Chapter 120: One Man Is an Army
The atmosphere instantly became charged with tension.
The spectators instinctively retreated, fearing being caught in the crossfire.
They remembered last year when Capone Bege had fought—a hurricane of metal filling the air, the entire arena seemingly ravaged by artillery fire. It had been a terrifying sight.
Rumor had it that the West Blue Godfather possessed a unique Devil Fruit ability, making him a one-man army with immense firepower.
Vice-Commander Abu smirked coldly. Powerful individuals like Rhodes and Capone Bege were destabilizing factors for the Kano Country's carefully maintained order.
He eagerly anticipated a bloody battle between the two. If either side suffered serious injuries, he wouldn't mind stepping in to clean up the mess and reap the benefits.
"Why are you being so impulsive?! Why pick a fight with the Godfather?" Larry muttered anxiously.
He had only hoped Rhodes could preserve their current territorial gains, but it was too late to stop him now. He could only pray that the Dragon Slayer lived up to his fearsome reputation.
"Uncle Hans, do you think Rhodes will win?" Yuffie asked nervously.
She naturally supported Rhodes more than the intimidating Capone Bege.
"I honestly don't know," Hans admitted with a helpless smile. "But the Dragon Slayer is, after all, a formidable figure renowned throughout Paradise. Even if he can't win, he shouldn't be humiliated too badly."
To him, Rhodes and Capone Bege were both supremely powerful beings, either capable of crushing him with a single blow. How could he possibly discern which was stronger? He could only make educated guesses.
"I see..."
"A beating would serve him right! He lied to me!" Yuffie blushed with anger, remembering how she'd praised the Dragon Slayer to his face that very morning without realizing it was him. So mean!
She could only imagine how amused Rhodes must have been.
On the arena floor, the battle erupted instantly.
Capone Bege's body opened multiple small gates simultaneously, the army within him already poised for combat.
Bang, bang, bang...
In a split second, his subordinates opened fire frantically. A storm of metal erupted before him, countless bullets pouring down like torrential rain.
Faced with such an overwhelming barrage, ordinary warriors like Larry or Hans would be instantly riddled with holes.
Even a Rear Admiral would be forced to retreat in dismay when confronted with such concentrated firepower!
Before mastering Haki, this special Paramecia-type fruit ability was truly formidable.
Bang, bang, bang!
Countless bullets pelted against the hardened Armament Haki coating Rhodes's body.
The dark armor rippled and trembled but remained completely unbroken.
Rhodes's physical prowess was among the best of the Vice Admirals at Marine Headquarters, and the Armament Haki that came with such strength was naturally incredibly powerful—utterly impervious to ordinary firearms.
Even Capone Bege's access to quality weapons from Paradise couldn't overcome that defense.
"Are you trying to tickle me?" Rhodes yawned, his expression thoroughly bored.
"Armament Haki!" Capone Bege's expression shifted slightly.
As a leader of the West Blue underworld, he was aware of this power, but he'd never been able to master it—nor had he particularly cared to.
He was the user of the Castle-Castle Fruit. He was one person, yet an entire legion. He was confident that with sufficient manpower and overwhelming firepower, he could destroy any opponent!
"Then try this!"
Big Father!
Boom, boom, boom!
Capone Bege's subordinates inside him began firing cannons at Rhodes.
The shells weren't as numerous as bullets, but they posed a far greater threat. Capone Bege's cannons all used high-quality explosive rounds—incredibly powerful weapons where a single shot could demolish an entire house.
"This is just like child's play," Rhodes sighed, losing interest entirely.
He curled his fingers into a fist and struck out casually.
The power of lightning suddenly erupted, coalescing into a thick bolt of crackling energy that pierced the air, instantly detonating dozens of explosive shells mid-flight.
Boom, boom, boom!
Amidst intense flames and explosions, the lightning weakened slightly but its momentum remained undiminished, tearing through the blast waves and surging forward relentlessly.
"Isn't this guy supposed to be the Dragon Slayer swordsman? Why is his lightning power so devastating?!"
Capone Bege looked cumbersome, yet moved with surprising agility. Even as he dodged, the roar of gunfire within his body never ceased, firing bullets and cannonballs to intercept the lightning.
The air grew thick with acrid smoke.
The endless barrage of coordinated fire surprisingly managed to block Rhodes's casual punch, earning a slightly impressed glance from the swordsman.
A future Supernova was worthy of the title—demonstrating considerable talent and strength even before entering the Grand Line proper.
"This guy's too strong. The only option is to lure him into my castle," Capone Bege calculated coldly.
"Pretend to surrender first... get closer to him!"
Bege panted slightly, his eyes cold yet fearful as he regarded the completely unharmed Rhodes.
As the Godfather of the West Blue, he possessed vast combat experience and tactical acumen, with his own unique battlefield perspective. From just this brief exchange, he'd deduced that his current forces and firepower were utterly ineffective.
The next moment, he opened his mouth: "I admit—"
But before he could finish his feigned surrender, a dazzling, overwhelming sword slash suddenly tore through the air, wreathed in astonishing Armament Haki and cutting through the heavens themselves.
The sheer wind pressure kicked up a violent gust, forcing Capone Bege to swallow his final word and dodge with desperate urgency.
Bang, bang, bang!
Thanks to his Devil Fruit ability, he didn't need to consciously command his forces—they fired autonomously.
Guns and cannons erupted, attempting to intercept the silver-white sword slash.
But while this artillery barrage could block lightning, it was utterly powerless against the terrifying sword energy that seemed capable of severing anything in existence.
Slash!
In a split second, the sword energy swept through the air, ripping through every obstacle and carving directly into Capone Bege!
Boom!
An empty section of the spectator stands was diagonally bisected by Rhodes's sword slash, the upper half toppling to the ground with a thunderous crash.
Capone Bege now clutched his right shoulder—his entire arm had been severed and lay on the ground several meters away.
The excruciating pain and massive blood loss left Bege's face deathly pale, genuine fear appearing in his eyes for the first time.
The power of lightning had merely made him feel daunted, not truly afraid—but this sword slash had completely shattered his pride.
If not for his Devil Fruit's autonomous defensive capabilities, he would have died without even understanding how, his head separated from his body.
That sword slash had been too fast! Too sharp!
At this moment, he finally understood what it meant to be a Dragon Slayer swordsman.
If Rhodes could slay dragons, what was he in comparison?
Seeing that Rhodes seemed mildly surprised he'd survived and was preparing another attack, Capone Bege's expression transformed completely. He shouted desperately:
"I surrender! I surrender!"
"I admit defeat! The Dragon Slayer swordsman lives up to his reputation! You're truly in a league of your own!"
The tournament had been held for many years and naturally had established rules.
For instance, once one side surrendered, the other was forbidden from continuing the attack and taking lives.
After all, the Happo Navy viewed these powerful underground figures as potential future recruits, and didn't want them needlessly killed.
Abu on the platform shifted uncomfortably. He stood reluctantly and called out: "Sir Rhodes, please stop ."
Rhodes sneered at this demand and looked at Abu with undisguised arrogance. "why stop?"
"What makes you think you're worth it?"
He stood with sword in hand, his gaze cold and imperious, his expression showing absolute disregard for the so-called Vice-Commander of the Happo Navy. His utterly unbridled attitude shocked every single spectator.
"A real man should be exactly like this!" exclaimed a pirate with a bounty in the tens of millions, unable to contain his admiration.
(End of Chapter)
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