Interrogation

The atmosphere inside the Arena gradually grew more heated.

But at the same time, a figure quietly slipped away, heading toward the docks.

It was [Sand Crocodile] Crocodile.

He was going to the docks to prepare a ship for departure, just in case.

As for the funding transfer plan he'd originally settled on, he'd already been forced to put it on hold.

There was no question that Aiven Lindsey was powerful.

If everything really went according to the so-called "rules," then Lindsey was unquestionably going to win the Arena today!

After all, Crocodile had fought Aiven Lindsey himself, and he trusted his own judgment.

But at the same time, it was precisely because the two of them had already fought that Crocodile had realized something—

Compared to his "strength," Aiven Lindsey's "unpredictability" was the real headache!

He was a "creature" unlike any human.

Even Crocodile, who had spent more time with him than anyone else, could hardly predict what he would do!

So, after nearly getting into trouble more than once, Crocodile had settled on the safest plan.

He would head to the docks early, prepare a ship for departure, then watch the situation in the Arena through the broadcast and wait to see how things unfolded.

If everything went smoothly, then at worst Lindsey would wreck the Arena and flee all the way to the docks.

But if anything truly troublesome came up, such as the World Government or even the Celestial Dragons, Crocodile would set sail alone without hesitation!

"Phew..."

Leaning against the mast of the new ship, Crocodile puffed on a cigar, his brow furrowed.

"What a pain..."

"Cheer up!"

Lindsey grabbed the fat man by the collar and lifted him off the ground, then sprinted along the edge of the Arena with him in tow.

"Roar!"

Behind them, the enormous tiger called "Baduwan" charged after them on its massive, powerful limbs.

The Baduwan Tiger was a rare breed of tiger that lived in the New World.

As it continued to move, the blood inside its body gradually "heated up," making it faster and stronger. The longer it chased its prey, the more dangerous it became.

Now, as it chased Lindsey and the fat man, the Baduwan Tiger's blood was gradually heating up, and it was running faster and faster. It was just about to catch up with Lindsey.

Whether it was because they were running too fast or because he was terrified, the fat man's tears were practically about to be flung from his eyes.

His lips quivering, he wailed, "Ah, we're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die..."

Whoosh!

The Baduwan Tiger swiped at them, its claw passing just inches from the fat man's belly.

"Th-thank goodness I lost weight."

If the slave traders hadn't fed him so poorly these past few days, forcing him to lose weight, he'd probably have been disemboweled by now.

Just as the Baduwan Tiger's second swipe was about to land, Lindsey sped up again and dragged the fat man several meters away.

The Baduwan Tiger was furious.

But the little prey in front of it was too fast, so the Baduwan Tiger could only switch its main target to someone else.

"Roar!"

The Baduwan Tiger planted its front paws and twisted around, then charged toward a slave in another direction.

But just as it opened its huge jaws, ready to tear a slave to pieces, that figure it hated so much appeared again.

Aiven Lindsey charged straight at it!

But there was one thing that the Baduwan Tiger, the slaves, and even the Arena spectators couldn't understand: Aiven Lindsey had just moved in a very peculiar way.

He hadn't sprinted or leaped, or done anything else so ordinary. Instead, he had "glided"!

He had stood right where he was, and the earth beneath his feet had begun to surge like waves.

Like a top-notch surfer, Lindsey rode the earth wave beneath his feet, gliding toward the Baduwan Tiger at astonishing speed.

"Ha-ha!"

Lindsey stumbled slightly, then exclaimed excitedly, "Great, I'm just about getting the hang of it!"

Whether in Punk Hazard or at a port on the Red Line, there hadn't really been anywhere Lindsey could "experiment" as recklessly as he pleased.

This Arena, though, was pretty good.

"Though this kitty's a little slow..."

Lindsey murmured, his eyes shining.

As with every adventure, whenever Lindsey put a new move he'd imagined into practice, the joy and excitement he felt were incomparable.

In Earth Demon Form, Lindsey had the power to "destroy" earth and stone.

But if he reduced the extent of that "destruction," keeping it far from the level that had torn open the ground before, then the "nature" of the earth beneath his feet would change.

Instead of simply "making a hole," he could make the ground loose, soft, and even swollen!

At that point, the soil would take on some of the properties of "water."

Lindsey could stand on the soil and manipulate its waves, achieving an effect similar to "surfing" and greatly increasing his mobility!

[Earth Fiend Form: Earth Wave]!

Using the Baduwan Tiger as a hypothetical opponent, Lindsey rode the earth waves through the slaves in the Arena, helping them dodge the tiger's attacks.

For Lindsey, this string of maneuvers was a necessary step in developing a new move; for the slaves, it was a stroke of luck amid their misfortune, allowing them to barely cling to life.

For the people in the stands, though, it was simply dull and boring.

What was so interesting about watching one person lead a group of people around, dodging attacks?

So when Lindsey once again pulled a slave out of the Baduwan Tiger's path and retreated to the edge of the Arena, someone immediately voiced their displeasure.

"Hey, you bastard, quit getting in the way!"

The speaker was an old nobleman.

He bared a mouth full of gold teeth and cursed at Lindsey below:

"Either win or lose! Don't act like this place is your home!"

The old man grew more and more agitated, gritting his teeth as he shouted:

"Idiot, stop getting in the way! I want to see a river of blood!"

"That's right! If you're so strong, then show us!"

"If you don't want to fight, get out!"

"..."

Lindsey was grinning happily.

But when he heard the old nobleman's words, his expression suddenly changed.

It wasn't anger, nor was he annoyed.

The fat man Lindsey had been holding the whole time saw it clearly. The expression on Lindsey's face was unmistakably one of "boredom"!

"Hmm, so that's what you all think..."

Lindsey stopped, rolled his neck, and made a series of sharp cracking sounds.

He let out a long sigh and said helplessly, "In that case, your lives must be pretty meaningless."

"..."

"There's something I've been wondering."

Completely ignoring the Baduwan Tiger charging straight at him, Lindsey turned toward the spectators, spread his arms, and asked with a hearty laugh:

"Do you understand the meaning of life? Have you ever truly lived? Huh?"

"You've never even touched your own lives..."

Whoosh!

In the next instant, the Baduwan Tiger was right in front of Lindsey. It opened its huge jaws, ready to bite him to death.

But what met it was a massive, crimson hand.

Boom!

Lindsey activated his Devil Fruit Ability, partially transformed into an animal, and grabbed the Baduwan Tiger by the nose. Then, with a simultaneous heave of his waist and abdomen, he hurled it straight into the air.

Whoosh—crash!

The enormous Baduwan Tiger traced a half-circle through the air and landed right in the stands.

As the noblemen screamed in terror, Lindsey's laughter rang out especially sharply.

"Ha-ha!"

"If you all love gladiatorial combat so much, then let's all play together!"