The Candle Champion looked like a robot from a Japanese anime of the sixties or seventies on Blue Star.
As Luffy watched, tears streamed from the corners of his mouth. Sanji's jab brought him back to his senses.
"-Oh, crap-That's so unfair! Using such a cool robot! You're distracting me, you jerk!"
With that, Luffy threw a punch, stretching his Rubber Pistol straight toward Galdino's face.
"...That's my fault too? You're being ridiculous!"
Galdino raised both hands to defend, catching the stretching punch on the Candle Champion's boxing gloves.
-Thud!
The fist struck the wax with a dull sound. The block held.
"An attack like that can't break through my impregnable defenses!"
Galdino drove the Candle Champion toward Luffy in great strides, making the ground tremble slightly.
Luffy swept his leg sideways, lashing at the Candle Champion's ankles like a whip.
"Gum-Gum-Whip!"
The Whip struck incredibly fast, but Galdino ignored it and kept charging like a bulldozer.
-Bam!
The Candle Champion wobbled when the sweep hit its ankles, but it didn't fall.
Galdino steadied himself and punched at Luffy.
Luffy rolled aside. The fist slammed into the ground, leaving a crater.
"-What strength!"
"Champion Fight: Level the Road!"
Galdino unleashed punch after punch, alternating left and right, each blow shattering the surface of the ground.
Luffy jumped and rolled between the flurry of fists, stretching his arms to grab branches and swing away. He took the occasional hit without much injury, but he was in a sorry state.
The middle-aged man's voice over the speakers began stirring things up.
"Well, well, all you can do is dodge, kid! You can't win! Your friends are about to become wax statues!"
Luffy glanced at the Cake Tower.
Wax covered more and more of the three men's bodies.
"Damn it!"
He stopped and