Boom!
The intense collision of extreme cold and brilliant fire instantly transformed the entire arena into a world of ice and fire.
Realizing that Sanji and the Blaziken had the advantage in speed, Suicune abandoned its usual water-type moves. Instead of focusing on precision and explosive water-based attacks, it opted for ice-based moves that targeted the entire battlefield—better suited to this particular fight.
Above, the rain caused by Suicune's Rain Dance continued to pour unabated, but the large raindrops striking Sanji and the Blaziken evaporated quickly, seared away by the intense flames they generated.
However, Suicune's rain wasn't just for show; water has the subtle power to seep into everything, and in battle, this quality is crucial.
No matter how fiercely Sanji's flames burned, a mist began forming around him, and under the influence of Absolute Zero, this mist solidified into fine ice particles clinging to their bodies.
Feeling the suffocating cold, both Sanji and the Blaziken shivered. Sanji began to regret not having purchased the Sunny Day weather move for the Blaziken. Their stamina was already inferior to Suicune's, and now the humid environment was giving Suicune a clear advantage.
Taking advantage of the moisture from the rain, Suicune unleashed a burst of icy energy from its mouth, enveloping Sanji and Blaziken like a giant hand. In an instant, the two were encased in a massive block of ice.
Suicune's Absolute Zero froze Sanji and the Blaziken completely, turning their fiery forms into a towering glacier.
Crack... crack...
A sharp cracking sound echoed as a visible fissure appeared on the glacier. With a loud bang, a large hole burst open, and blazing flames erupted forth, melting the ice instantly.
Regaining their freedom, Sanji and Blaziken quickly retreated, wary of being frozen again.
The scattered ice energy, now without a target, floated aimlessly under Suicune's control. Suddenly, the rain, as well as the entire space, seemed to freeze in mid-air under the intense cold, creating an icy landscape that stood like a beautiful piece of art, exuding a chilling aura.
"Damn, you're strong!"
Sanji, now safely distant, felt his blood surge, evaporating the remaining ice on his body. He stared at Suicune, a mix of fear and determination in his eyes. The difference in their power levels made him feel like a novice pirate facing a Warlord of the Sea—utterly outmatched.
As the heavy rain soaked his hair, leaving him looking thoroughly drenched, Sanji muttered under his breath, "This is bad…"
Meanwhile, in the contestants' lounge, Usopp watched Suicune's power on the big screen, disbelief etched across his face. In the corner, Joffrey couldn't help but smile bitterly. No one had expected Suicune's strength to become so overwhelming after its bond evolution. It seemed certain that the winner of this battle would be His Majesty Cobra of the Alabasta Kingdom.
Many in the audience shared the same thought.
"What a pity…" Bini Bini sighed, unsure whether he was lamenting Sanji's imminent defeat or simply in awe of the strength displayed by his competitors.
But then, a voice suddenly rang out near Bini Bini.
"Not necessarily~"
All eyes turned to the source of the voice. Zoro stood under the big screen, arms crossed, a relaxed smile on his face.
"That guy isn't that easy to beat!"
As someone who frequently sparred with Sanji during special training, Zoro knew well how resilient Sanji could be. While Suicune's power was undeniably formidable, Zoro believed Sanji's strength was not yet fully displayed. And…
Zoro's eyes narrowed, a green light flickering in them. The bond evolution between Cobra and Suicune had a critical weakness. If Sanji could exploit it, the outcome might still be uncertain!
...
In the pouring rain, Sanji lit a damp cigarette with his flames, took a drag, and murmured, "Blaziken, I guess we can't afford to be gentlemen in this fight."
"Cha! (Indeed!)" replied Blaziken, its gaze full of fighting spirit as it looked at Sanji.
After their bond evolution, Blaziken instantly understood Sanji's intentions. Like Zoro, Sanji had already identified Cobra and Suicune's weakness.
"In that case, let's embrace the challenge, hahahaha…"
Sanji laughed confidently, discarding his half-smoked cigarette extinguished by the rain. Standing together with Blaziken, they remained perfectly still.
"Huh?!"
Seeing this, Cobra was startled, assuming they were preparing a major attack. He immediately became alert, scanning the surroundings vigilantly.
Time passed slowly.
The audience watched in puzzlement as Sanji and Blaziken remained motionless. But soon, some began to understand Sanji's strategy.
"That brat's pretty clever," remarked Zeff, still in his chef's attire, with a grin and a look of anticipation in his eyes.
...
Three minutes passed, with Sanji and Blaziken standing still, letting the rain drench them. Even the flames on Blaziken began to flicker as though all its energy was being conserved internally.
Wait, conserve energy?!
Cobra suddenly realized what was happening. Feeling his own energy slowly depleting due to the bond evolution, he glanced at Suicune with a start.
This wasn't good!
He understood Sanji's plan—Sanji was stalling, waiting for Cobra's stamina to deplete and for the bond evolution to end!
Realizing this, Cobra felt foolish for having wasted three minutes staring at his opponent. Unlike strong fighters like Zoro or Sanji, Cobra's stamina couldn't sustain the bond evolution for long.
If left unchecked, Cobra estimated he could maintain the bond for about five hours without exertion, but in battle, he'd be lucky to last two hours. Although only a few minutes had passed, the battle had just begun, and time was still on Sanji's side.
To prolong Suicune's bond evolution, Cobra had deliberately refrained from using water energy, conserving as much stamina as possible.
"Suicune, use Blizzard!"
Cobra suddenly shouted, pointing at Sanji in the distance.
"ROAR!!!"
Also realizing it had been tricked, Suicune roared in anger. Ice energy surged within its body like an erupting volcano, shooting straight into the sky.
In an instant, the torrential rain vanished, replaced by a howling wind carrying icy snowflakes. While the Rain Dance move alters the sky through the use of Pokémon's special energy, Suicune now relied on sheer power to transform the entire arena into a frozen wasteland.
The damp ground froze solid, and a mirror-smooth sheet of ice covered the entire arena.
"Fufufufu, what a fearsome power!"
Doflamingo, observing from behind the protective shield, smirked as he imagined the bone-chilling cold inside.
Just as everyone was mesmerized by the raging blizzard, a huge water ball, like a cannonball, shot towards where Sanji and Blaziken were standing. It was then that everyone realized the Blizzard was just a diversion. The real purpose was to obscure Sanji's vision, allowing for a sneak attack.
The water cannon, filled with terrifying power, tore through the blizzard. Tiny ice crystals began forming around it, and in the blink of an eye, it reached Sanji.
"No! Get out of the way!!!"
Level 70 is no joke! If Sanji hadn't been cautious, he might not have even realized the second attack was coming!
Before he could think too much, his leg muscles tightened like a spring, launching him off the ground.
Navy Six Style — Shave!
Though typically a Navy technique, Sanji had mastered it, and it proved invaluable in this moment.
Boom!
The massive water cannon struck where Sanji had been standing with immense force, creating thousands of waves.
Although Sanji and Blaziken dodged the brunt of the attack, the impact and ice shards still grazed him, making him groan in pain.
"Suicune! Keep going!"
Now aware of Sanji's strategy, Cobra wouldn't let him catch a break.
Cobra himself was low on stamina, unable to keep up much longer. But as a Pokémon, Suicune had no such limitations.
In no time, Suicune turned into a mechanical turret, firing water cannon after water cannon at Sanji and Blaziken.
While water-based moves may not be as precise as ice-based ones, the sheer number of water cannons made it impossible for Sanji and Blaziken to escape unscathed.
"Agh!—cough!"
Sanji coughed up blood, his organs trembling as though struck by a truck, sending him flying ten meters.
But Suicune's water cannons were far more powerful than any truck impact!
No one can easily withstand the force of a near-Admiral-level attack!
As the second water cannon came down, Sanji quickly got back up, dodging like a cat avoiding a predator.
He looked disheveled, a far cry from his usual gentlemanly appearance.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
The arena echoed with constant, deafening roars. The ground beneath the audience's feet trembled from the repeated impacts.
Yet, the more Suicune attacked, the paler Cobra's face became.
Time passed with every booming explosion.
By now, even the ordinary spectators understood from the murmurs around them that Sanji's current strategy was a desperate race against time.
Although he and Blaziken were repeatedly struck by water cannons, they persevered, running tirelessly around the ring.
Finally, after yet another volley of water cannons from Suicune, Cobra suddenly staggered, his vision blurring as he dropped to one knee.
Suicune, in the midst of firing another water cannon, paused as a familiar light enveloped its body.
But this time, the light didn't empower Suicune—it returned it to its original form.
The bond evolution was undone...
Wow!!!
The audience erupted in shock!
No one could believe that, despite the fierce onslaught, Sanji had endured!
"Huh?"
Sanji, about to dash away again, froze mid-step. Realizing what had happened, he spat out blood, staining his tie.
But he didn't care.
After all, this was not the first time he had coughed up blood in the past two hours.
And several of his ribs were broken.
But the explosive power of the water cannons washed away most of the blood from his body each time.
"Finally... We made it through!"
Seeing Suicune revert to its original state, Sanji curled his lips into a smile.
Ignoring his battered body, Sanji turned to Blaziken and grinned:
"Looks like it's our turn now!"
Though the pain was immense, to someone with Vinsmoke blood, it was merely the key to awakening his full potential!
"Cha!"
Blaziken, too, stopped running and stood firm.
Compared to Sanji, Blaziken was still in great condition.
As long as its energy wasn't depleted, any injuries it sustained were merely superficial.
Under bond evolution, powered by Sanji's bloodline, even after being struck several times, Blaziken remained vigorous.
...
...
"Sui~"
On the other side of the battlefield, Suicune turned to Cobra, who was exhausted and standing in the freezing cold.
The power fueling the blizzard instantly dissipated, and the bone-chilling atmosphere began to warm.
Though Suicune often displayed dissatisfaction with its trainer, it was just their way of interacting. In critical moments, Suicune would never allow Cobra to be harmed.
"Don't worry about me, Suicune!"
Kneeling on one knee, Cobra suddenly looked up at Suicune.
"I can handle myself. This is your battlefield! Go, don't worry about me!!!"
Cobra shouted, his voice filled with guilt.
Once again, he had become a burden to Suicune.
But, unfortunately, there was nothing he could do...
Struggling to his feet, Cobra clutched his throbbing head and quickly retreated to the edge of the ring, trying to remove himself from the battle.
"Sui..."
Suicune groaned softly.
Sensing Cobra's emotions, Suicune's eyes flared with golden light, radiating the pride of a legendary beast.
At that moment, Sanji and Blaziken, now ready to fight again, charged forward, flames blazing.
"Diable Jambe—Flambè Shot!!!"
"Cha! (Flare Blitz!)"
It was the same move, the same attack.
But this time, with Suicune no longer in its bond evolution state, it couldn't keep up with Sanji and Blaziken's movements.
"Roar!!!"
Two powerful kicks landed on Suicune, one from the left and one from the right, and the intense flames spread across its body.
Suicune howled in pain, a cold light flashing in its eyes as it unleashed another Absolute Zero. The move extinguished the flames and aimed directly at Sanji and Blaziken.
The two sides clashed fiercely again.
However...
With Sanji's bloodline factor fully awakened, his attacks, which had been relentless for two hours, not only didn't weaken but even seemed to grow stronger!
In the end, after being assailed from both sides, Suicune, who had been so formidable moments ago, was overwhelmed by the searing flames...
With a final, agonized wail, Suicune collapsed to the ground.
The two-hour-long battle finally came to an end.
The two warriors, their bodies still ablaze, exchanged glances and then turned their gaze to Cobra, who was huddled in the corner, trembling.
Feeling the scorching heat, Cobra raised a trembling hand and sighed:
"I... I surrender..."
(End of this chapter)