A/N: Hey again. Daily reminder to please read my novel ''Can I Magic Please'' if you want to help me win the 2026 WSA. Data sheets for up to the latest chapter 6 have been posted as well. Thank you once again :)
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"KYROOOOOOOOS!!!"
The roar of the crowd thundered throughout the Corrida Colosseum.
Thousands stood from their seats.
Flags waved wildly.
People screamed themselves hoarse.
Kyros walked calmly into the arena.
No theatrics.
No arrogance.
Just presence.
The massive sword resting on his shoulder alone was enough to silence lesser men.
Dust shifted beneath his footsteps as he stopped at the center of the arena.
Calm.
Focused.
Dangerous.
The announcer practically foamed at the mouth from excitement.
"THE UNDEFEATED CHAMPION!"
"THE HERO OF THE COLOSSEUM!"
"KYROOOOOOOOS!!!"
Another explosion of cheers.
Inside the royal platform—
Little Riku Viola puffed her cheeks.
"Hmph!"
Scarlett blinked beside her.
"…What?"
Viola crossed her tiny armored arms.
"They're cheering too much for Kyros."
Scarlett laughed softly.
"…Well, he is the champion."
Viola pointed dramatically toward the opposite gate.
"But Giovanni is cooler!"
Scarlett immediately looked away.
"…He's not cool."
King Riku quietly smiled while his wife hid laughter behind her fan.
Meanwhile—
On the opposite side of the arena—
The gates remained closed.
The crowd buzzed with anticipation.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Fireworks exploded above the gate.
Smoke burst outward dramatically.
The audience jumped.
"What the hell?!"
"Did he do that?!"
Music suddenly started blasting from somewhere inside the tunnel.
A spotlight appeared.
Then—
A figure slowly emerged from the smoke.
Golden armor gleaming magnificently beneath the sun.
Cape flowing behind him dramatically.
Sword resting against his shoulder.
And somehow—
Even more extra than before.
Norwell D. Giovanni.
The crowd exploded instantly.
"THAT ARMOR IS INSANE!"
"IS THAT REAL GOLD?!"
"NO WAY HE CAN MOVE IN THAT!"
"HE LOOKS AWESOME!"
"He looks stupid!"
"Both!"
The announcer nearly screamed into the microphone.
"AND HIS OPPONENT—!!"
"THE MAN WHO HAS SHOCKED THE ENTIRE KINGDOM!!"
"THE RISING MONSTER OF THE CORRIDA COLOSSEUM!!"
"THE ONE CUT ONIIIIIIIII!!!"
Giovanni suddenly pointed his sword toward the sky dramatically.
The crowd roared again.
In the stands—
Nico Robin stood on top of Bonk Punch's shoulders waving both arms.
"GIOVANNIIIIII!!!"
Bonk Punch laughed loudly beside her.
"THAT'S OUR GUY!"
Nearby—
Shanks grinned proudly.
"He really committed to the armor."
Yassop nearly wheezed laughing.
"He looks ridiculous."
Lucky Roo bit into meat calmly.
"…Yeah but it works."
Because somehow—
The audience genuinely loved it.
Giovanni finally reached the center of the arena.
And for the first time—
He stood face to face with Kyros.
The noise of the crowd slowly faded.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Kyros stared at Giovanni calmly.
Giovanni grinned back casually.
Neither looked away.
The air itself felt heavier.
The announcer quickly stepped between them.
Sweating slightly.
"L-Ladies and gentlemen!"
He raised both hands dramatically.
"BEFORE THIS HISTORIC MATCH BEGINS—!"
"LET US REVIEW THE RULES!"
Large boards were raised around the arena.
"This match shall continue until ONE of the following occurs!"
He pointed dramatically.
"KNOCKOUT!"
"RING OUT!"
"OR SURRENDER!"
The crowd cheered.
"No outside interference is permitted!"
"Use of weapons is allowed!"
"Death is discouraged… but accepted at personal risk!"
The audience roared loudly at that.
The announcer pointed between the two men.
"NOW THEN!"
"THE UNDEFEATED CHAMPION!"
"VERSUS!"
"THE ONE CUT ONI!"
"LET THIS MATCH—"
Before he could finish—
Giovanni suddenly raised a hand.
"…One second."
The announcer blinked.
"…Huh?"
Giovanni suddenly jumped backward dramatically.
Then—
He spun his sword.
Did a flourish.
Threw his cape into the air.
Caught it.
Posed.
"People of Dressrosa!"
The audience paused.
"What's he doing?"
Giovanni pointed toward Kyros dramatically.
"Before me stands a mighty warrior!"
The crowd nodded slightly.
"…Fair enough."
Then Giovanni pointed toward himself.
"But before HIM—"
He placed a hand against his chest.
"—stands true perfection!"
Silence.
Then—
The crowd burst out laughing.
"THIS GUY IS INSANE!"
"Hahahaha!"
"What confidence!"
"He's hilarious!"
Even some guards were trying not to laugh.
Giovanni suddenly began swinging his sword dramatically through the air.
Too dramatically.
Way too dramatically.
At one point he almost slipped.
The crowd lost it.
Shanks was slamming the railing laughing.
Yassop could barely breathe.
Robin clapped enthusiastically.
"Cool!"
Scarlett covered her face completely.
"…I don't know this man."
Her mother laughed elegantly.
"Oh he's adorable."
Riku instantly frowned slightly.
"…Adorable?"
Meanwhile—
Kyros simply watched silently.
Then finally—
"…Your theatrics won't help you against me."
The crowd quieted slightly.
Giovanni slowly turned toward him.
The grin on his face remained.
"…Who said they were for helping?"
Kyros narrowed his eyes slightly.
Giovanni rested the sword on his shoulder.
"They're for style."
Several audience members immediately cheered again.
Then—
Both men slowly lowered into stance.
Kyros gripped his massive blade firmly.
Giovanni's smile faded slightly.
Not completely.
But enough.
The air changed.
The pressure between them intensified instantly.
Even the crowd felt it.
The announcer quickly backed away sweating.
"…T-The fighters are ready!"
He raised his hand.
The arena held its breath.
"BEGIN!!!"
DOOOOOOOONG!!
The bell echoed throughout the Corrida Colosseum.
And instantly—
BOOOOOM!!
The ground beneath both fighters exploded apart.
Kyros moved first.
The massive champion burst forward with terrifying speed despite his size.
His sword tore through the air—
A monstrous horizontal slash.
Giovanni's eyes sharpened.
CLANG!!
Steel collided violently.
Shockwaves burst outward across the arena floor.
The crowd exploded instantly.
"FAST!"
"TOO FAST!"
"I DIDN'T EVEN SEE THEM MOVE!"
Kyros pushed forward with overwhelming strength.
Each strike of his massive blade carried monstrous force.
CLANG!
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
Giovanni smoothly parried each attack.
Sliding backward across the stone while sparks exploded around him.
His golden armor reflected sunlight with every movement.
The audience watched in complete awe.
Because unlike Giovanni's previous matches—
This time—
He wasn't one-shotting his opponent.
Kyros suddenly twisted his body.
His sword came crashing downward like a guillotine.
BOOOOOOM!!
The arena floor shattered apart.
Stone erupted skyward.
Giovanni disappeared through the dust cloud.
The audience gasped.
Then—
FWOOOSH!!
A golden blur burst upward into the sky.
Giovanni flipped through the air elegantly.
Cape flowing dramatically.
The crowd roared.
Kyros instantly jumped after him.
The giant champion launched himself absurdly high—
Sword already swinging.
CLANG!!
Midair collision.
Sparks burst from the impact.
Both men spun away before instantly charging again.
CLANG!
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
Their swords became blurs.
Steel screamed.
Shockwaves burst through the arena continuously.
Inside the royal platform—
King Riku Doldo III leaned forward slightly.
"…Incredible."
Even his advisors were speechless.
Scarlett's eyes widened slightly.
Because—
Giovanni looked completely different from before.
No theatrics.
No jokes.
No playing around.
His movements were smooth.
Sharp.
Elegant.
Every step flowed naturally into the next.
Every sword movement carried precision.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on the railing.
"…He's actually…"
Beside her—
Little Viola practically vibrated from excitement.
"GO GIOVANNIIIIII!!!"
Meanwhile—
In the stands—
Marco narrowed his eyes carefully.
"…That brat."
Yassop smirked beside him.
"He's holding back."
Marco immediately noticed it too.
Giovanni wasn't fighting to dominate.
He was matching Kyros.
Back in the arena—
Kyros swung violently.
A massive upward slash.
Giovanni twisted sideways just enough for the blade to miss his chest by centimeters.
The wind pressure alone sliced apart several stone pillars behind him.
Kyros instantly followed with another attack.
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
A true swordsman.
CLANG!!
Giovanni blocked again.
This time smiling slightly.
'He really is amazing.'
Their blades slid against each other violently.
Kyros' eyes narrowed.
Because he could feel it now.
Giovanni—
Was holding back.
Their swords separated again.
Kyros lunged forward.
A brutal overhead strike descended.
Giovanni sidestepped smoothly.
Then lightly tapped Kyros' blade aside with almost insulting ease.
The audience erupted.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"He redirected it?!"
Kyros immediately spun into another slash.
Then another.
Then another.
A relentless barrage.
BOOM!
CLANG!!
BOOOOM!!
The arena floor continuously cracked apart beneath them.
Giovanni danced between attacks gracefully.
Barely wasting movement.
Like he could already see every strike before it happened.
Kyros gritted his teeth slightly.
'He's… reading me.'
Another clash.
CLANG!!
Kyros pushed harder.
Muscles bulging.
Sword roaring through the air.
Giovanni blocked casually with one hand.
The crowd gasped loudly.
Kyros' eyes widened.
Then—
Giovanni smiled apologetically.
"…Sorry."
Kyros froze slightly.
And in that instant—
He understood.
Giovanni truly was holding back massively.
Not mocking him.
Not underestimating him.
Protecting him.
Protecting his pride.
His reputation.
His honor in the Colosseum.
The realization stabbed deeper than any sword.
Shame flashed across Kyros' face.
'…How far apart are we?'
The crowd continued roaring endlessly.
People stood from their seats screaming.
"KYROS!!"
"ONE CUT ONI!!"
"WHO'S GONNA WIN?!"
Bets flew everywhere.
The atmosphere had become madness.
Even pirates in the audience were grinning wildly.
Because this fight—
Was beautiful.
Pure swordsmanship.
No tricks.
No nonsense.
Just two blades deciding superiority.
Kyros suddenly roared loudly and charged again.
This time even faster.
His blade became a whirlwind.
A storm of steel.
CLANG!
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
Giovanni finally started moving more seriously.
His sword flickered through impossible angles.
Redirecting attacks.
Sliding around strikes.
Countering with precise cuts that barely missed Kyros each time.
The audience could barely follow anymore.
Sparks exploded continuously around them like fireworks.
Then—
Kyros stepped forward with everything he had.
A final monstrous slash.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The arena cracked apart entirely beneath him.
Giovanni's eyes sharpened slightly.
'Alright.'
CLANG!!
Their swords collided one final time.
Silence.
For just a split second.
Then—
Giovanni twisted his blade.
A perfect redirection.
Kyros' balance shifted.
And before the champion could recover—
Giovanni moved.
One clean step forward.
One smooth slash.
SHIIIIING!!
The entire arena froze.
Kyros' sword flew from his hands.
Spinning through the air before stabbing into the ground far away.
The undefeated champion stood motionless.
Giovanni's blade rested gently against his neck.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Kyros slowly closed his eyes.
"…I lost."
Then—
The arena exploded.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!"
"HE WON!!"
"THE ONE CUT ONI WON!!"
"KYROS LOST?!"
"IMPOSSIBLE!!"
People screamed.
Others cried.
Some gamblers collapsed to their knees.
Shanks was HOWLING with laughter while collecting money again.
Yassop looked unbearably smug.
Robin jumped around excitedly on Bonk Punch's shoulder.
"I KNEW HE'D WIN!"
Scarlett stared blankly at the arena.
"…He actually did it."
And Giovanni—
That bastard—
Looked directly at her.
Then puckered his lips slightly.
Scarlett instantly turned bright red.
'NO WAY.'
Meanwhile—
The announcer finally regained consciousness enough to speak.
He grabbed the microphone with shaking hands.
Voice trembling from excitement.
"T-THE WINNER IS—!!"
He pointed dramatically toward the center of the arena.
"THE ONE CUT ONIIIIIIIIIII!!!"
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