Just a ticket isn't enough.
With a thought, more Conqueror's Haki surged from Tatsuki's body, no longer radiating outward but forming an invisible barrier of will on his skin.
Conqueror's Haki Defense!
A technique that, in the original story, only the legendary Rocks had ever displayed.
"Sakazuki..."
Tatsuki turned around, his gaze sweeping over the three Future Admirals who were dazed.
"Punch me."
"What?" Sakazuki's brow furrowed, wondering if he had misheard.
"Cut the crap. Use your full strength."
Tatsuki beckoned with his finger, his expression practically begging to be hit.
"Let me see just how much your so-called absolute justice is worth."
These words ignited Sakazuki's pride.
"Arrogant!"
Sakazuki let out a low growl from his throat, his right arm instantly transforming into roiling magma as the scorching heat ignited the surrounding air.
He didn't hold back.
Since this bastard was looking for death, he would wake him up.
Great Eruption!
The massive magma fist, like a volcanic eruption, carried terrifying kinetic energy as it smashed toward Tatsuki's face.
Faced with this world-shattering strike, Tatsuki simply stood there quietly with his hands in his pockets.
Thud!
The giant magma fist came to a screeching halt ten centimeters away from Tatsuki's face.
The terrifying shockwave vented wildly in all directions, flipping the rocky ground layer by layer. Kuzan had to create a thick ice wall to block the aftershocks.
At the center of the explosion, Tatsuki's hair wasn't even slightly messy. The magma, capable of melting steel, was firmly blocked by that invisible barrier, unable to advance an inch.
"This... how is this possible?!"
Sakazuki's pupils constricted violently, his face filled with disbelief.
His attacks possessed extreme penetration and heat. How could they be completely blocked by something invisible?
"This is the gap, Sakazuki." Tatsuki's voice pierced through the dust, so calm it was despair-inducing.
"At the table of the top powerhouses in the New World, Devil Fruit abilities are merely utensils. But this..."
He took a step forward, and a black-red airwave swept across the field like something tangible. That pressure even caused the elementalized bodies of the three Logia monsters to become unstable.
"This is the only entry ticket."
Strong.
Ridiculously strong, so strong it was suffocating.
They clearly came out of the training camp together, so how did you secretly evolve into a different species?
This feeling of being left far behind by a peer made these three arrogant geniuses feel an unprecedented sense of frustration.
Tatsuki keenly captured the change in their emotions, and the corner of his lips curled into an arc.
Good opportunity.
If he didn't make a move now, it would be a waste of those 600,000 points.
"What? Feeling discouraged?" He slowly paced in front of the three. "But... you really are too weak."
Tatsuki's gaze first landed on the magma man. "Sakazuki, your 'absolute justice' can't even touch the hem of my clothes. How can you talk about burning away all the evil in the world? Your justice needs strength to support it, not just a slogan."
Sakazuki's fists clenched until they cracked. His teeth were gritted, and he didn't say a word.
"Kuzan."
"Arara... what do you want to say?" Kuzan scratched his head, trying to use his usual lazy tone to hide his inner shock.
"Stop with the 'arara'." Tatsuki interrupted him bluntly. "Lazy Justice? That's only if you have the strength for the world to tolerate your laziness. Without the power to flip the chessboard, you're just a pawn being moved at will, without even the right to lie flat."
Kuzan's smile froze on his face.
Finally, it was Borsalino.
"And you, Glint-Glint Man. Speed is weight? Don't make me laugh." Tatsuki sneered.
"In front of a top powerhouse's Future Sight and Conqueror's Haki, your prideful speed is a joke. They predict your prediction, and when the club comes down, you won't even have time to activate your elementalization."
Borsalino adjusted his sunglasses, the lenses reflecting light and obscuring his expression.
Tatsuki's words were a triple critical hit. Every strike avoided vital organs but pierced straight into their hearts.
But what he said was the truth.
The gap between them and Tatsuki had already reached a despairing level.
"I don't care what kind of justice you uphold in your hearts." Tatsuki's voice turned cold.
"On this sea, weakness is the original sin. The weak don't even have the right to choose how they die."
He walked up to the three, that Conqueror's Haki pressure rising once more, making their breathing heavy.
"But I'll give you a choice."
"Starting tomorrow, this island will be your hellish training ground."
"Since your Devil Fruit abilities have hit a bottleneck, then train your Taijutsu and Haki for me. Train until you die."
"See those three mountains?" Tatsuki pointed into the distance.
"You have only one goal." He held up a finger, his eyes fanatical.
"Without using Devil Fruit abilities, use only Haki and Taijutsu to level those three mountains."
"Either squeeze out every last drop of your potential on this island, become true monsters, and keep up with my pace."
He paused, looked around at the three, and said word for word, "Or get the hell back to Headquarters and be your comfortable Commissioned Officers."
"How you choose is up to you."
Having said that, Tatsuki turned and left.
On the spot, only the three remained, their expressions shifting as stormy waves surged in their hearts.
After a long time.
"Hah..." Kuzan exhaled a long breath of white mist, the fire relit in his usually drowsy eyes.
"We've really been completely looked down upon."
"Such a scary man." Borsalino's mouth curled open again, but there was a hint of danger in that smile. "It seems if I don't show some real skill, I'll really be treated like trash."
Only Sakazuki remained silent.
He simply walked silently toward the tallest peak deep within the island, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination.
Watching this scene, the departing Tatsuki could no longer hold back the smile on his face.
If he hired an engineering team to level those three mountains, it would cost at least five hundred million in blasting and labor fees.
Now, it was free.
And the efficiency would definitely be higher than an engineering team.
He found a shady spot to lie down, pulled out a cup of juice, and leisurely watched the three's direction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three figures charged toward the three mountains like mad dogs.
Listening to the distant rumbling, Tatsuki took a delightful sip of his juice.
[Ding! Detected the Host maliciously exploiting Future Admirals as free labor!]
[Judgment: Even a capitalist would weep! Extremely unscrupulous!]
[Obtained Violation Points: 10,000!]