"Drip!" Bullet lowered his head to look at the vicious gash across his chest. Blood ran through the grooves of his muscles and dripped onto the scorched earth.
And Gern's mocking face at that very moment only made it worse...
"Are you toying with me?" Bullet gritted his teeth, his pupils contracting slightly. Then his lips curled into a savage grin.
"In that case..." He slowly raised a hand and wiped it across his wound, coating his fingertips in blood.
Then he clenched his fist, sending blood spraying between his fingers.
Conqueror's Haki erupted. Dark red lightning coiled around his body like frenzied serpents, the ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, and loose stones rose into the air.
Gern flicked the blood from his blade. Pale cracks shimmered along the edge of Black Blade: Eight Desolations, and the surrounding air warped under its high-frequency vibrations.
"What?" He tilted his head, his lips curving into a dangerous smile. "Finally ready to get serious?"
"Don't get carried away, you bastard! I'm not the man I used to be!!!" Bullet roared, slamming his right fist into the ground.
"Combined Armor!!"
Rumble!!
The entire island shook violently. Countless rocks, wrecked warships, and even metal fragments in the sea surged toward Bullet as though drawn by invisible hands.
In the blink of an eye, thick layers of metal encased his body, stacking upon one another until he became a steel giant hundreds of meters tall!
Pitch-black Armament Haki flowed over his entire body like liquid, while dark red Conqueror's Haki lightning coursed across the metal surface.
Every plate of armor writhed like a living thing, adjusting itself into the optimal defensive position.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Gern narrowed his eyes slightly. The edge of Black Blade: Eight Desolations trembled gently, giving off a low