The sky full of yellow sand gradually settled.
The towering sand dune had now been flattened into a massive basin.
At the center of the basin, two figures still stood tall, like statues that had existed since time immemorial.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Krog's heavy breathing echoed through his slightly damaged faceplate, sounding especially labored.
The heavy armor he was so proud of now bore a clearly visible fist imprint on the chest!
The surrounding alloy plates were covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and even one of the high-speed rotating chainsaws had lost several teeth.
"This… this is impossible…"
Krog stared at the man across from him, and for the first time, a trace of wariness appeared in his eyes.
"A bare fist… no Devil Fruit ability at all… and yet you broke through my 'Black Steel Defense'?"
"Just who the hell are you?!"
Ten meters away from him, Sabo's condition wasn't much better.
His already flashy floral shirt had been reduced to rags, barely hanging on him, exposing his well-built upper body.
His right hand trembled slightly, blood dripping from his knuckles, the price of clashing head-on with the chainsaw.
"Man… that really hurts."
Sabo shook the blood off his hand. Though he complained, his expression remained calm, almost… resigned.
"Big guy, that turtle shell of yours is seriously tough."
He sighed.
That punch just now had used seventy percent of his Armament Haki.
Under normal circumstances, even a Vice Admiral would've gone down from that hit.
But this Krog not only endured it, but he could still keep fighting!
"This guy… not just strong in Haki. His combat skills and equipment are all top-tier."
Sabo calculated silently.
"If I want to truly defeat him, this half-baked 'Salted Fish Fist' won't cut it."
"I'd have to use the core techniques of Dragon Claw, 'Dragon's Breath' or 'Dragon Claw Fist.'"
"But…"
Out of the corner of his eye, Sabo glanced at the buzzing surveillance Den Den Mushi in the sky.
Its gaze was locked onto him, broadcasting every move back to G-5, straight into the eyes of that unfathomable Renzo.
"If I use my signature moves here, my identity will be exposed for sure."
"And then, forget about getting the Dark-Dark Fruit, I might not even leave this sea alive."
"Besides… revealing my trump card for a preliminary opponent isn't worth it."
While Sabo was thinking, Krog had already recovered.
"Heh heh heh… kid, your fists are indeed tough."
Krog rolled his neck, his armor clanking as it reset itself. The battle intent in his glowing red eyes only grew stronger.
"But that punch just now, it was your limit, wasn't it?"
"If fists and kicks can't decide the outcome…"
He suddenly slapped a button on his waist.
"Then let me show you the final form of this armor!!"
Clack clack clack!
A spine-chilling mechanical transformation sound rang out.
The armor on Krog's back split open, extending six massive mechanical spider legs!
At the same time, his chainsaws glowed red-hot, emitting scorching steam!
"Full power! Overdrive mode!!"
"Inferno Reaper!!"
At that moment, Krog looked like a fully armed steel spider monster!
His presence doubled in intensity compared to before!
"I want to see if those flesh-and-blood fists of yours can withstand my 'Six-Blade' shredding!!"
With a roar, Krog kicked off with all six legs, turning into a black-and-red whirlwind that crushed toward Sabo!
Faster than before!
Stronger than before!
...
"My god!! Is that a transformation?!"
"Krog was hiding this all along?! What kind of tech is that?!"
"It's over! That flower-shirt guy is done for! No human can fight that!"
The audience screamed in shock.
Even Rehn sat up straight, stroking his chin.
"Oh? Modified human tech? Looks like a mix of Germa 66 and Vegapunk's style… this Krog's got something going on."
...
Back in the desert.
Facing the steel monster that could shred anything, Sabo frowned deeply.
He couldn't block it.
If he didn't go all out, didn't use that move, he absolutely couldn't stop this.
But if he did, his mission would fail.
"Stuck between a rock and a hard place…"
Watching Krog rapidly close in, Sabo weighed the options in a split second.
'Win?'
'But that meant exposure, and bigger trouble later.'
'Not fight?'
"…Then I just won't fight."
Sabo suddenly smiled.
He did something no one expected.
Facing the incoming destruction, he didn't defend.
Didn't counterattack.
Instead, he turned around and ran!
"See ya!!"
Wind gathered under his feet as Sabo dashed away faster than a rabbit, sliding down the side of the dune!
"Huh?!"
Krog froze mid-charge.
His overwhelming assault screeched to a halt, his six legs carving deep trenches into the sand.
"You… you're running?!" he roared in disbelief. "Weren't we fighting just fine?! Where's your pride as a warrior?!"
"Can pride feed you, big guy?!"
Sabo shouted without even turning his head.
"Your armor's too thick! My hands hurt from hitting you! I'm not playing anymore!"
"Besides, I already have four gold tokens! That's enough to advance! Why risk my life here?!"
"Only an idiot would fight you to the death! Bleh!"
He even turned back to make a face.
"You! You coward!!"
Krog fumed, steam blasting wildly from his armor.
"Don't run!! Get back here!!"
He chased after him like a giant steel spider.
"Catch me? Maybe in your next life!"
Once Sabo committed to running, he did it thoroughly.
Using his agility, he weaved through complex terrain and loose sand dunes.
Krog was fast, but too big and too heavy.
His mechanical legs kept sinking into the soft sand, slowing him down.
"Salted Fish Style: Sandstorm Technique!"
Sabo occasionally kicked up huge clouds of sand to block his vision.
One chased, one fled, turning the desert into a ridiculous high-speed pursuit.
A few minutes later, Krog stopped at the edge of a massive quicksand pit, panting heavily.
Sabo was long gone.
That flower-shirt guy had slipped away like a loach into the endless desert.
"AAAAARGH!!! DAMN IT!!!"
Krog roared, smashing a boulder into dust with his chainsaw.
"Sassy, was it?! Just you wait!!"
"When we meet in the finals, I'll rip your skin off!!"
...
At the live broadcast plaza,
The audience stared at each other.
"That's… it?"
"Wasn't that supposed to be a peak showdown? Why did it turn into a chase scene?"
"Tch! That Sassy is such a coward! He could've fought!"
Others disagreed: "You don't get it, that's strategy! That's intelligence!"
"He already has the tokens. Preserving strength is the smart move! What's the point of fighting that iron monster head-on?"
"Exactly! A real expert knows when to fight and when to run!"
On the commentary stage, Rehn smiled knowingly.
"Heh… interesting."
He spoke into the mic:
"Though the outcome was unexpected, our contestant Sassy has demonstrated exceptional… 'survival skills'!"
"As Lord Renzo once said, sometimes 'not wanting to act', that is, not wanting to fight, is itself a very advanced form of wisdom!"
"Congratulations to Sassy! Though he gave up the immediate victory, he secured his qualification!"
"Let's look forward to his performance in the finals!!"
...
At top viewing stand, Renzo watched the figure disappearing behind the dunes, his smile deepening.
"This kid… is smart."
He finished his cola.
"He knows when to advance, and when to retreat."
"He clearly had the strength to fight, yet chose to run to hide it…"
"That kind of restraint… that sense of the bigger picture…"
"Worthy of being the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army."
Renzo stretched and stood up.
"But…"
"You think you've hidden it?"
"On this sea… anything I want to see…"
"…can't be hidden."