Capone: Fortress of Ambition

Once the contestant assignments were complete, the matches for Ring One were soon to begin. The contestants from the Ring One waiting area began walking towards the ring.

On the main platform of the fighting arena, an announcer was using a booming voice to stir the crowd's enthusiasm.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you have no idea how incredibly exciting this year's martial arts tournament will be! The top overlords of the sea – the Whitebeard Pirates, the Terror Pirates, the Beast Pirates, and the Fire Tank Pirates, hailed as the youngest great pirate crew – have all sent their most outstanding powerhouses to participate! Moreover, the Fire Tank Pirates, from their captain down to their top officers, have all entered the competition!"

"Esteemed audience, you will have the honor of witnessing the full combat strength of the Fire Tank Pirates with your own eyes!"

"Wooooah!"

The atmosphere instantly blazed to life, the stands drowned in a tidal wave of sound.

"And!" The announcer suddenly raised his tone, cutting through the crowd's roar. Everyone quieted down and looked at the announcer.

The announcer, filled with excitement, shouted at the top of his lungs, "And, Diamond Jozu of the Whitebeard Pirates, Son of Terror Taku of the Terror Pirates, Savage Elephant Jack of the Beast Pirates, as well as the captain of the Fire Tank Pirates, Demon Dragon Capone Bege, and Shadow Demon Gecko Moria, will all battle it out in Ring Four! This is the choice of the heavens! Even fate itself wants to witness their duel!"

The live audience erupted once more, cheers shaking the very heavens.

In the Ring Four waiting area, Taku suddenly began to laugh, a sinister, grotesque smile that made everyone present frown.

"The livelier, the better! The livelier, the more interesting! I want to crush everyone under my heel in front of all these eyes!" Taku was incredibly excited internally, an excitement that made him laugh even louder.

"That guy is definitely plotting something nasty against us," Moria snorted coldly.

Bege didn't even look at Taku, merely stating faintly, "Just a petty clown. Pay him no mind."

"You pervert, shut your damn mouth for me!" Jack, having no patience for Taku, directly cursed at him.

Taku's face stiffened, his expression turning ferocious.

The other contestants quickly dispersed, not daring to get close to the two.

"We can't fight yet. We'll see each other in the ring," Taku's aura shifted, and he let out a wicked laugh.

Jack scoffed. "Like I'd be afraid of you! Just wait until we're in the ring, see if I don't beat you until you're looking for your teeth all over the floor!"

Another earth-shattering wave of cheers came from outside.

"Our first match will be equally spectacular! Now, let's welcome the contestants to the stage!"

"Have you all seen him? That domineering figure! That's the great pirate from the Fire Tank Pirates with a bounty of 580 million Berries, 'High-Pressure Cannon' Egerd Riki!"

Riki strode onto the massive ring with large steps, planting himself directly in the center and even giving the audience a showy wave.

"And that one there! The youth who's only sixteen years old! Don't underestimate him; he's a pirate with a 200 million Berry bounty, Fire Tank Pirates officer, 'Fighting Dog' Hank! At such a young age, he's already killed pirates worth 200 million!"

The live audience gasped in amazement once again.

Hank thoroughly enjoyed being praised by others, standing beside Riki, cackling with delight.

Weevil also stood beside Riki, looking expectantly at the announcer, waiting for his name to be called. But the announcer completely ignored him and went on to introduce others.

"Riki, Hank, why isn't he introducing me? I'm really strong too!" Weevil said, a little angry and indignant.

"You're not famous on the seas yet. Once you take down some formidable pirates and Marines and get a bounty from the Marines, then you'll be famous," Hank explained.

"Alright then! After the competition, I'm going to kill lots of strong pirates and Marines!" Weevil nodded firmly.

"Weevil, this is a good opportunity! Once the match starts, if you defeat a bunch of people, you'll become famous," Riki said.

Weevil's eyes lit up, and he shot extremely unfriendly glares at the people around them. Some were so scared they shivered.

Among the contestants present, quite a few were looking at Riki and his group with ill intent, similarly planning to use them as stepping stones.

"And now, for the most crucial moment! Let's welcome our defending champion, our Undefeated Boxing King… Lisen!"

The announcer's excited, high-pitched voice floated through the air. With these words, the audience erupted once more, continuous high-pitched screams ringing out.

"Undefeated Boxing King! Undefeated Boxing King! Undefeated Boxing King!"

A unified chant rose from the spectator stands, shaking the sky. The passionate cries could be heard for a considerable distance around the fighting arena.

A large gate on the other side of the arena opened, and a robust middle-aged man wearing a black and red cloak walked out. Beneath the cloak, his well-defined muscles gleamed in the sunlight.

"Everyone, have you seen him? He is the legend of our Black Fist Island, the Undefeated Boxing King who has consecutively defeated five thousand opponents!"

On the main platform, the announcer was overwrought, shouting into the microphone incessantly with words of shock and praise for Lisen. The spectator stands were in a constant uproar.

Undoubtedly, at least eighty percent of the audience in the entire arena were residents of Black Fist Island, and these people were all Lisen's die-hard fans.

"He's really popular. When I knock him down later, I'd like to see their expressions. It'll definitely be quite a show," Riki said with a strange smile on his face.

Lisen immediately noticed Riki's gaze. Without much change in expression, he simply gave a calm nod.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Our first ring battle is about to begin! Let's give all our contestants the loudest cheers of encouragement!" The announcer once again stirred the enthusiasm of the live audience, who responded with the most fervent applause and cheers.

"The first ring battle… begins!" The announcer's voice boomed, declaring the start of the match.

The ring immediately descended into chaos, contestants brawling with each other.

Undefeated Boxing King Lisen stood in a corner of the ring, arms crossed, motionless. There was no one near him. And after the match began, no one went to bother him.

"Take down the Fire Tank Pirates first!" About twenty people targeted Riki and his group, swarming towards them.

"Leave them to me! I'll take them all on by myself!" Weevil shouldered his bisento, exuding unparalleled dominance. As the crowd rushed forward, Weevil swept his bisento out in a horizontal slash.

The blade moved at extreme speed, capable of creating sonic booms.

The charging contestants immediately raised their weapons to defend. The bisento slammed into their weapons, and the immense force sent them flying. With that one slash, five or six people were instantly launched into the air, knocking down many others in the process.

Swish! A figure leaped into the air, his astonishing jumping power allowing him to land directly above Weevil's head. He held a long, thin spike in his hand, stabbing directly at Weevil's head.

Weevil's bisento slashed upwards with even greater speed, striking first despite moving second. It connected with the man's head, which was instantly split open, brains splattering everywhere.

"Weevil! Don't use so much force! You've splattered the guy's brains out! It's too disgusting!" Hank, a disgusted look on his face, leaped two meters away, looking queasily at the brains all over the ground.

"Alright, I'll use a little less force then," Weevil chuckled foolishly, gripped his bisento, and with a roar, charged into the crowd. One contestant after another was sent flying by his bisento.