Pirate: I was just slacking off, do you really think I'm bad?

As the attack drew closer, a hint of ferocity flashed in Barrett's eyes.

Having fought countless battles, he naturally had the resolve to perish together with his opponent.

He increased his defenses while attempting to attack Raleigh.

However, he overlooked just how brutal Raleigh's attacks were.

A terrifying pressure descended upon Barrett, the powerful airflow pressing down on his body so he couldn't straighten up.

Although the attack had not yet gotten close, gusts of sharp wind had already begun to cut through Barrett's armor.

Rumble!

Starting from the top of the Gundam's head, the metal fused with the Barrett Fruit's power began to turn into iron filings, disintegrating and dissipating from the Gundam's body.

The immense pressure caused Barrett's body to sink directly into the ground, rendering him unable to move. Faced with this overwhelming pressure, Barrett bit his lip.

His eyes were filled with cruelty towards himself.

He concentrated all his domineering aura on his hands, raising them to the sky, hoping to exchange the cost of his two arms for his life.

boom!

Barrett's idea is too naive.

Under Raleigh's control, the attack did not fall vertically, but bypassed Barrett's arms and struck Barrett's chest.

!

This was a deafening roar that echoed throughout the entire island.

The Gundam that Barrett created using his Devil Fruit power was shattered, and Barrett's main body was even blasted out of the Gundam.

His powerful body crashed through the buildings that blocked his way, a series of loud noises followed by plumes of thick smoke that obscured his body.

Raleigh managed to stand still, recovering his strength.

Such moves basically drain all the body's energy.

The fact that Raleigh was able to stand still without falling down shows that he is physically strong and has stamina far exceeding that of his peers.

Taking a deep breath, Raleigh rested on the spot to recover his strength.

After a while, the dust settled, and Raleigh finally saw Barrett's miserable appearance.

The Barrett is now a full hundred meters away from Raleigh, with three buildings in between. The damaged walls show just how powerful the impact was.

The once invincible Barrett is now a dying man on the verge of death.

He lay covered in blood in the ruins of the building, his eyes filled with confusion.

He had experienced this kind of destructive power firsthand with Captain Roger.

In normal encounters, whether it's Rayleigh, Jabba, or the first mates of other ships, few can beat him so badly.

After regaining some of his strength, Raleigh strolled over to Barrett's side.

I thought that after such a blow, you would either die or pass out, but now it seems your physique is exceptionally strong.

Raleigh exclaimed sincerely.

He wasn't lying. Since developing this move, he had basically never used it in combat. When he was training, he could easily defeat evenly matched opponents.

However, Barrett, who had taken a hit and was still conscious, was indeed a worthy opponent.

"Cough cough, I almost died. Otherwise, with my years of physical training, I probably wouldn't have been able to withstand it."

Barrett shifted his body so that he could look up at Raleigh.

After spitting out some broken organs and blood, Barrett's lips twitched as he said:

It seems the world's perception of you as a swordsman is a complete misunderstanding; you've been playing dumb all along.

Raleigh waved his hand and said:

"What's it to me?"

"Everyone knows I use a sword, so they all think I'm a swordsman, but no one has ever asked me if swordsmanship is actually my forte."

If they ask me, I'll definitely say that my physical skills are the strongest.

Oh, by the way, I've actually told a lot of people in the Navy that my hand-to-hand combat skills are better than my swordsmanship, but they don't believe me!

There's nothing we can do about that then.

Back when he was in military school, or in the early days of the East China Sea, Rowley really relied on his iron fists and the Six Styles of the Navy to make his way in the world.

However, after winning Mikazuki Munechika and Kenshin in a lottery, he fell in love with the elegant feeling of a swordsman.

Barrett closed his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke:

You win, Raleigh. Send me to Impel Down now.

A hint of doubt flashed in Raleigh's eyes, but then he understood.

On the high seas today, if a pirate with a powerful Devil Fruit is captured, the first choice is usually not to kill him, but to send him to Impel Down.

If killed, there's a high chance that the Devil Fruit within that person will be reborn on fruits all over the world.

This is a major headache for the navy.

For example, when Whitebeard died, his Tremor-Tremor Fruit was never retrieved.

The Navy immediately launched a global search for the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and at the same time, major pirates, mafias, and underground forces from various kingdoms were also searching for it.

That's the Devil Fruit of the world's strongest man. Even if he can't unleash the full power of Whitebeard, he could easily reach the level of a Marine Vice Admiral.

Barrett believed that the reason Raleigh didn't kill him was because of the Devil Fruit.

Raleigh chuckled dismissively:

I will not send you to Impel Down; on the contrary, I will give you your freedom.

Barrett suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of murderous intent crossing his gaze, his tone filled with suppressed rage.

"You want to subdue me?"

Those who can survive on the high seas are either incredibly strong or have brains.

Upon hearing that Raleigh neither intended to kill him nor send him to Impel Down, the rest was self-evident.

No one would engage in a pointless battle with a strong opponent without any benefit to themselves.

Raleigh snapped his fingers, then took a cigar from his pocket and lit it;

"You're a smart person; you naturally know the outcomes of both choices. I'll give you ten minutes to consider."

Barrett remained silent, and Raleigh, smoking a cigar, also didn't say a word.

Time ticked by, and Barrett's expression grew increasingly grim. His heaving chest revealed that he was far from calm.

I'd like to know what you'll ask me to do?

Barrett looked at Raleigh; his heart was already softening, but he still needed Raleigh's confirmation.

He's no pushover. If Barrett were to deal with those petty pirates, he'd rather die at Raleigh's hands, since Raleigh is a strongman.

It's not shameful to die at the hands of a strong person; it's shameful to spend your days catching pirates who are like small fry.

Barrett is a proud man, and if his psychological requirements are not met, he will not hesitate to seek death.

Raleigh, seemingly having stood for too long, sat cross-legged on the ground and said:

Don't worry, I would never assign someone like you to do anything pointless.

I will arrange some strong individuals for you. You don't need to worry about their backgrounds, but I guarantee they will be pirates with a bounty of at least 500 million.

Barrett silently calculated in his mind that there weren't many people in the world with a bounty exceeding 500 million. Apart from the Marines, he knew almost all the other pirates.

"This condition is acceptable, but I will not attack the Roger Pirates. If you insist that I take action, then you can kill me right now."

Although Barrett left the Roger Pirates, he still had feelings for them, and he couldn't bring himself to attack Roger and his crew.

Lori glanced at Barrett, then spoke;

Don't worry, the Roger Pirates are not our primary target. You'll find out later.

Raleigh pulled a Den Den Mushi from his pocket and dialed the Navy's number at the port.

Gion, bring a few ship doctors with you; there's a seriously wounded soldier here.

After ending the call with the Den Den Mushi, Raleigh curiously looked at the Barrett beside him. The Barrett had regained some strength and struggled to crawl out of the rubble.

The strenuous exercise aggravated his wound, causing him to cough up blood again.

Raleigh didn't intend to correct him; the people in the One Piece world are strange.

Some people are so strong that even with their hearts pierced and half their heads blown off, they can still fight for several minutes and even have time to give their last words.

However, some powerful individuals die from ordinary swords, pistols, or even stairs.

Barrett doesn't seem like the type to die young, and Raleigh has no reason to stop a newly recruited pirate from dying. At worst, he can just spend some time finding a powerful pirate on the high seas.

Barrett couldn't help but burst out laughing when he saw that Raleigh wasn't there.

You are very good; your methods are ruthless, and your heart is even more ruthless.

"They clearly came to fight me just to subdue me, but they don't care about my life at all, just like my friends from the Endless War Kingdom when I was a kid."

Barrett seemed to recall something that made him grit his teeth, and said fiercely.

Raleigh raised his face and looked lifelessly at Barrett:

You are merely a very useful character in my plan, but that doesn't mean your role is irreplaceable. If one day your abilities fall behind my pace, I will replace you without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Barrett was initially filled with rage, but then, as if remembering something, he coldly said:

"Then you'd better improve quickly, because if your strength can't keep up with mine, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Both of them exchanged harsh words, but neither took any further action.

Ultimately, both of them are smart people; they won't do anything that doesn't benefit them.

Barrett, realizing he was in no condition to escape Raleigh's clutches, decided against doing anything unnecessary.

Besides, Raleigh didn't order him to do anything unacceptable.

Challenging strong opponents is something Barrett has been doing ever since he left Roger's crew; now it's just that Raleigh will assign him opponents.

In reality, it didn't have much of an impact on Barrett.

As for Raleigh, he had already taken control of Barrett and had agreed to his demands, so there was no need to kill him.

"It will still take some time before Gion arrives," Raleigh said, turning to Barrett, who was recovering his strength.

Barrett, I think your Devil Fruit development is still a bit lacking.

"Sometimes, the larger the combined size is, the less likely it is to be a good thing, and the steel you used for the combination was of poor quality."

Upon hearing this, Barrett also began to consider whether he was as Raleigh had described.

But he quickly retorted:

After combining, the larger the size, the greater the attack and defense power, right?

"Besides, I've tried many materials, and steel is already hard enough. I haven't found a better material yet."

Raleigh asked with a strange expression:

"Does being big necessarily mean you're stronger? How did you lose then?"

The steel materials you've combined are rather poor quality. I know a metal that can meet your requirements.

But I don't know where his ability user is. If I find them later, I can get you some.

Indeed, when Rory saw Barrett's Fusion Fruit, the first thing he thought of was King Wapol, who possessed the Gluttony Fruit. The special metal he created was exactly what Barrett's Fusion Fruit needed.

Secondly, Barrett's Fusion Fruit can be seen as a Gundam pilot with infinite combination forms.

Imagine if Barrett used the Fusion Fruit to create an angel-shaped Gundam, wouldn't it be able to fly?

Even if it can't fly, Barrett can still mount its ship's guns on its body and launch an attack on the enemy.

The Fusion Fruit, if not viewed as a fruit for strengthening oneself, still has a lot of potential for development.

The best development direction is a steel Gundam covered in naval cannons.

Luckily, Raleigh still has a Multiply Fruit. We'll find a suitable person to eat it and team up with Barrett.

Who wouldn't be afraid of a mobile Gundam with firepower comparable to the Buster Call?

With such a combination, it's no exaggeration to say that almost none of the generals had any power to resist. Even Raleigh and Borsalino could only run away.

Pfft, thinking about it this way, Barrett's status in Raleigh's plan has clearly improved a lot. If Barrett dies, then it's unknown how many years it will take to find someone who can develop the Fusion Fruit to this extent.

"Raleigh, are you alright?"

Gion anxiously brought the ship's doctor over, carefully examining Raleigh's wounds and tenderly stroking them as she looked at them.

Raleigh didn't seem to think anything of it.

Injuries are common in combat; the enemy Barrett was almost killed by him but didn't complain of pain.

In the world of One Piece, Blackbeard Teach seems to be the only oddball who can't stand the pain when he gets hit.

He was yelling in pain, but his hands remained perfectly still; it was quite bizarre.

Raleigh stroked his chin, then thought that since the Whitebeard Pirates had already been wiped out, where was he supposed to find the Blackbeard Pirates?

This guy was able to hold back for twenty years before making a move; he's a formidable opponent no matter what.

People are not afraid of open opponents, because those dangers are visible. But an opponent with a bad reputation like Blackbeard might just turn on you one day. Whitebeard was powerful on the sea his whole life, but he was still completely outmaneuvered by Blackbeard.

Almost everyone involved in the Marineford War was a loser, except for Blackbeard and Coby.

Blackbeard ambushed Impel Down, assembled a powerful team, and also devoured Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit, becoming the new Yonko. No one profited more than him.