G-5 Branch Plaza, in front of the enormous notice board.
The first rays of morning sunlight had just pierced through the thin mist over the sea, yet the area was already packed to the brim.
The scene was even crazier than a clearance sale at Sabaody Archipelago, sweat, cheap tobacco, and suffocating tension filled the air.
"It's out! The rules are out!"
With a loud shout, the crowd instantly erupted like a kicked anthill.
A beautiful vice admiral with long wavy sea-blue hair, wearing a Marine coat, Ain, stepped forward coldly.
Behind her followed two lines of fully armed soldiers carrying several massive boards.
"Shut up!"
Ain's icy voice spread across the plaza through an amplified Den Den Mushi.
Though she was pleasing to the eye, the dangerous aura unique to a user of the Return-Return Fruit instantly silenced even these lawless brutes.
"I am the chief referee of this tournament, Ain."
Her cold gaze swept across tens of thousands of heads below, former pirate captains, bounty hunters, gang enforcers… all now reduced to G-5 privates.
"Under Lord Renzo's orders, to select true elites from you… 'raw stones,' we have established the following rules."
"Whoosh, "
The boards were unveiled, revealing bold red text.
[G-5 First Genius Efficiency Martial Arts Tournament · Preliminary Rules]
Grouping: All 32,400 participants will be randomly divided into 10 groups. Environment: Each group will be dropped onto a designated deserted island (terrains include volcanoes, swamps, labyrinth forests, frozen tundras, etc.).Victory Condition: Each island contains 10 pure gold Renzo Tokens scattered randomly.Time Limit: 3 days and 3 nights (72 hours).Advancement: At the end, those holding tokens rank as the top 10 of their group and advance to finals.Iron Rule: Killing fellow Marines is strictly forbidden!
(Break limbs, bury them alive, fine. But if they die, you die with them.)
[Note: Finals will be held one month after preliminaries.]
A stir broke out immediately.
"Survival on an island? Token hunting?"
A lean man licked his dagger. "Heh… not just brute strength, brains too."
"No killing?" a giant grumbled. "Then I have to hold back?"
"Idiot!" another sneered. "That means making them wish they were dead is allowed. That's harder than killing; it tests control."
Ain nodded slightly, satisfied.
"This is not just combat, it tests survival, intelligence, and luck!"
"We don't want brainless brawlers. We want monsters who can adapt to any extreme!"
"In three days, transport ships will take you to your arenas. Life or death depends on you!"
If Ain handled rules, Rehn handled profit extraction.
At the same moment, G-5's commercial district, docks, and patrol ships were engaged in another frenzy.
"Come take a look! Official G-5 broadcast tickets!"
"Witness history! Watch beasts fight in real time!"
"With one ticket, enjoy luxury seating, air-conditioning, drinks, and watch them struggle in the mud!"
Rehn's advertisements covered every pole.
For the event, he had turned surrounding islands into arenas and built ten massive outdoor viewing plazas inside G-5.
Each had giant screens linked to thousands of upgraded surveillance Den Den Mushi,
A true live broadcast system, unprecedented in the pirate world.
At a ticket booth:
"I want one! Zone A! Swamp island view!"
A fat merchant waved money wildly.
"Sorry sir, sold out five minutes ago."
"WHAT?! That was 50,000 Berries!"
"Only VIP boxes left. Includes Lord Renzo-style afternoon tea. 500,000 Berries."
"I'll take two!"
Behind him, the line stretched to the coast.
New World tycoons, spies, even disguised Marines, all came.
"Ticket revenue alone could rebuild half of G-5…"
Scalpers whispered.
"Sell fast, the price is rising every minute!"
The entire regional economy exploded.
Ships flooded the seas.
Hotels were full, and even storage rooms became boutique lodgings.
Restaurants worked nonstop. Sea King jerky sold at absurd prices.
"Sir! Lord Renzo's sleep mask! Guaranteed Admiral-level sleep! Only 998!"
Vendors sold absurd merchandise, and buyers still paid.
...
G-5 Headquarters, Chief Steward Office.
Rehn stared at financial reports, grinning widely.
"We're rich… truly rich…"
He laughed.
"The boss is a genius. This is efficiency!"
"They fight, others watch, and we just provide the stage, and rake in money!"
"And it's a chain effect," said Monet, adjusting her glasses.
"The finals are a month later, everyone stays here."
"Thirty thousand eliminated recruits still spend money. Wealthy spectators stay too."
"One month of spending, astronomical profits."
Rehn chuckled, "And they'll adapt to G-5 life in that time… by the finals, they'll be true G-5 members."
.....
Participant Dormitory Area.
Unlike the carnival outside, tension filled the air.
Groups studied maps intensely.
"Boss, we're assigned to Flame Island," one said.
"Lava everywhere."
The leader snorted.
"We've survived worse. Just remember, no killing."
"Break them, throw them into the sea, the tokens are ours."
In a corner, a straw-hatted young man silently examined the rules.
"Full-spectrum test…"
"The finals matter more."
"No need to show everything yet."
He smirked.
"This G-5… is more interesting than I thought."
Elsewhere, a group plotted:
"We're weaker, but we have numbers."
"Form a trap alliance!"
Everyone schemed. Everyone desired.
The 5 billion reward, Devil Fruits, and fame under Renzo, Like an invisible carrot, driving these beasts to prepare for a brutal struggle…
Inside the cage called rules.
....
30 Chapter, [email protected]/DaoistJinzu