Seeing the other two chosen participants, the watching Beast Pirates fell into silence.
"Should... should we stop him? With this lineup, they'll be killed, right?"
"Kaido-sama is one thing, he wants to participate himself. But Bazel-sama and King-sama... even if they're not in top condition, they probably aren't opponents they can handle."
"Right! Shouldn't such an important match pick weaker participants? Like Babanuki, Babanuki, or Babanuki."
At the front of the crowd, Babanuki suddenly turned around, "Hey, who are you calling weak!?"
The Beast Pirate who was glared at showed no fear, "How about it, Captain? You go up and fight Kaido-sama or the Bazel-sama and King-sama?"
"If you win, I'll buy you drinks for life."
Babanuki instantly lost his fire.
To the average Beast Pirate, he was indeed strong, hence his position as captain.
'But if it were those monsters...' Babanuki calculated inwardly.
'Bazel Aniki had high emotional intelligence and would likely go easy, letting me save some face.'
'King-sama had zero emotional intelligence and would definitely one-shot me.'
'Boss-sama…'
'I would definitely get lectured on the ring, then sent to cram school for remedial lessons.'
Just thinking about that future, Babanuki suddenly felt becoming a dud wasn't so unacceptable.
"Ooh! It's starting! This is going to be fun to watch!"
Babanuki looked up just in time to see the first one to step forward was Kaido.
And the opponent on the other side was also their top general.
Riku Doldo III!
The battered and bruised Bazel took over the drawing duty.
He could only pin his hopes on King Riku pulling some tricks.
Like having a swimming race in the match… that would basically neutralize Kaido's abilities.
Maybe King Riku could even win the first round.
But when Bazel randomly pulled a slip of paper from the wooden box, opened it, and saw the game written on it, the corner of his eye twitched.
This detail was noted by King.
'This is bad!'
'No, I have to think of a way!!'
King's brain worked at high speed, even emitting wisps of smoke from his head due to overloading.
'Arm Wrestling'
"Both sides, take your positions."
Bazel released the Yamata's Phantom, controlling the awakened earth to rise and form a table and grip specifically for arm wrestling.
"Riku Doldo III, I can allow you to rewrite the competition game."
After the two hands of completely different proportions gripped each other, Bazel's eyes grew dull.
'This is 100% doomed... Arm wrestling against Kaido?'
'Did this king's brain get waterlogged?'
'Arm wrestling against Kaido is no different than competing with Whitebeard to see who can adopt more sons!'
'This is an absolutely impossible match to win!'
'Is this guy really in such a hurry to hand himself over?'
"No need! A man's word is his bond!"
King Riku stared excitedly at Kaido, his brimming confidence making even Bazel doubt himself.
'Did the other party have some hidden power?'
"Come on, Kaido! Let me show you the power and conviction of a king!!"
"Worororo~~ Great spirit, Doldo! Then I won't… King?"
King, who had run over quickly, leaned in and whispered into Kaido's ear. Before he could say anything, Kaido kicked him away.
"Don't mess around now! I'm doing something very important!"
King, sent flying, happened to crash into the just-awakened Hanafuda.
His elbow successfully smashed the man's facial features into his forehead.
"Ha..."
Hanafuda fell to the ground, a small, semi-transparent Hanafuda flying out of his half-open mouth.
"Hanafuda-sama!"
"Hurry up and save him, you idiot! What are you still shouting for!?"
Two Beast Pirates' members carrying a stretcher quickly ran over, loaded the ghost-spitting Hanafuda onto it, and rapidly retreated.
"Move, move, move!!"
"Hurry and inform Doctor Acier! Tell him to prepare the most potent alchemical potion!"
"Great-grandmother…" Hanafuda mumbled.
"This is bad! Hanafuda-sama is seeing his great-grandmother!!!"
"Leave it to me! Elizabeth!"
Olga directed the pirates to load the unconscious Hanafuda onto the sea lizard's back.
"Engage Gear 2! Let's go, Elizabeth!!!"
The sea lizard let out a mighty cry before charging at high speed towards the gate, leaving a cloud of dust several meters high behind.
"This is to clean up after that idiot King! Next, we'll activate Gear 3!"
"Charge, Elizabeth~~~"
L | " O ' | !!!
'Gear 2, Gear 3...'
Bazel stared at King with dead-fish eyes, "It was definitely your idea to give Olga that suggestion, wasn't it, you bastard?! You want to name the sea lizard after me?!"
"H-How could that be!" King, sitting cross-legged, turned his face away and whistled.
"Look me in the eye!"
Bazel grabbed King by the collar.
( " ) _ ( <">> )
"Come on, answer me."
King ignored him, stubbornly whistling away.
"You bastard…"
Bang…!!
"Hah!? You want to fight again, is that it?! Perfect!"
King, who had been punched, flipped over and sat up. Ignoring the real match with sparks flying not far away, he pounced forward, pulling Bazel into the dust cloud.
"It seems this Big Bro needs to sober you up."
Bazel grinned ferally, activating his Conqueror's Haki, then infusing it into his attack.
"Taste your Big Bro's love-filled, mind-refreshing fist!"
"Don't run, King, you bastard, stand st…???"
Bazel and King, who were brawling, froze, their feet gradually leaving the ground.
"I said, you two…" Kaido lifted both of them with his hands, his expression gloomy. Conqueror's Haki transformed into black and red lightning, wrapping around his arms.
"This is a very serious competition! I was really looking forward to this pirate game! Even if you two idiots want to mess around, have some sense of occasion!!"
Bang!
Bazel and King soon followed Hanafuda's footstep.
"Rescue! Hurry, take Bazel-sama and King-sama to the lab too!"
"Big Bro Bazel."
King's eyes were teary, his right hand tightly gripping Bazel's left hand.
"This is the limit of what I can do..."
"Good otouto, leave the rest to fate."
Lying on stretchers being rushed away, the atmosphere of the Davy Back Fight was now completely ruined.
Not only had Kaido lost his desire to compete, but even King Riku could see some clues.
"It seems they are worried about this country."
King Riku no longer cared about the watching crowd nearby. He drew his twin swords and stood before Kaido.
"You are pirates, and we are a World Government's affiliate nation."
"If I choose to join, the World Government's face would be thrown to the ground. I only just thought of this."
"It seems they didn't want to make things difficult for either of us. However…"
"Kaido, let's have a real man's duel!"
"Even if my soul trembles, the king's conviction urges me to draw my sword and fight!"
King Riku took several deep breaths, barely suppressing his constantly trembling muscles.
When Kaido burst forth with Conqueror's Haki earlier, he knew he was absolutely no match.
Once he loses the Davy Back Fight, he must join the Beasts Pirates.
And the Dressrosa Kingdom would suffer disaster because of it.
It might even be erased from these seas by a Buster Call.
"The conviction of a king, Worororo!!"
Kaido no longer held back, unleashing his Conqueror's Haki at full power.
But he perfectly restrained this oppressive force within the bounds of the arena.
"I acknowledge you!!"
"As expected, I never misjudge a man!"
"Your spirit definitely surpasses 90% of the men on these seas!"
"In that case, I will end this battle with my full power!"
"Riku Doldo III! Witness this power, and then take me as your goal, strive to surpass me!!!"
"I will wait for you at the summit of these seas!"
"I am Kaido of the Beasts Pirates, the man destined to change these seas!!!"
The two men stepped forward, charging at each other with the simplest of strides.
"I am the King of Dressrosa!"
"My people, perhaps I will fail here, but please do not lose faith in your king!"
While running, King Riku laughed loudly, "A king cannot always be victorious! But what a king can do is die before his thousands upon thousands of subjects!"
"With my unyielding spirit, I shall forge the eternal glory of Dressrosa!"
"Dressrosa, charge!!!"
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