069 Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma

“You monster, you won’t die a good death.”
A terrified scream broke out as a blood-soaked man glared hatefully at the three-meter-tall beast before him.
A palm swept through the air with a piercing whoosh.
A sound like a bubble bursting echoed, and the angry figure vanished without a trace.
“He’s a demon, a demon!” Residents scrambled desperately, crawling and stumbling in their panic to escape.
To witness someone beside you vanish without even leaving a speck behind was proof enough of the bizarre terror unfolding.
A deep hum resonated as huge hands opened wide, releasing countless transparent bubbles that floated gently, beautifully, in every direction.
Thunderous explosions erupted as the ground split apart, smoke and dust billowed, and cries of agony and curses resounded beneath the sky.
Houses collapsed, flames raged, severed limbs littered the scene—hell on earth, a madman’s frenzy.
Yet the perpetrator strode calmly down a blood-soaked path, his hands ceaselessly conjuring bubbles that detonated across the ravaged earth like bombs.
His expression remained tranquil, his eyes coldly indifferent to all, chilling those who saw them.
“Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma.”
Ahead, through the haze, Xuan Ye and the Monkey emerged, surveying the devastation with a rising sense of disgust.
Indeed, the one wreaking havoc was Bartholomew Kuma, destined to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—the Tyrant.
“I understand now why they call you Tyrant,” Xuan Ye’s eyes turned icy, his favor lost as he stared at the bear-like figure before him.
It seemed Kuma had not yet been recruited by Dragon; otherwise, he would never have committed such indiscriminate slaughter.
But it mattered little whether he was good or evil—since fate had brought them together, Kuma would spend the rest of his life in Impel Down.
Xuan Ye himself was no saint; he could be ruthless when necessary, never losing to anyone in cruelty, but only if provoked.
If someone crossed him, even a child, he would kill without hesitation.
In this collapsing world, Xuan Ye had never believed in kindness—such a beautiful word, yet one misstep and it could lead to an unmarked grave.
So, though often heartless, Xuan Ye never harmed the innocent, for his final line as a human had not yet been erased.
If he ever lost that boundary, it would mean he had grown disgusted with the world, and the outcome would be its destruction, or his own.
“If you were to travel, where would you want to go?”
A deep whisper sounded at his ear as the colossal figure blocked out the sun, casting Xuan Ye into shadow.
With a sharp rush of air, a massive palm, studded with peculiar flesh pads and exuding an eerie aura, pressed down upon Xuan Ye.
“I want to go to hell. Can you make that happen?” His voice icy, Xuan Ye clenched his fists, armament haki swirling as he launched an uncompromising attack.
It struck with a soft, elastic resistance, but in the next instant, Xuan Ye’s expression changed drastically as a tremendous force, like a raging river, surged over him.

With a swift motion, he was hurled backwards, his feet gouging two deep, terrifying cracks in the ground.
“Rebound, is it?” Narrowing his eyes, Xuan Ye regarded Kuma’s unique hands with curiosity.
“To deflect any attack—seems you’ve developed your Paw-Paw Fruit powers well, Bartholomew Kuma.” Stretching his body, Xuan Ye tilted his head and sneered.
“Skybird Xuan Ye Tang, why are you here?” Kuma’s voice was heavy, his face tinged with apprehension.
“Well, looks like my reputation is pretty big! Even you, Tyrant, know of me.” Xuan Ye exclaimed, feeling his blood surge with excitement.
“Are you here to capture me?” Kuma’s face darkened; the man before him was not to be underestimated.
“I need a few heads to be promoted to Vice Admiral. Looks like you’re one of them.”
Flames began to swirl, Xuan Ye limbered up, his gaze frosty as he stared at Kuma.
“Do you have the strength for that?” In a blink, the brutal figure appeared behind Xuan Ye, terrifying in his speed.
“Teleportation, huh?”
Looking down, a blast of air ripped through the atmosphere. If his Observation Haki hadn’t made some progress recently, Kuma’s speed might have been impossible to counter.
He flipped, spinning right, hands bracing on the ground, left leg wrapped in armament haki, tearing toward Kuma’s head.
Kuma’s paw intercepted, heavy and fierce as a boulder.
Despite its softness, Xuan Ye’s face twisted in frustration as his left foot was transferred into Kuma’s grip.
“Flame Jet.”
Switching tactics, his right foot blazed crimson, striking fiercely toward Kuma’s head.
Flames erupted, a wave of heat rolling out.
Xuan Ye somersaulted across the ground, flexed his foot, and grinned with a savage smile.
Opposite, Kuma stomped deep prints into the earth, his face troubled—his pads had failed to deflect the explosive flames.
“Interesting, interesting. As expected of the Tyrant; you’re worthy of my full power.”
Kuma merely snorted, his aura suddenly surging with violence.
“Paw-Paw Fruit—I want to see if it truly deflects everything.”
“Full Beast Form—Hundred Million Degrees Celsius.”
An endless inferno engulfed everything in scorching heat; the air shimmered, the ground liquefied beneath their feet.
A mythical giant bird spiraled overhead, the ruler of the flames, gazing coldly upon all.
“Infinite Arrows.”

Flames swept the sky, erupting ferociously. Countless swords, spears, and halberds exuded an unstoppable presence, streaking through the air like a meteor shower.
“Infinite Air Cannon.”
Kuma stepped back, his hands conjuring transparent bear paw bubbles that rose gracefully to meet the rain of blades.
Explosions thundered across the sky, carving endless chasms, spanning the horizon.
Smoke billowed as the terrifying force shredded everything nearby, making approach impossible.
Majestic swords and spears clashed with beautiful bubbles, colliding in dazzling bursts like fireworks, captivating the eye.
“You’re the first to withstand this attack without pressure. Truly exhilarating, Bartholomew Kuma.”
As the flames faded, the giant mystical bird appeared; Kuma’s expression shifted as a roaring, obsidian claw swept toward him, enough to shatter gold and stone.
Black wings soared, meeting a whip-like leg as Xuan Ye was driven deep into the earth.
“Teleportation really is troublesome.” Kuma looked down, his other foot crashing forward like a pillar.
Gritting his teeth, Xuan Ye flipped, talons tearing up the ground, high temperatures searing as he fought back head-on.
The earth cracked, spiderweb fissures spreading, a deep crater forming.
“Pressure Cannon.”
A basketball-sized transparent bubble hovered near his face, making Xuan Ye’s expression change.
“Explode.”
“Armament.”
Fire erupted skyward, smoke drifted, and a figure was blasted backwards.
Bent over, blood dripped from Xuan Ye’s brow amid the rubble, his hair disheveled—he had clearly suffered.
“Haha… haha…”
“Yes, just like this! Only such opponents are exciting. My blood is burning. This feeling is utterly addictive!”
Standing up, Xuan Ye’s face twisted in madness, his gaze blazing as he stared at Kuma in the distance.
…