Chapter 39: The Gathering
After leaving the restaurant, the three separated.
Sabo was to survey Bell's stronghold, assess its defenses, scout the terrain, and plot an escape route.
Rhodes and Koala headed for the tournament venue to observe from the shadows.
Before they even arrived, they could hear a deafening commotion ahead—a cacophony of voices and endless shouting.
It was an extremely spacious circular arena, surrounded by spectator stands where figures from various races sat: fishmen, long-arm tribe members, and long-leg tribe people.
Rhodes also spotted some well-dressed nobles, their faces flushed as they shouted and vented their emotions. Some noblewomen even had predatory gleams in their eyes, staring like wolves at the muscular fighters on stage.
"Every so often, Bell brings out his Devil Fruit and uses it to host tournaments that draw crowds."
"Normally, this place is used for gambling. Contestants take the stage to compete for prizes while the audience places bets, turning it into quite the profitable enterprise."
Koala's eyes revealed undisguised disgust.
These battles, regardless of life or death, were often extremely brutal, with fighters frequently getting cut in half. Sometimes slaves were even forced to participate. Naturally, the kindhearted Koala found this repulsive.
Rhodes remained indifferent. "Survival of the fittest—it's all consensual. Nothing much to criticize."
The matches soon began.
Two tall, powerful men took the stage, each fighting with savage ferocity.
The intense exchange immediately electrified the crowd. The entire arena erupted in frenzy.
As each contestant took the stage and was subsequently defeated, the competition gradually reached its climax.
Many spectators even stripped off their outer garments and waved them wildly. After each match, winners erupted in celebration while losers cursed bitterly, unwilling to accept defeat—some even threatening to stake their entire fortunes on the next bout.
During breaks between matches, scantily clad dancers took the stage to maintain the frenzied atmosphere.
"Too weak," Rhodes observed, shaking his head.
Most of those fighting were from the New World's lower rungs, barely having mastered basic Haki techniques. No wonder they'd fight tooth and nail for a small prize.
"That's certainly the case right now," Koala said. "In two days, when the real tournament begins, there'll be actual experts."
"There'll even be some pirate captains—newcomers to the New World—personally taking the stage."
"Devil Fruits have immense value, but most of the time they're simply unavailable," Rhodes nodded.
Perhaps the most important reason was that after arriving in the New World, these pirate captains experienced the overwhelming power disparity firsthand and became desperate to grow stronger, even willing to risk everything for a Devil Fruit's abilities.
"Strength is far more enticing than money or power."
"With strength, you can obtain wealth, authority, and status—only then can you achieve everything you desire and realize your dreams," he muttered to himself.
Rhodes was fortunate.
The Book of Knowledge had changed his destiny, offering him the opportunity to rise to the pinnacle and survey the world from above.
If Rhodes seized this chance, it would mean this world would be forever changed.
"Let's go."
As darkness gradually fell, Rhodes and the others left the arena and found lodging at a hotel.
Soon, Sabo joined them, and the trio discussed their plans before retiring for the night.
Of course, Rhodes continued practicing his lightning-enhanced conditioning instead of sleeping—a discipline he never neglected.
It was spring of 1521 in the Sea Calendar, and turbulent times were drawing ever closer. Naturally, the time remaining for Rhodes to grow stronger peacefully was dwindling.
The next few days were spent gathering intelligence and waiting for the tournament to begin.
Rhodes took it easy, and since the hotel wasn't ideal for intense training, he wandered around town, visiting weapon shops in hopes of finding a fine, legendary blade like Zoro's swords.
However, such items were clearly rare—or perhaps, in the fiercely competitive New World, it was unusual for quality weapons to remain unclaimed. After several days of searching, Rhodes found nothing worthwhile.
Finally, the tournament day arrived.
That afternoon, upon entering the arena, the atmosphere was noticeably different from previous days.
The audience sat in tense silence, barely daring to breathe.
For one thing, this crowd was of much higher caliber than usual—either wealthy, aristocratic, or incredibly powerful. It was also because the arena was filled with stern bodyguards, each armed and possessing cold, calculating gazes that marked them as well-trained professionals.
"Here they come! Here they come!"
The crowd erupted as a group of distinguished figures filed into the VIP seating on the elevated platform.
"That's Boss Barkley, one of the Beast Pirates' pillars!"
"Look, Lord Bell himself is here!"
"Oh, the captain of the Silver Sword Pirates showed up! I heard he's searching for a Devil Fruit, so he's probably planning to compete personally."
Every prominent figure's appearance sparked excited discussion from the audience, accompanied by looks of envy, resentment, and awe.
Those taking their seats were all renowned figures in this sea region—some even famous throughout the entire New World.
"Hey, who's that woman? She's absolutely stunning!" someone in the audience murmured in wonder. Many men, lacking self-control, had their eyes gleaming with desire.
"You don't even know Stussy, the Queen of the Pleasure District? You'll never make it in the New World!" someone scoffed.
"The Queen of the Pleasure District?"
The previous speaker was stunned, then suddenly realized something. His face went pale and he quickly shut up.
Koala also looked grave as she whispered, "So Stussy's attending. No wonder Bell came personally."
"I didn't expect even a Beast Pirates executive to show up. It seems Stussy's status in the underworld is even higher than I imagined."
Rhodes nodded slightly. Stussy had even sat at the head table during Big Mom's tea parties. She was clearly a veteran—even the muscle-bound brutes of the Beast Pirates had to show her respect.
"That's good. With all attention focused here, Sabo's mission will go much smoother."
Koala breathed a sigh of relief. "But we should still make some noise here. We don't have much risk anyway."
"Yeah."
Rhodes nodded and looked around. He was searching for Momousagi. For such a major event, she should attend as well.
Of course, she couldn't come as Navy—but as a spectator. After all, this was Beast Pirates territory. If she openly revealed her Navy identity, it could spark a major incident.
The Yonko Kaido was a genuine madman and battle maniac. If the Navy dared provoke him, he'd charge straight into their bases or even Navy Headquarters itself.
At that moment, a cold female voice suddenly spoke from behind him.
"Kid, are you looking for me?"
(End of Chapter)
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