People across the world wanted to see whether the Nightfall Pirates would truly honor their promise and bring out three precious Devil Fruits that could create three new top-tier cadres.
Although the Nightfall Pirates had built a reputation for never breaking their word, there were still skeptics. Countless people tuned in through the Visual Den Den Mushi, eager to witness the moment with their own eyes.
This also meant that three new powerhouses with the potential to become future overlords of the New World were about to be born. Their existing strength was already formidable. Once paired with rare Devil Fruits, their combat power would undoubtedly rise to an entirely new level.
The Ancient Zoan Giant Kraken Fruit had played a major role in the Nightfall Pirates' rise. Its former user had been the first true powerhouse killed by the Dark Emperor after he obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit. Before that, the fruit had belonged to the king of the now-destroyed Kraken Kingdom, once a powerful nation in the West Blue.
The Paramecia Sonic-Sonic Fruit had previously belonged to a Marine Vice Admiral who possessed the potential to become an Admiral before he, too, died at the hands of the Nightfall Pirates.
As for the Logia Snow-Snow Fruit, once fully developed, it possessed terrifying destructive potential. The mere fact that it was a Logia-type Devil Fruit was enough to attract countless ambitious challengers.
Over the past several years, the Battle Pyramid had completely transformed into the greatest combat sanctuary in the New World, if not the entire world. It attracted an astonishing number of powerful individuals, including famous pirates, lone wanderers, rising stars, and veteran fighters from across the seas.
Many of the people who had earned names for themselves in the New World had actually emerged from the Battle Pyramid after enduring its relentless baptism of combat.
Its floor ranking system constantly motivated challengers to climb higher. Every new level demanded greater strength, pushing participants to continuously surpass their own limits.
Among the countless competitors, three individuals had finally distinguished themselves.
They were not necessarily the strongest. Several fighters inside the Battle Pyramid could rival or even surpass them in raw strength.
However, everyone unanimously recognized one quality they possessed above all else.
Relentless diligence.
They fought, recovered, then fought again. Sometimes they returned to battle before their injuries had even fully healed.
Battle after battle built their legendary reputations throughout the Battle Pyramid. Through the official website and Visual Den Den Mushi broadcasts, they had become celebrities whose names were recognized across the world.
Their stories were heavily promoted throughout the Four Seas and the Grand Line.
They represented the ideals the Battle Pyramid wanted to sell to the world: ordinary people changing their destinies, unknown nobodies becoming renowned powerhouses, and perseverance triumphing over talent alone.
As a result, the Battle Pyramid's prestige became even more deeply rooted in people's minds.
Much of this success was made possible by the Nightfall Pirates' astonishing medical capabilities.
By combining Drum Kingdom's world-class medical knowledge with their own advanced scientific research, they had pushed medical technology to unprecedented heights.
The enormous number of battlefield casualties had, ironically, accelerated countless medical breakthroughs.
Among their newest inventions were Energy Recovery Potions and Body Activation Potions.
One rapidly restored physical stamina.
The other temporarily accelerated the body's natural healing process.
When used together, they dramatically shortened recovery time after battle.
Naturally, the effects were nowhere near as miraculous as some rumors claimed.
Rather than instantly healing injuries, the potions temporarily increased the body's natural recovery speed to roughly one and a half to just over twice its normal rate.
Even so, it was still considered a revolutionary medical achievement.
Because of strict technological restrictions, however, these potions could not be purchased anywhere outside Nightfall territory.
They could only be used inside Battle Pyramid facilities.
The Nightfall Pirates had absolutely no intention of helping future enemies grow stronger.
In truth, the technology behind these medicines was merely an offshoot of the Super Gene Potion project, utilizing leftover research that could not be incorporated into the primary formula.
Of course, considering the vastness of the world, it remained possible that another genius researcher might eventually recreate similar medicines independently.
Meanwhile, the competition for the three Devil Fruits had reached its climax.
The point totals of the three finalists remained remarkably close.
As they steadily approached the 1,300-point requirement needed to redeem a Devil Fruit, public attention focused almost entirely on them.
For nearly two years, they had grown under the spotlight.
Naturally, they had not been the only competitors chasing those priceless rewards.
Many others had once dreamed of obtaining one of the three Devil Fruits.
Some had eventually given up.
Others simply could not keep pace.
All three finalists had already surpassed 1,300 points.
The fourth-place challenger, meanwhile, remained stuck around the 1,000-point mark.
On paper, a 300-point gap did not appear overwhelming.
Thirty additional victories could theoretically make up the difference.
Reality, however, was far harsher.
Every single point represented one million Berries.
A 300-point deficit was equivalent to 300 million Berries worth of achievements.
This was a historic moment for the Battle Pyramid.
Naturally, it deserved an equally historic ceremony, much like the championship rounds of the Kendo Tournament.
It also needed to become a worldwide spectacle that would further elevate the Battle Pyramid's prestige and attract even more challengers from across the globe.
Each of those priceless Devil Fruits required 1,300 points to redeem, representing value well in excess of 1.3 billion Berries.
Some outsiders believed exchanging over a billion Berries' worth of points for a Devil Fruit was an unwise trade.
Those who truly understood the sea thought otherwise.
Rare Devil Fruits were priceless treasures.
Money alone could never guarantee the chance to purchase one.
Besides, once someone possessed overwhelming strength, earning Berries would never become difficult.
After spending years inside the Battle Pyramid, the three finalists had already accumulated enormous personal fortunes through countless battles.
Although their daily expenses were considerable, each still possessed substantial wealth.
Perhaps it was simply fate.
The three challengers had each chosen a different Devil Fruit.
Had two of them desired the same fruit, today's carefully arranged ceremony would have turned into nothing more than a race to see who accumulated enough points first.
The first challenger was "Jab" Joshua, a martial artist from the South Blue.
He had once been one of the Supernovas during the second year of the Great Pirate Era and had carried a bounty of 120 million Berries.
After entering the New World, however, reality struck him mercilessly.
His pirate crew was almost completely annihilated.
Only a handful of members survived alongside him.
Joshua eventually became a lone pirate.
Although he had mastered both Observation Haki and Armament Haki, his proficiency remained fairly ordinary.
Everything changed after entering the Battle Pyramid.
Relentless combat, combined with access to advanced combat manuals and systematic training methods, allowed his strength to improve at an astonishing pace.
Many people already knew his goal.
He intended to rebuild the Jab Pirates.
More importantly, he sought revenge against the pirate crew that had destroyed everything he once possessed.
Fortunately, those enemies still sailed the New World.
Over the years, their captain's bounty had climbed to nearly 400 million Berries, making them a well-known pirate crew in the latter half of the Grand Line, where increasing one's bounty became progressively more difficult.
Everyone could already imagine the revenge story that was waiting to unfold.
Joshua alone might still struggle against them.
But once he mastered the Sonic-Sonic Fruit, his strength would undoubtedly undergo a qualitative transformation.
If Joshua already possessed considerable fame throughout the New World, then the second challenger was even more renowned.
"Bone Crusher" Sett.
A lone pirate with a bounty of 360 million Berries.
He also possessed another prestigious identity.
He was the prince of the Sett Kingdom, the inheritor of the name "Sett," and the kingdom's future king.
Located near the Nightfall Sea, the Sett Kingdom had once been considered a possible conquest target for the Nightfall Pirates.
Instead, it had produced an extraordinary warrior.
Although the kingdom was not famous as a military superpower, it was renowned for its martial culture.
Its people revered strength above nearly everything else.
Gladiatorial arenas could be found throughout the nation.
Every generation produced multiple princes.
Only the strongest among them inherited the title of "Sett."
Only that individual possessed the right to become king.
Wisdom alone was never enough.
A king needed strength powerful enough to intimidate pirates and protect the nation.
Government officials could handle administration.
In the brutal New World, however, personal strength remained the kingdom's greatest shield.