the next day.
Final day.
The fighting arena was packed with people.
Tens of thousands of spectators packed the entire arena to capacity.
The cheers, shouts, and encouragement were deafening.
Today is the final of this Fighting Tournament.
The two sides --
Jesus Burgess, the undisputed favorite to win the championship, has been dominating the field.
And Gem, a mysterious dark horse who suddenly emerged and similarly crushed all before him.
This duel captivated everyone's attention.
A long queue formed in front of the betting station.
Some bet on Jesus Burgess, others bet on Anonymous.
The odds on both sides are evenly matched.
clang--!!!
A gong sounded, and the entire venue fell silent instantly.
The referee stepped onto the ring and announced loudly,
"The finals of this Fighting Tournament-- "
"Let's begin!"
"First up is--"
"Completely crushing all before them, invincible --"
"B--J--S--!!!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a huge figure burst out from the contestants' tunnel!
Jesus Burgess, shirtless, revealing his granite-like muscles!
Wearing a mask and clenching his fists, he unleashed a deafening roar at the audience!
"Hahahaha!!!"
That laughter, like that of a wild beast, echoed throughout the entire venue!
The audience erupted in cheers!
" Jesus Burgess! Jesus Burgess! Jesus Burgess!"
"Kill that Gem!"
The championship is yours!
The cheers and shouts almost lifted the roof off!
Jesus Burgess, basking in the cheers of the crowd, strode to the center of the ring.
He put his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, revealing his strong pectoral and abdominal muscles.
Then, he looked towards the opposite player tunnel, waiting for his opponent.
"Next up is--"
"The biggest dark horse of this competition--"
"Completely crushing everything in its path, shrouded in mystery --"
"Jam!!!"
Roy's figure slowly walked out of the players' tunnel.
Unlike Jesus Burgess, he didn't make a scene; he simply walked calmly into the ring.
Short, golden hair; a slender figure; ordinary clothes.
Compared to Jesus Burgess's beast-like physique, he appeared exceptionally "thin".
A murmur of discussion erupted again from the audience.
"That Gem does look too thin."
Can he beat Jesus Burgess?
"It's hard to say, after all, he's been crushing his way up."
"But Jesus Burgess is a real monster!"
Jesus Burgess looked at Roy as he approached, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes behind the mask.
"Hahaha!"
He laughed loudly, flexing his powerful biceps.
"Hey kid!"
"With your skinny frame, you dare to participate in the finals?"
I could send you flying with one punch!
Roy looked at him, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Then, he raised his hand and beckoned to Jesus Burgess with his finger.
That action was utterly contemptuous.
Jesus Burgess's smile froze on his face instantly, his eyes widening in disbelief.
That skinny-looking kid actually dared to beckon him with his finger?!
This is a provocation!
A blatant provocation!
"Hahaha!!!"
Jesus Burgess laughed in anger.
"Interesting! Absolutely interesting!"
"Kid, you've successfully angered me!"
"Wait a minute, you'll regret what you just did!"
He clenched his fists, his muscles tense, like a wild beast poised to pounce.
Roy remained standing in the same spot, his expression calm.
clang--!!!
The gong sounds!
The final round has officially begun!
Jesus Burgess launched an attack immediately!
His enormous body was surprisingly fast!
With a single stomp, the ground shattered instantly!
He charged towards Roy like a cannonball!
"Hahaha! Take this punch!"
A punch was thrown!
This punch, accompanied by a whistling sound, was so powerful that it could shatter rocks!
A red light flashed in Roy's eyes.
He activated his Observation Haki instantly.
The future unfolded before his eyes--
Jesus Burgess's fist would graz his left shoulder.
Then, he will lose his balance and lean forward.
Then, he would use his knee to strike his own abdomen.
And then...
In just a moment, Roy saw all the possibilities that lay ahead in the next few seconds.
A faint smile curved his lips.
Then, he turned slightly to the side.
Jesus Burgess's fist grazed past his left shoulder.
really.
Jesus Burgess missed his punch, leaned forward slightly, and then raised his knee, slamming it hard into Roy's abdomen!
But Roy had already seen through it, and with a slight twist of his body, he dodged again.
Jesus Burgess's expression changed.
"What?!"
But he didn't stop; what followed was a barrage of attacks!
Fist, elbow, knee, foot...
Every strike was powerful and heavy; every strike was potentially fatal!
However--
Roy moved with ease through Jesus Burgess's attacks.
Every time, I just barely managed to avoid it.
Every single time, it was just a hair's breadth off.
Jesus Burgess's attack couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes!
"This... how is this possible?!"
Jesus Burgess grew increasingly frustrated as the fight progressed, and his attacks became more and more ferocious!
But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't hit it!
That skinny-looking kid was as slippery as an eel!
The previously frenzied cheers from the audience gradually quieted down.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, looking at the scene in disbelief.
Jesus Burgess... can't hit?!
That invincible Jesus Burgess, who had dominated the battlefield, couldn't even touch the hem of that nameless guy's clothes?!
"This... how is this possible?!"
"That Gem's dodging was way too over the top!"
"He seems to be able to anticipate Jesus Burgess's attacks!"
"Monsters! They're all monsters!"
In the VIP section, Lafitte and Van Augur watched with great interest.
"The captain's Observation Haki is truly amazing."
Lafitte exclaimed,
"He anticipated all of Jesus Burgess's attacks."
Van Augur nodded.
"Is this the power of Observation Haki?"
"Anticipating the opponent's movements..."
He touched his spear, a glint of longing flashing in his eyes.
If I could master this power, wouldn't I be able to predict the target's movement trajectory in advance when sniping?
That would increase the hit rate by so much!
On the court, Jesus Burgess became increasingly frustrated.
He had attacked hundreds of times, but hadn't even touched the hem of his opponent's clothes.
That kid, like a ghost, always manages to dodge with effortless ease just as he's about to strike.
"Hateful!"
Jesus Burgess stopped attacking, panting heavily, and stared intently at Roy.
"Kid! Is all you can do is hide?!"
"Like a woman, all she does is run around!"
"Come at me head-on if you dare!"
Roy looked at him, his smile deepening.
He raised his hand and beckoned to Jesus Burgess again.
"OK."
He said calmly,
"I'm not hiding anymore."
"Bring it on."
A fierce glint flashed in Jesus Burgess' eyes.
"Hahaha! You said it!"
He took a deep breath and charged forward again!
A punch aimed straight at Roy's face!
This time, Roy didn't dodge.
He simply raised his right hand, palm up, and held it in front of him.
boom--!!!
Jesus Burgess's fist slammed hard into Roy's palm!
A violent shockwave emanated from the two of them and spread outwards wildly!
Roy's hand remained completely still!
Jesus Burgess's fist was firmly blocked in mid-air, unable to advance any further!
"What?!"