When Kaito made his prediction, Viola merely smiled without replying. In her heart, she figured he must've been angry because of what Spartan did earlier, and that made him say something so exaggerated.
She believed Bellamy had a good chance of defeating Spartan, but winning in three seconds? That just didn't seem possible. Spartan had held the champion's title for eleven consecutive months—how could he be taken down so easily?
Just thinking about this "Danzo" acting like a jealous boyfriend made her chuckle softly, and she shook her head.
This Danzo... he's still a bit childish.
Kaito glanced at Viola's expression and instantly knew she didn't believe him. But he said nothing, because it was true—Bellamy couldn't win in three seconds.
But with him there, it was inevitable.
At that thought, a meaningful smile curved the corner of Kaito's lips. Robin, who had been quietly watching him all this time, saw that expression and instantly understood—he was going to interfere.
Then she looked over at Viola's unconvinced face and couldn't help but stifle a giggle behind her hand.
Things are about to get interesting, she thought.
Robin's laughter caught Viola's attention, who turned to glance at her, puzzled by what she found so funny.
Kaito gently patted Robin's thigh and casually said,
"Stop laughing. The match's about to start."
Robin quickly stifled her laughter and leaned in closer to Kaito, turning her full attention to the arena.
The sight made Viola feel a little envious. She too wished there were a man she could rely on, especially in her current situation.
But when that distant, unreachable figure came to mind, she simply sighed softly and turned her gaze toward the ring.
...
As the bell rang, signaling the start of the battle, Bellamy's arms and legs instantly transformed into compressed springs. With a crouch to build momentum, he launched himself like a bullet toward Spartan.
Spartan already understood Bellamy's ability. With a stomp of one foot, he planted himself in a sturdy horse stance, arms crossed to guard his head.
In his view, while Bellamy had impressive explosive power, he lacked endurance. As long as he blocked the first wave, he could rely on his superior strength to counterattack and win.
Under normal circumstances, that thinking would've been sound.
Unfortunately for him... he had pissed off Kaito.
Kaito's eyes shifted into the Rinnegan in a flash. A flicker of violet light gleamed—and the ground beneath Spartan's feet suddenly erupted.
Caught off guard, Spartan's stance collapsed as he lost balance.
Bellamy wasn't about to miss such a golden opportunity. In a blink, he was right in front of Spartan. His spring-loaded fists slammed brutally into Spartan's chest, launching him out of the ring and into the water-filled moat surrounding the arena.
The moment Spartan hit the water, he started thrashing wildly, desperate to get out.
The moat was teeming with fighting fish—huge creatures with horns on their heads, essentially oversized piranhas.
Spartan wasn't a strong swimmer, and already weakened in the water, it was trouble enough just avoiding the fish.
But Kaito had no intention of letting him off easy.
With a glance at Spartan's black trunks, he activated the Pop-Pop Fruit again.
A loud boom echoed as the trunks exploded.
Agonizing pain twisted Spartan's face until it turned a sickly shade of liver purple. He clutched his groin in agony, unable to move an inch.
But the swarm of fighting fish surging toward him didn't care.
They pounced as one, tearing Spartan into pieces. Blood spread quickly through the water, dyeing a wide swath of the surface deep red.
...
Strangely enough, the brutal sight didn't terrify the spectators. On the contrary, it fired them up even more. One after another, they jumped up from their seats, cheering wildly.
From the moment Bellamy and Spartan clashed to when Spartan was launched out of the arena, the entire fight lasted exactly three seconds.
...
Viola stared blankly at Bellamy, who now stood in the ring with his arm raised high to the crowd. She still hadn't recovered from what she'd just witnessed.
The whole thing had been too dramatic. No one could've predicted the arena floor would suddenly explode under Spartan. But then again, considering how hard he stomped when assuming his stance, maybe it was believable after all.
As she replayed the lightning-fast battle in her head, Kaito's voice echoed beside her ear.
"Miss Viola, well? Was I right again? The fight really did end in three seconds!"
Viola's face froze. She could already picture that smug expression on "Danzo's" face.
She didn't dare look. Instead, she stiffly nodded.
At the same time, a seed of suspicion bloomed inside her about this Danzo's true power.
It was already unbelievable how he always predicted the outcome of battles... but now even the timing?
No way he was just some ordinary guy.
And yet, when she looked at his delicate, almost feminine face and that slender build that seemed so fragile... she couldn't quite make up her mind.
...
Bellamy, meanwhile, was still basking in the euphoria of victory. He never imagined the fight would be this easy.
A host in flashy attire walked up beside him, grabbed his hand, and raised it high while announcing his victory.
Then, in a surprising twist, the host announced a new event—something that had never happened before.
Today's audience would get a chance to spar with the final victor in a friendly match, just for fun.
Of course, this was all just a stunt.
Most of the people in the audience were ordinary civilians. How could they possibly go toe-to-toe with someone like Bellamy?
The real purpose was to build hype around the victor. After all, today's champion would earn the right to join the Donquixote Family. Giving him more spotlight would improve the family's image.
If no one volunteered, that was fine too. They had already prepared a planted contestant who would hop in, spar a few rounds with Bellamy, pose for a photo or two, and call it a day.
Just as expected, after the host explained the event, no one from the audience stepped forward.
But Viola saw an opportunity. She could finally get a glimpse of this Danzo's true strength.
With feigned casualness, she asked,
"Danzo-san, you're not thinking of giving it a try? You've been so accurate with your predictions—surely your strength isn't too bad either?"
Kaito waved his hand dismissively. Bellamy was far too weak in his eyes—it wasn't even worth moving for.
Viola felt a pang of disappointment at his refusal, but she didn't push the issue. She was, after all, an outsider. As pretty as she was, Robin was just as beautiful—and Danzo had no need to show off for her sake.
But just then, Robin suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around Kaito's arm and said sweetly,
"Danzo~ go up there and give it a shot! I believe you're the strongest!"