Barollic’s confidence stemmed from power.
Power came from blood food.
The stronger the person, the more powerful the sustenance.
Zephr’s heart, Benedict’s blood and heart, and the blood of other soldiers, the energy within Barollic was beyond imagination.
It was this energy that made Barollic believe, almost blindly, that he was invincible.
Facing Benedict’s playful mockery, he instantly went berserk.
This was an insult to his strength.
How could the prey he hunted possibly deliver themselves to him?
Benedict no longer humored Barollic and flew up.
In an instant, the two were locked in a fierce battle in mid-air.
Especially the clash of Conqueror’s Haki, where dark lightning continuously flashed.
Zeph, Kuzan, and Kanjuro stood below, watching the battle above with a touch of unwillingness.
Barollic’s strength was a challenge they wished to overcome, and an enemy they wanted to capture or even kill.
The battle between the two also caused immense destruction over a wide area.
If both factions continued to fight below them, it would only result in more innocent casualties.
“Retreat!”
After a brief silence, Zeph immediately gave the order.
The cadres who could still stand, not knocked out by Conqueror’s Haki, quickly took action.
Zeph and Kuzan were no exception, throwing their soldiers, whether dazed or fallen, onto their warships and making a swift withdrawal.
Kanjuro was no different.
While the special forces were quite capable, many had been directly incapacitated by the sweep of Conqueror’s Haki.
Bearing the brunt of potential widespread destruction, everyone retreated, leaving behind the corpses of pirates and shattered ships on the battlefield.
Both sides retreated ten miles, gazing at each other across the sea. The battle could no longer continue.
Not only did Zeph and Kuzan owe Benedict a life, but so did the other soldiers.
Without a monstrous figure like Benedict to restrain a great terror like Barollic, Barollic could have annihilated them all.
Therefore, those who were still conscious, amidst their fear, maintained silence.
The soldiers of the Black Tortoise Navy, bound by military orders, did not act rashly, maintaining a state of alert, their gazes fixed on the two figures clashing in the sky.
The battle had been raging for over an hour, yet neither side showed signs of slowing down; on the contrary, it intensified.
The sea grew increasingly turbulent under the aura of their combat.
One could even witness sudden attacks, constantly tearing apart or exploding on the sea, creating vacuum zones.
This forced Kanjuro, Zeph, and the others to lead their troops in further retreat.
*Bang!*
The sound of an explosion accompanied Benedict’s fist striking Barollic’s cheek.
Barollic’s cheek merely deformed slightly, quickly snapping back to its original state the next instant.
*Gash!*
Barollic’s claws mercilessly inflicted wounds deep enough to see bone on Benedict’s body.
Benedict did not even flinch, continuing his furious assault, letting the blood splatter as his bone-deep injuries healed rapidly.
This self-healing ability was in no way inferior to Barollic’s.
At this point, the battle seemed to be a contest of endurance.
Barollic, deeply awakened, versus Benedict, who had opened seven of the Eight Inner Gates, with only the final Gate of Death unopened.
The outcome was no longer the primary concern for everyone on the battlefield.
It was a focus for many forces outside the battlefield as well.
Wherever Benedict appeared, that battlefield invariably became a focal point.
This was solely due to Benedict being the Fleet Admiral of the Black Tortoise Navy, and the awakening and terror of Barollic.
Therefore, upon receiving the news, the scenes of their battle were broadcast live and simultaneously across the world.
Kong, sitting in his office, watched the broadcast, observing Barollic. He remained silent.
Years ago, he alone had contended with Barollic for ten days and ten nights before finally exhausting him, and in the end, Kong himself had been defeated.
Now, the terrifying power of Barollic’s Zoan-type Devil Fruit awakening made him acutely aware of the vast difference; Barollic was no longer someone he could defeat alone.
However, rather than lamenting being inferior to Barollic, he was more eager to see if Barollic could defeat Benedict.
Not just Kong, but even the Five Elders were filled with anticipation.
“Has Ryuzan gone there?”
“If necessary, it would be good to restrain Benedict.”
“If any accidents occur, it must be ensured that Barollic is not killed.”
The Five Elder, sword in hand, watched Barollic’s fierce battle through the live feed and said in a deep voice.
Barollic’s growth and evolution had exceeded their expectations.
Such strength likely surpassed that of Shiki the Golden Lion and Roger.
With such formidable military might, if it could be controlled by them, it would become their sharpest sword against the Black Tortoise Navy.
“The intelligence team’s analysis indicates that, given the Black Tortoise Navy’s hunt for Devil Fruits, Benedict would appear with great attention when Barollic made his entrance.”
“Therefore, from the outset, Ryuzan’s team has been on standby.”
One of the Five Elders, sipping his tea, responded.
“Is it because of his immense strength and Devil Fruit type?”
…
On the battlefield.
After more than two hours of fierce combat.
Barollic breathed shallowly, his eyes still filled with unwillingness, and a hint of terror.
Unwillingness that, with his current strength, he still could not defeat Benedict.
Even more horrifying was that Benedict’s aura remained steady.
His strength was still superior to his own.
“Exhilarating.”
“However, our game ends here.”
Benedict had to admit that the current Barollic was truly powerful.
Moreover, according to the system’s prompt, Barollic’s combat power had reached SS-class.
Two SS-class combatants were not inferior to Kaido, Big Mom, or even Whitebeard at his peak.
Upon hearing Benedict’s words, Barollic’s pupils involuntarily contracted.
Barollic did not believe Benedict was merely joking.
This was the intuition of a strong individual.
Therefore, at this moment, Barollic concentrated all his strength, a red light flashing around him, and unleashed a terrifying aura.
“Benedict, our game indeed ends here.”
Barollic revealed his final trump card, cloaking himself with dark red wings, his hands forming a bow shape. A dark red energy arrow was condensed, shimmering with an extremely terrifying power that made everyone present feel suffocated.
“Benedict, if you do not die from this arrow, I will honor you as the strongest.”
“Blood God’s Slaughter!”
Benedict, clenching his fists, heard this and chuckled, saying deeply, “Three Thousand Thunder Strikes!”