"Scratch... Boom!"
Apoo suddenly pointed his finger toward Luffy, and a sharp explosion erupted directly against the young captain's chest. While the blast did little damage to Luffy's resilient body, it caught him completely by surprise. He scanned his surroundings quickly, yet he could not see where the invisible projectile had come from.
"Oh! One of the Five Emperors has been hit by Apoo's strange technique!" Gatz shouted into his microphone, masterfully building the tension for the audience. "Where did that attack even come from?!"
The crowd was equally baffled. No one had seen a physical weapon or a projectile move across the ring. Apoo had simply been playing his music and singing, and then Luffy had exploded. It was clearly the work of the Longarm pirate, but the mechanics of the ability remained a mystery to the spectators.
"What is happening?" Tashigi asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "How can he cause explosions from that far away?"
Zoro watched the exchange with a focused gaze. "I'm not sure yet. That Longarm tribe member is definitely a Devil Fruit user."
"I don't understand it either," Sanji added, turning toward the crew's musician. "It looks like he's using music to fight. Brook, you're the expert here. What do you think?"
Brook tilted his head, his skeletal sockets fixed on Apoo. "Yohohoho! It is not entirely clear, but if it is a musical attack, the sound itself must be the medium. The vibration of the notes is likely what is causing the damage."
In the arena, Apoo began to strike his teeth like the keys of a piano once more. A new, jarring melody began to fill the air.
Sanji didn't waste another second. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Luffy! It's the sound! Don't let yourself hear the music!"
Luffy blinked, processing the advice instantly. He reached up and clamped his hands tightly over his ears. Across the ring, Apoo's movements froze. The rhythm of his attack was broken; the technique required the target to hear the sound for the effect to manifest. While the ability seemed miraculous at first, its weakness was simple once exposed.
Apoo turned toward the announcer's booth, looking indignant. "Referee! Isn't it a foul for people outside the ring to shout advice?!"
Gatz shook his head without hesitation. "Of course not! The spectators didn't physically interfere or attack anyone. Giving advice is perfectly legal!"
Apoo choked back a frustrated retort, his teeth grinding together. He had planned to use Luffy as a stepping stone, creating explosion after explosion until the "Five Emperors" fell, cementing Apoo's own reputation. Now that his secret was out, he felt humiliated.
"So it really was the sound!"
Luffy grinned, his eyes sparkling with realization. Still keeping his ears covered, he used Soru to vanish from his spot. An instant later, he appeared directly in front of Apoo. Before the Longarm pirate could react, Luffy delivered a powerful kick coated in Armament Haki to his midsection. The force of the blow sent Apoo sailing through the air and crashing into the spectator stands.
The Captain of the On-Air Pirates, Scratchmen Apoo, was officially out of the match.
"Now I don't have to cover my ears anymore!"
Luffy laughed and dropped his hands, immediately turning his attention back to the remaining fighters. For him, this battle was becoming incredibly fun. While Kid, Hawkins, and the now-defeated Apoo were respectable, fighters like Katakuri and Burgess provided the level of challenge that truly got his blood pumping.
"Gum-Gum... Red Hawk!"
Luffy's arm stretched back and suddenly ignited, shrouded in intense flames. He swung the fiery punch with everything he had toward Urouge.
Surprisingly, the Mad Monk didn't even attempt to dodge. He braced himself, planting his feet firmly in the stone. When the flaming fist connected, Urouge was pushed back, his heels carving two deep trenches into the arena floor. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, yet a wide, disturbing grin spread across his face.
In the next second, Urouge's muscles began to bulge and expand. Luffy could feel the man's presence and physical strength growing rapidly. It was a bizarre phenomenon.
"Hey, Ace," Marco said, watching from a distance. "How does Luffy know how to use your fire? I thought he had the Rubber-Rubber Fruit."
"I'm not entirely sure," Ace admitted, looking equally confused. "Technically, rubber should be weak to heat, but he's making it work somehow."
Vista narrowed his eyes at the Sky Island native. "That Urouge is strange as well. He grew stronger after taking such a heavy hit. It seems he let himself be struck on purpose. That must be the power of a unique Devil Fruit."
Vista's assessment hit the mark. It was a dangerous ability; the more damage Urouge absorbed, the more his physical power increased, allowing him to strike back with even greater force.
Luffy looked at Urouge with a puzzled expression. His punch had landed perfectly, yet instead of weakening his opponent, it had only made the man more formidable.
"Whatever," Luffy said, shaking off the confusion. "It doesn't matter what his trick is. I'll just have to beat everyone here!"
While the main event raged in the arena, other conflicts were unfolding across Dressrosa.
Near the entrance of the Smile Factory, Franky was busy clearing a path. His left-hand weapons spat a constant stream of bullets, mashing through the Doflamingo Family's foot soldiers. He paid no mind to the swimsuit-clad women surrounding the area. He was looking for a specific opponent, but the eccentric Senior Pink was nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, the ground rippled like water. A head wearing a baby bonnet emerged from the stone, "swimming" through the solid pavement toward Franky. It was Senior Pink, using his Swim-Swim Fruit. Although he could have easily surfaced behind Franky for a sneak attack, he chose to swim directly to the front.
Franky didn't hesitate. He wound up his right fist and delivered a heavy punch, knocking Senior Pink back into the dirt.
"Master Senior!" the women in the crowd wailed. "Why didn't you attack from behind? You could have caught him off guard if you hadn't swum right in front of him!"
Senior Pink stood up slowly, adjusting his baby clothes and striking a defiant pose with his arms crossed. Despite the pacifier in his mouth and his bizarre outfit, his aura was undeniably hard-boiled.
"You ask why I didn't attack from behind?" he grunted. "The answer is simple. As a man, how could I ever live with myself if I resorted to a cowardly sneak attack?"
"Oh! Master Senior! You are so incredibly manly!" the women cried, swooning at his words.
Franky felt a surge of respect and gave a thumbs-up. "I see. You really are a real man! In that case, let's settle this with a real man's duel!"
Franky walked right up to Senior Pink and stood with his hands on his hips, leaving himself wide open. Senior Pink understood the silent challenge immediately. He wound up and smashed his fist into Franky's face.
Franky took a single step back to steady himself, then lunged forward with a backhand punch that connected squarely with Senior Pink's jaw.
It became a brutal, turn-based exchange. Neither man moved to dodge or block. They simply took turns hitting each other with every ounce of strength they possessed. There were no flashy techniques or tactical movements—just the raw, rhythmic sound of meat hitting metal and bone.
As time passed, the toll of the battle became visible. Senior Pink's face was swollen and bruised, while cracks began to spiderweb across the alloy plating of Franky's face. Yet, neither man faltered. They had traded countless blows, and both remained standing, driven by pure willpower.
The surrounding subordinates and spectators watched in total bewilderment.
"Master Senior, please! You could easily dodge those punches!"
"It's not just him! That iron man, Franky, hasn't tried to move once! He's just standing there taking it!"
"What are they even doing? Is this some kind of game?!"
The two combatants ignored the voices around them. They didn't need to explain themselves. They simply continued to trade blows, the sound of their impact echoing through the factory district as they fought to see whose spirit would break first.
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