Jon only jumped off the battleship and rushed into the island after Domino and the others had entered.
"Huh? Jon went in too?"
Borsalino, quick-eyed as always, noticed a figure darting into the island. He blinked, then recognized him: it was Jon.
"Hmm, looks like I won't be the one making the big move this time. Guess I can kick back and get some proper rest."
Vice Admiral Sakazuki also noticed Jon. His stern expression softened slightly.
Others might still question Jon's strength, but Borsalino and Sakazuki—both longtime acquaintances—knew him well. Even though the opponent this time was Douglas Barrett, they had faith in Jon.
Jon quickly landed on the island and used his Observation Haki to sense his surroundings, rapidly moving forward until he reached his destination.
Once nearby, he didn't charge in immediately. Following Garp's orders, he kept his distance and observed.
The battle was intense. Now that he was close, Jon could see everything clearly.
Vice Admiral Saul, towering like a mountain, was battling Barrett. Though Barrett was much smaller, his combat power was terrifying. Not only could he handle Saul, but he also took down the surrounding marines with ease.
At this point, there were barely any marines left standing.
Saul relied on his giant size and strength, engaging Barrett directly. But the longer they fought, the more Saul realized—while Barrett didn't surpass him in raw strength, he was undeniably stronger in head-to-head combat.
Though the fight hadn't lasted long, Saul had already taken multiple hits. He wasn't critically injured, but he was clearly in a bad spot. At this rate, he'd eventually lose.
Once Barrett fully activated his Armament Haki, Saul felt the pressure mount. Barrett was only growing fiercer, while Saul began faltering.
Still, Saul was a Vice Admiral of the Navy HQ—not a pushover. He barely managed to keep up with Barrett's attacks.
Then came reinforcements. Seeing Saul struggle, Vice Admiral Dominic shouted, "Saul! I'll assist you!"
Dominic, a muscular man over three meters tall and slightly older in years, had the strength to maintain his rank. He wielded two long swords—a rare dual-blade style—and with agile movement and quick strikes, it was clear he was a skilled swordsman.
Originally, Barrett had no trouble handling one Vice Admiral. But now, with Dominic joining in, the fight changed drastically.
Yet Barrett was a true powerhouse. Even against two Vice Admirals, he didn't retreat. Instead, he fought harder.
Vice Admirals were among the top fighters even in the New World. Though Barrett was strong, he found himself forced to retreat under their coordinated assault.
"Push harder! Let's finish this quickly!" Dominic called to Saul.
Both Vice Admirals launched their strongest attacks. Working together, they found an opening—Saul's giant fist smashed Barrett, sending him flying.
Crashing to the ground, Barrett suddenly stood up and let out a deep laugh: "So this is the strength of a giant Vice Admiral? That's it? Then let me show you true power!"
He leapt onto his submarine—the Cannonball—standing on its top hatch.
"You useless marines—taste my real power!"
In an instant, both Barrett and the Cannonball emitted a purple glow. The light engulfed the entire vessel, and slowly, even Barrett's figure was swallowed by it—no longer visible.
"What the hell is happening?"
Saul and Dominic stared in shock, unsure of what Barrett was doing.
Suddenly, the purple light vanished—replaced by a massive armored figure, shaped like a robot.
Looking at this towering warrior—even larger than himself—Saul didn't know exactly what had happened, but he knew this had to be Barrett's ability.
"True strength is when you stand alone—and I am the strongest!"
Light gleamed from the armored warrior's eyes as Barrett, inside the armor, roared.
Boom!
The giant armored warrior threw a punch at Saul. Saul countered with his own fist.
Crash!
The blow sent Saul flying, his massive body rolling across the ground. He clutched his arm, pain etched on his face.
Bang!
Barrett didn't let up. He attacked again. Dominic dodged swiftly and struck with his dual swords, but even at full power, he only managed to leave shallow marks on the armor.
Now that Barrett had completed his transformation, his destructive power had increased by more than a level. Saul and Dominic were quickly overwhelmed.
In just a short time, both Vice Admirals were seriously wounded.
"This is the might of your navy? Pathetic. Let me end this."
What was worse—Barrett had coated his massive armored arms with Armament Haki, aiming to finish them off in a single strike.
Facing this overwhelming blow, Saul and Dominic exchanged a glance. Neither backed down—they activated their own Armament Haki, ready to clash head-on.
Just then, a voice rang in their ears—
"Vice Admiral Saul! Vice Admiral Dominic! Please step aside—let me handle this!"
The two were stunned. Looking up, they saw a figure descending from the sky.
"Wood Golem!"
A green light burst forth, illuminating everything. The glow expanded, forming into a massive figure.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, Saul and Dominic quickly backed off. Right where they'd stood moments earlier, a gigantic form took shape.
It was a huge wooden golem, nearly matching Barrett's armored form in size. As Barrett's punch came hurtling toward it, the golem raised its enormous wooden arm, half-covered in Armament Haki.
Clash!
The two colossal fists collided, releasing a shockwave so powerful it shattered the ground and unleashed a windstorm, threatening to blow everything away.
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