The three Demon Puppets' eyes blazed with crimson light. Without any warning, they Luffy from different angles like three black Inazuma! Their speed was extremely fast, far surpassing any human fighter before them. Sharp blades gleaming with an eerie light sprang from their arms, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air!
"Oh? Not bad speed!" Although Luffy seems carefree, his combat instincts are extremely sharp, and his Observation Haki has already been activated. His rubber body twists at an incredible angle, narrowly avoiding two intersecting slashes. At the same time, his rubber arms lash out like whips, wrapping around the legs of the third puppet, and he swings it up and smashes it into the other two!
Bang! Bang!
A heavy thud resounded, and the two puppets that were hit only staggered slightly. The special metal on their bodies left almost no marks, and they used the momentum to pounce again! The puppet that was swung down made a tooth-grinding metallic scraping sound from its leg joints, and it forcibly twisted, its sharp blade slashing back at Luffy's arm!
"So hard!" Luffy withdrew his arm, looking at the faint white mark on it with some surprise. His rubber body and Armament Haki defense made it difficult for ordinary attacks to leave any marks.
The audience in the stands were also stunned by this sudden turn of events and the ferocity and eeriness displayed by the puppets. The shouts subsided considerably, replaced by surprise and fear.
What are these things?
"Did the organizers release this? That's too dangerous!"
Inside the private room, Dr. Indigo excitedly recorded the data. "Target's reaction speed, strength, and defense all exceeded expectations! Battle desire energy collection efficiency increased by 300%! The Demon Puppets's ' Chaos Erosion ' property has begun to take effect!"
On the arena, Luffy's battle with the three puppets intensified. He discovered that these puppets were not only incredibly tough, but their attacks also carried a strange kind of mental interference, as if countless insane whispers were trying to penetrate his mind and disrupt his will. At the same time, they seemed to have no sense of pain, were unafraid of injury, and their attack methods were entirely suicidal.
" Gum-Gum -- Elephant Gun!"
Luffy no longer held back; his right arm instantly grew to enormous size, enveloped in top-tier black and red Armament Haki, and slammed into the chest of a puppet like a siege hammer!
boom!!!
With a deafening roar, the puppet's chest was dented by the impact, and its entire body flew backward, crashing heavily into the energy barrier, sending sparks flying. After struggling for a few moments, the red light in its eyes dimmed.
However, the other two puppets seized the opportunity Luffy was attacking, and their blades were already close to his back and neck!
" Three-Sword Style: Alluring Demoness - Sleepless Night!"
Several green slashing waves arrived first, precisely striking the joints of the two puppets' arms! Although they failed to completely sever the special metal, they successfully deflected the attack trajectory, the sharp blades grazing Luffy's body.
Zoro had appeared at the edge of the arena without anyone noticing, his three swords already drawn, his eyes coldly fixed on the two puppets. "It seems this isn't an ordinary arena match."
"Thanks, Zoro!" Luffy grinned, turning to face the remaining two puppets. "These guys were definitely suspicious!"
The audience erupted in uproar! Two against two? That's against the rules! But the organizers made no attempt to stop it.
Inside the private box, Festa watched Zoro's attack, his anger replaced by delight. "Another high-quality energy source! Excellent! Dr. Indigo, record their combat data! Especially that swordsman's slash!"
"Yes! Energy harvesting efficiency has surged again!"
On the fighting stage, Luffy and Zoro stood back to back.
"Hey, Zoro, let's see who takes down their opponent first!" Luffy suggested.
"Just what I wanted." Zoro's lips curled into a fierce, battle-ready smile.
The next moment, the two of them moved simultaneously!
Luffy immediately activated Gear Fourth: Boundman form, his massive body possessing terrifying elasticity and speed, instantly appearing in front of a puppet. " Gum-Gum - King Kong Murder of Crows Cannon!" Countless fists wrapped in Haki poured out like a storm!
The puppet tried to block with its blade, but in the face of Luffy Gear Fourth, its defense was as fragile as paper. It was instantly overwhelmed by countless punches, its metal body was twisted and deformed, parts were scattered everywhere, and it finally turned into a pile of scrap metal!
On the other side, Zoro's figure vanished like a ghost, reappearing behind the puppet.
" Three-Sword Style: Black Rope Dragon Twister!"
A raging tornado of sword energy engulfed the puppet, its sharp strikes not only slicing through its metal body but also carrying Zoro will to cut through everything! The puppet tried to resist, its blades flailing wildly, but faced with the absolute sharpness of the strikes, its movements were thwarted inch by inch, and it was ultimately torn apart by the sword energy!
The battle ended in the blink of an eye. The three expensive and powerful Demon Puppets were reduced to three piles of smoldering remains.
The entire arena fell silent; everyone was stunned by the terrifying strength displayed by Luffy and Zoro.
Luffy, back to normal, hands on his hips, laughed loudly, "Hahaha! Done!"
Zoro sheathed his sword and snorted coldly, "Pathetic."
However, just when they thought the battle was over, the mutation occurred again!
Suddenly, wisps of eerie, blackish-red energy, seemingly possessing life, emanated from the three piles of puppet remains. They twisted and converged in the air, as if possessing consciousness, locking onto Luffy and Zoro, letting out a silent roar, and lunging towards them! The chaos, madness, and corrosive intent contained within them were more than ten times stronger than before!
This is no longer a physical attack, but an energy body, or rather... the manifestation of a curse!
"Watch out!" Zoro instantly drew his sword again, covering the blade with Armament Haki.
Luffy was also on high alert, his Conqueror's Haki unconsciously gathering.
Inside the VIP box, Festa stood up excitedly. "It's here! The Devil Factor have been activated! This is the true essence! Devour them!"
That dark red energy is the Demon Puppets's true killing move, and also Festa's ultimate goal in collecting "high-quality energy"—activated Devil Factor!