One Piece: Song of Despair - Chapter 21

“Are you ready?” The referee looked at Nokiyoru and Tea Dolphin.

“Boom… Boom…” Intense flames and terrifying heat rippled through the air as Nokiyoru instantly transformed into his half-beast form. The violent aura immediately sent Tea Dolphin’s heart plunging into an icy abyss.

The match hadn’t even started, but Nokiyoru’s desperate stance indicated he wasn’t planning to let Tea Dolphin surrender easily.

“Sengoku, be ready to intervene,” Kong’s eyebrows twitched as he noticed Nokiyoru’s stance.

“Understood.”

At that moment, the referee finally announced the start of the match.

“Boom…” The ground exploded, and Nokiyoru instantly vanished from his original position.

A bone-chilling cold swept over Tea Dolphin. Despite his eyes and Observation Haki, he couldn’t detect Nokiyoru’s presence.

“I surre—”

In a split second, Tea Dolphin’s eyes shrank as a large hand grabbed his face, preventing him from completing the words “I surrender.”

“You don’t get the chance to surrender,” Nokiyoru said coldly, his face brutal, glaring at the terrified Tea Dolphin.

“Whoosh…” Flames erupted, and a magnificent fire spear, the tip pitch black, appeared in Nokiyoru’s right hand.

“Gulp… Gulp…” Tea Dolphin struggled violently, but the hand on his face held him firmly, and the endless flames burned. In just a moment, the scent of cooked meat filled the arena.

Everything happened so fast that Nokiyoru was already prepared to kill Tea Dolphin when the spectators reacted.

The gap in strength was like an insurmountable chasm, plunging Tea Dolphin into despair.

“Die!” Nokiyoru growled, the fire spear in his right hand aimed straight at Tea Dolphin’s heart.

“This is bad…” Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat, shocked that Nokiyoru truly intended to kill Tea Dolphin in front of the crowd.

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared beside Tea Dolphin, radiating a golden light. A massive golden hand, exuding a benevolent aura, struck out forcefully.

“Buddha’s Impact.”

“Boom… Boom…” The terrifying explosion sent rocks flying. A golden figure retreated a few steps in the air, holding the half-dead Tea Dolphin, and glared at the bleeding Nokiyoru in the distance.

Too ruthless. Sengoku’s eyes were filled with deep apprehension. In a split second, Nokiyoru had used only half his power to block Sengoku’s attack, while the other half was directed entirely at Tea Dolphin.

If Sengoku hadn’t been experienced, Tea Dolphin would be dead instead of half-dead. As for Nokiyoru, he was seriously injured but would recover most of his strength within half an hour.

The intense flames disappeared as Nokiyoru stood up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and calmly looked at the furious Sengoku. “Admiral Sengoku, isn’t this a violation of the rules? I didn’t hear that others could intervene during the match.”

“You went too far. The rules clearly state no intentional killing, and Tea Dolphin was about to surrender,” Sengoku’s face darkened, his eyes narrowing.

“I didn’t kill anyone. It was just a spar. I only used two moves. Did Tea Dolphin surrender? I didn’t hear it,” Nokiyoru’s face was grim, his gaze fixed on the unconscious Tea Dolphin.

“You…” Sengoku’s face turned dark, unable to retort.

“Enough. Nokiyoru wins this match. Take Tea Dolphin for treatment,” Kong interrupted the conversation with a wave.

“Wait.” Nokiyoru frowned, staring directly at Kong, undaunted. “Fleet Admiral Kong, is there some bias in this tournament? If so, I might as well surrender now.”

“What do you mean?” Kong’s face darkened further.

“Admiral Sengoku intervened in the match. Does that mean the rankings are predetermined? Intervening at a crucial moment could cause many accidents. If I weren’t somewhat capable, I might have been seriously injured by Sengoku’s shockwave. If Tea Dolphin had attacked me then, well… everyone here knows the likely outcome.”

Nokiyoru’s face was full of sarcasm, completely disregarding Sengoku’s increasingly dark expression.

Seeing Nokiyoru’s blatant mockery, those in the know thought, “If you could be seriously injured that easily, Tea Dolphin wouldn’t be half-dead, and you wouldn’t be confidently arguing for fairness.”

“What do you want?” Kong didn’t want to argue any further. Given the circumstances, they were at fault. As Fleet Admiral, his every word and action was crucial, especially since the Five Elders were watching the tournament.

“I have only one request: no one should intervene in the upcoming matches,” Nokiyoru said firmly, raising one finger.

“No deaths in the matches,” Kong’s eyes were sharp as he looked at Nokiyoru.

“What if both parties agree?”

Kong remained silent.

At that moment, a golden Den Den Mushi rang in Kong’s pocket. He listened intently, his face serious.

After a moment, Kong’s expression was calm as he spoke, “If both parties agree, then you are allowed to decide for yourselves.”

“Thank you, Fleet Admiral Kong.” Nokiyoru’s eyes lit up. He knew the Five Elders had intervened.

Hearing Kong’s decision, the other trainees had varied reactions, most wanting to see Nokiyoru and Akainu’s showdown.

However, the matches were spread over several days. They could last for hours as the fights progressed, so determining the final rankings would take several days.

In the Holy Land Mariejois on the Red Line, the center of the World Government’s highest authority, not only nobles but also Celestial Dragons and the World Government’s highest decision-makers, the Five Elders, resided.

Five older men watched the Navy tournament while sitting or standing in a luxurious castle on a simple sofa by an ordinary desk.

“Interesting. I didn’t expect the Navy to produce not only three Logia users but also an Ancient Zoan user,” a scarred elder said, intrigued by the young man in the projection.

“He has potential, but can he be used by us?” an elder holding a sword asked calmly.

“Compared to Akainu, I favor this boy, Nokiyoru.”

“Why?”

“Rumor has it that Golden Lion kidnapped his sister. He probably holds no fondness for pirates. If we handle it well, we could turn his hatred towards pirates.”

“More importantly, the government can offer him much, such as information and power.”

“As long as he has something to care about, he’ll never escape our grasp.”

“As for Akainu, we can still keep him around. An obedient dog is rare, and their personal grudges can be solved with benefits and power.”

“Very well, let’s continue watching.”

“Agreed.”

“Approved.”

No one knew what the Five Elders discussed or decided that day. In any case, Nokiyoru achieved his goal; he finally caught their attention.

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