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Chapter Header: Serialized・Love-Sick to Illness 18・Dragon Motionless
Kuja Palace.
The grandfather and grandson were reunited after many years. Bonney wept bitterly, while Kuma sat cross-legged on the floor with a kindly smile. Elsewhere, Sander and Mari accompanied their elder sister, leading Dragon to a side chamber to meet the former Snake Princess...
The petrified woman lay horizontally on the floor, like a patient bedridden, her delicate facial lines remarkably vivid, thin and withered. Dragon, wearing a cloak with a hood, stared at her for a long time.
…
Liam held Robin as they descended from the sky into the bustling arena. Surrounded by countless gazes and Den Den Mushi cameras, Liam was indifferent.
Robin pushed him away, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and asked with a smile, "Is this also part of strengthening the 'Jolyne' image?"
"Then why don't you take this chance to show something different?" Liam said seriously.
"Good point." Robin nodded thoughtfully, suddenly tiptoed, wrapped both arms around Liam's neck, and hung on him. "Hee hee hee hee…"
"Isn't that a bit exaggerated?" Liam said as he let her hang on his neck, both large hands supporting her slender waist.
Her laughter now had none of Nico Robin's usual reserved calm, but more the coquettish, cute charm of a young girl.
Viewers all over the world watching the giant screens, occasionally catching glimpses of the couple's affectionate moments, many turned expressionless.
"Enough already…"
…
"Phew…"
At a Marine base in the New World, Vice Admiral Kuzan, nicknamed "Aokiji," blew on a cup of piping hot tea to cool it into an iced drink. Reflected in his round sunglasses was the broadcast of the Swordsman tournament, showing the pirate couple chatting and laughing closely.
"Is she really dead already, Saul…"
…
On the Moby Dick, many members of the Whitebeard Pirates continued to watch the tournament.
"Today is the match between Hawk Eyes and Big Mom's second daughter. Should be exciting," Said Fifth Division Commander 'Flower Sword' Vista with a smile.
First Division Commander Marco watched Giorno on screen and said casually, "Don't you think it's a shame not to participate?"
"Beating the world-renowned 'Greatest Swordsman,'" Vista drew his Western-style sword, a few gleams of steel flashing as he performed a fancy flourish, "isn't that more interesting?"
The burly Whitebeard laughed heartily, "Gū lā lā lā, as expected of my son!"
…
On Totto Land's Cake Island, the Charlotte Family was undoubtedly more focused on the outcome between Amande and Mihawk.
"No surprises, the winner of today's first match will be the final 'Greatest Swordsman,' pero," Said eldest son Perospero, his exaggerated long tongue hanging out of his collar as he grinned, "If Amande wins, I wonder what the Marines' faces will look like? pero~~"
…
At Marineford, Admiral Sengoku worked through piles of paperwork while half-listening to the broadcast from the tournament on a Den Den Mushi from the nearby resort island.
"Shichibukai…"
He pushed aside the mountain of files, rubbed his temples, and looked toward the Grand Line side.
…
"Dear viewers at the venue and all over the world! The semifinals of the Greatest Swordsman tournament are about to begin. After several rounds of preliminaries and eliminations, the four players who have successfully advanced to the semifinals are,
"The man known as Hawk Eyes, Dracule Mihawk!"
The announcer's booming voice echoed through countless loudspeakers and Den Den Mushi, as the crowd cheered excitedly when the familiar cold-faced swordsman carrying the massive black blade appeared at the edge of the ring.
"The Sea Emperors' second daughter, known as the 'Demon Lady,' Charlotte Amande!"
A huge round hat had become almost her trademark. Amande stood tall and slender at the ring's edge, a remarkably long, thin sword slung across her narrow back, radiating a sharp aura just by standing there.
"Naturally, also from the World Government forces, Shiryu of the Rain, and,
"The much-anticipated competitor Chopper.Giorno!
"Giorno's strength is evident to all! But what many may not know is that Giorno is the youngest among over a thousand contestants in this tournament!
"He is not even eighteen years old yet!"
"Unbelievable, isn't it? It's simply incredible! Only just over seventeen years old, yet able to stand on such a massive stage competing for the title of the world's greatest Swordsman, facing off against top Swordsmanes from all over the world!
"Maybe this is the wonder of the Sea! Filled with infinite possibilities!
"Finally, let us all thank the respected Shichibukai who worked tirelessly to make this tournament possible! Without his help, many of the difficulties encountered during the preparation of this Greatest Swordsman tournament would have been impossible to resolve one by one... To the audience here on the resort island and friends watching all over the world, let's welcome, Mr. Crocodile!"
The crowd, carried away by the announcer's words, seemed to forget that the Shichibukai was essentially a pirate, an extremely ruthless and vicious great pirate at that…
Seeing Crocodile slightly bowing and waving from the special VIP seats on the big screen, the entire venue erupted in excited cheers and warm applause.
Liam also smiled.
"What are you laughing at?" Shiryu of the Rain, not far from him, snorted coldly through his cigar. After Mihawk and Amande's first match ended, it was now his turn to face Giorno. Naturally, he was paying close attention to this sharp young man.
Liam said with a smile, "I just saw something funny, so I'm laughing."
Robin glanced at the Shichibukai on the big screen who quickly sat back down with a scowl and whispered, "He's a Logia…"
"No worries, I can ambush him," Liam reassured her. Meanwhile, B.I.B. had already silently transformed into a shadow and floated toward the special VIP area in the upper stands where Crocodile was seated.
At the edge of the stage, Hawk Eyes, who had been waiting for the host's announcement, suddenly sensed a black phantom drifting upward.
That was… Crocodile's location. Mihawk's gaze sharpened as he glanced between the shadow and Giorno, thinking of the rumors about this young man. He understood , was the boy after that Shichibukai's Devil Fruit?
What an arrogant brat!
But that's a pirate for you.
Without hesitation, Mihawk leapt directly onto the stage.
"Uh, um, player Dracule…" The host was startled by his sudden leap.
Mihawk didn't waste time talking, drew the huge black blade on his back, and held it horizontally toward Charlotte's second daughter at the edge of the stage: "Fight me."
"…" The wide-brimmed round hat lifted, and the Demon (harmonious) Lady flicked the cigarette from the corner of her mouth with a snap of her fingers, gracefully stepping onto the stage. She slowly drew her slender, sharp sword from behind her waist. "Why the rush?"
Mihawk said, "If we wait any longer, who knows if the fight will even happen."
The host dared not offend these two and, seeing their determination to start immediately, quickly ended the announcement and slipped off the stage. Amande didn't fully understand but didn't care much either. With a flick of her sword, she said, "Then let's begin!"
Mihawk swung his Black Blade!
Bang!
The fierce battle between Hawk Eyes and the Demon Lady began. Sword flashes swept like a storm of blades… Meanwhile, at the edge of the stage, Liam glanced through the sea of spectators and locked eyes on the figure of Crocodile in the high VIP seats.
Crocodile's expression instantly changed. Behind him, the black battle armor suddenly thrust a left straight punch through his body.
Through his body…
Liam's eyes widened in surprise. When B.I.B. seizes someone else's Devil Fruit, he doesn't materialize or pass through the body.
For example, when he stabbed Robin before, his entire arm was inside her chest, but he never passed through the other side.
"Failed?" Robin looked back at Crocodile up high.
Liam was speechless. "Is this guy broken or what? Why is he maintaining high-intensity elementalization all the time for no reason?"
…
B.I.B. looked down at his left arm, which had passed through Crocodile. He was the first to realize his ability had failed and that he hadn't managed to take the Sand-Sand Fruit core from the Sand Crocodile.
"What's going on?" Crocodile noticed the two pirates below, especially the female pirate Jolyne, who had just looked his way. Alarm bells rang in his head, "Could it be?!"
He quickly twisted to look around, but there was no one behind him.
Sand Crocodile tried to sandify himself to escape, but before he could, from behind his empty back, the black armor retracted its left arm and delivered a right hook entwined with black Haki to his face.
Bang!
While the entire crowd was enthralled by the earth-shaking battle on the stage between Hawk Eyes and the Demon Lady, suddenly there was a muffled thud from above.
Countless spectators looked up to see their Shichibukai flying out from the VIP seats with a "Whiz" sound…
A splash of blood seemed to trail through the air. Was he hit?!
At the edge of the stage, Liam already grabbed an iron rod and shot up into the air to intercept the flying Mr. Sand Crocodile.
(End Of This Chapter)