At the same time—
At the rear of the arena, Kuro had changed into more mobile attire, crouched down as he meticulously wiped down freshly forged claw blades.
He hadn't originally planned to step in, but he'd been concerned that Gin might go too far and kill his opponent outright. While maintaining order in the martial arts tournament was important, preventing unnecessary death was even more so.
Kuro had already gathered intel on Dellinger and Senor Pink through Gawain and had even dispatched men to investigate further.
After all, these two were subordinates of Donquixote Doflamingo—one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. If anything major happened in the East Blue, it could lead to serious complications.
And for Kuro, fewer complications were always preferable.
But what lingered most in his mind now was the sheer force Gin had unleashed during that moment in battle. It was a form Kuro had never seen him use before in any previous match.
Even he had sensed a flash of danger from it.
After a moment's thought, Kuro snapped back to focus.
"Other than Gawain and me, there's no one in our group that should warrant Gin's full strength."
He recalled what Gawain had said earlier—how he wasn't interested in bullying the weak, and that his focus was on watching for attacks from both the Navy and rival pirates.
"So Gin's target is me?!"
"This kid's really learned some bad habits."
Kuro shook his head. Though he complained, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
His eyes flicked to the claw blades beside him. The blades shimmered with a cold, murderous gleam.
"But I'm not without my own preparations."
"Even if you're the opponent this time—even if it's your will guiding that blade—I will never back down!"
"With unwavering conviction, I will defeat you. That is the only answer I can give to your challenge!"
Clack!
Clack!
Clack!
One by one, the claw blades slid onto Kuro's fingertips, his aura turning sharp and frigid.
When he emerged from the room and walked over to lead the Western Division contestants to the prep area, a wave of silence swept the room.
People instinctively moved aside.
Some even felt their legs weaken just from the pressure he exuded.
"Who the hell is that guy?"
"I heard some Man-Demon Gin showed up in the Eastern prelims. He and Dellinger were going at it like demons. People are calling him a monster…"
"But this guy… he feels more dangerous."
"No—way more dangerous."
As whispers spread, Kuro's presence cast a long shadow across the room. Even contestants huddled in corners could feel his killing intent.
Weapons were clutched more tightly. Foreheads beaded with sweat.
With just his presence, the balance of the entire match had already tilted in his favor.
Kuro's gaze swept across the crowd and landed on a shadowed figure sitting at the edge.
The man met his eyes briefly—expression unreadable—before they both looked away.
Kuro found a seat nearby, sat down, and shut his eyes, seemingly drifting into a nap.
His aura faded, the oppressive pressure disappearing instantly.
But the astonishment in everyone's eyes lingered like the aftershock of a quake.
Only then did others finally notice the man in the shadows.
He had short hair shaved close to the scalp, a square jaw, and a stoic face. An invisible pressure radiated from him like a blade drawn from its sheath.
It was Daz Bonez, sent by Crocodile to seize the coveted Bone-Bone Fruit.
Before setting out, Daz Bonez had been briefed on the Gawain Pirates by Crocodile. Naturally, Kuro's name had been included.
But hearing reports was one thing—witnessing it in person was something else entirely.
He'd thought the East Blue was nothing but a backwater sea, incapable of producing real fighters—aside from the anomaly that was Gawain.
Now, it was clear how wrong he'd been.
Both Gin from the Eastern prelims and Kuro here were not just strong—they were exceptional.
Even he could feel a sharp sting in his skin from the sheer killing intent they gave off.
"He really is worthy of being that man's right hand," Daz Bonez muttered solemnly.
"With people like this around, things are going to get messy…"
"But no matter what—I will get that fruit."
"Even if it means playing dirty."
"I'm just a killer. I'm not chasing some lofty goal of becoming the world's greatest swordsman."
With Kuro's arrival, the prep room sank into uneasy silence.
People even quieted their breathing, afraid to stir the slumbering beasts among them.
Minutes passed.
BANG!
The door to the waiting room was kicked open.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
Two arrogant figures swaggered in.
One had brown skin and wore a headscarf, a long tongue flicking in the air.
The other was huge—spherical in shape with a gleaming bald head that seemed to shine under the lights.
These were Abdulla and Jeet—infamous bounty hunters from the New World.
They had come all the way to the East Blue for one reason: the 300-million-Berry bounty on Gawain.
"Hey Jeet," Abdulla smirked, scanning the room, "plenty of prey here, huh?"
"Just a few glances revealed high-value targets all around."
"Even if we don't win, we'll make a killing from these scumbags!"
"What are you talking about?" Jeet replied coldly. "We're taking all of them."
The two were brazen—boldly declaring their intent to decapitate every bounty in the room.
Yet no one dared refute them.
In the corner, Kuro and Daz Bonez both cracked an eye open, glanced at the duo—and immediately lost interest.
They'd killed too many loudmouths like these to care anymore.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
The familiar bell rang.
The preliminaries for the Western Region had officially begun.
CLANG!
The heavy doors dropped open, revealing the roaring arena beyond.
"Here we go! Second round of the finals!"
"The last match got interrupted, and those two were freakishly strong! But this time should be different!"
"We're gonna see blood, death matches, and everything in between!"
Cheers and anticipation surged through the stands.
The fighters stepped forward into the central arena.
The battle scars left by Gin and Dellinger still marred the stonework—reminding everyone of what they were walking into.
Among the crowd, Abdulla and Jeet zeroed in on Kuro standing calmly in the center.
"That guy's bounty's a full 30 million Berries!"
"Let's go!"
Jeet slashed his blade through the air—
But there was no resistance. No crunch of flesh.
Just the sound of air splitting.
"Huh?!" Jeet's eyes widened.
Then—
A brutal gash opened from his abdomen to his shoulder, blood and flesh spraying into the air.
Swish!
Blood rained. Flesh flew.
Kuro hadn't moved a step.