52 Chapter 52

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Within the battleground, towards the Sabaody Archipelago, thunderous explosions echoed.

Bai Ye, disinterested in playing with what he deemed "dead men," after vying for the Marine Admiral position, unleashed his overwhelming combat power. Each attack he launched, with a mere raise of his hand, sheared through defenses like cutting Ryūjin Jakka, and his utilization of "Kidō" left adversaries spitting blood, propelled away like projectiles. Meeting him face to face often resulted in a swift conclusion; a decisive spike. Any unfortunate enough to confront Bai Ye directly risked decapitation.

While the strength of an alternate Admiral stands among the "strong" of these seas and represents the peak achievement for countless Grand Line pirates - a level akin to a 'big pirate' - disparities in power persist. Should an alternate Admiral's strength begin at level 69, barely scraping the lower tiers of the 'strong', Bai Ye's recently exhibited combat power soars at level 100, a level of sheer desperation for his foes.

Similar in strength to Naval Headquarters members like tea dolphins and Momousagi, these 'dead men' nonetheless fall short of true Marine Admirals in actual combat ability. When Bai Ye unlocked 60% of his template progress, his power already sufficed to topple two Marine Admirals concurrently. So, what chance would a mere alternate Admiral stand, even if accompanied by ten individuals, including the future Admiral Green Bull with combat power nearing that of a true Admiral? Against Bai Ye, such a lineup proved grossly inadequate.

The immense gap in real combat power could only be described as 'overwhelming'. Bai Ye's capability grew with each encounter, and amid this conflict, Kong witnessed the scene, frustration mounting. He couldn't help but question the competency of his intelligence collectors, realizing the threat posed by Bai Ye surpassed all previous assessments.

Screams of yet another fallen combatant shattered Kong's thoughts, signifying another loss to Bai Ye. From the original ten civilian recruits, ten supposed powerhouses, only three remained, and not due to their strength - their turn had simply not come.

The concern on Kong's face deepened. If the massacre persisted, only Huangmu, with his strong life-saving Logia Sensen fruit ability, stood a chance of survival.

In a surge of frustration, Kong suddenly found a bloodied figure with disheveled, curly black hair and a tattooed torso crashing towards him. Startled, Kong stepped aside. Just then, Bai Ye's cold voice reached them from the sea, "Don't worry, the next one will be your turn!"

Kong's heart plummeted. Gazing towards the source of the voice, he saw the boiling sea and the sky above, where none of the ten who had set upon Bai Ye remained standing. Alone in the sea stood the last person Kong wanted to see victorious: the 'sinner' Bai Ye, having easily dispatched all his adversaries.

Kong couldn't contain his exasperation, "Damn it...! Defeated so quickly? They're truly worthless!" His expression twisted with distaste.

His fists were clenched. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the empty space. "Sky, Fleet Admiral Kong, you can't win. An ordinary human cannot defeat that dangerous monster." With great effort, he lifted his heavily wounded body. The speaker was Aramaki, who would one day become the 'Green Bull' and significantly lower the overall strength of the Marine Admiral.

Aramaki gazed at the horrifying sea battlefield, his face etched with fear that he couldn't hide. Had he not taken advantage of Bai Ye's attack on others, and had he not used Ryūjin Jakka to strike him down, Aramaki would have suffered severely, if not fatally, injured.

There he was, with no intention to join in the attempt to kill Bai Ye or to claim the tempting position of Marine Admiral. Still, in plain sight, Bai Ye had slain several in succession, showing no signs of fatigue. Had luck not been on his side, Aramaki was certain that his unique vitality, granted by the dense fruit that surpassed that of ordinary people, would not have spared him from today's peril. Although he was the strongest among the ten earlier, Aramaki was acutely aware of the monstrosity they faced and its combat prowess was well beyond that of any Marine Admiral.

"So?" Kong's expression darkened. Aramaki scratched his head as a fan-like flower sprouted and spun rapidly behind him. "I'm sorry, Fleet Admiral Kong, but I must retreat. Seems like I'm out of luck for the Marine Admiral spot this time. Good luck to you."

"You!" Kong was visibly upset, especially when faced with the sole surviving folk monster considering an escape at that moment. His expression grew even grimmer. Then, as he noticed the Green Bull turning to leave, the veins on Kong's forehead throbbed and he roared in anger, "Since all of you are useless, you might as well die!"

With his fist clenched, and Armament Haki darkening it, Kong ferociously struck at the retreating 'Green Bull' Aramaki's back. In the blink of an eye, the 'Green Bull' Aramaki's face contorted in shock, and without a chance to defend, he was hit hard. The crack of his bones echoed as he emitted a bloodied cough, his body soaring like a cannonball to crash into an island almost a thousand meters away.

Kong's rage remained, unabated. He spun around, bearing a vicious stare at Bai Ye, and tore off his cape, the symbol of the Supreme Commander of the World Government Army. An overwhelming aura burst forth, crushing the warship beneath his feet along with nearby objects.

"Since those fools are worthless, now, let me be the one to take you down! Feel honored, sinner! It's been over twenty years since I've had to raise my hand against anyone since becoming commander-in-chief of the world government!" Kong's feet flexed with force as he left behind a chilling, murderous declaration.

With a "Boom!", the front of the warship shattered, and crumbling cracks spread wildly. Simultaneously, Kong closed in on Bai Ye, his body enshrouded in a dark, dense layer of Armament Haki that achieved an astonishing "100% full coverage," unprecedented except for Doflamingo's 'Virgo.' Yet Kong had made that term a reality, his body appearing as a single mass of 'Kong.'

Bai Ye's eyes glinted coldly at the sight of Kong, the World Government Army's leader, finally compelled to action. "The hypocrite World Government enjoys its jokes, it seems. But those might just be your last words!" The release of his Reiatsu was palpable.

In the next moment, Bai Ye and Kong collided fiercely. Bai Ye's eyes swiftly scanned the nearby sky. "Don't worry, after you die, the one lurking in the shadows will join you in your grave!"