"Nani?!"
Suddenly losing his target, Fran's punch met nothing but air. The momentum forced him into a stumble, his fist slamming directly into the floor.
BOOM!
The sheer force of his impact caved in the ring's surface, sending a shower of stone fragments flying in every direction.
In that opening, Juka, now crouched at Fran's side, swung his twin katanas. They flashed like lightning, biting deep into Fran's abdomen.
Slash!
In a heartbeat, steel met flesh and blood sprayed. The razor-sharp edges carved two jagged wounds, each over ten centimeters long, across Fran's belly.
"Aaargh!"
Fran let out a pained roar, involuntarily staggering back two steps.
"Sshhe-sshhe-sshhe... Die!"
Cackling wildly, Juka pressed the advantage. He lunged forward with his twin blades leveled, closing the distance in a blur.
Fortunately for Fran, he was no stranger to injury. In the face of death, a streak of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. Instead of retreating, he lunged forward, his hand curving into a claw aimed straight for Juka's throat. It was a suicidal maneuver, completely ignoring his own safety to take his opponent down with him.
"Crap!"
Juka's eyes widened, but he was committed; it was too late to withdraw or defend.
In the blink of an eye, Juka's twin katanas plunged straight into Fran's midsection.
CLANG!
The screech of metal on metal rang out. Juka's hands vibrated from the shock, only to see Fran's abdomen coated in a pitch-black metallic sheen. His Armament Haki had firmly blocked the razor-sharp tips.
At the same time, Fran's massive hand swept inward. Juka's long neck bent with unnatural flexibility, curving into a "C" shape and narrowly evading the grasp by a hair's breadth.
"Armament Haki?!"
"Nani?"
Both men gasped as their lethal strikes failed.
Though Fran fought like a brute, his combat instincts were honed to a razor edge. He instantly transitioned his missed claw into a clenched fist and swung a horizontal hook. The blow whistled through the air before connecting with a dull thud, directly against Juka's neck.
Juka's reaction was just as swift. The moment the punch was thrown, he abandoned the impenetrable defense of Fran's stomach. He swung his blades in a wide arc, a flash of brilliant white light carving through the air as they bit into Fran's swinging left arm.
Squelch!
The sound of blades slicing through muscle and bone followed. Juka's katanas sheared completely through Fran's left arm.
In that heartbeat, life and death were decided.
Juka's neck was twisted at a gruesome angle by the impact of Fran's fist. He was sent tumbling across the ring, crashing heavily onto the floor over ten meters away, the solid ground splintering beneath him.
Meanwhile, Juka's counter-cut had severed Fran's arm into three pieces; two segments fell wetly onto the stones.
"AAARGH! MY ARM—!"
Fran let out a blood-curdling scream, his right hand desperately clutching the stump. Blood continued to spray uncontrollably through his fingers.
The battle had lasted less than a minute. Gatz, the spectators, and even the other contestants were stunned into silence. Two of the New World's most infamous fighters had been crippled or killed in the blink of an eye.
It was too fast. Far too fast.
This kind of exchange, where every move was a lethal gamble and life was decided in seconds, sent chills down the spines of everyone watching.
"How brutal! This is absolutely horrific!"
"To think that within the first minute, two of our seeded contestants have met such an end!" Gatz cried out, his expression fanatical. He was leaning so far over the edge of the commentary booth that two female assistants had to grab him to keep him from falling over.
Even powerhouses like Vito, Haunger, and Eden were forced to pay attention, a trace of gravity flickering in their eyes.
"Such a savage exchange... I suppose I underestimated some of these people," Vito muttered, shaking his head. He realized he had misjudged the field.
Haunger narrowed his eyes, whispering to himself, "The fighting style of pure assassins. Two men who lived with their lives on the edge of a blade. What a waste."
"Haha! The 'Human Bear's' head is mine!"
"Die, Fran!"
"Today, we take an arm from the Chester Family!"
Seeing the maimed and weakened Fran, several other contestants sensed an opportunity. Over a dozen men brandishing weapons swarmed him from all sides.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Suddenly, countless strands of black hair shot out like vipers. They elongated at high speed, piercing through the bodies of the attackers like black arrows.
"A man like that should die by my hand. You small-time nobodies should stay out of the way!"
Eden stepped forward with a cold sneer. His slicked-back pompadour had extended into a wild, dancing mass of hair. Over a dozen corpses hung suspended in the air, impaled by his locks. He looked like a demon.
"It's you... Eden!"
Pale from blood loss, Fran stared in shock at the writhing black hair. "Is this... a Devil Fruit power?"
"Indeed. I obtained this power four years ago: the Paramecia-type Hair-Hair Fruit. It was once the ability of the captain of the Longhair Pirates, 'Demon Hair' Oven, the man who shared a name with Big Mom's fourth son, the Minister of Browned Food," Eden said with a smirk, casually revealing his secret. [1]
Ten years ago, the Longhair Pirates were subordinates of the Demon Mask Pirates. During the Battle of Sabaody Archipelago, Aeridar teamed up with Borsalino to kill "Demon Mask" Gutte. The Marines had wiped out the fleet of thousands, leaving only a hundred survivors. Oven had been one of them, escaping with fewer than twenty subordinates.
Later, he had ventured into the New World to rebuild his name. His strength grew, and his crew reached five hundred members. However, Oven only lasted three years in the New World. Seven years ago, the Longhair Pirates clashed with the Beasts Pirates and were crushed by Jack the Drought. Oven, who had a bounty of 367 million Berries at the time, was beaten to death by Jack.
The Hair-Hair Fruit had recirculated and been found by Eden four years ago, though he had kept it hidden until today.
Rip!
Fran tore off a piece of his bear-pelt cloak and bit down on a scream as he tied a tight tourniquet around his stump to prevent bleeding out.
"Now that you know my secret, it's time to send you on your way!" Eden licked his lips bloodthirstily. His hair whipped through the air, flinging the dozen corpses it held directly at Fran.
"Dammit! Grizzly Chariot!!!"
Fran's eyes flared with savage desperation. He forced himself to his feet and let out a deafening roar. Ignoring the incoming corpses, he charged headlong at Eden like a madman.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Fran's massive, muscular frame acted like a literal armored tank on an ancient battlefield. He smashed through the bodies, his momentum shattering their bones and sending them flying as he closed the five-meter gap to Eden.
"Ridiculous. Do you really think a deathbed struggle will save you? Demon Hair Dance: Black Rain Torrent!"
Eden's lips curled into a smirk. With a low shout, his black hair elongated again, shooting forward like a volley of obsidian arrows.
"GRAAAH—!"
Faced with the incoming storm of hair, the veins on Fran's forehead bulged. With a thunderous roar, he launched himself into the air, throwing a desperate, overhead punch.
[1] Demon Hair Oven was previously translated as Owen. He appeared around Chapter 200+.