The focus shifted back to the Corrida Colosseum arena. As Perospero stepped onto the stage, the cheers from the crowd were so loud they seemed to shake the sky itself. Once all the contestants were in place, the atmosphere turned heavy with tension. Every fighter was on high guard, especially against Sanji and Perospero. Everyone knew these two were world-class powers.
"Group B competition, begin!" the announcer shouted, and the gong rang out.
The battle started instantly. Blue Gilly used his long legs to kick away the weaker pirates, while the destroyer Ideo leveled opponents with explosive punches. Sai and Baby 5 of the Happo Navy were equally fierce, using their unique martial arts to sweep through the crowd.
In one corner, King Elizabello II and Vasco-Gama had gathered a group of thugs to act as human shields. Their plan was simple: eliminate anyone who got too close while the King prepared his special attack. The King stood strangely still, wearing heavy gloves and appearing to gather strength within his body. Other powerful fighters made their presence known, including a mysterious masked swordsman and the Fish-Man Haku, who used Fish-Man Karate to dominate his area.
Sanji stood calmly amidst the chaos and lit a cigarette. He kept his eyes locked on Perospero. Perospero was doing the same, watching Sanji closely. He was clearly afraid of the Suke Suke no Mi, or rather, the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit that Sanji now possessed. Neither of them wanted to make the first move.
Sanji heard Luffy's loud cheering from the stands and sighed. He couldn't just stand there and look lazy while his captain was watching. Suddenly, Sanji transformed into a bolt of lightning and vanished. He reappeared in the middle of a crowd, his legs moving in a blur of speed. In a matter of seconds, dozens of fighters were kicked clean out of the ring.
"Our Five Emperor Chef has finally moved!" Gatz, the announcer, yelled with excitement. "Black Foot Sanji has cleared the field! Is this the true power of a crew member serving a Yonko-level captain?"
The crowd went wild. Most people couldn't even follow Sanji's movements, but they were thrilled by the display of power. Sanji didn't want to show his hand so early; he wanted to save his energy for Perospero. But with Luffy and the others shouting his name, he felt he had to represent the Straw Hat Pirates properly.
Seeing Sanji move, Perospero finally began his own attack. He used his Pero Pero no Mi powers to create waves of syrup. He splashed the liquid onto other contestants, instantly turning them into candy statues. These candy shells didn't just trap the fighters; the syrup began to fill their lungs, suffocating them.
"The Lick-Lick Fruit? That is a disgusting ability," Sanji muttered, his face darkening. It wasn't just the sticky syrup that bothered him; as a chef, he hated seeing food used to harm and kill people.
When Perospero prepared to turn even more people into candy, Sanji snapped.
"Thunder!" Sanji shouted.
Lightning surged from his body and struck the candy statues. The intense heat of the electricity immediately melted the hardened sugar back into liquid syrup. The trapped fighters gasped for air as they broke free, looking at Perospero with pure terror. Being suffocated inside a candy shell was a horrifying way to die.
"Hey! Black Foot Sanji! What do you think you're doing?" Perospero screamed in anger.
"Oh, my bad. I must have missed," Sanji said with a bored shrug.
The fighters who were saved realized Sanji had protected them. They looked at him with gratitude before turning glares of hatred toward Perospero. However, few were brave enough to stay and fight a top commander. Many chose to jump into the water rather than face the candy man again. Even being attacked by the fighting fish in the water seemed better than suffocating in sugar.
Some tried to attack Perospero in revenge, but they were quickly turned back into candy. Sanji realized he couldn't save everyone if they kept throwing themselves at a superior opponent.
"Fine. I'll just take you down myself," Sanji decided.
He turned into a spark of lightning and appeared directly behind Perospero. He swung his heavy leather shoe toward Perospero's head, but the candy man blocked the strike with his lollipop cane.
"Pero-pero! You aren't Kizaru," Perospero taunted. "I can keep up with your speed. You can't beat me, Sanji. Just give up!"
"Heh! The fight just started. How do you know I can't win?" Sanji countered.
He vanished again, reappearing behind his opponent. He unleashed a pillar of concentrated lightning aimed at Perospero's back. Admitting defeat was not an option. He carried the pride of the strongest Logia fruit and the reputation of the Straw Hat crew.
"Candy Armor!" Perospero cried out.
A thick layer of hardened sugar covered his body like a suit of armor. The lightning pillar hit him full force, and the heat began to melt the surface of the candy. However, the armor held long enough for the attack to dissipate, leaving Perospero unharmed.
Perospero knew he couldn't outrun lightning. While he could sometimes react to Sanji's movements, the lightning itself moved at the speed of light. He had to rely on his defenses.
But before Perospero could celebrate his defense, Sanji appeared at his side. A "Thunder Kick" slammed into Perospero's waist. The strike was enhanced with both lightning and Armament Haki. The force of the blow sent Perospero flying across the arena.
Perospero hit the ground and coughed up a mouthful of blood. He wasn't like his brother Katakuri; he couldn't see the future or tank such powerful physical hits easily.
He wiped the blood from his mouth, looking at Sanji with disbelief. He was forty-eight years old and a high-ranking officer in a Yonko's crew. Being kicked around by a young pirate was a humiliation he couldn't accept.
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