Chapter 566: He Was Careless and Didn't Dodge
"Kwahahaha! Now, let's welcome the 14th team." Morgans announced.
As Jayne secured victory in the arena, his team quickly withdrew.
After their departure, the giant tree vanished.
New participants emerged one by one.
The competing guild was obscure, their strength no better than those who had forfeited.
Their reason for not abstaining was straightforward.
They had witnessed Evergreen Jayne defeat the three earth and stone dolls in a single move.
This gave them renewed confidence.
They didn't aim to win, only to endure long enough to pass.
"Let the match begin." Posadong declared.
His two rows of white teeth gleamed, and his blood surged with excitement.
In the previous match, the earth and stone dolls' limited size and holy power had been overwhelmed by Jayne's magic.
Jayne's sudden ultimate move had caught him off guard.
He had been careless and hadn't dodged!
This time, he vowed not to make the same mistake.
Posadong, like a child who lost an arcade game, was determined to perform better.
His spirits were high, but the opposing guild faced a grim fate.
Bang bang bang!
Swamps swirled like whirlpools, sand roared like waves, and rocks fell like rain.
The guild lacked even a single B-level magic pattern user, consisting only of C-level members.
They were utterly defeated, and many of their Holy Light Potions shattered.
Seeing this, they felt worse than if they had lost.
What a loss! They wept inwardly.
With tears in their eyes, they were carried off by World Government medical staff.
"Who's next?" Posadong challenged, arms crossed, brimming with confidence.
His triumphant, rooster-like demeanor made a man with a giant bee nearby cover his face.
'Does that guy even remember he's the referee?' he thought.
In the arena, Posadong was unaware of his acquaintance's mockery.
He felt like he was in a game.
The three earth and stone dolls were his avatars, and he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
While he was elated, other guilds witnessing the unfortunate team's fate hesitated.
Those lacking confidence forfeited one after another.
Time passed swiftly.
Aside from a few enthusiasts eager to try, many guilds gave up.
Some with average strength barely passed the test.
Finally, a significant guild took the stage.
"Number 56." Morgans announced.
"Eve." he added.
As the guild name Eve was called, all eyes turned to the arena.
A group of fishmen emerged from a passage.
Their appearance drew only sparse cheers.
People today were more accepting than before.
In the past, fishmen were relatively obscure.
But since Fish-Man Island joined the Magic Pattern Association as an official member, reports about fishmen had increased, and awareness had grown.
Especially in the second half of the Grand Line, dominated by ruthless pirate fleets, people were relatively friendly toward fishmen.
Many beneficial systems in those regions were established by the fishman hero, Tiger.
However, despite this, most people remained indifferent or apathetic toward the unusual-looking fishmen.
Cheering for them felt awkward.
If they were beautiful mermaids, the response might have been different.
In the arena, Thunder Ray, Eve's president, glanced at his companions as they walked.
"I'll handle dismantling those dolls later. You focus on protecting yourselves." he said.
"Hahaha, President, we're not weak!" one fishman replied.
"Don't worry about us." he added, laughing loudly.
The green-skinned swordfish fishman, Capodi, chuckled at Thunder Ray's words.
"Capodi, you can brag all you want. We'll let you protect us later." another fishman, Buddy, teased.
"No! Brother Buddy, I was just joking!" Capodi protested.
Seeing Capodi and Buddy banter, Thunder Ray's calm face showed a faint smile.
"Don't be careless. The opponent can use those three dolls to execute tricky coordinated moves." he warned.
"Be cautious." he added.
"Understood, President. Go ahead with confidence! Don't worry about us." a fishman replied.
"We're Eve's members too. We won't go down so easily!" another said, patting his chest confidently.
Seeing their assurance, Thunder Ray nodded.
After all, their opponent wasn't overwhelmingly powerful.
However, the dolls' abilities complemented each other, making them formidable.
Especially the referee.
'Such strange power. What a terrifying human!' Thunder Ray thought.
As he drew closer, he sensed a hidden, astonishing power within Posadong.
'Is this the strength of a three-star gem hunter?' he wondered.
'Fish-Man Island still has a long way to go,' he reflected.
"Let's begin, everyone!" Posadong announced.
Facing the fishmen, his expression remained unchanged, still flashing his toothy grin.
He treated fishmen no differently from humans.
At Posadong's prompt, the fishmen tensed and activated their magic pattern forms.
Having seen others fail for not activating their forms, they wouldn't repeat the mistake.
"Hmm." Thunder Ray said, nodding.
Posadong's smile widened.
This team ignited his passion.
Golden Sparkle, Thunder Ray, was a rare electric ray fishman capable of discharging electricity.
As an A-level magic pattern user with light attributes, he was a worthy opponent.
With only three earth and stone dolls, Posadong wasn't certain how far he could push them.
He had completely forgotten the option of letting the dolls fight autonomously.
"Start!" he declared, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.
As he spoke, three new earth and stone dolls sprang into action.
Yellow sand across the arena swirled into a sky-filling sandstorm, concealing the dolls.
With Thunder Ray present, Posadong played it safe, opting to hide first.
Though the dolls appeared sturdy, they functioned more like mage units.
Hiding and striking from the shadows was a logical tactic.
(End of this chapter)