An Unavoidable Martial Arts Tournament!

"Can't you guys even consider my wishes?!" Sanji said dejectedly as the four of them finally reached a consensus, Sanji him.

"Hehe, you can choose not to leave with us, but that doesn't stop us from coming to rescue you!"

"Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you before you understand? This isn't saving me at all; it's pushing me into a fire pit! If anything happens to you, I'll never forgive myself!"

"Don't worry, Sanji. We're not idiots like Luffy. If we were to face a monster like Nightmare, we wouldn't rely solely on our own strength."

"That's right. Don't forget, the city beneath our feet has gathered the world's strongest people, and most of them have an irreconcilable hatred for Nightmare."

"But..."

Seeing that Sanji was about to argue, Zoro interrupted, "Idiot, if you're really worried about us, you might as well tell us some useful information. You've been here for two years, you can't possibly know nothing!"

"... Alright, but you have to promise me that you won't act rashly unless you're absolutely certain!" Knowing Luffy and the others' personalities well, Sanji had no choice but to agree.

"Although I don't know much, based on what I've seen and heard over the past two years, I still have some guesses in my mind."

Sanji a deep breath. "If you're really determined to defeat Nightmare, the best way is to kill his main body directly!"

"But... if Nightmare's clone already possesses combat power comparable to or even surpassing that of the Four Emperors, then isn't his main body even more terrifyingly strong?"

"I heard that Summit War two years ago, Nightmare single-handedly held off four Admiral- level fighters. Shouldn't we weaken the main body's strength by killing his clones?"

"Moreover, Nightmare usually appears in clones. Unless a situation like the Summit War occurs again, we won't be able to find him even if we want to."

"As far as I know, besides the royal Royal Palace that is on the surface, there is an even more magnificent God's Temple underground in this Royal City. It is a forbidden area that almost no one can touch. If I am not mistaken, the Nightmare's true form is sleeping there!" Sanji said with certainty.

"Hiss... There's actually God's Temple beneath this land?"

"But Sanji, what do you mean by 'sleeping'?"

"In my opinion, Nightmare must have paid an unimaginable price for single-handedly defeating the Navy two years ago, which is why he has been completely silent for the past two years. The place he chose to recuperate must be that underground God's Temple!"

Sanji guessed, "This Nightmare might be his weakest moment!"

"Great! If we spread this news, Nightmare's enemies will be eager to rush into the underground God's Temple and kill him!" Usopp said excitedly.

"Absolutely not! Two years have passed, and Nightmare has shown signs of resurgence. His frequent appearances of clones are the best proof of this. If we rush in, we might cause Nightmare to awaken prematurely," Sanji said, his expression slightly changing as he tried to stop him.

"Indeed, we also discovered the existence of that underground God's Temple, and even tried to send people in to infiltrate it, but they were all blocked by an invisible force. If we force our way in, we might disturb the enemy." A gentle voice suddenly appeared in the room, instantly alerting everyone.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I came here because I heard about it from Koala and was worried that you might act impulsively. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"Sabo!" Luffy exclaimed in surprise.

"You are... I remember now, you are Yiyi's friend. Is Yiyi here too?" Sanji asked with a happy smile.

"... Uh!" Everyone's faces froze, thinking that it was better not to reveal that cruel truth, as that would be too cruel to Sanji!

Sabo gave an awkward laugh. "No... no, it's just me. Cough cough, let's get back to our previous topic!"

"Then what should we do? Sneaking in secretly will be blocked by that invisible force, and forcibly breaking in will alert the enemy. Isn't this a dead end?" Nami quickly changed the subject.

"According to the intelligence our Revolutionary Army has gathered over the past two years, the invisible force shrouding the underground God's Temple is a kind of barrier set up by Nightmare. Unless it is dismantled from within, it is difficult to break through it with external force alone!"

Sabo shook his head and said, "However, those who can enter the God's Temple must be Nightmare's most trusted confidants. Given their fanaticism towards Nightmare, there is absolutely no possibility of betrayal!"

Just when everyone was at a loss, Sanji suddenly said weakly.

"Perhaps I know something!"

Seeing everyone's gazes on him, Sanji didn't hide anything. "As you all probably already know, according to the official statement from the Dreamland Kingdom, there are too many people who have signed up for this Martial Arts Tournament. If it were a two-on-one battle, even three months might not be enough time. Therefore, the competition will be a free-for-all."

"The game will be divided into 100 battle zones. The last 3 players remaining in each battle zone will be the winners and will automatically advance to the Finals."

"Martial Arts Tournament? But what does that have to do with the barrier we were talking about?" Usopp asked, looking completely bewildered.

"Of course they're related, because the final Finals is the Royal Palace atop the God's Temple!"

"The Royal Palace? Nightmare really spares no expense. Doesn't he worry about being homeless after the battle?" Nami teased.

"The God's Temple... above?" Sabo pondered solemnly upon hearing this. "Could there be some necessary connection between the Martial Arts Tournament and the Nightmare's slumber?"

"I don't know either, but Reiju warned me not to participate in this Martial Arts Tournament. After I pressed her repeatedly, she finally revealed two words: sacrifice!"

"Sacrifice? Could that legend be true?" Sabo's expression changed horrified upon hearing this.

"Legend?"

"Well, logically speaking, the Four Emperors are already at the limit of their strength in all aspects. Even Whitebeard at his peak couldn't possibly crush them. But Nightmare is different. In front of his true form, the so-called top combat power is a joke. He is simply too powerful to be reasonable!"

"Therefore, there are rumors that the reason Nightmare is so strong is because he once sacrificed an entire race to obtain power beyond that of humans from the Demon Sword!"

"Sacrifice... sacrifice an entire race!" Usopp swallowed hard; this enemy was far too ruthless!

"So, does that mean he's planning to hold this Martial Arts Tournament to sacrifice the world's strongest fighters once again?" Zoro was also shocked by this terrifying ambition.

"Hmph! I knew Nightmare wasn't that kind. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the Supreme Grade Sword, the treasure beyond measure—it was all bait!" Nami said dejectedly.

"Shouldn't we hurry up and notify the others to give up the idea of participating in the competition?"

"We will definitely notify them, but that doesn't mean we'll stop them from participating. According to the information we gathered on Asuka Island, the sacrificial process cannot be interrupted. If it is forcibly interrupted, the person wielding the sword will suffer a terrible backlash!"

Sabo resolutely said, "In other words, if we want to completely defeat Nightmare, this World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament may be our only chance!"

"The Chosen One... Martial Arts Tournament... Nightmare... Sacrifice... Interesting!" A shadow in the corner gradually disappeared.