Mu Chen vs. Kuzan

Place your bets! The battle is about to begin! Anyone who hasn't bet yet, hurry up and place one!

Mu Chen's odds have now risen to 1:10! Come place your bets!

Mu Chen defeated me as soon as he arrived. He's a powerhouse! What are you waiting for if you're not betting on him?

Why not take a gamble?

Jia Ji was still shouting at the top of his lungs. After that cry, several Marines hesitantly prepared to bet on Mu Chen.

Jia Ji had a headache as well. If not for the sheer number of people betting on Kuzan, he would not have raised Mu Chen's odds. He was truly afraid that, as the bookmaker, he would not have enough to pay out.

Mu Chen looked at Jia Ji. He had actually opened a betting pool, and what was with those odds on him?

Raised to 1:10? No one was betting on him?

Curious, he walked over.

Jia Ji, no one's betting on me?

Mu Chen asked simply.

Jia Ji's expression looked rather ugly.

Mu Chen, you're not cutting it. The bets on Kuzan have already exceeded eight million Beli, while the bets on you are only a little over five hundred thousand Beli. I thought I could make a fortune, but now... As he spoke, Jia Ji nearly started crying. The difference between eight million and five hundred thousand was enormous. If Mu Chen won, the payout would be considerable.

Jia Ji had not expected the gap to be this large. Moreover, he had no confidence that Mu Chen could actually win. After all, he knew Kuzan's strength. He was already regretting opening the betting pool.

I'll bet 200,000 Beli on Mu Chen to win.

Qi Yuan pulled out a stack of Beli and slapped it directly onto Mu Chen's side of the table. Mu Chen and Jia Ji both looked at Gion. Jia Ji looked at Qi Yuan with gratitude, while Mu Chen looked at her curiously.

Qi Yuan believed in him that much?

Forget it. I'll bet 100,000 Beli on myself too. That made it eight million versus eight hundred thousand. If he won, the money in the pool would barely be enough for the payout. He wanted to put down more, but Mu Chen did not believe Jia Ji would have the money to pay him when the time came.

At that moment, numerous people came over and patted Mu Chen on the shoulder. "Go, Mu Chen! I bet 50,000 Beli on you!"

"Li Ying, do your best."

Mu Chen did not say much.

Then Mu Chen slowly walked to one side of the training ground, while Kuzan slowly made his way through the crowd from the other side.

Not only that, Kong and Admiral Sengoku also walked over to Zefa.

When everyone saw that even Fleet Admiral Kong had come, they were all stunned.

What was going on? Even Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku had come. Did that rookie carry that much weight?

No idea. Kuzan definitely carried that much weight, though. After all, Kuzan was the third standout after Borsalino and Sakazuki. This was going to be worth watching.

That just made me even more curious about that rookie's strength.

Kuzan slowly spoke from the other side of the training ground. "Mu Chen, are you ready?"

"Yeah. We can begin anytime."

"Good. I hope you go all out. I want to feel your strength—and the power of those eyes of yours."

Most people could not understand the exchange between the two. Very few knew what was special about Mu Chen's eyes. All they knew was that his eyes turned red whenever he fought. They did not know what other abilities his eyes possessed, but those who did—Kong, Sengoku, Doberman, Onigumo, and the others—were all waiting.

The breath Kuzan exhaled was already filled with icy crystals and mist. He looked ready at any moment.

Mu Chen did not waste words. His Blood Sharingan activated.

Kuzan saw Mu Chen's eyes turn red once more and began to grow excited. He would finally get to witness the power of those eyes.

Kuzan made the first move. With a low shout of Ice Ball!, his hands moved rapidly, instantly condensing dozens of basketball-sized ice balls before him.

The ice balls whistled through the air, shooting toward Mu Chen in chaotic patterns like frenzied dancers.

Mu Chen's gaze sharpened. He shifted aside, and several ice balls grazed past his body before exploding against the rocks behind him. Shards of ice scattered everywhere, raising a cloud of icy mist.

Before Mu Chen could steady himself, Kuzan flashed forward and appeared before him in an instant. He shouted, Ice Block: Partisan!

In an instant, the ground beneath Mu Chen exploded. Ice pillars as thick as tree trunks, each end tipped with a sharp spearhead, erupted from the earth and crossed over one another, trying to trap him in a freezing cage.

Mu Chen reacted swiftly, leaping out of the ice pillars' encirclement. But the moment he landed, a chill attacked from behind.

He turned around and saw that Kuzan had already condensed an enormous ice blade in his hand. Raising it above his head, Kuzan brought it down with the force of an army.

Mu Chen crossed his arms and drove his Armament Haki to its limit, forcibly blocking the powerful strike.

With a deafening bang, cracks spread across the ice beneath his feet. His body was knocked back several steps, and both arms went numb.

Mu Chen had not expected Kuzan to be this strong. Even his Armament Haki had left his arms numb from the impact.

The crowd was thrilled by what they saw. "Mu Chen's pretty strong! You can tell after just a few exchanges. And isn't he a rookie? He actually knows Armament Haki!"

"Did you notice? His eyes turned red as soon as the battle began. Is that some kind of special ability?"

"No idea."

The crowd chatted in scattered fragments.

Not far away, Kong, Sengoku, and Zephyr heard them. Zephyr spoke with some concern. "Are we really sure it's okay for everyone to see Mu Chen's Blood Sharingan?"

After all, they had previously discussed helping Mu Chen hide his Blood Sharingan. Displaying it now in full view of everyone seemed somewhat inappropriate.

That was how he felt.

Kong slowly explained, "I thought it through later."

"The Blood Sharingan's most important ability is its Genjutsu. Even I have never heard of Genjutsu in this world, so it must be kept secret."

"As for the unusual nature of his eyes, that cannot be hidden. If anyone asks later, we'll just say his eyes mutated. After all, this world has all kinds of people."