It… ended just like that?
Wang Zhi… lost?
On the plaza of Hachinosu.
Rocks and the rest of the pirates stared at Carlo, who stood alone in the center, the heavenly dragon halberd planted beside him.
For a moment, they were all stunned.
The square was terrifyingly silent.
Tens of thousands of pirates stood gaping, utterly unprepared for what they'd just witnessed.
And completely blindsided.
They had been looking forward to this duel—
a rookie challenging an old Division Captain.
Imagining the fierce slaughter they were about to see,
wondering who would claim the Fourth Division Captain's seat in the end.
Would it be Wang Zhi, veteran of the Rocks Pirates who'd held the post for years?
Or the newcomer who'd already caused a stir in Hachinosu, the newly promoted Senior Combatant Sorus Karlo?
They'd even opened bets on it.
Thousands of thrill-seekers had eagerly wagered on the victor.
Right up to the start, the odds stood at one to five.
Carlo at one, Wang Zhi at five.
Clearly, most of the Rocks Pirates still doubted the newcomer.
Yet who could have imagined—the Fourth Division Captain of the mighty Rocks Pirates,
possessor of the Paramecia-type Instant Teleportation Fruit, so fast that even Rocks couldn't catch him if he chose to flee,
the Great Pirate Wang Zhi with a World Government bounty of 598 million Berries—
had lost just like that.
And so quickly!
So quickly the two fighters hadn't even stepped onto the dueling platform.
So quickly the tens of thousands gathered around hadn't had time to cheer.
He had simply… lost in the blink of an eye!
After several minutes of deathly silence, the square erupted to the other extreme.
Pirates packed around the plaza cried out in disbelief.
"My god! Captain Wang Zhi lost—am I seeing things?"
"One hit! That kid beat Captain Wang Zhi in one hit!"
"What's his name? Someone tell me his name—who exactly is he?!"
The clamor threatened to lift the plaza itself.
The crowd couldn't accept it,
and neither could Golden Lion, Charlotte Linlin, Maron, Gan Sui, or Gloriosa standing behind Rocks—faces full of shock.
Kaido was the most stunned.
Before the fight, he had already thought Carlo would win,
but to end it this fast was beyond his expectations.
Among those present, only he had witnessed Carlo's earlier clash with Wang Zhi.
He had watched Carlo get shredded by Wang Zhi's speed, cut to pieces with no chance to retaliate.
Though Carlo had ultimately won,
it had been no crushing victory.
It had been a brutal, narrow win!
Yet now… "One strike—he beat Wang Zhi with one strike? How? Has he gotten even stronger?" Kaido stared in disbelief.
"No, not one strike—strictly speaking, two moves," Whitebeard said quietly beside him.
His eyes, fixed on Carlo, brimmed with admiration.
Whitebeard had seen it clearly.
Carlo first slashed with the heavenly dragon halberd,
then used Haoshoku to stun Wang Zhi,
creating that astonishing result.
The fight had looked brief,
but Carlo's timing, grasp of Wang Zhi's psyche, and combat instincts had all been flawless.
What extraordinary battle intelligence!
And, of course,
a level of strength that, to Whitebeard, was already far from weak.
"Impossible! Wang Zhi couldn't fall so easily—I won't believe it! He must still be able to fight; I'm going to check!"
Gan Sui's flustered shout sounded behind Rocks.
No one moved to stop him as he raced off;
they knew
he was only trying to fool himself.
They had already sensed Wang Zhi's condition with Observation Haki.
Behind Skull Mountain, in the courtyard of Wang Zhi's home,
he lay sprawled amid the rubble of his shattered house, mouth agape, blood seeping from every orifice.
His chest was caved in,
a dozen ribs pulverized.
His breathing was a faint thread, life hanging by a whisper.
One step more
and Carlo's halberd would have split his chest.
If not for Rocks's blade deflecting the blow,
Wang Zhi would already be in two pieces.
Crisp clapping rang through the noisy plaza.
Rocks stepped forward applauding, roaring with laughter, admiration and satisfaction plain on his face.
"Wahahaha, wahahahaha!"
"What a splendid fight, Carlo."
"Congratulations—you are the new Fourth Division Captain of the Rocks Pirates!"
"From this day, you receive one-tenth of the crew's total earnings and keep half of every haul you seize!"
"Your name will echo across the world alongside mine and the Rocks Pirates!!!"
Throwing an arm around Carlo's shoulders, Rocks faced the sea of pirates and thrust his right hand high.
The clamor faded fast.
Countless fervent eyes focused on Rocks in the center,
as though the man were their god.
"Men!!!"
Rocks bellowed.
His voice rolled like thunder across the plaza and over all Hachinosu.
"Give your loudest cheers for the new Fourth Division Captain—Sorus Karlo!!!"
The silent square exploded into frenzied acclaim.
The roar swept the entire island.
"Carlo!!"
"Carlo!!"
"Sorus! Karlo!"
Rocks shouted again, "Reporters! Where are the news-hawks? Pick up your cameras and pens—shout this to the world! I want Carlo's name on tomorrow's front page!"
Click, click.
The moment he finished,
a pack of journalists with gleaming eyes surged forward,
snapping shot after shot of Rocks and Carlo.
Hachinosu was a place where headlines bloomed like weeds,
and big news broke every few days—
a Great Pirate joining the Rocks Pirates,
Golden Lion seizing celestial tribute, and so on.
Famous reporters from major papers kept permanent watch here,
waiting for scoops exactly like this.
Rocks welcomed them.
A great armada needs fame and influence,
and he understood that well.
These island news bureaus spread the name of Rocks and his crew across the globe.
Of course,
every story tied to Hachinosu or the Rocks Pirates
came with a fee.
Click, click.
Under the flashing bulbs, Rocks smiled and handed Carlo a cigar.
"Carlo, welcome officially to the Rocks Pirates!"
"We're going to get rich together!"
"Thanks."
Carlo studied the beaming Rocks, took the cigar, and was about to light it
when a pale, massive hand appeared, a dancing flame at its fingertip.
He looked up: Charlotte Linlin.
"Welcome to the Captain's seat, my… ally."
Carlo nodded, touched the cigar to the flame.
Amid swirling smoke, shutters kept firing, sealing the scene onto roll after roll of film.
Behind the crush, Kaido's face twisted.
Damn it!
So jealous!!