The pirates sat and forgot, and they really believed the nine truths and one lie.

Bucky's chaotic and powerful Conqueror's Haki, like an invisible giant hand, relentlessly suppressed Barrett, making this former Roger admirer clearly feel the gap between the two in terms of Conqueror's Haki.

The permanent pointer to Laugh Tale is Barrett's most important bargaining chip, and he will never give it up easily.

Although Roger has been gone for many years, in Barrett's heart, he is still the strongest man on that sea, the goal he pursued and longed to surpass throughout his life.

This belief sustained Barrett through countless battles and long years of imprisonment, but now it seems to be facing an unprecedented challenge.

Seeing the resentment and doubt flashing in Barrett's eyes, Bucky was the first to suppress his suffocating Conqueror's Haki, and the tangible pressure in the banquet hall suddenly eased.

He leaned back on his throne and said in a uniquely comical tone, "Barrett, there's no point in dwelling on the past. This era needs me. Join my pirate crew."

He pointed to the once-luxurious hall, "There will always be a place for you in this banquet hall..."

Barrett clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, and looked up, staring intently at Bucky: "Let me join, it's simple!"

"Once I recover from my injuries, just like I submitted to Captain Roger back then, use your strength to convince me and defeat me head-on. As long as you can win, my life will be at your disposal from now on!"

His voice was resolute, filled with the pride and stubbornness of a strongman from the old era. After Roger's death, Barrett lost a clear goal to surpass, and the mountain in his heart named Roger became even heavier.

He desperately needs a new, powerful opponent to test his path and reignite the flame of becoming stronger. Bucky in front of him is undoubtedly a very attractive testing ground.

Upon hearing this, Bucky's clown smile became even more meaningful: "Wait for you to recover? When will that be? I don't have that much patience."

He clapped his hands lightly and said to the empty hall, "Orochimaru has a way to restore you to your peak condition immediately. Nakime, have him come over."

A clear, resonant sound rang out without warning, and the next moment, a gap opened in the space on one side of the banquet hall. A figure wearing a white coat stained with blood and holding a reagent bottle suddenly appeared—it was Orochimaru!

He was clearly at a crucial moment in the experiment, and the displeasure of being interrupted lingered in his golden snake eyes.

If it were anyone else, daring to disturb him during an important experiment, they would probably have been tortured to death by his most cruel techniques. But when faced with Bucky's order, he only frowned slightly and suppressed his displeasure.

"What is it, Lord Buggy?"

Bucky pointed at Barrett: "So that he can get back to his best condition immediately."

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes swept over Barrett, a hint of interest flashing in them. He didn't speak, but instead pulled a sealed glass bottle containing some kind of wriggling white substance from the cuff of his wide white coat.

Under Barrett's wary yet somewhat suspicious gaze, Orochimaru pulled out the cork and casually tossed the bottle at Barrett's feet.

The glass bottle shattered, but the next moment was the moment to witness a miracle.

The white substance in the bottle seemed to have a life of its own, rapidly expanding and wriggling upon contact with air. It resembled countless tiny white spores, growing and spreading at an astonishing rate.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a sticky white skin, rapidly wrapping around Barrett's feet. "What is that?!"

Barrett's expression changed, and he instinctively tried to back away and break free, but the white substance adhered to him extremely quickly and was highly penetrating.

Ignoring Barrett's struggles, they quickly covered his legs, torso, arms, and even burrowed into the depths of his broken, bleeding wounds.

An indescribable feeling of nausea mixed with a slight stinging sensation spread throughout his body. Barrett couldn't help but let out a low growl, his muscles bulging, and his Armament Haki instinctively covered his body, trying to resist this strange invasion.

Just seconds later, Barrett clearly felt that the white substance that had burrowed into the wound was frantically releasing a powerful life energy.

His body, weakened by excessive blood loss, was like parched land receiving rain; every cell greedily absorbed this energy.

The deep wounds that exposed bone healed and scabbed over at a speed visible to the naked eye, the depleted blood and energy were replenished like a tide, and the lost strength was rapidly returning.

In less than a minute, most of Barrett's body was covered by a thin layer of white substance that seemed to blend into his skin, which did look rather strange and disgusting.

But his eyes, which had been somewhat dim due to weakness, now shone brightly as Barrett suddenly threw a punch.

The powerful punch tore through the air, creating a piercing sonic boom that instantly pulverized a nearby broken table.

“The power is back,” Barrett said in disbelief, looking at his hands and feeling the long-lost, surging peak power within him. A powerful confidence was rekindled.

Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction and explained, "This is a variant cultivated using the characteristics of White Zetsu cells, which can stimulate potential to repair wounds in a short period of time."

"However, it is still in the experimental stage. Your state can only be maintained for about ten minutes. Once the energy stored in the spores is exhausted, the outer skin on your body will automatically fall off and become ineffective."

He only had a peak period of about ten minutes, but that was enough for Barrett!

He clenched his fists tightly, feeling the power that could shake mountains surge through his muscles. He raised his head, his gaze like lightning, shooting straight at Bucky, who was still sitting leisurely on the throne. His fighting spirit burned like a raging fire.

"Ten minutes should be enough."

Barrett's voice was loud and powerful, no longer weak as before, "Bucky, come on, let me see just how strong you are now!"

Inside the banquet hall, the atmosphere instantly became tense again. In the end, a real man still has to rely on his fists. Barrett didn't like to use any tricks or schemes. He preferred to use his body to brute force his way through rather than use his brain.

Having his subordinate create a powerful opponent, Orochimaru looked at the man who had funded him. He was looking forward to the upcoming battle between the two sides, as the surveillance footage would surely be invaluable experimental data.

Bucky hasn't made a move in a long time. The Sky Bar has exaggerated his strength to an unbelievable degree. Sometimes he needs to step up and prove himself. Those unruly subordinates under his command—if the boss doesn't have real ability, he can't control them.