"What's going on? Monkey D. isn't making a move in the ring! The two fighters aren't even talking! His opponent has both palms aimed directly at him—what exactly is happening here? We all know that this strange-looking contestant, Huntun, is a psychic! Could it be that he's using his abilities to restrict Monkey D.'s movements? This is unbelievable!"
The announcer adjusted his sunglasses, doing his best to explain the situation.
"This is outrageous! How can he use such a dirty trick?" a spectator protested.
"Dirty? He's just using his own skills! Isn't that the whole point of the World Martial Arts Tournament? I think the Muten School's Ki techniques—what are they called again? Ki blasts? Now that's cheating!"
"But isn't the tournament's core principle about self-improvement?"
"Ki blasts take real training to master! If you think it's so easy, why don't you try one yourself?"
"Shut up and watch! Look! Monkey D. is moving!"
"What's he doing? He's stepping back! Hey, hey, hey! He's almost at the edge of the ring! Is he seriously going to step out on his own?"
On the Broken Mountain Ring
Monkey D. had completely lost control of his body. Screech—screech—screech! His soles scraped against the ground as he was forcibly dragged backward, inch by inch. Before long, his heel slipped over the edge—one more step, and he'd be out of bounds, disqualified from the match!
"So this is psychic power… heh…" Gritting his teeth, Monkey D.'s entire body tensed as his muscles swelled, stretching his martial arts uniform to its limit. Veins bulged on his exposed neck as he fought against the unseen force.
Across from him, Huntun remained expressionless, his forehead glistening with sweat as he continued his relentless push forward.
"This is bad! Monkey D. is in serious danger right from the start! Will he be completely overpowered by Huntun's psychic ability and fall out of the ring?"
The announcer had moved closer to the edge of the ring, carefully observing the invisible clash between the two fighters. From this vantage point, he could feel the sheer force emanating from them—the battle of wills pressing against each other.
As Monkey D. struggled to break free, the heat radiating from his body was intense, like a blazing furnace! The announcer, taken aback, adjusted his sunglasses and shouted into the mic, "This is truly unbelievable! A match like this…"
"So this is martial arts…"
A sharp gleam flashed in Huntun's pale eyes. Without hesitation, he took another step forward, pressing both hands out even harder!
Shhht!
Monkey D.'s foot slid back again—then, with an even stronger force propelling him, he lost his footing completely!
"Ahhh! That guy is so despicable!"
A female fan screamed as the giant screen showed a close-up of Monkey D. teetering over the edge. Unable to bear the sight, she covered her eyes in distress.
But then—gasps erupted from the crowd!
"Don't… get ahead of yourself!!"
Gritting his teeth, Monkey D. stopped trying to resist the psychic force with raw strength. Instead, he went with it! Using the momentum, he leaped backward into the air!
"RAAAAH!!"
Tear!
His white martial arts uniform suddenly shredded apart, revealing his powerful, battle-hardened physique. Boom! Expanding his arms wide, he broke free from the invisible restraint!
Splurt!
As Monkey D. tore through the psychic hold, Huntun's body jerked backward, blood spurting from his mouth. Against his already deathly pale complexion, the sight was downright eerie.
"He's flying! Monkey D. can really fly!!"
The audience erupted into frenzied cheers.
"Vmmm—!"
Hovering midair, Monkey D. gathered his hands at his side. A dazzling white glow instantly burst to life between his palms!
"He's so cool!! Monkey D.'s muscles are amazing!!"
"I want to touch them!!"
"It's Kamehameha! It's Kamehameha! Monkey D. has used Kamehameha again!! Ahhh! So cool!!" Someone immediately recognized it, frantically snapping pictures with their phone, unwilling to miss a single frame.
Boom!
A dazzling white energy wave streaked through the air and crashed onto the Broken Mountain Arena…
"I win." Monkey D. flew back from the air, walking up to the stunned Huntun beside the crater. He extended his hand with a smile. "Thanks for the match."
Huntun remained silent, then climbed to his feet and spoke for the first time. "No, a loss is a loss."
Martial arts, huh… Maybe I should try learning it, too…
Monkey D. shrugged, then turned to the audience, raising a fist. As the cheers intensified, he left the stage.
Back in the fighters' lounge, Lanton frowned. "You already broke the deadlock with your ki blast, and your opponent was injured from the rebound. You could've just knocked him out—why use Kamehameha? Don't you know how dangerous that technique is?"
"I got carried away…" Monkey D. shrank his head. "Besides, I deliberately aimed away."
Seeing the old man by the wall say nothing in reproach, Monkey D. let out a sigh of relief and scratched his head with a grin.
At that moment, the TV broadcast in the lounge played the announcer's voice: "Now, it's time for the final match of the first round! From Orin Temple, we have Fighter Purin, facing off against Central Capital's Fan! Please come forward!"
Inside the lounge, Monk Purin was the first to leave.
The other fighter, the third-place champion from Central Capital, silently followed.
Monkey D. watched the tall figure wrapped in bandages with a thoughtful look. "Senior, I feel like… this guy is even stronger than Central Capital's champion and runner-up. How did he only place third?"
Lanton chuckled. "All three of Central Capital's top fighters qualified for this tournament. First, second, third—it's all the same. What, are you afraid of facing him?"
If this man won his match, he would be Monkey D.'s next opponent in the second round.
Monkey D. rolled his eyes. "You should worry about yourself instead. That guy with the sword… he's no joke." His gaze shifted toward the corner, where Noah Robe was silently polishing his blade.
Lanton's expression turned serious. He lowered his voice. "Of course I know… His 'ki' is terrifying. He may not have learned how to consciously channel it yet, but when he swings his sword, he instinctively unleashes an unbelievable power…"
---
"Amitabha." Purin pressed his palms together in a respectful greeting.
Across from him, the Central Capital's third-place fighter, Fan, closed his eyes. Then he opened them again—his sharp gaze sent a chill through Purin's heart!
"Begin!"
Three minutes later—
Fan seized an opening. His right arm's muscles suddenly swelled, and with a loud "Hah!" he launched Purin into the air.
From the center of the arena, Purin was sent flying so far that he nearly crashed into the audience.
"The winner of Round 6—Fan!"
---
The first round of the inaugural World Martial Arts Tournament had come to an end!
Second-round matchups—
Taro vs. Uru!
Noah Robe vs. Lanton!
Monkey D. vs. Fan!
The final six warriors would clash!
---
"Six fighters?? Then what about the third round…" A spectator realized the problem. "If three fighters advance, how will they decide first, second, and third place?"
"Are they going to do a round-robin? But by then, the finalists will all be top-tier warriors—after a grueling fight, they'd have to face a fresh opponent? That's not fair! What are the tournament organizers thinking?"
Speculation had already spread online.
One comment joked: "What if the final round is a three-way battle?"