Boom...
Countless cannons fired wildly at the War Giant's massive body, blasting apart countless metal components and rocky armor.
Blazing flames and thick black smoke engulfed the giant, and from a distance, it looked like a colossal pillar of fire connecting the sky and the earth.
As the barrage, comparable to the power of a Buster Call, finally poured out in full, the War Giant let out a thunderous crash, falling to one knee, flames bursting from its surface.
Daren waved his hand to the side.
The War Giant's metal shell seemed to be torn apart by an invisible giant hand, ripping up in large sections, until a figure slowly emerged through the dense smoke.
"Had enough fun yet, Bullet? Hiding inside that oversized hunk of junk isn't very entertaining."
Daren bit down on his cigar and walked forward at a leisurely pace, stopping in the clearing before the crumbling War Giant. He lifted his head to look toward the shadow within the smoke.
"Kahahaha..."
A low, hoarse laugh suddenly rose from deep within the black mist.
"You really are the opponent I chose, Daren."
"Interesting!"
From the wreckage of the War Giant, a massive hand suddenly thrust out, clutching the broken doorframe of the cockpit with such force that it left a clear handprint.
In the next instant, a towering figure stepped forward heavily, black military boots planting firmly atop the War Giant's remains, revealing himself at last.
Golden hair whipped in the swirling smoke. His upper body was bare, covered in scars that crisscrossed over bulging, rock-like muscles. His wild, violent eyes locked fiercely onto the Marine Vice Admiral below.
"Kahahaha! The real battle starts now, Daren!!"
Bullet let out a reckless laugh, and with it, a terrifying aura erupted from his body, sweeping out like a roaring tidal wave.
The sky and earth changed color!
Conqueror's Haki, almost tangible in its intensity, exploded like a hurricane, tinged with a purple halo, whipping up endless dust and debris.
Daren's eyes sharpened, and he too unleashed his Conqueror's Haki.
A crimson aura surged outward, colliding head-on with the purple torrent in midair!
The two opposing waves of Conqueror's Haki, red and purple, clashed fiercely between the two men, creating starkly divided territories, devouring, grinding, and crashing into each other.
The entire island trembled violently at that moment, the earth surging like a restless sea, while the clouds overhead shattered and scattered.
Massive waves roared across the ocean, causing the ten Buster Call warships to sway and rock uncontrollably.
On the flagship's deck, the boiling teapots and cups shattered with sharp cracks. The three Vice Admirals of headquarters abandoned their smoking, standing up abruptly, shielding their faces against the incoming storm, horror etched across their features.
"What terrifying force!!"
"A clash of Conqueror's Haki!"
"It's like witnessing two war gods battling..."
Their view of the island was now completely overtaken by purple and red lightning, their vision blurred into chaos, and even space itself seemed to freeze.
With their keen eyesight, they could barely make out the two figures locked in the heart of the storm.
Their hair whipped madly in the wind, their cloaks billowing violently, and their bloodshot eyes glaring with ferocity.
Nearly ten thousand elite Marines were also being forced back by the pressure of the Conqueror's Haki, vast numbers falling to one knee, gritting their teeth to endure. Some of the weaker soldiers rolled their eyes back and collapsed unconscious where they stood.
But just when it seemed the stalemate would drag on, they vaguely saw the Vice Admiral's figure step forward.
And with that single step, everything suddenly changed.
The crimson storm of Haki suddenly surged in strength, and with overwhelming force, it shattered Bullet's Conqueror's Haki!
Conqueror's Haki: 75.317!
"How is this possible!? Your spirit!"
Bullet's shocked cry echoed through the storm. Under Daren's full-power Conqueror's clash, the already crumbling War Giant collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Amidst the swirling dust, Bullet's figure slid backward at high speed, his military boots carving deep grooves stretching hundreds of meters across the ground.
He lifted his head, disbelief written all over his face as he stared at Daren.
"What the hell did you do!? How could your spirit surge to such a level!?"
Bullet wasn't some inexperienced rookie like Crocodile.
Back in the Roger Pirates, he had challenged his crewmates countless times.
But the strength of Conqueror's Haki that Daren just unleashed had surpassed his own—and even rivaled that of First Mate Rayleigh!
Hadn't Rayleigh said that Bullet's own Conqueror's Haki was already exceptionally strong?
"Try getting stabbed by Shiki. Maybe you'll manage it too."
Daren smiled lightly.
He knew Bullet's character well—after all, they had once shared a prison.
Arrogant, conceited, obsessed with strength, and unwilling to bow to anyone.
Recruiting someone like him into the Shichibukai wasn't something that could be achieved with mere words.
It had to be done through strength.
Absolute, undeniable strength.
Only by completely overpowering him, crushing him physically and mentally, could there even be a chance of recruiting him.
From the start, Daren had been dismantling Bullet's pride—first with physical dominance, now with a complete suppression of Conqueror's Haki.
If not for that, Daren wouldn't have bothered enduring Bullet's initial bombardment.
He could have dismantled that mechanical giant with a wave of his hand.
Hearing Daren's comment, Bullet's face darkened.
Even though his body had been trained to an inhuman degree, capable of withstanding ordinary gunfire and cannon blasts, taking a full-powered slash from Shiki was another story entirely.
"Stop resisting, Bullet. You're no match for me anymore."
Daren smiled and said,
"You saw it yourself in that brief exchange. Whether it's physique or Conqueror's Haki, I'm already above you."
"Not to mention, the Marines have already launched a Buster Call. Warships have completely surrounded the island—you won't be escaping."
"You're an interesting guy, and considering our time spent as cellmates, I don't want to kill you."
"You've fought Crocodile before, so you should already know about the government's Shichibukai plan, right?"
At that, the Vice Admiral smiled and extended his hand toward Bullet across the distance.
"Become one of the Shichibukai. I'm officially inviting you now, on behalf of the Marines."
Bullet froze.
Become a Shichibukai?
His eyes turned blood-red before the naked eye, and an unprecedented rage erupted from deep within him, a roaring flame that instantly consumed the rationality in his gaze.
A demonic crimson light surged in his pupils.
"Don't joke with me!!
I'm not going to be some government lapdog!!"
Boom!
As if drawn forth by his furious rage, the aura surging from Bullet's body intensified even further.
His long golden hair whipped wildly in the fierce winds.
"Daren!! If you've got the guts—then kill me!!"