Chiga looked at Robin helplessly, knowing her playful and mischievous nature had surfaced again.
But as he met her hopeful eyes, his heart softened.
Under the surprised gazes of everyone nearby, Chiga rose slowly from his seat and spoke calmly,
"I'll give it a try."
His voice wasn't loud, yet strangely, everyone in the arena heard him as if he were standing right beside them.
All eyes turned toward Chiga. But the moment they got a good look at him, many spectators burst into laughter.
In Dressrosa, physical strength and bulk were considered the ideal for men. Chiga, with his refined and somewhat delicate appearance, looked more like a noble scholar than a fighter. And now he was volunteering to step into the ring?
Despite the host's earlier words about holding back before injuries occurred, who could really guarantee that? Fights, after all, had a way of getting out of hand.
Still, when they noticed the stunning women—Robin and Violet—at Chiga's side, the crowd quickly decided that this was clearly an attempt to show off.
The two were among the most beautiful women anyone had seen, even in a city like Dressrosa known for its charm. Chiga must have been trying to impress them, they concluded, grinning in anticipation of his inevitable embarrassment.
Bellamy eyed Chiga from the stage, frowning. Something about him felt familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
The host beside Bellamy was equally baffled. Who the hell is this guy? he thought. Is this really the place for some random show-off?
Still, there was no one else on stage, and since Chiga had stepped forward, the host didn't need to send in their prearranged stand-in. If this fool wanted to be publicly humiliated, who was he to stop him?
Eager to keep things moving, the host grabbed the mic and called out,
"Then let's welcome this brave challenger with a warm round of applause! Let's see what he's got!"
Scattered clapping followed—mostly from women charmed by Chiga's looks. Most of the men watched with amused disdain.
Robin and Violet clapped earnestly from the sidelines, trying to hype him up.
Chiga gave them a light smile, then vanished—only to reappear beside the host on stage a moment later.
The distance between the audience seats and the stage was no joke. Yet no one had seen him move. Not even a blur.
Elsewhere, in a corridor nearby, a young boy with bull-like horns on his head saw Chiga appear and nearly collapsed in shock.
"Holy crap, you're kidding, right?!"
Eyes wide, he shook his head violently to confirm what he'd seen. After a long pause, he spun on his heels and sprinted toward King's Plateau, muttering breathlessly,
"I've gotta tell Young Master—immediately!"
Back on the stage, Bellamy had turned pale. That burst of speed… he stared at Chiga, trying to place him.
A name started forming in his mind when the host shoved the mic toward Chiga's mouth and asked,
"Such impressive speed, challenger. Can you tell us your name?"
Chiga offered a soft smile.
The host raised a brow. What kind of ridiculous name is that? he grumbled internally, but still shouted to the crowd,
"Then let the friendly match begin between Pot Kage Danzo and Bellamy!"
He quickly exited the stage, leaving the two men to face off.
Bellamy swallowed hard. Pot Kage Danzo? Is he not who I thought?
He peered into Chiga's eyes—just ordinary black. And Chiga's relatively slim build reassured him. Maybe he was overthinking things. Someone like that wouldn't be hiding here in plain sight, right? No way.
With his fears quieted, Bellamy smirked and took his stance.
He had been scared earlier—nearly humiliated himself. Now he was going to pay that back tenfold. Forget holding back. He planned to throw this cocky pretender into the water to feed the fighting fish.
Meanwhile, Chiga stood there yawning, arms folded across his chest, completely uninterested.
That calm, dismissive attitude only enraged Bellamy further. He clenched his fists and made a decision—he wouldn't stop until Chiga was a smear on the ring floor.
Bellamy's limbs coiled like springs again as he shouted,
He began bouncing across the arena at blinding speed, taunting as he went,
"Scared yet? You should be! The more I move, the faster I go. You won't even have time to scream before I break every bone in your body!"
Chiga gave a slow nod and replied coolly,
"Right. Terrifying. What ever will I do?"
Bellamy bared his teeth, furious.
"Still talking tough? You think this is a game?! Friendly match my ass—you're dead meat!"
As the accumulated force surged through his body, Bellamy launched straight at Chiga like a human cannonball. At this speed, he was confident he could punch through steel.
In the audience, Violet held her breath. She could tell Bellamy was going all in. This wasn't a friendly match anymore—it was a kill shot.
She hadn't expected this turn of events. She just wanted to see how strong Chiga was, not see him potentially get maimed or worse.
Robin, however, remained calm, her expression unreadable. She knew what Chiga was capable of. A man who could stand against two Yonko alone didn't need to worry about someone like Bellamy.
But from Violet's perspective, Robin's calmness seemed almost malicious. Is she hoping Chiga loses? Did she send him into danger on purpose just to get rid of him and move on to someone else?
Just as Violet's thoughts raced, Chiga moved.
He raised his right hand… and slammed it down with deliberate force.
The entire stage cracked.
A massive crater exploded beneath Chiga's feet, shockwaves tearing through the arena floor. At the center of it all lay Bellamy—his body limp and battered, his features barely recognizable.
He'd gotten one thing right.
There was a puddle of meat paste.
But it wasn't Chiga—it was him.
Silence blanketed the arena.
The host dropped the microphone with a clatter, staring in stunned disbelief. He bent to pick it up, legs trembling, but couldn't move.
It felt as though his feet were bolted to the floor.
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