The clash of five Conqueror's Haki reached its peak. The sky seemed to be torn into five pieces.
At first, Barrett's wild, violent Haki visibly contracted under the combined pressure of the four top-tier Hakis. Barrett had underestimated them.
Just then, the ground beneath Barrett's feet collapsed. Spiderweb-like cracks spread madly.
"Hmph... Interesting!" Barrett showed no fear. His fighting spirit burned even brighter, like an awakened volcano. "But do you think this is enough to stop me, Douglas Barrett?!"
He took a deep breath. His compressed black Haki suddenly boiled. An even more primal power erupted from within him. It was a fierceness that even the endless hell of Impel Down hadn't worn away. It was an infinite confidence in his "absolute power," having developed his Combine-Combine Fruit to its limit.
"ROOOAR!!!"
His Conqueror's Haki suddenly pushed outward!
This Barrett wasn't the weakened one from the movie. First, he had solved the problem of getting weaker as he grew taller. He also hadn't lost his purpose like he had in the original story after Roger's death. One Piece was a world of willpower. If your spirit weakened, your strength weakened. Because Rhett was still alive and thriving.
BOOM—!!!
The clash of Haki created a deafening roar. The black flames held against the combined pressure of the four. They even started to push back.
The four struggled. The stalemate continued.
Barrett, one against four, after an initial disadvantage, had actually stabilized his position. He was even showing signs of a counterattack.
This guy's Haki quantity and strength were monstrous!
---
In the plaza of the Golden City, everyone was stunned by this incomprehensible clash of Conqueror's Haki. They had been shocked more times today than in their entire lives. Every time they thought they had seen the strongest, someone would step up and shock them again.
Rhett, who had been lying on the children, yawning and muttering "how boring," had suddenly sat up straight. His lazy, sleepy expression was gone. He stared intently at the screen, at Barrett's wild Conqueror's Haki figure.
"Heh..." Rhett let out an ambiguous laugh. His fingers unconsciously tapped the armrest of his throne. "Douglas Barrett... You actually crawled out of that place. You finally made it."
Shanks, Buggy, and the others had lost over a decade of growth compared to the original story. Barrett was at his peak.
This time, Barrett had everything he needed.
But the anticipation in Rhett's eyes just moments ago suddenly turned cold. The allied nation kings, the Navy, and the World Government were all watching.
"You just escaped from Impel Down, and instead of finding a corner to lick your wounds and recover your strength..." Rhett's voice dropped. "You come to my territory to steal my five billion..."
"Are you really that insane..."
"Or do you think I can't kill you?"
The last sentence, Rhett's tone suddenly turned cold.
---
On the island, Barrett seemed to sense something. He looked up sharply toward the Golden City. Even though there was an endless distance between them, he seemed to feel that cold gaze. A more insane smile spread across his face.
"Rhett... Do you see this?! This is the power I've prepared for you!"
---
In the middle of this shocking scene of five Conqueror's Haki clashing and the world changing, a figure in a news agency uniform, wearing exaggerated glasses, was leaning on a relatively safe railing at the edge of the Golden City plaza in a near-frenzy.
The Gold Editor of the News Agency — Real Man! He held a super enhanced surveillance Den Den Mushi and a notebook. He was trembling with excitement, muttering nonstop.
"Bro! You're here too! This scene! Bro! This is amazing! Worth it! A lifetime's worth!" He recorded frantically with trembling hands.
"Kids! Future kids! Watch closely! Your dad, your grandpa, your great-grandpa was here today! Right here at Lord Mist Lord Rhett's Golden City! Witnessing this epic battle! Bro! What level of fight is this?! Conqueror's Haki collisions like fireworks! Bro!"
He had already started drafting headlines for his article:
"Shocking! Five Emperor-Level Conqueror's Haki Collide! Golden City Becomes the Ultimate Battlefield!"
"The Mist Lord Hosts a Banquet, the Devil's Heir Crashes the Party! Who Wins the Five Billion Berries?!"
"Exclusive Coverage: The Reporter Stands at the Center of the Top-Tier Conqueror's Haki Collision, Calm and Uninjured!"
Thinking of the last headline, Real Man pushed up his glasses. The sacred light of a journalist turning facts into art shone on his face.
"Yes, yes! That's how I'll write it!" He muttered excitedly. "'Our reporter, Real Man, was at the front line of the battlefield, personally experiencing the shocking clash of Haki between the four heroes of the sea and the 'Devil's Heir' Douglas Barrett. Despite the immense power, with exceptional courage and the invisible protection of Lord Mist Lord Rhett, he emerged unscathed, bringing the world this valuable firsthand account...'"
The more he wrote, the more excited he got. He could already see newspaper sales skyrocketing.
"Bro! This is called news sense! This is being on the front lines! When I go out drinking and telling stories... I mean, exchanging professional opinions in the future, I can say — when those certain someones teamed up to fight Barrett, I was right there watching! The power! Wow! You can figure out what level that was for yourselves!"
Moore saw Real Man getting a little too close. "Real Man! Come back! Even if you're far away, it's still dangerous."
Real Man was completely immersed in his own "peak of journalism." Who would know that he was actually hiding behind a railing a few hundred meters away, trembling in fear?
Journalism was all about being "rooted in life, and greater than life"!
Real Man looked at Moore. "Moore! Oh, little Moore! After I write this earth-shattering news piece, bro, who's the editor in chief might not be so certain anymore."
Moore & Moto: Old people looking at phones.
Real Man made full use of the principle: the truth doesn't matter, only drama and sensationalism! Just go all out! If you exaggerate enough, you'll have something to brag about to your grandkids!
"Bro! This news will shock the world! Real Man's name will be carved on the monument of journalistic history! Hahahaha!"
Moto patted Moore's head. "Uncle, should we tell Real Man that we just published the news, so it's no longer exclusive or breaking news~"
Moore shook his head. "Better not. In his current state, it would break him."