Chapter 856: Chapter 856: The Start of Block B
Green Bit.
While the tournament raged in the Colosseum, a fierce struggle was unfolding on this isolated island. In the dense, oversized forest, Law and Doflamingo were engaged in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, their powers clashing amidst the giant flora. On the sandy shore, Zoro and Admiral Fujitora were testing the limits of each other’s swordsmanship.
Meanwhile, Usopp was hauling Caesar Clown through the undergrowth, desperately trying to evade a relentless pursuit by a swarm of Marines. Unbeknownst to them, deep within the primordial woods, a group of Tontattas, small folk no larger than a human fist, watched the battle from the shadows, their eyes wide with wonder and caution.
...
Corrida Colosseum.
"The heated atmosphere from Block A hasn’t cooled down yet! What kind of battle awaits us in Block B?"
"The stage is being reinforced as we speak! The fighters for Block B are assembling. Prepare yourselves for the next blood-pumping showdown!"
On the announcer’s platform, Gatz gripped his microphone, his high-octane voice broadcasting to every corner of the arena. Below him, over a hundred workers were frantically repairing the ring, smoothing over the craters and cracks left behind by the devastating clash between Burgess and Kohl Goff.
"Burgess! Go for it! I’ve got my money on you!"
"I’m only here for Prince Cavendish!"
"Hurry up and start! I can’t wait any longer!"
The crowd’s roar was a deafening cacophony. Thanks to the efforts of the professional repair crew, a fresh layer of stone was laid down with lightning speed, making the ring look as pristine as it did at the start of the day.
"Look at that! The ring is restored!"
"Now, let us welcome the gladiators of Block B to the stage!"
The massive entry gates creaked open, and a parade of world-renowned fighters began to file out.
"First out is the King of the Prodence Kingdom, the ’Fighting King’—Elizabello II, and his tactician, Dagama!"
"Next, from the Longleg Tribe, the practitioner of Leg-Style—Blue Gilly!"
"The Captain of our very own Dressrosa Self-Defense Army—Tank Lepanto!"
"The vicious criminals wanted by the World Government—Abdullah and Jeet!"
"A master of the Fish-Man race, practitioner of Fish-Man Karate and Fish-Man Jujutsu—Hack!"
"And look! Arriving late is a man who also belongs to Block B. In just one year, he has risen like a comet to reach the New World! A cruel, bloodthirsty rookie known for skewering pirates and broadcasting the videos, and for firing on innocent civilians without mercy! He is the No. 1 ’Pirate People Most Want to Disappear’—Bartolomeo the Cannibal!"
Gatz was practically spitting into the mic, his passion overflowing as he introduced each big name. Most fighters received thunderous applause, but when Bartolomeo stepped out, the arena erupted in a chorus of boos. Thousands of thumbs pointed downward in a universal sign of contempt.
Bartolomeo sported a bright green mohawk, dark tattoos under his right eye, a nose ring, and a mouth full of sharp fangs. His face was like that of a demon, twisted into an arrogant sneer that screamed disdain for everyone present.
He wore a dark purple coat with a skull on the back over checkered trousers, a short blade tucked into his belt. As he stepped onto the ring, he raised both hands, middle fingers pointed defiantly at the sky.
"All of you... can go to hell!"
He was openly provoking the entire stadium.
The reaction was instantaneous. Spectators stood up to scream insults, hurling cups, bottles, crumpled paper, and snacks at him.
"What did you say?! Get out of here!"
"You’ve got a big mouth for a dead man!"
"Go back to the hole you crawled out of!"
"You go to hell first!"
"Hehehahaha—!"
Facing the wave of hatred, Bartolomeo didn’t flinch. Instead, he doubled over in laughter. In a fit of malicious mischief, he pulled out a black sphere and lobbed it toward the stands. Thinking it was a bomb, hundreds of spectators panicked, screaming and trampling over one another to escape.
In the crush of the crowd, the ugliest parts of humanity surfaced: young men pushed aside the elderly, women shoved others aside claiming ’ladies first,’ and the wealthy tried to bribe their way to the exits.
When the ’bomb’ finally landed, the audience realized it was nothing more than a common tennis ball. It was a prank, a visceral mockery of their cowardice.
"How pathetic."
"How pathetic."
"How pathetic!"
Bartolomeo repeated the insult three times. The crowd’s anger turned into a burning, shameful blush.
High above, the other competitors watched the display.
"Hahaha... Now that’s a top-tier entrance! What a magnificent provocation! I like this guy!" Vito laughed wickedly from his window.
"Not only is he a common thug, but he’s also insufferably arrogant. His reputation is beyond saving," Cavendish remarked, flipping his hair. "I’d hate to ever be associated with someone like that."
At another window, Horkheimer Max watched the chaos. Reaching up to touch the white cross on his black necklace, he whispered, "The ugliness of human nature... only the Great Goddess of the Night can save these souls."
"An interesting brat... pity he’s a pirate," an elderly voice noted. The man wore ornate noble attire in red, yellow, and blue, topped with a feathered black hat. A rapier adorned with three large gems hung at his hip. Despite his age, he radiated a sharp, formidable aura.
Back at the desk, Gatz downed a glass of water and slammed it onto the table. "That damn Bartolomeo... he’s looking down on everyone!"
"But there is one last man left to enter Block B! A man who is the polar opposite of that maniac!"
As Gatz announced the final fighter, a blond, muscular man wearing black sunglasses and sporting a long scar over his left eye stepped into the light. He was one of the favorites to win, a pirate with a bounty of 195 million Berries: Bellamy the Hyena!
The atmosphere shifted instantly. The crowd’s vitriol for Bartolomeo was replaced by a fanatic adoration for Bellamy.
"King Elizabello II... I’ve heard his punch is called the ’King Punch.’ It’s said to be able to level a fortress in one hit. They even claim it could kill a Yonko if it landed cleanly. A ’natural weapon of destruction’..."
Vito’s eyes glinted with a bloody red hue as he watched Elizabello II in the center of the ring, already beginning the rhythmic punching motions required to store his strength.
To Vito, the likes of Blue Gilly and Bellamy were third-rate small fry. Aside from Elizabello’s punch, only the mocking Bartolomeo was worth his attention.
"The Captain said that if Elizabello is allowed to fully charge, even he wouldn’t want to take that punch head-on," Cavendish said casually. "But it takes far too long to prep. A ’family treasure’ that can only be unsheathed once per battle isn’t much of a threat."
Ding—!
The sharp sound of the bell echoed through the stadium. The second block of the tournament had begun!
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