Douglas Bullet, known as the "Demon Heir," was once a top-tier combatant and a former member of the Roger Pirates.
It's said that even back in Roger's era, he possessed strength on par with the Dark King, Rayleigh. But after learning Roger was terminally ill, he began to question Roger's power. Eventually, he left the crew, went on a rampage, and turned the entire sea upside down.
In the end, the Marines had to issue a full-scale Buster Call. Even Garp and Sengoku were mobilized to bring him down, and he was finally imprisoned in Level 6, Eternal Hell, of Impel Down.
During the Summit War at Marineford, Bullet took advantage of the chaos caused by Blackbeard and Luffy to break out of Impel Down. Two years later, he launched the Pirate Festival and effortlessly crushed a wave of Supernovas. Unfortunately, he still couldn't overcome the inevitable fate brought by plot armor and the miraculous power of the Sun God…
Staring at the photo of a blond young man with a fierce, defiant gaze and a hardened, militaristic presence, Daren quickly recalled all available intel on Douglas Bullet.
He frowned slightly and cast a glance at Sakazuki.
At this point in time, Douglas Bullet had just wiped out his own country and army. He hadn't joined the Roger Pirates yet—but if his combat strength truly rivaled Rayleigh's...
Then taking him on with just the two of them—Sakazuki and himself—was going to be a long shot.
After all, Sakazuki hadn't reached his peak yet and still had a long way to go before becoming a top-tier powerhouse.
"Douglas Bullet—this guy destroyed his own country and army alone, shocking the royal families of several Member Nations along the Grand Line..."
"To keep that fear from spreading and causing political unrest, the World Government has enforced a strict information blackout regarding Douglas Bullet."
Sakazuki spoke slowly, a stream of white smoke curling from his mouth like a dragon.
"That's why Admiral Sengoku kept the mission objective classified from the very beginning."
Daren nodded in understanding.
For a lunatic like Bullet, it was only natural that the World Government and the Marines would keep things under wraps.
In fact, for notorious world-class criminals, the government and Marines would go to any length to erase their traces—anything to prevent mass panic.
"As for his combat strength..."
Daren hesitated, then asked,
"Do we have any solid assessments or intel from headquarters?"
Sakazuki shook his head.
"All we know for now is that he's capable of destroying a nation."
"Five days ago, a Grand Line branch deployed a Vice Admiral, a warship, and several hundred Marines to capture him. They were completely wiped out."
"But you know as well as I do—that doesn't prove much."
Indeed, a Vice Admiral with a warship was a dominant force in the Four Seas or the first half of the Grand Line.
But for monsters like him, that kind of force wasn't even a real test.
In these seas, intel on the Great Pirates usually comes at the cost of countless Marine lives.
Daren's eyes narrowed.
So HQ didn't have a clear handle on Douglas Bullet's true capabilities.
Noticing the heaviness in Daren's gaze, Sakazuki suddenly said,
"You're being awfully cautious. That's not like you, Daren."
Caught off guard, Daren blinked, then let out a small laugh.
"No, I was just wondering... Sakazuki, how strong are you now?"
Sakazuki glanced over at him, then turned back to the sea.
The brim of his cap cast a shadow over his eyes.
"You'll find out soon enough."
"When the time comes, help me pin down his weapons... especially make sure he doesn't escape with that submarine."
...
Meanwhile...
New World, somewhere at sea.
"They're here!!"
"Father! They're coming!!"
"The Oro Jackson!!"
...
Cries of alarm rang out from the deck of the Moby Dick, massive and majestic on the calm blue sea like a great white whale.
At the sound, members of the Whitebeard Pirates rushed to the railings, gripping the edge and leaning forward, eyes wide as they stared out at the ocean.
In the distance, a grand three-masted pirate ship with a golden prow and blood-red sails sped toward them on the sea breeze. The skull-and-crossbones flag bearing golden wave whiskers fluttered ominously from the sail, filled with pressure and presence.
The Oro Jackson.
The Roger Pirates' ship.
"So you've finally come, Roger."
Whitebeard grinned from the main seat on the deck. His towering, broad figure nearly swallowed the chair, and his overwhelming aura radiated in all directions.
"Prepare to dock!"
In less than a minute, the swiftly approaching Oro Jackson pulled alongside the Moby Dick. A gangplank was lowered, linking the two titanic ships together.
"Hey, hey, hey—newbies, listen up! Head inside and stay out of the way—"
Marco, his golden pineapple-shaped hair swaying as he leaned on the railing, tried to warn the crew, but the moment the words left his mouth, he knew it was already too late.
Bang!
Behind him, a newly recruited crew member suddenly rolled his eyes and collapsed face-first onto the deck.
Then a second. Then a third...
As the sound of steady, powerful footsteps echoed across the gangplank, the weaker recruits on the Moby Dick dropped one after another, unconscious before the presence now stepping aboard.
Marco rubbed his temples in frustration, cold sweat starting to bead on his young face.
The moment that imposing figure, cloaked in a blood-red captain's coat and crowned with a captain's hat, stepped onto the Moby Dick, the ship's deck let out low creaks, faint cracks spreading beneath his boots.
Other than the Whitebeard Pirates' core crew, most of the deck was already littered with fallen men.
"Wahahahaha!!"
"It's been a long time, Whitebeard!!"
The black-haired man radiating overwhelming Haki lifted his head and laughed boldly, completely ignoring the Whitebeard Pirates who stood warily around him. His eyes locked only onto the man seated above.
His booming laughter rolled like thunder, shaking the sky and the sea. Winds howled, waves surged, and in the air, black and red lightning faintly flickered, crossing and vanishing in bursts of power.
Aboard the Oro Jackson...
Rayleigh pinched the bridge of his nose with a helpless sigh. They had clearly agreed that this meeting would be peaceful—but with Roger's explosive fighting spirit, this was anything but a friendly visit.
The rest of the crew stood tense, ready to throw down at a moment's notice.
They knew their captain all too well. Once he got fired up, no one could hold him back.
Buggy clutched his head in panic, trembling as he muttered,
"This is bad, really bad... That's Whitebeard! And the captain's provoking him like this... We're seriously gonna fight!!"
Beside him, Shanks stared at Roger's bold figure with awe and admiration, heart pounding wildly.
Standing before the "Strongest Man in the World," facing Whitebeard and his legendary crew, Captain Roger remained utterly unshaken—his Haki flaring without restraint.
Watching Roger standing tall, surrounded by fallen members of the Whitebeard Pirates, Shanks trembled with excitement. His cheeks flushed, fists clenched tightly.
The image etched itself deep into his young heart.
And in that moment, an unshakable thought surged in his mind—
Someday, he too would become a man as full of Haki as Captain Roger!
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake