Mastering Armament Haki

Steel Bone Kong took a deep breath and decided to defeat Carl first.

Without hesitation, he unleashed the Rokushiki Ogi he had developed: Star Breaker!

He shot into the air like a gale, his fist coated in Armament Haki crashing toward Carl like a meteor.

A massive wave of force, carrying an aura of destruction, rushed toward Carl. The wind from the punch struck him before the fist even came close.

The energy in the air grew more and more turbulent. Even the clouds seemed to be torn apart by this power.

Facing Steel Bone Kong's fierce assault, Carl's eyes flashed with a hint of gravity. He knew he couldn't take the attack head-on. If he did, he wouldn't last long. He wasn't standing on solid ground, so his stamina wasn't recovering as quickly as he'd expected. He could clearly feel it draining away at a rapid pace.

He knew Steel Bone Kong was giving it everything he had. If that punch landed, the consequences would be dire.

Carl darted aside, turning into a blur as he nimbly dodged Steel Bone Kong's attack, all the while closing in on him.

Once Carl was close, he counterattacked without hesitation using the Six Powers. Blue streaks of light from his Tempest Kicks instantly filled the sky.

The battlefield grew even more chaotic in an instant, blades and fists clashing and sparks flying.

The two figures crossed and recrossed, their sudden bursts of speed too quick for the eye to follow.

Meanwhile, Steel Bone Kong found a moment to look over and saw his Marines increasingly outmatched by Newgate's men. His heart ached at the sight. They were all Marine elites.

He knew that if the battle dragged on, the outcome would be disastrous—something the Marines couldn't afford to face. They needed to withdraw from the battlefield. With Carl holding him back, their plan to capture Newgate had already failed.

Having made his decision in an instant, he leaped into the air and brought his right foot crashing down.

His foot fell like a meteor, unstoppable.

"Bring it on!"

Carl barked, his expression grave. He couldn't underestimate the power of this attack. He gathered all his strength into his fist, concentrating it into a force of staggering power.

Carl let out a roar.

"Mountain Crusher!"

Drawing on the experience he'd gained from destroying dozens of mountains on the island, he threw a punch that shook the heavens.

The moment their fist and foot collided, a thunderous boom rang out across the sky.

The impact forced the sea level down dozens of meters. Steel Bone Kong's savage power blasted Carl straight into the sea.

Spray erupted and waves churned as Carl sank rapidly into the depths. Just then, he noticed that his fist had turned pitch-black.

He had evidently mastered Armament Haki without even realizing it.

He opened his mouth to laugh, but a damp, salty taste reminded him that he was underwater.

His mind was perfectly clear: if he didn't get out soon, he might die down here. He hurriedly swam upward.

At that moment, a searing pain tore through his entire body. He looked down and saw bruises covering every bit of exposed skin.

He had somehow sustained such serious injuries without realizing it. If his body hadn't been extraordinary, he would probably have died on the battlefield.

Gritting his teeth, Carl struggled upward, swimming toward the light on the surface.

He knew that only by reaching the surface would he have a chance to rejoin the battle.

He still wanted to fight Steel Bone Kong a little longer. He wanted to see how much stronger he'd become after using Armament Haki. He didn't want to waste this opportunity.

After all, he rarely got the chance to fight someone this powerful.

Steel Bone Kong sensed that Carl was about to return to the surface. As soon as he broke away from the fight, he rushed toward Newgate.

He knew that the only way to end this battle was to drive Newgate back quickly. He had merely knocked Carl into the sea, and his Observation Haki could clearly sense Carl swimming rapidly upward.

Steel Bone Kong made his move. He flew behind Newgate, hoping to catch him off guard before he could turn around.

Though it might sound like a lot had happened, it had all taken place in just a few seconds.

A powerful punch slammed straight toward Newgate. Its speed and force tore through the air, nearly distorting space, and a violent explosion rang out.

What a powerful punch! It scattered the clouds gathered in the sky.

Sure enough, Steel Bone Kong had finished fighting Carl so quickly that Newgate hadn't had time to react. He took the heavy punch squarely in the back and was sent flying onto the pirate ship's deck.

"Retreat!"

He immediately ordered his crew to withdraw.

The battle had ended rather abruptly, but Steel Bone Kong knew that in the dangerous New World, pirates were generally stronger than the Marines.

He didn't want his men to suffer any more casualties in this battle, especially since they could no longer complete their mission.

The longer they stayed, the worse things would get for them. Reinforcements from the Rocks Pirates could arrive at any moment, and he couldn't gamble with Marine lives.

The Marine fleet quickly left the battlefield, leaving only Newgate and his men on the sea.

Newgate didn't pursue them. He knew the battle was over.

He rubbed the deep red fist mark on his chest.

Watching the Marine fleet sail farther and farther away, he smiled smugly.

"Steel Bone Kong, let's fight again next time!"

His voice rang out across the sea.

The Marines on the battlefield also returned to their ships, and the entire fleet quickly sailed away.

Newgate still hadn't had his fill of fighting, but he didn't want to keep fighting Steel Bone Kong either. After all, the Marines who had come with Steel Bone Kong were all elites, and his own pirates had suffered heavy casualties.

When he saw Steel Bone Kong retreat, Newgate didn't pursue him. He merely threw a Quake Punch as a farewell.

A hundred-meter-high wave surged across the sea toward Steel Bone Kong.

Steel Bone Kong sensed that Carl was about to surface, so while ordering his fleet to hurry away from the battlefield, he repeatedly threw heavy punches, their shockwaves dispersing the waves.

"This time, I miscalculated. I didn't expect Newgate to have someone so powerful aboard his ship. How had we never heard about him before?"

Steel Bone Kong wore a regretful expression.

He knew the main reason for their failure: there was a powerful young man aboard Newgate's ship.

The atmosphere on the battlefield gradually settled, leaving only the sound of waves beating against the shore and the wind howling.

Carl was still swimming desperately underwater. Through sheer perseverance and determination, he finally burst through the surface.

He sucked in a deep breath, felt the fresh sea breeze, and trembled with excitement.

"This time, I'll make them pay."

He made up his mind and prepared to rejoin the battle.

He flew toward the battlefield, filled with anger and resolve, ready to fight Steel Bone Kong again.

But Carl hadn't expected that by the time he tried to rejoin the fight, Steel Bone Kong's fleet had already sailed far away.

He watched the fleet recede into the distance.

All he could do was return to the deck and shake his head helplessly.

"Don't worry. There'll be another chance."

Newgate offered him consolation.

"Then I'll settle the score with them next time."

Carl leaned against White Tiger's back.

"Hiss!"

"That really hurts."

As he relaxed, the pain from all over his body finally registered in his nerves.

"We won!"

"Boys, let's have a banquet!"

Seeing that Steel Bone Kong and the others had withdrawn, Newgate knew they had won the battle. He ordered his pirates to hold a banquet to celebrate their victory.