*Chapter 129: Smoothie Appears*

The power of Fish-Man Island is arguably the weakest, even though it has a mermaid princess who is destined to become Poseidon in the future.

But this girl hasn’t awakened yet. She has immense potential, which is why Raijin must fight for her.

All three ancient weapons must be in Raijin's grasp!

The only known ancient weapons are the Pluton, which lies dormant in Wano Country, and the Poseidon, hidden on Fish-Man Island.

Whitebeard might not be very interested in this. Even if he knows something, he doesn’t seem to care.

But Raijin is different. If this power isn’t under his control, he wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly at night.

For now, Wano Country can wait. Even though Kaido has controlled Wano for so many years, he still doesn’t know about it. So, it’s best to leave it alone for now.

When the time is right, Raijin will take it.

“Yes!”

Shiranui Gengen nodded.

What bad luck.

This Fish-Man Island, getting targeted by Dressrosa.

But it doesn’t matter; the moment Raijin-sama set his eyes on them, their fate was sealed.

The previous arena was left in ruins after the last battle.

But Dressrosa has a way to restore it.

Uchiha Tekkah appears on the stage, instantly raising a perfectly smooth surface.

It’s even slightly stronger than before.

Unless faced with an attack by a great swordsman, or if Sea-Prism Stone is involved, most of the ground here is like sand.

There’s never a shortage of challengers on the seas!

Countless swordsmen on the seas are always aiming for this position.

Even though Mihawk defeated members of the Whitebeard Pirates, showcasing his strength to them, they still study his fighting style!

“Wait, wait... the next opponent seems a bit unexpected.”

“This opponent is also a member of a great pirate crew, a name you’re all familiar with.”

“However, I should confirm this name with Raijin-sama first... Ah, never mind, no need to confirm.”

The host's face showed a hint of surprise.

But Shiranui Gengen suddenly appeared in front of him, conveying Raijin’s words.

The host's expression relaxed considerably, and a malicious smile curled his lips.

“This challenger is someone you all know well: one of the Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates—well, now it’s three Sweet Commanders, since Charlotte Katakuri was captured by Raijin-sama and removed from the commanders. What a pity.”

“Anyway, this person is one of Dressrosa’s defeated foes, one of the strongest members of the Big Mom Pirates, Charlotte Smoothie, the Juice Minister of Totto Land! Let’s welcome this low-tier pirate crew.”

The host’s words were sharp, among the most cutting in Dressrosa.

With Armament Haki enhanced by internal destruction and Conqueror’s Haki entwined, his words could easily shatter someone’s defenses.

As soon as he finished speaking, the arena fell silent.

But then, a wave of cheers erupted.

The crowd roared with excitement, enjoying the host’s sharp tongue.

“Oh, oh!”

“A loser from Dressrosa has come back.”

“Hahaha, the Big Mom Pirates are a joke now.”

“Getting pushed around by a rookie, and they still call themselves great pirates?”

“Isn’t the Big Mom Pirates’ standard too low? How did you even let them in, Dressrosa?”

The sea is full of fearless people, and the arena is filled with those who wouldn’t dare to criticize openly.

But some fearless folks in the arena started taunting and jeering.

The uproar grew louder, showing no concern for escalating tensions.

After all, the Big Mom Pirates were about to go to war with Dressrosa.

But who would’ve thought they’d dare to step onto the stage? It’s nothing but a joke!

Is the Big Mom Pirates really trying to reclaim their pride here?

Though this is Dressrosa’s territory, their opponent is another member of the Seven Warlords.

Could this person be picking the wrong fight?

“Buzz!”

A terrifying slash suddenly flew through the air.

The force tore through the ground, aiming straight at the host.

No one expected a host to be sacrificed before the battle even began.

Even the host didn’t anticipate that his sharp tongue would bring such disaster.

But he wasn’t like Mihawk, a powerful warrior. He could only watch helplessly as the slash tore him in half.

“Bang!”

A massive half-skeletal frame appeared, blocking the slash.

Bang!

In an instant, the slash shattered and dissipated.

A slightly shorter figure stood before the host, eyes glowing blood red, staring intently at the entrance to the arena.

“If there’s a next time, you’re dead!”

Uchiha Izumi’s cold voice echoed through the arena.

There’s no way Dressrosa would tolerate anyone embarrassing them.

The Uchiha Clan is always the one embarrassing others!

Her cold words shocked the arena’s spectators, who stared in awe at the girl.

What the heck!

Who is this girl?

At such a young age, she can block an attack from a powerful warrior of the sea?

Is everyone in Dressrosa a monster?

“Uchiha Izumi! You dared to kill Brûlée. I won’t forget this grudge!”

Charlotte Smoothie, with a grim expression, walked out from the arena's entrance.

She hadn’t even stepped onto the stage yet, but the crowd was already jeering.

For someone as proud as her, this was unbearable.

And that Dressrosa host was talking nonsense.

Not rushing up and killing that guy on the spot was already being merciful.

Daring to insult Mama will eventually bring Dressrosa to ruin.

“I’ll be waiting!” Uchiha Izumi replied calmly before disappearing from the spot.

It seemed like she was a ghost in Dressrosa, with no one able to detect her movements.

But her dashing image, facing off against Big Mom with such confidence, won over many in the crowd.

The arena buzzed with excitement, as everyone now eagerly awaited Mihawk’s appearance.

They couldn’t wait to see Mihawk crush that overconfident face.

How dare someone show off in Dressrosa? Do they even know who they’re dealing with?

*Smoothie walked to the center of the arena, memorizing the faces of those who insulted the Big Mom Pirates.*

Originally, she was here to deliver a message from her mother about the battle's location and to negotiate for Charlotte Katakuri’s release.

Of course, Charlotte Linlin wouldn't care about a loser like Katakuri; she’d be glad if he were dead. After all, he has repeatedly brought shame to the Big Mom Pirates, and Charlotte Linlin has long since forgotten him.

But his siblings haven’t forgotten, which is why they came here to see if they could negotiate his return.

However, after hearing about the World's Greatest Swordsman duel, Smoothie decided to win the title of World’s Greatest Swordsman to please her mother!

But Dressrosa had gone too far, utterly humiliating the Big Mom Pirates, even calling them a "low-tier pirate crew." That was a direct slap in the face!

As the second-in-command, second only to a few others in the Big Mom Pirates, Smoothie had to stand up for them.

“And now, here comes our very own Mihawk! Even after two battles, Mihawk-sama still looks as impressive as ever, without a trace of fatigue!”

“But please, grant me one favor—let this woman taste the power of a true swordsman!”

The host, seeing Mihawk enter, grabbed the microphone and shouted enthusiastically.

With Dressrosa backing him, what did Smoothie matter? Even if an Admiral showed up today, he’d mock them too.

Otherwise, it just wouldn’t be Dressrosa’s style.

After all, Raijin-sama is known for making enemies everywhere, acting like no one else matters. They have to keep up!

Mihawk glanced at the host, his eyes expressionless.

He had seen what just happened but had nothing to say. The host was asking for a beating; it was only natural.

In fact, Mihawk himself felt like going up there and giving him a good punch.

Dressrosa might be the home team, but this arrogance was on a whole other level, even more so than that of the Red-Haired Shanks.

This guy was really something else.

But Mihawk had no obligation to seek revenge for him.

Mihawk stepped in front of Smoothie, his face calm as he looked at the towering woman.

Just because someone is big doesn’t mean they have the upper hand on the seas. That might work against weaker foes, but in front of a strong opponent, they’re nothing more than a fragile doll.

“There are many swordsmen in the Big Mom Pirates. You must be the strongest,” Mihawk said to Smoothie.

“In Totto Land, my swordsmanship is the best! None of my brothers or sisters can match me. Mihawk, I wonder what kind of flavor I’ll get when I squeeze you. I’d love to taste the flavor of the Seven Warlords.”

“Lately, Mama has been very angry, constantly losing her temper. You Seven Warlords are in her way. If I can claim the title of World’s Greatest Swordsman here, Mama should be happy for a while.”

Smoothie licked her lips, stabbing her massive sword into the ground.

As the Juice-Juice Fruit user, she could squeeze the life out of any creature she touched, turning them into juice. She could even absorb moisture from others, temporarily boosting her own power.

This powerful Devil Fruit ability made Smoothie one of the top fighters in the New World.

But even without relying on her Devil Fruit powers, Smoothie’s swordsmanship was still among the best on the seas.

In her eyes, Mihawk, who had recently gained some fame, wasn’t worthy of being called the number one swordsman in their presence.

In this world’s top ranks, you can’t just barge in.

She was going to show this guy what it means to be a true pirate, not the childish games he’s been playing!

“Countless people have said that to me, but they all ended up as my stepping stones.”

“You will be one of my stepping stones too—maybe even the last one.”

Mihawk’s lips curled into a mocking smile as he confidently spoke.

His words echoed through the entire arena, making many people angry, but they could only swallow their anger.

“And now, let the battle begin!” the host announced.

In the center of the arena, the two clashed like madmen, swinging massive slashes at each other, aiming straight for their opponent’s face.

They opened with their strongest moves!

(End of Chapter)