"Wuhahaha, perfect!"
Hajrudin threw his head back in laughter, his entire body trembling with excitement as boundless fighting spirit erupted from him.
With his fist clad in a shield, he swung with full force toward Gurd on the ground!
"As long as I defeat you, I'll be the strongest!"
"Hey, I'm not here to fight."
Gurd watched the incoming fist-shield calmly, his gaze steady.
"Boom!"
Bricks and stones shattered!
As the dust settled, Gurd stood unmoving on the ground, his body slightly turned as he blocked Hajrudin's fist with a single hand.
Behind Gurd, the ground remained completely untouched.
At his feet, a small white flower swayed gently in the wind.
In the top-floor Arena, the audience watched the broadcast on the screen in shock, rising to their feet one after another.
"He blocked a giant's fist with one hand!"
"What terrifying strength!"
"This is unbelievable!"
Most of the spectators were ordinary people with no clear understanding of true power. Compared to Gurd and others, the visual impact of a giant was undeniably stronger.
Moreover, Hajrudin was already a top contender for the championship.
On the battlefield.
Hajrudin was equally stunned—this was the first time a human had blocked his attack head-on. He tried to pull his fist back, but it wouldn't budge.
The next moment, his body was flung forward!
Gurd grabbed Hajrudin's fist, spun several times, and then slammed him hard into the ground!
"Stay down!"
"BOOM!!!"
Hajrudin's back crashed into the earth, the violent impact surging through his entire body. His eyes rolled back as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Hey, giant."
By the time Hajrudin regained consciousness, Gurd was already standing on his chest, staring down at him coldly.
"Hajrudin, I heard you want to become the king of the giants?"
"So what if I do!"
Hajrudin tried to rise, but it felt as if an immense weight was pressing down on him. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't move.
His massive hand reached out, trying to grab Gurd.
"Thud!"
A sharp stone spike erupted from the ground, piercing straight through his palm!
"ARGHHH!"
Hajrudin howled in agony.
Gurd's eyes gleamed with mockery.
"Is this all you've got?"
"..."
Hajrudin's eyes burned red. Bearing the pride of the giants, he couldn't tolerate being looked down upon by his enemy!
He would become the king of the giants!
"ROOOAR!!!"
Hajrudin bellowed in fury, the stone spike shattering as he tore his impaled hand free. Both hands pressed into the rocky ground as he forced himself up inch by inch.
"Huh, not bad."
Gurd didn't press the advantage. Instead, he casually leaped off Hajrudin, giving him time to recover while drawing the massive sword from his back.
Gazing at the broad-bladed greatsword in his hands, a hint of nostalgia flickered in Gurd's eyes—it had been a long time since he'd fought with a sword.
After all, his swordsmanship was truly terrible!
But there was one move that didn't require skill.
Once Hajrudin steadied himself, Gurd gripped the greatsword with both hands, raising it high behind his right shoulder as he gathered power. An astonishing aura radiated from his entire body.
In his mind, the image of Oni Island surfaced.
"Gurararara, where'd you hear about that, brat?"
"That move really would suit you."
"Fine, come with me."
"Your weapon's just for show, so you'd better learn something useful. I'll teach you that move!"
"Oh, and do you wanna learn Thunder Bagua too?"
Power. Haki. Will!
Focusing everything into the blade!
"Hajrudin, watch closely—don't die!"
"That stance—!"
Hajrudin's face twisted in disbelief.
There's no mistake, that stance is the strongest combat technique passed down through generations of the Giant Tribe, one that even among giants is rarely mastered.
Elbaf Spear!
Gurd's veins bulged across his entire body as he roared and swung his massive sword!
"Authority Country!!!"
A colossal cylindrical shockwave tore through everything in its path!
"Waaah!"
Hajrudin desperately dove sideways, narrowly escaping the range of Authority Country, and looked back in shock.
On the ground, an enormous trench extended as far as the eye could see, making even his massive frame seem insignificant by comparison.
"Huff... huff..."
Hajrudin gasped for breath. Had he not recognized it as Elbaf Spear and dodged in advance, there wouldn't even be a corpse left of him now!
But the fear of death paled in comparison to the sheer astonishment at seeing a human wield Authority Country.
Hajrudin shouted his question.
"Where did you learn that?!"
"If you want to know, come find me after the tournament!"
Gurd slung his greatsword onto his back and turned toward the top level. His goal had been achieved—Hajrudin would definitely seek him out.
He had already seen Doflamingo fly up to the top level earlier.
Can't keep people waiting too long.
The path was unobstructed—no one dared intercept him now. The terrifying might of Authority Country had completely cowed the fighters in this area, even crushing their will to fight.
By the time Gurd entered the top-level Arena, Doflamingo and Katakuri were already in position, clearly waiting for him.
"Took you long enough, last one to arrive."
"Fufufufu~~"
"Well, he did walk up here."
Their merciless taunts instantly hit Gurd's sore spot.
"Crack!"
A vein throbbed on Gurd's forehead.
But before he could retort, Katakuri coolly remarked, "Next you're going to say, 'I'll kill you both,' right?"
"I'll kill you both!"
Gurd frowned after saying it.
Damn, this guy's showmanship is on point!
Teach me how to see the future too, Katakuri-sensei!
Gurd crossed his arms, feigning calm.
Fine, I'll play mute from now on. Let's see how you "foresee" this, smartass. Go ahead and parrot me again!
Inside the Arena, the three stood at separate corners.
Eyes locked in a silent standoff—none willing to speak first. Katakuri maintained his aloof act, while Gurd and Mingo refused to risk another verbal counter.
An eerie tension blanketed the battlefield.
"What are they doing?"
"No idea."
"Hey, fight already!"
The audience grew restless.
As the wait dragged on, other contestants gradually arrived at the Arena. Seeing the three in a deadlock, everyone froze in confusion.
What's going on here?
The warriors exchanged glances, unsure how to proceed.
"Move aside, cowards!"
Ideo pushed through the crowd, burning with fighting spirit as he approached Gurd's unguarded back, fists clenched.
"This tournament's prize includes a Devil Fruit. Once I eat it, I'll become even stronger!"
"Die!"
Ideo roared, his triple-jointed arm stretching to its limit, using momentum and reach to amplify his punch's power.
"Destruction Cannon!"
His fist struck Gurd's back, exploding like a cannonball!
"One down!"
Ideo flashed a confident grin.
Even an Earth Calamity wouldn't walk away unscathed from his Destruction Cannon. He'd just taken the lead in this final showdown!
However, as the smoke cleared, Ideo's expression changed drastically. Gurd remained motionless with his back turned to him, not even a scratch left where he had been hit.
"How is this possible!"
Ideo's face turned pale with anger as he gritted his teeth and swung his fist again.
"Destruction Cannon! Destruction Cannon! Destru—"
Meanwhile, the warriors charged toward Doflamingo, but before they could get close, bloody gashes appeared on their bodies.
"Arghhh, what's happening?!"
"It hurts!"
"My body's being sliced apart!"
Not far away, the sound of gunfire echoed continuously.
"Why isn't this guy taking any damage?!"
The soldier pulled the trigger, bullets piercing through Katakuri's body repeatedly, yet not a single wound was left.
Watching Mingo and Gurd standing still, locked in a cold standoff, Katakuri couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.
"Clear the field first!"
In the next moment, all three of them narrowed their eyes simultaneously.
A violent surge of Conqueror's Haki swept through the entire Arena!