The moment Gale finished speaking, Joy Boy had already launched himself forward. No flashy energy displays. Just raw speed and power.
Joy Boy was starting to understand what Rhett meant by "interesting things on the sea." Fighting strong opponents like this — how could that ever be boring?
"Rubber Rubber — Giant Rocket Punch!" Joy Boy laughed as his arms inflated dozens of times their normal size, each one like a battering ram. He swung both at Gale from opposite directions. The air compressed with a sharp crack.
Gale's eyes narrowed. He didn't try to block the overwhelming force head-on. Instead, he shifted his weight at the last possible moment, slipping through the gap between the two massive fists. At the same time, his right hand transformed into claws, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki.
He struck swiftly at the joint of Joy Boy's rubber arm before the giant could retract it.
"CLANG!"
It sounded like metal striking metal. Joy Boy's rubber arm shuddered from the powerful Haki-infused blow, his attack faltering for a split second. A faint white mark appeared on his rubber skin.
"Whoa! That's tough!" Joy Boy yelped, his rubber body leaning back to absorb the force. But his legs shot out like springs, sweeping toward Gale's footing. "Rubber Rubber — Whip!"
Gale reacted quickly. He hadn't pressed his advantage from that last hit — he hadn't been going all out either. Using the recoil, he leaned backward, easily dodging the sweeping kick, and landed lightly on the warship's railing.
He shook out his wrist and gave a cool evaluation. "Your strength's improved, rubber idiot. But you're still too straightforward. Not stylish at all."
"Heh! Then how about this?" Joy Boy didn't take it to heart. His body twisted again, spinning like a top. His arms swung like two giant rubber whips, wildly yet broadly attacking Gale from every angle.
"Rubber Rubber — Wild Flurry!"
Fists and feet filled the air like a rubber storm.
But none of Joy Boy's attacks hit the warship. That was their unspoken agreement — fight all you want, but don't damage the ships.
Gale stood at the center of the storm, still calm. His Observation Haki was fully active, predicting every attack's trajectory.
"Amazing! That's Captain Joy Boy!" A-Yang stared in awe, his small fists clenched tight.
"So strong..." A-Xing barely breathed.
"Hey, rubber-head! Keep your ears off the kids! You're still in the middle of a fight!"
"Oh~" Joy Boy "reluctantly" pulled his stretched ears back, pretending he had accidentally let them drift over.
Rhett watched with a dark expression. He even found time to comment. "The rubber idiot's gotten stronger. But his openings are still everywhere. Gale's hand-to-hand combat is getting sharper, though. His Armament and Observation Haki are well-honed."
The girl watched silently, her ice-blue eyes tracking the two blurring figures, studying their movements and rhythms.
In the center of the action, Joy Boy's flurry of attacks came up empty. He stopped spinning, his rubber body still wobbling. Far from discouraged, he looked even more excited. "Haha! Gale, you're strong! How about this!"
He took a deep breath, his chest expanding like a bellows. His rubber arms stretched back to their limit, fists clenched tight.
"Rubber Rubber — Giant Spiral Cannon!"
With a roar, his coiled fist shot forward like a massive cannonball, tearing through the air with terrifying speed and power. This attack was far stronger than anything before.
Gale's eyes finally turned serious. Instead of dodging, he planted his feet firmly, cracking the deck beneath him.
Ship: Speak up for me, guys.
Why was Joy Boy's ship undamaged? Because Rhett had created a blood mist platform for him to fight on.
Gale coated his right arm — and half his body — in Armament Haki, giving it a cold metallic gleam. He gritted his teeth, planted his stance, and threw a full-powered punch to meet Joy Boy's head-on.
"Black Hawk — Piercing Charge!"
Fist met fist. Rubber met flesh. No tricks, no dodges. Just pure, raw power colliding head-on.
"BOOM—!!!"
The shockwave exploded outward. The sea surface caved inward before surging back in massive waves. Both the warship and the rubber ship rocked violently.
A-Yang and A-Xing grabbed the railing in panic. The girl extended her cold, freezing the deck beneath her feet to steady herself.
Rhett: See? I didn't even have to lift a finger.
At the center of the collision, Joy Boy's massive rubber fist was sent flying back, his whole body stumbling several steps. He winced and shook his numb hand. "Ow! That hurt!"
Gale was pushed back over ten meters, his boots carving deep grooves into the deck. His coated arm trembled slightly, but he stood tall. He let out a breath. "Good hit."
They locked eyes across the waves. Neither showed any sign of stopping. Their fighting spirit burned even brighter.
"Again!"
"Gladly!"
At least Rhett was at ease for now. Gale was confident in his own strength. And if it weren't for their different sides, the three of them could have been good friends.
A one-on-one fight stayed a one-on-one fight. They never ganged up. The one time Rhett tried to jump in, Gale had called in two other Admirals. But that's a story for another time.
For now, the three kids could still watch. If things escalated further — if Joy Boy started going white with clouds around him, entering that other state, or if Gale started showing his hawk transformation — Rhett would pull the kids out.
A-Yang and A-Xing were still too inexperienced. Their foundation wasn't solid yet. Their vision and spirit weren't ready for battles of that level. But those things could be learned later. No one was born knowing everything.