"Boom!"
Roman entered the room, only to see Luffy fighting a strong man.
"Who is this guy?!"
"Sparta got knocked out..."
"Could it be he tripped and fell on his own?"
"No way, he's stuck in the floor—"
Dressed like a magician, Roman was speechless. He had only just registered Luffy for the competition, and Luffy had already made a flashy entrance by taking down a star gladiator. Truly the future Pirate King—he always stands out wherever he goes. But:
"Fighting before the match? That's an instant disqualification!"
"What?!"
The future Pirate King's confident expression broke in an instant, making Roman sigh. This was why he wore a mask—otherwise, he'd never be able to keep his face straight.
*Clang!*
A huge axe flew past, embedding itself in the stone floor between Luffy and the colosseum staff.
"Fools, open your eyes and look carefully."
A man with a bare chest draped in a wave-patterned cloak stepped forward. He had short brown hair, a tattoo of the number "13" on his left abdomen (symbolizing the 13th generation heir), and held a decorated halberd.
"The one who started this mess is that big guy over there. If anyone should be disqualified, it's him!"
Another man stepped forward, also bare-chested with a green cloak. He wore armor on his right arm, had a skull-like tattoo on his left arm, and was missing a few teeth. He carried two battle axes on his back, with a third stuck in the floor.
"Though that idiot's already knocked out."
These were the two brothers, Chinjao's grandsons, Sai and Boo of the Happo Navy.
Behind them stood a tall (five meters), muscular, hunchbacked elder with a kind face and a "12" tattoo near his temple (symbolizing the 12th generation heir). This was the legendary pirate Chinjao, once worth a 500 million berry bounty.
The Happo Navy, a group of pirates officially affiliated with the Kano Country in the West Blue.
They had come openly to compete for the Flame-Flame Fruit, but secretly, they were on a mission from the Flower Country. A rival nation had been purchasing large amounts of weapons from Doflamingo, causing setbacks on the battlefield. Their true goal was to sabotage Doflamingo's weapon factory.
A nation that can casually send out a pirate with a 500 million bounty and two deputies worth over 100 million each... It's no wonder the other seas look down on East Blue, where a 30 million bounty is considered top-tier.
"Thanks for the help."
Luffy thanked Sai, but Sai retorted:
"There's no need to thank me... Take that thank-you back!"
"Calm down, big brother,"
Boo held back the irate Sai while apologizing to Luffy.
"Sorry about that. He's just easily worked up..."
...These two brothers were something else. Boo was calm in daily life, while Sai was hot-headed. But in battle, their roles reversed—Sai became calm, and Boo got fired up.
Alright, let's see if there are any other 'familiar' faces around.
Thanks to Luffy's flashy example, no one bothered the magician-dressed Roman. After all:
You'll find out soon enough in the ring who's strong and who's not!
"Hey, isn't this a colosseum? Why do I see a king, a strategist, and soldiers?"
The tall and short assassins, the Funk Brothers, muttered in confusion.
The muscular strategist of the Prodence Kingdom, Dagama, chuckled.
"Stop whining. Weren't you two also sent by your own country?"
"Compared to some weapon fortress, a nation with the Flame-Flame Fruit would gain huge advantages in both diplomacy and war!"
Many nearby countries sent their strongest fighters here:
- **Suleiman**, known as "The Beheader," a Class-A war criminal from the Tias Sea Battle. Despite being a hero in that war, his homeland exiled him as a criminal. Even so, this man, wearing a tall black hat adorned with skull and wing patterns and a long black coat, still fights for his country.
- **Abdullah and Jeet**, bounty hunters and culprits behind the "Government Facility Bombing Incident." They are infamous for using dirty tricks to eliminate their targets and are employed by unknown forces. Their appearances? Classic villainous looks that are hard to describe.
- **Orlumbus**, the admiral of the "Yonta Maria Grand Fleet," nicknamed the "Massacre Ruler." A stern, broad-shouldered man with an open chest, he wields a whip and commands over 4,300 subordinates and 56 ships in his fleet.
These individuals would later become key members of the "Straw Hat Grand Fleet." From Roman's perspective behind his mask, these were all top-tier fighters, each worth over 100 million. If it weren't for the nightmare of almost being enslaved by Sugar for life, they wouldn't have willingly joined Luffy's crew.
Of course, Luffy's strength and charisma played a huge role as well.
Since there were so many participants, the tournament was divided into four groups for chaotic battles. Group A was dominated by Burgess, Group B had Bartolomeo as an unstoppable force, and Group C was naturally Luffy's victory.
"So, let me think, who are the strong ones in Group D?"
Roman habitually touched his chin—or rather, his mask. If he remembered correctly, the only notable person was "Cavendish the Narcissist" in Group D. Other than that... no one.
"Well, looks like I'll have an easy path to the finals."
Even if Cavendish activated his second personality, "Cavendish of the White Horse" Roman was confident in his victory. For Roman, losing on purpose was never an option.
However, Roman didn't realize that his quiet mumbling had been overheard by someone.
It was a young woman with a slender figure, wearing a Roman-style soldier helmet, a green cape, golden boots, and minimal armor covering only key areas. Unlike the other gladiators equipped with both swords and shields, she held only a longsword.
This was **Rebecca**, the granddaughter of former King Riku, the daughter of arena hero Kyros and Princess Scarlet. Strictly speaking, she was a princess herself.
That magician...
Despite seeing so many strong fighters, he dared to speak so arrogantly! Was he confident in something, or just ignorant? Rebecca couldn't help but take notice. Unlike the well-known fighters, this person was wrapped from head to toe like he was attending a masquerade ball rather than a gladiator tournament. And he was also in Group D.
She had to figure out what this guy was about!
"Participants who didn't bring their own gear can choose from the weapons and armor provided by the arena," announced the staff.
"Woo-hoo!"
Roman, on the other hand, didn't notice the gaze directed at him. For one, the person watching him didn't have any hostile intent. And for another...
"I wish Usopp and the others could see this~~"
Luffy stood fully geared up, with a helmet, breastplate, shoulder guards, cape, skirt armor, boots, a shield, and a longsword. Admiring his new look, Luffy seemed very pleased, while Roman raised a hand as if to rub his temples but ultimately refrained.
This junk is completely useless for you, isn't it?
It wasn't that Roman underestimated these so-called "high-quality" gears, but for Luffy, they were no better than tin cans he could crush with a single punch. They weren't even as practical as his unbeatable flip-flops!
Strong fighters' equipment, after years of being infused with Haki, essentially evolved into a different class of item compared to ordinary materials. The most famous example was the "Black Blade," created by the constant infusion of Armament Haki by master swordsmen.
"Hey, Lucy,"
Roman rolled his eyes behind his mask and walked over.
"Your gear is over the weight limit—the arena has rules about the maximum weight for weapons and armor."
"Oh, it's Ro... Ro..."
"My name is 'Neo.' Remember that!"
"Oh, oh, Neo, right..."
"Anyway, go ask the staff over there how much armor we're allowed to keep."
What a troublesome captain! While Roman sighed, Rebecca, standing in the crowd, frowned. She had just watched the short "Lucy" easily defeat the star gladiator, Sparta. And yet, this powerful fighter obediently followed the instructions of the mysterious magician...
"No wonder everyone's wearing so little. Turns out we can't carry extra armor."
Luffy returned grumbling, now left with only a helmet and a cape.
"This is a 'performance show.' The audience is here for blood."
A man wearing a cowboy hat with fur trim, sporting golden shoulder-length curls, dressed in noble attire, and holding a rose approached elegantly.
Cavendish.
"The colosseum is a place that showcases humanity's thirst for blood and violence. Who wants to watch long, boring battles with armor? Only the loser's blood can excite the crowd."
The graceful blond tore off a rose petal with his teeth, chewing it as he casually asked:
"I saw you take down that big guy with one move earlier. Who are you?"
Experts can recognize skill with a glance.
Even though Luffy had casually knocked out Sparta, it didn't go unnoticed by someone sharp.
"Ah, I'm Luffy. The man who will become the Pirate King!"
?!
Forget it, not worth getting mad about! Roman rubbed his forehead with one hand and pretended to space out. Honestly, no one would believe it anyway, right?
Sure enough, a second later, the nearby gladiators caught sight of the name tag on Luffy's back.
Clang!
A shield flew over and hit the back of Luffy's head.
"Aren't you called Lucy?!"
"Say it clearly—stop twisting your tongue!"
"Whew, for a second I thought that 'Straw Hat' Luffy was here..."
"That's impossible! I heard Luffy is eight meters tall, with an eight-meter waist! And he eats ten people's worth of meat for every meal!"
Well, the sea rumors... While the first part was way off, the last bit was surprisingly accurate.
"Oh, yeah, true."
Luffy nodded.
"I'm Lucy."
"...Hmph! If you really were Luffy, I'd take you out right now!"
The elegant nobleman began his self-introduction.
"I am Cavendish, who entered the New World three years ago with a bounty of 200 million berries! Known as the 'Pirate Prince,' my fame was so great that newspapers reported on me daily, and even my wanted posters were snatched up by women!"
While Cavendish reminisced about his glorious past, Roman was bored and scanning the room, running mental simulations to see how many people here could give him a challenge—?!
Swish.
In a blur of a black cape, Roman suddenly shifted from facing Luffy to standing with his back to him. In the entire hall, only Cavendish's eyes flickered, while Don Chinjao's white eyebrows twitched slightly on the other side.
"Are you okay?"
Roman steadied a young female gladiator behind him, briefly surprised behind his mask.
"I... I'm fine. I just accidentally twisted my ankle."
?!
"Thanks, I can walk by myself."
Helping her up, Roman was left with a giant question mark under his mask.
It was Rebecca, after all. She was known as the "Unbeaten Girl" in the colosseum, skilled enough with Observation Haki to dodge even Cavendish's second personality. How could she twist her ankle?
It didn't make sense!
As Roman mulled over whether her "good friend" had arrived, Rebecca leaned against the wall as soon as she turned the corner. One hand instinctively touched her smooth neck.
So strong!
"Originally, she just wanted to get a closer look at her opponent. But in the instant the magician turned around, she didn't even have time to react—it felt as though a sword had already slashed her throat!"
"This enemy..."
In that moment, Rebecca realized one thing clearly: she was no match for him! But...
"Don't cry! Rebecca, you can't give up!"
Clenching her teeth, the girl gripped her sword tightly. Today was the last chance—to get the Flame-Flame Fruit and take down Doflamingo! It was Dressrosa's final opportunity.
"Mother, Grandfather, Soldier-san..."
"Protect me!"
The next moment, the now-calm Rebecca raised her head again and walked back into the waiting room as if nothing had happened.
(End of Chapter)
----You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu