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The clash of fists was so fast and intense that silence fell over everyone present. The surrounding Marines swallowed hard, their eyes filled with shock and fear.
The sheer power erupting from the collision of their punches sent chills down everyone's spine.
Especially the figure still standing in the arena—he hadn't used any visible buildup, and there was no charge-up.
It was just a simple punch… yet it carried terrifying might. It was utterly unbelievable, like something out of a fantasy.
Eveya's expression was serious as she stared at the smoking crater in the distance, eyes full of gravity.
She knew how much Bullet had sacrificed over the past twenty years.
While others may have had time to rest or enjoy themselves between training sessions, this madman's heart was like steel—unyielding and relentless.
His life was dull and repetitive, nothing but endless training and brutal punishment of his own body.
Boom! In the distance, rubble flew as a figure slowly stood up from the smoke.
His Marine uniform was torn in several places, revealing a body of hardened muscle beneath.
Towering at 5.1 meters, he was even more imposing than Arashi.
"Heh heh… looks like this fight won't be boring after all!" Bullet grinned, his face twisting into a crazed smile.
He bent down slowly, feet digging into the ground with force. Rip! His boots shattered instantly, revealing ten toes anchoring firmly into the ground.
Power coursed through his body, radiating from his feet and splitting the stone below with cracks. This wild display stunned everyone around him.
His sleeves and pants ripped apart next, revealing fully swollen muscles—he had entered his combat state.
"What kind of monster treats his body like this? Just how far has he pushed his physical limits?" one of the approaching Marine officers gasped.
It was obvious—Bullet had trained his body into a single unified weapon.
His power flowed through every part of his being. In battle, even his toes, fingers, nails, and a single strand of hair could become a force of destruction.
Boom! In the next second, Bullet's body shot forward like a cannonball. His thick legs pounded the ground, each step covering over ten meters.
The stone floor cracked beneath his feet. A violent aura surged across the skies of Marineford, flooding the air.
Like a streak of violet-red lightning, Bullet's figure raced ahead. Arashi's eyes lit up with excitement as a fighting spirit surged within him.
"So you've never stopped refining yourself all these years, huh?"
"Just feeling your presence is enough to get my blood pumping," he said with a smirk, reaching for his collar.
Rip! With a casual tug, the well-crafted Marine coat tore like paper, revealing a body that made the onlookers gasp.
His muscles were like slabs of granite carved into his frame.
The powerful angles of his neck and the sharp lines of his eight-pack abs were like chiselled stone.
But what shocked the Marines even more was Arashi's back. A demonic face appeared across his shoulder blades.
As he moved, it seemed to snarl like a tiger. His thick waist was like that of a bear. In every sense, he was the embodiment of a "tiger's back and bear's waist."
"Just looking at that body from afar is enough to shake your soul! How did he train it like this? He's pushed the human form to its very limit!"
Both warriors stood in the centre of the field, their powerful physiques striking awe into the hearts of all Marines.
Then, Arashi moved. He slowly bent forward, toes gripping the ground tightly—his boots suddenly burst apart with a loud snap.
In the next instant—Boom!—the ground cracked beneath him, leaving two deep footprints. A streak of black and crimson lightning tore across the air in a flash.
"What terrifying Conqueror's Haki! These two… they have brought Haki to its ultimate form! Bullet was once a member of the Pirate King Roger's crew. He even rivalled the Dark King, Rayleigh!"
"Later, under Admiral Arashi's command, he suddenly went quiet… but it's clear he never stopped chasing strength and as for Admiral Arashi, the legend himself…"
"There's almost no record of him ever losing a fight since the day he stepped onto the battlefield," said a senior Vice Admiral, his voice trembling.
More and more Marines rushed over to witness the battle, all eyes locked onto the two figures at its centre. In the blink of an eye, the two surged toward each other.
"Roar!" Bullet growled. His massive arms swung forward, veins bulging like writhing worms. His body was wrapped in purple, blue, and black light.
"Hahahahaha!" Arashi laughed wildly, clenched his fists, and struck out.
Bang! Their fists collided with a deafening crack, lightning flaring through the sky. Shockwaves blasted outward in every direction.
Their eyes locked. Electricity crackled between them. Then, both men grinned.
"AH!!" Bullet roared again, drawing even more power into his arms as he launched another punch.
Arashi matched him, every vein on his right arm pulsing with raw energy.
Three seconds later, the ground beneath them exploded, leaving a massive crater. Five seconds later, Bullet's face turned red.
His arm began to bend under the pressure. Terrifying power surged from Arashi's hand, widening Bullet's eyes in disbelief.
Impossible. In a direct clash of strength—after all his years of relentless training—he was still overpowered.
That meant Arashi's body was even stronger than his. But how? Bullet was bigger, heavier. On paper, he should've had the advantage.
Yet, in actual output, he was thoroughly defeated.
Boom! Suddenly, Arashi's power spiked. Like a thunderbolt from the heavens, his strength exploded. Bullet's arm collapsed inward, and Arashi's fist slammed into his face.
In an instant, Bullet lost his balance and was sent crashing to the ground, his head striking the stone below.
Crack! The floor shattered. His head became embedded in the rubble as smoke and dust rose around him.
Huff… Arashi exhaled slowly, staring down at Bullet.
He had grown stronger. That clash had been brief but intense—purely physical, enhanced with Armament Haki.
The goal was simple: to determine the stronger fighter in the shortest amount of time.
For warriors like them, brute strength and martial technique were more than enough to establish dominance.
"Looks like… I'm still the top dog, Bullet," Arashi said, slowly standing tall.
Bullet, sprawled on the ground, twitched his legs and sat up. He still looked dazed, shaking his head hard.
"You're a damn monster, Arashi…Even your physical strength has reached a whole new level!"
"After all these years of hard work and training... I'm still no match for you."
Bullet let out a sigh.
Blood trickled down his forehead, staining his cheek, yet he looked completely unfazed as if he hadn't taken any damage at all.
Then, with a sudden leap, he stood up. "Well then!"
"Where do I stay next?" Arashi looked him in the eyes and smiled. Then, he reached out his right hand and formed a fist. Bullet did the same.
But this time, it wasn't to fight. Their fists gently bumped and then separated — like two old friends greeting each other after a long time.
"Come with me!" Arashi grinned. Under the stunned gazes of the surrounding Marines, the group quickly left the area and vanished.
Sengoku rested his hands on the window frame inside the Fleet Admiral's office, watching Arashi and the others leave below.
"Arashi, Bullet... the younger generation has already completely surpassed us," Zephyr said with a quiet sigh. Sengoku nodded in agreement.
The moment they saw the physiques hidden beneath their cloaks, both men watching the scene narrowed their eyes.
Those bodies — they were beyond anything either of them had ever achieved. Only Garp had trained his body to an extreme level in his prime.
But now... Sengoku shook his head and sighed. "We've grown old. It's the era of the young now."
"Indeed," Zephyr agreed. "Even though that was just a friendly spar, Bullet's strength is obvious."
"He's already mastered all three types of Haki to the highest level. Although he's still a step behind Arashi, he's already a terrifying monster." Sengoku stood up slowly and spoke softly. Zephyr nodded.
"With them joining this war... My confidence has grown a lot!" Sengoku smiled. "The Marines truly are about to enter an unprecedented golden age."
Hearing this, Zephyr smiled as well. They looked down at the neatly organized ranks of Marines in the square, each unit being dispatched in order from the Inner Bay port.
At that moment, they both felt something stir inside them. Judging by their aura and discipline alone, the elite troops from the West Blue Branch showed remarkable potential.
That afternoon, the personnel from the West Blue Branch were assigned to their respective quarters. At the same time, five Pacifistas stood silently in a row before Arashi.
"So, what are their codenames?" Arashi asked with a smile.
"Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn," Enel replied. "You can also just call them Units 1 through 5."
Enel squinted as he examined the man in front of him. According to Vegapunk, the source of his lightning abilities came from this ma.?
Enel didn't believe he was inferior in any way when it came to lighting.
He always felt something odd — like he was the one truly destined to wield the Goro Goro no Mi.
It's not just a mere replica created by Vegapunk. The artificial Devil Fruit he had eaten only retained about half the power of the real one.
According to Vegapunk, it was a failed creation among the synthetic fruits.
Yet even as a failure, it still granted great strength.
But compared to the real Goro Goro no Mi, it lacked certain things — like the elemental transformation ability that Logia-types naturally had.
Rather than calling it an artificial Goro Goro no Mi, it was more like an Electricity Fruit.
At that moment, Arashi wasn't paying attention to Enel's thoughts. His eyes were fixed on the five Pacifistas before him.
Their codenames reflected Vegapunk's lingering resentment toward the Five Elders. That resentment likely stemmed from being imprisoned in Impel Down.
After all, his disappearance had disrupted many of the lab's ongoing projects.
Arashi had once discussed many experiments with Vegapunk, and knowing the story gave him valuable insight.
"How strong are they?" Arashi asked. "According to Vegapunk, a Pacifista should be able to defeat a pirate with a bounty of 500 million," Enel explained.
"They have immense strength, some skill in hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship.
Their eyes can unleash powerful electric blasts with devastating force."
"Is that so?" Arashi murmured, deep in thought. Comparable to a pirate with a 500 million bounty — not far off from their depiction in the original story.
Instead of Kuma's appearance, they now looked like Golden Lion Shiki. That was a bit terrifying.
Speaking of Kuma stood beside them, silently observing the five humanoid machines. His expression was serious and intense.
He knew well that the World Government's collaborative project with him might be these very Pacifistas. If he went through with the partnership, would he end up like them one day?
Unconsciously, a chill ran down Kuma's spine. "Can I test their strength?" he suddenly asked.
"Of course," Arashi said with a surprised look but nodded nonetheless.
While Enel had explained their abilities, Arashi had yet to see how they fought in action. He was curious as well.
"Unit 1!" Enel called out. Pacifista Unit 1 immediately stepped forward. Its weight was immense — with each step, the ground trembled.
On its forehead was a large "1" engraved beneath the ship's helm. To the left side of its forehead was the name "Venus."
"Attack him," Enel ordered, pointing at Kuma. Unit 1 reacted instantly, drawing two swords from its waist.
A faint swirl of dust rose as its body vanished, reappearing above Kuma's head, where it brought both blades down.
Kuma's eyes narrowed slightly as he raised his hand.
Clang!
The swords clashed against his palm, producing the sound of metal striking metal. Unit 1's slash was completely absorbed by Kuma's hand.
Just then, blue electricity sparked in Unit 1's eyes. The energy gathered and shot out in a brilliant beam in the blink of an eye.
Zzzzt!
The electric blast fired at close range, straight toward Kuma. His pupils shrank as he raised his paw again, intercepting the beam.
Bzzzzt!
The blast struck his paw and was absorbed instantly — no damage done.
Then, with a single step, Kuma's massive body surged forward, and his paw came crashing down.
Boom!
A heavy thud echoed as his paw slammed into Unit 1's face, sending it flying and crashing into the distant ground. When it got up again, electricity flickered around its body — some of its circuits malfunctioning.
Seeing this, Enel panicked. "You bastard!! How dare you hit Unit 1!"
"Discharge!"
"Ten million volts!"
He spread his fingers and aimed at Kuma's face, shouting in a low voice. Kuma was caught off guard.
He was even more surprised when he saw the massive thunderbolt surging toward him.
"Goro Goro no Mi?" But his response was instant — he raised his paw and easily absorbed the lightning.
With one step, he vanished. When he reappeared, he was already above Enel, his paw barely ten centimetres from Enel's cheek.
"This guy!!"
"So fast!"
Enel's pupils shrank. A flash of red light passed through his eyes as his body crackled with lightning.
"Whoosh!" Kuma swung his paw, slicing through Enel's afterimage. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the figure reappear ten meters ahead.
"Observation Haki, huh?" This long-eared guy in bell bottoms was no ordinary fighter. And the power he held—was that the Goro Goro no Mi?
"Enough!" Arashi's voice rang out just then. Enel had been preparing for another attack but stopped, turning his head to glance at Arashi.
"Has the lab's artificial Devil Fruit technology reached the level of producing Logia types?" Arashi's voice was low, but the words made Kuma's body jolt in shock.
Artificial Devil Fruits? Arashi ran a lab and already had the technology to create Devil Fruits.
That meant the Goro Goro no Mi abilities Enel used… were artificial? Kuma's mind reeled—had humanity truly reached the point of manufacturing Devil Fruits?
"Of course not!" Enel snapped. "We can create Zoan and Paramecia types, but Logia is on a whole different level. The Goro Goro no Mi I ate was a failure."
His tone held frustration as if grinding his teeth. He couldn't shake the feeling that the real Goro Goro no Mi was supposed to be his—yet this power came from that man's lab.
"A failure, huh?" Arashi furrowed his brow. Then he suddenly stepped forward.
Crack!
A lightning bolt splits the air, moving at a speed beyond comprehension.
He was in front of Enel in a flash, his right hand already pressing down on the man's head. "So fast!" Both Enel and Kuma were shaken.
"I see now," Arashi murmured. The artificial Goro Goro no Mi lacked all the true traits of a Logia fruit.
Its effects were significantly weaker, more like a Paramecia than anything else.
At that moment, Pacifista Unit 01 stood up again. "Who holds the highest clearance?" Arashi asked.
"You do," Enel replied.
"I'm second. Although the ranks can be changed, only you have the authority." Arashi nodded.
"Good. From now on, the second clearance holder is Kuina. You're now ranked third. The Research Corps will be under her direct command. You all now belong to her."
"Wait, what?" Enel blinked, confused. How did he just get demoted out of nowhere? And who even was Kuina?
Moments later, his question was answered. She appeared with a long blade at her side—elegant, confident, and a Marine Vice Admiral.
But what stunned Enel the most was her piercing gaze—it felt like she saw right through him.
This woman was no ordinary person. That was the instinctive thought that echoed in his heart.
"Sensei," Kuina approached and gave a respectful bow. "From today forward, you'll manage the Research Corps," Arashi said with a smile.
"Yes." Kuina accepted calmly, her expression unreadable.
"Also, your swords—Ifuya brought them for you," Arashi smiled. "My swords?" Kuina froze for a second. Then, her face lit up with excitement.
"After Golden Lion Shiki died, his famed blades were recovered in the West Blue. One is called Oto, and the other is Kogorashi. Both are rare, elite swords," Arashi explained.
With a wave of his hand, the two swords flew from a nearby rack and hovered in front of Kuina.
Kuma's eyes widened at the sight. The Goro Goro no Mi couldn't manipulate objects through space.
That meant Arashi possessed a second, maybe even third, Devil Fruit power. "But sensei, I use a single-sword style…" Kuina hesitated.
"If you ever meet a skilled swordsmith in the future, have the two blades reforged into one," Arashi smiled.
"Reforge them into one?" Kuina's eyes gleamed. It was possible—after all, her grandfather was a swordsmith.
"Then I won't hold back!" she said excitedly. As a swordswoman, she couldn't resist the call of legendary blades.
A powerful and domineering aura erupted when she gripped both hilts and unsheathed the swords. "Such overwhelming presence…"
"They once belonged to the man who made the world tremble—Golden Lion Shiki!" Arashi said with a hearty laugh.
"Golden Lion Shiki? Where is he now?" Kuina asked, lowering her gaze to the blades.
"He died by my hand," Arashi said casually. "These five Pacifistas you see before you? They were all modelled after him."
"What?" Kuina was stunned. The legendary pirate was killed by her teacher. And now, she wielded his very swords.
"Treasure them well!" Arashi called out. "Use them to carve your path to becoming the world's greatest female swordsman!"
"Yes!" Kuina took a deep breath and responded with determination.
She might be a woman, but she would never allow herself to be defeated by anyone!
At that moment, there was a loud, urgent knock at the door of the Fleet Admiral's office. Sengoku looked up, his brow furrowed, a bad feeling creeping in.
"Come in!"
The door swung open. A breathless officer stumbled in, face pale with fear. "Fleet Admiral! Terrible news!"
"What is it?" Sengoku asked, voice tense.
"One of the Eleven Supernovas—Straw Hat Luffy! Just now, he punched a Celestial Dragon!"
Sengoku froze, and then his expression changed completely. He leapt to his feet. "What did you say?!"
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