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Chapter 144 Bartolomeo's Fanaticism
The stone floor of Area A had long been torn to pieces by the violent battle. Cavendish's snow-white cloak was now soaked in blood, appearing a strange dark red in the sunlight.
The sword of "Durandel" drew silver tracks in the air, and each slash was accompanied by a sharp sound of breaking through the air, but it was still unable to break through the giant axe defense of Heldin that was like a city wall.
"The brute strength of the giants...is truly disgusting!"
Cavendish elegantly wiped the bloodline from the corner of his mouth, and suddenly his pupils shrank - Green Pepper's iconic cone head was attacking at a speed exceeding the speed of sound, and the air was squeezed into visible ripples!
"Eight Punches, Wu Cone Head!"
"boom!"
The entire stand was overturned like paper by the shock wave, and a black shadow suddenly tore through the smoke and dust amidst the flying debris.
The figure of "Lucy" flashes like a ghost, and the Armament Haki wrapped around the rubber arm makes the whole arm appear metallic black and shiny.
"Rubber rubber elephant gun!"
This punch hit Helding's giant axe directly, and the axe blade made of fine steel was instantly dented. The shock wave passed through the weapon and directly shattered the giant warrior's sternum!
Hailding's huge body flew out like a kite with a broken string and slammed heavily into the wall fifty meters away.
"Three left."
Luffy lowered the brim of his hat, his new left hand trembling slightly.
The battle in Area B was equally brutal.
Elizabello II stood with his arms crossed, his muscles expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the Fist of the King was gathering power.
Rebecca's rapier wove an impenetrable sword net around him, and every time the tip of the sword passed, it left a deep mark on the ground.
"Little girl, step back!"
The Second's voice was filled with undeniable authority, and the air around his charged right fist began to distort. "This punch will destroy the entire area!"
At this critical moment, Meadows' dagger stabbed out from the most tricky angle!
The cold light goes straight to the heart of the Second Emperor!
The Second sneered, and with his right fist, which had been fully charged, suddenly punched out—
"King's Fist!"
The terrifying shock wave swept across the entire Area B in a fan shape, and the ground rolled up like waves.
Rebecca used her ancestral steel shield to protect her vital parts in time, but was still blown more than ten meters away by the aftermath.
When she struggled to get up from the outside, she found that Elizabelo II was the only one still standing in the entire venue, and everyone else had fallen in a pool of blood.
The battle in Area C was the craziest scene.
Bartolomeo stood in the center of the translucent barrier sphere, his green hair standing on end, a sickly grin on his face: "Straw Hat Senior! Watch me clear the obstacles for you!"
His barrier ball rushed around like a chariot out of control, knocking Haku back and causing him to spit blood. A trail of blood was left on the fishman's body in the air.
A gleam flashed in Old Cai's eyes, and he thrust his spear out at a strange angle: "Eight Punches - Cone Dragon!"
The tip of the gun accurately pierced the weakest point of the barrier, making a crisp "click" sound.
However, the barrier remained intact, and Bartolomeo laughed even more crazily: "Interesting! Look at this—"
He clasped his hands together, "Barrier: Rebound Hell!"
All the attacks were rebounded twice, and the poison needles shot by Abu and the double swords of Jet were all changed in direction. The two were instantly severely injured by their own moves and fell to the ground screaming.
When the smoke and dust cleared, only Bartolomeo and Lao Cai were left confronting each other in the entire Area C. Their gazes collided in the air, creating invisible sparks.
The midday sun shone directly on the arena, and the gates of the three areas rose simultaneously with the harsh sound of metal friction.
The winners, covered in scars, stood in a pool of blood, surrounded by the losers lying in a mess.
The midday sun shone directly on the arena, and the gates of the three areas rose simultaneously.
The scarred victors stood in a pool of blood:
Area A: "Lucy" Luffy, Green Pepper
Area B: Elizabeth II
Zone C: Bartolomeo, Lao Cai
Doflamingo's wild laughter came over the PA: "Fufufufufu... What a wonderful show! One hour break, next round - life and death showdown!"
The noise in the arena gradually subsided, and the survivors of the first round of the melee were led to the players' rest area.
The air was filled with a strong smell of rust, which was the unique sweet and fishy smell of oxidized blood.
Mixed with the sour smell of sweat and the pungent smell of gunpowder residue, it formed a disgusting smell of death.
Fresh bloodline was still slowly sliding down the wall of the corridor, emitting a strange dark red luster under the pale light.
Bartolomeo leaned against the wall of Madara, his green hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, and a few undried bloodstains stretched from his brow to his chin.
His chest heaved violently, the adrenaline from the battle still coursing through his veins.
"marvelous..."
He grinned, revealing his bloody teeth, "This way I'll be closer to... Straw Hat Senior..." His voice was hoarse with a sickly pious tone.
Suddenly, a rough laugh pierced the silence of the corridor:
"Huh, Straw Hat Luffy? He's just a stray dog being chased by Marine!"
The owner of the voice was a burly swordsman, his face full of flesh trembling with an exaggerated expression.
He was arm in arm with his companion, and the smell of alcohol mixed with blood was gushing out.
"When I heard that his brother Ace died in front of him..."
The gladiator made an obscene gesture. "This kid was so scared that he peed his pants! Hahahaha——"
Bartolomeo's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of a needle tip.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
He slowly straightened up, his joints crackling. The smile on his lips didn't disappear, but twisted into a terrifying hideous expression.
"You..." The voice was so soft that it sounded like Lion Majesty spitting out words, "What did you just say?"
The gladiator turned around and saw Bartolomeo's expression. He was stunned for a moment, then sneered disdainfully: "What? Are you the dog of the straw hat? I said he-"
"Barrier Impact!!!"
Bartolomeo's roar shattered the glass in the corridor!
Under the horrified gaze of the crowd, that burly figure was like dough being kneaded by invisible hands.
Phew.
First there was the dull sound of an eyeball bursting, then the crisp sound of bones shattering, and finally the wet sound of internal organs bursting.
Blood splattered radially on the inner wall of the barrier, and broken bones and minced meat were spread evenly as if they had been processed by a juicer.
When the barrier was lifted, the human-shaped meat paste slammed to the ground, and the flying meat even stuck to the ceiling.
Dead silence.
Rebecca covered her mouth, stomach juice flowing back into her throat.
Lao Cai's pupils trembled violently, and the hand holding the gun began to tremble for the first time.
The only sound in the entire lounge was the sound of blood dripping onto the ground.
Just as everyone was shocked, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows at the end of the corridor.
The brim of the worn straw hat was frayed and fluffy, casting a deep shadow in the dim light, completely hiding the upper half of "Lucy"'s face in darkness.
He took every step very steadily, and his blood-stained straw sandals left clear bloody footprints on the floor.
Luffy lowered his head, his expression obscured by the shadows.
He walked straight past Bartolomeo without pausing, as if oblivious to the tragic scene before him.
Bartolomeo's fury froze in an instant, turning into a trembling that was almost fanatical.
He saw the lower half of his face exposed from the brim of the straw hat—the tightly pursed lips, the taut jawline, and the slightly twitching masseter muscle.
Isn't this the familiar straw hat boy who always grins? !
"Luffy-senpai..."
His voice trembled, tears welling up in his eyes. "Did you see that? I taught those bastards a lesson for you!"
Luffy didn't answer, didn't even look at him, and just kept walking forward.
"It's...perfect!"
Bartolomeo suddenly collapsed to the ground, tears mixed with blood rolling down his cheeks. "This is the demeanor of a king! Even ignoring is so... so..."
His voice was choked in his throat, and his hands tightly grasped the clothes on his chest, as if his heart would jump out if he didn't do so.
Rebecca unconsciously took a half step back in the shadows.
Her rapier fell to the ground with a clang, and she realized that her hands were shaking violently.
When the man named "Lucy" passed by, she clearly felt a piercing chill running up her spine, like a prey being targeted by some ancient ferocious beast.
The tip of Lao Cai's gun was deeply embedded in the ground.
Cold sweat oozed from his forehead, and the instincts cultivated over years of battle were sending out alarms.
Beneath that seemingly ordinary straw hat, there is something terrifying hidden.
He remembered what his grandfather had said: "When a real monster hides its fangs, that's when it's most dangerous."
In the monitoring room further away, Doflamingo's mouth was grinning from ear to ear: "Fufufufufu... The fun has just begun!"