Chapter 369: Chapter 369: The Breath of Raftel!
Chapter 369: The Breath of Raftel!
Aboard Bullet’s ship, the salty breeze of the Grand Line swept past as two legends of different eras stood at ease. The sea was calm—for now.
"Bullet," Ryuunosuke asked casually, his eyes sharp yet curious, "do you know why Roger disbanded your crew?"
The world called Douglas Barrett a madman, a monster obsessed with strength. But now, alone with him, Ryuunosuke saw something else. Calm. Composure. Silence.
The persona of a wild beast was a mask, carefully worn.
Bullet, seated cross-legged near the helm, exhaled slowly. "No idea. The moment we left Raftel, the captain told everyone... the crew was disbanding."
"No explanation. Just that."
Ryuunosuke raised an eyebrow. "And Rayleigh? Did you ask him?"
"I did," Barrett replied. "But his answer was the same. He knew something—maybe even had orders—but he didn’t share them."
"Shanks, too, probably knows."
Bullet voice was low, thoughtful.
"It’s likely Roger gave individual instructions—missions only meant for specific crew members. Whatever it was... the rest of us weren’t meant to know."
Ryuunosuke stayed silent for a moment, then asked, "Putting the past aside... what about now?"
Bullet glanced over.
"You spent a fortune gathering intel on me and my crew, right?"
Ryuunosuke smirked. "So tell me, Bullet—what do you think we’re doing?"
Bullet folded his arms. "That’s the thing—I don’t know."
"You’re not treasure hunters. You don’t raid cities. You don’t take hostages or fly your flag to threaten islands."
"You came from the East Blue, cut a clean path through the Grand Line, and crushed every obstacle like it was child’s play. Then, instead of celebrating, you turned your attention to the World Government."
"That’s not piracy. That’s... something else."
"More like... warriors chasing some kind of freedom."
Bullet leaned back against the rail. "But in this world, freedom like that is treated like a crime."
Ryuunosuke gave a soft chuckle.
"Honestly, we don’t have a grand plan," he said. "The Dragon Hunter Pirates just want to stand at the top."
That simple sentence carried a pressure that washed over the deck.
Bullet blinked.
It wasn’t that Ryuunosuke had used Conqueror’s Haki. No—his ambition, his sheer presence, bled that energy naturally.
Bullet, who could blanket half an island in raw Haki, recognized what this meant.
This man... was beyond even him.
"To stand at the top?" Bullet repeated. "Then what? Build a new empire? Dethrone the Celestial Dragons? Call yourself a god?"
There was clear disdain in his tone. Bullet had always despised such hypocrisy—those who claimed to seek freedom but only wanted to become the next tyrant.
Ryuunosuke shook his head.
"Starting a regime? Becoming the ’next god?’ That’s boring."
"The sea belongs to everyone. Claiming it for yourself just puts you in the same cage as the people you want to defeat."
"If I wanted that, I’d be no different from the World Government. Might as well join Dragon’s Revolution."
Bullet stared for a moment.
Then he burst out laughing.
"HA! Finally, someone gets it!"
"Captain Ryuunosuke, if I survive this fight... I’ll board your ship myself."
"I can feel it—your journey’s going to be something legendary!"
The two warriors shared a rare moment of understanding, an unspoken bond forming through their ideals.
Before long, their ship arrived at a small, uninhabited island roughly a day’s sail from the Wallos.
Far enough from the Expo to avoid damage, and remote enough for a proper brawl.
Bullet cracked his knuckles, his grin returning.
"Now then, Captain Ryuunosuke... let’s see what you’ve got."
"Don’t disappoint me."
The air trembled as Bullet power surged.
Pieces of the ship began to float and twist, drawn into a gravitational storm around him. Wood, metal, even pieces of the island itself warped into his armor.
His Fusion-Fusion Fruit awakened—Bullet donned his living mecha like a knight preparing for war.
Jet-black Armament Haki layered over it, thick and refined, flowing like oil over obsidian.
It was Ryu-level Haki. Refined. Hardened. Deadly.
"Dragon Hunter Armor."
Ryuunosuke activated his own weapon—scaled armor laced with spirit-forged metal. Twin blades gleamed in his hands.
Three colors of Haki surged and clashed—Conqueror’s, Observation, Armament.
Their first clash echoed like a cannon blast.
In that instant, every tree on the island was uprooted. Rocks shattered. Earth split.
The terrain was leveled in a heartbeat.
Bullet colossal mech staggered as Ryuunosuke’s blade sliced through its chestplate with devastating precision.
Chunks of armor scattered like broken bones.
"You’re... wielding the breath of Raftel," Barrett said through gritted teeth, his pupils narrowing.
"What did you just say?" Ryuunosuke asked.
Barrett pointed at the blade. "That power... the Infinite White Stone. It only exists on Raftel."
"So it is from there..." Ryuunosuke muttered, then tossed a glowing white shard to Bullet.
Bullet caught the Infinite White Stone and instinctively infused it into his armor.
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted.
Bullet form glowed with renewed strength. Speed, power, and defense all rose sharply.
Destruction radiated from every movement.
Ryuunosuke gripped his twin blades tighter, reinforcing them with everything he had. He wouldn’t risk these weapons being damaged in the battle.
The clash continued.
Hours passed. The island’s edges broke off into the sea.
Flames. Thunder. Debris. A battlefield of gods.
And at the end—floating amid the ruins—stood Ryuunosuke, bloodied but calm.
Across from him, Bullet knelt on one knee, panting heavily. His armor cracked and flickering, steam rising from his body.
"The fight’s over, isn’t it?" Ryuunosuke said calmly. "Your body won’t hold much longer."
Bullet coughed violently and collapsed.
His breathing was ragged. From the blood pooling beneath him, small white fragments shimmered faintly.
"Infinite White Stone residue?" Ryuunosuke blinked.
Could it be... the stone’s power was too much for Bullet’s body?
"Take this," he said, tossing Bullet a vial of Life Essence.
"You’re not dying yet. You still need to come play on my ship."
Bullet grinned weakly, catching the vial and gulping it down. The warmth flooded his veins instantly.
He let out a long breath and looked at Ryuunosuke with awe.
"It’s that scent again..."
"Captain Ryuunosuke... don’t tell me..."
"You weren’t born on Raftel... were you?"
Because everything about you... smells like Raftel.
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