Chapter 117: Female Swordsman Rebecca
Cavendish's body felt incredibly light, as if it had no weight at all. Suddenly, he vanished from sight.
"He's so fast," Vista muttered, stunned by Cavendish's sudden speed increase. Cavendish's afterimages appeared around Vista, too quick to follow.
"How did his speed increase so dramatically?" Ace wondered aloud, surprised by the transformation.
Bartolomeo, watching from the stands, quickly activated his barrier fruit to shield himself, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "This guy is a lot scarier now."
Vista's Observation Haki flared, predicting Cavendish's attack trajectory. The two clashed fiercely, exchanging over ten blows in an instant before separating.
Vista retreated, a wide grin on his face. "Incredible, truly amazing. The young folks these days are something else."
"He attacked Vista with more than a dozen moves? And it's a tie?" Ace was shocked by Cavendish's swift swordsmanship.
"Is this guy a Devil Fruit user too?" Ace pondered, turning to Chiba. "Did you know about this?"
Chiba chuckled, "Ace, you've lost this one. Queen Elizabello II is now your responsibility."
Ace's mouth twitched, "You promised me, but now you're giving me a crew member."
"Exactly, I promised you'd have him as a crew member," Chiba replied, grinning.
Ace, momentarily speechless, turned his attention back to the arena, curious about Cavendish's capabilities.
Cavendish, in his altered state, exhibited dramatically enhanced strength and speed. Vista nearly defeated him several times, but Cavendish narrowly escaped each time. Eventually, Cavendish stopped attacking head-on and circled Vista, seeking an opportunity.
Vista feigned an opening, seized the chance, and kicked Cavendish into the water. Cavendish snapped back to reality, slaying a bullfighting fish before leaping out, but he was already defeated and had to exit the stage.
Despite his defeat, the audience erupted in cheers, chanting Cavendish's name. Although bested by Vista, Cavendish's performance against such a formidable opponent impressed them.
In the VIP section, Ace nodded, "Cavendish is impressive. I want him in our fleet. What do you think, Chiba?"
"You're the vice-captain; you can handle crew recruitment," Chiba replied.
Ace smiled, "You don't want such a talented swordsman under your direct command? Cavendish could surpass Vista and even rival someone like Hawkeye."
"I'm too lazy to teach Koby and Bellumebo, let alone Cavendish. I don't want to burden myself," Chiba said before closing his eyes to practice his newly acquired cultivation method.
His body was gradually becoming more elastic, capable of accumulating tremendous power. One day, his punches could deliver ten or even twenty times the force, making them devastating.
The tournament continued with the third big fight, featuring Rebecca, Bellumebo, Don Chinjao, Sai, and other well-known fighters.
Rebecca faced a swordsman, a notable figure but reduced to a mere bystander here. Despite this, he managed to hold his own against her.
Rebecca, the only woman in the tournament, drew much attention, her beauty and daring attire captivating the audience.
Male spectators cheered, "Go, female swordsman!"
"Even if you lose, I'll support you!" others shouted.
Meanwhile, female spectators grew envious. "Rebecca's strength is pathetic. She shouldn't be in the arena. She should be taken down."
"She dares to compete with such weak skills? She should lose quickly," they cursed.
On the VIP platform, Chiba observed Rebecca. "Her strength is at the bottom."
Ace nodded, "She's young and talented, but compared to Bartolomeo and Cavendish, she's not quite there. Are you interested in her? She is quite attractive."
Chiba smiled, "I already have my hands full with Hina and the others."
"But Ace, who do you think will win this tournament?"
"Vista, without question," Ace replied confidently.
Chiba frowned, "Vista is strong. If he wins my Mera-Mera Fruit Golden Crow form, how will it showcase the fruit's power?"
Ace was taken aback, and Chiba glanced at Koby, who quickly grasped Chiba's intent through his keen Observation Haki and excused himself.
Meanwhile, Bellumebo perked up, his ears catching Chiba's words.
Don Chinjao, observing the competition, turned to Sai, "Let's team up to clear out these small fry before we fight each other."
"Agreed," Sai replied, and together they began sweeping the arena.
The lesser fighters were no match for Don Chinjao and Sai, quickly eliminated, leaving only Bellumebo and Rebecca.
Don Chinjao and Sai faced Bellumebo and Rebecca, "You two should quit before we have to act."
Bellumebo smiled, "Let me show you the power of magma. Rebecca, stay behind me."
As he spoke, Bellumebo's body radiated intense heat, magma erupting from him and driving Don Chinjao and Sai back into the audience.
"Magma-Magma Fruit?" Don Chinjao and Sai's expressions changed drastically.
The audience gasped. "Magma-Magma Fruit? How does this kid have it?"
"Does this confirm the rumors that Sakazuki was killed by Monkey D. Chiba?"
"Who knows? Chiba has done the impossible before. If he killed Sakazuki, it wouldn't be surprising."
"But who is this kid, and how did he get the Magma-Magma Fruit and force back the Happo Navy's top fighters?"
The Happo Navy was well-known, especially Don Chinjao, who once battled Garp.
"Isn't that Bellumebo?" Blackbeard squinted at Bellumebo.
He recognized him as Chiba's subordinate. "How does he have the Magma-Magma Fruit, and how did his strength grow so much?"
Blackbeard, well-versed in Devil Fruits, wondered why such a powerful fruit chose Bellumebo.
"Captain, Badgers might not secure the Mera-Mera Fruit Golden Crow form," one of Blackbeard's crew remarked.
Blackbeard's eyes flickered. With Vista and Bellumebo, Badgers was outmatched.
"It seems we must abandon this pursuit. It's just a man-made Devil Fruit," Blackbeard consoled his crew, contemplating the potential of studying Chiba's artificial fruit elsewhere.
"If Sakazuki is truly dead," Fujitora mused from the stands, glancing at the VIP section.
Chiba sensed the gaze and turned, spotting the blind Marine.
Ace, noticing Chiba's reaction, followed his gaze to Fujitora. "This guy is strong."
"Has he noticed us? Such keen perception," Fujitora withdrew his senses and departed.
"That's Marine's new Admiral, Fujitora," Chiba noted, watching him leave.
"Marine's new Admiral?" Ace's eyes narrowed as he watched Fujitora go.
Marine Admirals were formidable, not weaker than Ace himself. He couldn't afford to be careless. If captured, he might not have a second chance at rescue.
Ace glanced at Chiba, who observed Fujitora's departure. "I can't cause Chiba any more trouble," Ace resolved, staying vigilant.
On the fighting stage, Bellumebo's magma consumed everything, destroying the platform and heating the water below. The intense heat was felt even by the audience, their skin stinging.
Rebecca, feeling the heat, realized she would be incinerated if she touched it. Despair filled her heart.
"These monsters are too powerful. Can I ever obtain the Mera-Mera Fruit Golden Crow form?"
Without it, how could she fight Doflamingo and save Dressrosa?
As Rebecca hesitated, Bellumebo suddenly raised his hand, calling to the host, "I concede."
The host was stunned, "W-what did you say?"
"I concede. Rebecca is the winner of this match," Bellumebo declared, lifting Rebecca's wrist. "Let's cheer for our female warrior, Rebecca!"
The male audience erupted, whistling and shouting.
"You're a real man, conceding like that! Are you after Rebecca?"
"Rebecca's beautiful, but giving up the fight is foolish. Win the final battle and give her the Mera-Mera Fruit Golden Crow form!"
"Rebecca's too weak. She'll be eliminated in the second round. You're being too naive."
Rebecca turned to Bellumebo, "Why are you helping me?"
Bellumebo replied gallantly, "Protecting a lady is a gentleman's duty. Besides, my lord instructed me to protect you. He wants to meet you."
"Your lord?"
"Yes, my lord is the legendary Marine, Monkey D. Chiba. He's no longer a Marine and is wanted, but if you don't mind, come meet him."
"Of course not," Rebecca said excitedly. "Meeting Chiba-sama is an honor."
"Come with me," Bellumebo smiled, leading the way, Rebecca following.
With the arena damaged again, repairs were necessary, delaying the competition for five days.
Bellumebo brought Rebecca to Chiba's ship.
Rebecca finally saw the legendary Marine. She stole a glance, finding Chiba even more handsome than his photos, possessing a unique aura.
[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧
✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.