Lindbergh suddenly sprang up from the floor, his goggles reflecting an excited gleam.
"I've got an idea!"
He frantically pulled out a stack of blueprints from his backpack, spreading them over the sand table.
"We can do it like this..."
Dragon raised a hand to signal him to calm down, then turned to his Chief of Staff.
"Sabo, which target do you think we should choose?"
Sabo stood up and walked over to the sand table in the center of the room—a miniature model of the arena specially prepared for them by the receptionist.
"Shiki is very strong, but he's getting old; Bullet has terrifying destructive power, but he's hot-tempered and easily angered; Crocodile is the craftiest, but his Sand-Sand Fruit ability has a fatal weakness..."
Belo Betty suddenly chuckled lightly.
"I suggest we start with Crocodile." She twirled the flag in her hand, her smile confident. "Although the Sand-Sand Fruit is powerful, it's countered by liquid. And..." She gave Dragon a meaningful glance.
"Certain people's abilities could also come in handy."
Dragon remained silent, but a gust of wind seemed to circulate through the room.
Lindbergh was already eagerly arranging pieces on the sand table. "We can set up like this! Sabo handles the frontal engagement, Belo Betty provides support from the rear, I'll handle interference, and you, Leader..."
He suddenly realized he had slipped up and quickly covered his mouth.
How could the Supreme Commander possibly take action, especially in this situation? He absolutely must not show himself.
"You should command from the rear, Leader."
Dragon nodded. "You all can handle it."
His profound gaze swept over each of them. "Remember, our target is the Devil Fruit ability, not a fight to the death. Use the rules. Outsmart them."
Sabo readjusted his top hat, a confident smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Then let's give this 'Sand Crocodile' an unforgettable welcome ceremony!"
...
Under the cover of night.
The arena was illuminated as bright as day by thousands of burning torches.
Deafening cheers rose and fell from the circular stands, where frenzied pirates waved bottles and weapons, shouting themselves hoarse to cheer on the bloody battles below.
According to the pirate code, the strong fight for three days and nights without stopping—those who can't endure are trash!
So, to prove they weren't trash, none of them rested.
They roared wildly as they watched the fights, fueled by adrenaline and alcohol.
"Fight! Keep fighting!"
"Real men never say they can't do it! Don't be garbage!"
"True warriors should fight until they're covered in blood!"
These pirates, who believed in the law of the jungle, viewed fatigue as the greatest shame.
The combatants in the arena were already drenched in blood, yet they continued their relentless struggle.
Every collision between them sent visible shockwaves through the air, and the ground beneath their feet was already cracked beyond recognition.
In the shadows of the highest part of the stands, Black Maria lounged lazily on a soft couch, her long legs crossed.
Wisps of smoke rose from the long pipe in her hand, her enchanting face flickering in and out of view in the torchlight.
"How barbaric~"
She chuckled softly, blowing a smoke ring, but her gaze remained fixed on the demon-like figure in the center of the arena—Douglas Bullet.
At this moment, Bullet radiated terrifying killing intent.
Around him lay piles of challengers, most of them knocked unconscious.
Ron had instructed that killing should be avoided unless necessary—dead men don't pay entrance fees, after all.
BAM!
Another reckless pirate charged forward, only to be blasted away in the blink of an eye, crashing through a stone pillar over ten meters away.
"Lady Maria, how much longer must we wait?" a subordinate whispered beside her.
Black Maria's crimson lips curled into a dangerous smile.
"What's the rush?"
She extended a slender finger toward the endless stream of challengers.
"Let these ants exhaust his strength first. By dawn, when his movements begin to slow... that is when Drake will strike."
Her words abruptly halted.
Inside the arena, Bullet threw back his head and let out an earth-shaking roar.
"GRAAAAH!"
A violent burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, instantly sending dozens of challengers flying backward like leaves in a storm.
The spectators in the stands were also intimidated by this overwhelming presence, falling into complete silence.
"Heh... What a terrifying monster."
A flicker of apprehension passed through Black Maria's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
"But the mightier the beast, the more delightful it is to watch it fall~"
She lightly clapped her hands, and immediately a serving girl brought forth sake.
Black Maria elegantly took a sip, as if appreciating a splendid performance.
Behind her, hidden in the deepest shadows, the dinosaur Zoan X Drake gripped his axe and rapier, waiting.
The night was still long, and this bloody carnival had only just reached its climax.
...
A hundred miles away.
Hidden among the island's reefs, Kaido's flagship lay concealed in the darkness.
His gaze pierced through the thin mist over the sea, locked intently on an unremarkable little boat sailing away from the Divine Kingdom.
His eyelids twitched slightly, and the hot breath from his nostrils condensed into white vapor in the cold night air.
"Hmm... Is that the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?" Kaido wondered aloud.
"What are those two doing out at sea now?"
Queen squeezed his bulky frame against the periscope, his mechanical eye rapidly focusing and projecting the magnified image onto the screen.
"Muhahaha! That's right! Fire Fist Ace! And the Third Division Commander, Diamond Jozu!"
He wriggled excitedly, then seemed to remember something.
"This is a perfect opportunity, Kaido-sama!"
King slowly folded his black wings, his crimson eyes gleaming with a shrewd light behind his mask.
"Whitebeard values his 'family' above all else..." His fingers lightly tapped against his sword scabbard.
"If we capture this brat..."
"We could make Whitebeard do anything we want! Hahaha!" Jack eagerly cut in, his mammoth tusks trembling with excitement.
His massive body paced restlessly on the deck, causing the cannons to rattle and clang.
"Silence!"
Kaido growled, his eyes warily glancing toward the direction of the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
"We're still at the edge of that bastard Ron's territory. I don't want to fight him right now."
King calmly restrained the agitated Jack.
"We'll make our move after they sail out of the restricted zone," King advised.
His gaze swept over Ace's unsuspecting back on the screen.
"We need to be far enough away. We only get one chance at this—we absolutely cannot fail."
...
Meanwhile, on the sea.
A simple wooden boat gently rocked with the waves, moving swiftly away from the protection of the Divine Kingdom.
Ace sat cross-legged at the bow, his orange cowboy hat tilted sideways as he excitedly gestured about something.
Flames occasionally flickered from his fingertips, sketching the outline of an island in the air.
"Jozu, look!"
Ace pointed at the fiery map he'd drawn.
"We'll infiltrate from the west side of Cacao Island. That's where the candy guards have a blind spot during shift changes."
His eyes grew brighter as he became convinced the plan was absolutely feasible.
"After obtaining the Heat-Heat Fruit from Charlotte Oven, I can bring it back to Ron for enchantment. Then, my flame temperature will increase by at least several dozen times! I'll finally be able to burn hotter than Magma!"
Jozu nodded, his diamond skin glinting in the moonlight. "It's risky, Ace. Big Mom isn't to be trifled with."
"Don't worry!" Ace grinned, completely unaware of the dragon lurking in the shadows behind them.
"We'll be in and out before they know what hit them!"
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