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Katakuri knew that Koby's next attack would be devastating.
He didn't dare to underestimate it and pushed his Mochi-Mochi Fruit to its awakened state.
With his Devil Fruit fully awakened, Katakuri could affect the environment around him, transforming the entire arena platform into glutinous mochi. The sticky waves of mochi surged toward Koby like a tidal wave, ready to overwhelm him.
Koby's eyes narrowed, his fingers pointing at the space in front of him. In the next instant, the very air before him shattered under the power of the Small Collapse Technique.
As the mochi wave collided with the Small Collapse Technique, it disintegrated instantly, torn apart by the intense, concentrated force. The shockwave spread out toward Katakuri, threatening to engulf him.
Katakuri's expression changed drastically as he sensed the impending danger. In that moment, he had a powerful premonition of his own demise. Reacting with speed born from years of battle, he managed to evade the attack by a hair's breadth, leaving the area just as the destructive force swept through.
The devastating energy from the Small Collapse Technique continued forward, shattering everything in its path. It slammed into the barrier set up by Bartolomeo's Barrier-Barrier Fruit.
Boom!
The barrier shattered instantly, bursting into countless pieces. Bartolomeo stood frozen, stunned by the sheer power of Koby's attack.
In the nick of time, Marco transformed into a blue phoenix, positioning himself between Koby and the rest of the arena, using his flames to help disperse the remaining energy of the attack.
But Koby was already preparing to unleash the Small Collapse Technique again, his gaze fixed on Katakuri with unrelenting determination.
Marco shouted out, "Koby! Have you forgotten what Captain Chiba told you?"
The words snapped Koby out of his focused rage. He held back, finally coming to his senses. He took a deep breath and looked at Katakuri, conceding, "You win this match… but I'll be taking my sword back."
Katakuri glanced at the famed sword Luobai in his hand, then tossed it back to Koby. "You've earned my respect, kid. Take your sword."
Katakuri then stepped down from the arena. "This match was no victory for me, either," he said. Though he desired the artificial Mera-Mera Fruit with the Golden Crow form, he valued his pride and honor more.
With the fight over, Bartolomeo let out a sigh of relief, then glared at Vista. "Vista, that was way too close! If it weren't for Uncle Marco stepping in, I'd be toast!"
Vista chuckled. "Didn't you say your barrier could defend against any attack? Looks like that claim didn't hold up!"
Bartolomeo fumed but couldn't come up with a retort. He looked at Koby in awe and thought, Note to self: never provoke Koby. If he gets serious, I'm finished.
Turning away, he muttered to himself, "Maybe I'll go pick on Cavendish instead. At least his sword can't pierce my barrier…"
Nearby, Cavendish overheard Bartolomeo's grumbling and smirked. "What's the matter, Bartolomeo? Looks like your invincible barrier got shattered!"
Bartolomeo picked his nose nonchalantly and flicked a booger in Cavendish's direction. Cavendish dodged it, looking disgusted. "That's vile! How dare you!"
"Get over it, Saobao," Bartolomeo replied dismissively.
"Don't call me that!" Cavendish snapped, charging at Bartolomeo.
Bartolomeo quickly hid behind his barrier, taunting Cavendish as he swung his sword in frustration. The two continued their comical scuffle, oblivious to the tension they'd caused moments before.
Vista watched them with a smile. This is how pirate friendships often start—through rivalry and mutual annoyance. But once they fight side by side, these two will be inseparable.
Finally, the host announced that the match was a draw, and with Koby stepping down from the tournament, no one advanced to the next round from this battle.
The arena, now damaged once again, would need another round of repairs. Doflamingo, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fists in frustration. Every match costs me a fortune in repairs, he thought, but deep down he couldn't help but feel excited. The arrival of so many powerful fighters was drawing attention across the seas, exactly as he had planned.
---
Two days later, the second round of the tournament began.
The four remaining fighters—Rebecca, the female swordsman; Vista, the swordsman from Whitebeard's crew; Sabo, the revolutionary; and Bartolomeo, the barrier-wielding pirate—stood on the platform.
The final victor would be determined from among them.
Bartolomeo, hands on his hips, looked at Vista with a grin. "Uncle Vista, your sword can't cut through my barrier! This fruit is as good as mine!"
Vista stroked his beard with a chuckle. "You're a little too confident, Bartolomeo. Don't forget, your barrier was shattered just a few days ago."
Bartolomeo laughed, brushing off the comment. "That was a one-time thing. An exception! It won't happen again. And even if it does, it won't be you who breaks it!"
Realizing that Vista might try to catch him off-guard, Bartolomeo preemptively activated his barrier power, wrapping himself tightly in an impenetrable shield even before the match began.
Vista turned to the host and raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it against the rules for him to use his ability before the fight starts?"
Bartolomeo smirked. "I'm not attacking anyone, so it's perfectly fair."
The host nodded. "As long as there's no attack, it's not a foul."
Bartolomeo laughed triumphantly, while Vista sighed, shaking his head. These young ones are so full of tricks these days.
"Let the match begin!" the host announced.
As soon as the signal was given, Vista didn't target Bartolomeo. Instead, he teamed up with Bartolomeo to go after Sabo, the strongest outsider in the group.
Though both Vista and Bartolomeo wanted the fruit for themselves, they understood the importance of working together to eliminate the most dangerous contender first. Sabo, with his revolutionary background and fierce combat skills, posed a significant threat.
Bartolomeo laughed as he created a barrier to flank Sabo, forcing him toward Vista. "Looks like you're in a tight spot, Mr. Revolutionary!"
Sabo smirked, quickly adapting to the situation. His Observation Haki sensed the approaching attacks, and with fluid movements, he dodged both Vista's sword strikes and Bartolomeo's barriers.
The battle intensified as the fighters clashed, their combined skills pushing each other to the limit. The stakes were high, and the tension only continued to build as the match progressed.
[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧
✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.