BOOM!!
The entire island shuddered as a blinding explosion tore through the sky—sand and metal erupting upward in a roaring pillar that seemed to pierce the heavens.
"Kuhahaha! Just as expected from the Devil's Heir!" Crocodile bellowed, laughter echoing through the chaos. A thin trail of blood ran down the corner of his mouth, but his grin never faltered.
With a twist of his wrist, the desert obeyed his will. Sand whirled and condensed into a violent sphere before bursting outward, spiraling into a storm that took the shape of a colossal sand dragon.
The monstrous serpent of sand roared to life, carving a path of destruction as it streaked toward Bullet.
"Cut the chatter, Crocodile!" Bullet shouted back. His body was battered, his face smeared with dirt and blood—but his grin burned brighter than ever.
He flexed his shoulders, and the scrap metal, stone, and debris scattered around him began to tremble and rise. They gathered at his side, swirling like a metallic storm, fusing around his severed arm until a mechanical limb over ten meters long materialized.
The steel behemoth's surface shimmered black with Armament Haki, steam hissing from its joints.
Laughing like a madman, Bullet charged forward.
"Combined: Impact Colossus Cannon!!"
His punch met the oncoming sand dragon head-on.
BOOM!!!
A shockwave ripped through the island. The ground split open; dunes, buildings, and cliffs were swallowed whole.
A dark shape rose behind the explosion—massive, hulking, unstoppable.
As the storm cleared, an iron giant loomed above the shattered landscape, a hundred meters tall.
"Combined: Medium-Sized Bullet Form!" Bullet bellowed.
His Combination Fruit had merged metal, rock, and machinery into a monstrous war avatar—an iron god of battle radiating raw violence.
"Kahahaha! Come on, Crocodile! Show me something worth hitting!"
The desert winds whipped at Crocodile's coat, his golden hook glinting beneath the crimson twilight. A cold red light flickered in his eyes.
Through the haze of sand and smoke, his Observation Haki locked onto the war machine's head—onto Bullet's manic grin.
For a brief, fleeting second, the pressure pressing down on him brought back another memory—another battlefield—another opponent.
That damned Vice Admiral...!
But no. He refused to compare this man to Darren.
"I won't lose again!!" Crocodile roared.
"Corrosion Reincarnation!!"
The earth around him cracked and withered. Buildings, rubble, stone—everything nonliving dried and crumbled to dust. Within moments, the entire island had turned into a barren sea of gold.
The air howled as the desert came alive. Waves of sand rose in towering walls, folding and fusing until they took the shape of a massive crocodile, its open jaws ready to consume the world.
At the same instant, Bullet unleashed his final strike.
"Ultimate Cannon!!"
"Sandstorm Crocodile!!"
The two titans crashed together, iron and sand colliding with a deafening roar. The impact split the island in two, shockwaves tearing through land and sea alike.
BOOM!!!
A blinding flash swallowed everything.
When the dust finally settled, silence fell over the ruins.
Both men lay sprawled across the shattered ground, gasping for breath. Their bodies were battered and bloodied, their limbs mangled—their proud weapons, hook and arm alike, blasted away.
A draw.
Only the wind remained, whispering through the wreckage.
Then came laughter.
"Kahahahahaha!!" Bullet's booming voice rolled through the air. His face was streaked with blood, his grin wide and wild. "That was fun!"
He turned his head toward Crocodile, who was panting beside him. For a fleeting moment, the two monsters shared something rare—mutual respect.
"You're tough, Crocodile," Bullet said. "Tell me—who was it? Who took your hand?"
Crocodile's eyes narrowed. "Rogers Darren."
Bullet froze.
After a long pause, Crocodile glanced at him. "And you?"
Bullet's lip twitched. "...Same."
Crocodile blinked.
Bullet suddenly sat up, shouting in outrage. "It was a sneak attack! If he hadn't teamed up with Sakazuki, he wouldn't have beaten me fair and square!"
Crocodile gave a dry chuckle. "You haven't seen the latest news, have you?"
Bullet frowned. "What news?"
"That same Marine... just killed Golden Lion."
Bullet's expression stiffened. His breath caught, disbelief flashing across his face.
"Impossible," he growled.
Crocodile looked away, eyes glinting with resignation. "When he came for me, he'd already mastered Kaido's Indestructible Body. Maybe luck played a role, but the fact remains—he's grown terrifyingly strong."
Bullet's fist clenched tight enough to bleed. "Damn it!"
He pushed himself to his feet, swaying unsteadily, and started limping toward the shore.
"Where are you going?" Crocodile called after him.
Bullet didn't turn around. "To find stronger opponents. I won't fall behind that bastard!"
Crocodile watched him go, a twisted smirk tugging at his lips. "Better hurry, then—or next time, I'll be the one to finish you."
"Same goes for you!" Bullet shouted back, leaping onto his submarine.
The vessel submerged with a deep rumble, vanishing beneath the waves.
Far away, in Marineford, Darren remained blissfully unaware that two of the most dangerous men in the New World had just bonded over their mutual grudge against him.
Even if he had known, he had far bigger problems at hand.
"Gion-chan," Toki said sweetly, her arm looped through Darren's as she caressed her gently rounded belly. "I'm pregnant, and I might not have as much time to care for my husband soon. I'll have to trouble you to look after him."
There was an unmistakable glimmer of triumph in her tone.
"Of course, Toki-san," Gion replied with a polished smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Please, rest assured—I'll take excellent care of him."
The air between them crackled with polite hostility. Darren felt the temperature drop ten degrees.
"Uh... actually," he ventured nervously, "I don't really need anyone to—"
"Shut up!" both women snapped in perfect unison.
"Y-Yes, yes... got it..." Darren mumbled, shrinking back, beads of sweat rolling down his temple.
To be continued...