"Let's go together!"
"Mmm."
The Wolf-Tiger Brothers exchanged a glance, nodded, and locked onto Clemons.
They moved at once.
Kururu took the lead. Despite his heavy build, his speed was astonishing. His movements were explosive, almost contradictory to his bulky frame.
Behind him, Kuroro shifted into his Forest Wolf form. A massive gray wolf, nearly four meters long, prowled low with predatory focus, eyes scanning for the perfect opening.
Clemons did not wait.
The muscles on his back bulged violently as he leaned forward and launched himself like a cannon.
Every movement carried overwhelming force. The air cracked with sonic bursts as he tore through it, his speed refusing to be hindered by resistance.
"Muscle Fist!"
"Bring it on!"
Kururu's eyes sharpened. His body shifted into a powerful human-beast form, black tiger stripes spreading across his muscular frame. His previously bloated physique condensed into raw strength, exuding the aura of a true predator.
"Berserk Elbow Strike!"
Armament Haki wrapped around his arm as a spiraling shockwave formed around the blow.
BOOM!
The collision thundered across the arena. Kururu held for a split second. Then he was blasted backward.
His clawed feet scraped across the ground for over ten meters, tearing through the surface. Blood trailed behind him as the skin between his toes split under the force.
Still, he did not fall.
The next instant, he charged again.
At the same time, Kuroro struck.
He slipped into Clemons's blind spot, shifting seamlessly between forms as he closed in from behind. His claws gleamed, slicing through the air with lethal precision.
Front and back.
Clemons was surrounded. But he did not retreat.
His body was a fortress. Dense muscle layered over itself like steel cables, reinforced further by Armament Haki. Defense was not something he worried about.
Kururu came again.
Clemons threw a punch.
Kururu roared, meeting it head-on.
And at that exact moment, everything flipped. Clemons stepped forward. His punch shifted. Instead of striking, his hand shot out and grabbed Kururu's arm mid-charge.
Using Kururu's own momentum, Clemons twisted his body and swung him sideways.
Kururu became a weapon.
He was hurled directly into Kuroro. The two brothers crashed together and were sent flying.
The crowd erupted.
This was not just brute strength.
This was technique.
Clemons had been forged in war, trained under the Nightfall Pirates' strongest fighters. His combat experience far surpassed the brothers, who had grown largely through their own efforts.
In an instant, disadvantage became domMinance.
But Smoothie had not been idle. She moved the moment the opening appeared. Her body had already expanded, enveloped in a pink aura. The energy around her intensified as she raised her blade.
Elsewhere, Highfat lay collapsed. His body had shriveled, skin wrinkled and dry. Smoothie had drained him without hesitation. He was carried off immediately, barely conscious, his role in the battle already over.
No one cared. He had been the weakest from the start.
What truly drew attention was Smoothie's power.
The ability to extract moisture. To drain life itself. And convert it into strength.
Her blade fell.
The timing was perfect.
Clemons had no room to dodge.
The slash struck him directly.
BOOM!
His body was launched across the arena, crashing violently into the steel wall.
The impact echoed like thunder.
Cheers exploded from the stands.
This was what they wanted. Not a one-sided slaughter, but a clash.
Clemons rose. Unharmed.
The Wolf-Tiger Brothers regrouped.
Smoothie adjusted her stance.
This time, they moved as one.
Kururu pressed forward relentlessly. Kuroro circled, seeking openings. Smoothie remained at range, her blade flashing as she provided constant pressure.
A perfect formation.
Clemons grinned. Even under pressure, his offense never slowed. His overwhelming defense gave him the freedom to attack without hesitation.
On the other side of the arena, the battle was completely different.
Kaguya stood surrounded.
Four opponents.
Yet the fight looked almost effortless.
His bone blades moved with precision, deflecting attacks or slipping past them entirely. He had not even begun to use his full power. The weapons in his hands were merely extensions of his body.
He relied on pure combat skill. And Haki.
Haruta was being overwhelmed.
The roles had reversed completely. He struggled to defend as Kaguya pressed forward, exploiting every opening with ruthless efficiency.
Without support, he would have already fallen.
This was not swordsmanship. This was killing instinct. A perfect combat machine.
Izo circled carefully, waiting for an opportunity.
Yamato swung her kanabo with fierce enthusiasm. The style carried a familiar rhythm, reminiscent of Kaido's Thunder Bagua.
Several spectators glanced at Kaido, suspicion forming in their minds.
Kreeler held back.
He was conserving strength.
This was a free-for-all. Survival mattered more than domMinance. He intended to last until the end.
At the same time, he subtly positioned himself to shield Yamato.
Kaguya, however, had already decided. He did not need to conserve anything. Victory required only one thing.
Defeating everyone.
"Let's finish this quickly." His voice was calm.
Before anyone could react, his body changed.
Bone spikes burst from within his skin, forming a white skeletal armor that wrapped around his entire body. Sharp protrusions extended outward, turning him into a walking weapon.
The bone blades in his hands dissolved back into his body.
He leaned forward. And vanished.
"Ten-Finger Piercing Bullets!"
His hands snapped forward. Ten bone spikes shot out like bullets, spiraling through the air with terrifying force.
Kreeler moved instantly. He appeared in front of Yamato, no longer hiding his power. Nine icy-blue fox tails erupted behind him, radiating freezing energy. Armament Haki coated them as they gathered into a shield, reinforced further by a layer of ice.
The attack hit.
The ice shattered instantly.
The bone spikes pierced through, embedding deep into his tails. Even with Haki, they could not fully stop them.
Kreeler ripped the spikes out immediately, his expression dark.
He knew how dangerous they were. If left inside, they could become lethal at any moment.
"Mina, are you okay?" he asked without using Yamato's real name.
"I'm fine." But even Yamato looked shaken.
That attack was not something she could have avoided.
On the other side, Izo rushed forward.
Haruta was in danger. He covered himself in Armament Haki and stepped in front.
The impact came.
The spikes pierced through his defenses, driving into his limbs and abdomen.
"Ah!"
He cried out, but remained standing. The wounds were serious, but not fatal.
The arena fell into a brief silence.
Then the reactions exploded.
Among the Marines, Kuzan's gaze sharpened the moment Kreeler revealed his ability.
"As expected, a Mythical Zoan," Tsuru said quietly.
"Is it the Nine-Tailed Fox?"
"No. It's different. That one controls ice."
But her attention quickly shifted.
"To me, the most remarkable one here… is that boy."
Her eyes locked onto Kaguya.
Garp nodded.
"That fighting style… incredible."
He leaned forward slightly, voice serious.
"That attack wasn't just his ability. It also uses a technique similar to Finger Gun. Striking the air to fire projectiles."
A murmur spread among the Marines.
"That requires mastery of Rokushiki."
Garp's tone deepened. "At his age, to reach this level… He surpasses most of you already."
Silence fell among the cadets.
"Teach said he has the potential to become an Admiral," Garp continued. "If he keeps growing… that might not be an exaggeration."
He sighed. "Shame he isn't a Marine."
His gaze shifted briefly to Clemons.
"That one too. The Muscle-Muscle Fruit… that's a terrifying ability for a close-combat fighter."
A young Marine hesitated.
"But… they weren't trained by Instructor Zephyr…"
Garp laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. "Top-tier power isn't taught."
"It's forged."
His words struck like a hammer.
"The Four Emperors… Teach… none of them were raised by teachers. No one can teach someone to become that strong."
He glanced at Kuzan and Borsalino. "Guidance helps. But it's not everything."
The battlefield below roared once more. And the great melee… was only getting started.