One Piece: A Warlord's Path

Chapter 867: Chapter 867: Chaos in Block E – The Blood-Stained Mask of Justice

"Time to go wild!"

Accompanied by the ring of the starting bell, "Lucy," in his old-man disguise, thrust his arms into the air and let out an excited shout.

Instantly, the ring erupted into a chaotic melee. The air filled with the clash of steel and the grunts of exertion as contestants threw themselves at one another. Several fighters immediately lunged toward Lucy.

Plow! Bam! Pow!

Lucy was no ordinary brawler. With a few fluid punches and a sweep of his legs, he sent several men sprawling before they could even get close.

"Hehehehe! Die, all of you! The Flame-Flame Fruit belongs to me!"

The Dwarf Bara stood in the center of the ring, surveying the carnage with a contemptuous sneer. He laughed maniacally, speaking as if the fruit were already tucked away in his pocket.

Though he stood barely five feet tall and sported a thick, bushy beard, his frame was carved from solid granite. Veins coiled across his bulging muscles like gnarled dragons, making him appear exceptionally burly. In his hands, he hoisted a metal warhammer half as large as himself. Every practice swing tore through the air with a menacing whoosh.

"Don’t get cocky, Bara!"

"You’re the one going down, bastard!"

"Little runt, I’ll take your head!"

Infuriated by his arrogance, several contestants charged him with weapons drawn, their faces twisted in rage.

"Get lost, small fry!"

Bara grinned. He swung the massive metal hammer with a violent whoosh, the force of the blow generating a small gale.

Boom—!

The intense shockwave sent five or six men flying simultaneously. They arced through the sky before plummeting out of bounds, landing in the surrounding water with a series of massive splashes.

"Quite the lively bunch, aren’t they? Yes, indeed!"

Thomanson stood perfectly still amidst the slaughter, watching the chaos with an amused glint in his eyes. Dressed in a sleek black suit, polished shoes, and a matching fedora, he looked more like a nobleman attending a gala than a gladiator. At thirty-three, he possessed a sharp, handsome face that didn’t betray his lethal nature.

Suddenly, a burly man in leather armor charged him, a greatsword held high and a tattered red cape fluttering behind him.

"Thomanson, you son of a bitch! Six months ago, you murdered my younger brother! He was your employer! Today, I’ll have your head for his sake!"

"Your brother...?" Thomanson tilted his head, contemplating for a moment before shaking it with a look of feigned regret. "Terribly sorry, but I haven’t the slightest memory of him, dale!"

Before the words had even fully left his lips, Thomanson flicked his wrist. A slender, needle-like throwing knife hissed through the air.

Shiii—!

A flash of cold light, a streak of black shadow, and then the dull thud of steel meeting flesh. The charging man was struck mid-stride, blood erupting instantly from his chest.

The man’s body jerked, the momentum of the knife forcing him back a step. He looked down in disbelief at the gore-rimmed hole in his chest where the entire blade had buried itself into his heart. Without even a groan, he pitched forward, dead before he hit the ground.

Thomanson shrugged, his voice casual. "I can’t be bothered to remember the lives of trash, dale!"

Suddenly, a crimson glint flashed in his eyes, and his expression twisted into a savage grin. He swept his arms outward, unleashing a literal storm of cold steel.

In an instant, seven or eight nearby contestants were caught in the hail of projectiles. They barely had time to cry out before collapsing in agony. Every single one of them had been struck by five long, thin needles, each one pinpointed in a lethal spot: the temples, the eyes, or the heart.

"Hehehehe! What impressive marksmanship! Let me take a crack at you!"

A booming laugh echoed as Bara came barreling forward on his thick, sturdy legs, his blood-dripping warhammer resting on his shoulder.

"The Dwarf Bara, eh...? A troublesome one has arrived." Thomanson’s brow furrowed. He recognized the man and quickly began sorting through the intelligence reports he had memorized.

Bara was the strongest warrior of the Kingdom of Morelia. He had led his nation’s army to repel numerous pirate invasions, even killing several pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million Berries.

However, killing a man like this will only make my reputation soar, dale! Thomanson’s eyes brightened with predatory intent as he made up his mind.

When Bara was within ten meters, Thomanson’s arms blurred. In a feat of speed that made it look like he had grown eight arms, he unleashed a torrential rain of throwing knives, needles, and shrapnel.

Shi-shi-shi-shiii—!

The air shrieked with the sound of breaking wind. In a single heartbeat, he had thrown eighteen knives, thirty-six needles, and seven triangular shuriken.

"Get out of my way!"

Bara roared, slamming his hammer into the air with a sudden, violent downward stroke. The movement generated a fierce blast of wind.

Before the dozens of projectiles could even reach him, they were scattered like leaves in a storm by the sheer force of the gale he had created.

"How is this possible?!"

Thomanson’s eyes widened in horror. He instinctively took a step back, but it was too late. Bara had already closed the distance, swinging the hammer in a devastating lateral arc.

BAM—! C-R-A-C-K—!

A shockwave rippled through the air, vibrating the very atmosphere. Thomanson was sent hurtling through the air, coughing up blood as he transformed into a black blur. He slammed into the stone wall beneath the spectator stands with the force of a cannonball.

A massive roar filled the stadium as a cloud of dust erupted. The wall shattered upon impact, caving inward to form a crater several meters wide. Thomanson’s eyes rolled back into his head, his body half-buried in the rubble, at least a dozen of his bones crushed.

"O-OUT! Unbelievable! As expected of the Dwarf Bara, he has eliminated Zexil Thomanson with overwhelming power!" Gatz shouted into his microphone, spit flying in his excitement.

On the other side of the ring, Lucy was being hounded by several skilled fighters. At one point, when he was surrounded by several men, his limbs suddenly elongated, whipping out to knock back his attackers in a single fluid motion.

The surrounding contestants froze. Arms and legs stretching like rubber... that was the signature ability of Straw Hat Luffy!

BOOM—!

Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the arena. Countless stones flew through the air as the dust cleared to reveal over twenty contestants lying on the ground. Everyone was drenched in blood; many were missing limbs or had been sliced clean in half. The thick, metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air.

"Herararara! It really is you, Straw Hat! Let me take your head as a decoration for my room!"

Out of the dust walked a burly man with a square, sturdy face. He strode forward with the gait of a predator, carrying a broadsword as wide as a man’s palm, blood still dripping from the blade.

"That black-and-white cloak, that broadsword, and that righteous-looking square face..." "There’s no mistake... it’s ’Two-Faced’ Diad Kane!"

Several people immediately identified the newcomer.

"Straw Hat, I’ve wanted to take your head since the Sabaody Archipelago!" Kane shouted, his face, which usually looked so full of justice, now twisted into a mask of manic, distorted rage. The contrast was bone-chilling.

"And that idiot Caribou... joining up with your fake version? A piece of trash with a 26-million Berry bounty... what a disgrace! I saw the real you back then, but the Marines were in the way, and I missed my chance to slice your throat!"

Kane’s voice rose to a hysterical, lung-tearing shriek as he lunged toward Lucy.

"But the chance has come again! This time, I’m definitely going to kill you, Straw Hat!!!"

"Herararara! HERARARARA!"