Chapter 458: Let's Cut Them Down Together! (10k) (Part 1)

Chapter 458: Let's Cut Them Down Together! (10k) (Part 1)





Abrad and Jet acted swiftly, with Abrad wielding two steel forks to engage the oncoming gladiators head-on, while Jet seized the opportunity to circle around to their rear, brandishing his dual blades and swiftly dispatching ten opponents in quick succession.

Those who were left, even if they reacted and attempted to counter Jet, would be swiftly attacked by Abrad.

The two alternated their tactics, clearing out all the nearby contestants near Bellamy.

One might call them strong, but in Bellamy's eyes, they were weak. Yet, in the New World, they were considered skilled fighters.

Strong individuals were already scarce on the vast sea, and most others were of a similar caliber. Abrad and Jet had surpassed this average level.

Bellamy, who was merely a minor officer in the Cataclysm Pirates, would be considered a formidable opponent outside, with a bounty of over 200 million belli.

"Don't let him use that King's Fist!"

Abrad and Jet, having cleared the area around them, charged towards the protected figure of Ilizabeoro II, who was warming up with his punches, oblivious to his surroundings.

However, there were still those who surpassed even these skilled fighters. Bro Kili, a member of the Longleg Tribe, took a step forward, emitting a sharp whistle. His distinctively long legs tensed like a drawn bow, and he swiftly rushed into the duo, delivering two powerful kicks that sent them flying off the stage and into the surrounding waters.

"Tsk, a bunch of weaklings, get lost!"

Bro Kili didn't even have time to finish his sentence before a fist slammed into his face, sending him flying backward with a large fist-shaped imprint on his face.

Bellamy, his tongue lolling out and his face contorted in a sinister grin, unleashed a punch in mid-air before quickly dropping to the ground. As his feet touched down, they unleashed a blast of energy, and his legs transformed into springs, rapidly contracting and then extending to propel him towards Bartolomeo, who was idly yawning in a corner.

The fist also transformed into a spring, retracting towards Bartolomeo's face. Just before reaching him, Bellamy unleashed another punch.

"Deadly Fist!"

Bang!!

It felt as if Bellamy's punch had struck something solid, stopping just short of Bartolomeo's face. Bartolomeo slightly raised his head, baring his teeth in a menacing grin. As his eyes widened, Bellamy seemed to sense something and his expression changed. His airborne body rapidly transformed, and his feet, now spring-like, propelled him upwards, creating afterimages as he swiftly moved above Bartolomeo's head, leaving a trail of smoke rings in his wake.

"Moon Step - Canine Chaos!"

As Bellamy dashed through the air, a figure burst through the wind pressure, rushing from above and behind Bartolomeo. His feet, concealed within the springs, rapidly extended, delivering a powerful blow to the back of Bartolomeo's head.

Bang!

Once again, the transparent defense blocked the attack and even emitted a counterforce that pushed Bellamy back. He quickly retracted his body, preventing the counterforce from reaching him, and then unleashed his legs, turning the incoming force into kinetic energy that sent him flying into the sky.

"He can fly, what a nuisance."

Bartolomeo, gazing at Bellamy's smoke rings in the sky, scratched his head and clicked his tongue.

"Moon Step - Canine Bite!"

Bellamy bounced once and kicked out, sending a series of ten mid-air canine-shaped slashes towards Bartolomeo from all directions.

Bang, bang, bang!

Regardless of where the attacks landed, they all seemed to hit an invisible barrier, emitting a sound as if striking something solid, dissipating the force of the blows.

"Hmm."

Bellamy narrowed his eyes, a red dot flashing in his pupils, and he grinned menacingly, "So that's it, a Devil Fruit ability, a barrier?"

Some abilities were not visible to the naked eye, including the domain created by Law's Surgery Fruit. Even if one knew what he had done, without sufficient perceptive ability, it remained unseen.

Only with Perception Color could one observe the unique aspects of these abilities.

At this moment, Bellamy's perception allowed him to see that Bartolomeo was surrounded by a circular barrier, encapsulating him entirely.

Bartolomeo lifted his head, pointing one hand towards the sky at Bellamy, while the other hand emerged from his pocket, with the index and middle fingers intertwined.

"You can't hit me! I, the great Bartolomeo, have eaten the Barrier Fruit and become a Barrierist! This barrier is an absolute defense, impenetrable to anyone! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"What an arrogant newcomer!"

Bellamy descended from the sky, creating a smoke ring as he landed on the ground. His legs, now spring-like, rapidly compressed inward, emitting a strange creaking sound.

He crouched, pressing his fists against the ground, causing the springs in his forearms to compress as well.

"There's no such thing as an absolute defense, it's just an ability."

His fists glowed with Armed Color, and the energy within them surged.

Having spent time by Lord Sag's side, Bellamy was well-versed in the technique of Entanglement.

"Saber Fang Bite!!"

Bang!

Bellamy's body rapidly disappeared from the ground, causing cracks to form as if a jackal had locked onto its prey. With a burst of speed and Haki-infused fists, he struck Bartolomeo's barrier with full force.

Bang!!

The impact wave rippled across Bartolomeo's transparent barrier, but the person behind it didn't budge. The hand with the raised middle finger now intertwined its index and middle fingers.

"I told you, it's useless! Barrier Impact!"

The barrier suddenly transformed into a vertical wall, propelling forward. Bellamy was caught off guard, and his attacking fist immediately retracted, springing him backward. Simultaneously, he kicked off the ground, bouncing high into the sky.

"Hmph, did I miss?"

Bartolomeo lifted his arms, and the barrier transformed into a dome, enclosing him entirely.

This guy's speed was too fast and unpredictable, and a single-directional defense wouldn't work against him. Only a full-coverage defense could protect him.

However, Bartolomeo was certain that his attacks couldn't break through the barrier.

This was absolute defense!

No one could break through it!

Bellamy bounced twice in the air and landed, determined to continue his attack. But at that moment, his pupils constricted, and the red dots in his eyes flashed as he instinctively looked behind him.

"It's done!"

Ilizabeoro II had been warming up with punches since before the start of the match, and now, after an hour of accumulating power, steam rose from his body. Dacama quickly retreated, allowing Ilizabeoro II to face the enemy head-on. With his boxing gloves on, he unleashed a straight punch.

Boom!!

The ground was plowed open, and a massive shockwave formed a straight line, blasting towards Bellamy and Bartolomeo, also creating a huge cloud of smoke.

In the midst of the impact, the remaining contestants on the platform were all blown away, falling into the sea.

In front of Ilizabeoro II, there was no one left to block his path.

"Hehehe, the power that our King's innate formidable physique can unleash is enough to withstand even the Four Emperors with this punch!"

"Don't joke around!"

As soon as Dacama finished speaking, a sound rose from above, and Bellamy dropped from the sky, stomping on his face with both feet while simultaneously swinging a horizontal punch, smashing into Ilizabeoro II, who had just thrown a punch and was now exhausted. The two of them were knocked back into the sea.

Bellamy stuck out his tongue and snarled, "That kind of power isn't enough to deal with the Four Emperors!"

As soon as the punch was about to land, Bellamy sensed the danger and quickly used Moon Step to leap into the air, dodging the punch before it was thrown.

That kind of power, if he had been hit, he wouldn't have been able to withstand it either.

But to say that he could defeat a Four Emperor with one punch... It was just boasting!

The Four Emperors he had seen were all monstrous figures. Destroying a fortress was something Bellamy thought he could do, but it was just a matter of destroying a fortress.

The big shots could easily do that.

Moreover, Bellamy had seen this move very clearly, and it seemed to have used Outward Tyrant Haki.

After accumulating power for so long, all his strength was focused in one place, using Haki and impact to unleash that power.

The time was too long, and there were many openings.

Dodging it meant victory; it wasn't that impressive.

Bellamy looked ahead and saw that at the front of the plowed furrow, at the edge of the platform, Bartolomeo still stood there unscathed. The powerful King's Fist had failed to cause him any harm.

"It's just the two of us left, and you can't beat me."

Bartolomeo smiled, "Surrender. That Burn Burn Fruit is mine, and I will definitely offer it to that superior!"

Bellamy chuckled, "The Captain told me that the Burn Burn Fruit wasn't that important. This place is where I can show my valor. Doflamingo used to look down on me, but I'm not the same anymore. If I fall here, my dream won't be fulfilled, and I'll also embarrass Lord Sag."

He glanced at the destroyed platform, squatted again, and transformed into a spring to store his power. As he unleashed a series of shockwaves, he looked up at Bartolomeo with a sinister smile,

"Your barrier is impressive, but is the place you're standing invincible too?"

Boom! The afterimage vanished, and as he flew through the air, Bellamy's fists compressed into the spring, carrying a massive impact like a cannonball, and slammed into the ground in front of Bartolomeo's barrier.

Bang!!!

At that moment, the edges of the platform turned into powder, causing Bartolomeo, who had been confidently smiling, to stiffen and instinctively look down.

The shattered platform edges fell into the sea, leaving him without a place to stand. His legs instinctively kicked twice, and then he fell into the water.

"You despicable bastard!"

Bartolomeo grabbed a piece of stone in the water, keeping his upper body afloat, and shouted at Bellamy, "If you have the guts, fight me fairly! What's this?"

"It's a victory!"

Bellamy grinned, looking down at him, "As long as I win, that's enough. Strategy is also important!"

Even King's Fist couldn't break through this barrier, and Bellamy still didn't think he had that kind of power.

But if he couldn't break the barrier, Bellamy could still destroy the ground he was standing on.

The four Haki techniques—Hardening, Entanglement, Projection, and Destruction—he knew them all!

There was no hierarchy among these techniques; it was just a matter of suitability.

Lord Sag had mentioned this point during his training, saying that techniques weren't necessarily better the more profound they were; they had to fit the user.

With his Haki level, Projection and Destruction weren't very useful, and his ability type wasn't suited for Projection or Destruction.

It would be better to improve his Entanglement skills and further enhance his power.

But that didn't mean he couldn't use them.

When it came to dealing with people, he couldn't beat them, but he could easily destroy ordinary stones.

"And the winner is decided! Bartolomeo unexpectedly falls into the water, leaving 'Jackal' Bellamy as the sole standing competitor!"

The commentator's enthusiastic voice echoed, eliciting cheers from the audience.

Bellamy raised his hands high, looking around. Although he was disappointed not to see Captain Akin and Lily, it didn't matter.

His dream was to gain enough attention at this athletic tournament to make Doflamingo understand that he was no longer the same as before!

After all, Doflamingo had been his idol, and he stubbornly wanted to participate in this tournament for this very reason!

To make Doflamingo understand that he, Bellamy, was no longer a small fry!

The two participants from the Cataclysm Pirates had different goals for this tournament. Bellamy wanted to make up for his past regrets, while Stanson's purpose was purer—he had seen Halding.

"Stanson!"

"Halding!"

After the battle in Zone B, some time was needed for repairs. In the preparation area, two towering giants caught each other's attention.

"You... Why are you here? I heard you joined the Cataclysm Pirates. You're a giant!"

Halding, wearing only a steel helmet and gauntlets, exclaimed, "A giant joining a human pirate crew? Have you forgotten our dreams?"

"What about you?"

Due to the arena's rules, Stanson was bare-chested, wearing a horned helmet, and carrying a giant wooden hammer with a steel handle.

Stanson spoke to Halding with discontent:

"I heard you joined the Seven Warlords under the command of Baggy. There's also Rod, Goldberg, and Gatz. It's not a bad thing to join the Four Emperors. Governor Sag rescued me from the slave cells in Champo, and I owe him a debt of gratitude."

"I'm a mercenary, not officially part of the crew. It's just a collaboration."

Halding's voice deepened, "I've never forgotten the glory of the Giant Soldier Pirates. I want to revive the crew, Stanson. Come and help me!"

"No, I think Governor Sag is better. Why don't you consider him? With him, you can also rebuild the Giant Soldier Pirates. I recently learned that there are two giants in 'Paradise' under Hannibal—Bobby and Bogo, the Fanco brothers. Gather them, and with you two, we'll have a total of seven!"

Stanson said, "Follow Governor Sag. He doesn't discriminate against anyone, and we can achieve our dreams there!"

"Did he save you?"

Halding paused, lowering his head for a moment, then raised it again. "Alright! Your debt is my debt. I'll go to Ohara with you, but before that, I still want to win the championship. Stanson, will you stop me?"

"It doesn't matter. Even if you ate the Burn Burn Fruit, the Governor won't say anything."

Stanson grinned widely, "The Governor is quite generous to those who join him!"

Giants are known for their generosity, especially among childhood friends like them.

Halding might be dissatisfied with Stanson's decision to pledge loyalty to Governor Sag, but when it comes to repaying a debt, he's just as honorable!

Giants live three times longer than humans, thanks to their longevity, and most live to be three hundred years old.

Halding is only eighty-one, considered a youth among giants.

Even if he pledges loyalty to Governor Sag to repay a comrade's debt, it's fine if the Governor can't help him fulfill his dream of reviving the Giant Soldier Pirates.

It's just a matter of a few more decades. By then, he'll be in his prime and still able to achieve his dream.

And with Stanson's help, he's sure to win this championship!

"Governor Sag's men? Then count us brothers in too!"

Just as the two giants were having a pleasant conversation, two humans, one tall and the other short, approached. The shorter one rubbed his nose and smiled confidently, saying,

"We also want to contribute to Governor Sag!"

Stanson glanced at them, frowning, "Who are you?"

"We're the Fanco Brothers from the Magaro Kingdom, and we're also under Governor Sag's command!"

The shorter one introduced himself, "I'm the older brother, Fanco Kelly!"

Beside him, a muscular and tall man with sunglasses spoke gently, "I'm the younger brother, Bobby Kelly."

"The Fanco Brothers..." Stanson thought for a moment, then said,

"I've heard of you. It seems you've taken down over a hundred million pirates. Urki mentioned you; you're doing great in your line of work."

"That's right!"

Kelly laughed, "As former assassins, we answered the Governor's call and became his debt collectors. I prefer debt collection to assassination; it's so satisfying to torment others at will!"

"That's quite ruthless."

Stanson nodded, then scanned Bobby, "Although you're hired hands, we have our rules. If you break them, you'll become 'debtors' too."

Setting aside the older brother for now, the younger brother's massive build was quite resilient.

Someone had to manage the underworld business.

Currently, Urki was in charge of overseeing the debts issued by the Cataclysm Gold Bank and collecting them.

Debt collectors, following the debts, were scattered worldwide. Anyone who borrowed money through the channels would be lent to by Governor Sag.

Of course, only those with assets were eligible; the poor had no access to Ohara or the means to influence them.

There were many borrowers—unscrupulous merchants, pirates in need of funds, extravagant nobles and kings, and even Navy and World Government officials.

Some genuinely needed money, and only Governor Sag could lend them substantial amounts. Others borrowed with no intention of repaying, hoping to scam a fortune.

After all, Governor Sag was a pirate without any legal protection.

But regardless of their intentions, if they didn't repay their debts by the due date, they would be pursued.

Unscrupulous merchants would have their homes and ships confiscated, reckless pirates would have their heads taken for bounties, and nobles and kings, being stationary targets, were easy to collect from; debt collectors only needed to raid their homes.

No money?

They could always be squeezed for it.

Debt collectors could be ruthless to borrowers, but there were some lines they wouldn't cross. If someone overstepped those boundaries, Governor Sag would generously offer a reward for others to kill them.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end