Chapter 68
Before everyone could recover from their shock at Bullet's strength, the live broadcast captured an astonishing scene: the sea was instantaneously frozen, and even the waves maintained the posture they had a second ago.
The frozen area continued to expand, and in just a few breaths, the sea surface within a radius of several kilometres would be completely transformed into ice!
This jaw-dropping sight left viewers from all around the world in utter disbelief as they watched the live broadcast!
Even for those who had no concept of the Marine Admiral's power before, this moment allowed even ordinary individuals to truly experience the might of the world's most terrifying powerhouse.
In the world of One Piece, the sea is divided into six parts and the land into four parts, a geographical layout well-known to everyone. Aokiji's ability to freeze the sea in an instant made even ordinary people feel the overwhelming strength of the Marine Admiral!
Aokiji, standing on the ice as if he were on solid ground, exhaled a cold breath and stared at Bullet in astonishment as he remarked, "Bullet, you've grown stronger again!"
He couldn't help but notice the immense progress Bullet had made. His physical abilities, strength, and responsiveness had all increased significantly since their clash during the Summit War.
Aokiji's shock was palpable; he struggled to fathom how Bullet managed such rapid growth.
"It's all thanks to my current Devil Fruit!"
Bullet's response was succinct, and he immediately propelled a shockwave through the sky, hurtling toward Aokiji.
"Hmph! Your newfound strength isn't enough!"
Aokiji showed no signs of backing down and faced Bullet head-on.
boom boom boom!
For a moment, the sea in the distance erupted in a storm of Haki and Ice as their intense clash unfolded!
Meanwhile, atop the pyramid, Buggy, now known as "The Godslayer" spoke with calm assurance, "Mr. Gabban, I'll leave the Lava idiot to you."
Gabban had initially been prepared to engage Sengoku in battle, but upon hearing Buggy's words, he quickly grasped the situation.
Without mastery over Conqueror's Haki, he was at a disadvantage against Sengoku, who wielded powerful devil fruit ability.
However, he was more than capable of handling Akainu without hesitation.
"Agreed!"
Boom!
With a resolute response, Gabban propelled himself forward. Holding two massive axes, he charged toward Akainu like an unstoppable force.
"Perish! Dark Hound!"
Akainu didn't back down either. He extended his arm, summoning a massive hound made of molten magma, which lunged at Gabban.
Yet, Gabban's body, covered in Armament Haki-like armour, was impervious to the assault. Without even attempting to dodge, he collided head-on with the magma hound.
boom!
chi chi chi chi
In the next instant, to the shock of everyone watching, Gabban's body shattered Akainu's Dark Hound as he barreled through. He didn't hesitate, continuing his charge and striking Akainu with one of his axes.
boom!
With one powerful swing of his axe, Gabban cleaved Akainu in half, his waist and upper body sent crashing into the ice below.
bang!
As Akainu's body hit the ice, the frozen surface shattered and transformed into a sea of red magma.
Gradually emerging from the magma, Akainu showed minimal signs of damage. He gazed coldly at Gabban and uttered in a low voice, "Such mastery of Armament Haki! Your reputation is well-earned: Great Eruption!"
After Akainu's low shout, he immediately launched a counterattack without hesitation. However, Gabban, unlike Whitebeard, didn't allow Akainu any opening and began his assault immediately.
Akainu, a user of the Logia Lava-Lava Fruit, possessed exceptional endurance. But Gabban, with his formidable Haki, was able to temporarily neutralize Akainu's fruit abilities.
Their battle was intense and fierce, and it was difficult to discern who had the upper hand.
As Akainu and Gabban clashed in the background, Sengoku turned his attention to Buggy, who remained composed atop the pyramid, and asked, "Buggy, what's your plan now that the four of us are occupied?"
Indeed, while Akainu and Aokiji were engaged, Sengoku and the others still had the combined power of three admirals and a Yonko at their disposal.
Facing this daunting challenge, Buggy's calm demeanour was noteworthy. Even Sengoku couldn't help but admire Buggy's unshakable mindset.
"If any of you lay a finger on Mr. Buggy, I won't stand for it."
Just as the tension grew, Sanjuan Wolf's voice reverberated over the battlefield from behind the pyramid's third floor, capturing everyone's attention.
In the next moment, a miraculous sight unfolded once again before their eyes.
In a matter of moments, Sanjuan Wolf, originally a mere three or four meters tall, rapidly swelled and expanded in size. Within a few breaths, he had transformed into a towering 180-meter giant.
Such a colossal height was unprecedented even in the records of the World Government's history.
"Bad Wolf, Normal Punch!"
With his enlarged form, Juan wasted no time. His massive fist resonated with a powerful force, its surface covered in armoured Haki, as he unleashed a devastating punch toward Sengoku and his companions.
"Hmph! Do you think sheer size can deter us?"
Sengoku's cold snort was followed by his readiness to counter.
"Leave him to me, Mr. Sengoku."
Fujitora wasn't idle either. Although he wasn't particularly inclined to act against Buggy, the situation demanded a response. Moreover, he was curious to witness the extent of this "Godslayer's" abilities.
Sengoku, upon hearing Fujitora's words, hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement.
"Agreed."
"Gravity Slash Tiger!"
Fujitora initiated his attack without hesitation. He condensed purple energy in his right hand and slashed, producing a shockwave of purple power that collided with Sanjuan Wolf's colossal fist.
However, when compared to Juan's immense size, Fujitora's purple shockwave seemed minuscule and ineffective, akin to a bird trying to topple a tree.
!
In the subsequent moment, a sight that left everyone in shock unfolded.
After a brief clash between Fujitora's purple shockwave and Juan's colossal fist, a few seconds of tense standstill ensued. Astonishingly, Juan's giant fist was not only deflected but his massive 180-meter body was thrown off balance, falling backwards into the air.
The collective gasp of the audience resonated as they witnessed this unexpected turn of events.
Who could have anticipated that a creature of Juan's monumental size would be toppled in such a manner?
However, the shock was far from over.
Almost simultaneously with Sanjuan Wolf's backward fall, two meteors of incredible power struck him in rapid succession from the sky.
Was this the decisive blow?
Indeed, the Marine's hidden trump cards were proving their strength, showcasing Admiral-level combat power that left everyone in awe. The sudden display of such power by the Marines was a startling revelation, and it was difficult to fathom when they had acquired such potent resources.
Even Kaido, high above the sky, wore a solemn expression as he observed the unfolding events.
Sanjuan Wolf, amidst the falling meteorites, maintained an air of confidence. As he tilted backwards, he issued a low hiss and proclaimed:
"Don't even think about harming Lord Buggy! Bad-Wolf Armed-Punch!"
To everyone's astonishment, Sanjuan Wolf took a deep breath and his body began to expand like a balloon, abruptly halting in midair. Despite his unconventional posture, he possessed enough strength to deliver a powerful blow to the massive meteorites hurtling toward him.
Boom!
In the following moment, Juan released a shockwave of immense proportions that stretched for hundreds of meters, colliding directly with the first descending meteorite.
The first meteorite had a diameter of hundreds of meters, while the second was even larger, reaching a kilometre in size. Yet, these colossal objects couldn't withstand Juan's punch.
boom! boom
The first shockwave shattered the initial meteorite instantaneously, and the second, larger meteorite followed suit, exploding in the sky with undiminished force.
What stunned everyone further was the shockwave's continued upward trajectory.
In essence, Juan's ability to pulverize two meteorites with a single punch didn't represent the extent of his power. He possessed Admiral-level attacking power!
If that was the case, the man named Fujitora in purple attire was bound to be even more formidable.
Could this be the true strength of the Marine Corps and the World Government?
While only three Admirals were publicly known, these two hidden Admiral-class individuals demonstrated that the true strength of the organization far exceeded what was on the surface.
Seeing Fujitora's extraordinary might, any doubts about the existence of another powerful figure like the green bull were quelled.
The green bull, situated amidst a colossal red flower, didn't disappoint either. His transformation occurred when he soared over the outer islands of Punk Hazard.
"Mori Mori no Foliage Fury!"
Under Green Bull's command, the forest below underwent a dramatic transformation. Trees soared to heights of tens of meters, morphing into colossal fists that loomed above the landscape.
Even Green Bull himself transformed into a massive tree, seamlessly merging with the forest.
Soon after, the ground on Punk Hazard's outer island trembled as towering trees were shaped into formidable fists. These tree-like warriors projected a terrifying and imposing presence.
This manipulation of the environment once again sent shockwaves throughout the world. The appearance of another awakened Logia Devil Fruit user was both dreaded and astonishing.
"Awakened Logia? You think you are the only one."
However, amidst the unfolding chaos, Crocodile, who had previously taken on the guise of an executioner, sneered as he ascended from the skies with a cigar in hand. He descended with a sandstorm swirling in his palm, his gaze directed towards the colossal tree-man.
"Hidden Admiral-level combat power from the World Government, right? Logia Mori Mori no mi, Green Bull? Regrettably, you've crossed paths with me. Unfortunately for you, my fruit ability is perfectly suited for countering yours! Feel the agony, Aramaki. Erosion of Reincarnation!"
With a puff, Crocodile compressed a small cloud of sand, then thrust it into the ground.
Immediately following this action, an astonishing sight unfolded before everyone's eyes!
The colossal fists formed by the massive trees, which had been tens of meters high due to Green Bull Araki's intervention, rapidly shrank under Crocodile's formidable technique. The ground, once lush with greenery and flowers, underwent a swift transformation. The verdant landscape turned into a desolate yellow, and the ground cracked and disintegrated, exploding into countless fragments of gravel.
Amidst the spectacle, the arms of the towering tree creatures conjured by Green Bull began to wither into dry branches even before reaching Crocodile. This process of desiccation spread outward at a remarkable pace.
Within moments, the withering extended to cover vast distances: one hundred meters, five hundred meters, one kilometre!
In a one-kilometre radius, the once thriving trees rapidly transformed into lifeless wood, collapsing to the ground. Even Green Bull's massive, tens-of-meters-high tree form began to dry out at an alarming rate.
"What? How is this possible? Wait...!"
Green Bull, utterly shocked by the turn of events, gaped in disbelief. His eyes reflected his astonishment. Were it not for his Haki, he might have transformed into a withered tree creature as well.
Now, Green Bull grasped the true capabilities of the man with the golden hook on the opposing side.
"Logia Sand-Sand Fruit Awakened!?"
Aramaki's teeth were clenched, and he glared at Crocodile with determination, growling, "That's the only power capable of suppressing me! Damn it, I never anticipated encountering one here."
Even as Green Bull spoke, the solid rocky ground beneath his feet began to crack and crumble, transforming into handfuls of yellow sand.
Hissing sounds followed, and the yellow sand rapidly congregated towards Crocodile, advancing like successive layers of sand-formed waves.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Crocodile's laughter resonated as he responded, "Who would have thought that a Marine admiral devil fruit user would be suppressed by me? Quite fascinating! A Marine Admiral? Let's see if you can withstand my technique!"
As Crocodile extended his hand and aimed it at the towering tree-like figure of Green Bull, the boundless yellow sand behind him transformed into a colossal sand sea, rising tens of meters high and surging toward Green Bull.
With a series of rapid movements, the sand seas converged and shrank, tightening together as if drawn by an unseen force.
Within moments, a massive dune composed of densely packed sand piles emerged on Punk Hazard's shoreline.
"Sandstorm·Great Funeral!"
Following these actions, Crocodile clenched his left hand, the sound of his grip echoing through the sky as if something was being forcefully drawn in at the heart of the dune.
Boom!
After a brief interval, the immense dune burst apart, filling the sky with a swirl of yellow sand.
A figure emerged from the yellow sand, ascending into the air, and beneath his feet, a colossal red flower materialized, supporting him in the sky.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke, "I came close to being killed; the constraint imposed by this fruit's ability is incredibly severe! Mr. Sengoku, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle this individual for a while. Although his Haki is much weaker than mine, his fruit ability is an overwhelming challenge. Defeating him in a short span is simply impossible."
Sengoku's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this revelation.
He then cast his gaze toward Fujitora, who was locked in combat with Juan and Doringo, his astonishment growing.
Sengoku could never have anticipated that the power of Buggy's pirate crew would escalate to such a staggering level. This pirate posed a dire threat that could not be underestimated. And this Pirate crew was assembled mere months ago if given time...
Such a formidable force must not be allowed to persist!
Simultaneously, Kaido's thoughts aligned with this sentiment.
Though Buggy's crew lacked the means to surpass Admirals in terms of manoeuvrability, the fact that they managed to continuously constrain several Admirals, preventing their interference in Buggy's battles, was a formidable feat.
Allowing such a potent and promising team to flourish further would undoubtedly cause significant harm to the Beast Pirates and the World Government.
With this in mind, Kaido chose to forego any further games, rapidly shrinking his form to that of a dragon figure resembling Bullet's. In his grasp, he wielded his iconic colossal mace.
Boom!
In the sky above, Kaido surged towards Buggy with an airwave, wasting no time before striking Buggy forcefully on the head with his mace.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido exhibited no intention of holding back his strike, the mace radiating with crackling thunder and enshrouded in Conqueror's Haki—a fearsome combination.
Almost concurrently, Sengoku transformed into a monumental golden Buddha, his fist carrying a tyrannical force as he aimed a powerful punch at Buggy.
Two of the world's most formidable fighters attacked Buggy in unison!
Viewers of the live broadcast were equally caught up in the excitement. Would the seemingly invincible god slayer, Buggy, be vanquished at last?
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