"You have a point," Finn acknowledged, studying Bullet carefully. "The greater the weight, the greater the power."
Before Bullet could respond with more bravado, Finn continued in that same analytical tone. "But the pressure you bear also multiplies. How many times can you perform at that speed? Twice more? Three times? Your body's already straining."
As he spoke, Finn drew Shindokutō from its sheath at his waist.
The moment the demon blade left its scabbard, a dark, malevolent aura emanated from the cursed steel. The oppressive presence made Finn look genuinely evil, nothing like a Marine at all. The blade seemed to drink in the light around it, radiating an aura of death and violence that made even experienced fighters instinctively tense.
At the same time as this ghostly energy spread outward, the ground beneath Bullet's feet suddenly changed.
Because his own weight had become so excessive, and because his attention was drawn to Shindokutō's ominous presence, Bullet reacted a half-second too slow when he tried to dodge.
"Dog God Crimson Lotus!" Sakazuki's figure exploded from beneath the ground like an erupting volcano, his fist transformed into a snarling hound of boiling magma that slammed into Bullet's waist and abdomen.
Bullet barely had time to coat his midsection with Armament Haki, putting up minimal resistance.
The entire impact drove him upward, launching him into the air.
At the same time, Finn moved.
Just as he'd told Sakazuki before, there was no reason to play fair with someone like Douglas Bullet. When an opening appeared, they'd attack together and finish it decisively.
The moment Bullet was thrown skyward by Sakazuki's magma hound, Finn again eliminated all gravitational pull from his own body. At the same time, he used Soru and vanished from sight, appearing in front of Bullet at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
"Devil's Guard!" Bullet roared.
He crossed his arms in front of his torso, Armament Haki flooding outward in a dense, black sheen. At the same time, another force rose with it, a crimson-black pressure that seemed to take on shape, forming a faint, armor-like aura around his body.
This was Conqueror's Haki, sharpened by pure battle instinct and killing intent. When honed to a high enough level, it could coat the body itself, creating a force that felt almost physical, layered over Armament Haki yet fundamentally separate from it.
Twenty years in the future, Roronoa Zoro would master his own demonic aura. At this moment, Bullet, known as the "Devil's Heir," had already achieved that level and surpassed it considerably.
"Gravity Blade: World Splitter!" Finn raised Shindokutō overhead and slashed downward.
The demon blade's razor edge brought with it tremendous wind pressure and amplified gravity, instantly crashing down on Bullet's crossed arms.
The "Devil's Guard" that combined ghostly energy and Armament Haki couldn't withstand Finn's overwhelming force.
The moment the blade descended, blood sprayed from Bullet's forearms in crimson arcs.
Then the powerful gravity gave him no chance to resist. It drove him down from the air like a cannonball, accelerating his descent.
The slash continued its devastating path, penetrating the ground and creating a crack over a thousand meters long, seemingly bottomless.
Moreover, the fissure wasn't clean and smooth like a swordsman's cut would produce.
Instead, it resembled an abyssal rift, jagged and uneven, clearly caused by brutal gravitational suppression rather than mere cutting force.
Douglas Bullet was driven down from high above and fell into the chasm, disappearing from sight completely.
Finn didn't pause. He raised his hand and threw the demon blade upward, then clasped his hands together before his chest.
"Gravity Blade: Roaring Tiger!"
The originally cracked fissure instantly responded to Finn's ability. It transformed into the maw of a ravenous tiger, the two sides of earth slamming together suddenly, forcibly squeezing the rift shut and biting down on Bullet beneath the surface.
After completing this combination, Finn landed gracefully on the ground. Without even looking down, he raised his hand and caught Shindokutō as it fell back toward him.
Then Finn casually swung the blade forward in a horizontal arc. "Gravity Domain: Suppression Zone..."
In the area where Douglas Bullet had fallen, the ground that had just been compressed together collapsed instantly. It was as if swallowed by invisible gravitational force, transforming into a massive, bottomless pit. The earth didn't just crack or break, it simply ceased to exist in that space, consumed by gravity's pull.
Not far away, Sakazuki's eyelids twitched involuntarily. He felt a moment of genuine sympathy for Bullet.
At the same time, he studied Finn, who looked almost relaxed despite the devastating techniques he'd just unleashed.
Complex emotions stirred in Sakazuki's chest.
That guy has become even stronger. He's suppressing Douglas Bullet with just casual movements? Sakazuki thought, analyzing what he'd witnessed. It feels like his Devil Fruit application reached a completely new level.
There hadn't been an obvious breakthrough in Finn's strength, physical techniques, swordsmanship, or any other measurable attribute.
The advancement was purely in how he applied his Devil Fruit ability. But such a "simple" breakthrough seemed to have caused a qualitative transformation in his overall combat effectiveness.
A flash of realization struck Sakazuki at that moment.
If Finn and he had originally been on the same level, both having just entered the ranks of top-tier masters, then right now Sakazuki was still finding his footing at that level. Meanwhile, Finn had already stabilized his position at this tier of strength and taken another step toward an even higher realm.
With this new advancement, once Finn solidified his footing, he might genuinely be able to stand on equal ground with Whitebeard, Garp, Sengoku, and others who currently occupied the pinnacle of world power.
Compared to them, Bullet, for all his strength and reputation, was still a step behind in terms of absolute power.
Finn's sudden, dramatic improvement in effectiveness made Sakazuki feel momentarily unsettled. But soon, fierce determination burned in his eyes.
This is how it should be. Otherwise, how could Finn be worthy of the Admiral Candidate title? How could he have the qualifications to compete for the Admiral position?
The Admirals don't just represent the Marines' highest combat power. They represent the World Government's strongest openly acknowledged forces.
Without sufficient strength, taking that position would only bring humiliation.
"If you can do it, I, Sakazuki, can do it too. And I'll surpass you," Sakazuki thought with renewed conviction.
At that moment, a blood-covered arm suddenly thrust out from the edge of the massive pit created by Gravity Domain: Suppression Zone.
Five fingers clawed at the rim, gripping with desperate strength. Then, with a tremendous heave, a disheveled, powerful figure dragged itself out of the depths.
Bullet's condition was catastrophic.
His left arm bore a smooth, deep cut that had completely severed through the thick muscle, exposing bone beneath. Part of that bone showed visible cracks. The limb was temporarily useless.
Not only was his arm severely injured, but Bullet's chest had collapsed inward significantly. Many ribs were obviously broken, some probably driven into internal organs.
Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Finn's unharmed figure with boundless rage burning in their depths.
But beneath that anger, genuine shock resonated through his mind.
How can this bastard be so strong?
At the moment when Finn had made that strike, Bullet had experienced something he'd thought he'd never feel again. A flash of the powerlessness he'd felt when facing Roger in his prime.
Has that guy's strength truly reached Roger's level? Why? Why can't I take that step? The thought consumed him with bitter fury.
Bullet wouldn't understand this truth for a long time. In the original timeline, he'd been imprisoned in Impel Down, wearing seastone shackles while training obsessively for twenty years before finally reaching his peak state.
Finn and Sakazuki's judgment had been accurate. The Bullet standing before them today genuinely hadn't reached the level his reputation suggested. He hadn't yet achieved his peak.
"You managed to climb out? I'm somewhat surprised," Finn remarked, raising his eyebrows slightly.
As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled Shindokutō back from where he'd extended it and naturally rested the blade on his shoulder. Then, with almost casual elegance, he snapped his fingers. "Starfall Impact..."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Sakazuki instinctively looked up at the sky. Sure enough, three to five breaths later, a massive meteorite wreathed in blazing flames descended from the heavens, aimed directly at Douglas Bullet, who stood gasping for breath at the edge of the gravitational pit.
If one thought about it carefully, if this meteorite struck, it would perfectly fill the deep crater created by Gravity Domain: Suppression Zone.
Bullet also looked up at the rapidly falling meteorite, and a savage gleam flashed through his eyes.
However, at that precise moment, thunder exploded beside Finn. Gion materialized from crackling lightning, her expression urgent and distressed. "Finn! Something's wrong!"
Finn looked at Gion with surprise. "Don't tell me you couldn't beat Crocodile? Did he force you to a fifty-fifty draw?"
"What do you mean 'fifty-fifty'?" Gion looked momentarily confused, then shook her head rapidly. "Marco! Do you know about Marco?"
"Of course. That brat from the Whitebeard Pirates..." Finn began.
"Douglas Bullet captured Marco at some point and imprisoned him on this island!" Gion interrupted urgently. "Crocodile discovered this and tried to steal Marco from him to use as leverage against Whitebeard. That's why they were fighting!"
Finn's mind went momentarily blank.
What?
"Wait." Finn rubbed his temples, trying to process the information. "You're saying Douglas Bullet captured Marco from the Whitebeard Pirates. Then that bastard Crocodile found out about it and came all this way to steal Marco, intending to use him as a hostage to threaten Whitebeard. In other words, Crocodile was planning to provoke Whitebeard directly?"
"That's essentially correct," Gion confirmed with deadly seriousness.
Finn's expression turned ugly. He lowered his voice. "In other words, the Whitebeard Pirates—"
Before he could finish the sentence, overwhelming force suddenly erupted from all directions simultaneously.
The sea surface tilted at an impossible angle. The Spring Queen Island split directly down the middle. Half the island began sinking into the ocean. The thick cloud cover overhead shattered into countless fragments.
Sakazuki, Finn, Gion, and even Bullet were caught completely unprepared as this invisible yet omnipresent tremor force squeezed them from every direction at once.
Finn and Bullet both coughed up blood. Sakazuki and Gion were forcibly ejected from their elemental states.
It felt as though space itself was being twisted and compressed.
Truly, overwhelmingly powerful.
The meteorite that had been falling exploded mid-descent like a firework, scattering into countless burning fragments that rained down toward the island and surrounding sea.
After the trembling sensation completely dissipated, Finn wiped the corner of his mouth. His expression had become deadly serious. "Whitebeard... is here."
There was no doubt whatsoever. That world-shaking blow that had nearly turned everything upside down and fractured space itself came from an enraged Whitebeard, greeting everyone with overwhelming force.
On one hand, the attack was genuinely ridiculously powerful. On the other hand, it had come completely without warning. Therefore, Finn and the others had been caught off guard, unprepared to defend against the blow. Each of them had suffered injuries.
At this moment, Finn felt genuinely confused about the situation.
I originally thought we were just here to capture Bullet. At most, we'd bring in Crocodile as well. How did Marco end up involved?
And with Marco as the fuse, we've ignited the Whitebeard Pirates themselves.
Where did Whitebeard and his crew enter the first half of the Grand Line from? How did none of the Marine surveillance ships in the New World notice anything?
For some inexplicable reason, Finn's gaze suddenly shifted to Bullet, who was even more seriously injured than before. He saw a crazy smile playing at the corner of Bullet's mouth, and a look of pure destruction burning in his eyes.
At that moment, understanding crystallized.
Of course. Bullet is still a complete madman at this stage.
He's perfectly capable of doing something this outrageous. It shouldn't even be surprising.
Did he want to drag everyone down with him? Or did he simply want to have one final, apocalyptic battle with Whitebeard, who shared Roger's legendary status?
There might be many reasons, complex motivations layered beneath his actions. But ultimately, no one could truly understand how a madman thought.
Sakazuki seemed to reach similar understanding. Why had Bullet kept challenging Finn specifically but refused to go to G-7? Had he intended to drag Whitebeard into this situation from the very beginning?
But what was the purpose of doing this?
What could Bullet possibly hope to achieve?
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