Chapter 479 - 318

Chapter 319: The Arrival of Two Yonko Commanders!Night falls over the Colosseum.A hundred thousand seats are packed with twisted faces.Pirates, black market dealers, outlaws, and the fooled masses... everyone's eyes are fixed on the vast sandy arena below.Gaz stands on a high floating platform, shouting at the top of his lungs. His voice, amplified by the den den mushi, carries a stirring tremor."After a full day of bloody slaughter!! Four warriors—no, four truly powerful individuals—have emerged!!"He waves his arms, pointing toward the four entrances.From the eastern entrance, a black-robed swordsman wearing a Hannya mask slowly steps out.He makes no unnecessary movements, not even glancing at the stands; he simply walks to his designated spot and stands with his arms crossed.The single long sword at his waist glints coldly in the firelight. The surrounding clamor seems to fall silent around him.The winner of Block A—"Zoro."To the west, a red-haired young man grins, scanning the other competitors without reservation, his gaze like a beast selecting its prey.The winner of Block B—"Eustass Kid."To the south, the man with the green mohawk has legs that are trembling slightly.His eyes are glued to the black-robed figure to the east, his heart already in a state of upheaval.The winner of Block C—"Bartolomeo."To the north, a girl with long pink hair takes a deep breath, tightening her grip on the sword and shield in her hands.Piercing boos and insults immediately erupt from the stands."Daughter of a traitor!""Scum of King Riku!""Get out of here!!"Rebecca's face pales slightly, but she straightens her back and looks forward with a determined gaze.The winner of Block D—"Rebecca.""But—!!"Gaz suddenly raises his voice, pulling everyone's attention back."Deciding the winners is not the end! Because the final prize will transcend all honor, wealth, and even life and death itself!!"With a violent wave of his hand, several searchlight beams crash down from the top of the Colosseum, focusing on a metal platform slowly rising from the center of the pool.On the platform sits an ornate treasure chest, about one meter square.Most strikingly, a thick chain with a cold, matte finish holds the chest firmly locked.The other end of the chain disappears into the dark depths of the pool."Behold!! The most feared and coveted treasure of this era—!!"Gaz's voice cracks with excitement, but he doesn't care, shouting that name with all his might:"The Tremor-Tremor Fruit!!!""The power that once belonged to the man who stood at the pinnacle of the world—the 'World's Strongest,' Whitebeard, Edward Newgate! A power of natural disaster capable of triggering earthquakes, tearing the seas apart, and shattering the sky!!!"Dead silence.Like a cold tide, it instantly floods the entire Colosseum. The breathing of a hundred thousand people seems to stop at once.Then, a roar like a volcanic eruption!"The Tremor-Tremor... Fruit?!""Whitebeard's...""It's real! That vibration... it's definitely a top-tier Paramecia energy signature!"In the stands, countless pirate Captains spring to their feet, their eyes instantly becoming bloodshot.The underworld moguls lean forward, their fingers nearly digging into the stone railings.Even some nobles who were just there for the spectacle now wear expressions mixed with fear and greed."Whitebeard is dead, but this world-destroying power remains!"Gaz's voice, like a devil's whisper, bores into everyone's burning eardrums."Whoever obtains it will hold the key to the next era! Whoever it is might just... become the new 'World's Strongest'!! The rules are simple—"He points to the pool:"The treasure chest is locked by Sea Stone chains to the back of the 'King of Fighting Fish'! The King of Fighting Fish will jump out of the water at random! Seize the chest, open it, and the fruit is yours! Any means allowed, regardless of life or death! Now—""Begin!!!!""Oooooh!!!!"The floodgates of desire are completely shattered.Almost as soon as Gaz's words fall, dozens of figures roar and charge into the arena from all over the stands!They aren't the four finalists, but pirates and outlaws of all sizes who had been lurking in the audience, unable to contain themselves!"The fruit is mine!!""Get out of the way!!"Gunshots, the clashing of blades, roars, death rattles, and the frenzied screams of the audience... all the sounds blend into a bloodthirsty symphony.The sand is instantly stained red with blood.Rebecca is stunned by the sudden, brutal slaughter; she instinctively takes half a step back, raising her shield, her face pale.Kid licks his lips and raises his left arm; a magnetic field quietly spreads, attracting scattered sword fragments from nearby.But he doesn't act immediately, his crimson eyes scanning the chaotic battlefield as if looking for a more interesting target.Bartolomeo shrinks his neck and mutters under his breath:"A bunch of idiots... the real players haven't even moved yet..."His gaze never leaves the black-robed swordsman who stands with arms crossed, indifferent to the surrounding slaughter.Under his mask, Zoro's eyes narrow slightly, looking not at the pool or the chaotic crowd, but at the brightly lit VIP boxes above the Colosseum, separated by special glass.Just then—Crack! Boom—!!!In the northeast corner, the largest and most luxurious box's thickened bulletproof glass, strong enough to withstand cannonballs, shatters into a cloud of crystal dust like fragile sugar flakes!A figure wrapped in blazing flames crashes into the field like a meteorite!Bam!!!The sand explodes into a charred crater several meters in diameter, with dust and sparks flying everywhere.Amidst the dust, the figure slowly stands tall.A tall frame over three meters high, dressed in ink-black clothing, with a raging fire burning behind his head and a pair of massive, folded wings on his back... He looks up, revealing a face with the lower half covered by a metal mask and eyes as sharp as a hawk's.Flames burn quietly around him, as if they were a part of his body.That's... 'conflagration'! King of the Beasts Pirates!!!In the stands, knowledgeable pirates scream out, their voices filled with terror.Almost simultaneously!Crack! Boom—!!!The glass of the VIP box in the southwest corner also shatters violently!Two figures drop down one after the other, lightly yet with the weight of a thousand tons.The leader is tall with short purple hair, wearing a scarf that completely covers the lower half of his face; his bare upper body has muscles carved like a sculpture, adorned with black tattoos.In his hand, he holds a peculiar long spear—the trident "Earth Dragon."Even more heart-stoppingly, the space around his body seems to warp slightly, with countless translucent, mochi-like white substances floating and flowing out of thin air.Half a step behind him is a tall, thin man with a pointed nose and long face, wearing a top hat and holding a candy cane, sticking out a long tongue to lick it with a strange "perorin~" cackle.The Big Mom Pirates... the leader of the 'Three Sweet Commanders,' Katakuri! And the eldest son, Perospero!!Despair, like a cold viper, coils around the hearts of the pirates who were fighting or preparing to join the fray.The battlefield that was boiling just a moment ago cools instantly.The pirates at the very front stop stiffly, their weapons hitting the ground with a "clang."They gape, watching the three figures who, just by standing there, seem to lower the atmospheric pressure of the entire Colosseum.The Four Emperors' officers... the true monsters... have arrived."You're... you're joking, right? Why would such big shots...""It's over... we're dead...""Quick, fall back!"Whispers turn into panicked growls as most pirates begin scrambling toward the edges of the stands, wishing to be as far from the center of the arena as possible.Only a few who consider themselves powerful or harbor delusions of luck remain, but their faces are extremely grim.King slowly turns his head, his fire-flecked gaze sweeping over Katakuri without a hint of warmth.Katakuri gazes back calmly, his voice from beneath the scarf deep and penetrating, clearly reaching everyone in the arena:"Everyone present."He takes a step forward, and with just that one step, an invisible pressure descends like a mountain.Some of the weaker pirates collapse right where they sit."This Tremor-Tremor Fruit..."Katakuri's gaze sweeps over Zoro, Kid, Bartolomeo, Rebecca, and the remaining pirates,"Mama is very interested."He pauses, his tone carrying a natural sense of authority:"Give me some face and withdraw on your own. The Big Mom Pirates... will remember this favor."A favor? A favor from one of the Four Emperors?Many pirates look at each other, struggle showing in their eyes.The friendship of a Yonko is sometimes more enticing than wealth—and more lethal."Hmph."A cold sneer comes from King's direction.He stands with arms crossed, the fire behind his head rising slightly with his mood."Katakuri, after all these years, you still like to say such naive things on behalf of that woman."King's voice, coming through his mask with a metallic rasp, makes no attempt to hide his disdain,"Face? On this sea, only strength is everything."He tilts his chin up slightly:"This Tremor-Tremor Fruit belongs to the Beasts Pirates! Anyone in our way... dies!"King's words are like a boulder thrown into an already restless lake.Katakuri's brow seems to furrow slightly beneath his scarf, but his voice remains steady:"King, don't be so overconfident. You are not unaware of Mama's power."The air between them begins to crackle faintly due to the silent clash of Haki, with hints of black and red lightning flashing momentarily.At the center of this suffocating clash of pressure, the other finalists react differently.Bartolomeo feels the calves of his legs cramping again.'I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die! King and Katakuri! How did these two monsters end up here together?!''Luffy-senpai! Zoro-senpai! Where are you?!''S-Should I make a strategic retreat...'He instinctively glances at Zoro again, only to see the black-robed figure still as steady as a rock, as if the two Yonko Commanders before him were just two noisy Crows.Suddenly, as if having stood for too long, Zoroslightly adjusts his center of gravity, his right hand naturally resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist.It is this one subtle movement that allows the unique tsuba of the wado ichimonji to be clearly revealed for a moment in the firelight.Bartolomeo's pupils suddenly shrink to pinpoints!'The wado ichimonji! That's Zoro-senpai's sword! No doubt about it! He really is Zoro-senpai!''Entering the tournament in disguise?! Heavens! Then I definitely can't run! I have to help senpai! But... how?'Eustass Kid's grin grows wider and wider, finally turning into a ferocious, wild smile.He cracks his neck, and his magnetic field begins to fluctuate unsteadily, emitting a low "vrooming" hum."Officers of the Four Emperors... Heh, interesting."His crimson eyes sweep over King and Katakuri, finally landing on Perospero."Since the main players aren't here, it'll be good to warm up with you officers first!"He doesn't care about "face" or "favors" at all; the magnetic maniac's mind is filled only with battle and plunder.Rebecca is under the most pressure.The aura naturally emitted by King and Katakurifalls on her shoulders like physical weight, making her breathing labored and causing fine beads of cold sweat to break out on her forehead.Her palms holding the sword are slick with sweat, making it nearly impossible to keep her grip on the hilt.'I can't... I can't fall here... Father... everyone... Dressrosa...'She bites the tip of her tongue hard, the pain bringing a moment of clarity.Her gaze focuses once more on the faint outline of the treasure chest beneath the water.It is hope, and also the shackles she must bear.Zoro uncrosses his arms, his right hand resting casually on his sword hilt.From beneath his mask, his gaze calmly sweeps over the flames on King's wings, the mochi flowing around Katakuri, and finally settles back on the pool.'A bird-man playing with fire, and a sticky rice cake...'His heart is completely unruffled.'They look a bit tougher than the small fry from before. I wonder if they can make my blades a little more excited.'His Observation Haki has already spread out like an invisible net, not only covering the powerhouses on the field but also penetrating the water's surface to lock onto the most violent life force beneath—the King of Fighting Fish...