In the vast arena of Block D, dust flew, and the sounds of shouting and clashing weapons intertwined.
Rebecca, dressed in somewhat tattered clothes (which didn't have much fabric to begin with), with disheveled hair but determined eyes, was nimbly dodging her opponent's attacks, struggling to survive in the brutal arena.
In a room outside the arena, Luffy stared intently at the broadcast screen in the cage, his face full of excitement, his hands clenched into fists, the veins on his arms slightly bulging, as he shouted at the top of his lungs,
"It's started again! Go, Rebecca!" Luffy's voice echoed in the room, making the prisoners in the cage also feel their blood boil, shouting encouragement.
Just as everyone's attention was focused on Rebecca,
Cavendish inadvertently seemed to catch sight of the camera's location.
A flicker of light instantly flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved upwards. Immediately after, he seemingly casually, yet with a hint of eagerness, squeezed past Rebecca.
He walked lightly towards the live camera, and after standing directly in front of it, the triumphant smile on his face became even more pronounced, like a peacock that had found its stage.
Cavendish first raised a hand and gently ran it through his soft, golden long hair. His hair swayed slightly, shimmering with a gentle luster in the sunlight, exuding casual elegance.
Then, he turned his entire body towards the camera, his smile growing wider, the corners of his mouth slowly rising, a natural smile blossoming. The curve of his lips seemed to be perfectly formed, radiating an innate charm.
His eyes were full of confidence, as if sharing himself with everyone behind the camera, silently conveying the message, "Come and admire me!"
Having smiled enough, Cavendish straightened his back, his chest slightly puffed out. He naturally struck a side pose, one hand casually on his hip, the other tracing an elegant arc in the air. He was completely immersed in the act of showcasing himself.
His intoxicated look at his own beauty was so narcissistic that it made people secretly click their tongues in amazement.
Seeing this, Luffy's excitement vanished instantly without a trace. He frowned, his face full of exasperation, and loudly complained at the screen,
"Hey, stop filming Cabbage! Hurry up and film Rebecca!"
The prisoners in the cage also joined in, waving their arms in protest: "Yes! Yes! Film Rebecca quickly!"
Luffy stared unhappily at the broadcast screen showing the match.
Watching Cavendish still showing off by himself on the screen, while Rebecca's figure was almost completely blocked, he grew angrier the more he watched.
Just as he was fuming, he suddenly realized something, muttering to himself,
"What am I doing? Why am I watching the broadcast here? I'm not locked up!"
Thinking of this, Luffy slapped his head and shouted loudly,
"Ah... speaking of which, watching the match here is too much of a hassle, I can't see clearly at all!
I need to find a place closer to the arena so I can properly cheer her on!"
With that, Luffy started to jog in place, twisting his body left and right as he ran, ready to rush out at any moment.
After a couple of steps, he stopped again and turned to look at the dejected prisoners in the cage.
"Hmm... I used to think this country was pretty good. The streets looked clean and tidy, everyone seemed quite happy, and the people seemed to live in peace and contentment.
But now that I see you all, my opinion has completely changed!" Luffy frowned, his face full of confusion.
The prisoners sighed helplessly at Luffy's words, and one of them shook his head and said, "You only see the glamorous surface world where the victors reside.
Doflamingo is a ruthless fellow.
He takes a knife and cuts people into two categories.
One category is the victors who submit to him, and the other is the losers who resist.
This method is almost identical to that of the World Government.
Those eliminated losers are nothing more than trash in his eyes.
They are casually discarded, and as long as these 'trash' are hidden in the dark corners,
Then this country, from the outside, naturally appears to be peaceful and prosperous."
(Doflamingo: Heh, foolish people, they are all my cattle and horses. I make very good use of waste, letting them live a happy 997 life, isn't that good?)
Luffy listened to these words, stopping his movements and scratching his head in thought, muttering to himself,
"Hmm... why does this scene feel a bit familiar?"
As he pondered, the events of the Unconfirmed Destination suddenly flashed in his mind, but he also felt it wasn't quite the same as here.
So he waved his hand and mumbled, "Forget it, I won't think about it anymore. It's more important for me to go cheer on Rebecca!"
No sooner had Luffy's words fallen than he ran off like a gust of wind, disappearing in the blink of an eye, leaving only a trail of stirred-up dust.
But who would have thought that as soon as Luffy emerged from underground, before he even had a chance to clearly assess his surroundings,
he crashed head-on into someone with a "bang."
The collision made both of them see stars, and they stumbled back several steps before regaining their balance.
Luffy rubbed his head, a bit dazed.
Bartolomeo was even more disoriented by the sudden impact, and it took him a good while to recover.
When he saw that the person in front of him was Luffy, he first froze.
Immediately after, his face flushed "whoosh" all the way to his ears.
He looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his eyes wide, his mouth agape in shock.
An uncontrolled shriek escaped his lips, even with a trilled 'r'.
"Lu... Lu... Lu... Luffy-senpai!!!!!"
Bartolomeo's shriek was still echoing in the air when he saw Luffy so close!
His eyes instantly reddened, and tears uncontrollably welled up. Soon, the tears fell like broken strings of pearls, "swoosh, swoosh."
Perhaps from too much excitement or something else, illusions gradually appeared before his eyes.
In that illusion, Luffy seemed to be enveloped in a halo, becoming even more handsome, his posture tall and his face unbelievably dashing.
He was looking deeply affectionate, slowly walking towards him with elegant steps.
Bartolomeo was utterly captivated, and he seemed to hear Luffy's voice.
"Ah ~ you are Bartolomeo, who made a big splash in Block B, aren't you?"
The Luffy in the illusion was composed yet friendly.
Bartolomeo's excited heart, however, could not calm down. He trembled slightly, stammering as he grasped Luffy's hand,
"That's right, Luffy-senpai, you actually remember my name! I am Bartolomeo!"
The illusory Luffy smiled charmingly, "Of course! We'll both do our best in the finals!"
Bartolomeo instantly broke into a doting smile... Luffy was silent... Luffy was disgusted... ₍ ( ̨ ̡ ‾ ᷄ ᗣ ‾ ᷅ ) ̧ ̢ ₎
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