With Rowen's approval, Violet breathed a sigh of relief and felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
Like her suggestion to set off, King Riku and the others could no longer tolerate their homeland being coveted, especially for things they were unaware of.
Early the next morning, the residents were surprised to find that Region 4, which had been sealed off the day before, was now open again, indicating that the visitors had left and there was no longer a security threat.
Busy with rebuilding their homeland, they could only lament how quickly the visitors had departed, and then quickly returned to their tasks.
Meanwhile, Kin'emon and his entire group saw an opportunity.
In the hotel room, Kanjuro finished the water in his bottle and said, "I went to ask. It's quite simple to visit Region 4. If five or more residents of Dressrosa with no criminal records jointly vouch for you, or if you haven't caused any trouble within a month of landing, you can join the queue. Additionally, there are occasional local events, and winners can also gain entry."
"But right now, no residents are willing to vouch for us, and a month is too long, so we only have one path to choose."
"But aren't you fugitives?"
Flamingo stood on the table, a plate of large dragon shrimp in front of him, tearing at it with his beak. "You're planning to win a competition for the limelight or something? Are you sure that's okay?"
"Don't worry, Pink Feather!"
Kin'emon patted his chest and said, "We are just fugitives from Wano Country, not bounty criminals wanted by the Marines. No one knows who we are."
"Call me Lord Pink Feather, you fool!"
"Ouch! I got it, don't bite my nose!"
Flamingo jumped up and flapped his wings, then tossed aside Kin'emon's messy hair, crossing his wings in annoyance.
"Indeed, it seems there's no other way. With your strength, it's impossible to break through the defenses… tsk, you really are a bunch of fools."
"Even if there were, we wouldn't do it! We are samurai, noble samurai! How could we storm the palace like thieves?"
"Okay, fool, I understand, fool."
Soon after, at a fruit-cutting competition held in Region 3, three men wearing beach shorts and floral shirts, topped with sun hats, appeared.
"Young lord, let Kanjuro and me participate in this competition!"
"No, I am also a samurai; I cannot back down!"
"This…"
In response to Momonosuke's insistence, Kin'emon and Kanjuro exchanged glances and sighed helplessly, "I understand!"
Since it was a public entertainment event, the rules were quite relaxed, and an eight-year-old child like Momonosuke stepping onto the stage didn't attract too much attention. Everyone showcased their unique skills, filling the venue with laughter.
However, jokes aside, the competition had to continue.
After the host filtered out those who came to amuse the crowd with humorous antics, the remaining thirty-six contestants officially began the competition.
Some of these individuals were genuinely curious about Region 4 and wanted to see its scenery, while others were drawn by the additional prizes of the competition. There were also chefs who believed in Dressrosa's future and wanted to make a name for themselves here.
But since this was a fruit-cutting competition, the only skill being tested was blade work. As the contestants officially took the stage, the host, Gaz, raised the Den Den Mushi and announced loudly,
"Now, after the laughter, please pay attention! These thirty-six are the true masters of this competition!"
"What? An eight-year-old child has advanced? Truly, age is not a barrier to ambition!"
On the high platform, Kanjuro and Kin'emon turned back in shock, looking at Momonosuke standing not far away.
"Young lord?"
"Young lord?"
"Hmph, what's so strange about a samurai advancing?!"
Momonosuke proudly crossed his arms, showing disdain.
The preliminary round, or the exhibition round, was simple; contestants had to cut and categorize the fruits within the same time frame. The one who cut the most would naturally be selected.
Momonosuke, being born in Wano Country and considering himself a samurai, had been with swords since childhood. Although his sword was not yet capable of cutting people, cutting fruits was undoubtedly better than those tourists who came purely for fun. He managed to advance to the thirty-sixth position.
"But he will cry next, won't he?"
At the back of the venue, in a secretly cleared restaurant, Rowen watched the scene projected by the Den Den Mushi, grinning widely.
Noticing his expression, Kyros and Violet exchanged glances and shivered involuntarily.
He would indeed cry because the next competition was called Fruit Ninja.
In this event, contestants stood on a high platform while a projector continuously launched fruits from below. The contestants needed to cut the fruits before they fell.
Scoring was based on completion and quantity.
However…
It wasn't just fruits.
"Hmph, amateurs, do you know how many ways there are to cut a Blackrock fruit?"
The first contestant, a Robust-looking man, looked disdainful as he wielded two large kitchen knives, asking Kanjuro behind him.
Kanjuro turned back, "Blackrock fruit? What is that?"
"Indeed, an amateur. Fortunately, the official scoring is based on completion; you're done for!"
Boom!
As he spoke, the first row of fruits was launched from the projector, reaching a height of two meters above the platform, accommodating everyone's height and reach.
The robust-looking Man's expression darkened as he counted in his mind: "Apple, banana, pineapple, durian, indeed… all four cutting methods have appeared, I'm sure to win!"
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
The apple was cut into cross slices, the banana peeled and separated, the pineapple was skinned in a circular motion, and the durian was cut like the apple but without damaging the center fruit, falling neatly along the seams.
"Oh!!! Amazing blade skills! Contestant number one actually used four different cutting methods in such a short time, truly a professional chef!"
Gaz excitedly commented, raising the atmosphere in the venue.
At this point, boom! Boom! Boom!
Another row of fruits was launched.
"Apple, apple, orange… huh? This black one, is it a blackrock fruit? It's not that easy to handle."
The blackrock fruit is known for its hard shell; if one foolishly strikes the shell, it would damage the blade. Only by cutting along an almost invisible seam could it be successfully split.
This not only tested blade skills but also the chef's eyesight.
"But, it won't stump me!"
With that, Robust Man focused his eyes and swung his blade down.
The blade's edge collided with the black shell, producing a crisp sound…
Clang!!
"It's impossible, that sound…!!!"
Then, boom!!!
In an instant, the crowd erupted in chaos!
Because that dark fruit had exploded on the spot!
"It's here!!!"
Gaz shouted into the Den Den Mushi, "A blackrock fruit disguised as a small bomb!!!"
"A friendly reminder to everyone, this competition is the Fruit Ninja contest, but not all items are fruits; there are also small bombs disguised as fruits! So contestants must carefully distinguish between the real and the fake. If you accidentally cut a bomb, you'll end up like our contestant number one!"
"Of course, the bomb's power is limited, and generally, it won't be fatal… well, probably."
Watching contestant number one being carried away, coughing up black smoke, Kanjuro, as contestant number two, roared angrily.
"Why didn't you say this earlier, you fool!"
Suddenly, Kanjuro thought of something and turned to look.
Sure enough, standing on platform number thirty-six, Momonosuke's face was pale, trembling. They were standing in a circle in the square, with only a few meters separating Momonosuke from contestant number one, a robust-looking man.
"Things that can be obtained without effort will make people fail to cherish them… so even in a predetermined competition, there must be some pressure."
Rowen watched this scene with great interest, taking a sip of tea.
Kyros: "…"
Violet: "…"
There's only a name that's wrong, not a nickname that's wrong.
The wicked name of Marine Soryu, without a doubt!
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 90 chapters on my patreon, and I've also activated a (date-to-date) subscription model on my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395