Inside the preparation room, the atmosphere was thick with tactical appraisal.
"He won. As expected of the sprout from 'Iron Fist' Garp and the Revolutionary Army leader, Dragon. Straw Hat's strength has grown at a terrifying pace over these past two years!" Vito remarked, looking at the screen showing the fissure-ridden ring. He pulled back his lips, revealing a mouth full of jagged, pointed fangs.
Sometimes, talent was simply irrational. When facing someone like that, there was nothing to be done, much like dealing with their own Captain.
"Indeed. Straw Hat also has a 'Gear 4' form. Otto was defeated by that very move," Cavendish added, his expression turning solemn as he watched "Lucy" below. He vividly recalled the battle back at Punk Hazard.
Even after entering his 'Berserk' state, Otto had been defeated in a straightforward, head-on clash. Half of the research institute had been demolished in the process, serving as a testament to that mode's destructive power.
However, Gear 4 seemed to have a strict time limit; at least, that was what their internal intelligence suggested.
"A massive physique with superior speed and power, dubbed 'Gear 4'... Straw Hat has truly developed the Gum-Gum Fruit to an extraordinary degree," Dimitri commented impassively. "It proves the saying: there are no garbage abilities, only garbage users."
He thought of Donquixote Doflamingo's String-String Fruit, or the various Ministers and Sweet Commanders of the BIG MOM Pirates. These individuals had taken seemingly mundane concepts and turned them into overwhelming forces of nature.
Take Cracker, one of the Four Sweet Commanders, for example. He possessed the Paramecia-type Biscuit-Biscuit Fruit. Based on the name alone, what could biscuits do besides be eaten? It sounded like a laughably useless power.
Yet, Cracker had pushed that ability to its absolute limit. Not only did it earn him a staggering bounty of 860,000,000 Berries, but it also allowed him to deceive the Marines and the entire world into believing his "Biscuit Soldier" armor was his true face.
On the other end of the spectrum were those who failed to tap into their potential, like Bellamy the Hyena. In Dimitri's eyes, the Spring-Spring Fruit had immense potential, certainly not inferior to the Gum-Gum Fruit. Yet Bellamy had failed to grasp its true essence; he was easily defeated by Bartolomeo and subsequently one-shotted by King Elizabello II's "King Punch." It was a tragic waste of a Devil Fruit.
Suddenly, Vito remembered something. "This Calotte... I heard about him from Enel. Apparently, he appeared during the raid on Griffinfort in the Bivins Kingdom, hired by the Noble Council."
"Oh? Now that you mention it, I recall." Cavendish twirled a rose in his hand with self-indulgent grace. "Enel mentioned a few decent fighters among those mercenaries, but the only one who made it out alive was this 'Moonlight's Smile' Calotte. Looking at him now... well, in terms of handsomeness, he's only slightly behind me."
"..."
Dimitri spared Cavendish a blank stare before returning to the matter at hand. "We should make contact with him. When the time comes to surround and eliminate the Straw Hat crew, he might be a useful asset."
…
"After five grueling battles, five finalists have emerged!" Gatz's voice boomed through the Den Den Mushi loudspeakers, echoing across the Corrida Colosseum.
"Very soon, we will commence the final round—Block F! They will fight for the very last ticket to the finals!"
"However, due to the severe damage to the ring, please wait fifteen minutes as we swap in a fresh stage!"
Despite the delay, the audience's fervor remained white-hot. The previous bouts had set a high bar, and the anticipation for the final block and the grand finale was reaching a breaking point.
In the spectator stands, Nami finally let out a long breath, her tense face relaxing. "Thank goodness... Luffy made it to the finals safely!"
Beside her sat a skeleton in a black suit and top hat. Brook's skeletal face bore a human-like expression of shock and gravity. "Nami-san, it is not yet time to relax. This tournament is full of surprises. So many powerhouses have gathered here to slaughter one another; every single person who makes it to the finals is a monster."
"Eh? Brook, is that woman gladiator, Rebecca, really that strong?" Nami asked, looking bewildered.
"Er…" Brook stammered awkwardly. "She was an outlier. If not for sheer luck, the winner of Block D would have been that executive from the Chris Pirates, 'White Horse' Cavendish. You remember him, the blond man whose swordsmanship was on par with Zoro's back at Punk Hazard."
At the mention of the Chris Pirates, Nami's face slumped into a look of despair.
Pere pere pere... Pere pere pere...
Suddenly, the sound of a Den Den Mushi rang out.
Katcha!
Nami quickly pulled a small Den Den Mushi from her pouch. "Hello? This is Nami."
"Nami, it's me! Did Luffy win?" Usopp's familiar voice came through the line.
Nami brightened up. "Usopp! How are things on your end? Did you trade for the Flame-Flame Fruit? Luffy just made the finals, but if you've got the fruit, I'll have him withdraw so we can get out of Dressrosa immediately!"
The moment she finished, Usopp's voice came back, sounding deathly serious. "Nami... we've been played!"
"NANI?!"
Nami and Brook both turned pale with shock.
"Doflamingo never intended to trade Caesar for the Flame-Flame Fruit. He's teamed up with Admiral Fujitora and the Chris Pirates..."
"I'm currently hiding underground at Green Bit with Caesar. There's a swarm of Marines scouring the area for my trail!"
Usopp's words were a bombshell that left Nami and Brook completely stunned.
Meanwhile, Gatz began introducing the key contenders for the final Block F.
"Compared to the previous groups, Block F is teeming with legends!"
"From one of the world's top Mafia families, the Chester Family's number one enforcer—Human Bear, Fran!"
"'Demon Snake' Juka, a powerful warrior of the Snakeneck Tribe!"
"The notorious New World slaver—Eden! Rumor has it he is backed by a certain World Noble from the Holy Land of Mariejois. Does he intend to claim the Flame-Flame Fruit as a gift for a Celestial Dragon?"
"And a top favorite to win it all, a man who once clashed with the Pirate King, Gold Roger! A living legend and swordsmanship master from the Aubrey Kingdom, the 11th successor of the Cran Estoc Style... 'Flash Blade' Gergiel Haunger!"
"And of course, the main attraction of this round! An executive of the Chris Pirates and Captain of the Triangle Pirates, the terrifying man with a Mythical Zoan ability, 'Fanged Devil' Quiniel Vito!"
Gatz was so hyped he was leaning halfway out of the commentary booth.
"Master Haunger, go for it!"
"I'll always support you, Vito-sama! Kill them all!"
"Get out of here, Eden! You're not welcome!"
"Master Haunger, kill that bastard Eden!"
The crowd's roar was a mix of ecstatic cheers and vitriolic insults. If Bartolomeo was the "Pirate People Most Want to Disappear," and Rebecca was the "Gladiator They Most Want to See Lose," then Eden was officially the "Fiend They Most Want to See Dead."
Between Bartolomeo, Rebecca, and Eden, the audience had found their three favorite targets for hatred, though Eden's notoriety likely surpassed even Bartolomeo's.
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