The noon sun was so scorching it felt like it could dry out a person's soul, and the air twisted violently under the heat.
At the top of the tallest sand dune, the atmosphere was so tense it felt as if even the wind had stopped.
Sabo, under the alias Sassy, adjusted the flashy pink sunglasses on his nose and looked at the giant before him, who resembled a moving fortress. The carefree smile he had worn earlier had now faded somewhat.
Standing before him was the top favorite to win in the Fifth Zone, "Steel Butcher" Krog.
He stood nearly four meters tall, his entire body encased in a set of dark, heavy power armor. His hands weren't ordinary weapons but two specially modified giant chainsaw gauntlets capable of high-frequency vibration.
But what truly pressured Sabo wasn't the equipment.
"Hoo… ha…"
As Krog adjusted his breathing, a pitch-black substance with a faint dark-red sheen began to flow over his armor.
That was high-level Armament Haki.
And it covered his entire armor.
Not only that, Sabo sharply sensed an invisible wave radiating from Krog like radar, locking onto his every movement.
"Kid in the flower shirt," Krog's voice came through the mask, deep and oppressive, like muffled thunder exploding beside the ear.
"The fact that you wiped out trash like the Sandstorm Gang means you've got a bit of skill. But those soft, limp punches of yours? To me, they're nothing more than a baby's tickle."
"If you know what's good for you, leave the gold tokens behind and roll down the dune yourself. I may be called a butcher, but I only kill those worth killing, not weaklings."
Sabo sighed, rolling his wrist, his flip-flops scraping lightly against the sand.
"Man, what a headache. Are all contestants this confident nowadays?"
He took a loose, almost sloppy stance, a faint smile curling at his lips.
"Big guy, even though my style is called 'Salted Fish Fist'… when a salted fish flips over, it can still smack someone to death."
"You're asking to die!!"
Krog's eyes sharpened. Without any warning, his massive body vanished from where he stood!
"Heavy Charge!"
Boom!
Sand exploded into the air!
Krog's speed was astonishing, completely defying the logic of his size.
Like a fully accelerated armored train, he appeared in front of Sabo in an instant!
"Butcher Style: Chainsaw Smash!"
His right fist shot forward, the chainsaw spinning at high speed with a piercing screech, wrapped in high-level Armament Haki, aimed straight at Sabo's face!
"So fast!"
Sabo's pupils shrank. This wasn't some slow brute; this was a monster combining both speed and power!
Not daring to be careless, he instantly used Observation Haki to predict the trajectory and shifted his body like a leaf in a storm, narrowly dodging by a hair's breadth.
Zzzt!!
Though he avoided the direct hit, the gust from the chainsaw tore the sleeve of his floral shirt, and his skin stung sharply.
"Think you can dodge?!"
Krog's attack didn't pause for even a moment after missing.
Twisting his waist, his massive body executed an incredibly agile midair spin.
Using the centrifugal force, his left chainsaw swept across like a reaper's scythe!
"Spinning Guillotine!"
This strike sealed off all of Sabo's escape routes!
"If I can't dodge…"
A sharp glint flashed in Sabo's eyes as he stopped retreating. His right hand formed a blade, though not his signature Dragon Claw, compressing Armament Haki into his fingertips and palm edge, forming an invisible hand blade.
"Sassy Style: Iron Plate Grill!!"
CLANG!!!!
Flesh met the spinning, haki-coated chainsaw!
A deafening metallic clash rang across the desert!
A terrifying shockwave burst outward from the point of impact, collapsing the sand dune beneath them and sending sand flying into the sky!
...
At the G-5 live broadcast plaza.
"WHAT THE HELL!!!"
The entire audience shouted in unison, some even spilling their drinks.
"He blocked it?! That flower-shirt guy blocked Krog's chainsaw with his bare hands?!"
"How is that possible?! That chainsaw can even spark against seastone cuffs!"
"He's a master! That Sassy is definitely a hidden expert!"
On the commentary stage, Rehn was chewing on a slice of melon. Seeing this, he nearly swallowed the rind in excitement.
"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!!"
He grabbed the microphone and roared:
"This is the level of the G-5 Martial Tournament! Even a flip-flop-wearing 'salted fish' can go head-on against a steel monster!"
"Look at those sparks! Look at that momentum! Wealthy patrons, what are you waiting for? The odds are shifting wildly, place your bets now while you still can!!"
Inside the VIP box, the nobles who had mocked Sabo's outfit earlier all fell silent, eyes wide.
"This… this Sassy can actually fight Krog evenly?"
"Quick! Add thirty million Beli! Bet on a draw! No, bet that Sassy lasts ten minutes!"
...
Back on the desert battlefield, the first clash ended in a draw.
Sabo slid back over ten meters before stabilizing himself, glancing at his palm.
It wasn't bleeding, but a burning pain spread across it; his Armament Haki had almost been ground down by the rotating blades.
"What a tough shell… and terrifying force."
Sabo shook his hand, his expression turning serious.
Krog wasn't just well-equipped; his combat skill, haki mastery, and experience were all top-tier in the New World.
If he didn't get serious, this half-baked "Salted Fish Fist" wouldn't be enough to break his defense.
"Heh heh… interesting."
Across from him, Krog stopped as well, his red mechanical eyes flashing with excitement.
"To take my 'Guillotine' barehanded, you're someone noteworthy even in the New World. That haki of yours… doesn't belong to some nobody."
He cracked his neck with a series of pops.
"In that case, don't blame me for getting serious. Warm-up's over. Now… the slaughter begins!"
"Armament Haki: Black Steel Mode!"
Buzz
The black haki around Krog began to flow like liquid, not only covering his armor but extending outward into the air, forming an invisible field.
"Butcher Style Secret Art: Thousand Blade Storm!!"
He spread his arms and spun like a top, faster and faster, transforming into a black steel tornado!
This wasn't just physical force; it also carried outward-blasting haki shockwaves!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Countless black slashes shot out from the storm, blanketing Sabo's entire area!
"This move… is basically cheating!"
Sabo's eyelids twitched.
This was a walking artillery unit!
"No choice…"
Taking a deep breath, he stomped into the sand and rapidly moved his hands. Though he couldn't use Dragon Claw techniques, he infused haki into the sand, using its flow to absorb the impact.
"Salted Fish Style: Sand Wall Flip!!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Slash after slash slammed into the sand wall, sending columns of sand erupting.
Sabo moved like a phantom through the dust, ducking, leaping, barely evading each lethal strike.
But he was being forced back.
His flashy shirt was shredded in multiple places, and one lens of his pink sunglasses shattered from a passing slash.
"Don't even think about running!!"
The steel storm suddenly accelerated, Krog somehow locking onto Sabo's position even while spinning, instantly closing the distance!
"Be shredded to pieces!!"
The massive chainsaw storm was right in front of Sabo's face!
No escape!
A fierce light flashed in Sabo's eyes.
"If you want a head-on clash that badly…"
His right fist clenched tight, Armament Haki compressing to the extreme, faintly radiating a trace of a dragon-like aura!
Even without Dragon Claw techniques, his sheer haki was enough!
"Then let's see whose is harder!!"
"Salted Fish… Mountain-Crushing Crash!!"
Instead of retreating, Sabo charged forward, punching straight into the center of the steel storm!
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!
This collision was more violent than any before!
The entire sand dune was flattened instantly!
The shockwave blasted all the sand within a hundred meters into the sky, forming a massive mushroom cloud!
...
In front of the live broadcast screens, everyone fell silent.
The image blurred, only endless sand and flashes of black lightning could be seen.
Rehn dropped his melon, staring wide-eyed as he muttered:
"That flower-shirt guy… can actually clash head-on with Krog in that state?!"
"Just how strong is his Armament Haki?!"
Even Renzo took off his sunglasses, watching the apocalyptic scene on screen, a playful smile forming on his lips.
"Interesting."