Chapter 168: The Four Emperors Appear, A Battle of Top-Tier Haki!

Chapter 168: The Four Emperors Appear, A Battle of Top-Tier Haki!

As a Navy Admiral, Fujitora's strength was undeniable.

Not only did he possess a powerful Devil Fruit ability, but his Armament Haki, Observation Haki, martial arts, and swordsmanship were all exceptionally formidable.

Even Zhao Zheng, in dealing with this blind old man, had to exert considerable effort.

In the end, it was Zhao Zheng's speed that gave him the advantage. He pressed down on Fujitora's head and unleashed the Shock-Shock Fruit's power right in his face, finally defeating him.

When Zhao Zheng emerged victorious and stood on the arena stage, the entire venue fell silent.

The crowd remained quiet until he left, and the next contestant took the stage. Only then did the spectators erupt into intense discussions.

"Damn, that guy's strength is terrifying!"

"Holy crap! How could he smash such a massive meteorite with a single punch?"

"I have a feeling that this guy gets stronger the more he's challenged. Or maybe he wasn't using his full strength before?"

"Whitebeard was said to have the power to destroy the world. It seems like Zhao Zheng is almost there too."

"Is the Shock-Shock Fruit's power really that incredible?"

"What's incredible is Zhao Zheng's speed. I mean, how many people have gotten the Shock-Shock Fruit before, and have we ever seen them be this powerful?"

"That's true! The Shock-Shock Fruit is strong, but it also requires a powerful foundation of strength to unleash its full potential. But speaking of which, the side effects of the Shock-Shock Fruit are also quite intense, right? I've heard that Whitebeard suffered from various illnesses in his later years, and his body wasn't in good shape. Isn't Zhao Zheng worried about the side effects of using the Shock-Shock Fruit like that?"

"His physical constitution must be super strong too; he should be able to endure it."

...

The entire venue was abuzz with discussions about Zhao Zheng, to the extent that the newly entered Seventh Rank powerhouse received little attention.

When Zhao Zheng returned to his seat, the crowd was at a loss for words. They realized they knew very little about him.

Only the Song father-daughter duo, Song Haitang and Song Leader, wore faint smiles on their faces.

Song Haitang was proud of Zhao Zheng, while Song Leader couldn't help but feel delighted at the thought of such a powerful individual becoming his son-in-law in the future.

"Screw Chen Ye, get lost..."

At that moment, Gu Yuying suddenly spoke up, "Zhao Zheng, you clearly had a better opportunity to quickly defeat Navy Admiral Fujitora just now. Why did you let him display his full capabilities? Weren't you worried about the danger?"

Zhao Zheng replied, "Oh, I mainly wanted to test my own strength and get a sense of my capabilities."

This was his honest thought.

As for the danger?

With his Super Sensory Perception, he was unlikely to make a mess of things.

Hearing Zhao Zheng's response, Gu Yuying was left speechless...

...

Two days later, the seventh round of the competition concluded.

The blind old man, Fujitora, had something special about him. He managed to eliminate the majority of the Seventh Rank powerhouses, with only three contestants advancing to the next round.

These three were Zhao Zheng, Ma Dongwu, and a British man named David.

Zhao Zheng and Ma Dongwu relied on their sheer strength to defeat Fujitora.

As for the British man, David, he possessed the ability to turn invisible. Although his invisibility wasn't perfect, and one could make out his silhouette with careful observation, he managed to completely hide his aura, even from Fujitora's Observation Haki.

David's ability allowed him to decapitate Fujitora with a single strike.

Many believed that David's victory was a stroke of luck, taking advantage of Fujitora's blindness.

However, it was undeniable that David's offensive power was also formidable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to behead Fujitora with a single blow.

After all, at the moment David attacked, Fujitora could sense him and activated his Armament Haki for defense.

Without a strong offensive power, breaking through" Fujitora's Armament Haki would have been impossible.

Nighttime.

In the lounge.

Zhao Zheng and his teammates sat around a table, chatting.

Ever since Zhao Zheng revealed his strength, there had been visitors almost every night. It was a rare quiet evening...

"Zhao Zheng, you earned 729 Combat Points in the seventh round, bringing our team's total to 1,156 points."

Ms. Shen's words brought smiles to everyone's faces.

"Ms. Shen, what's our team's ranking now?" asked Ms. Qian.

"Fourth place!" Ms. Shen replied.

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with joy.

"We're already in fourth place?"

"That's fantastic!"

"All thanks to Zhao Zheng..."

The teachers cheered.

Even Gu Yuying chimed in, "Zhao Zheng, you've contributed the most to this achievement."

After a brief pause, she continued, "I had prepared myself to not have any expectations for our performance, but I never imagined... Zhao Zheng, you've given us a huge surprise. I want to thank you for teaming up with me."

Zhao Zheng quickly spoke up, "Ms. Gu, you're too kind."

The others also thanked Zhao Zheng, leaving him unsure of what to say.

Song Leader immediately came to the rescue of his future son-in-law, smiling and saying, "What are you all doing? Are we celebrating already? I think it's still too early. Let's wait until Zhao Zheng becomes the champion, then we can have a proper celebration!"

Upon hearing this, everyone laughed, their eyes filled with anticipation.

If it were before, Zhao Zheng's claim to lead the team to the championship would have been taken as a bad joke.

But now, they had full confidence in Zhao Zheng's strength.

Perhaps he could really win the championship.

Zhao Zheng quickly changed the subject, "Ms. Shen, tell us about the top teams so far!"

Ms. Shen replied, "The first-place team is Ma Dong Wu's team. Their total combat points have reached 1732."

"The second-place team is David's team. They have 1589 combat points."

"The third-place team is a strong team from the Ugly Federation. Although they were eliminated in the seventh round, they had built a strong foundation before that, accumulating many combat points, even surpassing Ma Dong Wu's team. So, even now, they remain in third place with 1177 combat points."

Zhao Zheng nodded.

"The gap isn't that big," he said. "As long as I advance to the next round and the others all fail, the championship will be mine."

"That's right!"

Ms. Shen spoke seriously.

Zhao Zheng suddenly asked curiously, "What about the second-place David? What's his background? His ability is perfect for assassinations!"

No one else knew David's identity, so they remained silent.

However, Gu Yuying, also a 7th-tier powerhouse, knew the answer.

"You're right," Gu Yuying said. "David is an assassin. There's a well-known assassin organization in Europe called 'House of Cards.' I believe you've all heard of them! David is one of their top assassins, code-named Ace of Spades!"

Upon hearing the name 'House of Cards,' Zhao Zheng and Song Haitang exchanged glances.

The foolish thieves who had 'kidnapped' Zhao Zheng previously were from the House of Cards.

"Miss Gu, do you know much about this assassin organization, House of Cards?" Zhao Zheng asked eagerly.

Gu Yuying shook her head, "Not much. I only occasionally heard about this guy named David."

Song Leader, being an intelligent person, immediately asked, "Zhao Zheng, why are you interested in the House of Cards? Did they bother you?"

"Yes!"

Zhao Zheng didn't hide anything and briefly explained what had happened during his 'kidnapping.'

Upon hearing this, Old Chu and Ms. Shen's faces changed.

"What's this about?"

"Zhao Zheng, why didn't you tell the school?"

Ms. Shen and Old Chu asked in succession.

Zhao Zheng waved his hand and said, "They came after me on their own. I plan to wait until I'm stronger and then settle the score. There's no need to involve the school."

After a pause, he continued, "By the way, the assassins from the House of Cards are hired by an organization called 'Deus Veritas.' Has anyone heard of this organization?"

Everyone shook their heads at this question.

Only Gu Yuying knew something about it.

"I've heard of them," she said. "They seem to hold secrets that can extend one's lifespan, attracting many powerful figures. That's all I know."

Zhao Zheng's brow furrowed.

This 'Deus Veritas' organization was indeed mysterious.

The next day...

As the sun rose, countless Extraordinary Beings emerged from their rest areas and headed towards the spectator stands of the coliseum.

"You're up early too?"

"Yeah! Couldn't sleep, so I came over."

"Looks like there are many who couldn't sleep."

"Well, many feel that today might reveal the true champion, and they don't want to miss it."

"Who do you think has a higher chance of winning?"

"Going by the surface data, it's definitely Ma Dong Wu's team, but I have a feeling that Zhao Zheng might surprise everyone."

"Hehe, great minds think alike! I'm also rooting for Zhao Zheng."

"It all depends on the eighth-round Challenger. If their abilities counter each other, it'll be bad luck."

Similar discussions echoed throughout the various sections.

Many Extraordinary Beings were engaged in conversations with those around them.

Ms. Shen and the others also couldn't sleep.

Early in the morning, the group gathered in the living room for a chat.

Zhao Zheng, however, slept soundly and didn't emerge from his room until 7:30 AM.

"Zhao Zheng, how did you sleep last night?" Old Chu asked immediately.

"I slept well!" Zhao Zheng replied with a smile.

With his current physique and mental power, even if he hadn't slept all night, it wouldn't have affected him much.

"You're up so early? Have you eaten breakfast?"

"Yes, we've all eaten and are waiting for you."

"Okay, I'll get something to eat first."

The competition was scheduled to start at 8:00 AM.

With half an hour to spare, Zhao Zheng had enough time to have a proper breakfast...

After Zhao Zheng finished his meal, he and the group arrived at the arena at 7:50 AM.

By this time, almost everyone had gathered at the arena.

At that moment, Director Sun, who was standing behind them, suddenly spoke up, "Zhao Zheng, I believe you can win the championship and end the Bamboo Team's championship run."

Zhao Zheng didn't want to be rude to the director's kind words, so he replied, "Thank you, I'll do my best."

Soon after.

At 8:00 AM sharp, the competition began.

A new stage appeared on the arena: a small island.

It was indeed a small island, estimated to be a few square kilometers in size, surrounded by a circle of ocean!

Then, the challenger appeared.

The eighth-round challenger seemed to be a normal human.

He had red hair, three scars on his left eye, stubble on his chin, and wore a black long cloak, with a white shirt underneath, and brown three-quarter pants with patterns, and flip-flops on his feet.

Overall, this guy dressed very casually.

Surprisingly, he seemed to have only one arm, with his left arm almost severed at the shoulder.

However, the most eye-catching thing was the aura surrounding him.

It was incredibly powerful!

"Damn! Who is this guy? His aura is so strong!"

"I know who he is. His appearance and style are very similar to one of the Four Emperors, Red Hair Shanks!"

"Huh? Is he the one rumored to have the strongest Conqueror Color Haki, Shanks?"

"It seems so."

"This guy is one of the top-notch powerhouses in the Spirit Realm world!"

"Haha, we're in for a treat today!"

"Yes! I wonder which of the three big shots will be able to defeat Red Hair Shanks?"

...

Red Hair was well-known in the pirate world.

So, everyone quickly recognized him.

"Is that the Four Emperor Red Hair?" Old Chu frowned.

"According to rumors, each of the Four Emperors' strength surpasses that of the Navy Admirals. With this ranking, it seems to be true." Miss Shen sighed.

"He possesses the strongest Conqueror Color Haki. I've heard that Conqueror Color Haki can shock or stun enemies, and those with insufficient mental strength or weak willpower are unable to resist. Is that right?" Miss Qian asked.

Miss Shen nodded, "Yes, that's correct! On our Blue Planet, there are also strong individuals who have obtained Conqueror Color Haki, and its effects are indeed as described."

Upon hearing this, Song Leader immediately asked Zhao Zheng, "Zhao Zheng, how strong is your spirit attribute?"

Zhao Zheng calmly replied, "I should be able to withstand Conqueror Color Haki."

At this moment, his face was devoid of any smile.

Red Hair Shanks was undoubtedly a formidable opponent for him.

Unexpectedly.

The eighth-round challenger turned out to be this guy.

"I wonder what Red Hair's true strength is like?" Old Chu suddenly asked, "Miss Gu, have you seen him in action in the subsequent Spirit Realm?"

Miss Gu shook her head, "I haven't seen him in action, but I've heard that his swordsmanship is on par with the world's number one swordsmaster, Eagle Eye."

The group was shocked upon hearing this...

...

As the group discussed, the competition had already begun.

The first to take the stage was the British David.

As soon as he entered the arena, he immediately activated his invisibility ability, intending to use the same tactic again, to launch a sneak attack on Red Hair.

Unfortunately, Red Hair wasn't Tiger Vine.

"Buzz—"

Red Hair suddenly opened his eyes wide, and a surge of wild crimson energy erupted from his body, sweeping across the entire island.

It was the Conqueror Color Haki!!

And it was the top-tier Conqueror Color Haki.

For a moment, the entire island was filled with lightning and thunder.

Moreover, the lightning was crimson, very eerie.

Under such wild Conqueror Color Haki, David was immediately forced to reveal himself, and he couldn't even stand steadily.

When Red Hair drew his sword, David immediately shouted, "I concede!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end