boom...
The explosion Blast almost a quarter of the venue, sending plumes of smoke and debris into the air that obscured what was happening there.
"Hmph, dead? Let me show you that I, Gladius, am not someone to be trifled with. This offense will be repaid with your life!"
Gladius stood up and looked in that direction, but the smoke and ash obscured his view of the situation. After confirming that no one had stood up, he gave a disdainful snort, then walked back to the box, intending to continue observing the battle. However...
Tap... Tap... Tap...
Just as he was about to step back, the sound of footsteps on the floor behind him rang out again, making him alert and turn around to look.
In the smoke and dust, a blurry figure gradually became clearer and approached him as the footsteps grew louder.
"Tch, they're really troublesome. They're still alright? Carlos's men are all monsters!"
Knowing he couldn't avoid him, Gladius muttered in disappointment, then looked at him with a serious expression.
"Heh heh heh heh, no, this is very useful! I suffered quite a few injuries to withstand this attack, look..."
The Shadow Run to him, laughed upon hearing Gladius's seemingly complaining praise, and displayed his bare upper body before him, saying...
"Don't be ridiculous. You call this an injury? I don't even have a scratch. Are you mocking me?"
Gladius looked at his upper body, which was only patched with dust but completely unharmed, and shook his head, asking in return.
"Hehehe, no, I'm being very sincere. After all, it's not my intention to disappoint you, sir. But your Devil Fruit ability is a bit lacking. Such a simple attack can't even break through my skin..."
A real attack should look like this...
With that, Fukelike's speed increased dramatically, and he instantly appeared in front of Gladius, slamming his black, reflective right fist down towards Gladius's chest.
boom...
The black fist imprint slammed down, immediately accompanied by a powerful gust of air rolling and crashing forth.
"Don't think you can defeat me with that, Blast..."
Having witnessed the unparalleled power of his punch, Gladius knew he couldn't take it head-on. He immediately channeled his energy into his chest and detonated it the moment the punch dissipated, sending him flying backward with the Impact, preventing Fukelike's punch from succeeding.
"Hmph, you think I can't do anything to you? You underestimate me. Devil Fruit transformation..."
With that, Fukelike pushed off the ground and shot himself up again, transforming his ability in mid-air. In just two or three seconds, he became a humanoid Beast – the Boar Fruit, Human-Beast Form.
"In this state, my attacks will be instantly boosted by two or three levels. My fists can easily shatter even steel; you can't withstand that. Die, Beast... Savage Trample!!"
This is a move similar to the previous one, yet vastly different. The increased power from the Human-Beast Form amplifies its strength several times over.
boom...
Even Monet, who was quite far away, could feel the immense power of the attack, which roared in with a fierce gale.
"Hmph, since I can't take it head-on, I'll use this move: Gear Shrapnel... Detonate!!"
Seeing that he could not stop him, Gladius fired the gears hanging from his clothes and detonated them all just before they touched Fukelike.
Bang...
Bang...
Bang...
One by one, the spinning gears were detonated and exploded, releasing plumes of black smoke that obscured the opponent's vision. Then, Gladius used his ability to gently blast himself away from his original trajectory.
"Damn it, now I can't see his position clearly. Oh well, let's just go for it!!"
boom...
Because his view was blocked, Fukelike couldn't observe him at all, so he could only bombard him straight ahead.
The black beast's fist slammed into the wall, blasting a huge hole in it.
"Hmm... what's going on? Is the battle not over yet? I'll step back for now and talk to you after the battle is over..."
At this moment, before Fukelike's arm had freed itself from the iron wall, a young man emerged from the backstage area to his side. Seeing that the fighting had continued in several small battle circles, Foucault realized he had come out too early. He opened his mouth to say a few words and prepared to retreat again, but then a voice called out to him.
"Wait, who are you? How did you get out of the backstage area? Hmm... wait, you wouldn't be...?"
Just as Phil turned to go back, Fukelike gently pulled his hand out from the wall. Seeing the unfamiliar face, he asked Phil a question in confusion. Then, after a moment, as if realizing something, he hurriedly pressed Phil for an answer.
"Hmm... what do you mean, 'couldn't'?"
Phil turned his head and looked at him with a puzzled expression, then asked in return.
"It's that grand finale, the Devil Fruit -Speed-Speed Fruit. You didn't sneak in just to find it, did you? Where is it now? Is it still intact?"
Fukelike anxiously inquired about the whereabouts of the most precious item, the Devil Fruit, and when he saw Phil appear before him, he had a thought but dared not believe it, and asked him for confirmation with hope.
"Oh, you mean that one? It's already in my belly. How about I show you its abilities?"
Phil seemed oblivious to his anxious expression that gradually turned cold after he nodded in confirmation, or perhaps he had already seen and could imagine the other man's devastated resentment towards him, and thus provoked him.
"Oh! Is that so? I see. It's already in your stomach? Very good!! Since you've already eaten it, there's nothing we can do about it..."
As he spoke, Fukelike's face gradually darkened, and his tone grew colder, slowly emanating a terrifying aura that could instill Despair.
clatter...
clatter...
clatter...
After saying that, Fukelike stopped talking and walked towards Phil with a blank expression.
"Hehe, this is really interesting. I didn't expect that thing had already been eaten by that person named Phil. Although it's difficult to explain to the young master now that the fruit is gone, there's nothing we can do about it. I'm sure the young master will forgive us if he knew about this."
However, what I'm curious about now is how you'll handle the wrath of Fukelike, the South Blue Champion Fighter Frank D. Phil, with his 390 million Beli bounty?!
Just as Fukelike walked towards Phil with a blank expression, Monet, who had been observing from the sidelines and had gathered detailed information on most of the celebrities present, glanced at Fukelike as he walked past and then chuckled softly.