(Thank you all for your amazing support! In just two days since I started posting, I've already reached my first 50 power stones. To show my appreciation, I'll be releasing bonus chapters as a reward! The more power stones we get, the more bonus chapters I'll post—so keep them coming!)
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Uchiha Itachi was standing calmly as The battle between him and Marigold had begun in earnest.
"Kid, if you don't want to die, surrender now!" Marigold swung her massive weapon toward Itachi, but he swiftly dodged her strike.
"Kill him, Lord Marigold!" the audience shouted in unison.
From the stands, Uchiha Sasuke, still young, cheered for his brother, "Come on, brother!"
Marigold sneered, her voice filled with frustration. "Is hiding all you can do?"
In a sudden move, Marigold spat a thick, poisonous phlegm toward Itachi. But once again, Itachi dodged it with ease.
The toxic slime hit the ground with a sizzling sound, corroding everything it touched.
"Poison?!" someone from the Uchiha clan exclaimed.
"Yes, it's extremely deadly!" Marigold grinned maliciously, reveling in her deadly advantage.
Unfazed, Uchiha Itachi quickly pulled out several shurikens and flung them toward Marigold. However, as the shurikens hit her, they bounced off her skin with a metallic clang, as though they had struck iron.
"What?!"
Itachi's surprise mirrored the confusion of the Uchiha clan, who couldn't understand what had just happened.
He kept looking at the black thing that appeared suddenly.
"Don't you know anything?" Marigold smirked arrogantly. "This is Haki, Armament Haki. You must be from some backwater if you don't even know that. Your puny attacks are nothing more than tickles to me!"
Raising her sword high, Marigold slashed at Itachi again, but he leaped into the air just in time. She quickly spat a venomous substance toward him once more.
Itachi formed a series of hand seals rapidly:
"Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger"
(巳 (Mi) → 未 (Hitsuji) → 申 (Saru) → 亥 (I) → 午 (Uma) → 寅 (Tora))
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A giant fireball, two meters in diameter, shot out of Itachi's mouth, incinerating the venom before it could reach him.
Marigold's eyes widened in shock, but she reacted quickly, retreating to avoid the brunt of the fireball.
*Boom!*
The fireball exploded, and Marigold screamed in agony as the heatwave from the explosion scorched her skin. Despite her use of Armament Haki, she couldn't completely shield herself from the intense heat.
"Master Marigold!"
"What kind of power is that?! He can spit fire?!"
Ignoring the murmurs of disbelief from the crowd, Marigold glared at Itachi, her voice filled with disbelief. "What kind of power do you wield?"
Itachi's voice was calm and measured. "Ninjutsu. If you don't want to be hurt, surrender."
"Brat! You think I'll surrender that easily? Don't think you're the only one who can use fire!"
With a roar, Marigold activated her Devil Fruit power, flames igniting around her body. Her hair transformed into two gigantic flaming serpents, menacingly writhing around her.
The audience erupted with excitement again. "Master Marigold is getting serious now!"
"That kid is dead!"
Marigold sneered, feeling invincible in her fiery transformation. "You brat, your flames won't hurt me anymore!"
Itachi remained composed. "Fire? Then I'll use water."
Marigold didn't wait and sent her fiery snakes lunging at Itachi. He leaped into the air once more, forming hand seals in rapid succession.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet"
A massive water dragon surged from Itachi's mouth, clashing violently with Marigold's fiery serpents. The water overwhelmed the fire, extinguishing the flames and filling the arena with thick steam.
*Boom!*
The explosion of steam spread through the stadium, briefly enveloping everything in a white mist. When the fog cleared, Marigold's flames were gone, and she was left soaking wet, her hair in disarray, looking utterly defeated.
Without warning, Uchiha Itachi appeared in front of her, his expression calm. "You've lost."
Marigold opened her mouth to protest, but suddenly realized she couldn't move. Panic flooded her as she remembered Akira's earlier words. She looked into Itachi's eyes and realized she had fallen into an illusion.
No matter how hard she struggled, her body wouldn't respond. She was trapped. It was only then that Marigold understood how terrifying this illusionary power was. Had Itachi wanted to, she would already be dead.
Marigold finally lowered her head in resignation, her voice filled with despair. "I lost."
*Hissss!*
The audience erupted in disbelief.
"What?!"
"Master Marigold surrendered?!"
"That kid is amazing!"
"He can spit fire and control water… How does he do it?!"
The female warriors in the stands were stunned. A mere boy—no older than his teens—had just defeated one of the Amazon Lily's strongest warriors, one of the three Gorgon sisters. It was unbelievable.
Sasuke beamed with pride, cheering loudly. "My brother is so awesome. My brother is the best"
The Uchiha clan was equally surprised by Itachi's performance, but those who knew him well weren't entirely shocked. After all, Akira had already become famous across the ninja world by the time he was eleven.
Marigold, humiliated, returned to Boa Hancock, who sat silently in her throne, her expression unreadable.
"I'm sorry, sister," Marigold muttered in shame. "I lost."
Boa Hancock's expression darkened slightly. The sister she had placed her hopes on had lost in the very first match, a bitter disappointment for the Pirate Empress.
"It's okay," Boa Hancock finally said, though her voice betrayed her frustration. "You were unfamiliar with the enemy's power. Leave the rest to me."
Her other sister, Sandersonia, stepped forward, her demeanor calm and reassuring. She placed a hand on Marigold's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll take care of the next fight."
But before stepping into the arena, Marigold quickly warned her, "Sister Sandersonia, be careful of their eyes. Their illusions are incredibly strong. Once they caught me in it, I couldn't move at all."
Sandersonia smiled confidently. "Illusions, huh? Just a cheap trick. I'll be fine as long as I don't look into his eyes."
Sandersonia was feeling like she can win Akira, the adult not to mention a child.
...