Chapter 153: He's Simply... Superman!
To be honest, Ralph's claim that the previous fights were just a warm-up was a bit of an exaggeration.
He had always excelled in speed and technique.
Blocking the opponent's attacks head-on, even relying on his Innate Physical Strength to withstand the impact of a ten-ton weight… was indeed a bit reckless.
But there was no other way.
Once you start showing off, you have to see it through, even if it takes everything you've got.
More importantly—
This round of showing off was worth it.
The effect was outstanding.
The moment Ralph broke free from the wax statue seal, Mr. 3 froze in place.
His glasses were askew, and his mouth hung slightly open.
The wax he took such pride in hardened to a strength comparable to steel.
D#.
This man… broke free from the inside using only his physical strength?
Immediately after, Ralph used Rankyaku to remotely neutralize Mr. 5's booger bombs, then withstood Miss Valentine's ten-thousand-kilogram strike with his bare body.
He was practically… a superhuman!
And now, Miss Valentine had been casually tossed to the ground by Ralph, her face flushed and her eyes wide as she lay there in a daze.
To Mr. 3, this was clearly another case of being "scared stiff."
Mr. 3 usually preferred to follow a plan, meticulously arranging every step and enjoying the feeling of having everything under control.
But once the plan was disrupted, and the enemy's strength exceeded his expectations…
He would become timid, hesitant, and at a loss.
What surprised him, however, was that—
Mr. 5, the "bomb man" he looked down on, still had the courage to fight.
"Breeze Breath Bomb!"
Mr. 5 pulled a revolver from his waist.
This was no ordinary gun.
It was the latest flintlock-style .44 caliber six-shot revolver from the South Blue!
He brought his mouth close to the cylinder, took a deep breath, and then—
"Hah!"
He blew a breath into the chamber.
Click.
The cylinder snapped shut.
Aim.
Pull the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Six shots in rapid succession.
Each bullet wasn't a metal projectile but… "breath" compressed to its limit.
The breath of a Bomu Bomu no Mi user.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—!!
Six "breath bombs" exploded where Ralph had been standing.
The force of the explosions rivaled that of artillery shells, sending dirt flying and smoke billowing into the sky. In an instant, a crater several meters in diameter appeared on the ground.
"Did we get him?"
Mr. 3 craned his neck.
The smoke slowly cleared.
...
No one was there.
Ralph's figure had vanished.
"What?!"
Mr. 5's pupils contracted sharply.
Just then—
A hand gently tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
Very lightly.
Like a friend greeting him.
But Mr. 5's hair stood on end instantly.
"If I hadn't wanted to test your limits…"
Ralph's voice sounded beside his ear, "You didn't really think your snail-like movements…"
"Could actually hit me, did you?"
Mr. 5 stiffened all over.
He didn't turn around.
Instead, he spun sharply and lashed out with a whip kick toward his back!
"Kicky Bomb!"
As a Bomu Bomu no Mi user, any part of his body that made contact with a target could trigger an explosion.
If this kick landed, even if it didn't break bones, it would blast the target's flesh wide open.
But just as Ralph had said—
With their speed, if Ralph hadn't been suffering from a "can't-stop-showing-off" disease and chosen to take the hits head-on…
How could they have even touched the hem of his clothes?
Even though Mr. 5 had kicked first.
Ralph's foot, however, arrived later yet struck first.
Thud!
A dull impact sound.
Mr. 5 only felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, as if struck by a battering ram. His feet left the ground, and he was sent flying backward.
Whoosh—!
He turned into a black shadow, tracing a straight line through the air.
Then—
Boom—!!
He crashed into the white candle safe house.
Anyone unaware might have thought he had activated his Devil Fruit ability.
In reality, the sheer impact of Ralph's kick alone caused devastating destruction.
Crash...
The white wax hut, touted as "hard as steel," collapsed like a stack of building blocks under Mr. 5's impact.
Wax chunks scattered and crumbled like toys.
Mr. 5 lay in the ruins, eyes rolled back, completely unconscious.
Watching this scene, Mr. 3 gulped, swallowing hard.
But the next moment—
His ultimate move.
His eyes changed.
What a joke...
Those ranked below me are still fighting.
As "Number 3"...
How can I give up?!
No matter who the opponent is, they cannot block my determination to climb higher!
"Candle Champion!"
Mr. 3 roared, slamming his hands together.
Swoosh—!
A massive flow of wax surged from his body, like a white waterfall, instantly enveloping him entirely.
The wax flowed, shaped, and solidified...
In the blink of an eye, Mr. 3 transformed into a... gigantic white wax statue armor.
Though called armor, it resembled more of a combat mecha crafted from wax.
It was his favorite artistic form and one of the ultimate expressions of his ability.
The armor stood four meters tall, pure white, with a surface as smooth as a mirror, gleaming coldly under the sunlight.
"Miss Goldenweek!"
From within the wax armor, Mr. 3's voice rang out:
"Paint it! Let him witness... my most outstanding work of art!"
As long as Miss Goldenweek used her palette to add "color" to this armor, it would become a true killing machine—a synergy they had perfected over years of collaboration.
But just then—
"Be careful!"
A voice suddenly called out.
It was Miss Valentine.
She had somehow gotten back on her feet, her face still flushed, but her eyes were... urgent?
She shouted to Ralph:
"That's a move capable of defeating a criminal with a 42 million Berry bounty!"
Mr. 3: "..."
Sigh...
Why the sudden betrayal?!
But even without Miss Valentine's warning, Mr. 3 had no chance.
Because his complete "Candle Champion" required two steps: first, he solidified the armor, then Miss Goldenweek added the color.
No matter how well-coordinated they were, this still required... time.
And Ralph was never short on speed.
"Soru."
Ralph murmured softly.
A burst of air exploded beneath his feet.
His figure vanished.
No, not vanished.
He was simply too fast, leaving only an afterimage.
Under the moonlight, a black line extended from his original position, instantly crossing over a dozen meters to appear before the wax armor.
Ralph's right hand was already raised.
His palm was coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, fingers pressed together, forming a blade-like edge.
Then—
From left to right, he delivered a single slash.
"Soru Step: Drawing Slash."
There was no sword.
Only his hand.
Yet the sharpness of this "slash" was more piercing than any real blade.
Swish—!
The sound of air being torn apart.
Miss Goldenweek hadn't even had time to apply the colors when she felt a sharp gust of wind rushing toward her face.
Holding her palette and paintbrush, she calmly leaped backward, avoiding the range of the slash.
Then, she saw it—
That tall, white wax armor, which was said to be "as hard as steel"…
Split cleanly in two, right down the middle.