On the gray-brown surface of Treasure Island, veins of hematite lay exposed like dark red blood vessels. Stepping on them produced a satisfying crunch of crushed ore fragments.
Oro raised a hand and tugged at his collar, then completely removed the golden vambraces from his wrists.
"Not using it after all? Good lad! Gurarararara!"
Newgate's laughter boomed from across the clearing. The anchor wound with iron chains was planted in the ground before him. The man who would one day shake the very seas had shed all superfluous emotion. The muscles of his bare arms were solid as ancient tree roots, and his eyes held only the blazing excitement of battle.
"Since we agreed to a fair fight, naturally there's no place for cheap tricks."
Oro planted his feet shoulder-width apart,fingertips slightly curled. He, too, wanted to measure the level of his physical skills—honed over seven years under Elder Yaruuru in Elbaf—and the Armament Haki techniques personally taught by Oruuru.
"Alright then... let's begin!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Newgate vanished.
Without any warning,he shot toward Oro like an arrow loosed from a bow, his right fist rocketing straight for Oro's face!
Oro's left arm was instantly sheathed in Armament Haki. He raised it and met the blow head-on.
BOOM!
A dull, powerful thud echoed across the barren island. Oro's ankles sank half an inch into the ground, the rocky surface cracking around his feet like a spider's web.
The recoil knocked Newgate back a step. "Your Armament Haki is solid. Its hardness surpasses many famous pirates I've met."
"Just the basics."Oro withdrew his arm, but the Armament Haki coating his forearm didn't dissipate. Instead, it flowed like liquid metal with his breathing—a technique he'd learned while studying the principles of "Country Destroyer," allowing him to maintain peak Haki output without gaps in his defense.
"Again!"
Faster!Newgate attacked once more, this punch swifter than the last.
Instead of retreating,Oro stepped into the blow, blocking with his left arm.
CLANG!
The collision didn't sound like flesh on flesh, but like two forged weapons meeting. The shockwave erupted outward, sending a spray of pebbles skittering across the ground.
Oro's Armament Haki suddenly constricted, its pattern condensing into a mesh as fine as chainmail. Before his opponent could retract his fist, Oro's right fist—wreathed in a dark aura—slammed forward!
Newgate didn't flinch. He brought his left hand down hard on Oro's fist, trying to deflect the force. But the moment he made contact with that layer of black energy, a sharp, numbing sting shot through his palm.
"Oh? Interesting!"
Even as he spoke,Newgate's body didn't stop. He suddenly advanced half a step with his left foot and drove his shoulder into Oro's forearm!
The impact threw Oro slightly off-balance, but he used the momentum, twisting his body to change the trajectory of his right fist into a downward sweep across Newgate's shoulder. The powerful strike grazed Newgate's arm and slammed into the rocky ground, carving a shallow furrow.
"Well done!" Newgate barked. Abandoning his right-hand attack, he instead grabbed for Oro's wrist, trying to lock the joint.
But Oro was prepared. With a sharp flick of his wrist, his Armament Haki wrapped around Newgate's fingers like constricting chains, squeezing until the knuckles turned white.
Unfazed, Newgate bent his left arm and drove a Haki-hardened elbow toward Oro's ribs, forcing him to release his grip and leap back.
The moment they separated, Newgate suddenly launched himself upward, his right leg cutting through the air in a vicious axe kick aimed at Oro's head! The kick was so fast and heavy it sent pebbles spinning in its wind wake.
Oro crossed his arms above his head. CLANG! The impact drove him down another inch, his knees striking the hard ground.
Seizing the opening before Newgate could land, Oro slammed his own knee upward toward Newgate's abdomen. Newgate was forced to twist in mid-air, using Oro's arm as a stepping stone to push off and create distance.
"Youngsters are clever!" Newgate landed, laughing as he shouted, and charged forward again. The Armament Haki on his fist was now so dense it appeared pitch black. He was getting serious.
Oro stopped holding back. He instantly solidified the Armament Haki on his arms until they looked sheathed in black iron, and threw a punch of his own!
Another muffled thud. This time, neither was forced back. The rock beneath their feet pulverized, and the ground depressed by half a foot.
Oro gritted his teeth, holding firm. He could feel a twisting, grinding force hidden within Newgate's punch, as if trying to shatter his Haki from within.
Newgate frowned as the kid's Armament Haki crept up his own fist like a living thing, trying to invade his arm!
"Let me show you how they brawl on the high seas!"
Newgate suddenly exerted his strength, grabbing Oro's arm with his left hand and yanking him forward, while simultaneously driving his right knee upward.
Using the pull, Oro lunged forward, his forehead sheathed in Armament Haki, and slammed it into Newgate's chin!
CRUNCH!
Giants don't waste time on fancy techniques in a real fight. They win first, talk later.
Stunned by the headbutt, Newgate's grip on Oro's arm loosened.
Oro seized the chance to retreat,shaking his numb arm. The Armament Haki on his forearm had dimmed slightly but remained intact.
Newgate rubbed his jaw and broke into a wide grin. "Good lad!"
Then,in an instant, a terrifying aura erupted from him.
The overwhelming pressure of Conqueror's Haki surged forth like a tidal wave,making the pebbles on the ground hum and levitate.
HUMMM—
Oro's own aura exploded in response!
The moment the two Conqueror's Haki forces collided,there was no deafening noise—only a profound, suffocating pressure bearing down on everything in the vicinity.
CRACK!
All the floating gravel instantly turned to dust.
Even the air seemed to freeze solid.
A stalemate.Neither side gained an inch.
"That's enough, Oro!"
Newgate was the first to withdraw his Haki.Oro followed suit.
"Hey, Newgate. Not calling me 'kid' anymore?" For the first time since the fight began, Oro smiled.
Newgate pursed his lips. While the match appeared even—their Armament and Conqueror's Haki on par, with his own combat experience giving only a slight edge—he still hadn't secured a victory.
"I lost.You're at least two or three years my junior." Newgate was decisive. He wasn't one to make excuses.
"How about a rematch next time we meet on the sea?" Oro didn't mince words, issuing a direct challenge. "Next time, we fight for real. Weapons, Devil Fruits, anything goes. If I lose, I'll give you a ton of gold."
"How much?!"
Edward Newgate, twenty years old, could hardly believe his ears.
"One ton. One ton of gold." Oro held up a single finger, repeating it earnestly. He knew the man was perpetually short of funds, sending all his earnings back to his hometown.
Newgate stared at Oro, then at the magnificent, luxurious ship anchored in the distance. Thinking of the needs of his homeland, he gritted his teeth. "Fine! And if I lose, I'll be your crew member!"
Having been at sea for years, every berry Newgate earned had been sent home. Apart from that battered ship, he owned little of value. The only thing worth wagering was himself.
"Deal!"
"Linlin!Gerd! Bring down some proper food and drink! We're treating the future captain of our escort ship to a feast!"
It's not practical to have them aboard the Golden Dawn, Oro thought. The people I want to recruit are all... sizable. Better to just give the capable ones their own ships. It's not like I'm short on funds.
"Hey! Oro! What's that supposed to mean? I'm telling you, I won't lose next time!"