Under the horrified gazes of countless citizens, the gigantic arena island—spanning a full thousand meters—was actually split straight down the middle by the earth-shattering clash between the two!
An entire floating island was brutally cleaved in half by the overflowing sword energy.
The broadcast continued. On the severed arena, Gion and Kōshirō stood on opposite sides, the situation still appearing evenly matched.
Yet Gion smoothly sheathed Konpira and conceded without hesitation.
She had never been overly attached to this bout in the first place. Having verified her insights into swordsmanship through real combat and once again confirmed the gap between them, she chose to withdraw decisively.
Thus, amid the announcer's excited declaration, thunderous cheers erupted once more.
"I truly didn't expect that, aside from General Tenma himself, Wano would still hide such an unfathomable warrior. As expected of the legendary land of dragon-slaying samurai,"
Stussy said with polished flattery—though inwardly she had already marked Kōshirō as an extremely dangerous figure warranting close attention.
Back when she was still in the Navy, Gion had carried the title of the future greatest swordmaster of the Marines—a ranking that made no distinction between men and women.
That alone spoke volumes about her terrifying talent in swordsmanship. Once she advanced to admiral, it would have been a foregone conclusion.
Across the entirety of Marine Headquarters, the number of people who could spar with Gion in swordsmanship could be counted on one hand.
Yet now, who could have imagined that someone of Gion's caliber would lose so cleanly?
Though there had been no blood flying, anyone with eyes could see that from beginning to end, Gion had been suppressed the entire time.
"That's only natural. After all, this is the holy land of samurai,"
Doflamingo chimed in with praise.
His mindset was completely different from the others'. Whether out of caution or fear, since he had already decided to board Tenma's ship, he was more than happy to see Wano display overwhelming strength.
Tenma merely smiled faintly and said nothing. This was exactly the deterrent effect he wanted.
The tournament continued.
Although the later matches weren't as heart-stopping as the duel between top-tier swordmasters, they were still utterly engrossing.
Like Drake, the pirates—old and new—who had passed Wano's trials and joined its ranks showcased ferocity far beyond their former selves.
In addition, Wano's own homegrown talents—swordmasters and martial artists—each revealed dazzling techniques, pouring sweat and talent into the grandest annual festival.
Naturally, the most eye-catching figures were those bearing the title "Shogun's Oniwabanshu."
For example, Laffitte, and Black Maria .
Laffitte displayed an eerie and unpredictable Mythical Zoan ability, winning his match without spilling a single drop of blood through a scalp-numbing form of hypnosis.
Black Maria , transformed into a Grammostola rosea ancient wolf spider, expanded to a towering five meters in height. Her terrifying pressure, paired with Haki, allowed her to firmly dominate her arena, drawing shrieks and cheers from countless courtesans and geisha.
As for Hancock and Perona, they never appeared.
Aside from being kept as hidden trump cards, the main reason was that Hancock's strength had not yet reached Tenma's standard.
What Tenma wanted was a silent until explosive effect. Before absolute dominance could be guaranteed, he had no intention of exposing them to the spotlight too early.
After all, this tournament would be held every year during the festival.
He had plenty of time to slowly polish these gems with limitless potential.
Besides, this was merely an exhibition match. The participants were nowhere near the cataclysmic level of the Yonko, and all competitors had been carefully vetted—safety was well ensured.
By the midpoint of the birthday banquet, the tournament had entered its most intense phase.
The thrilling carnage left many guests utterly transfixed, completely forgetting to sample the delicacies laid out before them.
In the end, after the pinnacle clash of thunder and swordsmanship concluded, Kōshirō claimed the championship without suspense.
The inaugural Fire Festival Tournament finally drew to a close, leaving everyone wanting more.
Under the tireless workings of Morgans' ever-moving pen, the standout figures of this tournament were destined to dominate the headlines of the New World—and even the four seas—within days.
Most notably, the young girl who had displayed terrifying talent and a top-tier Devil Fruit ability—Yamato.
At only thirteen years old, possessing such monstrous combat power, her fame would likely surpass even Kōshirō's by several times.
At the same time, this announced to the world that the Oniwabanshu under General Tenma were officially stepping onto the grand stage of the New World.
Though fundamentally different from pirate crews, this status was unquestionably on par with the Calamities, Sweet Commanders, and division captains under the Yonko.
Morgans could be said to have struck gold. The moment the festival ended, he hurriedly took his leave, rushing back to his newsroom to work through the night and craft a world-shaking headline.
Stussy was much the same. She had no intention of lingering.
Especially after witnessing the tournament, she now had a far deeper understanding of Wano's strength. This classified intelligence had to be reported upward immediately.
Seeing this, the others also began preparing to depart.
Before leaving, however, many of them openly or subtly currried favor with Doflamingo.
The officers of the Donquixote Family were grinning from ear to ear, riding a high as if they were already on the verge of life's peak.
Doflamingo himself was even more carried away.
That excitement, however, lasted only a single day.
When he met Tenma again the following morning inside Shogun Castle, all those beautiful fantasies were instantly doused with cold water.
Along the way, Doflamingo maintained his elegant demeanor on the surface, but inside, his inner self was already dancing wildly.
If this weren't Tenma's territory, he would have laughed toward the heavens three times over.
Since the Skyborne General had promised to continue holding the Fire Festival and had publicly announced the rewards, this private summons had to be about paying him back.
After all, he had presented a rare treasure in front of everyone—no matter how you looked at it, he was a major contributor this time.
So all along the way, his mind was consumed with speculation over what kind of earth-shattering windfall was about to drop on his head.
"Lord Doflamingo, the Shogun's office is just ahead."
Doflamingo nodded slightly, casually appraising the red-haired beauty before him.
She had only been delivered to Tenma last night, yet today she was already serving like a seasoned housekeeper.
Worthy of being the carefully trained top courtesan from that old madam—complete with the practical Slip-Slip Fruit. Just imagining its uses was enough to draw a knowing, lecherous grin from any man.
A pity, though. Nice as the gift was, it still fell short compared to the Snow-Snow Fruit he had offered.
Doflamingo straightened his collar and pushed the door open.
Yet the instant he stepped inside, a palpable gloom descended upon him.
In that brief moment, it felt as though he had plunged into an ice cellar ten thousand years old.
His body temperature plummeted. The hairs on the back of his head and neck stood on end. Even the blood in his veins felt frozen solid!
It was the invisible collision of Conqueror's Haki!
He could clearly sense the hopeless disparity.
Like a tiny ant gazing up at a mountain that pierced the clouds.
Doflamingo sucked in a sharp breath and forced himself to look up at the man seated at the head of the room, finally understanding what imperial presence truly meant.
Besides Tenma, there was also a tall girl with black hair styled in a hime cut—none other than the one who hadn't appeared at last night's tournament.
Her beauty was exquisite beyond reason, far surpassing the mediocre beauties outside.
Yet in this oppressive atmosphere, a ferocious burst of Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted from her slender body, crashing outward without restraint!
This shocked Doflamingo. His instincts kicked in, and he reflexively released his own Conqueror's Haki to counter it.
But under the crushing force of an even more overwhelming Haki, his presence was torn apart like a scrap of paper in a storm.
Doflamingo staggered back several steps. The girl called Hancock let out a soft hum and deliberately collapsed back into Tenma's arms, feigning weakness.
Just who was this tall girl?
Not only did she possess the exceedingly rare Conqueror's Haki—she could even contend with him head-on?
Then why hadn't she appeared at the tournament last night?
Compared to these questions, what filled Doflamingo's heart was fear of the unknown—and confusion.
This wasn't how the script was supposed to go!
Wasn't the Skyborne General supposed to reward him with sweets? Why did it start with a show of force instead? Had he misjudged everything?
"General Tenma…"
Doflamingo didn't know what to say, managing only a few strained words through clenched teeth. Fear was barely concealed behind his sunglasses.
"Possessing Conqueror's Haki… it seems you're more than just a petty tyrant ruling the North Blue,"
Tenma said calmly.
But those tranquil words made Doflamingo's heart seize violently, as if gripped by an invisible hand.
Cold sweat slid down his cheeks, soaking his collar.
After some mental preparation, Doflamingo took a deep breath and forced out a flattering smile.
"Compared to you, General, I'm still far from worthy. Truly befitting a dominator of the New World."
The moment those words left his mouth, it was as if he had passed some test. The suffocating pressure slowly dissipated.
Doflamingo let out a quiet sigh of relief, not daring to speak further. All the joy he'd brought with him was long gone, replaced by extreme caution.
"You need sufficient strength to hold the board I'm handing you. Otherwise, if something goes wrong halfway and that madman Kaido comes after you, I won't take responsibility,"
Tenma said casually.
He wasn't playing some carrot-and-stick game—he simply wanted to gauge how much weight Doflamingo actually carried now.
As for the man's fragile pride, he didn't care in the slightest.
Hearing this, Doflamingo's tightly strung nerves finally eased a little.
Judging by the tone… this seemed like a good thing?
And if he hadn't misheard, it even involved another newly crowned Emperor of the Sea—Kaido?
"May I ask what arrangement you're referring to, General?"
Doflamingo asked tentatively.
He didn't dare overpromise. His original plan had simply been to latch onto Tenma to make future development in the New World easier.
But if the task was too risky—risking his entire foundation—it wouldn't be worth it.
"In half a year, Kaido and I will begin a Devil Fruit trade. I plan to have you act as the intermediary. All transportation, operations, and security between both sides will be handled by you."
Tenma smiled meaningfully.
"What do you think of this deal?"
"Fufufufu…"
Doflamingo's shoulders finally relaxed completely. He pushed up his glasses, letting out his trademark laugh.
"I'd be delighted."
He'd thought it was some deadly mission that would provoke Kaido. Turns out it was just transport.
Not to brag, but while he couldn't match a world-famous Shipping King like Umit, when it came to security and meticulous planning—even in the New World—he feared no one.
And this was a golden route involving two top-tier figures. Even if he had to escort it personally, he wouldn't complain.
As expected, the windfall that landed on his head was massive.
No—far bigger than he'd imagined.
"Aren't you curious where these Devil Fruits are coming from?"
Tenma suddenly added, his tone eerie.
Doflamingo froze for a moment, not quite understanding.
But as Tenma continued, the expression on his face shifted from excitement, to astonishment, to utter shock.
"Half a year from now, the first batch will be around eighteen fruits. After that, there will be one shipment every year, with the quantity increasing annually."
As someone who'd run auctions, Doflamingo knew better than anyone how scarce Devil Fruits were.
No matter how trash the ability, a Devil Fruit was always a hard currency with no supply on the market.
Yet the Skyborne General spoke as if Devil Fruits were cabbages grown in his backyard—mass-produced, with increasing yields every year.
This completely shattered Doflamingo's understanding, leaving him unable to stay calm.
"Heh… this is the true core of the deal, Doflamingo."
Tenma stared straight at him, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce through the sunglasses and stab directly into his heart.
"Can you comprehend it? So-called artificial Devil Fruits."
The instant he heard those words, Doflamingo's eyes widened to their limit, his body trembling faintly from sheer shock.
After Tenma's brief explanation, Doflamingo snapped out of his daze. The grin on his face grew wider and wider, his smile turning increasingly manic.
"So that's how it is… artificial Devil Fruits?!"
In that moment, he felt a kind of enlightenment that transcended existing knowledge.
Slave trading? Arms dealing? Those traditional businesses were utter trash—outdated and worthless!
This was truly a sea where the era itself was smiling.
This was the real product of the new age!
And as the intermediary controlling this lifeline, it meant he held a first-class ticket aboard the flagship of the new era!
—Gulp!
Overwhelmed with excitement, veins bulged on Doflamingo's forehead as he pounded his chest in assurance.
"Please rest assured, General! I will manage this line flawlessly!"
"Once this industrial chain fully matures, Kaido won't be the only client."
Tenma sat at the head seat, elbow resting on the armrest, cheek propped on the back of his hand as he stared straight at Doflamingo.
"One-tenth of the profit is yours. You'll be mainly responsible for external operations and promotion. With this capital, you'll surely secure a place in the New World's underworld."
He paused, fingers tapping rhythmically against the chair.
Without needing Tenma to say more, a fox like Doflamingo knew well—there was no such thing as a free lunch.
With profits this enormous, a corresponding price had to be paid.
The oil here was simply too rich. The favor of a single Snow-Snow Fruit was nowhere near enough to claim such a massive slice of the pie.
"Does the General have any further instructions?"
Doflamingo said solemnly.
"As long as it's within the Donquixote Family's capabilities, we'll go through fire and water without hesitation!"
At times like this, pledging loyalty outright was the smartest and most appropriate answer.
As a descendant of the Celestial Dragons, Doflamingo's pride was carved into his bones.
Even if his pirate crew hadn't fully matured yet, becoming someone else's lackey?
Absolutely impossible.
In his mind, only cooperation existed. Asking him to bow his head and play second fiddle? Not a chance.
Precisely because of that unyielding pride, he hurried to lay his cards on the table, steering the topic toward his irreplaceable value.
Tenma understood Doflamingo's arrogance perfectly.
In truth, he'd never intended to take this man in as a subordinate.
A creature with such towering ambition was better used as a chess piece—or discarded when convenient. Maintaining a cooperative relationship carried fewer burdens and no emotional ties.
Leaning lazily back in his chair, Tenma waved his hand dismissively.
"Some matters… with just your current status as a North Blue tyrant, you're still lacking a bit."
Hearing this, the gaze hidden behind Doflamingo's sunglasses subtly shifted.
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