"Little girl, I watched your fight yesterday. You're quite impressive. How about joining the Donquixote Family?"
Facing the amiable Lao G across from her, Yamato shook her head like a rattle drum, her face scrunched up in refusal.
"No way. I don't want to."
Lao G frowned.
"Our family offers excellent benefits. With your talent, you'd undoubtedly become one of our young master's right-hand men in the future. You'd have everything you could ever want—just give the order, and countless people would rush to fulfill your desires."
Yamato's eyes grew bored, and she waved her hand dismissively. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't join others."
Lao G: "No room for negotiation?"
"None." Yamato nodded firmly.
At that moment, the energetic voice of the announcer, Nanta, rang out:
[Hello everyone, I'm your host, Nanta! The semifinals of the World-Class Fighting Tournament begin now!!!]
As the announcer's voice faded, Yamato's gaze sharpened instantly. Her eyes turned ice-blue, and fine white fur sprouted across her skin as she entered her hybrid form.
Against this opponent, she would go all out.
A chilling, ice-blue aura erupted from her body.
The ground beneath her feet instantly froze over, the ice rapidly spreading outward.
A trace of seriousness flashed in Lao G's eyes as his aura condensed.
"As I thought—you're a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit User. But since you refuse to join us, I won't hold back."
His muscles tensed, and Lao G lunged forward at blinding speed.
With a powerful stomp, the ice beneath him shattered, and in the blink of an eye, he closed the distance.
Forming his hands into C-shaped seals, he roared:
"Earth Lord Fist—Rapid Consecutive Strikes! Aah~ TA TA TA TA TA TA—TA!"
His fists became a relentless storm, hammering Yamato's body from all angles.
Under the overwhelming barrage of wind-splitting strikes, Yamato's expression tightened as she retreated, layering thick ice armor over herself. She curled up, arms shielding her head.
BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM—!
Under Lao G's relentless assault, Yamato was momentarily suppressed.
Pain wracked her body.
Gritting her teeth, Yamato kept retreating—but deep in her throat, frigid energy gathered.
"Unserved Ice Fang!"
Acting on instinct, the moment Lao G's flurry paused, she unleashed a devastating white frost breath straight at him.
WHOOSH!
Relying on decades of combat experience, Lao G vanished from the spot, reappearing midair with a laugh.
"Little girl, who do you think I am? An attack that obvious would never hit me! G!"
Landing lightly, he kicked off the ground and flashed before Yamato again.
His leg shot out like a spear, a violent gust trailing behind as it slammed into her abdomen.
CRACK!
A crisp sound echoed as Yamato's entire body shattered into ice fragments, scattering in the wind.
"Mirror Mountain."
The ice armor decoy had taken the blow, leaving her unharmed. In the next instant, Yamato clenched her fist, wreathed in freezing air, and smashed it into Lao G's face.
BOOM!
Lao G was sent flying.
Yamato took a deep breath, raising both hands from her sides as her stamina rapidly depleted. The surrounding temperature plummeted, and sharp, spindle-shaped ice shards materialized around her body.
The pointed tips of the ice shards locked onto Lao G.
With a swift motion of her hand, the ice shards shot toward Lao G like cannonballs, howling through the frigid wind.
Lao G, still mid-air from being knocked back, twisted his body abruptly, transforming into a spiraling whirlwind in the blink of an eye. Boom! Boom! Boom! The ice shards shattered against his spinning form.
Seizing the moment the icy assault paused, he landed heavily on the ground, then kicked off like an arrow loosed from a bow, charging straight at Yamato once more.
The next instant.
A spiked club forged from ice collided violently with Lao G's punch.
Thud!
Amid the explosive impact, both Yamato and Lao G were sent flying backward.
The spiked club in her hands shattered, instantly reforming into massive ice shards that shot toward Lao G.
Their battle was nothing short of spectacular, the entire arena erupting in deafening cheers and roars.
Combined with Nanta's wildly enthusiastic—and utterly nonsensical—commentary, the crowd's excitement reached a fever pitch.
Moses sat by the window, watching Yamato's "neck-and-neck" fight with Lao G on the combat stage, a faint smile in his eyes.
"Moses, will Yamato win?"
Ulti, her eyes sparkling, stared at Yamato's heroic figure in battle—using her abilities to craft weapons, constantly harassing, evading, and when forced into a corner, encasing herself in ice to clash head-on.
For now, Yamato was holding her own without faltering.
Moses chuckled and shook his head.
"Yamato is strong, but her opponent isn't weak either. Her stamina is draining fast—she has to defend against high-speed strikes while counterattacking, which is mentally exhausting.
Even with a Mythical Zoan, lacking Observation Haki puts her at a severe disadvantage in this kind of fight."
"Does that Lao G have Observation Haki?"
"He does. I don't know why he isn't using it, but I can sense the frequency fluctuations of Observation Haki from him."
Moses observed the battle as time passed, Yamato's stamina dwindling further.
Then, at one point, Lao G suddenly seemed to predict Yamato's attack. The moment he dodged, he unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes.
Yamato was instantly forced onto the defensive, shielding herself with ice as she endured blow after blow, her pretty face taking several brutal punches.
Yet she persisted, her gaze unwavering as she searched for an opening to strike back.
Her breath steady, the chilling frost calming her thoughts, she poured her entire being into the fight—dodging, countering.
Then, in one precise moment, Yamato twisted her body just right, evading Lao G's punch, and swung her fist straight into his face.
Thud!
The heavy impact sent Lao G flying once more.
Yamato blinked in surprise, a flicker of triumph crossing her face—only to be sent flying herself as an enraged Lao G charged back at her.
Moses watched it all, the corner of his lips curling slightly. "Has she finally awakened it?"
From then on, Yamato began dodging her opponent's attacks with increasing ease, the battle gradually becoming less taxing.
Before they knew it, the fight had stretched on for hours.
Suddenly, Lao G seemed to unleash some powerful technique—a surging, condensed shockwave sent Yamato flying off the arena.
She soared rapidly across the fighting platform.
Yamato landed heavily on the water's surface, but fortunately, she froze it in time to avoid sinking.
However, because of this...
[Ahhh~ What a pity! Contestant Yamato has fallen out of the arena and is disqualified. I now declare the winner of the first semifinal match to be Earth Lord Fist practitioner Lao G, advancing to the grand finals!!!]
The announcer Nanta loudly proclaimed the match's outcome.
[Next up, let's look forward to the second semifinal match this afternoon! We can't wait to see what kind of spectacular battle the other two contestants will deliver for us!!]
Yamato stepped onto the frozen ice and walked across the floating bridge back to the spectator area.
She didn't even glance at Lao G, who stood behind her, seemingly wanting to say something.
When she reached Moses, Yamato pouted unhappily, her face scrunched up in frustration.
"Moses, I lost."
Moses smiled and waved her over, holding medical bandages and adhesive plasters that Ulti had fetched from the staff earlier.
"Losing is no big deal. No one remains undefeated forever. Take Kaido—no matter how strong he is, even he got beaten like a son by some people when he was younger."
"Pfft!"
Yamato couldn't help but laugh, though it stung her swollen lip.
Moses chuckled and began tending to her wounds—applying anti-swelling plasters to her face and wrapping bandages around her arms.
As Yamato watched Moses carefully dress her injuries, her lips curled into a faint smile.
Back then, she used to patch herself up alone. But now... hehehe!
Then, Yamato suddenly looked at Moses with a mysterious glint in her eyes, tilting her chin up proudly as she grinned.
"Moses, wanna know what I just suddenly realized during the fight?"
"Nope."
Moses smirked and refused outright. Yamato's expression instantly soured, her lips puckering in displeasure.
Seeing this, Moses waited a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "Actually, now I suddenly do want to know. Go on, tell me."
Yamato's mood brightened immediately, and she beamed.
"I finally awakened Observation Haki! Fighting that freakishly strong old man with insane martial arts skills—my mind went blank from the cold, and suddenly, I just knew how to use Observation Haki!"
"Really?" Ulti gasped, staring at Yamato before pursing her lips. "Well... congrats, I guess."
Her expression was a mix of happiness and annoyance.
Happy that Yamato had grown stronger, but annoyed that the gap between them had widened even further.
After all, Yamato was the rival she had sworn to surpass.
Moses reached out and playfully pinched Yamato's red oni horn, smiling. "Congrats, Yamato. Next up is Armament Haki—then you'll be a wielder of the Three Colors Haki."
Yamato nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling.
"I'll get there. I feel like Armament Haki isn't far off either."
Ulti was stunned.
Moses simply watched and laughed.
At noon...
The contestants were served specially prepared nutritious meals. Moses devoured enough for a hundred people.
The staff were utterly shocked.
He converted the food into energy, storing it within his body to prepare for the afternoon battle.
Afterward, he found a quiet spot to nap briefly with Yamato and the others.
Finally, as the announcer's voice rang out once more...
Moses appeared on the martial platform.
Gazing at Chili twenty meters away, Moses regulated his Breath and entered the State of Oneness.
His entire aura condensed.
Across from him, Chili watched Moses, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes as he thought to himself:
"This kid's pretty strong."
The next moment, the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers, and the words "Begin the match!" resounded across the arena.
Moses moved in an instant, his figure streaking forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, the sound of splitting wind trailing behind him as he appeared right in front of Chili in the blink of an eye.
A fist carrying the full force of his body shot out with a fierce howl.
Chili's expression changed as he let out a low growl: "Eight Impact Fist—Elbow Strike!"
His body twisted sharply, his right elbow rippling the air as their fists and elbows collided with tremendous force.
Crack!
The terrifying impact transferred to the ground beneath them.
The bluestone floor of the martial arena instantly fractured, followed by a boom!—an air explosion sound erupted, and shockwaves rippled outward from the point of their clash.
Both fighters were forced back simultaneously.
In the next instant, they charged at each other again—swinging fists, raising elbows, lifting knees, kicking legs—their bodies turning into blurs as they clashed at high speed.
Bam bam bam bam bam!
Fist met flesh.
The battle between Moses and Chili abruptly escalated into a white-hot frenzy.
Blood surged through their veins, muscles coiled tight, power flowing through their limbs—every strike carried their full might.
Every punch, every kick carried enough force to shatter stone and snap steel.
ORA ORA ORA ORA!
AYA AYA AYA AYA!
They exchanged blows at blinding speed.
Moses grinned, Observation Haki enveloping his body, allowing him to precisely block every one of Chili's attacks.
Chili roared, throwing punch after punch after punch.
Violent shockwaves spread from their collisions, and under the overwhelming force, Moses began to be pushed back step by step.
The ground continued to crack, and the surrounding river outside the platform rippled with concentric waves.
Droplets of water burst upward from the surface.
Suddenly, Moses ducked under Chili's punch, his figure shifting unnaturally as he reappeared right in front of him—his right fist howling toward Chili's chin.
Bam!
The punch sent Chili flying.
The next moment, Moses grabbed Chili's right leg, twisted his entire body, and swung him in a full rotation before slamming him hard into the ground.
Thud!
The ground exploded, debris flying everywhere!
At the same time, a dark shadow swept toward Moses' face with a sharp gust of wind.
A crimson glint flashed in his pupils—he had perfectly predicted this attack.
Grabbing Chili's ankle, Moses hurled him high into the air.
The ground beneath Moses' feet shattered as he launched himself upward, spinning midair with a fierce gust.
A second later, Moses' elbow—hard as steel—slammed mercilessly into Chili's abdomen.
Clang!
A piercing metallic sound rang out, accompanied by another shockwave.
Yet Chili was still smashed into the ground, a thunderous boom! echoing as a terrifying impact sent a pillar of dust erupting from the platform.
Moses' body drifted down like a feather, landing lightly to the side.
A few seconds later, a coughing sound could be heard.
A burst of air dispersed the dust, revealing Chili as he swung his arms, still standing.
However, he looked rather disheveled at the moment.
Covered in dirt, a trace of blood twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Yet the aura emanating from his body showed little sign of weakening.
He appeared completely unfazed.
In the spectator stands, witnessing this scene, an earth-shaking roar of excitement erupted instantly.
"A Bao! A Bao! A Bao! A Bao!"
"Chili! Chili! Chili!"
The synchronized cheers of ten thousand people were powerful enough to pierce the heavens!
Amidst the surrounding clamor, Moses remained expressionless, his focus firmly locked on his opponent.
He had expected this.
As a successor of the Eight Impact Fist,
he could be considered a master of martial arts.
Especially among its pillars.
His Physique had been tempered through countless trials—its hardness was unquestionable. Moreover, the sensation from that earlier strike clearly indicated the hardening effect of Armament Haki.
At this moment, Chili spoke with a grim expression:
"Kid, you're strong, so I won't hold back anymore. Armament."
With a low shout, his arms darkened from the elbows down, taking on the deep, obsidian hue of Armament Haki.
His fists clenched.
With a sudden step—boom!
As the ground cracked beneath him, his towering, muscular figure shot forward like a black streak, appearing right before Moses in an instant.
His clenched right fist, imbued with Haki, shot toward Moses' head like a cannonball, sending rippling shockwaves through the air.
Seeing this, Moses' arms suddenly darkened as well. Whoosh—dark red flames erupted around them. Drawing power from the ground, he twisted his entire body and unleashed a roaring punch.
Clang!
Their fists collided violently.
Amid the piercing metallic clang,
a ring-shaped shockwave expanded outward from behind both fighters.
Scattered embers of dark red flame swirled around them.
"Ah—ow ow ow!"
Chili suddenly leaped back, shaking his right arm rapidly. The lingering high-temperature flames adhered to his fist, scorching unbearably.
Whoosh—Haki surged outward from his arm, dispersing the flames.
Chili stared at Moses in astonishment.
Moses, enduring the pain in his own fist, shifted slightly and dashed forward at blinding speed.
His fists, wreathed in dark red flames, rained down on Chili from all angles.
Reacting swiftly, Chili tightened his stance, channeling the Eight Impact Fist technique to convert his strength into shockwaves, clashing fiercely with Moses' punches.
Yet he was forced back relentlessly.
Within a few Breaths, he was pushed to the edge of the arena.
Moses' pupils suddenly contracted. Concentrating all his Armament Haki into his right fist, he compressed and circulated it continuously. The flames on his fist abruptly surged outward.
Chili's eyes widened, and he halted his retreat.
But just as suddenly, the roaring flames on Moses' fist condensed back onto its surface. In the blink of an eye, a massive dark-red flaming fist, two meters in diameter, formed around his arm.
Feeling the searing pain in his arm, Moses' gaze sharpened, and he let out a low growl:
"Fire Fist."
Boom!
A fist-shaped pillar of scorching flames, carrying a devastating impact, slammed into Chili's chest.
Seeing this, Chili's eye twitched. Sensing the overwhelming danger within that fiery column, he roared:
"Eight Impact Fist Secret Art: Drill Dragon Barrage! Aaaaaah!"
Armament Haki coiled around both fists as terrifying shockwaves erupted in an endless, Rapid Consecutive Strikes.
Kaboom!
A catastrophic explosion of flames erupted, filling the entire arena with billowing smoke.
Moses took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as his own aura synchronized with the surrounding flames. Amidst the smoke and dust, his body was enveloped in a quiet, dark-red electric arc—Observation Kill. In the blink of an eye, he swiftly closed the distance behind Chili.
Gazing at the slightly panting Chili before him, Moses clenched his right fist, not stirring even a whisper of wind. Gathering all his strength, he delivered a devastating punch to the back of Chili's head.
Clang!
A terrifying sense of danger allowed Chili to react just in time, channeling Armament Haki to the back of his skull. Yet even so, he was a fraction too slow.
Dazed by Moses' ferocious strike, Chili had no time to recover before Moses swung his leg, imbued with terrifying Haki, and delivered a brutal kick to his lower back.
Thud! A dull impact echoed as Chili was sent flying like a cannonball, cutting through the air with a howl before crashing thunderously into the wall below the arena.
The rubble exploded with a deafening crack.
Thud! Chili fell from the wall into the water beneath the spectator stands.
As the smoke cleared,
only Moses remained standing on the martial platform.
Chili was out of the match.
The arena fell silent for a breath, then erupted in a tidal wave of cheers.
The entire crowd chanted A Bao's name.
Meanwhile, the excited voice of host Nanta rang out:
["Our second finalist has emerged—it's A Bao!"]
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