The next two fights, both fought in teams of three, proved far more balanced than the previous runs. The warnings given after the Logia disaster had clearly paid off: both groups actually fought as teams, alternating their attacks and taking over whenever one of their companions started to tire.
That improved coordination allowed them to reach the final round with all three members still alive. They were covered in injuries and their Haki reserves had dropped considerably, but none of them had repeated the previous captain's mistake of wasting all their stamina during the early trials.
"Much better," I commented as I watched them.
Hades gave me an amused smile.
"See? A few horrible deaths and suddenly everyone starts paying much more attention to the rules. It's educational!"
"That's really not the word I would've chosen."
Since Cerberus wasn't meant to get beaten up over and over again, Hades selected two different Heartless for the final trials. This time, chance picked evolved versions of creatures I already knew: an advanced Defender for Big Mom's trio and an evolved Wyvern for the Beasts Pirates.
And it was safe to say that neither creature had much in common with its ordinary counterpart anymore.
The Defender was the first to appear.
The enormous Heartless towered over a human and possessed an extraordinarily massive body, almost entirely covered in dark blue and purple armor. Its gigantic shoulders, disproportionate forearms, and heavy metal plating made it look as though it had been designed to march straight through an army without ever stopping.
Its true distinguishing feature, however, was its shield.
It was almost as imposing as the creature carrying it. The entire center was occupied by the head of a black, armored creature, complete with horns, spikes, and, most importantly, a mouth filled with long, razor-sharp teeth. Its yellow eyes moved independently of the Defender.
"Is the shield alive?" one of Big Mom's pirates asked.
The mouth opened with a growl.
"I think you just got your answer," his companion replied.
The Defender charged.
Its attacks were monstrous.
Every shield strike sent a genuine tremor through the arena, while flames regularly erupted around its body to prevent the three pirates from staying close for too long. Several times, the trio was forced to scatter to avoid being swept away.
But chance had given it an especially troublesome opponent.
"Now!" shouted the pastry cream producer.
An enormous amount of cream spread beneath the Defender's feet.
Hades looked at me.
I looked at him.
"I refuse to comment."
"And yet, it's magnificent."
The sticky substance accumulated around the Heartless' legs before spreading up its arm and shield. The Defender tried to tear itself free, but every movement only spread more cream into the joints of its armor.
Its living shield furiously bit into the substance.
Which did absolutely nothing to improve the situation.
"Is it eating the cream?"
"Apparently."
The producer suddenly looked much prouder of his Fruit.
The opening allowed the other two pirates to go on the offensive. They struck the Defender simultaneously from both sides, forcing it to use its shield even though it was still partially stuck.
The creature responded with an explosion of flames.
All three pirates retreated.
Then the Defender did something no one expected.
It threw its shield.
"WATCH OUT!"
The enormous armored mass spun through the air as it crossed the arena.
One of the contestants tried to dodge it.
Too late.
Just as it passed beside him, the monstrous head decorating the shield fully came to life. Its jaws opened impossibly wide before snapping shut around the pirate's skull.
CRACK!
His body took another two steps without its head.
Then collapsed.
Silence fell over the arena.
Hades winced.
"Ouch."
I slowly turned my head toward him.
"That's all?"
"What do you want me to say? He should've ducked."
Fortunately, the two survivors didn't have time to remain in shock. By throwing its shield, the Defender had just deprived itself of its primary means of protection.
They immediately exploited the opening.
The cream further immobilized its legs while the two pirates attacked without pause. A few dozen seconds later, the enormous suit of armor finally gave way, and the Defender crashed heavily to the ground before dissolving.
Big Mom's trio had won.
Or rather...
What remained of it—a duo.
The Beasts Pirates' fight was radically different.
When the evolved Wyvern descended from the sky, even the three pirates instinctively looked up.
It was gigantic.
Its body, entirely covered in black and gold scales, formed a far more aggressive silhouette than that of an ordinary Wyvern. Two enormous wings extended from either side of its body, their dark membranes revealing blue-violet reflections in places beneath the light.
Its head was covered in pointed plates that almost resembled a natural helmet.
Two long horns swept upward from its skull.
And the red Heartless emblem was clearly visible on its chest.
"Now that," Hades declared with satisfaction, "is a beautiful Wyvern."
The creature let out a roar.
Its wings beat violently.
A powerful gust swept across the entire arena.
The three pirates had to brace themselves to avoid being knocked over.
Unlike the previous group, however, the Beasts Pirates possessed a considerable advantage.
All three of them knew Armament Haki.
Their mastery was still basic, nowhere near Kenshiro's level, but it was enough to reinforce their attacks whenever they struck the creature. As soon as the Wyvern descended low enough, they attacked together.
The fight therefore became a battle of attrition.
The Wyvern completely dominated the air.
The pirates dominated whenever it came close to the ground.
Each pass left Kaido's men with a few more injuries, but every attempt to attack also exposed the creature's wings or legs to their Haki-coated fists.
Gradually, its scales began to crack.
One wing was seriously damaged.
Then one of the pirates managed to strike the Wyvern directly beneath the jaw.
It crashed heavily to the ground.
"FINISH IT!"
All three men charged.
The Wyvern tried to take flight again.
Two pirates struck its chest simultaneously.
The third attacked its injured wing.
CRACK!
The membrane tore.
The creature let out a terrible roar.
It was doomed.
But it wasn't dead yet.
In one final burst of strength, its leg shot forward.
Its enormous talons closed around one pirate's torso.
"LET GO OF ME!"
His companions immediately tried to grab him.
Too late.
The Wyvern beat its wings violently.
Despite one of them being almost completely destroyed, it managed to tear itself away from the ground.
Ten meters.
Twenty meters.
Thirty.
The trapped pirate desperately hammered at its talons with his Haki-coated fists.
"GET DOWN!"
The Wyvern kept climbing.
Then its injured wing finally gave out completely.
Its body tilted.
I immediately understood what it was about to do.
"Oh..."
It folded its wings.
And dove.
"It isn't even trying to survive anymore," I observed.
The Wyvern dragged its prisoner down with it.
The pirate made one last attempt to break its talons.
Impossible.
The two figures crashed into the center of the arena together.
BOOOOOOM!
A cloud of dust swallowed almost half the arena.
When it finally cleared, a crater had appeared in the stone.
The Wyvern lay in the middle of it.
Dead.
Still clutching its prey.
The Beasts Pirate hadn't survived either.
His two companions remained silent as they stared into the crater.
Then one of them slowly exhaled.
"It took him with it..."
"Right to the end," the other replied.
I looked from one team to the other.
One dead on Big Mom's side.
One dead on Kaido's.
But four survivors.
Compared to the previous runs, the result was actually pretty good.
More importantly, both fights had just demonstrated something interesting: Hades' randomized bosses could create completely different battles depending on the participants' abilities.
The Defender had probably been physically stronger than its opponents, but the pastry cream producer had turned its enormous shield and heavy armor into liabilities by gumming them up.
The Wyvern, meanwhile, had faced three fighters capable of reinforcing their attacks with Haki. Despite its aerial superiority, they had gradually worn it down.
And yet, both creatures had managed to kill someone before falling.
However, since the Heartless produced from those deaths were somewhat unusual, I decided to keep them as a precaution. One possessed a trace of Observation Haki, while the other had a trace of Armament Haki, and I had no desire to see the Coliseum's Heartless gain those kinds of enhancements if I let Hades study them.
Hades seemed delighted by the spectacle and didn't make a fuss about me taking the Heartless.
"Two bosses dead, two participants dead, four survivors!"
I sighed.
"Could you avoid presenting it like an accounting report?"
He thought for a few seconds.
"Two heroic victories with a tragic price to pay?"
I nodded.
"Much better."
"I really am an excellent presenter."
For a few seconds, almost perfect silence followed our exchange.
In the arena, all four survivors simultaneously slapped a hand against their foreheads. Zeus did exactly the same thing a few meters away from us and, across the world, a probably impressive number of spectators unconsciously copied the gesture in front of their screens.
Hades stared at them in confusion.
"What?"
"Nothing," Zeus replied. "Just keep going before you make this situation even stranger."
"People really don't appreciate talent anymore..."
Hades nevertheless cleared his throat before putting his presenter's smile back on.
"All right! You four, step forward. You survived ten rounds, lost two comrades along the way, and most importantly, you managed not to get yourselves slaughtered like our wonderful rock Logia user. So you've earned your rewards!"
The four pirates stepped into the center of the arena.
Hades started with the two surviving Beasts Pirates. His gaze dropped toward the battered swords they still carried at their waists. After all their fighting, both weapons were covered in notches, and one even had a worrying crack near the guard.
"For Kaido's two tough guys, I'm going to keep things simple."
Two lights appeared in front of him.
"You're both using fairly mediocre swords. They've held together this long thanks to your Haki, but keep going like this and they'll eventually break at the worst possible moment."
The light faded to reveal two bronze gladii.
There was nothing extravagant about them. No gemstones, no spectacular aura, and no particularly remarkable decorations. Their blades were short and thick, while their guards seemed designed above all else to withstand brutal use.
"These gladii might not look like much," Hades explained, "but they're far more durable than your current weapons. You'll be able to reinforce them with your Haki without worrying about them shattering the moment an opponent hits a little too hard."
The two pirates took their new weapons.
"Thank you, Lord Hades."
They exchanged a glance.
Then struck their gladii against each other.
CLANG!
The metallic impact echoed throughout the Coliseum.
Neither of them had used Haki, and yet the blades didn't show the slightest mark. With their old weapons, an impact that violent probably would have chipped at least one of them.
"Solid," the first commented.
His companion smiled.
"Much better than our old ones."
Hades planted his hands on his hips.
"Of course they're better! What, do you think I hand out tourist souvenirs?"
I decided not to remind him about the bronze badge from the first tournament.
Hades then turned toward the pastry cream producer.
"You. Come here."
The man approached with almost comical caution.
"I particularly liked your power. Not because I love pastry cream... although I certainly don't mind it... but because you managed to turn something that sounds ridiculous into a genuine combat tool."
The pirate proudly straightened.
"Thank you!"
"So I'm going to enhance exactly that."
A ring appeared between Hades' fingers.
"Ring of Productive Power. When you use it, the amount of material your Fruit can produce increases considerably."
The pirate's eyes lit up.
Then Hades immediately raised a finger.
"BUT!"
The man froze.
"The ring improves your output, not your stamina. If you start producing three times as much cream like an idiot without strengthening your body, you'll simply exhaust yourself three times faster."
The pirate's smile faded slightly.
"So I need to train."
"A lot."
Big Mom's officer nodded vigorously from the stands.
"You're going to train."
The poor man sighed.
"Yes..."
Hades nevertheless handed him the ring, which he immediately slipped onto his finger with obvious satisfaction. In Totto Land, an item that directly increased his production would likely make him considerably more valuable in Big Mom's eyes.
That left the final survivor.
Hades examined his flail.
"Your offensive abilities are already decent. Your weapon suits you and you know how to use it, so I'm not going to give you another one."
The pirate looked slightly disappointed.
A new light appeared.
"Instead, I'm going to make up for what you're lacking."
A suit of bronze armor materialized.
Like the gladii, it was relatively simple. Several thick plates protected the torso, shoulders, and sides without looking as though they would severely restrict the wearer's movements.
"Same principle as the gladii. No extraordinary powers, no magical transformation, and no miracles if you get hit by someone fifty times stronger than you."
Hades tapped the breastplate.
"But it's extremely durable."
The pirate immediately accepted it.
"Perfect!"
His reaction was even more enthusiastic than expected.
"I much prefer this. I've already got something to hit people with."
"Finally, someone who appreciates good defense!"
Hades distributed the remaining pieces before stepping back.
The four survivors now had their rewards.
Two exceptionally durable weapons for the Beasts Pirates, a ring that enhanced the pastry cream Paramecia's production, and reinforced armor for Big Mom's final fighter.
Hades finally turned toward me.
"Anything you want to add, Sora, before I wrap up this session?"
"Yes."
I stepped toward the cameras.
My smile faded slightly as I carefully chose my words.
After what the world had just witnessed regarding the birth of Heartless—and especially the acquisition of the Logia—it was almost certain that certain powers would begin looking at Kyuka very differently.
"I have a request for Emperors Kaido and Big Mom."
Everyone's attention immediately returned to me.
"I recommend stationing some permanent troops on Kyuka. The World Government is likely to take a much more serious interest in the island after what it just witnessed regarding the Heartless."
I paused briefly.
"I'd prefer Kyuka to remain neutral ground dedicated to the Coliseum rather than become a future battlefield. Your presence should be enough to discourage any unnecessary intervention."
Hades smiled.
"Well, that settles that!"
He snapped his fingers.
"See you at the next session!"
The screens went black.
At Whole Cake Island, Big Mom didn't waste a second.
"Katakuri!"
Her son immediately straightened.
"Yes, Mama."
"Sora wants men on Kyuka? Then we'll give him men! And I want a real presence on that island, not just five idiots showing up once a month!"
Perospero smiled slightly.
"A commercial presence would probably be more useful than a simple garrison."
Big Mom turned her head.
"Exactly!"
She clapped her hands together.
"Send Homies. And Smoothie will oversee our operations!"
Katakuri thought for a few seconds.
"We could also purchase several hotels rather than build a military base. That would give us permanent facilities without undermining the island's neutrality."
Big Mom grinned.
"Mamamamama! Do that!"
She wanted a division of Homies large enough to defend the crew's properties, but more importantly, a presence capable of integrating into the local economy rather than simply occupying the territory.
Katakuri was also given a very specific list of siblings to contact.
Nyuichi, Nyuji, Nyusan, Nyushi, and Nyugo were the first ones selected.
The five brothers welcomed the news enthusiastically. All of them had a strong taste for business and almost immediately began discussing property prices, local suppliers, and the potential profits that could come from the regular influx of pirates to Kyuka.
"If the tournament keeps attracting this many people, rooms are going to become more valuable," Nyuichi pointed out.
Nyuji nodded.
"We need to buy before the owners realize what this island is going to become."
"Buy honestly," Katakuri immediately clarified.
The five brothers settled down.
"Mama wants a stable presence. No extortion, no threatening the locals, and above all, no problems with Sora."
"Understood."
The five sisters who had been selected possessed a different set of skills.
Muscade, Muscadia, Muscadelle, Muscadine, and Muscadette were far more interested in the festive and event-planning side of the operation. Where their brothers saw investments, they were already imagining the celebrations that could be organized between tournaments.
"We could hold a party after every session," Muscadia suggested.
"And use products from Totto Land," Muscadelle added.
Muscadine smiled.
"It would also advertise Mama's territory."
Katakuri nodded.
"As long as you respect Kyuka's rules, organize things however you want. Smoothie will have the final say on the island."
Big Mom's presence on Kyuka had now taken shape.
Not a fortress.
Hotels, businesses, Homies, and infrastructure capable of accommodating her men every month.
Kaido chose a much less subtle approach.
"KING!"
The All-Star turned toward his captain.
"Send a hundred men to Kyuka."
King showed no surprise.
"Under whose command?"
Kaido thought for a few seconds.
"Page One and Ulti."
King remained silent.
Very silent.
"Both of them?"
"Yes."
"On an island where you specifically just promised not to cause any trouble?"
Kaido looked at him.
"Got something to say?"
"No. I was simply checking."
Kaido grabbed his gourd.
"A hundred men, a few ships, and enough supplies to establish a permanent camp. They'll protect our sector, the participants, and the sea routes."
His expression suddenly became far more threatening.
"But make one thing very clear to them."
King waited.
"They do not cause any problems for Sora."
Kaido slammed his gourd down heavily.
"None."
Even King caught the emphasis.
"And if Ulti decides to cause trouble anyway?"
"She'll answer to me personally."
King nodded.
"I'll make sure she understands that part."
"And Page One too!"
"I think Page One will mostly be busy stopping his sister from doing something stupid."
Kaido thought about it.
"...Good point."
At Marine Headquarters, events took a much less favorable turn.
Sengoku had finally passed the idea of official Marine participation in future tournaments on to the World Government. Between the rewards being offered, the regular presence of the Emperors, and the appearance of a Heartless possessing a Logia, he believed that at the very least, the possibility needed to be considered.
The response from the Council of Five Elders was categorical.
"Out of the question."
Sengoku remained motionless in front of the Den Den Mushi.
"May I know the exact reason?"
"No Marine officer will participate in that tournament."
The Elder's voice left no room for discussion.
"The World Government will not legitimize a competition organized by unknown individuals, attended by pirates, and now openly supported by two Emperors."
Sengoku's jaw tightened slightly.
"And yet, refusing means allowing Kaido and Big Mom to benefit from the rewards unopposed."
"The decision is final."
A second voice intervened.
"And there is still the matter of Officer Hina."
Sengoku frowned.
"Hina?"
"She participated in the first tournament without authorization from the World Government and obtained an artifact from it. She is to be placed in custody while her case is reviewed."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
Then a chair scraped violently across the floor.
"NO."
Garp had risen to his feet.
Sengoku closed his eyes.
"Garp..."
"No, Sengoku. Not this time."
He approached the Den Den Mushi.
"You just banned the Marines from participating. You just did it."
Silence answered him.
Garp continued in an unusually firm voice.
"When Hina entered that tournament, that prohibition didn't exist. You don't get to invent a rule today and imprison someone for not knowing yesterday that it was going to exist."
"Vice Admiral Garp, watch your tone."
Garp placed one hand on the table.
CRACK.
The wood split beneath his fingers.
"My tone is perfectly fine."
Even Sengoku didn't immediately try to interrupt him.
"If you want to ban Marines from future tournaments, then do it. I think it's stupid, but you're the Elders. But Hina will not be imprisoned for retroactively violating an order that didn't exist."
Tsuru silently watched the exchange.
Even Sakazuki made no attempt to defend the arrest order.
The discussion continued for several minutes.
The Elders could have imposed their decision.
But Garp was still Garp.
The Hero of the Marines was one of the institution's most important symbols, and his presence had contributed to maintaining the balance of the seas for decades. Triggering a confrontation with him just to punish Hina retroactively offered no strategic benefit whatsoever.
The answer finally came.
"Very well."
Garp didn't move.
"Officer Hina will not be prosecuted for her previous participation. She will also be allowed to keep the item she obtained during the tournament."
Sengoku discreetly exhaled.
"However, this concession applies only to events that occurred before our decision."
The voice turned icy once again.
"From this day forward, no member of the Marines is authorized to participate in Hades' Coliseum. Any future participation will be considered direct insubordination."
Garp crossed his arms.
"At least that's clear."
"And that applies to you as well, Vice Admiral Garp."
Garp gave a small smile.
"Too bad. I wanted to see if the dog really had three heads."
Sengoku exploded.
"YOU WEREN'T GOING TO PARTICIPATE ANYWAY!"
Garp burst out laughing while Tsuru slowly shook her head.
The Marines had therefore officially chosen their side.
They would observe the Coliseum.
They would analyze the fighters, the Heartless, and the rewards.
But they would not participate.
And meanwhile, Big Mom and Kaido were already establishing a permanent presence on Kyuka.
(Author's Note: Here's the rest of the chapter. I won't be doing a full tournament session every single time. Maybe I'll give a summary instead, since Sora still needs to be there to collect the Heartless, but the fights and everything else won't be nearly as detailed—at least not until the Philoctetes Cup. I'm leaving the images of the two bosses the crews fought.)