"Let's go!"
Luffy stomped on the ground, splitting it open, and shot towards Bullet like a white cannonball.
The speed was so fast that even Kuina narrowed her eyes slightly.
Bullet didn't hold back either.
The White Tiger: Human-Beast Form was completed instantly, and the amplification power of the More-More Fruit was fully unleashed, with the Combine-Combine Fruit on his body.
"Come on, Straw Hat Boy!" Bullet threw a punch.
Luffy's fist arrived at the same time.
The two fists collided in mid-air.
"Boom--!!!"
The ground in the center of the training field had sunk half a meter, and spiderweb-like cracks spread in all directions. Ripples rippled on the nearest protective wall, like a pool of water that had been stirred up.
Luffy was thrown backward by the shock, tumbling twice in the air before landing with his body bouncing like rubber.
"Wow, that's strong!" Luffy to his feet, staring intently at Bullet as he withdrew his fist, and exclaimed excitedly.
Bullet withdrew his fist, feeling the force returning to his hand, and the kid in front of him who had taken his punch but was completely unharmed.
"That's interesting."
Bullet's aura began to rise steadily.
"Then let me see how long you can last!"
Meanwhile, Zoro and Hawk Eyes have already clashed.
Zoro immediately unleashed Black Rope: Great Tatsumaki, a three-sword slash that created a massive Tatsumaki that hurtled towards Hawk Eyes.
Hawk Eyes drew his Black Blade Yoru, with one hand, without even using his Devil Fruit ability; he simply swung it lightly.
A flash of white light.
The Tatsumaki was cleaved in two, its blade-like energy scattering in all directions, and the swirling debris fell like raindrops.
Zoro's pupils contracted.
He knew Hawk Eyes was strong, but he didn't expect him to be this strong.
That strike was devoid of any frills, just like the most fundamental answer to swordsmanship—sharp to the extreme, fast as Inazuma, and indestructible.
"Your swordsmanship is similar to Kuina's."
Hawk Eyes spoke calmly,
But your murderous aura is even stronger.
Zoro didn't reply, and immediately activated the Demonic Aura Nine-Sword Style.
The three swords transformed into nine illusory sword shadows, with Ryuo and Conqueror's Haki Coating and covering his entire body, exuding a chilling ghostly Demonic Aura.
"That's a good move." Hawk Eyes's eyes brightened slightly.
Black Blade Yoru slashed out horizontally. The slash seemed ordinary, but its momentum was overwhelming, as if it were being cleaved from countless directions at once.
The flash of the blade blocked all of Zoro's escape routes.
Zoro gritted his teeth and charged forward with all nine swords.
"Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da!"
The clang of metal against metal was deafening.
Zoro felt like he'd been hit by a mountain.
The three knives trembled violently, my tiger's mouth went numb, and I almost lost all feeling in my arms.
Even so, Zoro's feet were rooted to the ground like nails, and he didn't retreat an inch.
Hawk Eyes sheathed his sword and looked at him. "Your swordsmanship is pure. But you're still far from being able to defeat me."
"Hey!"
Zoro grinned, showing no fear whatsoever; instead, his eyes burned with fierce fighting spirit.
Zoro readjusted his sword. "I know. But this is a battle I must fight."
The battle between Tesoro and Sanji was much more exciting.
Sanji unleashed his full kicking power, combining Diable Jambe with Ryuo, each kick accompanied by scorching flames and a pink, Haki.
He was incredibly fast, leaving afterimages in the air, and his attacks were so cunning that they were dazzling.
Tesoro didn't retaliate immediately.
While using his Observation Haki to dodge, he observed Sanji's leg techniques with great interest.
"Excellent. Speed, power, and timing are all at a very high level."
Tesoro dodged a sweeping kick, the hem of his golden suit grazed by the flames, sending up wisps of smoke.
"And your kicking style is very elegant, unlike those brutes on this island."
"Talking so much while fighting, you don't seem like someone important."
Sanji sneered and kicked Tesoro in the face.
Tesoro raised his hand to block.
The gold solidified into a small shield upon contact, producing a clanging sound.
Sanji stepped back, then gently spun his right foot on the ground, reigniting the flames.
His brow furrowed slightly—the opponent hadn't exerted much effort at all in that kick.
"What, not going to continue?" Tesoro released the golden shield, letting it liquefy back onto the ground.
Sanji did not answer.
"Then I'll begin."
Tesoro's expression changed. The smile was still the same, but the temperature in the air suddenly rose.
The Golden Domain are expanding.
The ground was covered in gold, and Inazuma surged and flowed in the liquid gold like golden snakes.
Sanji's Observation Haki triggered a frenzied warning—all his landing points were blocked.
"Gold Razer"
Tesoro flicked his finger.
Dozens of golden spikes crackling with lightning erupted from the ground and simultaneously pierced towards Sanji.
Sanji pushed off with his feet and flew into the air.
But the Golden Domain was ever-present, with golden tentacles rising from the ground relentlessly pursuing it.
"Tap tap tap tap..."
Sanji left a trail of afterimages in mid-air, his toes touching the air as if walking on flat ground, and his body shook off most of the golden tentacles as he changed direction at lightning speed.
But Tesoro's Observation Haki was superior, and the remaining tentacles accurately predicted his movement trajectory.
"Got you?"
Tesoro suddenly appeared above Sanji.
The phantom of Cerberus coalesced behind him, dark red flames erupting from its three heads, intertwining with the lightning of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to form an overwhelming net.
Sanji's pupils contracted to their maximum size.
He raised his right foot, concentrating all the Haki within him into this single strike.
The power of Ryuo surged wildly, and flames enveloped his legs like Tatsumaki.
" Diable Jambe - Ryuo - Hell Memories--!"
The air itself seemed to distort the moment that kick was delivered.
Leg shadows collided with the network of fire and electricity.
"Boom--!"
Sanji flying backward from the flames, crashing heavily onto the training ground and sliding for more than ten meters before coming to a stop.
His clothes were torn in several places, there was a burn mark on his chest, and a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.
"Ouch, that really hurts." Sanji got up from the ground and coughed twice.
Tesoro landed from mid-air, brushing the dust off his suit:
"Not bad. Not many people can force me to use this move. I take back what I just said—you deserve a couple of drinks."
Sanji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled.
"Then you'd better prepare some wine."
The three matches concluded one after another.
Luffy and Bullet fought the longest.
Bullet's strength completely overwhelmed Luffy, but Luffy's almost shameless recovery ability and his increasingly excited fighting spirit made it difficult for Bullet to defeat him easily.
After their final exchange of blows, the two retreated several meters each, tacitly ceasing their attacks.
"Kid, your Devil Fruit ability is fucking annoying."
Bullet rubbed his cheek, which had been hit by Conqueror's Haki, his tone carrying a rare hint of admiration.
Hehe! You're pretty strong too, big guy!
Luffy sat up from the ground, covered in injuries, but he was smiling more happily than anyone else.
The duel between Zoro and Hawk Eyes ended the fastest.
Hawk Eyes's strength has far exceeded Zoro's current limit. Even if Zoro uses all his strength, he can only barely remain undefeated.
But this "unbeaten" record has already surprised Hawk Eyes.
Hawk Eyes: "Come find me again when you've forged all three swords into Black Blade."
"Definitely." Zoro sheathed his sword, his expression solemn.
Sanji was badly beaten by Tesoro, but Tesoro wasn't fully recovered either.
Sanji's final Ryuo Flame Kick left a scorch mark on Tesoro's suit.
Tesoro was still brooding over this.
"This suit is very expensive." Tesoro looked down at the scorch mark, his face contorted with pain.
"Buy me a drink, and I'll teach you how to care for your suit," Sanji with a grin.