The Surprised Trio, the Flame Emperor

Inside the arena.

The air boiled as two hulking men fought to the death in the center.

The stands were filled with the roars of the crowd.

"Get him! Cut him down!"

"I bet fifty thousand Beli on you! Don't embarrass me!"

In the front-row seats, a butcher in an apron roared with a red face.

"Not bad! This ticket was worth it!"

Not far away, amid the crowd.

An old man from an antique shop narrowed his eyes as he observed the battle.

Several gamblers beside him waited anxiously for his judgment.

"Old man, how much are we betting on this round?"

"Hmm..." The old man stroked his beard.

"Let's put down five hundred Beli first and test the waters. No rush."

The moment he finished speaking, the situation in the arena suddenly changed.

The man on the right rolled his eyes back and crashed to the ground.

The referee rushed into the arena and began counting down. "Ten, nine, eight..."

By the time he reached three, the man was no longer moving.

"The winner—Baco!"

Cheers, curses, and the sound of banknotes being torn apart blended into one.

On a terrace beside the main platform, third-in-command Samuel rose to his feet.

"Brothers! Let us applaud the fighter's magnificent performance!"

Bang bang bang bang—!

Dozens of celebratory cannons around the arena fired at once, exploding across the clear midday sky.

Below the stands, several reporters carrying cameras were busy snapping shots.

"Did you get a close-up?"

"Got it! Perfect angle!"

"Good." The reporter swept his gaze over the audience. "Next, let's find some residents to interview... Hm?"

His eyes settled on a figure seated toward the right side of the front row.

The person was very quiet, with striking white hair and uniquely shaped black wings on his back.

"That resident is dressed rather strangely."

The reporter's eyes lit up. "Come on, let's ask him what he thought!"

Several of them shouldered their cameras and squeezed their way over.

Lin Nuo did not notice the reporters approaching.

His gaze was fixed on the three iron cages behind the main platform.

The people imprisoned inside were precisely Ivankov, Kuma, and Ginny, whom he had been searching for day and night.

It seemed the plan could not keep up with the changes.

Lin Nuo's heart sank.

They had actually brought the most important "prizes" to the competition and placed them in the most conspicuous spot.

This was going to keep me busy.

Lin Nuo took a deep breath and looked up at the fireworks that had yet to fade from the sky.

Among those fireworks, several stood out in particular.

They flew faster, higher, and exploded more fiercely.

A faint smile curled at the corner of Lin Nuo's mouth.

The signal had come. Moria and the others should already be in position.

Now it was time for me to make my entrance.

He rose to his feet, ready to move.

Just then, the reporters squeezed in front of him.

"Sir! Sorry to disturb you, but what are your thoughts on the match just now?"

"My thoughts?" Lin Nuo glanced at him.

"The match has only just begun."

Before his words had even faded, Lin Nuo kicked off the ground and leaped out of the stands!

"Huh?! Sir! Wait—!"

The reporters were dumbfounded.

They saw only a black blur streak through the air before landing in the center of the arena in the blink of an eye.

The entire venue fell silent for a moment.

Tens of thousands of eyes turned in unison toward the unexpected intruder.

The referee was the first to react. "Hey! You! Registration is over there!"

"Spectators aren't allowed into the arena! Get the hell back—"

Without even turning his head, Lin Nuo flicked a ticket behind him.

"I don't have time for the preliminaries."

He raised his head and stared directly at the three men on the main platform.

"So let's go straight to the championship match."

"You three bosses, come at me together."

Silence lasted for three seconds.

Then the entire venue erupted in an uproar!

Inside the cages on the main platform, Ivankov had already pressed his whole face against the bars.

"Th-that is!" He narrowed his eyes, his purple afro bursting outward.

"Ha—! Isn't that Lin Nuo?! What's he doing here?!"

Ginny's eyes widened into circles. "Lin Nuo?!"

"The Lunarian from God Valley?"

"Kuma, look!"

Hearing that, Kuma slowly raised his head.

The Seastone had left him extremely weak, but when his gaze focused on the figure in the arena, a delighted gleam immediately burst from his exhausted eyes.

In the arena, the referee's face turned purple with rage.

"You're banned for life! Get out of—"

Before he could finish, he was embedded in a stone wall twenty meters away with a thunderous crash.

"Damn it, he really came here to wreck the place!"

On the main platform, second-in-command Karim sprang to his feet.

He planted one foot on the railing and leaped down from the platform more than ten meters high.

"You reckless little brat—!! Take this!"

With an enraged roar, Karim plummeted from the air and drove a fist toward Lin Nuo's head!

Lin Nuo raised his left hand and spread his fingers.

Fist and palm collided, and a shockwave kicked up a cloud of dust!

"What?!"

A punch strong enough to pierce an iron plate had actually been caught with one hand!

Karim raised his head and met those brown eyes.

And in Lin Nuo's right hand was a ball of blazing fire, rising and spinning wildly!

Flame Emperor!!

Lin Nuo threw a heavy uppercut from below, smashing it into Karim's jaw!

Flames wrapped around his fist and erupted in an instant!

BAM!!!

Karim's eyes rolled back as his entire body shot upward, soaring dozens of meters into the air.

In the end, he became a tiny black dot and vanished from everyone's sight.

The gang members and spectators alike were petrified.

He flew away?

The second-in-command flew out of the arena!!?

Samuel staggered back two steps, his face deathly pale.

If this guy could send Karim flying with one punch, that meant he could shatter him with one punch too!

"Big Brother, who the hell is he?!"

"When did our gang ever make an enemy like this? I have no memory of it at all!!"

Sarez's face darkened, but he did not answer.

He never expected this...

What Hawk said was true... Someone from the Marines had really come to settle the score with them...

But there had been no sign of warships near the coast...

And before retiring, he had never heard of anyone like this...

Just as Sarez pondered the intruder's identity, a burst of shouting suddenly rang out beside him.

"Beat him up! Kick his ass!!"

"Lin Nuo! That's it! Beautiful—!!!"

Sarez slowly turned his head.

In the cage beside him, Ivankov was dancing around excitedly.

Ginny clung to the bars, her little face flushed red as she pumped her fist with all her might.

When the two noticed Sarez staring at them, they quickly covered their mouths and shrank back into the corner, pretending nothing had happened.

"Samuel." His voice was low.

"B-Big Brother?"

"Take the brothers and leave immediately. Go to the harbor and mobilize every ship that can still move."

"Why? Aren't we working for the Celestial Dragons anymore? Those goods—"

"Don't waste time." Sarez cut him off. "Hurry and organize the men."

"Now, I'll hold off this uninvited guest."