Chapter 139: Final Battle of the Martial Arts Tournament

Several days later.

East Sea.

Raven Arena.

The audience flooding in was so dense it even packed the aisles.

Countless people let out hysterical roars, yet their gazes remained死死 fixed on the two figures in the center of the arena.

"So this is the final battle?!"

"I never expected these two to make it to the end; who exactly will win this fight?"

"Even without mentioning that Devil Fruit, securing three hundred million Berries means no more worrying about money for the rest of one's life."

Someone voiced this sentiment, only to immediately meet the disdain of those around him:

"To existences like them, money is merely a number; the only thing that can truly move them is the title of the strongest!"

"This battle will unfold here; how fierce will the clash between the highest, strongest, and final monsters be?!"

"I want to see rivers of blood!"

Crack—!

Thunder roared, lightning flashed, almost tearing the sky apart, making the atmosphere even more grim.

Around the arena.

Cheers rose wave after wave.

The two standing in the field locked eyes, each seeing in the other's gaze a thick war intent, like the clouds gathering in the high sky at this very moment.

Since the draw for the tournament began, unexpected incidents occurred frequently.

First, Daz Bones fled overnight; then Onigiru withdrew at the last moment. Originally eight qualifiers, only six remained; Xiang Keluo and Zoro received byes, advancing directly to the semi-finals.

After a fierce death match with Eddy, Sanji lost by a single move, yet completely destroyed Eddy's modified arm, rendering the latter combat-incapable, leading to a crushing defeat at the hands of Jinbe in the second round.

Afterwards, Zoro was also knocked off the ring by Xiang Keluo's blinding speed, ending in what could only be described as a frustrating manner.

The two now on the final stage are naturally Jinbe and Xiang Keluo.

Whoosh—!

Accompanied by the thunder, large raindrops gradually fell from the sky, splashing on the arena and soaking everyone's clothes.

Yet this could not stop the countless spectators' enthusiasm for this battle.

In the heavy rain.

A smile curled Xiang Keluo's lips:

"Ah, la~"

"It's very much like the day we first fought, isn't it?"

Jinbe shook the iron cane in his hand, war intent rising in his eyes:

"This time I will not lose, Xiang Keluo!"

"As for me,"

"I must become Mr. Gao Wen's right-hand man; I must make him ascend the throne!"

With these words, a strange will rose within Jinbe's heart.

"That is also what I wish to say."

Xiang Keluo said calmly, his eyes likewise revealing a thirst for victory.

He knew how desperately Jinbe desired that Fruit.

But he was equally clear that crushing him here with all one's might, or being crushed by him, was the best Good Respect for that will.

"Come!"

As the words hit the ground, two figures instantly appeared in the center of the arena, the iron cane and claw knives colliding in the air.

Ding!

The powerful impact forced both to step back simultaneously, yet they both turned and surged forward again, giving their all to launch another round of fierce combat!

The claw knives scattered countless raindrops in the air, while the force poured forth by the iron cane smashed the stone slabs of the arena into fragments.

The sparks flashing in the air at this moment even overshadowed the thunder in the sky!

During the clash, the will and spirit in both their hearts soared to an unprecedented height!

"Jinbe—!"

"Xiang Keluo—!"

After the two roars, two phantoms were seen constantly fighting on the field!

Everyone in the stands widened their eyes at this moment.

"Too fast! Whether it is the Ghost Jinbe or the Hundred-Plans Xiang Keluo, they are both too fast!"

"This is no longer just a match, but a clash of wills between the second and third-in-command of the Gao Wen Pirate Crew!"

"It was worth the trip!"

"I have a premonition; this will become a milestone battle for the Raven Arena, for the Martial Arts Tournament!"

Zoro and others, long since eliminated, sat in a corner of the stands watching the two's final duel, even beginning to guess who would be the ultimate winner.

"Those two guys have completely lost their heads!"

Van Augur let his eyelids droop; though his tone was calm, he was also shocked by the formidable combat power the two displayed:

"But who will win?!"

"Xiang Keluo, I suppose."

Zoro's mouth curled into a grin, his eyes filled with nothing but unwillingness to accept the outcome.

It was simply because that ridiculous ending had caught him completely off guard, leaving him utterly frustrated, yet Xiang Keluo's strength was undeniably powerful.

"Although I really don't want to admit it, that guy is indeed the strongest right now, aside from the Captain."

"After all, Captain Jin previously lost to him, didn't he?"

At these words, everyone nodded one after another, expressing their agreement.

Only Sanji, standing to the side with his entire body wrapped in bandages, took a deep drag from the cigarette in his hand and argued:

"I saw it clearly."

"During this period, Captain Jin has been cultivating with his life on the line; he has become much stronger, and his will shall not lose to anyone."

"Past victories and defeats can no longer serve as a reference for this battle."

"The winner will be Captain Jin!"

Zoro held up four fingers at Sanji and mocked:

"Don't spout such nonsense here, Number Four!"

Sanji's eyebrow twitched, and fire instantly erupted in his pupils.

If one were to ask who among those present was most dissatisfied with their current position within the team, it could only be Sanji.

Zoro, Jin, and Xiang Keluo had all entered the top four; only he, despite betting everything, still lost to Ideo, firmly securing his place as the number four figure.

Being ranked behind Zoro was one thing.

The key issue was that he was just a tiny, tiny bit away from the Beautiful Chef Lady!

"Moss-head!"

"Want to fight?! Perfect; if I defeat you now, I can advance even further!"

"Oh my, oh my~"

Zoro waved his hand, the mockery on his face growing even more pronounced:

"I have no interest in the weak."

"Bastard!!!"

Sanji raged helplessly; just as he was about to continue, a thunderous roar erupted in the arena, and the platform in the center was instantly shattered by their battle!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

After the initial simple probing came an all-out struggle to the death!

Xiang Keluo unleashed his full capabilities, pushing his Spoon God Speed to the extreme; countless afterimages floated in the air as he seized the opportunity to launch countless attacks, leaving streaks of wounds on Jin's body.

Seeing this,

Jin simply closed his eyes, activating his Observation Haki to precisely sense the approach of danger, relying on the iron crutch in his hand to barely block Xiang Keluo's offensive.

The battle gradually entered a white-hot phase, the air filled with sparks left by their fierce clash.

As time passed, neither of the two showed the slightest sign of exhaustion!

This battle

lasted for a full ten-plus hours, continuing until the early morning hours, finally ending with their last collision.

Thud!

Two nearly simultaneous sounds of falling bodies rang out; Xiang Keluo and Jin collapsed from exhaustion at the same time, losing consciousness.

Until Jango finished his countdown, no one had stood up.

The audience on the scene was momentarily at a loss, and Zoro and the others were also stunned.

"This... who won?!"

"Xiang Keluo, I think; looking at the time they fell, he was a bit later."

"Nonsense! It was clearly Captain Jin!"

On the commentator's stage,

after discussing with Jasmine beside him, Jango immediately announced that the two had fought to a draw, sharing first place and simultaneously entering the Hall of Fame.

The prize money and the Devil Fruit were to be split equally between the two.

Who would have expected that just as Jango's voice fell, Xiang Keluo struggled to his feet.

It was just that his movement ultimately came one step too late; this battle already had a result.

"You lucky bastard, however..."

Xiang Keluo let out a sigh, his gaze falling upon his own palm; feeling that rhythm within his body, his eyes carried an unmistakable joy as he murmured:

"I seem to have felt that power flowing within the body that Gao Wen spoke of; it will just take some time to fully awaken it."

"Ugh—!"

Jin groaned闷ly, opening his eyes; upon seeing Xiang Keluo's figure, he realized the battle already had a result and said with reluctance:

"Did I lose after all?!"

"Don't be silly; strictly speaking by the rules, this match counts as a draw."

Jin paused for a moment, then shook his head:

"In a real battle, I would already be dead."

"I had no intention of taking your life; after all, we are also... comrades, aren't we?!"

A hint of a smile lingered on Xiang Keluo's lips as he said:

"Didn't you say you wanted to assist that fellow in ascending the throne? Then prove it to me!"

"Alright!"

Ah Jin struggled to stand, yet collapsed several times from exhaustion; clearly, his body had reached its limit, unable to squeeze out even a shred of strength.

"Here~"

Accompanying the voice.

Xiang Keluo extended his hand before Ah Jin; the latter paused for a moment, then gripped it firmly, barely managing to straighten up and face the final cheers from the arena.

……

A few minutes later.

On the award podium.

Ah Jin gazed at the Devil Fruit before him, his eyes brimming with undisguised longing.

Seeing this, Xiang Keluo at his side curled the corners of his mouth into a slight smile and said:

"I have no interest in such things; the money goes to me, the fruit to you."

"Alright!"

With that, Ah Jin snatched up the Bone-Bone Fruit, tore open its flesh, and took a huge bite of the fruit inside.

"Mmm~!"

His face instantly flushed crimson; he immediately dropped to one side, retching dryly, yet nothing came up.

Only bone spines surged forth from within his body, like countless blades covering his entire form—sharp, lethal, and gleaming with a grim, cold radiance.

These bone spines were pure white and crystalline, possessing a texture akin to jade.

Even without touching them, Xiang Keluo could judge that these bones were entirely different from ordinary ones; their hardness and toughness rivaled steel.

"The power to manipulate bones, is it?"

Xiang Keluo paused slightly, then smiled and said:

"Perhaps you can adopt a new title henceforth; what do you think of 'Mad Bone'?"

……

……

……

At the same time.

The East Sea.

A warship with an extremely deep draft cut through wind and waves, speeding toward Raven Port.

Countless sea beasts in the vicinity, merely sensing the ship's aura, fled rapidly into the distance as if startled.

"Sea Prism Stone was mixed into the hull structure; it inherently possesses the power of the great sea, causing sea beasts to regard it as one of their own, or even as a far stronger counterpart?"

"Capable of navigating the New World; in terms of performance, it is far superior to the vessel still under construction in Raven Port, no matter how one measures it."

Gao Wen watched the panicked sea beasts in the distance, yet a different thought arose in his heart:

"Rather than continue pouring more money into that project, it would be better to invest the remaining funds directly into this ship, refit it, and simply use what is already available."

As he spoke.

Gao Wen's gaze suddenly sharpened, and a familiar prompt abruptly flashed before his eyes:

"Crew member Ah Jin has obtained the Bone-Bone Fruit."

"Potential increased."

(End of Chapter)