With a thunderous boom, massive hands closed in around him, the impact echoing through the air, shattering the illusion of Atlas. A whirlwind of weather erupted.
Whoosh! A flash of crimson, and Atlas materialized beside the giant. His sword sliced down, unleashing an unmatched blade of light.
Bullet instinctively dodged, but his head met Atlas's blade.
"You walked right into this!"
Atlas grinned, baring his teeth, though his expression held a hint of menace.
Defying gravity, he surged forward, electricity crackling as he closed in on the Gundam's neck.
In a flash, a blade struck the Gundam's neck, forcing its massive frame to topple backwards. The landscape crumbled behind it, crushing any pirates unfortunate enough to be caught in the debris.
"Armament Haki... impressive!"
Atlas narrowed his eyes at the slight crack in the neck. Power surged through him from the ground up. His arms expanded suddenly, veins bulging against his muscles like coiled serpents.
His entire body glowed red, wisps of white steam enveloping him, reminiscent of an ancient deity emerging from the heavens.
"Ha!"
With a fierce cry, his slash intensified, Armament Haki coursing through Kaminari like a torrent of endless power, cutting through the air as if carving a path through untouched territory!
Bullet's expression in the control room shifted from shock to a mix of shock and anger.
You see, this transformation has gathered nearly half of the island's forces. Without his Devil Fruit powers awakened, achieving this level would have been immensely challenging.
If he had mastered this strength during the Buster Call over a decade ago...
Perhaps his title as the Demon Heir will echo across the seas.
——The man who defied the Buster Call!
Whoosh!
With the fluidity of a knife, Kaminari cleaved through Gundam's massive head effortlessly, then plummeted to the ground, vanishing into the swirling purple haze!
Suddenly, a bell-like clang resonated as an enormous fist sliced through the air, connecting with Atlas with a resounding impact.
The amalgamated giant, with its combined Devil Fruit abilities, lacked a true physical form, rendering the concept of a "weakness" obsolete. As long as Bullet retained his physical strength, he could exert control over the giant's movements.
But...
Despite the giant's massive fist, a portion of its head remained exposed. Atlas held his ground, Kaminari poised defensively, a smirk on his face.
"You still have a long way to go compared to Roger."
He knew Bullet could hear him, even from within the giant's body.
Sure enough, Bullet in the control room seethed with anger.
Roger represents his ultimate ambition.
A dozen years ago, it seemed like that dream was slipping away, leaving him feeling like he could never surpass Roger. Losing hope, he unleashed chaos upon the seas, relentlessly hunting both pirates and Marines, much like Byrnndi World did in the past.
His reign of terror eventually instilled fear in both the Marines and pirates, leading to his arrest and imprisonment during the Buster Call execution.
However, he's had an epiphany.
With Roger gone, his new goal is clear: eliminate all the formidable figures on the seas.
"Perish, you scum!! Hakuryu!!"
Bullet bellowed furiously, harnessing all his might to manipulate the environment. His chest cavity hollowed, gathering formidable energy akin to a cannon.
Buzz!
The space around them quivered, air compressing as purple energy coalesced.
Boom!
A single shot straight to the core, the shockwave of Ultimate's attack surged toward Atlas, who had already retracted his fist.
Whoosh!
Atlas whipped around, golden light blazing in his eyes as the Dragon Talisman on his chest erupted into torrents of explosive flames.
Extending his left hand, black and red Armament Haki surged forth!
The three energies intertwined, merging and growing rapidly.
Buzz!
The collision unleashed a terrifying energy, slowly dissipating as the intense flames threatened to engulf everything.
Finally, as the last beam of light vanished, Atlas vanished before Bullet's eyes.
Whoosh!
The wind howled as Kaminari soared high in Atlas's hand, positioning him above the giant's head.
Conqueror's and Armament haki fused seamlessly, forming a darker, more ominous black and gold arc.
Dark flashes streaked across the sky, accompanied by crackling electricity, stirring up the wind and clouds, and echoing thunder.
Swish!
"The Secret of Ittoryu: Hao Raijin Goku Kan (Overlord Thunder God Five Hells Piercing)!!"
With a determined cry, thunder and lightning cascaded from above, intertwining with dark golden arcs to form a colossal blade of thunder and lightning!
Simultaneously, high-level Armament Haki enveloped the giant's vacant shoulders.
Boom!
In an instant, the sword materialized, drawing the lightning blade from the heavens with a terrifying edge, slashing towards Bullet with unstoppable force.
From head to toe, thunder roared, slicing the giant's body in half instantly. The two halves collapsed to either side, a haze of dust billowing out.
In the center, a robust figure emerged.
Dong Dong Dong!
With each resolute step, Bullet emerged slowly, treading upon the rising purple mosaic below his feet.
His military uniform remained intact, not a hair out of place.
Clearly, the sword strike was formidable.
But it hadn't struck Bullet at his core.
"It appears we're truly going all out, hm?"
Atlas narrowed his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips.
He acknowledged Bullet's formidable Devil Fruit ability.
But in his view, the so-called "Giant Bullet Form" was merely a mobile target, susceptible to passive defeat at any moment.
Yet, Bullet's strength wasn't solely derived from his Devil Fruit power.
This man also possessed the qualifications of a Conqueror!
This signified that only the elite of the sea could attain such mastery.
Conqueror's clash is just another tactic opponents use to maintain their dominance!
True power lies within oneself.
That's why Bullet is confident he doesn't need a partner. As soon as he learns he's tied to the Roger Pirates, he demands to be let off the ship!
"You're remarkable. The first man to make me feel truly challenged since Roger!"
"Hakuryu! Canos Atlas!! What a thrilling individual!"
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Read chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari