Whoosh!
Robin suddenly waved her hand.
Two formidable arms, coated in Armament Haki, suddenly materialized behind Cavendish.
Sensing the threat, Cavendish instinctively dodged, stepping back half a pace. However, the moment his toes touched the ground, the muscles in his legs exploded with terrifying force.
A deep crater appeared beneath Cavendish's foot.
"This isn't over yet!" Cavendish shouted.
The blade of his sword, gleaming with a cold light, struck again, enveloped in a beautiful aura of sword energy as it targeted Robin once more.
But...
Even an ambush was ineffective. With Espeon prepared, how could its protection be so easily breached?
"Rrrr!" Espeon softly grunted.
A protective shield, woven from psychic power, wrapped around Robin, ensuring she remained unharmed by the sword's energy.
At this moment, countless sword lights sliced through the air like lightning, their passage accompanied by a fierce screech as if the very air itself was being torn apart.
Yet...
No matter how furiously Cavendish wielded Durandal, there wasn't even a scratch on the protective shield Espeon had conjured—only ripples danced across its surface.
Suddenly, the battlefield echoed with the sounds of clashing.
It was a duel of sword energy against psychic power.
On the battlefield, Cavendish slashed with all his might, the cape on his back gradually becoming soaked with sweat and dirt, turning a murky black.
Meanwhile, Robin stood tall and graceful amidst the storm of sword energy, her arms folded, expression serene—she didn't even acknowledge Cavendish's relentless attacks.
Bang!
Finally, as Cavendish's final strike landed, Espeon's lavender shield remained intact, showing no sign of breaking.
At that moment, Cavendish chose to stop his assault.
Despite his dirt-streaked clothes, he retreated with grace, his elegance seemingly ingrained in his very being.
Yet with this retreat, it wasn't just Cavendish himself stepping back. The girls who supported him were also thrown into disarray.
Although Lord Cavendish was undeniably handsome, Sister Robin, standing tall amidst the chaos of battle, was equally awe-inspiring!
Some of Cavendish's more open-minded fans found themselves instantly captivated by this battle-hardened queen.
Who would have thought that women could be so powerful?
In an instant, many fans switched allegiance.
And seeing Cavendish's embarrassing retreat after failing to land a blow on Robin, the other spectators were more convinced than ever that he was no match for her!
In the world of Pokémon Contests, raw power wasn't the only measure of success.
But overwhelming strength still said a lot.
Even with her energy nearly depleted, Robin was now a radiant goddess of battle in the eyes of the audience.
By contrast, Cavendish, unaccustomed to such battles, was starting to look more like a pawn being manipulated.
In an instant, the crowd erupted into cheers for Robin:
"Robin! Robin! Robin!"
The audience chanted.
To easily fend off a pirate with a bounty of 280 million Baileys, Robin's strength had won their respect.
"Tch, how noisy!"
The cheers filled Cavendish's ears, and he sighed inwardly.
As one of the world's most handsome men, he had grown used to the adoration and applause since setting sail.
Today, for the first time, someone else was stealing the spotlight that was rightfully his.
What made it even worse was...
Despite multiple clashes, it was clear that while his own energy hadn't been greatly depleted, Robin was nearing exhaustion.
Cavendish could tell Robin was running on fumes, yet she still acted as if everything was under control, which irked him to no end.
But irritation aside, there was little he could do about it.
While Robin herself wasn't overwhelmingly strong, Espeon by her side was far beyond him in power.
Winning this battle would not be easy.
Although Cavendish was narcissistic, he wasn't a fool.
Looking at the reward totals above the battlefield, he realized what Robin was aiming for.
Though Robin had stolen the spotlight and applause, Cavendish wasn't about to give up on ultimate victory.
With Durandal firmly in hand, he raised his handsome face and looked at Robin.
"You're right, Miss Robin," he said suddenly, sighing.
"I underestimated the Pokémon Contest!"
His clear voice echoed through the arena, broadcasted for everyone to hear.
Cavendish's sudden change in demeanor caused the audience's excitement to falter, the electrifying atmosphere quickly cooling.
The cheers grew quieter.
Everyone turned to the big screen, watching Cavendish's handsome face, wondering what he was planning.
Robin narrowed her eyes, unsure of his intentions.
She didn't know why his attitude had shifted, but she wasn't about to let Cavendish disrupt her rising momentum.
"Realizing it now? Don't you think it's a bit too late?"
Robin laughed, placing one hand on her hip, raising her right leg slightly, and striking a graceful pose.
"The Pokémon Contest, organized by the Dimensional Merchant, is a grand event destined to impact the entire world. Yet you insisted on your own approach, treating this competition with the mindset of old battles…"
"From the very start, you lost your chance at victory!"
Robin lifted her head proudly and gestured dismissively at Cavendish.
"You should head backstage and repent for your arrogance."
"Espeon, use Confuse Ray!"
At Robin's command, a bright, mysterious light burst from the ruby on Espeon's forehead and flew toward Cavendish.
However...
In a flash, Cavendish suddenly lifted his head, his eyes sharp as he stared down the incoming Confuse Ray.
His expression hardened as if he had made some kind of resolution, murmuring:
"Although I really don't want to let him out, I won't allow myself to be defeated so completely in this Contest!"
Cavendish wasn't completely unprepared.
At the very least, he knew that Robin's Pokémon was a Psychic-type Espeon.
And Confuse Ray, a signature move of the Psychic type, was something he had anticipated.
The powerful beam, formed by concentrated psychic energy, had a chance to cause confusion in its target.
The likelihood of confusion depended on the strength of the attacker and the one being attacked.
But in reality, moves could always be used more creatively.
For example...
Boom!!!
The powerful Confuse Ray struck Cavendish head-on, passing through him and soaring into the sky behind.
Though he could have used his speed to dodge the attack, he chose to face it head-on, abandoning all defense.
Crack!
A sharp sound echoed through the battlefield as Cavendish's rapier suddenly slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground. His body, now covered in wounds, followed suit, collapsing with a heavy thud.
"Huh?" Robin frowned, puzzled by Cavendish's unexpected behavior.
The audience watched with wide eyes, just as confused as Robin.
"Did... did Miss Robin just win?" someone in the crowd muttered, uncertain of the abrupt conclusion.
As the realization set in, the crowd began to stir, preparing to cheer for the apparent victor...
But before they could start celebrating, a strange, eerie wind swept through the arena, causing Cavendish's clothes to flutter ominously.
"Wait, what!?" a voice from the audience suddenly cried out. "That pretty boy is standing up again!"
"What!?"
The crowd's cheers died down instantly, and all eyes refocused on the battlefield.
Cavendish, who had been struck down by the Confuse Ray, slowly picked up Durandal and rose to his feet. His head hung low, hiding his expression, but a palpable tension spread through the arena, sending chills down everyone's spines.
A menacing aura began to emanate from Cavendish.
Robin, sensing the shift with her observation Haki, instinctively tensed. Even the composed image she usually maintained as a goddess of battle began to waver slightly.
Luckily, everyone's attention was fixed on Cavendish, and no one noticed Robin's slight unease.
"What... what's happening? Is this some kind of Devil Fruit power?" Robin wondered, her thoughts racing.
Through her observation Haki, she could now sense a terrifying aura from Cavendish—nearly twice as powerful as before.
Cavendish's strength had now surpassed even that of Espeon.
Robin discreetly took half a step back, positioning Espeon in front of her.
Facing the earlier Cavendish, she could still maintain her performance, but now, against this transformed Cavendish, Robin dared not be so confident.
As the audience held their breath, a low growl suddenly rumbled from Cavendish's throat. His head snapped up.
In an instant, a terrifying wave of darkness surged forward, crashing towards Robin like a tsunami.
"This... what is this!?"
Robin's eyes widened as she prepared to question him, but before she could speak, Cavendish's figure vanished from sight.
"Not good!!!"
A thought flashed in Robin's mind, and she quickly commanded, "Espeon, use Teleport!"
Fortunately, the bond between Robin and Espeon was strong, and almost before she had spoken, Espeon was already prepared.
With a swift movement, both Robin and Espeon vanished just as a swift and ferocious slash cut through the spot where they had stood.
Boom!!!
The rocky battlefield split apart, the ground shattered by the immense force of the attack.
This time, Cavendish's slashes were not like before—gone was the delicate sword energy, replaced by wild, feral power and blinding speed.
When his attack missed, Cavendish's gray-white figure disappeared again, instantly reappearing to launch another assault on Robin and Espeon.
But once again, without needing Robin's command, Espeon used Teleport to dodge the attack, staying a step ahead of Cavendish.
For Espeon, with its current strength, using Teleport multiple times was barely taxing.
But Robin knew all too well...
If she continued to evade like this, all the advantages she had gained earlier would be lost!
By now, the spectators around the battlefield were wearing blank expressions, their faces mirroring their confusion.
They watched Cavendish, who seemed like an entirely different person, not knowing what to make of this sudden transformation.
The battle, which had lasted less than ten minutes, had already seen several dramatic twists.
Initially, they thought it would be a close contest between Robin, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Battle Zone, and Cavendish, the flamboyant supernova pirate.
But within the first ten seconds, Cavendish had given away the first blow without putting up much resistance.
Then, Robin had shown overwhelming strength, completely disregarding Cavendish's attacks and finally hitting him with a strange beam of light.
Before the audience could process this, the unconscious Cavendish had risen again, now unleashing terrifying speed as he chased Robin across the battlefield with relentless slashes.
Though his eerie transformation had frightened many of his female fans, causing some to abandon him on the spot...
There was no denying that...
The dramatic scene unfolding before them, with its powerful visual impact, was thrilling the audience in a way few static battles could.
This was what it meant to encounter a true challenge!
On the battlefield, Cavendish's figure seemed almost invisible, vanishing from the audience's sight except when he attacked.
Boom!
Another powerful slash landed, the earth beneath it splintering like a spider's web under the force of the blow.
Robin, now appearing some distance away from Cavendish, narrowed her eyes. Before he could spot her again, she began to think rapidly.
After several near misses, though she didn't fully understand why Cavendish had suddenly become so much stronger, Robin had observed something important...
Cavendish seemed to be mentally unstable.
Recalling his reactions and words just before being hit by the Confuse Ray, a bold thought suddenly occurred to Robin:
"Could it be that this Cavendish has some sort of unconscious power boost!?"
While this might not be the complete answer, Robin had pinpointed the most crucial aspect...
Cavendish was no longer rational!
Robin exhaled a sigh of relief.
If he were truly that powerful, she wouldn't have known how to handle it.
But now that she understood, Robin's mind began to work quickly.
Just as she dodged another of Cavendish's attacks, Robin sighed again, this time audibly:
"Alas..."
The sigh was cold and indifferent, but tinged with endless regret.
Robin's eyes filled with disappointment, and she sighed once more:
"The time I gave you was enough."
"But in the end, you still can't control this power rationally. How disappointing..."
With that, a giant hand made of countless arms rose from beneath Robin's feet, lifting her high into the sky.
She maintained her calm demeanor, as though she had grown tired of the pointless battle and was now choosing to overlook everything from on high.
However...
Only Robin knew the truth.
She had successfully moved herself out of Cavendish's immediate range of attack.
Seeing the crazed Cavendish now swinging his sword wildly at Espeon, Robin immediately understood...
Her guess was correct.
In Cavendish's current state, the only target of his attack was Espeon.
From her elevated position, Robin waved gracefully, like a queen commanding her troops, and said coolly:
"Go, Espeon, this is your last chance!"
"If he can't grasp it, don't blame us for being heartless."
(End of this chapter)