The Arena's [BOSS]

Sabaody Archipelago, Island Number Three.

This was a notorious lawless zone where various forces engaged in dark dealings like human trafficking and slave auctions. However, compared to the shady underground businesses, one particular trade on Island Number Three was far more widely known.

It was a place filled with flowers, cheers, and blood.

The Sabaody Arena!

Nobles and wealthy individuals would send their own slaves into the arena to fight each other. The victor would earn cheers and gold, and even freedom.

The losers would be mercilessly discarded. Those who survived their injuries would become the lowest-ranking gladiators within the arena, living out their remaining days in misery.

Watching the bloody battles between slaves was a favorite pastime for many nobles.

And sometimes, this would even attract the attention of the nobles among nobles – the Celestial Dragons.

Inside the arena.

Surrounded by flowers and cheers, a man slowly walked onto the stage.

He wore a golden suit and held a Den Den Mushi, speaking loudly:

"Audience, I am your old friend, the arena's best host, Spink!"

"Ooooh!!!"

Spink was greeted by the cheers of the arena's audience.

"Everyone here is a noble from all over the world, and I believe you all have only one purpose for coming here, what is it, what is it, what is it..."

Spink leaned down, then suddenly threw his head up and roared, "Of course, it's for duels!"

"Duels! Duels! Duels!"

The nobles' enthusiasm engulfed the entire arena. Spink then added fuel to the fire.

"Moreover! Moreover! We just received news that a Celestial Dragon will be gracing today's arena with their presence. Do you know what that means?"

"Yes! Today, our legendary gladiator, the undefeated legend belonging to a Celestial Dragon, that man will make his appearance!"

"Let us all shout his name!"

At this very moment, in the arena's lounge.

Saint Almace, a Celestial Dragon wearing a bubble helmet, was looking at a black-haired man.

He wasn't very old, with a strong and well-proportioned build.

What was truly astonishing was that despite sharing the same room with a Celestial Dragon, the man had his back turned to him, casually eating the bone-in meat in his hand.

Meanwhile, servants were continuously bringing in delicacies from around the world from the kitchen and placing them before the man.

Seeing the man devour plate after plate, Saint Almace didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled and said, "How is it? Is it delicious?"

The man shook his head, "It's disgusting. Your stench is even wafting over here."

Hearing this, the surrounding servants felt their legs go weak.

What kind of person dared to speak to a Celestial Dragon like this? Even the Marines wouldn't dare!

"Hahahaha, you can certainly talk big now, I won't be angry," Saint Almace stroked his beard, the smile on his face gradually turning cold. "But if you lose even a single duel, I will make you experience inhuman suffering!"

"Me? Lose? Did that bubble scramble your brains?"

The man finished the last bite of fish, then stood up, wrapped bandages around his hands, and walked towards the door.

He clashed his fists together.

"It's time to make an appearance."

He walked step by step from the dim lounge into the light outside.

The cheers reached his ears.

Spink shouted, "Let's welcome the strongest fighter, the arena's undefeated legend, codenamed [BOSS], Lynn Barek!"

"Ooooh!!!"

"BOSS! Lynn! BOSS! Lynn!"

Against the backdrop of cheers and flowers, Linley walked into the arena.

He spread his arms wide, welcoming the cheers of the arena's audience.

Compared to the burly gladiators, this man's physique was not imposing; he was only about two meters tall, and his build wasn't exaggerated. However, his solid muscles and the numerous scars on his body were exceptionally striking.

Linley's gaze swept over the nobles as he looked up at the sky above.

After being here for several years, he had gradually adapted to the world's fervor.

Lynn Barek, originally named Linley, was a transmigrator.

On the day of his transmigration, Linley was captured by slave traders and fitted with an explosive collar.

It was only when Linley heard the title of Celestial Dragon that he finally understood that this was the world of the Pirate King.

It was a pity that after waiting for several weeks, until Linley was bought by a Celestial Dragon as a bottom-tier slave, his cheat system still hadn't activated.

The Celestial Dragons fed him a Devil Fruit as a test subject to increase the number of gladiators.

The Hero Fruit.

Full name: Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Hero Form.

A familiar panel finally appeared before Linley's eyes.

[Name]: Linley

[Level]: 1

[Energy Value]: 10/10

[Hero Form]: None

After another full six months, combining Fleet Admiral Sengoku's development of the similar Human-Human Fruit, Great Buddha Form, from his memories, Linley finally understood his fruit's abilities.

Simply put, a user who ate the Hero Fruit can use their own energy to specifically strengthen their body, thereby gaining corresponding abilities.

Linley called this enhancement [Hero Form].

Of course, changes in Hero Form require a large amount of energy supply from the user. The more exaggerated and outrageous the ability, the more energy is needed.

The most common way to replenish energy is by eating.

For example: Linley could make himself a god in this world, but the energy required would be astronomical, perhaps not even achievable by eating all the food in the world, and Linley's body wouldn't be able to withstand it.

Conversely, the more realistic the ability, the less energy is required.

In addition to the energy limit, the Hero Fruit is, after all, an Animal-type Devil Fruit. It can only change Linley himself and cannot create physical entities out of thin air.

For example, if Linley wanted to strengthen himself into a hero wielding a battle axe, he would need to actually possess a battle axe first.

Combining these two points, Linley quickly locked onto his first Hero Form—

[Sett]the Unbreakable.

Because the development and use of the fruit's abilities are closely related to the user's imagination, rather than creating a Hero Form himself, it was better to use the one he was most familiar with.

Moreover, compared to the demigods and superpowered individuals in the world of League of Legends, Sett's abilities leaned more towards physical strength and had no weapon limitations.

The most crucial point was that Sett, like Linley, was also a gladiator. Although their statuses were different, they were at least semi-colleagues.

Thus, after accumulating energy for a period, Linley, using his Hero Form: Sett, won his first victory in the arena.

Counting from that time, over four years have passed, and Linley has achieved a total of three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine victories, becoming an undefeated legend in the arena and earning the title of [BOSS]!

Such a record brought Linley's nominal owner, Saint Almace, considerable prestige among the Celestial Dragons, allowing Saint Almace to tolerate Linley's presumptuousness to a certain extent.

Today is Linley's four thousandth duel!

[Name]: Linley

[Level]: 15

[Energy Value]: 1500/1500

[Hero Form]: Sett

With continuous battles, Linley's physical fitness and combat experience gradually improved. His own level rose to fifteen, and the limit of energy he could store in his body reached one thousand five hundred points.

The average human body contains ten points of energy. Therefore, strictly speaking, Linley's body had accumulated a massive one hundred and fifty times the normal amount of energy!

Fortunately, Saint Almace had prepared a large amount of food for Linley. Otherwise, replenishing such a vast amount of energy in the harsh environment of the arena would have been as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

Linley took a deep breath and gazed at the floating clouds in the sky.

It was almost time.

He had stayed in this arena long enough.

Having arrived in this world, he would accept his fate and would not dwell on the past.

He now only wanted to see the outside world.

The vast sea, endless adventures.

And the foundation for all of that was freedom.

Linley moved his neck, still wearing the specially made explosive collar. Because the duels required the use of Devil Fruit abilities, the collar was not made of Seastone.

"An Admiral-level combatant is usually not found in the Sabaody Archipelago. Once this explosive collar is dealt with, no one will be able to stop me."

Linley accepted the cheers of the audience, calculating in his heart.

"The only question is, what time is it? The Roger Era? Has the Straw Hat set sail yet? Or have they already visited the Sabaody Archipelago?"

Years of gladiator life had severely limited Linley's sources of information, and Saint Almace would not allow Linley to inquire about external matters.

"Before escaping, it would be best to have an acquaintance to reference the timeline."

As Linley thought this, he heard Spink on the announcer's platform shout:

"Now, let us see the opponent of [BOSS] Linley!"

"He comes from the depths of the sea and possesses physical qualities ten times that of a human!"

"Today, he will transform into the god of death and end Linley's fourth thousand consecutive victory!"

"He's the Fish-Man, Fisher Tiger!"

Linley froze upon hearing the familiar name.

The legendary Fish-Man who went from explorer to slave, then caused chaos in Mary Geoise, freeing slaves and becoming a pirate—

The boss of Fish-Man District, Fisher Tiger?

He wasn't dead yet, and hadn't even caused the "Mary Geoise Incident"?