Chapter 28: The Arena of Grelle Island

Qingsi gazed at the unpredictable New World, his mood slightly heavy as he said, “The New World is all territory of the Four Emperors, and there are countless pirates arriving here every day.”

Pirates with some strength could rely on the Four Emperors' crews or join the Shichibukai; those without power were left to fend for themselves.

Thus, the environment for survival in the New World was far more brutal than in Paradise.

It wasn’t until dusk, when darkness settled, that they approached an island ablaze with lights and bustling with people.

“What kind of island is this? It’s so lively at night.”

Although many islands were lively at night, Qingsi had never seen one so filled with noise and crowds, as if a grand banquet was underway.

As they ventured deeper, they discovered that the streets were still crowded with people hurrying to and fro, selling all sorts of delicacies. Marines, pirates, and even beastfolk wandered the streets without care.

Qingsi stopped at a stall and bought some takoyaki, asking the vendor, “Why is it so lively here at night?”

The man laughed as he prepared the food, “First time here, young man? This is Grell Island, also known as Arena Island.”

“The people here rest during the day and do business at night, because that’s when the arena opens. Anyone who wants to compete can participate, and if you win, you earn money.”

“There are spectators from all over, so it gets pretty wild.”

Qingsi immediately understood. So it was because of the arena—no wonder things were this way.

From the old man’s directions, Qingsi learned the arena was at the very center of town.

After securing lodgings, Qingsi and his companions headed for the arena.

The arena was a cylindrical building of ocher earth. As they drew near, the roars inside grew louder. At the entrance, two burly male guards stood watch.

They looked down at the newcomers.

“Do you have an invitation? If not, it’s two thousand Berries per person for admission.”

Qingsi and the others paid as required and followed one of the guards inside.

They ascended along the wall to the spectator seats. In the very center of the arena were four grids, each hosting a battle between two fighters.

The stands were packed with spectators who let out deafening shouts from time to time, all intensely excited by the battles—men, women, young and old alike.

Qingsi and his companions found seats toward the back row.

His gaze fell upon two men locked in combat in one of the grids.

One was small and hunched, the other tall and powerfully built.

The tall man eyed his opponent warily, his body already marked with several wounds, while the hunched figure looked completely unfazed, not even breathing heavily.

Black cloth covered him from head to toe, leaving only two narrow, ghostly green eyes exposed. From the sleeves dangled two long chains, each ending in a sharp sickle.

“What’s wrong? Where’s that arrogance you had just now? You’re quite the conceited fool—let me show you your true strength!”

With a subtle movement of his arm, the chains seemed almost alive, lashing toward the tall man with uncanny angles.

The tall man, wielding two broken swords, could barely defend himself. He tried to close in on his opponent but couldn’t advance a single step.

The chains defined the hunched man’s attack range—an inch longer, an inch stronger—perfectly demonstrated as the clash of steel rang out again and again.

Desperately, the tall man blocked with his short black blades.

He stared fixedly at every attack, and suddenly, the hunched man’s movements seemed to slow in his eyes—a moment’s distraction.

The sickle hooked onto his back shoulder.

The hunched man shouted, “Leave an arm behind!”

The spectators all rose to their feet, holding their breath, waiting to erupt in cheers the moment the hunched man tore off the tall man’s arm.

The tall man grabbed the sickle. The hunched man’s second sickle came flying at him—seemingly unavoidable—but the tall man dodged deftly and removed the sickle from his shoulder.

Blood gushed forth, and he let out a cry of pain. Though his lips trembled, a twisted smile soon crept onto his face.

“I’ll kill you!” His voice was low and powerful, his face contorted with a sickly grin. Ignoring the blood from his shoulder, his black short swords spun slightly outward in his hands.

He charged toward the hunched man.

The hunched man sneered, “Idiot, have you lost your mind? You’re seeking your own death!”

He swung his sickle with confidence, but the tall man dodged each strike. Panic flickered in the hunched man’s eyes as he retreated a few steps.

“He’s awakened Observation Haki!”

“That man’s using Observation Haki! Now the hunched man’s in trouble!”

“Place your bets! Final round of bets!”

“I’m betting on Kommis—the tall guy!”

“Me too, I’m betting on Kommis!”

“Five million Berries, on Kommis for the win!”

Kommis’s mouth twisted into a mad grin as he closed the distance.

“Die!” Kommis shouted, slashing his short blade at the hunched man’s neck.

Clang—

His weapon was knocked flying, his arm going numb.

The hunched figure’s body swelled beneath the black cloak. In moments, massive buffalo horns protruded from the sides, his arms and feet morphing as well, until he stood a five-meter-tall colossus.

Kommis’s manic grin vanished, replaced by terror. He shouted, “No—no way! You’re a Devil Fruit user!”

The hunched man scoffed, “You get so cocky just because you awakened Observation Haki? You’re out of your depth, Kommis!”

With that, he hooked Kommis with his horn, slamming him into the iron cage. The hunched man lunged after him, ramming his massive head into Kommis.

Kommis’s eyes rolled back; the sound of breaking bones echoed through the arena.

Everyone was stunned.

Beside them, Qianyue stared wide-eyed, murmuring, “What… what kind of monster is that?”

“My money—my five million Berries—gone just like that!”

“That hunched guy was hiding his strength all along—turns out he’s a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user. At least I made a million Berries—nice work, hunched guy!”

“Ugh, seeing you win hurts more than my own losses, you bastard!”

The hunched man’s body gradually returned to normal. Calmly, he opened the iron gate and headed to the waiting room. With every victory, he earned a hefty sum, especially with so many bets placed on this match.

He’d played the fool, and the more people bet on Kommis, the more he profited.

Now, many in the stands were grinding their teeth in frustration.

Qingsi said, “Battle is ever-changing. Kommis was far too careless, thinking that awakening Observation Haki was enough to turn defeat into victory.”

“Now, he might never stand again for the rest of his life.”