The Battle for First Place

The arena stood empty for the moment, but the day's matches were far from over. Dawn had cleared the field because many more fights were still to come. Nami's bout with Stussy had only been the appetizer.

Next, Robin, Kalifa, Perona, Uta, Nojiko, Monet, Sugar, and Baby 5 took the stage in turn.

Dawn watched every match closely. He needed to gauge the women's current abilities so he could plan their training from here on.

Once everyone else had finished their matches, Hancock slowly rose.

The arena fell silent. The Kuja warriors held their breath, every eye fixed on their beloved emperor.

Hancock looked at no one else. Her gaze locked onto the White Fox in the stands.

Stella rose onto her hind legs. There was no fear in her eyes, only fierce fighting spirit. The moment their gazes met, the air seemed to freeze, with sparks almost flying between them.

To the Kuja, this was simply a chance to watch their beloved Snake Princess and her friends show their strength in the arena;

To Dawn, it was a chance to assess everyone's abilities. But to Hancock, this was the moment to establish who came first.

Dawn watched the two women square off without so much as shifting his gaze. He gave no reaction.

He knew that if he stepped in as referee, neither side would thank him for it.

Both women blurred. An instant later, they stood ten meters apart in the center of the arena. The reigning Kuja emperor's arrival drew a thunderous roar from the stands.

"Snake Princess! Snake Princess!"

"Miss White Fox is beautiful too!"

"This has to be the best match of the day!"

Amid the cheers, Stella struck first. She let out a long, ringing fox cry, and her body abruptly swelled.

Thick, fine