After Nawaki announced the competition rules, the entire world grew lively once again.
The more matches there were, the more exhilarating it was for the spectators.
This tournament was nothing short of a grand spectacle.
"Since everyone has understood the rules, let's not waste time. The competition is about to begin. We will now proceed with random match pairings."
As Nawaki spoke, a massive screen lit up, displaying a rapidly rotating selection of names. Soon, the first batch of nine pairs, eighteen participants in total, appeared on the large display.
The competition grounds were vast, divided into nine smaller arenas, allowing nine matches to take place simultaneously.
Aside from Nawaki as the chief referee, there were also nine additional assistant referees overseeing the matches.
"Wow! Is that Lord Minato?!"
The moment the names were displayed, an exclamation rang out.
Among the participants in the third arena, one of them was none other than Namikaze Minato.
Seeing this, Minato turned and smiled at Kushina and the others beside him before vanishing in three quick Body Flicker Techniques, appearing directly in the third arena.
His opponent, a man named Morokaseti, had also stepped onto the battlefield.
Morokaseti, a prodigy from the Region of Lightning, was twenty-five years old and possessed the strength of an elite jōnin.
At this age and level, if it had been the previous era's Kumogakure, he would have been a rare talent among his peers.
Even in today's unified world, his strength remained among the best in the Region of Lightning.
Although he didn't have absolute confidence in making it onto the Outstanding Youth Ranking, he still believed he could showcase his abilities in this tournament.
However, what he didn't expect was that his very first opponent would be Minato.
Looking at Minato, with his golden hair shining under the sun, his face bright and confident, Morokaseti couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile.
His luck was simply too terrible.
"Big Brother Morokaseti… this isn't looking good."
Even his supporters exchanged glances, feeling helpless.
"There's nothing to be done. His opponent is Lord Minato, this match is practically unwinnable."
They sighed, already giving up hope for Morokaseti's victory.
However, in contrast to them, Minato's friends and fans were full of confidence.
"This will definitely be another instant victory!"
"I can't believe I ran into you in the first round… my luck is just awful."
Morokaseti spoke with a hint of resentment, knowing before the fight even began that he was already headed for the losers' bracket.
As for making a miraculous comeback?
Impossible.
Just thinking about Minato's battle records made Morokaseti's scalp tingle.
This was a world-class competition, and everyone wanted to make a name for themselves. While they were all desperately training to improve their strength, they were also gathering as much information as possible about their potential opponents.
After all, intelligence was crucial in battle.
And Minato, being the number one favorite to win this tournament, was someone whose information people couldn't help but study, even if they weren't planning to face him.
Namikaze Minato.
Twenty-one years old.
A shinobi from the Hidden Sage Village, formerly the disciple of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and now one of Sage Mochizuki Hui's most trusted aides.
He was an undeniable genius. It was said that his strength had already surpassed the Kage level.
He had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, numerous sealing techniques of the Uzumaki Clan, as well as many Sage Techniques.
He excelled in almost all forms of ninjutsu.
Moreover, according to rumors, he had begun training in the Eight Gates Sage Ascension Technique long ago. At present, he was already a Fifth-Tier Sage!
As for Minato's battle achievements, his most famous feat was from four years ago, during the final battle of the old era.
Back then, at just nineteen years old, Minato had slain a Kage level figure in a head-on fight, flashing across the battlefield like a golden streak of light, reaping the lives of countless enemies.
It was that battle that cemented his title as the Golden Flash, spreading his name throughout the world.
This was a man without weaknesses, a man so powerful, his true depths remained unknown.
Just recalling Minato's battle record from four years ago made Morokaseti's scalp go numb.
After all, four years ago, Minato was already strong enough to instantly defeat someone like him.
Now, after four more years had passed, who knew just how terrifying Minato had become?
So, a miraculous comeback?
Heh… sure, Let's go ahead and try! Let's see if I can pull it off!
"Begin the match!"
The moment the referee's voice fell, Morokaseti moved.
Even though he knew he was bound to lose, he still had to put up a struggle, at the very least, to show some fighting spirit.
After all, the whole world was watching. Surrendering outright would be too disgraceful.
Moreover, if he waited for Minato to strike first, he might not even get a chance to act.
So, Morokaseti had to take the initiative, and he had to go all out.
As expected, the live broadcast cameras were now focused on him and Minato.
Before the audience's eyes, lightning flickered across Morokaseti's body. His chakra condensed into a protective layer, Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
In the next instant, Morokaseti vanished from his spot.
To the spectators, his speed was blazing fast.
After all, he was an elite jōnin, by normal standards, an absolute superhuman.
Of course, this was only because the Eight Gates Sage Ascension Technique had yet to be widely practiced.
Once the method was fully adopted across the world, Hui firmly believed that within five years, elite jōnin would become as common as weeds.
But for now, elite jōnin were still considered impressive.
Seeing this, some who didn't fully grasp the gap between Minato and Morokaseti thought they were about to witness a thrilling battle.
And then, Minato moved.
It was just a slight shift of his body, but in the next moment, his hand stretched out, grabbing Morokaseti's attacking arm.
Then,
Sage Binding Seal!
A sealing technique instantly activated.
Morokaseti's chakra was completely sealed, his entire body frozen on the spot, unable to move.
Only then did Minato speak:
"You've lost."
A loss.
A one-hit instant defeat.
The gap between them was simply too vast, utterly impossible to overcome.
"I lost."
Morokaseti admitted defeat straightforwardly, but he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Winner: Namikaze Minato advances to the next round. Morokaseti moves to the losers' bracket!"
With the assistant referee's announcement, this highly anticipated match was over.
Too fast.
Many people were still in a daze,
Wait… what just happened?!
"Binding Seal… that was one of Lord Hui's signature moves."
Someone in the crowd sighed, reminiscing about the days when they followed Hui.
Thinking back, those years were truly unforgettable.
"Hah, that brat Minato… he's looking more and more like Lord Mochizuki Hui."
This thought wasn't limited to just one person, many who had once followed Hui saw his shadow in Minato.
But in the end, it was only a shadow.
In their hearts, Hui was irreplaceable.
…
At the Leaders' Viewing Platform;
A group of people were discussing Minato's match.
However, their conversation was different from the rest of the world.
Because they knew—
Hui was grooming Minato to become one of the next Five Regional Leaders.
"With Minato's strength and abilities, he's definitely qualified to be the next leader of one of the Five Great Regions."
"By the time that happens, Minato will be in his thirties, the perfect age."
"He's destined to be on the Outstanding Youth Ranking."
"I'm looking forward to his growth."
One by one, they praised Minato's future, speaking of him with undeniable admiration.
Meanwhile, beside Hui, Madara nodded slightly.
He spoke:
"Actually, sending Minato to World No. 1 wouldn't be a bad idea. Even though his future role should be as a leader, going to World No. 1 for training would be a great opportunity for him."
World No. 1—
That was the designation Mochizuki Hui had assigned to the world of One Piece.
The reason Madara was here watching the tournament was because he was selecting candidates.
He was extremely interested in the new world Hui had discovered.
He planned to go there himself.
Hui had already agreed to let Madara lead the expedition.
So now, Madara was carefully choosing his team members.