Chapter 420: The Martial Arts Tournament Begins, the World Trembles!

Luffy’s pupils shrank in shock:

“Bartholomew Kuma is dead?!”

“No—this is… a Renzao Devil Fruit?!”

No one answered Luffy’s question; only S-Long’s arrogant voice exploded in everyone’s ears!

“Do you two defective copies think you can stop me?!”

S-Long’s aura surged to an entirely new level, making even Stussy stagger where she stood.

The office walls shattered at that very moment!

The power inherited from Gao Wen’s bloodline erupted in its most monstrous form!

Huh—!

Wild winds howled.

Luffy’s bangs whipped wildly as his gaze sharpened instantly!

The captain’s clone?!

Worth fighting!

Luffy shed his coat, revealing his lean upper body, then instantly transformed into the Paper-Drawn Warrior form, black flame clouds swirling atop his shoulders!

A ferocious, savage aura burst forth—his overwhelming strength laid bare!

Even Stussy froze for a moment.

She had heard of Luffy’s name.

The strongest monster CP9 had seen in eight hundred years—but that was only within CP9, where even the benchmarks were still called “humans.”

But the Incarnate Angel, in some ways, had already surpassed the limits of the human species!

“Rob Luffy, don’t provoke that monster any further!”

“If he loses control, the entire Enies Lobby might…”

Roar—!

A deafening dragon’s roar erupted from S-Long’s mouth!

An inhumanly powerful aura instantly crushed Luffy’s own field.

Luffy looked down and saw a massive dragon-man, his body covered in pink dragon scales, wielding a long sword.

“Is this real…?”

Luffy recognized the ability—but precisely because he did, terror gripped him:

“The color’s different, but this is unmistakably the same power as Kaido’s?! Zoan—Fish-Fish Fruit—Mythical Type—Blue Dragon Form?!”

“Correct—but no prize!”

Luffy was stunned—S-Long lunged forward with his blade, the razor-sharp aura already stinging Luffy’s skin before it even touched him!

Yet in his eyes, not a trace of fear remained:

“Don’t break him!”

“Kid!”

In the next instant:

Boom—!

Blade met fist in midair, crimson lightning snakes writhing wildly!

The building beneath everyone’s feet shattered instantly.

Stussy and the others immediately retreated, and when they landed, they turned back—only to see Luffy’s figure vanished…

“This is bad.”

“If that monster truly gets excited, we’ll need to think about how to survive.”

…

Several days later.

A warship set sail from Enies Lobby, heading for the World Martial Arts Tournament’s satellite arena on Sabaody Archipelago.

When Luffy awoke, every inch of his body ached; he looked down and saw he was nearly wrapped like a mummy.

“This is…”

Luffy shook his foggy head, and memories slowly sharpened.

The battle lasted only an instant—he was shattered, every bone in his body trembling.

“That monster…”

Recalling S-Long’s madness, Luffy felt his scalp crawl.

“He didn’t just inherit the captain’s appearance—he inherited that unmatched strength too.”

“He’s nearly as strong as the captain was during his time on Sabaody Archipelago two years ago.”

As he pondered:

Luffy’s expression grew grim, yet a flicker of relief crossed his face:

“According to Stussy, S-Long is an anomaly even among the Incarnate Angels—his power has already slipped beyond her control.”

“He even possesses a battle lust stronger than the captain’s—truly a born war machine!”

“And even without S-Long, the other two Incarnate Angels possess strength rivaling—or surpassing—ordinary Warlords. If I could seize control of such power…”

Luffy’s eyes gleamed, his heartbeat quickened!

“Even if it exposes me, I must seize control of the Incarnate Angels!”

“Right now, my priority is reaching the Martial Arts Tournament as soon as possible.”

Creak—!

Luffy tried to stand—his wounds tore open, blood seeped through the bandages.

“Trouble.”

“I was injured too badly by that monster to recover quickly—actually, that’s a blessing. At least I won’t have to compete in the tournament or show myself to the world.”

“Given CP’s nature, exposure equals suicide.”

“But Keluo, Akin, and the others are eagerly waiting for it!”

…

…

…

Several days later.

The World Economic News’ seagulls delivered newspapers across the globe!

Countless people were electrified by the headline news!

“The World’s Number One Martial Arts Tournament begins today!”

“Seven satellite arenas—across the Four Seas, Alabasta, Sabaody Archipelago, and the New World—simultaneously open!”

“The Four Seas each have one qualifier slot; Sabaody Archipelago and Alabasta each have two; the New World has eight—sixteen slots total!”

“The so-called ‘Strongest Sixteen of the Sea’!”

“The ultimate champion will receive a permanent compass pointing to the Final Island!”

“Obtaining One Piece means obtaining the entire world!”

“Rumors say long-dormant monsters, unable to hold back, have decided to enter and compete!”

“Some even claim to have seen the Lone Red in the West Sea—moreover, the New World’s Cross Guild, Kaido of the Beasts, and even Red-Haired have all moved!”

“This… will be the greatest contest since the dawn of the Age of Piracy!”

In a bar, a pirate wearing a headband leapt onto a table, his excitement overflowing!

He was middle-aged, his face scarred and grotesque, bearing the weight of years.

He turned to several eager new pirates and warned them seriously:

“Don’t dream of it—that’s a battlefield for monsters only.”

“For rookies like you, it’s no different from hell—you won’t even be worth cannon fodder.”

A young, inexperienced pirate clenched his jaw, defiant:

“No matter how strong their flesh, how can it stand against guns and cannons?!”

“We… still have a chance!”

At these words, the silent youths around him nodded eagerly—some even regretted having listened to the scarred pirate and not signed up.

Time ticked away.

Soon.