"Where did all these cannonballs come from?"
"Are we under attack? I didn't hear any cannons firing."
"No! It's World! I saw him throw something into the air, and then this happened!"
Above the spectator stands, the pirates panicked as they watched the sky fill with a dense swarm of pitch-black cannonballs.
Although most fell into the arena, a few stray shells landed on the shore and the stands, triggering a series of explosions.
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!
"Run!!"
"What is that lunatic doing?!"
"Help!!"
Boom!! Boom!!
In an instant, the entire venue descended into chaos.
On the tournament arena.
"More-More: Hundredfold Firecrackers!!"
"Hundredfold Firecrackers! Ahahaha!!"
World pulled out string after string of firecrackers from behind his back and tossed them into the air. The small black spheres hanging off them looked like bunches of grapes.
The firecrackers scattered in the sky, rapidly expanding and growing under World's ability before free-falling back down.
Originally harmless firecrackers, empowered by the More-More Fruit, now packed the explosive force of actual cannonballs.
Of course, to the top-tier fighters on the field, this was hardly a powerful attack.
"What an insolent fool. Slave Arrow!!"
Hancock scoffed with a displeased expression. She lightly touched her lips, conjuring a massive pink heart, then drew it back like a bow, firing a barrage of pink arrows into the sky.
The arrows pierced the cannonballs, instantly petrifying them from the inside out. They crashed onto the arena and shattered into pieces.
King spread his Pteranodon wings and flapped them forcefully, whipping up a hurricane that swept into the sky. The gale, laced with countless wind blades, sliced the cannonballs apart, detonating them mid-air like fireworks.
"What a boring trick. What exactly is that guy trying to do?"
Katakuri shot World a cold glance. His towering figure stood perfectly still, yet the cannonballs seemed to actively avoid him, exploding all around without harming him in the slightest.
In an instant, the entire venue was filled with the deafening roar of explosions and thick gunpowder smoke.
The sea surged as if boiling. One after another, massive, ferocious fighting fish leaped out of the water, completely spooked by the chaos.
"He actually bombed the fish out of the water."
"I see. So that was his goal."
"How reckless, but it's not a bad idea."
At that moment, everyone instantly understood the purpose behind World's indiscriminate bombardment.
Allen leaped high into the air, spreading his wings. His pupils turned green, shifting into compound eyes made of tens of thousands of smaller lenses, locking onto every single fighting fish above the sea.
Simultaneously activating Demon Brain, he processed and identified each fish with the speed and precision of a supercomputer.
At this moment, everyone in the arena ceased fighting, doing their best to observe the fighting fish continuously leaping from the water.
"Oh, he found it that quickly?"
Shanks suddenly voiced his surprise, turning his head to look at Allen in the sky.
"Over there!"
A fraction of a second later, Katakuri, standing not far away, also noticed and snapped his head toward Allen.
Neither of them had actually found the fish containing the treasure box, as it hadn't appeared yet.
However, using their future-sight Observation Haki, they had found the person who would find the fish!
Splash!
A fighting fish with a white skull painted on its forehead broke the surface and leaped out.
Swoosh!
In almost the exact same instant, Allen's eyes narrowed. He flapped his wings violently, shooting forward like a bolt of lightning!
"Don't even think about it!"
Already prepared, Katakuri shouted and leaped out, intercepting Allen's path. His arm transformed into mochi, wrapping around his trident. He spun the mochi arm at high speed and thrust it forward!
"Mochi Thrust!!"
Facing this highly penetrative attack, Allen didn't foolishly try to block it head-on. Blood seeped from his palm, condensing into a sphere. With a loud roar, he hurled it forward!
"Fish-Man Karate: Blood Explosion・Spear Wave!!"
Swoosh!
The sphere of blood transformed into a spear, tearing through the atmosphere and shooting forward at supersonic speeds!
"An explosion?!"
Katakuri's expression shifted. His Observation Haki had already foreseen the outcome. He violently thrust his trident, Mogura, piercing the blood spear.
Boom!!
The blood spear collapsed into countless droplets, each one detonating violently. A cloud of blood mist carrying terrifying heat engulfed Katakuri.
Whether he dodged or blocked, Allen could control the blood to explode. It was an unavoidable outcome, even with future sight.
Unfortunately, the explosion's power was average; it wasn't difficult for a Haki master to defend against.
But it was more than enough to buy some time. Allen flapped his wings, suddenly accelerating toward the giant fighting fish just as it was about to fall back into the sea.
Slash!!
Arriving beside the fish, Allen's gaze darkened. He brought his fingers together into a knife hand, coated it in Armament Haki, and pierced through its tough scales into its side, slashing forcefully to the right!
"No-Sword Style: Disembowel!!"
Riiip!
His hand sliced through like a hot knife through butter, leaving a smooth cut. He precisely sliced open the fish's belly, causing a massive spray of blood!
"That's...!!"
"The treasure box!!"
In that instant, the eyes of everyone in the arena locked onto Allen!
"What clean and decisive movements..."
Shanks watched Allen with great interest. Although he had foreseen the location of the fighting fish Allen found, he had absolutely no intention of making a move.
It wasn't just because he had no interest in the Dark-Dark Fruit; generally speaking, as long as they didn't provoke him, he rarely initiated attacks against rookies.
Others might find it laughable, but that was the truth.
Red Hair didn't like suppressing the growth of the new generation, especially young pirates brimming with potential who were rapidly rising to prominence.
Provided, of course, they didn't cross him.
Meanwhile.
After slicing open the fish's belly, Allen immediately reached in and pulled out the treasure box the moment he saw it. Flapping his wings, he prepared to fly away.
However, the other pirates naturally weren't going to just stand by and watch him leave.
"More-More: Hundredfold Speed!!"
World roared furiously and leaped into the air, his body emitting a strange fluorescent glow.
The next second.
Swoosh—!!
His figure abruptly vanished. Accompanied by an ear-piercing sonic boom, World transformed into a human arrow, shooting forward at over ten times the speed of sound!
Allen's pupils shrank in shock. This speed was so fast it was completely invisible to the naked eye. Only the frantic, stinging warnings of his Observation Haki signaled the impending danger!
Bang!!
World slammed headfirst into Allen's abdomen, carrying him over a hundred meters through the air before crashing into the cliff face!
Boom!!
A massive crater exploded in the cliff, sending a shower of boulders flying.
"Blergh—!"
Allen couldn't hold back a large mouthful of blood. The treasure box slipped from his grasp, tumbling toward the sea along with the falling rocks.
World groggily clutched his head, shaking it vigorously. He hurriedly prepared to jump down and snatch the treasure box.
Just as he leaped, his body jerked to a sudden halt. World snapped his head back, shocked to find Allen gripping his ankle with one hand!
"You old bastard! I absolutely won't let you leave here alive today!"
Allen squeezed the words through gritted teeth, glaring at World with a furious, savage expression as his five fingers clamped down hard!
A terrifying grip strength erupted instantly, nearly crushing World's ankle into noodles!
Crack—Crack!
"Aargh! Let go of me, you bastard!!"
Accompanied by the crisp sound of shattering bone, World threw his head back and howled in agony, his eyes practically bulging from the pain.
Clenching his jaw, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. He quickly drew a pistol from his waist and aimed it at Allen!
"More-More: Hundredfold Gun!!"
Bang!!
A bullet fired from the muzzle. Enhanced by his ability, the bullet grew a hundred times larger, its speed multiplying by a hundredfold. The destructive power was enough to obliterate a warship!
The moment his opponent drew the gun, Allen swiftly tilted his head, narrowly dodging the bullet that had expanded to the size of a cannonball.
Boom!!
The bullet slammed into the cliff face behind them, completely collapsing a section dozens of meters wide. Countless massive boulders plummeted downward, taking the two men with them.
Allen raised his arm and delivered a brutal punch to World's face, sending the man plummeting toward the sea.
Flapping his wings to stabilize his own fall, Allen quickly scanned the area. He soon spotted the treasure box being fought over by several people not far away and immediately flew toward it.
Although he wanted nothing more than to kill that old bastard right then and there, securing the Dark-Dark Fruit was clearly the higher priority.
Countless falling rocks crashed into the sea. At the critical moment, World slapped a nearby boulder, enlarging it a hundred times to catch his falling body before he hit the water.
Splash!
The massive boulder slammed into the sea, kicking up a huge wave. Taking advantage of the final moment before the rock sank, World hurriedly leaped onto one of the stone slab arenas. He stumbled upon landing and crashed face-first into the ground.
"Damn it! You cursed bastard, I'm definitely going to slaughter you today!"
World cursed through gritted teeth. Clutching the leg with the ankle Allen had crushed, his face was deathly pale from the excruciating pain.
Not only had he failed to get the fruit, but he had also been crippled by a rookie pirate. To him, this was an absolute disgrace!
Meanwhile.
The fight for the treasure box was incredibly fierce.
Aside from the Fish-Man Daryl, whom Allen had defeated, several other pirates had already been eliminated. The remaining competitors were locked in a chaotic brawl around the treasure box.
"Ever-White!!"
Doflamingo shouted, slamming his right hand onto the ground. The surrounding terrain rapidly turned into strings, surging like white waves.
Countless intertwined white strings rose wildly, isolating the people around the treasure box.
Seizing the opportunity, Doflamingo reached out, shooting a thin string from his palm to wrap around the mid-air treasure box, and violently yanked it back!
Seeing this, Chinjao, who had been crouching to build momentum, shifted his target to Doflamingo. His massive body launched forward like a cannonball!
"Hasshoken Secret Art: Buto!!"
Bang!!
Chinjao's head, coated in Armament Haki, slammed heavily into Doflamingo, who was eagerly reaching for the treasure box. A powerful shockwave erupted instantly, sending Doflamingo flying.
Losing control of the string, the treasure box flew through the air and hit the ground. The lid popped open with a clatter, and a purplish-black fruit covered in spiral patterns rolled out.
"It really is the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
King's eyes narrowed. The flames on his back extinguished as he unleashed an incredibly fast burst of speed, diving straight for it!
"Peerless Mochi Bullets!!"
Katakuri transformed his arm into mochi, rapidly shaping it into a Gatling gun and hardening it with Armament Haki. A frantic barrage of Haki-infused mochi bullets poured out!
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
The dense storm of mochi bullets rained down like a hurricane, landing directly in King's path and forcing him to a halt!
King coated his wings in Armament Haki and folded them to shield his body. The barrage of bullets struck him, leaving only shallow marks.
The flames on his back expanded drastically, condensing into six ferocious fire dragons, ready to strike at Katakuri.
Suddenly.
"The Dark-Dark Fruit belongs to me!"
Chinjao charged toward the Dark-Dark Fruit lying on the ground with an expression of wild ecstasy.
Seeing this, King quickly changed direction. With a furious shout, he commanded the fire dragons to lunge at Chinjao!
"Stay out of my way, you fool! Flame Dragon Emperor!!"
"What?!"
A wave of intense heat washed over him. Chinjao's expression changed as he was instantly swallowed by the six ferocious fire dragons and blasted away!
"Flowing Mochi!!"
Suddenly, the ground turned into soft, sludge-like mochi, rapidly spreading outward from Katakuri until it reached the Devil Fruit.
Then, under his control, the ground surged wildly. The mochi acted like a conveyor belt, carrying the Dark-Dark Fruit rapidly toward Katakuri!
Just as he was about to get his hands on it.
"Overheat!!"
Doflamingo raised his hand and fired a thick whip of intertwined white strings, shooting it toward Katakuri at breakneck speed, aiming straight for the Dark-Dark Fruit!
"Mochi Whip!!"
Katakuri fired a strip of mochi from his left hand, striking Doflamingo's whip and deflecting it.
Smack.
"The Dark-Dark Fruit is mine."
Carried by the mochi conveyor belt on the ground, the Dark-Dark Fruit finally landed in Katakuri's hand.
The eyes of everyone present converged on him.
At this point, there was no way anyone would just let him walk away with the fruit.
Sure enough, the very next second.
A red glint flashed in Katakuri's eyes. His Observation Haki seemed to foresee something. His expression changed, and he snapped his head around!
"More-More: Hundredfold Slash!!"
Shing!!
A terrifyingly massive flying slash attacked from behind, tearing through the ground like tofu wherever it passed.
Holding the Dark-Dark Fruit in one hand, Katakuri hastily leaped to the side to dodge.
Before he could even stand up.
"Katakuri!!"
King, his body wreathed in flames, roared furiously. Spreading his wings, he dive-bombed, the flames flowing and gathering at his foot.
Bang!!
"Flame Emperor!!"
King roared and spun around, delivering a brutal kick to Katakuri's chest with his crimson-flamed talon, sending him flying dozens of meters away!
The Dark-Dark Fruit slipped from his grasp and flew into the air once more.
Everyone immediately sprang into action, charging toward the Dark-Dark Fruit from all directions.
However, right at that moment.
Plop.
Under everyone's astonished gazes, the falling Dark-Dark Fruit suddenly stopped just before hitting the ground. It floated for less than half a second before vanishing into thin air right before their eyes!
"What?!"
"It... it disappeared...!!"
This sudden, bizarre scene caused everyone in the arena to widen their eyes in shock. Chinjao, Doflamingo, and the others all wore expressions of sheer disbelief.
As his Observation Haki spread out, King quickly detected a presence standing right there and hurriedly shouted:
"No! Someone is there!!"
Just as he spoke, the others also sensed the figure's presence using their Observation Haki.
The air suddenly distorted, and the transparent outline of a human figure gradually materialized.
"Munch, munch..."
"Invisibility really is useless for anything other than peeking into women's bathhouses. Munch, munch..."
Accompanied by the sound of loud chewing, Allen's body gradually dropped its invisibility. His cheeks were puffed out as he chewed heartily, looking at everyone present with a smug expression.
"Though, using it once in a while still yields pretty good results."
"Munch, munch..."
"Gulp."
Allen swallowed it down in one gulp, then broke into a wide grin and gloated:
"Like hiding while everyone else is fighting, and then sneaking a bite of a Devil Fruit."
"Sneaking a bite... Don't tell me...!!"
"This guy already ate the Dark-Dark Fruit..."
Recalling the sight of Allen chewing heartily just moments ago, Chinjao and the others gritted their teeth, glaring at him with furious eyes.
"You despicable bastard...!!"
"Despicable? Jiehahahaha, you flatter me. Got any other compliments for me?"
Allen threw his head back and laughed loudly. Black mist began to emanate from his back as the smile on his face gradually turned sinister. He locked his cold gaze onto World.
"If not, then it's time to settle the score. Remember what I said earlier, old man? I absolutely won't let you leave here alive today!"
"A mere rookie dares to spout such nonsense in front of me? You don't actually think having the Dark-Dark Fruit means you can counter me, do you?"
A ruthless glint flashed in World's eyes. Staring directly into Allen's eyes, he said coldly:
"It just so happens I was planning to slaughter you right here too. It seems our goals align perfectly today."
Not far away.
Katakuri stared at the black mist rolling off Allen's back, his brow furrowing as another question came to mind.
'That is definitely the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. It's exactly the same as what Teach displayed during the Summit War.'
'But... how was he able to eat the Dark-Dark Fruit?'
'If I remember correctly, this guy was already a Devil Fruit user.'
Katakuri's expression gradually turned solemn.
Because of the friction at Fish-Man Island half a month ago, he had looked into the Demon Lion Pirates. He was absolutely certain that Allen was a Devil Fruit user.
'Just what kind of secret is this guy hiding...?'
Aside from Katakuri, Doflamingo was also watching Allen with a grave expression, clearly having noticed the exact same thing.
At this moment, he suddenly began to feel that his cooperation with Allen might just be inviting a second Kaido into his life.