Back then, that person wanted to use this thing to claim glory with the Hundred Beasts, but unfortunately, he failed. Gaponov knew then that carrying this thing might attract new enemies, but he was unafraid and even sought to reach a higher realm through battle.
Only that on the road of enemy escalation, today's leap was quite significant.
Progressing from an ordinary pirate in the New World to a high-level official under a Sea Emperor, he skipped too many steps in between.
"Foolish, hand it over honestly, and you might still get a chance to join the Hundred Beasts, a wrong choice."
The reason Tesoro got involved here is also related to the nature of the New World Central Martial Arts Tournament. Because of the tournament, each year it attracts some Zoan-type ability users and martial artists from the New World.
It's also an opportunity to seek talent and recruit newcomers. Kaidou's Zoan-type Legion has basically realized its ideal, but someone wanting to start a war will never mind having too many soldiers.
As someone who just entered the New World, King thought the person in front of him was worth recruiting. With this plate, if he chose to join, he definitely wouldn't lose out.
"If you have the ability, come and take it yourself. This thing doesn't have your name on it! You're one of Kaidou's officials, right? Just wait, sooner or later I'll knock him down! Be it a Sea Emperor or Pirate King, they'll be mine sooner or later!"
Seeing the other party reject him, King didn't continue communicating with him. If not for the plate, he wouldn't have even asked.
But hearing his retort, bloodshot streaks appeared in King's eyes.
Arceus's plate, Kaidou's Pirate King, these are the two big targets of the Hundred Beasts, and this accurately hit both of King's sensitive points. His ability to attract King's attention rivaled even Queen.
"I'm not interested in your ideals, and this world doesn't need your kind of 'king', but I'll fulfill your need, just as I need to verify something."
At this moment, the wings behind King weren't the wings of the Lunarians Race, but the bat wings of the Aerodactyl. The wings of the Lunarians are like another pair of arms. Whether it's him or Shaina, they can freely manipulate them.
Only their focus direction is entirely different, and King has more applications for these wings.
"Jin'u Zanko!"
Clang!
With a loud bang, King was already behind Gaponov in the blink of an eye, leaving a massive X-shaped crack on the ground, and the extraordinary scale of the battle caught the attention of those around.
Compared to King, their battles were mere child's play, and King successfully made them stop.
"Am I seeing things... Isn't that, one of the Hundred Beasts' officials?"
"Ah... it's him, with a bounty of nine hundred seventy million Belly, Flame Disaster King, and who's fighting him?"
"Don't know, it's probably some newbie? Anyway, he's done for..."
King spent most of his time in Wano Kuni, but that didn't mean he never went out, and each outing caused quite a commotion, keeping his fearsome reputation intact. His tall stature and iconic attire would allow pirates surviving in the New World to recognize him at a glance.
In the New World, offending a Sea Emperor is extremely unwise behavior. Without the protagonist's halo, at least something must be lost when doing such a thing, perhaps a limb, or something personally valuable, and very few make it out completely intact.
"Hey, not possible, that guy... he took that move! And without a scratch?!"
The ground had huge slash marks, yet Gaponov remained unharmed, something which they deemed highly unscientific.
Even King was slightly shocked.
"Interesting, you actually have some skills."
His unscathed state was entirely thanks to the plate. King's attack targeted the plate, and being unharmed by it basically confirmed the identity of the plate.
But his slash wasn't just sharp; it carried immense force. The plate could block the blade, but not the subsequent impact; this meant Gaponov relied on his physique to take the force imbued in King's attack.
"Nice strength."
Relying on just the plate, he couldn't have come this far. To reach the New World, Gaponov had his own skills, and this monstrous strength was his reliance.
However, this monstrous strength was not a result of training, but a power granted by a Devil Fruit; he was a Paramecia-type: Power-Power Fruit user.
The potential of this fruit was uncertain, but Gaponov had only developed the most basic attribute of monstrous strength so far.
Mighty power was his spear, and the hard plate was used as his shield, which was also the reason for his inflated ego.
He believed he had the world's strongest spear and shield; it's just that this shield was too small, only covering vital parts of the body. If it could envelop his entire body, it would be ideal.
At that moment, he even thought he understood why Kaidou was seeking the plate to make armor.
Now that even a high-level official of the Four Emperors couldn't directly break through his defense, his confidence had swelled to its peak. Lifting the plate, relying on sheer force, he exploded with immense speed.
"Are you scared? It's not over yet! Shield Impact!"
The monstrous power from the Power-Power Fruit gave him immense explosive force, even causing minor tremors on the surrounding ground. But after the dust settled, the one standing was still King, with his blade already pierced through the opponent's chest from the side.
"I've seen a lot of self-righteous fools, and you're just someone with a bit of skill. But your journey ends here; some things aren't for you to touch."
The agility from his wings, perception from Haki; guys relying solely on brute force couldn't touch King. Though he didn't have the ability to penetrate the plate's defense, circumventing it was exceedingly simple for him.
With a detailed understanding of human anatomy, this strike directly pierced through the gap between ribs, successively piercing the opponent's lung and heart.
A twist of the wrist, the sensation from the hilt confirmed to King he had shredded the opponent's heart.
The specially made blade bore no blood; Gaponov's body lay on the ground, bleeding continuously, while the plate was steadily held in King's hand.
The surrounding people found nothing strange; this was the outcome they expected from their knowledge—a newbie to the New World, without Haki, just relying on an external resource, if he could go toe to toe with King, it would have been what puzzled them.
Seeing King's gaze sweep over them, they suddenly turned a blind eye to their internal disputes and swiftly left, fearing trouble upon themselves. King indirectly resolved the personal grievances of these people.
"Once verified, I'll report your contributions, you two, hurry back to Ghost Island, I'm off first."