A few days later, amid Kakarot and his companions' eager anticipation, Kyros's 1,000th duel, which was also the much-anticipated ten-man arena championship, finally began.
Over the past few days, an air of tension and excitement had filled every street and alley in Dressrosa.
Residents scrambled madly for arena tickets so they could witness this ultimate showdown in person.
Even the scorching air seemed to have been ignited by their enthusiasm, growing hotter still.
"Brother, Auntie! Look! This place is so lively!"
Lilith pointed at the crowds surging like a tide in front of the arena gates and inside, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Then we'd better hurry in, or there won't be any good seats left!"
Lina urged them on with a smile, anticipation written all over her face.
The residents of Dressrosa and the visitors drawn there from all over,
upon seeing the enormous Ailik and Hades among Kakarot's group,
along with the imposing, gigantic Golden Blade Mantis, Athena, instinctively cleared a path.
Although they had not deliberately released their auras, their massive bodies and distinctive appearances were already enough to intimidate those around them.
Lilith and the others walked ahead, entering the arena without obstruction.
"Haha! We're so lucky! We got in so easily."
Lilith, Vian, and Yingyue laughed excitedly, their faces brimming with joy.
Just then, amid the deafening hubbub, a familiar voice called out, "Captain Kakarot! Lilith! We're over here!"
Kakarot and the others looked toward the voice and saw Nasha waving her arms at them.
They walked over and sat down in the empty seats beside her group.
"Nasha, you came to watch too!" Kakarot smiled as he looked at Nasha, the sisters Fanny and Fenty, Tara, Tal, Vail, Wick, and Slade.
At the sight of Kakarot and his companions, everyone greeted them warmly.
Lilith and the others were also especially happy to see Nasha and her companions.
"Nasha, thank you for saving us seats!" Lina said with a smile.
"No problem. I knew you'd definitely come, so I saved them while I was at it," Nasha replied with a smile.
Before the tournament began, everyone gathered together, eagerly chatting about the interesting things they had encountered over the past few days.
As Kakarot listened to their conversation, he scanned his surroundings, trying to find some familiar faces.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. On the other side of their row,
beside Slade, sat a little girl wearing a purple lace dance dress paired with delicate purple dance shoes.
Her dark brown, shoulder-length hair fell naturally, her light brown eyes held a lively gleam, and a bright red flower adorned her head, making her look particularly adorable.
Kakarot silently speculated, This little girl looks a bit like the future Violet.
Her outfit is very similar to what she wore in the anime, only she's smaller all over. I wonder if she's eaten the Glint-Glint Fruit yet.
With that thought, Kakarot stood up, walked over, and switched seats with Slade.
The others were engrossed in their conversation and paid little attention to what he was doing.
He's so handsome! But what's with that monkey tail behind him?
Looking at the blond-haired, golden-eyed Kakarot and his extraordinary bearing, Viola could not help wondering.
She was just about to greet him when the arena announcer's booming voice interrupted her.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to today's grand arena event!
"Today, you'll have the privilege of witnessing a fierce battle between ten of the arena's strongest gladiators, including the gladiator you've all been waiting for-Kyros!
"Let's look forward to seeing whether he can achieve the great feat of 1,000 consecutive victories.
"Without further ado, let's all eagerly await this visual feast!"
"All gladiators, please enter the arena!"
The moment the announcer finished speaking, the doors around the arena opened simultaneously, and ten people emerged.
Each wore armor and carried a greatsword, cutting an imposing figure.
Some were burly, with bulging muscles; others were slender, yet still exuded a heroic air.
"Kyros, you're the strongest!"
Hearing that shout, Kakarot looked toward the center of the arena and saw a muscular man standing there whose face still looked somewhat youthful, though he was already two and a half meters tall.
Kyros is only sixteen right now. His talent really does seem quite impressive. No wonder he'll go on to achieve that glorious record of 3,000 consecutive victories, Kakarot mused.
"Telas, you're the fastest!"
"Talick, cut them all down!"
As the gladiators made their way into the arena one after another, the spectators' enthusiasm was instantly ignited,
and they cheered on the gladiators they supported, their deafening shouts rising one after another.
"Go, Kyros! Go, Kyros!" Clear, energetic cheers rang out beside him.
Kakarot knew it was Viola cheering for Kyros.
Has Kyros already caught Scarlet's attention?
But why is Viola here watching alone? Did she sneak out by herself? Kakarot wondered, puzzled.
The corners of Kakarot's mouth lifted into a mischievous smile. He gently patted Viola's shoulder, then lowered his head,
and whispered in her ear, "Little beauty, did you come here all by yourself?"
Startled by the sudden voice, Viola jerked her head back and turned to look at Kakarot with some wariness,
saying, "Did you need something, big brother? I didn't come alone. My family is right behind me!"
Kakarot knew Viola was lying, but rather than expose her, he smiled and said,
"I noticed how hard you were cheering for Kyros. I only arrived in Dressrosa a few days ago,
"but I've heard of Kyros for a long time, and I'm quite curious about him, so I wanted to ask you."
Hearing Kakarot's words, Viola relaxed a little.
Then, seeing his handsome face and gentle gaze, she felt that the big brother before her probably was not a bad person.
Under the influence of the goodwill Kakarot gave off through his Observation Haki, whether deliberately or otherwise, Viola soon let down her guard.
After that, she began chatting happily with Kakarot, talking nonstop about Kyros's exploits.
When she grew excited, she even told him about her older sister, her eyes sparkling as though those stories had happened only yesterday.
Kakarot listened patiently, nodding from time to time and occasionally interjecting with a question. The two got along very well.
Meanwhile, the tournament in the arena was about to officially begin, and a fierce battle was about to unfold before the expectant crowd...
Before you continue