Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, three Devil Fruits emitting terrifying energy fluctuations slowly descended onto the floating platforms, each encased in a specially made transparent crystal cover.
"Behold, everyone—"
As Ron's deep voice resonated, the fruit inside the first crystal cover suddenly erupted with intense red light.
The Magma-Magma Fruit.
Its surface flowed with molten patterns like living lava.
Merely looking at it caused the surrounding air to distort and heat up. Several pirates standing closest were already sweating profusely, shielding their faces from the phantom heat.
Inside the second crystal cover, the Ice-Ice Fruit hovered quietly.
Its entire body presented an icy blue hue reminiscent of polar glaciers. Its surface continuously condensed fine ice crystals, which vaporized instantly in a cyclical process, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
The nearest spectators instinctively hugged their arms tighter, their exhaled breath frosting in the air.
Finally, the Glint-Glint Fruit.
It shone as dazzlingly as fragments of the sun, the golden fruit flickering incessantly within the crystal casing, blinding those who stared too long.
"These three Devil Fruits..." Ron's voice suddenly turned grave. "...are Replacement-Type fruits."
The entire venue fell so silent one could hear a pin drop.
"They will completely replace the eater's existing abilities," Ron's gaze swept over every ability user present.
"So, please consider carefully."
With a light wave of his hand, the three fruits slowly rose and rotated high into the air, refracting dreamlike halos under the sunlight.
"As the stakes of this tournament, the winner of each match will earn the right to choose one of them." A meaningful smile curled at the corner of Ron's lips. "Of course, you may also choose to use it for other transactions with the Divine Kingdom, such as... Enchanting a second Devil Fruit ability onto yourself. Though, naturally, you'll need to cover the price difference."
At that moment, the entire Eternal Divine Kingdom plunged into an eerie silence.
Every face froze in place, eyes widened to their limits, mouths hanging open unconsciously.
The crowd was stunned—the Master of this Kingdom was far too generous!
They had only heard rumors before, but now he had truly, tangibly produced three top-tier Logia fruits as rewards?
This was simply unbelievable!
Suddenly, a hysterical laugh shattered the silence as a pirate captain from the West Blue frantically grabbed his own hair.
"Hahaha! Am I dreaming?! Fruits of this caliber actually... actually brought out for real!"
"So generous! This is truly the Divine Kingdom!"
The entire venue instantly erupted into chaos.
The roar of the crowd nearly lifted the floating island from its foundation.
Countless people tore at their clothes in excitement, some even fainting on the spot from the sheer adrenaline.
Several Supernovas were itching to try their luck—after all, obtaining one would save at least three billion Belly!
"Quiet."
Ron merely uttered these two words softly, yet they fell like a divine decree, silencing the crowd once more.
He strode slowly to the edge of the platform, the star chart on his black robe swirling with increased brilliance.
"In the Eternal Divine Kingdom, nothing is impossible." His voice was soft yet clear in every ear.
"Now, let us officially begin this..."
His gaze swept over every face—greedy, fanatical, scheming—and the smile on his lips deepened.
"...world-altering feast."
CLAP.
Ron's crisp applause echoed through the venue like a signal flare.
In an instant, three astonishing auras erupted from different directions, causing the floating stands to tremble slightly.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Heavy footsteps pounded like war drums.
From the eastern passage emerged the hill-like figure of Douglas Bullet.
With each step, his metal combat boots left cracked impressions on the ground, while purplish-black Armament Haki flowed like living matter across his body.
When he grinned, baring stark white teeth, several pirates in the front rows instinctively retreated half a step.
"Hmph, a bunch of trash." Bullet cracked his knuckles, producing thunderous snaps.
From the west, a sudden sandstorm rose.
Crocodile, draped in his heavy fur coat, flickered into existence within the swirling dust.
The golden hook glinted dangerously in the sunlight, while cigar smoke obscured his sinister features.
"Want the Magma Fruit?" His low voice carried a mocking tone. "You'll have to get through me first."
"Jihahaha!"
The southern sky suddenly darkened.
Shiki the Golden Lion hovered mid-air, his famed swords Oto and Kogarashi acting as his legs. His laughter carried a maddened edge.
"It's been years since things were this lively! Let's see if you brats have what it takes!"
As the three great pirates took their positions, three massive spatial gates slowly opened behind them, each radiating distinct energy fluctuations.
Ron watched the three hovering gates below with a calm expression.
"Each gate corresponds to one Devil Fruit."
His robes billowed without wind.
"Pass through these gates, and you'll enter exclusive battlefields. Defeat the guardian, and the fruit will be yours."
The venue fell into dead silence for a moment before erupting into an even more violent uproar.
"You've got to be kidding! I can take down that big guy alone!" roared a giant pirate from the South Blue, brandishing his battle-axe.
"Crocodile? Just a mere former Warlord!" Several Supernovas stirred with excitement, thinking him the weakest link.
But far fewer voices dared to challenge Bullet or Shiki.
Several pirates who knew Bullet's identity turned pale, desperately shrinking back into the crowd.
"H-how is that monster here..."
Ron smiled and raised his hand, sending the three Devil Fruits flying toward the three gates, where they hovered enticingly above the lintels.
"Of course, challenges must follow an order." His gaze swept over the restless pirates. "Only one group may challenge a single battlefield at any given time."
Shiki suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, the ground beneath him cracking and floating upward.
"Brats! I can't wait to see the despair on your faces!"
Crocodile's golden hook traced a cold arc through the air. "Don't bore me."
Bullet was the most direct—he slammed his fist into the ground, sending a terrifying shockwave that threw the nearest pirates backward.
"Come on! You trash!"
"G-Golden Lion Shiki!!! A legendary pirate from Roger's era!!"
"Hiss... that big guy next to him looks tough too. Wonder who he is?"
"And Crocodile—seems the Divine Kingdom's master rescued him from Impel Down."
Groups of pirates exchanged glances, clearly weighing which gate to choose.
After all, they could only select one fruit unless they possessed astonishing strength to challenge all three gates simultaneously—though that seemed impossible.
Bullet crossed his arms, his bronze muscles bulging as if ready to explode.
He looked down at the clamoring pirates below, his lips twisting into a ferocious grin.
"Heh, a bunch of fools who don't know their place."
Purple-black Armament Haki flowed across his body, distorting the surrounding air.
The first slaughter was about to begin!