Larry had never shown all of his nen beasts, clearly holding back, and Netero respected that. It's always wise to keep some tricks hidden up your sleeve.
Still, Netero couldn't help but feel a deep curiosity gnawing at him, as if countless cats were scratching at his heart. He desperately wanted to know just how far Larry's abilities had reached.
Though Netero knew he'd never match Larry's level, the pursuit of strength made him eager to understand what a higher plane looked like. Could it be that Larry had reached a point where no danger in the world could harm him?
The very thought sent a chill down Netero's spine. If that were true, even the Dark Continent, the forbidden land for humans, would pose no threat to Larry.
Unbeknownst to Netero, Larry hadn't entirely dismissed this wild speculation. While he couldn't say for sure that he could defeat every creature, he'd never even set foot on the Dark Continent, he was confident that, with Marshadow by his side, encountering any worthy opponent would be nearly impossible.
As for threats to his life, there simply weren't any. Since obtaining the Shedinja, Larry had been fused with it, gaining special abilities that essentially made him immortal.
However, Netero had misunderstood Larry's shaking head. It wasn't about hiding strength, Larry himself didn't fully know how powerful he might become.
Maybe someday, with a team of Legendary Pokemon, he'd reach a godlike level in the Hunter x Hunter world. So, in the quiet between them, the sudden tension faded.
One man was lost in daydreams about the Pokemon partners he might meet in the future; the other was left shaken by Larry's presence, needing time to regain his composure.
The next day, with a loud thud, Kanjiru's massive body crashed heavily onto the ground, kicking up dust and sending a breeze across the field. He lay there motionless, unable to get back up.
The referee quickly stepped forward and announced, "Kanjiru has fallen and can't continue. The winner is, Invincible Larry!"
Lucario finally gave a respectful martial arts salute and followed Larry to the players' channel. Behind them, cheers and applause erupted from the countless spectators, their excitement filling the arena like a rising tide. Not only those present but also viewers watching the broadcast shared the same enthusiasm.
Their idol, Invincible Larry, had officially become the champion of today's martial arts competition! Even though everyone expected this outcome, the crowd couldn't help but express their joy openly, in words and actions. This tournament was destined to be remembered as the most influential martial arts competition in history.
Moments later, Larry stood in front of the press conference podium. He adjusted the mic.
"I know everyone's excited, and I appreciate the support. But I'm officially forfeiting the match."
The room fell into stunned silence.
"I fought because I enjoy the challenge, not for the title or the responsibilities that come with it," Larry said simply.
Gasps spread through the crowd. The media, organizers, and even the remaining fighters were too shocked to speak.
Meanwhile, deep within the Zoldyck estate, Milluki sat in his dark room, chips falling from his hands as he stared at the stream.
"WHAT?!" he shrieked, spinning toward his monitor. "He forfeited?!"
[Winnings transferred: 2.000,000,000,000 Jenny.]
Milluki's jaw dropped. Then, slowly, a devilish grin crawled across his face.
"Oh my god. Grandpa was right. Hahahaha! YES!! I can finally buy that 1:1 Ryuko in battle-damaged mode!" He bounced in his chair, greasy hands tapping at his figurine pre-order list. "No, wait, I'll buy two! One to display and one to seal in mint condition!"
His door creaked open, Zeno, hands tucked neatly behind his back. His sharp gaze flicked over the cluttered rooms. "I take it you won big, Don't forget to transfer my share" Zeno said dryly.
Milluki froze. "Grandpa, uh, I mean, yeah! Yeah, I will. How… how'd you know Larry was gonna throw the match?"
Zeno didn't answer right away. He stepped inside, nudging a can aside with his cane.
"I jus know," Zeno said calmly.
Zeno glanced at a figure of a blushing android maid. "By the way, try dusting your collection once in a while. Your waifus are suffocating."
Milluki sputtered. "Th-they're not waifus, they're art pieces!"
Zeno raised an eyebrow, turned, and walked out. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Behind him, Milluki was already typing in his next order with glee.
"Okay okay, next... life-sized Shinobu, here I come~!"
Zeno gave a faint chuckle, barely more than a breath. "Hmph… A solid investment, as expected."
He turned slightly, watching the broadcast fade to the post-match analysis.
"Good thing the match wasn't interrupted. If that Jed fellow had caused a cancellation, I'd be down a considerable sum."
His tone remained flat, but the glint in his eyes said enough. "And to think people still call it gambling," he added, almost amused.
Despite the attack by Jed and others the previous day, the Sky Arena remained largely intact. Only the top few floors suffered some damage and would need repairs.
Larry's floor, the highest one at the 251st level, was naturally affected too. But these were minor issues since the officials promised to rebuild everything promptly. In fact, because the damage was so severe, they even planned to build a brand-new top floor specifically for Larry.
Larry himself didn't mind at all, if he could earn a Mythical Pokemon just by destroying a floor, then demolishing and rebuilding the entire Sky Arena repeatedly wouldn't be a problem for him.
With Jed's death, the power of On vanished completely, allowing the injured floor masters to recover fully. Aside from some wounds from the previous battles with Gon and others, everyone's consciousness was restored.
So, just like in the theater version, the Sky Arena wasted no time and held another martial arts competition the very next day. Contrary to what many thought, the tournament was not cancelled.
Since only a few floors were damaged and the hosts were merely injured, there were no significant restrictions on the fighters or the venue. As a result, this year's Fighting Tournament went ahead as planned.
In the tournament, every participant wore bandages during their fights. But with Larry joining the competition, things started to change.
Thanks to the healing Gardevoir gave Zushi the day before, he recovered faster than the others. This boost helped Zushi climb higher in the rankings, though he still didn't make it into the top three.
Naturally, Larry took first place without question. Second place went to Kanjiru, who had just been defeated by Lucario. Although Kanjiru struggled against Gaki earlier, he was still one of the strongest in the tournament.
But with Larry forfeiting, he become the champion. For Larry the sky arena already server all it's purpose, and he have no interest in the floor master title