Chapter 18: Naval Battleship Annihilated, World Destroyer — Douglas Bullet

"Boom!"

In a certain part of the Grand Line, a thunderous explosion echoed through the skies. The once calm sea was suddenly overwhelmed by towering waves, with rings of white spray rippling out rapidly in all directions.

As the blast subsided, the ocean gradually returned to a deceptive calm. Three navy battleships, torn apart by cannon fire, now lay half-sunken in the sea. The once confident and battle-ready navy forces had been reduced to a single survivor.

That sole survivor was Rear Admiral Chaton, the leader of this mission to hunt down the infamous pirate known as the "World Destroyer" — Douglas Bullet.

Opposite the wreckage of the naval fleet stood a towering, muscular man, his face twisted with menace as he stared coldly at the lone marine. A cruel grin crept across his lips as he raised a cannonball in his right hand, his gaze sweeping over the barely breathing Chaton.

This man was none other than Douglas Bullet, a legendary pirate of the current era, once spoken of in the same breath as Whitebeard Edward Newgate and Gol D. Roger. A user of the Multiplier Fruit, his strength was nothing short of monstrous.

Because of his brutal nature — killing anyone weaker than himself regardless of whether they were marine, pirate, or civilian — his bounty was even higher than Roger's at one point.

"Heheheh... Navy? Why are you trying to stop me? Don't tell me you haven't heard my name before?!

Anyone who dares to get in my way… must be completely destroyed! Die, marine!"

Douglas Bullet sneered as he casually shoved the cannonball forward.

"Multiplier: 30x Cannon!"

The cannonball, initially moving at a slow pace, suddenly accelerated 30 times faster. The sharp sound of it ripping through the air screamed louder with each passing second. As the explosive sped toward him, Rear Admiral Chaton used the last of his strength to dial into a Den Den Mushi and relay the information about Douglas Bullet.

Moments later, an earth-shattering explosion echoed across the sea — and Chaton was gone forever.

Marine Headquarters – Marineford

Sengoku slammed the receiver down. His face was filled with fury, veins bulging on his forehead, fists clenched so tight that his nails pierced into his palms and drew blood — not that he noticed or cared.

At this point in time, Sengoku had yet to become Fleet Admiral, but even in his youth, he was a staunch enforcer of Absolute Justice. To him, pirates were nothing but scum. His years of chasing criminals across the seas had made him, along with Garp, a living symbol of the Navy's might.

Strong and righteous — but now, another dear comrade had been lost. Sengoku's rage was burning.

"Creak—!"

He kicked open the door to Commander Kong's office, stormed straight up to the desk, and spoke with solemn determination:

"Commander Kong, please give me the order. Let me go capture Douglas Bullet. This man must be stopped. If he dares to steal the Celestial Tribute today, he'll dare to slaughter the Celestial Dragons tomorrow. We can't wait any longer!"

Kong, who had just finished a call with the Five Elders, looked at the furious Sengoku and sighed deeply. Every Rear Admiral was a pillar of justice — a soldier who had dedicated their entire life to righteousness.

"The Five Elders just called. They've ordered the Navy to eliminate Douglas Bullet. I'm putting this operation in your hands, Sengoku. I only ask one thing: minimize casualties. If we lose too many men, not even I can answer for it — even as Fleet Admiral."

"Understood, Commander Kong. I will complete this mission."

Sengoku's stern expression finally eased into a slight smile as he heard the order he'd been waiting for. He turned to look out at the seagull flag fluttering in the plaza — his raging heart slowly settling.

He silently vowed:

Douglas Bullet will be brought to justice. He will pay for his crimes.

Meanwhile, in the New World…

Roger's nose suddenly bled as he jerked upright from his nap. "That smell...! Rayleigh, set course for—"

Before he could finish, the sea itself parted as a gargantuan shadow emerged from the depths - Wald's flagship, the World Ender, its railgun turrets humming with charged energy.

"Captain..." Shanks whispered, his future Observation Haki tingling, "...that's not a ship. That's a moving continent."

"Ya lot, charge in there! Take every last bit of treasure! If anyone dares resist—kill them all!"

Bundy Walde squinted as he stared intensely at the island ahead and growled viciously.

Over ten days ago, Walde had learned that a World Government battleship would be passing through the area to collect the Celestial Tribute. He had long since set up an ambush. As soon as the tribute collection began, his entire pirate crew would strike at once, wipe out the Navy escort, and claim all the treasure for themselves.

As for whether this would provoke the wrath of the World Government? Bundy Walde didn't care. This wasn't the first time he'd pulled something like this.

He had already destroyed eight or ten battleships by now and was still alive and kicking. So, Walde wasn't the least bit concerned.

But this time—Bundy Walde miscalculated. Facing the strategist Sengoku, a brute like him clearly wasn't up to the task. A larger scheme targeting Walde was quietly unfolding…

———

Aboard the Jackson, Drew lay on the deck sunbathing. The rare bit of leisure time lifted his spirits. Closing his eyes, his system panel appeared in his mind. With only 500 dimensional points left, he decided to spin the lottery once.

[Congratulations, Host has obtained: Skill Copy Card ×1]

[Congratulations, Host has obtained: Zoan-type Armored Turtle Form Devil Fruit ×1]

[Congratulations, Host has obtained: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic (No Side Effects)]

[Congratulations, Host has obtained: Weapon Enhancement Card ×1]

[Congratulations, Host has obtained: 1,000 Berries]

Drew glanced through the rewards and couldn't help but grin. As expected of a good mood day—this draw was totally worth it.

[Fire Dragon Slayer Magic: Originates from the anime Fairy Tail. Transforms the user's body into that of a dragon. Taught by a fire dragon, this is powerful dragon-slaying magic that allows the user to consume flames to boost firepower.]

"Guess the Flame-Flame Fruit just became trash. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"

Drew shrugged, raised a hand, and summoned a flame at his fingertip. Feeling the terrifying heat, he smiled in satisfaction and moved on to the next prize.

[Weapon Enhancement Card: Enhances any chosen weapon, improving all its stats. May also grant a passive ability.]

"Use it!"

Drew activated the card without hesitation. It vanished, and a faint glow surrounded his Fangtian Huaji (a polearm weapon). At the same time, he felt a surge of feedback.

If his Fangtian Huaji had been comparable to a standard blade before, it was now on par with a Grade Weapon (Ryou Wazamono).

Unfortunately, it didn't gain any passive ability.

"So greedy…" Drew muttered with a sigh and shook his head, slightly disappointed.

———

Five days later, the news that Bundy Walde, the World Destroyer, had been captured by Navy Admiral Sengoku spread across the New World.

No one could have imagined that this fearsome man, who had seemed unstoppable just days ago, would be completely wiped out.

Thirty percent of his former crew had turned against him. Walde was riddled with bullet wounds—most fired by his own former subordinates.

To prevent him from escaping prison again, Sengoku ordered his immediate transfer to Impel Down Level 6, where he was permanently sealed in ice.

———

As for everything happening in the New World?

The Roger Pirates… didn't pay it much mind.

After all, they had their own destiny to chase.