Chapter 123: Chiba vs. Sabo and Ace
Sabo showed no mercy, striking at Chiba's face with his dragon claw.
Chiba watched Sabo's movements carefully. As Sabo's claw approached his face, Chiba remained completely still, showing no intention of dodging.
Sabo's anger flared. Chiba was clearly looking down on him, and Sabo couldn't stand it. Today, I'll teach him a lesson, he thought, accelerating his charge.
Just as Sabo's claw was about to connect, Chiba suddenly moved.
In an instant, Chiba's speed overwhelmed Sabo. Before Sabo could even react or pull back, he felt a crushing grip around his neck.
Chiba had seized him and, with overwhelming force, slammed him straight toward the ground.
Boom!
A massive crater formed as Sabo hit the ground. Chiba's immense strength didn't harm Sabo directly but left an impressive impact on the ground below him.
Chiba released his grip, and Sabo looked up at the gaping hole he now lay in, smiling bitterly. "I didn't realize… the gap between us was this huge. Talk about a reality check."
Lying in the pit, Sabo could barely get up, clearly shaken by Chiba's strength.
Chiba looked down at him with a smile. "If you think this is bad, Kaido is even stronger. Right now, you're far from being able to face him."
Turning to Ace, Chiba asked, "What about you, Ace? Still want to give it a shot?"
Ace knew he wasn't a match for Chiba, but he also understood the value of testing himself against a powerhouse. Not only could he gauge the difference in strength, but he could also gain valuable combat experience. Nodding, Ace replied, "Of course. But I won't be as reckless as Sabo."
Ace began to circle Chiba, studying him, looking for an opening. He refrained from charging in headlong, instead biding his time. He circled Chiba for a full five minutes without making a move.
Sabo, watching from the sidelines, grew impatient. "Come on, Ace! Stop stalling and make a move!"
Ace responded calmly, "Rushing in would be suicidal. Do you think I'm as reckless as you?"
Sabo fell silent, realizing Ace's approach was more disciplined. Over time, Ace had learned patience, a lesson born from hard-won experiences.
Ace continued circling, but Chiba soon lost patience and began walking toward him. Ace instinctively started retreating.
In a flash, Chiba closed the distance, appearing behind Ace in an instant. Ace's body erupted into flames as he entered his elemental state to avoid Chiba's grasp.
However, Chiba's powerful Haki immediately nullified Ace's elemental form, allowing him to land a punch squarely on Ace's face.
Boom!
Ace went flying from the impact, stunned by the sheer power of Chiba's Haki. "Your Haki… When did it become this strong?" he muttered in disbelief.
Despite having mastered the Mera Mera no Mi and strengthened his elemental defenses, Ace's fire was dispersed with just one blow. The strength of Chiba's Haki had exceeded anything Ace had anticipated.
Sabo, watching, couldn't resist taunting. "Well, Ace, it looks like your tactic of running around didn't work. You circled him for so long, and yet you still couldn't handle his punch."
Ace smirked. "At least I lasted five minutes. You didn't even last one. And you still have the nerve to laugh?"
"Heh, we both lost instantly. What difference does it make?"
Ace shot back, "That's where you're wrong. On the battlefield, every second counts. A single moment can change the outcome of an entire war."
Sabo paused, taking in Ace's words and reflecting on them.
Ace then slumped onto the ground, lying back in defeat. "I didn't realize… the gap between us was this wide."
Chiba chuckled. "Train hard, you two. Who knows, maybe we won't need to fight Kaido at all if we can find a way to get the Azure Dragon form from the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Model."
Chiba's thoughts drifted to Doflamingo's SMILE factory and the information it held about Kaido's mythical dragon form. If he could get his hands on that data, along with a few strands of Kaido's hair, perhaps he could create a powerful artificial Devil Fruit.
After finishing his sparring with Sabo and Ace, Chiba made his way toward the arena.
Today marked the final match of the first round.
The tournament had attracted numerous skilled fighters, but one in particular caught Chiba's eye. His attire unmistakably marked him as Katakuri, the powerful Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates.
Katakuri, wielding the Mochi-Mochi Fruit, possessed abilities similar to Luffy's. His Observation Haki was incredibly advanced, and his Armament Haki was formidable as well. In terms of strength, Katakuri had reached an Admiral-level power.
On the arena stage, Katakuri wasted no time, unleashing his Mochi-Mochi powers to clear the field with ruthless efficiency.
Only one contestant, Koby, managed to dodge Katakuri's initial onslaught using his advanced Observation Haki.
Katakuri narrowed his eyes at Koby. "I didn't expect there'd be a skilled fighter in this small arena. Judging by your look, you must be Koby, Chiba's protégé. I heard you've eaten the Shock-Shock Fruit. Very well, show me its power."
With those words, Katakuri coated his hands in Armament Haki, preparing to face Koby head-on.
Koby drew his sword, Luobai, and focused his gaze on Katakuri, his own Haki surging.
From the VIP seats, Ace and Sabo watched the exchange in awe. "This guy… he's strong," Ace muttered, eyes fixed on Katakuri.
Sabo nodded. Even with his power boosted by Chiba's artificial Shock-Shock Fruit, he knew Katakuri was a formidable opponent. Without the Shock-Shock Fruit, Sabo doubted he could have matched Katakuri at all.
Ace acknowledged the truth of it as well. "If Chiba hadn't trained me, I'm not sure I'd stand a chance against him either."
Ace turned to Chiba, who was also watching the match intently. "Chiba, looks like Koby has a real fight on his hands this time."
[•[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧
✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.