Round Three: The Erudite Advancement Quest (Continued)

The pale-purple thorn tightened around Shanks's right leg, spun him several times through the air, then abruptly let go, launching him toward the upper-right corner of the arena like a cannonball.

Thanks to his formidable physique, Shanks wasn't left dizzy by the thorn's spiraling spin. His mind remained clear.

And it was then, while flying through the air, that Shanks spotted the "belly-button freak" Jiansefu had mentioned!

Wisps of pale-blue smoke poured steadily from the central clasp of the metal belt across the man's stomach. It was identical to the smoke that made up the Smoke Demon!

Meanwhile, the "belly-button freak" kept rubbing his gloved hands up and down over the front of his clothes, producing an ear-splitting squeak.

To be fair, the way he activated the Puff Puff Fruit looked downright sleazy.

Especially that practiced up-and-down rubbing motion...

And its all-important location on his lower abdomen...

It was hard not to get the wrong idea.

Especially if you were a man.

Shanks, still flying through the air, was briefly at a loss for words.

"You think a little trick like that will let you close the distance between us? How naive, Straw Hat Boy!"

Atop the three-story building, Charlotte Daifuku watched him with icy eyes.

His hands never stopped. If anything, he rubbed his lower abdomen even faster.

Thicker smoke streamed from his belt, while the Smoke Demon that had stood in midair inexplicably vanished.

Whoosh—

The familiar sharp whistle of a blade suddenly came from behind.

Shanks tugged his right leg, using the tension of the pale-purple thorn around his ankle. Then he twisted at the waist in midair, caught the giant Naginata coming from behind, and knocked it toward the ground.

A muscular, dark-blue arm appeared out of thin air along the Naginata's downward path and caught