In the blink of an eye, Jozu materialized behind Bullet.
Bullet immediately felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.
This move again?
At that moment, Jozu raised his hands high, wielding purple-black hand blades wrapped in quaking energy.
He brought them down fiercely!
THUD!
Another dull, heavy impact echoed as Bullet crashed into the ground like a meteor, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
He created a ten-meter-wide crater upon impact, debris flying everywhere as if a localized earthquake had just struck.
Struggling to his feet, Bullet's face was covered in blood, crimson streaks tracing his features and dripping onto the shattered earth.
Everything before him completely defied his understanding.
"So fast! Damn it, if I'd known you had Kizaru's speed, I wouldn't have fought you like this!"
Jozu hovered mid-air, his entire body enveloped in ink-like purple-black Haki.
The edges of his Diamond form appeared even sharper under the Armament coating.
He looked down at Bullet, a slight smirk curling his lips.
"Hexagonal Warrior. Do you understand what that means?"
His voice echoed across the desolate battlefield, carrying an inexplicable weight. It meant he had maxed out every stat: Speed, Defense, Power, Haki, Range, and Technique.
He had no weaknesses.
The ensuing battle unfolded like a one-sided nightmare.
Bullet's once-proud attacks seemed utterly feeble against Jozu.
Not only was Jozu's speed astonishing, but his physical strength was overwhelming, instantly extinguishing any hope of counterattack.
Jozu effortlessly dodged each of Bullet's ferocious strikes, causing them to land on nothing but air.
The defenses created by Bullet's fusion ability were as fragile as paper in the face of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit shockwaves, crumbling instantly upon impact.
Whenever Bullet attempted to close the gap for a grapple, Jozu would instantly activate his elemental transformation, vanishing like a streak of purple lightning to create distance.
Immediately after, he would utilize the speed of the Glimmer-Glimmer Fruit to deliver a kinetic blow.
It wasn't that close-range attacks couldn't harm Jozu—he simply found the "hit-and-run" method more efficient.
After all, Jozu's diamond-hard body, combined with top-tier Armament Haki, made him invincible in close combat regardless.
BAM! BOOM! CRACK!
Amid the cacophony of impacts, Bullet was tossed around like a helpless punching bag. His body flew through the air, each collision sending waves of excruciating pain through his bones.
Finally, Jozu perfectly combined the speed of Light, the destruction of Quakes, and the hardness of Haki.
"Flash Quake: Impact!"
A single punch sent Bullet crashing into a mountainside a kilometer away.
As the billowing dust slowly settled, all eyes turned in that direction.
Bullet was embedded deep into the cliff face in a spread-eagle position. His body hung limply like a broken puppet, his eyes vacant as he stared blankly at the sky.
The flaming magma arm had extinguished, reverting to flesh, leaving behind only a deathly stillness.
His lips trembled slightly, his voice hoarse and faint as he muttered to himself, "This doesn't make sense... I clearly have two top-tier Devil Fruits..."
He couldn't comprehend why, despite possessing such immense power, he had been so thoroughly dismantled.
Jozu deactivated his Armament Haki, reverting to his diamond form, and walked up to the cliff to pull Bullet out of the rock.
The Demon Heir slumped to the ground like a ragged doll, his gaze unfocused.
"Remember this," Jozu said, patting Bullet's shoulder. "The number of Devil Fruits doesn't determine everything. Haki is the foundation."
With those words, he turned and walked away, leaving behind a cool and composed silhouette.
Bullet sat in a daze for a long time.
Suddenly, he pulled out a small notebook he carried with him.
With trembling hands, he added another name to his "Challenge List": Diamond Jozu.
After writing it, he stared at the name, feeling utterly defeated and on the verge of tears. His Haki was still far from matching the peak of the world.
...
Not far away, Crocodile had been leaning casually against a broken pillar.
Moments ago, there had been a flicker of eager anticipation in his pupils.
His newly acquired Mythical Zoan ability stirred restlessly within him, dragon scales faintly shimmering across his skin, urging him to join the fight.
However, when he saw Bullet slide down the cliff like a discarded rag, the foot he had just lifted froze mid-step.
"Cough, cough..."
Crocodile quickly retracted his step as if nothing had happened, masking the shock in his heart.
His golden hook casually adjusted the collar of his coat—an elegant and composed gesture designed to conceal his inner turmoil.
"Nice weather today. Perfect for watching a fight," he feigned calm, pulling a cigar from his pocket and clamping it between his teeth.
Yet, his hand trembled slightly. It took three attempts to finally light the cigar.
Nearby, Ace stood frozen in place.
His mouth hung open beneath his orange cowboy hat, wide enough to fit an egg.
After a long moment, he mechanically turned to Marco beside him, his voice trembling slightly.
"When did Jozu become so terrifying?"
Marco lazily yawned, his expression suggesting everything was within his expectations.
He glanced at Bullet embedded in the distant mountainside, a faint smile curling his lips.
"Top-tier Armament Haki combined with Light and Quakes... it'd be harder for him not to be strong."
He took a deeper look at Bullet's disheveled state. "But beating that battle maniac into such a state? That is indeed unexpected, yoi."
Just then, a bolt of lightning split the clear sky.
Everyone turned to see Whitebeard approaching, his white captain's coat flapping sharply behind him.
"Gurararara! Jozu!" Whitebeard laughed heartily. "Your Haki control is impressive! To pummel that fusion brat like this... Let your pops see your progress!"
Jozu was momentarily stunned, clearly caught off guard by his Father's sudden appearance.
But in an instant, a blazing fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.
For Jozu, the chance to spar with the man he respected most—the Strongest Man in the World—was a dream come true.
His heart raced, and his blood boiled with excitement.
Jozu slowly turned.
His body rapidly transformed into diamond, every inch of his crystallized skin refracting dazzling sunlight.
Without hesitation, he assumed a combat stance.
Crouching slightly, his feet firmly planted on the ground, he clenched his fists and stared resolutely at Whitebeard.
"Pops... please go easy on me!"