sharpened as they spoke the name in unison.
This man before them was once a member of the Roger Pirates, though he had left the crew during their voyage.
Even back then, before his departure, Bullet's strength was on par with Rayleigh's.
And at that time, Bullet was still under twenty, while Rayleigh was in his prime.
Such monstrous strength led even the battle-hardened veterans of the Roger Pirates to unanimously regard Bullet as an absolute beast.
In the eyes of the Marines, Bullet—the man known as the "Demon Heir"—was undeniably the most dangerous fugitive to have ever escaped from Impel Down's Level 6. Even the Golden Lion could not compare to him.
And now, this monster stood before Garp, Rayleigh, Gaban, and Sol.
"When I sensed a presence along the coastline, I thought I was in luck—getting a nice warm-up before heading into the New World. But I didn't expect those auras to belong to you old-timers."
Bullet looked down at the four men, then, without caring about their reactions, casually unfolded a newspaper with one hand and glanced at the headlines.
His eyes quickly locked onto a photograph of Maude.
Moments later, his gaze filled with battle lust, and a dangerous grin spread across his face.
"Bacardi Maude, huh… Before I take down the Emperors, I'll start with you. But first…"
Bullet slowly shifted his gaze back to Rayleigh and the others. Between his thick fingers, arcs of black and red lightning crackled ominously.
The newspaper between his fingers instantly turned to black ash and was carried away by the sea breeze.
"I have no interest in you relics of the old era."
As he spoke, Bullet's eyes swept over Garp's empty left sleeve and Sol's missing left leg.
"But unfortunately for you, the only thing I want right now is a good fight. So... don't ask about reasons or allegiances—let's just tear each other apart right here!"
"..."
Hearing Bullet's arrogant declaration, Garp, Rayleigh, Gaban, and Sol's expressions subtly shifted.
"Don't talk to me about reasons or allegiances."
Garp took a few steps forward, shedding his Marine coat, his expression solemn.
"Even if you hadn't said all that, taking you back to Impel Down is exactly the duty I was about to fulfill."
"Just you alone? That's not nearly enough to satisfy me."
Bullet sneered coldly, his eyes flicking toward Rayleigh and the others.
"You might as well all come at me together. I don't want this fight ending too soon."
Garp's expression darkened slightly.
There was no need for further words.
Whoosh—!
In an instant, Garp vanished.
The next moment, he reappeared directly in front of Bullet, delivering a no-frills, straightforward punch to his face.
The air split apart.
Garp's massive fist was coated in the highest level of Armament Haki.
Faced with such an overwhelmingly powerful strike, Bullet's eyes flashed red. He did not underestimate it—his own hand, also clad in the highest level of Armament Haki, rose to meet Garp's iron fist directly.
Boom!
The impact created a deafening explosion as shockwaves rippled outward in all directions.
The sheer force of their clash caused the ground beneath them to crack and shatter instantly.
Bullet took a single step back—but he had caught Garp's legendary punch.
"That's some serious force. Not bad."
A grin of excitement spread across Bullet's face as his abnormally large hand completely enveloped Garp's fist.
"But have you forgotten that you only have one arm?"
Before his words even finished, Bullet's other hand clenched into a fist.
A sharp sound split the air as an impenetrable black Armament Haki coated his knuckles.
Then, with full force, Bullet drove his fist into Garp's abdomen.
Boom!
Shockwaves erupted from the strike, and the raw, destructive power transferred into Garp's body.
But Garp was one of the world's greatest masters of hand-to-hand combat. He managed to brace his torso with Armament Haki, enduring Bullet's devastating blow with sheer physical resilience.
However, Bullet still held Garp's fist in his crushing grip.
Against an opponent with comparable physical strength, Garp, missing an arm, found himself at a severe disadvantage—not only unable to counterattack but struggling to break free.
For someone who fought purely with physical combat, the loss of a limb was a significant handicap.
And Bullet had no intention of showing sportsmanship, nor would he foolishly hold back.
His grin widened to the extreme, his red eyes gleaming with a demonic light.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With Garp restrained, Bullet unleashed a relentless barrage of punches to his chest and stomach.
Garp endured each devastating blow in silence.
But even with only one arm, he wasn't someone who could be kept on the defensive forever.
After taking over ten consecutive punches, his forehead suddenly turned jet-black, and he drove his head straight into Bullet's chin.
Thud!
A dull, heavy impact echoed as Bullet's head snapped back from the blow. His grip on Garp's hand loosened slightly.
Seizing the moment, Garp wrenched his arm free and immediately launched a counterattack, aiming a powerful punch at Bullet's now-exposed throat.
"Heh…"
Bullet's glowing red eyes flicked downward, calmly tracking Garp's incoming fist.
His massive hand moved with precise control, intercepting and once again clamping down on Garp's wrist.
"Didn't I already tell you? In your current state, you're nowhere near enough to entertain me."
Bullet suddenly took a step back, his right arm drawing back as he clenched his fist.
The Armament Haki coating his knuckles darkened to an obsidian sheen, condensed to its absolute limit.
Then, without any technique—just raw, unfiltered power—Bullet unleashed a full-force punch straight into Garp's body.
This time…
The sheer, unrelenting force sent Garp hurtling backward at blinding speed, crashing through multiple Yarukiman Mangrove trees before vanishing into the distance.
Bullet rolled his neck, his grin fading as his face returned to an expressionless state, staring in the direction where Garp had been sent flying.
Even after completely overpowering the legendary "Iron Fist" Garp in a head-on physical clash, Bullet felt no sense of satisfaction.
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