Everyone was stunned—completely slack-jawed as they stared at the pile of shattered metal on the ground. Not just Backan and the Mountain Pirates, even Aeridar's own crew hadn't expected their captain to smash such a massive battle axe into fragments with a single punch.
That axe had been nearly two meters long, the handle alone as thick as a rice bowl—not a wrist—and the blade, a half-moon arc more than half a meter wide, forged entirely from a rare and durable metal found only in the West Blue.
If not for the fact that the axe had clearly claimed countless lives and clashed with just as many weapons, some might've thought it was a cheap knockoff, a blacksmith's scam. But to shatter that thing with one punch? That was beyond human—it was monstrous.
"What kind of strength is that?!"
"No way—this can't be real!"
"Bastard! How the hell is this possible?!"
"Am I seriously hallucinating?"
"THE AXE... IT'S BROKEN?!"
Backan stood there, dumbfounded, blood dripping from his hands as he stared at the broken chunk of metal—barely half a meter long—that he was still gripping. His mind went completely blank. It had never occurred to him that someone could destroy his beloved axe with their bare hands.
That kind of strength... was downright terrifying... downright inhuman...
Aeridar dropped the remaining shard of the axe at his feet, glancing indifferently at the stupefied Backan. He tilted his head with a lopsided grin and said casually:
"Hoo~ Hoo~ So... are you ready to hand it over now?"
"Heheheh... This is exciting!" Backan snapped out of it, licking the blood from between his thumb and index finger. He sneered like a madman. "Finally... another strong one... If the damn Marines hadn't outnumbered us yesterday, I'd have had myself a proper fight... but now... NOW I GET WHAT I WANTED!!"
The day before, a joint fleet led by Marine HQ, reinforced by divisions from various branches, had launched a brutal assault along the trade route. Thousands of Marines. Over a dozen warships. Their firepower was so overwhelming the Mountain Pirates hadn't even gotten a chance to counterattack. Backan had been furious. Humiliated.
And now, standing in front of him, was another pirate—strong, fearless, and clearly battle-tested. Backan could finally let loose.
"Idiot. What an annoying bastard," Aeridar scowled, clearly irritated. This guy still hadn't realized the gap between their strength. At best, Backan had the raw might of someone like Urouge, one of the Eleven Supernovas. Maybe less, even—Urouge at least had the powers of the Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. Backan had no Devil Fruit powers at all.
Not that it mattered. Even if he did know what was inside the sealed steel box—an unopened Devil Fruit—it wouldn't change a thing. That box was crafted from reinforced steel and embedded with Seastone as tough as diamonds. Unless you were at least on the level of an Admiral or a Yonko, it was unbreakable without the key.
And now Backan was trying to steal it? What a tragic fool.
Using his height advantage, Backan brought his fist down like a hammer. His massive fist—larger than a sandbag—tore through the air with a violent gust as he aimed straight for Aeridar's head.
"Hahaha... Then I'll beat some respect into you!" Aeridar shouted with a wide grin, meeting the blow head-on with a punch of his own.
It sounded like a giant drum being struck. A shockwave burst from the point of impact, a visible ripple of force blasting outwards. The already cratered ground collapsed further beneath them, forming a massive impact crater.
Screams erupted as everyone scrambled for cover, trying to get as far away as possible.
Both Aeridar and Backan roared at the same time.
A large and a small figure collided like titans, fists flying in a brutal slugfest. Each hit landed with bone-crunching impact.
The air trembled with every exchange. The ground cracked like shattered glass beneath their feet. Deep footprints marked where they stood, some spots sinking entirely. Towering trees snapped in half, some uprooted completely and sent crashing down, leaving gaping holes in the earth.
Dust choked the forest air. Tree after tree fell like dominoes. As their fight escalated, the destruction spread rapidly—forcing even the spectators to retreat further and further.
The commotion and the earlier signal flare had already drawn in other members of the Chris Pirates' scouting parties. Even Arlan and Gorbo had arrived on the scene.
"Who the hell is that guy?"
"Even if Captain's not going all out... someone who can keep up with him ... Who is he?"
"That big brute—he's got one hell of a pain threshold!"
The newcomers stood in awe. Despite taking punch after punch, Backan was still yelling, still moving, still throwing fists like a beast.
Aeridar wasn't even relying much on the Impact-Impact Fruit. Almost everything he threw was pure physical strength and Haki. Backan had the power, sure—but his attacks were slow. Aeridar had covered every impact zone in Armament Haki, hardening his body to take the brunt of the blows. All Backan's hits did was shove him back—barely a scratch.
And with Observation Haki, Aeridar wasn't exactly standing there taking punches just to feel them.
But he was loving this. It had been a long time since he'd faced someone who could take this kind of punishment. Even without fully activating his Devil Fruit, his Haki-infused strikes hit like siege weapons—strong enough to crack boulders or punch holes in iron walls.
Backan, on the other hand, was yelping with every clean hit. His body was tough, but in the end, still flesh and blood. Hardened Haki punches hurt, and they did damage.
The battlefield around them looked like it had been shelled by Marine warships. The surrounding pirates, especially the rookies from the Mountain Pirates, could only gape in horror. They'd known their captain was strong—but he'd rarely had a worthy opponent. Most rivals were so weak that he never had to go all out.
But now, facing someone even stronger, Backan had finally gone full throttle—unleashing terrifying, almost monster-like destructive power.
Raging from head to toe in searing pain, Backan's eyes burned with fury. His swollen muscles burst through the last shreds of his golden armor as he leapt into the air. He raised a clenched fist overhead like a massive war axe. Even before the punch fell, the sheer force of his strike scattered the dust beneath him.
"Armament Hardening—Twin Bear Pillars!"
Aeridar stood his ground, laughing with wild excitement. He shifted his body sideways, bracing his left hand on his right arm. From shoulder to fist, his entire arm turned jet black with Armament Haki. His muscles gleamed like black steel, glistening with a strange metallic sheen.
With a twist of his hips, he launched his punch forward—WHOMPF!—the force vibrating through the air. When their fists collided—one large, one small—a devastating wave of power exploded outward.
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