Two fists collided.
*Bang—*
Sakazuki's arm exploded.
Barrett's fist, unhindered, smashed towards Sakazuki, though he was somewhat unclear of the situation.
But his fist did not stop in the slightest.
Meanwhile, Sakazuki’s lips curled upwards. To Barrett's disbelief, the exploded arm seemed to reappear out of thin air.
Without even a hint of wriggling or growth, it instantly reformed.
Sakazuki tilted his body slightly, and his newly formed arm struck Barrett's chest at a different angle.
*BOOM!!!!*
His body, sent flying backward, created rings of white explosions, plunging into the sea.
*Bang!*
A water spout dozens of meters high erupted, surging outwards.
The golden light in Sakazuki’s eyes receded, and he deactivated his Crimson Lotus mode, returning to his normal state.
He stamped his foot and shot into the sky, flying to the distant warship.
The barren island where the two had been fighting had now completely collapsed and was slowly sinking into the sea.
*Splash—*
Barrett burst from the water, also deactivating his Demonic Ghost mode. He shook his head and returned to the warship.
Taking a towel from a soldier, Barrett wiped himself dry.
"Still a long way to go."
"Just not quite satisfying enough."
Sakazuki chuckled, shaking his head.
"It wasn't a fight to the death, just a test."
"It's enough; the foundation is sufficient."
"The remaining Haki and physique can only be honed slowly."
"Without using Devil Fruit abilities, simply relying on hand-to-hand combat and Haki is still quite troublesome."
In truth, Sakazuki also hadn't had his fill, but there was no choice.
With the full power of both of them unleashed, this small island, let alone lasting four days and three nights.
Sakazuki could have sunk it with a single Magma Golem...
Barrett smiled.
"It's just troublesome."
Carole, who had returned some time ago, said:
"There are very few who can decisively win against an Admiral like Sakazuki using only hand-to-hand combat and Haki."
"In a one-on-one fight, besides Vice Admiral Garp and Fleet Admiral Sengoku at the headquarters."
"There might not be anyone else who could defeat you."
Barrett clicked his tongue.
"That's true."
Sakazuki smiled.
"The Devil Fruit has already been prepared for you."
"It's about time I give it to you now."
Barrett's interest piqued.
"Oh?"
"What kind of fruit is it?"
Sakazuki grinned.
"A fruit you can't refuse."
Carole produced a prepared fruit and handed it to Barrett.
Sakazuki stated:
"Superhuman-type—Deka Deka no Mi (Increase-Increase Fruit)."
"It can amplify the speed, strength, volume, weight, and other attributes of any object it touches by a multiplier."
"The maximum amplification is one hundred times."
"When applied to oneself, it can increase speed by a multiplier, also up to one hundred times."
"As for awakening, no one has achieved it in the records, so it's unknown what it would be like."
"However, it's very convenient."
"For example..."
Carole chuckled.
"Magnify a missile created by Enel one hundred times and send it flying..."
Barrett's eyes widened as he stared at the Devil Fruit, gasping for air. This... this was the dream fruit!
Even before eating it, in that instant, he had already thought of countless ways to utilize its abilities.
Without hesitation, he ate it.
He frowned slightly, swallowed, and as he sensed the fruit's effects, inspiration struck him like lightning.
"10x speed."
He stamped his foot, *whoosh!!!!*
A large hole was blasted in the railing of the warship.
In an instant, he appeared hundreds of meters away at sea. Barrett looked back at the warship in shock.
This was already twice the speed of his previous Great Asura King mode, and this was just his normal state speed.
*Whoosh!*
He instantly reappeared on the warship, his figure wavering slightly, almost losing control.
Barrett couldn't contain his joy.
"This fruit is truly incredible."
He beckoned a soldier over and had him retrieve a bullet.
*Vrrrrrr—*
The bullet in Barrett's hand was encased in a film of light and then expanded three times.
A tiny bullet transformed into a cannonball the size of a millstone.
He tossed it in his hand, checking its weight and size. Everything was fine, as if it had always been this large.
He threw it towards the distance.
This millstone-sized cannonball vanished from sight. At a hundred-fold speed, the moment it was released, it slammed into the distant sea.
A towering water wave erupted, and one could easily imagine the scene of Enel's missiles detonating.
Sakazuki watched Barrett experimenting with his abilities and said:
"Not bad."
"How many times can you control for yourself?"
Barrett grinned.
"Currently, ten times is no problem, but I estimate the limit I can control is around twenty to thirty times."
"One hundred times is possible, but it's useless."
"I can't control it."
Sakazuki nodded.
"That's already very good."
The previous user, Byrnndi World, was just a slightly stronger pirate with mediocre hand-to-hand combat skills. In the original story, he was even beaten by a Luffy who had just started training Haki.
The human body's reaction capability has its limits, so he could at most increase it to fifty times.
But Barrett was far stronger than him. His base reaction speed was already at its limit, and with his reaction speed, another twenty to thirty times amplification.
At close range, Kizaru and Enel's speed might not be faster than his.
Barrett had been on the battlefield since he was eight, essentially a suicide demolition soldier.
He joined the Navy and fought alongside Sakazuki for over twenty years, all trained in the crucible of life and death.
At close range, even if the two were light and electricity, Barrett's Armament Haki-infused hands would surely grab them.
Turning one's body into a Logia-type element requires the brain's reaction.
However, if the distance was increased, Barrett would definitely not be able to catch them if they ran, as they were light and electricity, and the physical limits were there.
Sakazuki said:
"Train first, don't expose it."
"Later, we'll find an opportunity to clean up some pirates and discover this fruit."
Barrett nodded.
"Understood."
It wasn't that Sakazuki was being overly cautious, but it was truly too coincidental.
Both Byrnndi World and Golden Lion Shiki died at the hands of Sakazuki.
Golden Lion died one moment, and the next his fruit fell into the hands of Sote. If it were called a coincidence, some might believe it.
But World was unexplainable. When anyone thought of a Devil Fruit's abilities, they would instinctively think of its previous user.
The powerful Devil Fruit abilities of two people who died at Sakazuki's hands were then given to others by him. That... a complete idiot couldn't have reached that position.
Whether it be pirates, the Navy, or the Government, there was no shortage of intelligent people...
--------
Several days later.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
At the port, several warships filled with training cadets were preparing to depart.
Sote stood at the forefront, directing everyone in an orderly fashion.
Zeff stood on the warship and nodded.
In the Fleet Admiral's office.
Hurried footsteps echoed.
*Knock, knock, knock—*
"Enter."
*Whoosh.*
The office door was pulled open.
The messenger, panting, swallowed and said:
"Report, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
"We have just received news."
"Admiral Sakazuki and Vice Admiral Barrett have bloodied the Sabaody Archipelago, the auction house in the outlaw zone."
"And they are gradually expanding their cleanup range."
Sengoku leaped to his feet.
"What!"
"What's going on!"
The messenger took a deep breath and said:
"It seems... it's because of a fruit."