I'm back with another exciting chapter! Hope everyone's been enjoying 2025 so far!
Also just want to say that for those of you up to date on the manga, the most recent revelations in the last few chapters have been mind blowing. I can hardly wait to see what Oda has planned next.
Anyways, enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer: Aside from the OCs I created, I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/elements from other fictional genres that may appear in this story.
Hellfire Chapter 6: Clash of Conquerors Part 2
"I believe that I am guided by chance encounters. I believe in the miracle of chance encounters." — Paulo Coelho
Shanks groaned in pain as he lay on the ground, seemingly out of it. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he sprung up from his prone position, gasping for air as he looked around him with wide eyes.
"What the heck?... How did I get here?" Shanks muttered as he took off his straw hat to rub his head. "The last thing I remembered was… *gasp*"
Shanks's eyes widened once again as the most recent memories of his group encountering that large red dragon and it chasing them came flooding back to him.
"Oh crap, that's right! We were running away from that dragon, and then we saw Rayleigh and his team then… Oh crap, where are the others?!" Shanks yelled as he searched for his crew.
Turns out he did not need to look far as they were all nearby, gathered closely around an opening through the woods.
"Guys!" Shanks called out as he ran up to his crewmates. "Glad to see you guys are all ok."
Shanks blinked when he noticed all of his crew mates had a mix of serious and shocked looks on their faces. Although, in Buggy's case, he was more freaked out than anything.
"What's up with you guys? Also, what happened to the… drag...on?" Shanks started to ask before he followed the direction of their gazes to see what had them acting so weird. When he finally saw what they were looking at, he could not help but mirror their looks of shock and awe with one of his own.
"Holy crap…" Shanks whispered as he witnessed Bullet and Rayleigh staring down the red dragon, which roared defiantly as an inferno burned the forest behind it.
One thing was for sure, Shanks knew that no matter what happened next, he would never forget the battle he was about to witness.
"Get ready! It could attack at any moment now!" Rayleigh cried out as the red dragon growled menacingly as it circled them, its jaws alight with red flames waiting to be unleashed at a moment's notice.
Its entire body radiated with so much heat that the air around it started to distort like a mirage while any nearby foliage was reduced to ash. The area around its back was especially intense as the large flame on its back burned brightly.
From just a glance, Rayleigh knew this was not just a simple animal they were dealing with. Its very presence radiated power, which superheated the air around them. It was almost like they were standing in front of a primordial force of nature rather than a beast.
The creature narrowed its eyes at both Rayleigh and Bullet, its piercing gaze cutting straight into their very souls. However, while Bullet was focused more on the upcoming fight, Rayleigh quickly noticed something strange about how the creature was looking at them. They weren't like those of a mindless beast eager to tear into prey, like most of the creatures which inhabited the Grandline. No, these were the eyes of an intelligent being analyzing an unknown enemy that had wandered into his territory.
Suddenly, black lightning with red outlines materialized around the creature, and both Rayleigh and Bullet's eyes widened as they sensed what was about to happen.
"EVERYONE, TAKE COVER!" Rayleigh called out as the creature fully extended its massive wings, and the red lightning burst forth as a powerful wave of pressure that swept through the area with hurricane-force winds.
As the wave washed over them, the Roger pirates felt their bodies tremble from the intense feeling of Conqueror's Haki washing over them. The pressure was so strong that the weaker members among them were forced to their knees. With the sole exception of Buggy, the rest of the pirates were able to stay awake, while Shanks was just barely clinging to consciousness.
Back with Rayleigh and Bullet, as fellow Conquerors, they refused to back down and accepted the creature's unspoken challenge before unleashing bursts of Conqueror's Haki.
The resulting clash was even more explosive as the indomitable wills from both sides fought for supremacy. For several minutes, both waves of pressure battled for dominance, neither side willing to back down. The creature roared as it braced its body against the force of the opposing wave from Rayleigh and Bullet, who were grinning at the monstrous foe before them.
Bullet was especially excited at the newest challenge before him. He and Rayleigh had unleashed both of their Conqueror's Haki upon this beast, and yet the creature before them proved that it was a match for not just one but both of them.
Eventually, after one last push, the massive waves of Conqueror's Haki suddenly disappeared, bringing much-needed relief to the pirates who were struggling to withstand it. However, their relief was short-lived when the beast growled and entered a charging stance, a clear sign that it was about to attack.
"Enough waiting." Douglas proclaimed with a manic grin. "LET'S FIGHT!"
"Bullet, wait!" Rayleigh cried out but failed to stop Bullet as he launched himself towards the dragon's face with a loud battle cry. As he got closer, Bullet roared as he reared his fist back, preparing to land the opening blow, while the dragon had yet to make a move.
A moment later, Bullet's punch connected, resulting in a powerful shockwave. Bullet grinned as he relished the feeling of landing the first blow, but it quickly disappeared as he noticed something. The dragon did not cry out in pain, nor did it show signs of struggling from his punch. Upon taking a closer look, Bullet's eyes widened as he realized that despite the power behind his attack, which could decimate even large pirate ships, it seemed that he had not inflicted any damage. Meanwhile, the dragon remained still, its eyes covered in shadow.
Suddenly, one of its red eyes shone through the shadow and glared at Bullet. At first, Bullet only felt a subtle movement, but then, before he knew it, the creature had reared its head upwards with such speed and force that it sent Bullet flying high into the air.
As he spun overhead, Bullet eventually managed to get his bearings, but then a large shadow manifested over him, and his eyes widened as he saw the dragon fly over him.
Before Bullet could react, the beast swooped down toward him, swatting at him with one of its large claws. Bullet raised his arms and coated them with Armament Haki to block the blow, but while his Haki protected him from the worst of the damage, the force behind the attack still sent him flying back down to the ground, where he crashed with an earth-shattering impact.
Before the dust could clear up, the dragon followed up on its initial attack by crashing down right on top of the spot where Bullet landed, destroying even more of the surrounding area. When the dust cleared, the dragon was standing in the epicentre of a small crater. It leaned forward as it applied pressure on the claw that had slammed Bullet into the ground.
However, the creature started to growl as its arm shook every few seconds, and slowly but surely, the dragon felt its arm being pushed back. Eventually, its claw was lifted enough to reveal Bullet, slowly pushing back against the creature's massive limb with scratches all over his body.
And yet, despite his wounds and the intense amount of pressure the dragon was applying, he was looking like he was having the time of his life.
"Hey, ugly." A voice spoke to the dragon's right. The creature's red eyes widened before darting to its side, where it noticed Rayleigh soaring towards its side.
"Did you forget about me?" Rayleigh asked with a grin as he swung his sword forward, coating it with advanced Armament Haki. His blow landed on the dragon's exposed side with enough power to push it back, forcing it to relinquish the hold that was keeping Bullet in place.
While the power behind his strike was nothing to laugh at, Rayleigh still found himself surprised by how much resistance he encountered when his attack landed. As a result, rather than being sent flying like most of the enemies he fought against would have, the dragon was merely forced back several yards.
"That thing's tougher than I realized. It's definitely not just some run-of-the-mill beast." Said Rayleigh as he landed back down on the ground next to Bullet.
"Damn it, Rayleigh! Who told you to interfere?!" Bullet yelled angrily at Rayleigh.
"I think the words you're looking for are 'you welcome'." Said Rayleigh with a grin.
However, his expression quickly went back to being serious as his focus returned to the more immediate threat. The dragon had already shaken off the sting from Rayleigh's attack and was once again preparing to attack. It took a deep breath, and Rayleigh's eyes went wide as a red light formed deep within the creature's throat. A few seconds later, the red light turned bright blue and was growing brighter and more intense with every passing second.
"Crap!" Rayleigh yelled out as he and Bullet immediately scattered just as the dragon unleashed a massive blast of blue fire that tore through the area they were standing in and kept going, devastating everything in its path.
Rayleigh, Bullet and the rest of their comrades who bore witness to this scene were all utterly flabbergasted by the power of the red dragon's breath attack. Once the creature finally stopped, they could easily see the full extent of its destructive power. Everything in the path of the breath attack had been utterly annihilated, leaving behind only scorched earth glowing with an otherworldly blue light from the residual heat of the blast.
The dragon soon looked up from the path of destruction it created, its eyes glowing red as steam emerged from its throat. Suddenly, Rayleigh appeared over the dragon and swung his sword down onto the beast's cranium, forcing its head to slam into the ground.
From there, Rayleigh landed back down on the ground before running under the dragon, striking at its front and back legs and forcing it to the ground, leaving him open to a direct attack from Bullet. However, before Bullet's attack could land, the dragon rapidly started to spin its body, and its entire body became coated in fire, forcing Bullet to retreat.
Using its improvised flaming death roll, the dragon tore through the battlefield while chasing after Bullet and Rayleigh, tearing up dirt and molten rock and sending them flying all over the place. Before the dragon's attack could run them over, its body stopped producing flames and then used its powerful limbs to launch itself over the two pirates. Rayleigh and Bullet watched with shock as the dragon landed on all fours in front of them, growling menacingly at the pair as it cut off their escape route.
"Incredible! All those blows, and it seems we've barely put a dent in that thing's defences! What an incredible opponent!" Bullet yelled with excitement.
"Don't forget the firepower it's packing. Those flames are no joke. Even Kaido's flames aren't nearly this intense! One wrong move and Armament Haki or not, that hellfire will turn even us to ash." Said Rayleigh as he tightened the grip on his blade while sweat flowed down his brow.
Suddenly, the flames on the creature's back went out, and both Rayleigh and Bullet's eyes glowed red as their Observation Haki went haywire. Sure enough, a few moments later, the creature vanished from sight before a powerful rush of air flew past them.
The hairs on the back of their necks stood up as they felt hot air and low growling emerge from behind them. They turned around just in time to see the large dragon bring down one of its claws.
Not able to dodge or move back in time, Bullet stood his ground against the attack, but even with Armament Haki enhancing his defences, the creature's physical power and overwhelming size sent Bullet flying away.
As for Rayleigh, a second later, the dragon followed up on its original attack with a series of claw swipes and tail strikes. With his superior skills, honed from many battles, Rayleigh was able to avoid being sent flying away like Bullet by carefully dodging or countering the blows with pure power. However, the power behind each attack was nothing to laugh at as they slowly forced him back. With each strike and intense movement, Rayleigh could feel his body slowly lose stamina as the creature did not leave him any room to breathe. With every attack, Rayleigh's body grew heavier, and his speed decreased, allowing the dragon to graze him several times with its tail, which attacked at lightning-fast speeds.
Thankfully, just as the dragon was about to land another attack on him, Bullet suddenly jumped up from behind it, landing on its head. With a loud battle cry, Bullet proceeded to wail on the dragon's head, annoying the creature and giving Rayleigh some breathing room.
Eventually, the creature had enough of Bullet's antics and started to rapidly shake its head in all directions. Although Bullet managed to grab onto one of the horns on the dragon's head, he eventually lost his grip and was sent flying behind it.
Suddenly, the creature's eyes glowed red, and the flames on its back reappeared as it turned around just in time for Rayleigh to emerge in midair, preparing to strike at the creature's neck. With a powerful swing, Rayleigh pushed against the creature's neck, causing the beast to roar in pain. Despite not drawing any blood, the force behind Rayleigh's attacks was still strong enough to send the beast's neck and head flying back and even forced some of its upper body upwards as well.
"Bullet now!" Rayleigh yelled, and sure enough, Bullet came flying underneath the creature from under its back legs before coming to a full stop and launching himself at its exposed torso, landing a series of powerful blows that would have shattered the rib cage of even the strongest sea kings.
In this case, it just made the dragon roar out in fury. Still, Bullet refused to let up, adding more force and power to his blows and forcing the creature to rise onto its back legs. However, his momentum came to a halt as the creature's wings extended fully, practically blocking out the sun's rays due to their size. A second later, the dragon started to constantly beat its giant wings, creating hurricane-force winds that sent both Rayleigh and Bullet flying back, as well as forcing their crew members, who were still hiding in the forest behind them, to hold on for dear life.
Meanwhile, the dragon's constant wingbeats allowed it to take flight, but it did not go far as it stayed close enough to the ground to keep up the mini hurricane that was keeping its enemies at bay. As Bullet and Rayleigh struggled, the latter grunted as he charged his Conqueror's Spirit through his sword.
"Enough of this!" Rayleigh cried out as he swung his weapon, dispersing the strong winds and sending a massive air slash at the dragon, which instinctively soared over the attack.
"Oh, no you don't! Bullet, lend me a hand." Said Rayleigh as he called out to Bullet, who glared at him
"Don't order me around!" Bullet lashed out.
"Just shut up and throw me, jackass!" Rayleigh yelled as he jumped above Bullet before descending toward him.
"Tch! Fine!" Bullet growled as he brought his hands together below him just in time to catch Rayleigh before bumping him into the air with as much force he could muster.
The force behind Bullet's move made Rayleigh fly high into the air towards the dragon. As he reached it, Rayleigh spun like a top, unleashing a barrage of slashes across the creature's body as he soared over it, generating large amounts of sparks.
When Rayleigh finally reached his peak, he looked down to witness his handiwork, only to frown when he saw that his attack didn't even scratch the creature's scales.
"It's like trying to cut through diamonds." Said Rayleigh before his eyes went wide when he saw the creature rise towards him, its jaws open, ready to take a bite out of him. However, Rayleigh brought his sword up just in time as the dragon's jaws slammed down on him as it was flying up.
As Rayleigh struggled to keep the dragon's jaws open, he saw a bright light emanate from its throat. Thinking quickly, Rayleigh shifted his blade and pushed himself back, but not before slashing at the creature's gums, finally drawing blood and causing the dragon to cry out in pain while halting its ascension.
As Rayleigh fell, he lashed out at different parts of the dragon's body, further aggravating the creature as it tried to catch Rayleigh with its claws. Fortunately for Rayleigh, he was hoping that the dragon would make such a move.
Waiting until the very last moment, until the creature's claws were about to close in on him, Rayleigh shifted his body out of the way of the strike before landing on the claw, gaining a foothold. From there, Rayleigh jumped onto the dragon's arm and ran up its body until he reached its lower neck area. The dragon seemed to sense what Rayleigh had planned and was about to move its body in mid-air and drop Rayleigh to the ground below.
At least that was the plan, but before it could execute it, the creature was interrupted by a random projectile that collided with its stomach. Looking more annoyed than hurt, the dragon glared down below straight at Bullet, who stood next to a large pile of debris ranging from tree trunks to even large rocks.
With a mad grin, Bullet continued to fire the projectiles with incredible strength and at a rapid rate, forcing the dragon to perform evasive manoeuvres. When one of the projectiles flew towards its head, the creature evaded downwards. As it righted itself in the air, it failed to notice a subtle change in Bullet's body language.
"Gotcha, you bastard!" Bullet said with a mad grin.
Unbeknownst to the dragon, Rayleigh had jumped just before it flew down, giving him some extra height as he fell towards the dragon's head, preparing to unleash a powerful strike as he charged his blade with more Haki.
"Let's see you deal with this!" Rayleigh yelled out as he swung.
By the time the dragon figured out what was happening, the vice-captain of the Roger pirates had already gotten within striking range. As Rayleigh's attack landed straight behind the dragon's cranium, the force behind the blow was enough to send the creature crashing back down to Earth. As its body collided with the ground, the dragon could not help but look temporarily dazed.
"Regardless of how durable someone or something may be, hit'em in the head hard enough at just the right spot, and they won't be able to think clearly for a while." Rayleigh said out loud.
As it was attempting to shake the shock from its system, the dragon could faintly make out the sight of Rayleigh falling towards him. The creature's eyes turned red and went wide with shock as it foresaw what Rayleigh was planning to do next.
While it was still too dazed to fly, the creature desperately tried to move its body out of the way of Rayleigh's attack. However, just as it moved, its body slumped forward as it felt something pull it back.
Looking back, the dragon saw Bullet, who had a tight grip on its tail and was holding it back with his feet planted firmly against two large trees for support, which slowly began to bend forward as they did their best to hold back such a large and powerful creature.
"I don't think so! Don't miss you old bastard!" Bullet yelled out as he struggled with all his might to keep the beast at bay.
"I may be old, but I still got more than enough fight left in me." Countered Rayleigh with a grin as he charged up for another powerful attack while freefalling back to the ground. "You just focus on holding that dragon in place!"
The dragon roared and renewed its struggles to escape or at least shake off its dazed state. Unfortunately, it did not have enough time to do so as Rayleigh's fall brought him within striking distance of the dragon. His focus squarely on the area where the creature's long neck connected to its head.
"This ends here!" Rayleigh yelled as he channelled Conqueror's Haki through his blade before swinging it at the creature once he was close enough. What happened next was a blur as Rayleigh's attack created a massive dust cloud that obscured him and the front half of the creature's body.
Back with their cremates hiding in the forest, the majority of them let out cries of victory as they say Rayleigh land his attack at such close range.
"Oh, man! This fight is so cool! Especially Rayleigh's final attack! That was so strong!" cried out Shanks with stars in his eyes while Buggy put his arm around his friend's shoulders.
"You're telling me! With a strike like that, even that giant monster must be down for the count." Yelled Buggy as he cheered ecstatically while doing a little jig with Shanks.
However, their celebration was cut short by Gaban, whose injuries had been treated while the fight was going down, as he stared at the battle with a serious look in his eyes.
"No, that beast is not down for the count just yet." He replied calmly, breaking Buggy and Shanks out of their reverie.
"Wait, WHAT?!" cried out Buggy as he rushed to Gaban. "But you saw what Rayleigh just did! He cut off that giant monster's head. No way, any creature can survive after a blow like that."
"Take a closer look, boys." Gaban calmly stated as he nudged his head back to the battle, where the smoke from Rayleigh's attack started to dissipate. Once it fully dispersed, Buggy, Shanks, along with a number of their crew members had looks of disbelief.
"He missed." Gaban simply stated.
Back with Rayleigh, the veteran pirate could not help but gaze at the sight before him with utter bewilderment. After bringing his sword down on the creature's neck, he half expected his attack to cut through its flesh, but then, in the blink of an eye, its head disappeared, causing his attack to hit nothing but air.
As he slowly fell to the ground, and the smoke cloud from his attack disappeared, he saw what became of the creature's head. In a surprising twist, Rayleigh stared at the dragon whose neck had retracted completely into its body.
As the creature glared at the falling pirate, Rayleigh's eyes widened when he noticed the creature tense its body, digging its claws into the earth, and the area around its head was also tensing up as the head forced itself more and more into its body.
The dragon growled menacingly once again at Rayleigh, who easily figured out what was about to happen.
"… crap." Rayleigh grunted.
A moment later, the creature's head exploded from its body as its neck sprung out of its body with blinding speed. Unable to move or dodge, Rayleigh could only bring his arms in front of him and cover them with Armament Haki.
As the dragon's attack landed, Rayleigh clenched his teeth and grunted in pain from the force of the dragon's impromptu headbutt, which then sent him flying a second later back to the mountain from which the dragon emerged.
After soaring through the air, Rayleigh's body finally made contact with the side of the mountain, resulting in a loud boom echoing all over the island. As the smoke and debris cleared from his crash site, Rayleigh groaned as he lay buried under rubble, his body having made an imprint through the mountain.
"… Well… that hurt like hell." Rayleigh grunted, just as a small piece of debris fell and landed on his head. "… Ow."
Back with Bullet, he could only stare with disbelief at the sight he had just witnessed. Just what kind of body did this beast have that allowed it to pull off something like that?
Suddenly, Bullet cried out as the dragon's tail whipped out, forcing him some distance away from the trees he was using as an anchor before he felt himself rush through the air while still clutching the beast's tail.
Eventually, Bullet soon found himself dangling in front of the dragon, who was glaring at him with narrowed eyes.
"What?! Is that the best you can do?! Don't you dare underestimate me, you son of a …WOAH!" Bullet ranted before being cut off as the beast whipped his tail around the battlefield, slamming Bullet harshly into the ground with each hit.
After a few more strikes, Bullet was forced to release his grip on the dragon as he now lay in a small crater.
As the dragon stared at Bullet, it roared victriously over its fallen foe, before turning its gaze back towards its original prey.
"Oh, crap! It's coming back!" Buggy yelled out nervously, as the rest of his crewmates, including Shanks nervously took up arms.
As the dragon prepared to advance, it suddenly stopped as it felt something small collide with the side of its snout. Looking down out of curiosity, it saw that the object was a rock the size of a human's head.
"Hey asshole!" a voice cried out forcing the dragon to look behind it. Its eyes widened at the sight of Bullet who was panting as he walked towards him, now shirtless which revealed his upper body now covered in bruises and cuts.
And yet, despite his condition, Bullet's desire for battle remained strong.
"I didn't hear no bell!" Bullet said with a bloody smile.
Bullet's crewmates could not help but stare at him with awe and respect on their faces. Despite the beating he'd received, he was still willing to continue the fight. Of course, what else would they expect from a man who constantly fought against their captain with relentless intent?
"Wow, Bullet's pretty badass isn't he?" Shanks asked and everyone could not help but nod in confirmation.
As for the red dragon, it seemed to have sensed Bullet's intent, turning around to face him once more. The beast roared out as if to accept Bullet's challenge. However, before it could charge him, Bullet spoke up.
"I'd rather settle this man to man. So do us all a favour and drop your animal form already." said Bullet, causing the dragon to stop mid-step and its eyes to widen in surprise.
Bullet grinned at the reaction. "What? Did you think the old man and I wouldn't catch on? You're way too intelligent to be just some random beast. Plus, I haven't met an animal yet that can unleash Conquerors Haki as strong as yours. No, you're something different. Most likely a Mythical Zoan type Devil Fruit user." Bullet explained while the dragon calmly listened to him with his eyes narrowed at him.
"As fun as it has been fighting something this huge, it's getting pretty boring. I would much rather settle this as a fight between men. Of course, if you want to fight in your hybrid form that works too." Said Bullet.
For a few seconds, the red dragon refused to move and merely observed Bullet as if judging whether or not to entertain his request. Then finally, the dragon roared, but instead of charging, its entire form was consumed by flames.
Everyone watched with awe and fascination as the dragon's fire-covered form shrank until they reached the size of a tall human. Suddenly, the flames dispersed revealing the mysterious figure within them.
Suffice it to say, everyone, including Bullet, could not help but express their surprise at the mysterious figure's appearance.
Emerging from the flames was a young man, most likely in his early twenties who was slightly over six feet in height. He had white hair and dark skin and was shirtless with a hoodie tied around his waist. He was wearing black pants with dark grey combat boots. Behind his back were two sheathed sabres.
However, the biggest feature that stood out was the young man's large black wings that stretched out behind him with a flame burning on his back. He also had red eyes which had a dark look to them. It was a look that Bullet was very familiar with.
The look of someone who had seen the worst parts of the world and lived to tell about it.
It did not take long for Bullet to recover from the shock of this unexpected reveal.
"Well, it seems like today is just full of surprises. First, we encounter a red dragon and then it turns out that it was a Lunarian all along." Bullet said while cracking his knuckles. "No wonder your so damn strong."
Back with the search team observing from the forest, Shanks and the others were having their own little reaction to the most recent revelation.
"Holy crap! So that red dragon was just some guy all along?!" Shanks asked with a bewildered look. "This is blowing my mind."
"Can you even call that guy human?" Buggy asked with a nervous expression as he gazed at the mythical Zoan user. "I mean look at him. Those wings, that appearance, not to mention that fire burning on his back. Just what the heck is he?"
"A Lunarian." Gaban suddenly spoke up catching their attention.
"What's that Gaban?" Taro asked.
"Ages ago, before the World Nobles claimed the top of the Redline for themselves, it was said that an ancient and powerful race of individuals resided there. They were considered so powerful that most common folk compared them to gods." Explained Gaban earning him everyone's attention, especially Shanks who was looking at him with an awestruck look on his face.
"They called this ancient race, the Lunarians. They held distinct physical traits that set them apart from other races. Mostly their dark skin, white hair, large black wings and the ability to supposedly control fire without a Devil Fruit. It was even rumoured that they could adapt to any environment, which made them especially fearsome."
Buggy looked surprised by this. "Hold on, if these guys are so strong, then why haven't we heard about them before?" he asked.
"No one is sure about that. There are all kinds of theories, but it was said that a long time ago, a major event occurred which resulted in most of the Lunarians suddenly dying out. The fact that the World Government has also been hunting them down over the years may also be the cause. Even just reporting info about a Lunarian can earn someone $100 million Beris."
"100 MILLION BERIES?!" Buggy cried out in shock.
However, this proved to be a mistake as moments later, a large wave of fire was making its way towards Buggy and his group.
"LOOK OUT BUGGY!" Shanks cried out tackling his friend just before the wave of fire could incinerate him.
"T-thanks Shanks!" Buggy croaked out. He then stood up to look back at the source of the fire, but as soon as he saw him, Buggy immediately regretted it.
Without moving from his position, the Lunarian had unsheathed one of his sabres and had it point towards Buggy's former location. He had momentarily taken his eyes off Bullet and was now glaring at Buggy and the others with a look that promised to end them for the slightest provocation.
Suffice it to say, it had the intended effect as several people gulped nervously. Even Gaban was smiling nervously while beads of sweat trailed down his face.
"I don't think he likes people talking about that." Shanks whispered while nervously making his way behind Gaban while Buggy quickly followed.
With his point now made, the Lunarian returned his attention to Bullet whose expression had not changed despite the former having attacked his comrades.
"Now that you're done putting the peanut gallery in their place. I think it's time we get back to our fight now." Said Bullet.
The Lunarian raised an eyebrow at Bullet, "I just attacked your comrades and you care more about fighting me? You're a pretty heartless bastard aren't you?" He asked.
Bullet merely shrugged and cracked his neck. "Please, if you wanted to kill them, you could have easily done so without holding back. Besides, I won't tolerate any interruptions in our fight, even from my crewmates."
"…" The Lunarian was quiet as he processed Bullet's words whole calmly observing him. He was crazy and battle-hungry, of that there was no doubt. However, he was also honest, which was a rare trait for pirates.
Plus, with the strength and resilience he just showed, it was obvious that he wasn't a normal human. The same went for the older pirate who fought alongside him.
"… What's your name pirate?" The Lunarian asked as he clenched his fists tightly.
"Douglas Bullet." Bullet answered while getting into a boxing stance his fists outstretched in front of him. "How about you? I'd hate to have to keep calling you, beast or dragon. After making me feel this alive, you deserve better than that."
The Lunarian also got into a fighting stance, unfurling his black wings behind him with a dramatic flair.
"Belindo. Morningstar D. Belindo." Belindo replied calmly as the flame on his back lit up and his eyes turned into slits.
Suffice it to say, Bullet, Gaban and a few others were quite surprised to hear that.
"D.?" Gaban voiced with surprise.
"The same initial as the captain?" Shanks asked with disbelief.
Bullet also seemed surprised at first, but it quickly disappeared as it was replaced with a mad grin.
"Interesting!" Bullet yelled before he disappeared from his position and reappeared in front of Belindo who had yet to make a move as he calmly observed Bullet's movements.
As the blow came down, everything seemed to move in slow motion as Belindo subtly moved his body and with a simple movement of his arms, redirected the attack to pass right by him. As time returned to normal, the full force of Bullet's punch was unleashed, creating a huge air current that shattered the ground behind him.
Now within his opponent's guard, Belindo clenched his fist and rotated his body, delivering a full-powered punch that his current form could muster and jabbed it into Bullet's abdomen.
The sound of his fist impacting Bullet's flesh was quite audible and even pushed him a few feet off the ground. However, it was not enough to send him flying too far as Bullet recovered in midair and flipped through the air to land on his feet.
As he got back up he smiled at a surprised Belindo who observed the spot where he punched him. At the center of his abdomen, was a thin layer of Armament Haki protecting Bullet from Belindo's punch.
"Come one, quit holding back. You could have easily caused some damage if you had applied some Armament Haki to your fists." Said Bullet.
Belindo was surprised at first, but then that surprise morphed into glee. "Sorry, but it's been a while since I fought all out against someone. Most people either die or fall unconscious from just a single blow… but then again you aren't like most people are you big boy?" said Belindo with a grin.
"I can't remember the last time I had a chance to go all out." Said Belindo. "I'll be sure to thank you if you're still alive after our fight!"
"Enough talling!" Bullet yelled as both fighters charged forward. As they were within striking distance, both fighters coated their respective arms in Haki, before throwing them forward.
The resulting clash resulted in a massive shockwave that swept through the area. However, both fighters were far from done. Bullert soon followed up with a left hook, which Belindo moved to dodge, but Bullet quickly shifted his body and swung his right arm at Belindo's exposed guard.
Thankfully for Belindo, he saw this coming and using his wings, he managed to pull himself back away from the range of Bullet's swing. As he flew back in mid-air, the feathers on Belindo's wings bristled and with a powerful flap of his wings, a hail of feathers flew straight at Bullet. While some bounced off of his Haki-coated arms, the others cut through his bare skin or lodged into other parts of his body, mainly his legs.
While this would have been enough to stun most men, Bullet just brushed it off. Suddenly Belindo vanished from his line of sight and Bullet's glowed red before he turned his head around just in time for Belindo to reappear behind him.
Bullet spun around, swinging one of his arms in a backhand blow, but Belindo raised his arms to block it. However, the force behind Bullet's swing was enough to send him flying back several feet.
Bullet charged after his opponent but before he could attack, Belindo spun in mid-air before using his wings to fly out of the way of Bullet's attack. As he got back on solid ground and regained solid footing, Belindo raised one of his fists and without warning fire manifested around his limb.
Seeing this, Bullet ceased his follow-up charge and moved back, exceeding the striking distance of Belindo's wide swing. However, while in mid-swing, the fire around Belindo's arm grew and expanded before breaking away from his arm, forming a flaming claw that covered the distance Bullet had put between them.
Seeing the incoming attack, Bullet brought his arms forward to defend himself. What followed was a massive explosion that sent Bullet flying back and skipping across the burning ground like a stone over water.
Fortunately, Bullet was able to regain control of his body and dug his feet into the ground to stop himself. His Observation Haki flared up and with a pissed-off grunt, Bullet looked up to see a large fireball being thrown at him. Quickly extending both arms outward, Bullet clapped them together with incredible force generating a powerful burst of air just as the fireball was about to hit him, causing it to disperse.
However, this proved to be a distraction as Belindo used the fireball to mask his presence and attack Bullet. Unfortunately for Belindo, Bullet had been expecting him to pull a stunt like this. Just as Belindo attacked with a spin kick, Bullet brought his arms up to block the attack.
Quickly grabbing onto Belindo's leg, Bullet smiled mischievously.
"Allow me to repay the favour from earlier." Bullet roared as he swung Belindo violently into the ground several times before throwing him away. As Belindo skipped across the earth, Bullet charged forward, landing a powerful kick to Belindo's abdomen, sending him flying up into the air.
As he reached the peak of his flight, Bullet quickly jumped up to meet him and brought both of his arms together over his head before bringing them down in a devastating hammer blow. The impact seemed to knock the breath out of Belindo who flew back down to earth with a crash.
As Bullet fell after him, preparing to unleash a devastating heel drop, the dust cloud created by Belindo's crash dispersed as something sped through the air toward him. Bullet quickly manoeuvered his body in mid-air to avoid the attack.
However, his eyes widened upon noticing that the thing which flew towards him was not Belindo, but a large stone. Before he could blink, he felt a powerful kick knock him upside the head and send him crashing back down to the ground.
Recovering quickly, Bullet glared up at his opponent only to blink as he saw Belindo's outstretched foot only inches away from his face. Unable to block in time, Belindo's kick slammed full force into Bullet's face, slamming him right back into the ground.
Hopping off of Bullet's face, Belindo jumped back a few feet away and calmly watched as his opponent got back to his feet while shooting him a glare. However, Bullet blinked and his guard instantly went up as he noticed that Belindo had suddenly vanished. Upon feeling his Observation Haki go haywire, Bullet quickly brought his arm up just in time to block another kick from Belindo.
"Close but no-!" Bullet started to say before Belindo blurred out of his line of sight and reappeared on his other side. Swinging around, Bullet landed a right hook. Or at least that's what it looked like at first before his fist passed harmlessly through Belindo's body. Suddenly, a sharp stabbing pain erupted from his side and he looked down to see Belindo with his fist in his side, having just delivered a strong blow to his kidney.
Bullet roared as he swung to grab Belindo, but then he disappeared again. From there, things only got worse from Bullet as Belindo's form kept disappearing and reappearing around him with incredible speed, delivering one strong blow after another.
Unable to keep up with his opponent's newfound speed, Bullet was forced into a defensive position as he adopted a peekaboo boxing stance to protect himself while applying a thin layer of armament haki to the rest of his body to soften Belindo's blows. As this was happening, Bullet tried his best to follow Belindo.
'How the hell did he get so fast?!' Bullet thought as he fought through the pain Belindo was inflicting on him.
'Calm down! Take this time to analyze and adapt to his movements.' Bullet thought as he did his best to follow Belindo. As more and more blows rained down upon him, the easier it became for Bullet to notice a pattern in Belindo's attacks, allowing him to track his movements.
'If I am right, then his next attack should happen right… HERE!' Bullet smirked as he suddenly abandoned his defensive position, lashing out with a quick blow to his right side.
Sure enough, Belindo manifested right in the spot where Bullet predicted he would appear, his arm raised mid-swing for another attack. Upon noticing Bullet's fist heading towards him, Belindo used his wings to try and tilt his body out of the way of the attack.
While this move allowed him to dodge the worst of Bullet's fist, his opponent's fist still managed to graze his cheek, resulting in a thin line of blood appearing on Belindo's cheek. Although a minor wound, the fact he drew blood from his foe after such an intense battle shocked the larger fighter.
'I damaged him? But how? Not too long ago, he was tanking even my strongest attacks, but now he suffers damage from a quick jab?' Bullet thought incredulously.
As he pondered this development, Belindo's form vanished and Bullet's Observation Haki flared up again and he turned around to block a roundhouse kick to his head.
'It's not an issue with his Haki. So what the hell has changed?!'Bullet thought before pushing his arm away and sending Belindo flying through the air.
As he backflipped through the air, Bullet's eyes widened as he noticed a particular detail about the flames on Belindo's back.
There weren't any.
'His flames are gone?' Bullet thought before his eyes went wide as he thought back to earlier in their fight when Belindo was still in dragon form. The flame on Belindo's back was also out during that time as well and his beast form had seemingly gained a massive boost in speed. Not unlike what he was demonstrating now.
'Could that be it?' Bullet thought as Belindo landed back down and vanished once more. 'Only one way to find out.' As Bullet thought this, he maintained his battle stance, but rather than charge in or look around blindly for his enemy, he closed his eyes and expanded his senses.
This drop in his guard allowed Belindo to land a right hook to his face. However, Bullet did not react and instead devoted his efforts to guarding and expanding his focus. During that time, Belindo took advantage of this to hammer him with powerful blows. Yet despite the pain he was in, Bullet refused to back down or defend himself.
Suddenly, Bullet's mind lit up with images and he could make out a glowing red form burning like an inferno heading towards him on a certain path. His eyes snapped open and he threw his fist forward with incredible speed just as Belindo sped towards Bullet, his fist also preparing to strike him.
However, Bullet's attack was faster and before he could reignite his flames, Bullet's punch slammed into him with tremendous force, knocking him down into the ground with enough force to crater the ground.
Stepping back to take a breath, Bullet tried to follow up by stomping onto Belindo's form. However, before the attack could land, Belindo rolled out of the way of the attack which shattered the ground where he formerly stood.
After catching his breath, Belindo quickly got back up and looked up at Bullet with an intense glare of his own while blood flowed from his jaw which he spat out. Meanwhile, Bullet was smiling ecstatically as he savoured the feeling of having finally landed a blow on his opponent.
"I see. So that's how it works." The former child soldier declared catching Belindo's attention.
"The flame on your back isn't just for show. When it's lit, your body is practically indestructible. And when it goes out, your speed greatly increases at the cost of your impressive defence. Looks like the stories people spoke about your race aren't just talk after all. But you… you're an entirely different breed of warrior." Bullet explained with a look of glee.
Belindo was silent for a while, before chuckling. "You're pretty sharp. Much more than the average pirate. Not to mention the way you fight. You have actual skill compared to those muscleheaded morons I've encountered at sea. Let me guess, former military?" Belindo asked.
"Child soldier. Seen my share of action serving the Galzburg Kingdom." Said Bullet.
Belindo's expression turned serious once more. "Sounds rough. I can't imagine you had an easy childhood." He said.
Bullet suddenly laughed out loud. "Like you're one to talk. My childhood was probably a paradise compared to what you've endured." Said Bullet as Belindo's eyes darkened. A fact, that did not escape Bullet's notice as he adopted a serious expression.
"You're body language says it all. Along with the way you fight. Graceful, precise, powerful and much more. Only those who have faced life-and-death situations and trained to overcome them manage to acquire that level of skill. I faced my share of fighters, and only a few could have pushed me this far the way you have. Your skills truly are extraordinary."
"Thanks. I had one hell of a teacher." Said Belindo. Bullet easily caught on to his choice of words.
"I see. Looks like they taught you well. They must have been one hell of a warrior." Bullet said with a serious tone filled with respect.
"…You have no idea." Said Belindo.
Bullet then took a deep breath before getting back into a fighting stance.
"Anyways, let's get back to our fight." Said Bullet.
Belindo looked at him intently. "You know, out of all the pirates, government agents and marines, I've faced these last few years. Barely any of them, have forced me to go all out… Actually, I don't think I've ever really had a chance to go all out against anyone before."
As Belindo spoke, Bullet took advantage of his open guard to charge right toward him. In the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of Belindo his fist raised preparing to strike. That said, Bullet also made sure to register every word Belindo said.
"… Until today." Said Belindo just as Bullet's fist landed causing a large explosion that shattered the ground beneath him and created a huge dust cloud. Suddenly, Bullet's facial expression morphed into one of pain as he felt his fist strain against something.
"So I'll show you some gratitude, by going all out." Belindo's voice echoed from within the cloud as red eyes glowed ominously from within, followed by a beastly growl. Bullet watched as Belindo's shadowy form grew in size until he surpassed even Bullet's impressive height. On his back, his black wings transformed, growing and shifting until they transformed into upside-down bat wings.
"It's been a while since I've used this form, so do me a favor… and try not to lose too quickly." Said Belindo with a toothy grin.
Before Bullet could respond, he felt a powerful fist connect to his face that sent him skipping across the battlefield before coming to a stop with a resounding crash. Bullet gasped for air as he got back up on his feet to glare at his foe, only for his eyes to widen as his opponent walked out of the smoke cloud now in his hybrid form.
Now standing slightly taller than Bullet by at least two feet, Belindo certainly had an imposing physique. Behind him stood his inverted dragon wings which were larger than his body as they lay by his sides, clawing at the earth with his wing talons. His clawed feet burned the earth with every step and his tail weaved through the air behind him. As for his face and torso, they were covered with red scales in a striped pattern. On his head was a crown of five horns that curved backwards.
Belindo's red and black slitted eyes gazed at Bullet with an unusual look. Like a predator eager to play around with its prey. As Belindo smiled, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs, he licked his lips with his now elongated tongue, before bending forward with one clawed hand on the ground.
Bullet roared as he prepared to rush Belindo. Or at least that's what he was planning to do. Sadly for Bullet, he made it a few feet before Belindo suddenly appeared at his exposed side. Although Bullet was quick enough to bring his arms up to guard against Belindo's outstretched fist, he failed to notice his tail which snaked between his legs and wrapped around his leg. And thus, Bullet yelled as Belindo's tail pulled him through the air.
"OH YOU SON OF A…!" Bullet yelled before Belindo pulled his tail back down, slamming him repeatedly into the ground over and over again.
After several slams, Belindo's tail suddenly felt resistance when he tried to pull up Bullet again. Looking at his target, he saw he had stabbed his arms into the earth, using it to anchor himself. Belindo grunted and with a few more tugs, he pulled Bullet back, taking a large chunk of stone with him.
Twisting in mid-air, Bullet threw the large stone at Belindo who crossed his arms and set himself ablaze, burning through the rock before breaking it apart with his claws.
As he dealt with the makeshift projectile, he felt something forcibly loosen his tail's grip on Bullet, before he felt his presence vanish. Turning around, Belindo came face to face with Bullet, whose arms were completely covered in Haki with a blue texture.
"EAT THIS!" Bullet yelled with mad glee as he unleashed a barrage of punches at Belindo. Unable to raise his guard in time, Belindo was forced to endure every last one of Bullet's punches. After several minutes of nonstop punching, Bullet unleashed one final haymaker to Belindo's face which sent him flying backwards into the forest behind him.
Panting rapidly, Bullet fell to his knees as he took in large gulps of air that his badly damaged body desperately needed after such a harrowing ordeal.
"How… How do you… like that?" Bullet gasped out between breaths.
When he was met with only silence, Bullet smiled as he allowed his body, which had been tensed and primed to fight to finally relax.
"…I'm impressed."
Bullet's eyes went wide and his blood ran cold as his head snapped up to stare at the darkness within the forest. From its depths, Belindo's hybrid form slowly emerged. Aside from a busted lip and some light bruising on his face, he didn't look the least bit affected by Bullet's barrage.
Swishing his mouth a bit, Belindo spat out a large wad of blood and wiped the remnants from his lips.
"I have to admit, when we first traded blows, I never expected you to make it this far. But lo and behold, you not only lasted longer than I expected, but you also managed to injure me." Belindo gave him a toothy grin as he chuckled before erupting into full-blown laughter.
After a while, he calmed done as he rubbed his palm down his face.
"Bullet, you are one hell of a guy. You would not believe how boring it's been lately. Every challenge I've faced proved more disappointing than the other… But looks like you've broken that streak." Said Belindo who smiled sadly as he finished his statement.
"I honestly can't remember the last time I've had this much fun in battle. Not to mention you helped me to unleash my true strength… You have my gratitude for that. " said Belindo as he raised his arm and cracked his fingers.
"Unfortunately, the time's come for us to bring our epic brawl to an end." Said Belindo with a serious expression.
Bullet was silent as he heard Belindo speak, genuinely shocked by his words. Then he started to smile and chuckle before erupting into full-blown maniacal laughter.
"You make it sound like I don't have any fight left in me." Said Bullet shocking Belindo. "I'll have you know I still got enough in the tank for one final attack."
Belindo looked at Bullet incredulously before chuckling. "You crazy bastard." said Belindo before cracking his neck. However, despite his words, Belindo was excited by the prospect that Bullet could still go on.
"Alright then. Let's get this done!" said Belindo as he stretched one of his arms out. As he clenched his arm into a fist, Haki began to encompass the limb. The black armament flowed throughout his limb, ending at the top of his shoulder which had flame motifs, while the rest of his limb had bright red cracks along his arm, making it look like his limb was made of magma.
"One final attack! Winner take all!" said Belindo as red and black lighting circulated around him, kicking up the wind around him. Likewise, Bullet mirrored his, unleashing his own Conqueror's spirit as well.
"Before we do this, I have a question for you Bullet." Belindo suddenly called out catching Bullet's attention.
"What exactly is your goal? What drives you to push yourself to your limits and risk even your life?" asks Belindo.
Bullet looked surprised at first before his face grew serious. "I seek to become the strongest in the world!" He said causing Belindo's eyes to widen slightly. "To achieve this goal, there is a certain man I must defeat. Once I do, I will have truly become the strongest. So until that happens, there's no way in hell I'll die today." Bullet declared with a resolute expression.
As he told him this Belindo's expression was unreadable before he broke out into a smile and then laughed.
Bullet frowned at his reaction. "What? You find something funny?"
"Hahaha, relax, I'm not laughing at your goal. I'm laughing at how small the world is." He said confusing Bullet.
"You see, it turns out we both have the same goal." He said surprising Bullet once more.
"Like you, I also want to become the strongest. So that one day, I can tear down the false "gods" who rule this world with lies and corruption and pave the way for true liberation. In other words Bullet, my goal is to become King of the World! A force so powerful, that no one would dare challenge me or harm those under my wings!" Belindo explained as he gripped his fist.
Bullet was speechless as he took in Belindo's words. The next moment, the smile on his face grew even wider as he could not contain the glee he felt. "I see, I guess that makes us rivals then!" Bullet cried out as he pushed past his limit to draw out every last ounce of Conqueropr's Haki he had left.
"Sounds like it!" Belindo cried out as he and Bullet prepared for their final clash.
"Fighting with you has been a blast, Bullet! So if you truly want us to be rivals then do me a favor. Try not to die from this!" Belindo replied with a grin.
"LET'S GOOOOOOO!" Bullet yelled out with joy as he rushed at Belindo, who did the same.
As they came together, both fighters let their fists fly towards one another where they collided for the last time. Upon contact, a massive explosion flattened everything around them and sent hurricane-force winds flying outwards from the point of collision.
As the pirates hiding in the forest held on for dear life, they could not help but look on with awe as they witnessed the final moments of Belindo and Bullet's clash as something unforgettable happened.
"Their fists! They aren't touching each other." Shanks cried out with eyes wide with awe.
Sure enough as Bullet and Belindo battled for dominance, their fists were trapped in mid-air as they channelled Conqueror's Haki into their attacks, creating an invisible force preventing them from coming into contact.
After an intense struggle, both fighters delivered one final battle cry, giving one final push to overcome the other, creating a massive shockwave that swept through the island.
Eventually, the dust finally cleared and once the victor was revealed, Shanks and the rest of his crewmates gasped in shock. In the middle of a large crater created their clash, they watched as Belindo stood victoriously over the body of their unconscious comrade.
"Bullet!" Gaban yelled out as he tried to stand up but his injuries forced him back down.
Meanwhile, Belindo stared down at Bullet with a curious expression. Every time he had won against an opponent, be they pirate, Marine or Cipher Pol, they always lay defeated with looks of horror, shock, anger or something along those lines. However, that was not the case for Bullet. He lay passed out on the ground and with s smile on his face.
"… Douglas Bullet, you are one crazy bastard. But you were strong and true to your ideals too." Said Belindo as he made his way past the unconscious Bullet. "Out of gratitude, for the fun fight you gave me, I won't kill you today. That said…"
Belindo extended his wings and gave a light flap as he jumped out of the crater. As he landed he looked back up glaring at the members of the Roger Pirates currently watching from the sidelines in the forest.
"… I unfortunately won't be extending the same courtesy to your comrades." Said Belindo as he took in a deep breath causing a giant blue flame to appear over his mouth.
"OH CRAP! RUN FOR IT!" Buggy yelled as he had a bad feeling about what Belindo was trying to do. And for once, none of his crewmates disagreed.
However, before they could get far, Belindo finished charging up his attack and aimed it toward them.
"INFERNAL BREATH!" He cried out unleashing the powerful blast of blue fire that flew straight towards his enemies.
Time slowed down as the attack grew closer and closer to the group of pirates. Unfortunately, it did not look like they would be able to outrun or avoid in time.
Fortunately, they did not have to.
All of a sudden, something flew incredibly fast out of the forest depths and managed to intercept the approaching beam of fire moments before it could hit them.
Shanks and the others looked back just in time to see a familiar figure plant his feet firmly on the ground and extend his sword arm back in preparation for a swing as black lightning with a red outline sparked around his blade. In the light of the approaching blue flames, the figure's brilliant toothy smile seemed even more dazzling.
"DIVINE DEPARTURE!" the figure yelled as he swung his sword unleashing an extremely powerful air slash imbued with Conqueror's Haki that parted the beam of blue flames, tearing through it with frightening speed. Eventually, the attack reached Belindo who was shocked at the sight before him.
Before he could raise his hands to block the attack, it collided with his gut and he cried out loudly as the strength behind it sent him flying through the air and into the forest behind him, leaving a path of destruction behind him.
Meanwhile, the Roger pirates rejoiced at the sight of their captain Gol D. Roger. With him now here, this battle's outcome was all but assured.
"Yeah! Way to go Captain Roger!" Shanks yelled as he and the rest of the crew attempted to run towards Roger.
"STAY BACK!" Roger yelled forcing his crewmates to halt their advance as they stared at him with confused and surprised expressions.
"Our scaly friend isn't down for the count just yet." As Roger finished his sentence, a roar pierced the air followed by something bursting up from the forest ahead of them.
With a strong burst of wind, Belindo hovered over the battlefield looking furious. With a few powerful flaps of his wings, Belindo quickly flew towards his opponent. Unlike during his fight with Bullet, his arms moved to his back unsheathing the two sabres from the sheaths on his back.
As he got within striking distance, Belindo slashed at Roger with his blades, just as Roger raised his blade to block the attack resulting in yet another shockwave.
As Belindo and Roger faced each other, both were visibly straining to hold the other back. Just as it seemed Belindo would push Roger back, the latter would grin and chuckle as he pushed back with even more force.
Their stalemate lasted for a few minutes before both fighters flexed and jumped back to create some distance from one another.
"I must admit. When we came to this island, the last thing we were expecting to find was someone as powerful as yourself." Roger said as held his sword in a relaxed one-handed stance, while Belindo stood silent as he held his blades by his sides, looking far less composed than Roger.
"Sorry to say, that my crewmates aren't quite up to the task of handling someone of your caliber. And seeing as you threw my first mate into a mountain and injured my left-hand man…" said Roger as he pointed his sword arm straight at Belindo with a challenging smirk.
"You'll be dealing with me now!" Roger declared with a fearless smirk.
And that's a wrap!
Hope you all enjoyed the clash between Belindo and the strongest members of the Roger Pirates. I am especially curious as to your thoughts regarding Bullet and Belindo's solo clash.
Also for those wondering why Bullet didn't use his Devil Fruit powers, there is a reason for that. Based on what I've read regarding the Clank-Clank Fruit, prior to awakening his abilities which can effect the environment around him, Bullet's powers are limited to mechanical and technological objects. Hence why it requires a large amount of mechanical knowledge for him to use effectively. And in this case, their battle takes place in a forest, which is not a good fit for Bullet's powers, which at this period in time have not yet awakened.
Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and its fight scenes. I cannot wait to get started on the Roger vs Belindo brawl that will take place next chapter.
Until then, please don't forget to fav, follow and leave a review!
See you next time!