Enel's body crackled with lightning, crackling and sizzling, ready to strike.
Boom!
Barrett crashed down from the sky.
"Let me, Hell Noah should be making a move."
"Everyone to your positions and prepare for war."
Enel retracted his lightning and nodded.
"Alright."
Zzzzz—
He vanished in a flash of lightning.
The others also, under Carol's teleportation, one by one went to their prepared fleets.
------------
On the warship.
Doberman, who had been teleported back, was somewhat dazed... Talent...
To be honest... he was a little discouraged.
In the previous battle, he had been slacking off the entire time, his attacks having almost no effect.
He could only dodge thanks to Law's maneuvers.
Being crushed by Barrett's talent was one thing, but even Drake and Law had caught up and even surpassed him...
After a moment of melancholy, he regained his spirits.
"Set sail for the target sea area."
Talent or not, it wouldn't stop him from killing pirates...
------------
On a desolate island.
Only two figures, like ferocious beasts, faced each other.
Bin Black's body was radiant, shining in the sunlight like a golden god descended.
"Shall we fight?"
"Sakazuki's ambition is quite grand."
"He just stationed himself in the New World and is already planning to attack us."
"Has he not considered the consequences?"
"Let them all go."
"It seems you're planning to devour me."
Barrett's ghostly aura emerged, malice oozing out, a dense haki swirling around him, and the phantom of a ferocious demon appearing repeatedly.
With bloodshot eyes, he grinned menacingly.
"Is Sakazuki a name you can just call?"
"You should use a respectful title, you piece of trash from the sea."
Slap!
A blue streak of light flashed by.
Bin Black had no time to react as Barrett, using his amplified speed, charged forward and slapped him away.
Rumble—
He crashed into the mountains behind.
A blinding light shot out from the mountain, and Barrett, his hand imbued with ghostly aura, slapped it away.
A laser beam as thick as an arm was deflected, shooting off to Barrett's rear.
Immediately after, a colossal diamond shot out from the mountain at extreme speed towards Barrett.
Barrett grinned menacingly and transformed into the Kuroma-Ogre Ashura King mode, his arms tripling in size, like a giant ape.
He raised his right shoulder into a defensive posture, stomped his foot.
BOOM!!!!
The ground trembled violently, and the seawater surrounding the island was churned up and sent flying.
In the center of the island.
The shockwaves from their collision spread outwards like flames.
Bin Black's expression was impassive.
"You... are very good..."
His voice was low, but the dense killing intent was undeniable.
If any members of the Steam Pirates who were familiar with him were present, they would know that the chief executive of the Steam Pirates... was truly angered.
After all, being slapped across the face and sent flying was something no one could tolerate.
Let alone someone as high-ranking as Bin Black...
Barrett grinned.
"You're not bad either, you make me feel pain."
"This ability is truly good..."
The destructive power of the Kilo Kilo Fruit, the pain that surged into his body, caused Barrett's blood to boil... although he had just boiled it once against Garp not too long ago.
But who would complain about feeling this excited? Barrett grinned and continued.
"As for the consequences you mentioned..."
"You're thinking too much."
"What consequences do I need to consider for killing a few pieces of trash from the sea?"
"Dead people have no value."
Bin Black suddenly laughed.
"Indeed... dead people have no value."
"Then you die!!!"
With a shout filled with killing intent, Bin Black's body expanded, the pressure he exerted growing exponentially, forcing Barrett back several steps.
Barrett's expression hardened, and his left leg sank deeply into the ground.
"You will be the one to die!!!"
His left arm stretched to its limit and swung out with immense force.
His tripling-sized arm in ghost mode and his massive fist landed squarely on Bin Black's chest.
Bin Black's body trembled. Though diamond-skinned, he wasn't significantly harmed, but the sheer force battered him, as if trying to send him flying.
Bin Black let out a cold laugh and stared directly into Barrett's eyes.
Sunlight, refracted and compressed, condensed into laser beams that shot from Bin Black's eyes towards Barrett's eyes.
The moment Bin Black met his gaze, Barrett vaguely understood what was coming.
Whoosh—
Two lasers passed through Barrett's... afterimage.
Finding himself facing an empty space, Bin Black's body was carried by inertia for hundreds of meters before he stopped.
Boom!
The ground shook violently.
Where Barrett had been, a large crater appeared.
Barrett, who had accelerated to a hundred times his speed and ascended into the sky, reappeared, slowly emerging from the crater, his grin widening.
Bin Black also became serious. This was troublesome... such speed...
Suddenly, his body erupted in light, blinding to the eyes. In an instant, countless phantoms, shimmering with dazzling light, surrounded Barrett from all directions.
The countless afterimages, refracted by the sunlight, combined with the emitted haki, charged like a meteor shower.
Barrett did not dodge or evade, allowing the phantoms and the emitted haki to strike his body. Suddenly, he sensed something.
His right arm blocked directly.
Bin Black, hidden within the afterimages, revealed himself.
His brow furrowed. His reaction was surprisingly fast...
Seeing that his attack had failed, he stomped his foot, about to retreat.
Barrett grinned and said.
"See you later."
Slap!
A blue afterimage flashed by.
Bin Black was again hit by an unreactable, unavoidable palm strike, sending him flying into a small mountain...
"You're asking for death!!!"
A furious roar erupted. This incredibly insulting attack made Bin Black lose his composure...
The small mountain was lifted and, imbued with black armament haki, was hurled at Barrett.
Barrett pulled out a small meteor hammer, enlarged it manifold, and imbued it with haki.
He swung it at the incoming mountain, shattering it with a single blow, then charged towards Bin Black, who was punching with an unstoppable aura.
BOOM!!!
The black meteor hammer collided with Bin Black's diamond fist, resulting in a violent explosion. Extremely high temperatures engulfed Bin Black's entire body.
However, with the thick armament haki's defense... it had little effect.
Barrett ignored it and once again pulled out a small meteor hammer, enlarging it...
BOOM!!!
Another heatwave swept outwards.
The small hammers from his pocket split into two piles, one emitting intense heat, the other radiating cold...
--------
Three days later.
Marine Headquarters, Marinford.
Buzz— hum— buzz— hum—
Piercing alarms echoed throughout the island. The stationed soldiers, after a moment of surprise, began to prepare for battle with practiced efficiency... as if they were accustomed to it.
In the Fleet Admiral's office.
"Report! Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
"Admiral Sakazuki is mobilizing a large force in the New World."
"Simultaneously, he has attacked islands belonging to Emperor Hell Noah and Emperor Kaido!"
"According to intelligence, Hell Noah has assembled a fleet, and its direction of travel is towards the G-14 Branch where Admiral Sakazuki is located."
"Emperor Red-Haired Shanks has also set out, and it is estimated that his destination may also be the G-14 Branch."