"Devil Cannon!"
Barrett poured every ounce of his ambition to surpass Roger, every shred of horror at the monster before him, into that single punch.
The black Conqueror's Haki twisted into tangible black lightning, wrapping around his fist.
Before the punch even left his arm, the space around it began to warp.
Every legendary pirate in Infinite Hell held their breath at that moment.
Silence.
Hawk watched calmly.
He could see the flow of every fraction of Barrett's power. He could hear the furious pounding of his heart. He could feel the unyielding determination driving every fiber of the man before him.
Hawk drew a deep breath, his chest rising gently.
His feet planted firmly on the stone floor.
He engaged his waist and core, his spine coiling like a dragon. Power coursed through his body in layers, finally converging in his right shoulder.
Then, fingers curled into a fist, and his right arm shot forward.
This punch carried every insight Hawk had gained over the past three days.
Observation was the eye. Armament was the armor. Physique was the foundation. Martial arts was the technique.
"Fist Principle: Four Symbols Collapse!"
Hawk's voice rang out quietly across Infinite Hell.
In the next instant, two fists, each wrapped in absolute power, collided in full view of everyone present.
Or rather, the sound of the collision was instantly swallowed by a force far greater than anything anyone had imagined.
A strange, eerie silence fell over Infinite Hell.
At the point of impact, light bent into a dark singularity.
Then a devastating circular shockwave exploded outward.
"No!"
Magellan's eyes snapped wide open.
Without hesitation, he threw himself in front of the expanding shockwave, pressing his hands into the stone floor.
"Venomous Guard: Gates of the Underworld!"
A massive violet door, formed of concentrated poison, sprang from the ground to block the remaining force.
Sizzle. Sizzle. Sizzle.
The shockwave slammed against the poison barrier, the venom erupting to counteract and neutralize the attack.
Finally, the residual energy dissipated.
Barrett remained in his punching stance, chest heaving violently.
The Conqueror's Haki coating his fist was spent. The black lightning had vanished.
His eyes locked on Hawk.
Hawk stood firm, unshaken.
Only the hem of his crisp white Marine uniform bore a trace of dust from the shockwave.
Hawk slowly withdrew his fist, eyes sharpening slightly.
So this was Coating!
When the Armament and physical strength of both fighters are equal, simply wrapping Conqueror's Haki around an attack could yield such an immense boost in destructive power.
His own perfected attack, integrating all four basic elements… had nearly been defeated.
Coating… must be mastered.
"A very satisfying fight."
Hawk looked at Barrett, his voice carrying genuine admiration. "Although, you did break the rules at the end."
Barrett froze.
This monster…
Even with a Conqueror's-coated strike, he could not be shaken.
Where had he come from?
"However, I can give you another chance."
Hawk lifted a hand and lightly brushed the dust from his uniform. "Once I finish with Impel Down…"
"We'll go somewhere isolated, an empty island, and fight without holding back."
"The conditions still stand."
"If you can defeat me, I will let you go."
Silence.
Barrett remained motionless.
He had not unleashed his full power. Not even his fruit awakening ability.
The implication from the Marine Rear Admiral was clear: in a short time, he would grow even stronger.
How was that possible?
Hawk ignored Barrett and turned toward Hannyabal, who was practically glowing with admiration.
He retrieved his Justice cloak and the case containing the golden transponder snails, draping the cloak over his shoulders once again.
After this battle, having fully integrated the enhanced points he had gained, his strength had reached a new level of mastery.
Now, all that remained was to patiently await the accumulation of Justice.
Once he raised his Conqueror's Haki to the top tier and mastered Coating…
Then he could use Barrett, this ideal grindstone, to test the true quality of his Coating!
After all, in all of Infinite Hell, Barrett was the most suitable opponent for him.
"I'll go check on Zoro and the others."
Hawk nodded slightly to Magellan, then strode toward the elevator leading to the upper levels.
Magellan nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze falling back on Barrett.
Barrett's battle intent had extinguished.
In its place was a deep, bottomless darkness.
He said nothing and turned back to his cell.
Clang.
Magellan personally closed the heavy Sea-Prism Stone door. The lock clicked crisply.
Infinite Hell fell back into silence and darkness.
But this time, something was different within the shadows.
After a long pause, hushed whispers began to creep out from the shadows of the various cells.
"That Marine brat… did you see clearly?"
"Clear as day… his punches on the third day were at least thirty percent heavier than the first."
"Observation, Armament, physique, technique… who could train the fundamentals to such a level, and possess Conqueror's Haki that dominates the world?"
"A monster… he is the true monster!"
"With a monster like that in the Marines… even if we escaped and returned to the seas, could we survive?"
The question caused all whispers to halt.
"No…"
"The killing intent in him is almost becoming tangible…"
"It's not just his strength. Did you see those four transponder snails?"
"They represent the collective will of Marine Headquarters!"
"Who is this Rear Admiral Hawk?!"
"Sengoku, Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru… have they gone mad?!"
The whispers were filled with shock, confusion, and bone-deep fear.
Then, from the deepest shadows, a clear, refined voice cut through, overpowering all other noise.
"Barrett."
Every whisper stopped.
A pair of blood-red eyes glowed in the darkness. The owner's voice addressed Barrett's cell softly.
"Next time… will there be a chance?"
The solitary red of Barloric Redfield.
In Infinite Hell, one could hear a pin drop.
All the legendary pirates held their breath, eyes fixed on Barrett's cell, awaiting his response.
Barrett's tightly clenched fists slowly loosened.
He recalled the past three days of excruciating battle.
He remembered the impossible growth speed of his opponent.
He remembered those eyes that had remained calm throughout.
Finally, from deep in his throat, he rasped out three hoarse words.
"I don't know…"