The long-awaited Beast Combat Tournament commenced as scheduled.
The streets were alive with bustling crowds. Visitors who had traveled from afar thronged through the shops lining the streets, bringing prosperity and cheer to the residents of Dick City.
Everywhere, colorful streamers fluttered, strung high on wooden frames, marking the festive atmosphere. All eyes were fixed on the colossal beast arena in the center of Crossroads, the heart of the city.
In this lively ambiance, even the dark clouds that had long loomed over East Street seemed to dissipate slightly.
"The Devil Fruit will be mine!"
"I've been waiting so long for this! Zehahaha!"
"A prize of unprecedented magnitude…"
Competitors, spurred on by the promise of an extraordinary reward, arrived early at the beast arena, brimming with fighting spirit.
Law and Bepo also arrived outside the arena, blending into the crowd.
"Captain, it's so lively here!" Bepo exclaimed, his eyes sparkling as he took in the vibrant scene around him.
Standing tall among the crowd, Bepo's presence naturally drew attention. Soon, onlookers began to notice the towering polar bear-like figure and cast curious glances his way.
"A bear beast fighter?" someone muttered, scrutinizing Bepo closely.
Among them, a seasoned beast fighter carefully assessed Bepo. Judging him as a combatant, the veteran instinctively used several common criteria to evaluate Bepo's overall combat prowess.
"The size is just about acceptable, but the fur's too thick—can't see the muscles. He's probably strong, but the intimidation factor… zero."
The veteran's eyes scanned Bepo's round, shiny, and endearingly innocent eyes. He silently concluded that Bepo lacked any real threat. Among beasts, a menacing appearance often played a crucial role in asserting dominance. In the veteran's eyes, setting aside Bepo's size, the bear's harmless demeanor rendered him utterly non-threatening.
What's more, the bear's owner hadn't even equipped him with any offensive or defensive gear. Instead, they'd dressed him in an outdated uniform. How absurd.
The veteran chuckled coldly to himself. Not worth worrying about.
Under the curious gazes from all around, Bepo remained unfazed, his excitement visible as he craned his neck to take in the sights. His bear-like face lit up with enthusiasm.
Law, accustomed to Bepo's antics, gave him a light nudge in the lower back with the hilt of his sword.
"Bepo, are you seriously entering the beast combat tournament?"
"Absolutely!" Bepo's eyes lit up with fiery determination.
Seeing Bepo so spirited, Law sighed, knowing the reason behind it. "Maude might not even bring Bailey to the tournament."
"Hmph!" Bepo clenched his fists. "If he doesn't show up, I'll drop out immediately!"
"…"
Law struggled to resist the urge to turn and leave. Bringing Bepo to this island had clearly been a mistake. But now that they were here, it was too late for regrets.
Resigned, Law sighed inwardly. Still, seeing how excited Bepo was, he decided to support him. After all, family deserved encouragement in pursuing their dreams.
"Bepo, we should head inside."
Law glanced around at the noisy, swelling crowd. With Bepo's conspicuous presence, it would be better to enter the arena sooner rather than later.
"Got it!" Bepo nodded.
As Law and Bepo moved toward the participants' entrance, the bustling crowd's noise suddenly began to die down.
"Hmm?"
Noticing the strange shift, Law halted and turned to look back toward the street they had come from.
The first thing he saw was the towering figure of Jim towering above the crowd, though the rest of the Maude Pirates were nowhere in sight.
"So, Maude came as well…"
Law calmly observed Jim's hulking figure striding down the street. From his position, he could only see Jim's intimidating visage, but that alone was enough to confirm Maude's arrival.
The deafening chatter around the beast arena entrance gradually quieted as the Maude Pirates made their approach, eventually fading to hushed murmurs. The dense crowd began parting of its own accord, creating an open path for the infamous crew.
"The slaughter on East Street… they're the ones responsible. What a bunch of cold-blooded monsters…" someone muttered.
"Shh! Do you have a death wish?" a companion immediately hushed them.
"What are you afraid of? They're so far away, there's no way they could hear us," the first person retorted.
"Do you know the law of survival?" the companion asked in return.
"What law?"
Shaking their head, the companion gave the first person a meaningful look before slipping away into the crowd. Better to bear the burden of survival alone than to march toward doom with an oblivious fool.
Unaware of the disdain directed their way, the first person was left scratching their head in confusion.
As countless gazes followed them, the Maude Pirates made their way to the beast arena entrance. The dense crowd parted for them, forming a clear path.
"Hoh…"
Seeing the surrounding crowd's reaction, Lafitte twirled his cane, spinning it in an elegant flourish as they walked.
Originally, Maude had intended for Jim to clear the path, but the crowd's voluntary cooperation made the task unnecessary. Maude had a good idea why they were being treated this way. It wasn't just due to his infamous reputation but also the recent killings on East Street. Though there was no direct evidence implicating him, the majority had already assumed him to be the culprit.
The massacre had amplified his fearsome reputation severalfold, and the reaction of the crowd reflected this.
With the grand event approaching, the soldiers responsible for maintaining order were out in force, their numbers five times the usual. They encircled the entire arena, forming an impenetrable barrier to hold back the throngs of people.
These soldiers, too, noticed the shift in the crowd and soon spotted the Maude Pirates cutting through. For both seasoned veterans and fresh recruits, this was a sight unlike anything they'd ever encountered outside the beast arena.
Under the soldiers' silent gaze, the Maude Pirates reached the entrance and came face-to-face with Law and Bepo.
Maude was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Law, of all people, to be here.
"Law, you're here too?" Maude greeted him.
The man before him, not yet a famous name, held a wealth of valuable intelligence on Donquixote Doflamingo. Though it wasn't the time to deepen their connection, Maude wasn't one to overlook potential allies.
"Maude," Law acknowledged with a nod.
At the same time, the two mascots of their respective crews, Bailey and Bepo, locked eyes once again. Sparks seemed to ignite between them as an unspoken rivalry flared to life.
Not lingering at the entrance for long, the Maude Pirates quickly completed their registration and entered the beast arena. The clanging of iron gates sealed off the outside noise as they stepped inside.
Within the arena, they were met with yet another round of curious and wary stares. The gathered contestants turned their attention toward Maude's group, though their gazes soon shifted to the white weasel perched on his shoulder.
"That white weasel… is that the beast Maude's entering into the competition?"
"So weak…"
The gravity in the contestants' eyes began to dissipate. This was a beast competition, not a battle against Maude himself. Based solely on the tiny, unimposing creature on his shoulder, there was no threat whatsoever.
-------
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule?
Join here: patreon.com / emperorgarus
There are more than 200 advance chapters available for you!