Pirates' Max Level System

The moment the two men shook hands, a jolt of pain shot through him. The black man's hand gripped Shanks's like a vise, so tightly that even bones cracked with such force. Shanks's right hand had been injured before the match even began, thanks to a moment of carelessness.

Shanks bit back a cry of pain, but he wasn't about to let it go, and he didn't even pull his hand away. Suffering a loss is a blessing. Someone had prepared such a great gift for Shanks, and if he didn't "repay" them properly, his conscience would be broken.

With the impending war, the powerful Red Hair Pirates, linked to the Dynasul family, became a nuisance. Many forces sought to eliminate them beforehand. Paluk, similarly tasked, set out with the goal of crippling or even killing Shanks.

Shanks was even more ruthless towards such a guy. He mobilized all his strength to his right hand, and this time it was the black uncle's turn to show his teeth.

"Excuse me, Lord Paluk, but are you walking with Armament Haki on?" Armament Haki is black, and the sarcasm in Shanks' words is self-evident.

The smiles gradually faded, and Shanks and Paluk no longer bothered to even pretend to be friendly. Both men gritted their teeth, veins bulging, and fought with all their might, neither refusing to give in. A sense of oppression emanated from the two men shaking hands, and the floor beneath their feet began to crack slightly.

A contest of strength? This was just the appetizer before the competition began. The audience, not knowing what was going on, cheered loudly, as if they were the ones causing chaos.

The emcee couldn't figure out why the two contestants were suddenly so heated. But he didn't intend to stop it; this was the kind of competition that made it interesting.

Shanks is stronger than Paluk, but Paluk's strength is clearly his advantage. It's unlikely that Shanks will defeat him in his own area.

In the end, it was the emcee who broke the deadlock between the two.

No matter how intense the arm wrestling was, could it be as interesting as a fistfight? Before the audience got bored, the emcee decided to give the two of them a push. The signal for the start of the match was the horn.

Chapter 756: Fighting Style is Important

Generally speaking, the process of an exhibition match follows a fixed routine.

A typical match begins with some pleasantries to warm up the situation. Then, both sides begin to test each other. Ideally, the two players exchange blows frantically, creating a close fight that creates a tense atmosphere for the others. This is done primarily for showmanship, with a bit of commercial hype thrown in as well.

Once you understand your opponent's routine, that's when the real tricks will show.

Thanks to the recent matches, even those who hadn't known anything about the game before were almost figuring it out. So, when they suddenly encountered a match with a completely different style, the audience's enthusiasm was instantly raised.

Without following the procedures, they just kill people without any negotiation.

The relationship between Paluk and Shanks was more than just rivalry, and both of them were well aware of it. Even the slightest hint of easing was exhausted during the "handshake segment."

Shanks's earlier taunt had come true. Having refined his combat skills and physical form, Paluk had also put considerable effort into developing his Armament Haki. Of all the people Shanks had met, Paluk's Armament Haki strength was undoubtedly in the top ten.

With the "advantage" of his skin color, outsiders can't really tell where Paluk has attached his Armament Haki, or which part of his body is more intense. Could it be that Paluk deliberately changed 043 himself to a non-African bloodline just for this camouflage?

While Qin Luo was daydreaming, Paluk, with his Armament Haki, had already gone full steam ahead. This humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex was rampaging across the ring without restraint.

Combining exceptional defensive and offensive power, every punch and kick from Paluk was accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, unleashing an indiscriminate barrage of blows on Shanks. After a barrage of blows, Shanks felt like he had been hit by hundreds of pile drivers.

Paluk lived up to his title as the Stonebreaker. The match had barely begun when he was already charging into the ring. Step by step, let's get to know him.

Even the mild-mannered Shanks would bare his fangs when faced with an opponent hell-bent on killing him. If a tiger doesn't show its might, others will think it's a sick cat. The frustration and repression that had been pent up inside him for a while now suddenly found an outlet, and it was a perfect punching bag.

When it comes to domineering, Shanks has always been on par with others.

Both are attached with Armament Haki, which one is harder, the fist or the sword?

It was a strange question, but Paluk and Shanks both wanted to know the answer at this moment.

Leaping up, the long sword that could split Huashan Mountain met with a fist that was ready to strike, soaring into the sky. The long sword and fist met, as if frozen in mid-air, and in between, several more slashing blows and fist shadows seemed to flash by, but they were not clear.

"Clang, clang, clang."

The clash between the famous sword Griffin and the fist made the sound of two hammers colliding.

A massive explosion erupted where the two men had clashed, sending a powerful gust of wind and dust sweeping across most of the arena. Two figures fell from the sky. Paluk and Shanks landed on the ground, collapsing the ground beneath them. They each took a few steps back before coming to a stop.

Once they had regained their balance, the two men charged forward again, engaging in a fierce battle. Swords flashed, fists and feet clashed, creating a lively and ferocious fight.

Qin Luo shook his head after seeing this scene.

Shanks was too arrogant. Even though he had already suffered a setback in the handshake, he still wanted to defeat his opponent through sheer strength. If Shanks hadn't been so much stronger than his opponent, this move would have been a surefire way to his own death.

Qin Luo's guess soon became a reality. Shanks had to pay for his arrogance.

The sword's advantage lies in its sharpness and long reach, while fists and feet are more flexible. Shanks's blade overpowers Paluch's fists. But after all, there's only one sword, and Paluch, a master of martial arts, has many other parts of his body that can be used for attack besides his fists and legs.

Shanks's slashing blow was once again deflected by his thickened right fist. Paluk had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He twisted his body, closing the distance between him and Shanks again, and his left elbow collided with the blade.

As if under a spell called "Expelliarmus," Shanks was disarmed, or at least temporarily unable to defend against Paluk's next attack in order to catch the flying sword Griffin.

Very directly, a fist as big as a casserole was imprinted on Shanks' face.

Shanks lost control of his body. Like a rocket, he flew straight out, leaving behind many expanding circles of mist.

You can't even imagine what Shanks went through. With so many sonic cones, breaking the sound barrier could be done over and over again.

At this rate, Shanks would eventually be pinned to the edge of the stands. Falling out of the ring would also mean losing the match if he did nothing.

Shanks, tumbling through the air, finally managed to stab his knife into the ring. He dragged it all the way, creating a long gash before finally coming to a halt at the edge of the ring.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed. His dark complexion and the domineering aura of his armed colors concealed the look of regret on Paluk's face.

Shanks had the fate of a cockroach. A punch that could pierce a mountain landed on his face, yet he remained unharmed. The images of a skull being blasted and a neck being broken that Paluk had imagined never materialized.

Paluk's mission was to kill Shanks, or at least severely injure him. The reward was too good to refuse, but now he had little confidence.

Shanks stood up unsteadily, his head still a little dizzy. But in a sense, this punch had completely woken him up.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth and stroking his battered face, Shanks felt a murderous aura stronger than before. However, this time, he remained calm.

Can anyone hit someone in the face who has the ability to save their face be hit by anyone?

Paluk, feel the wrath of Shanks, you have no idea of ​​true power.

In previous battles, Shanks fought his opponent to the death, as if his hands and feet were tied. But now that he was no longer so angry, he naturally stopped fighting head-on.

Shanks was quite experienced in fighting this kind of close combat enemy. As long as he avoided clumsy moves or those that required charging, and managed his distance well, he could easily manipulate them.

No matter how hard a lump of iron is, it will eventually be cut off.

In the subsequent battles, Shanks gradually gained absolute advantage.

Paluk made a last-ditch counterattack, trying to take Shanks's weapon with his bare hands, but he didn't realize that this was a trap set by Shanks, waiting for him to fall into it.

The sudden change in the slash missed Paluk's hands, cut off one of his ears, and the tip landed steadily between his eyebrows.

Chapter 757: Strange Expectations

The white knife went in and the red knife came out, simple and neat, and killed Paluk on the spot.

Shanks swears to God, he has seriously considered the feasibility of this matter and the consequences it will cause. One ear is not enough for Shanks.

The idea is tempting, but I have to give it up.

Many people died in tournaments due to negligence, but malicious murder was strictly prohibited by the official martial arts tournament. Shanks would never commit murder in public, unless he wanted to tarnish the reputation that the Red Hair Pirates had gained during this period.

So Shanks really used great determination to make the tip of the knife stop at Paluk's eyebrows, instead of going deeper and using Paluk's split head to prove the sharpness of the blade.

The tip of the knife easily broke through the Armament Haki that was attached to the surface of Paluk's skin. Blood flowed out from the cut skin and dripped down his cheek to the ground.

Shanks used this method to force Paluk to surrender. Of course, if this black man still refused to believe in evil and fought to the death, using his head to compete with the sword's hardness, in this case...

Shanks, of course, welcomed it with open arms. Swords have no eyes, and the opportunity had already been given to Paluk. If he didn't appreciate it, even if something unexpected happened, the audience would understand.

Here lies the eternal resting place of the warriors who lost their lives for the honor of black people. Shanks even helped Paluch come up with an epitaph. Now it's up to Paluch to lend a hand.

Paluk had never heard of courage, nor did he know anyone named Liang Jingru. But it didn't matter. The next moment, under Shanks's "expecting" eyes, Paluk decisively admitted defeat.

What a joke! Not to mention Shanks's murderous intent, the pain in his brow alone was enough to make Paluk completely unconscious. Damn the mission! If it couldn't be completed, why risk his life?

Shanks' subsequent sigh made Paluk feel lucky to have escaped.

"What do you think?" After the game, Qin Luo pointed at Shanks and asked someone to comment.

This person was none other than Itachi, who had come to the VIP room during the match. Beckman and Hawkeye had both worked with Itachi before, but Itachi had never met Shanks.

"A lot like Roger, in some ways." Itachi gave a standard answer.

Qin Luo was stunned after hearing this. For an excellent student to be able to come up with reference answers for subjective questions was truly extraordinary.

In Qin Luo's mind, the figures of Roger, Shanks, and Luffy gradually overlapped. Without their beards and the same straw hat, the three really looked alike. If it weren't for the mismatch between Luffy's origin and Roger's death time, Qin Luo would have doubted which of Luffy and Ace was the one picked up by Garp.

"Let's not talk about this. The fact that you're here means everything has been arranged." Qin Luo hinted at something.

Nodding, Itachi said, "With our tip, the Dynasul family acted quickly. As for other chores, the boss's new subordinates were extremely capable and took care of them all. However..."

Itachi looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Qin Luo had never worried about Darwin; he was both resourceful and intelligent. His capable subordinate was Fatty Si. It was surprising that Itachi had such a high opinion of him. It seemed the only problem was with Orochimaru.

"That's fine. Let Orochimaru do what he wants. If anything goes wrong, I'll find trouble with him." Qin Luo's words made Itachi breathe a sigh of relief. It was really difficult for an honest man like Itachi to take care of Orochimaru, an old man.

Judging from the time, Orochimaru should have already fought against Vegapunk.

"The Red Hair Pirates seem to be taking some action. Do I need to stop them?" Itachi seemed to suddenly remember something and said to Qin Luo.

"Don't pay attention to them. Let them do whatever they want. It's good for us if they are more active, as it can attract more attention. But don't reveal our plan to them." Qin Luo had guessed that Shanks and the others would do this. He would not be Shanks if he didn't cause trouble.

If necessary, Qin Luo would even arrange some extra work for them.

Everything was arranged, and Itachi, who had some free time, decided to stay and watch the game.

Before the final match of the quarterfinals began, a celebrity arrived in the stands. Darwin, the head of the Dinasur family, whom Qin Luo had been talking about just a second ago, suddenly appeared in the stands, right next to the emcee.

If Qin Luo remembered correctly, the next match would be between Darwin's bodyguard and Ebizo.

The big screen gave Darwin a close-up, and he was the only "audience" to receive such treatment.

In Calgary, Darwin is a household name. As the largest arms dealer in the North Sea, he is like Steve Jobs to mobile phones and Walmart to retail – an industry icon, a name you can't avoid when bragging about your business.

Even big shots like him would stay in the VIP room to watch the game, but Darwin came to the scene in person. He was probably the first and last to cheer for his players.

Most people would think that Darwin attaches great importance to the outcome of this game. But as someone who knows the inside story, Qin Luo will tell you that this is not the case at all.

Not only were Darwin's bodyguards inferior to the monster Ebizo in terms of strength, but the script was also designed to allow Ebizo to win without injuring Darwin's number one bodyguard. As for why Darwin did this, Qin Luo could only think that he loved to act, deliberately pretending that he knew nothing about the current situation.

. …… ……

Too much is as bad as too little, but Qin Luo didn't intend to remind Darwin. The arrow was on the string and had to be shot. At this point, it didn't matter whether he acted or not.

With the boss cheering him on, Darwin's bodyguard leader, number one, was energized the moment he entered the game. However, with the appearance of Ebizo, his overwhelming aura instantly eclipsed the "boss" buff.

Had Orochimaru improved again? Ebizo was completely different now than when Qin Luo had tried him out before. His aura alone was far more ferocious. The rage and murderous intent that Qin Luo feared, not only didn't Orochimaru stop and eliminate it, he actually channeled it. What was Orochimaru doing? Creating an artificial monster?

Qin Luo hadn't seen the power of the new Ebizo yet, but there was one thing he was certain of. That was that after a battle, the person inside the Ebizo would definitely die, just like a battery that had run out of power. Not everyone had a life force substitute in their hands like Qin Luo did.

Unlike the rest of the audience, Darwin and his bodyguard, Number One, remained remarkably relaxed after witnessing Ebizo's aura. They were still immersed in their planned fake fight. Never trust Orochimaru's integrity, or you'll find your bottom line could be pushed to the limit at any moment.

I hope Orochimaru follows the plot and even a sow can climb a tree. I hope Number One won’t be too miserable.

Chapter 758: Some Accidents

The subsequent plot was just as Qin Luo had guessed.

Within five minutes, Ebizo completely lost control, which was even shorter than Qin Luo expected. It seemed that the person controlling Ebizo this time was not very strong-willed. Orochimaru probably just sent a random test subject and let him go.

At the beginning, the new generation Ebizo still remembered Orochimaru's instructions. Although his attacks were fierce, he always left some room for maneuver.

Relying on the dinosaur parts on his body, No. 1 fought Ebizo on equal terms for a while.

Of course, that was Number One's own opinion. To others, he was like a rat hiding from Ebizo's attack. The Tyrannosaurus Rex parts on his body didn't add any extra aura to his dominance; instead, they simply labeled him a rat. If Number One knew, he'd be devastated.

But there is nothing we can do about it.

Ebizo, at some point, had surpassed the others and became the most popular candidate to win the martial arts tournament.

Before the match, many people teased the Dinasur family about this. "You can't arrange the order of the matches, but you keep switching around and giving yourself a big daddy. Now you can't even make it to the quarterfinals."

After Darwin arrived in person, the feeling of watching the joke reached its peak. Imagine Darwin's expression after Number One's crushing defeat. Such an unexpected gain made watching a match that was so predictable worthwhile.

If you listen carefully, you can hear Ebizo's breathing getting heavier. It's not because of physical exhaustion, but because the person controlling Ebizo is losing his mind.

Without the willpower of Qin Luo and Orochimaru, the operator couldn't even feel the hostility, and was lost in it until his entire consciousness was consumed by the hidden animal nature. In this process, the operator showed mental fatigue.

Five minutes, that is a hurdle, for both the controllers of No. 1 and Ebizo.

At the same time, a small accident on the field served as a turning point, marking the end of the two people's playing house.

Number One has a good set of teeth, and his jaws have inherited the bite force of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Combined with limbs that possess the strength of a Tyrannosaurus Rex's hind legs, Number One's prosthetic arms and legs are a true testament to Vegapunk's dedication. But that's no reason Number One could crush an Ebizo staff.

Having successfully destroyed his opponent's weapon, Number One didn't gloat. Instead, he looked at Ebizo innocently, like a schoolboy who had made a mistake. Having destroyed his own people's customary weapon, Number One felt guilty. Unfortunately, Number One's apology was useless, and he was responded with a huge fist.

With an inexplicable rage, the unfortunate being inside Ebizo completely lost consciousness. A ruthless killing intent gripped the monster called "Ebizo."

It hurts, it hurts.

Flying in the air, Number One's head was filled with pain, and he felt like his face was about to collapse. And this was only the beginning of his disaster.