Under Bai Yu's signal, Koby and Helmeppo quickly retreated to the sidelines.
"Spring Sniper!"
As soon as the two backed away, Bellamy let out a roar.
Boom!
The tightly compressed spring-loaded legs suddenly released with explosive force.
Bellamy's body shot forward like a cannonball, moving even faster than before.
KaKaKaKa…
Mid-charge, Bellamy raised both arms and clenched his fists.
The coiled springs in his arms compressed to their limit.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared directly in front of Bai Yu.
Boom!
With a snap, the spring-loaded punches fired forward.
The compressed force erupted, causing the air to quake violently around his fists.
The raw power generated by the springs was overwhelming—unstoppable and devastating.
And yet, Bai Yu hadn't moved.
Hum…
A subtle ripple of Kenbunshoku Haki—Observation Haki—swept out from Bai Yu's body like a pulse.
It locked perfectly onto Bellamy's high-speed assault.
A split-second before impact, Bai Yu casually sidestepped.
He shifted his body slightly.
Boom!
Bellamy's devastating blow struck the floor instead, missing completely.
The sheer force of the punch shattered the tiles beneath him.
But the momentum was too great—Bellamy couldn't recover in time.
"Your speed isn't bad," Bai Yu commented coolly, "but your aim needs work."
As he spoke, Bai Yu raised the Dragon Flame Blade in his hand.
Without hesitation, he slashed downward with precision and deadly intent.
Pfft!
Tear—!
Bellamy reacted instinctively.
Kicking off with explosive force from the spring in his legs, he narrowly pulled his arms free from the shattered ground.
But he wasn't fast enough.
Though he managed to dodge the worst, Bai Yu's sword still sliced deep into his side.
A gash tore from Bellamy's waist to his ribs.
Drip. Drip. Drip…
Blood flowed freely from the fresh wound.
For a moment, silence returned to the scene.
Even Bellamy looked shocked.
He couldn't understand how Bai Yu had dodged with such precision.
It was as if… Bai Yu had read every move in advance.
"Commander Bai Yu... is incredible!"
Koby, watching wide-eyed, grabbed Helmeppo's hand in excitement.
Until now, they had only heard rumors of Bai Yu's strength.
Now, seeing it for themselves, their respect and loyalty deepened even further.
Back on the battlefield—
"Damn it..."
Bellamy grimaced, clutching his bleeding side, eyes burning with rage.
Only now did he realize—he had encountered a true monster.
Still, the thought of retreat briefly flickered in his eyes.
But Bai Yu's next words crushed that idea.
"Don't even think about running," he said coldly. "Once I draw my blade… there's no escape."
He had read Bellamy like a book.
Bellamy's face twisted in fury, his wounded pride igniting into rage.
"You think I'm afraid of you?!"
Bellamy shouted, discarding the thought of fleeing.
Crack, crack, crack!
Ripping strips from his shirt, he bandaged his waist to slow the bleeding.
Then he crouched again, this time even lower.
"Aaaaaaah!"
He roared, his voice echoing through the massive bar.
As he squatted, the springs in his legs compressed more and more, layering over themselves.
Boom!
Bellamy suddenly launched upward.
Springs burst from his legs, propelling him to the ceiling corner.
Boom!
But he wasn't done.
Landing on the roof beam, he twisted mid-air and launched himself again, diagonally this time.
Tom, tom, tom!
He bounced from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, like a pinball at impossible speed.
Each landing left behind shattered wood and cracked stone.
Each jump increased his momentum.
Soon, he was nothing but a blur.
To the spectators, Bellamy had vanished—replaced by afterimages flashing across the room.
His speed had reached its peak.
"Die!"
With a roar, Bellamy hurled himself toward Bai Yu's back.
Fwoosh!
A sonic boom followed as his form became a deadly blur heading straight for Bai Yu.
But Bai Yu only smiled.
For any ordinary opponent, Bellamy's overwhelming speed would have spelled the end.
Unfortunately for him—this was Bai Yu.
A master of all three types of Haki.
With Observation Haki, Bai Yu clearly traced Bellamy's every movement.
Hum…
He gripped the hilt of the Dragon Flame Blade with both hands.
The edge quivered slightly.
From his palm, a brilliant green energy surged into the blade.
The Azure Dragon Sword Intent.
Whoosh!
The energy fused into the blade.
Flame-like patterns along the edge shimmered—then ignited.
The Dragon Flame Blade burned with turquoise flames, alive with mythical intent.
Huh—BOOM!
In less time than it takes to blink, Bai Yu spun around.
With no need to aim, he raised his sword high—
—and slashed downward with lightning speed.
"Spring—Death Fist!"
"Azure Dragon Flame Slash!"
The two warriors cried out at the same time.
Their ultimate attacks collided mid-air.
CLANG!
A brilliant burst of sparks exploded between them.
BOOM!
Wind exploded outward from the impact.
The ground beneath their feet fractured like glass.
Whoosh!
But the collision didn't last.
The instant the two attacks connected, the turquoise flames from Bai Yu's blade surged outward.
They spread from Bellamy's fist… to his arm… and then his whole body.
"AHHHH!"
The searing heat caused Bellamy to instinctively pull back.
But that moment of hesitation—
Tear!
—was all Bai Yu needed.
With his strength diminished, Bai Yu's blade tore through his flesh with ease.
The flames licked along Bellamy's body as the sword slashed from shoulder to hip.
"How… how is this…"
A geyser of blood sprayed out.
Bellamy's eyes widened in disbelief.
His vision blurred.
His thoughts faded into darkness.
And then—
Thud.
He collapsed to the ground.
Unconscious. Defeated.