Chapter 248: Eight-Burst Fist
"Competitor Heildin has lost consciousness and is disqualified!"
The referee, who also served as the host, shouted loudly, more excited than anyone else.
Rodney directly grabbed Heildin's hand and threw him out of the ring. Here, he would only get in the way. Rodney threw him towards the exit, and he was then taken away by someone.
With the big guy gone, the ring was suddenly empty. Luffy rode a bull on the ring, happily galloping around, while Rodney dealt with one opponent after another.
"Is there no opponent who can withstand even a single blow and let me move around a bit?" Rodney sighed and released a fireball, knocking several participants into the water, where ferocious fighting fish awaited. Falling into the arena's water meant a high chance of being eaten by the fighting fish. Those who couldn't hold their own on the arena would become fish food.
"Exciting! A new challenger approaches!" At this moment, a shirtless man with an Eight-Treasure Water Army cape and a club came charging forward.
"Looks like an interesting fellow has arrived," Rodney said, opening his Sharingan. He mimicked the man's posture, and his chakra copied the same fluctuations as the man's, then he launched an attack with the same posture and power.
The Eight-Burst Fist was a martial art technique passed down through generations in the Eight-Treasure Water Army. It involved striking the opponent while releasing a powerful shockwave. Regular shields couldn't withstand this attack. In other words, it was a technique with armor-piercing properties. Before learning Rinnegan Haki, this might be the only technique Rodney had that could penetrate Kaido's defense.
"What?" The 13th generation leader of the Eight-Treasure Water Army, Lao Cai, widened his eyes. He could feel the shockwave coming from the opponent's attack, and it was just as powerful as his own. How was this possible? This was their Eight-Treasure Water Army's inherited technique. How could Rodney learn it?!
"Is it right to call it 'stealing' when a martial artist learns something?" Rodney shrugged, neither confirming nor denying what Lao Cai said. "Maybe it's just because I have a knack for learning things quickly. Don't worry about it."
"How can I not worry about it?!" Lao Cai was infuriated by Rodney's act of "stealing." His beard bristled without any wind.
"You make it sound like learning from martial artists is a bad thing," Rodney said nonchalantly. "Maybe it's just that I have a unique talent for learning quickly. Let's not dwell on it."
"Damn brat, you infuriate me! Prepare to pay for this crime with your life!" Enraged by Rodney's audacity, Lao Cai's body began to glow with Haki as he launched his attack.
"Let's see how strong you've become after Captain Karp trained you all those years ago," Rodney said with a smirk.
To be honest, Lao Cai was worth five hundred million Berries twenty years ago, and that wasn't comparable to the value of five hundred million Berries today due to inflation. Considering his current combat power, Lao Cai was probably worth around one to three billion Berries. And, he had given Karp some trouble by smashing his pointed head in thirty years ago. The older generation in this world was truly extraordinary.
"Eight-Burst Fist!" Lao Cai roared and swung his fist. His fist was covered in a deep black Haki, and years of mastering the Eight-Burst Fist made him formidable.
"Fish-Man Karate: Gyorai 5,000 Watt Fist!" Rodney didn't choose to retreat but rather struck with a full-force punch. His punch landed on Lao Cai's head, but instead of shattering it, it created a shockwave that pushed both of them back.
"Good kid, you do have some skills. Did you also 'steal' Fish-Man Karate from us?" Lao Cai couldn't help but admire Rodney's talent. Rodney's unique gift for learning quickly had allowed him to master these techniques.
Rodney chuckled. "Perhaps it's just my natural talent to learn things fast. But let's not argue over semantics. Now, it's time for you to exit the stage."
Lao Cai's younger brother, Abu, had watched as his elder brother was disqualified, and his frustration drove him to attack Rodney with an axe covered in Busoshoku Haki, determined to cut him down.
However, Rodney used a wire covered in Busoshoku Haki to stop Abu's axe mid-air and said, "It seems like it's been a while since I had a real fight."
As he spoke, lightning flashed on his hand. Under the dual effects of Busoshoku Haki and Raiton Chakra, Rodney cut Abu's axe in half. The wire pointed at Abu's throat, and Rodney said, "It's over, you lost. Your elder brother will regain his mobility soon. Please withdraw from the fight."
Abu looked at the broken axe in his hand and realized that he was outmatched. Frustration mixed with resignation, and he nodded before exiting the battle.
This incident drew the attention of Green Pepper (青椒), who was watching from the audience.
His two grandsons had suddenly lost their qualifications to compete, which angered Green Pepper greatly. These two young brats were clearly not trained enough. He would have to train them rigorously once they returned home.
Both Lao Cai and Abu shivered as they stood on the ring. Green Pepper looked down at Rodney and said, "You're not bad, kid. You easily defeated my grandsons. Before I deal with Karp's grandson, let me deal with you first."
"Let me see just how strong you are, the one who was trained by Captain Karp thirty years ago."
Honestly, Green Pepper was worth 500 million Berries twenty years ago, and that wasn't comparable to today's inflation-adjusted 500 million Berries. Considering his current strength, Green Pepper was probably worth one to three billion Berries. Plus, he had given Karp some trouble when he smashed Karp's head in thirty years ago. The older generation in this world were true monsters.
"Eight-Burst Fist!"
Green Pepper punched with a black Haki-covered fist, amplifying his strength.
"Fish-Man Karate: Gyorai 5,000 Watt Fist!"
Rodney didn't back down. He launched a full-force punch. Their fists collided, creating shockwaves between them. Rodney also employed his Rinnegan Haki to counter the effects of Green Pepper's Haki on him.
"Eight-Burst Fist: Martial Headspin!"
Green Pepper leaped into the air, rotating his head against the ground, creating a tornado-like phenomenon.
(End of this chapter)