On the training grounds, Bege and Rayleigh stood facing each other. A considerable crowd of onlookers had gathered, split into two groups: Bege's disciples and the Roger Pirates' crew.
Bege's expression was serious. He was facing a legendary pirate, one of the strongest in the world. Moreover, Rayleigh was in his prime, his physical and mental state at their peak, his strength unfathomable.
Bege unfastened his outer garment, revealing a suit of armor made of interlocking black iron plates. It looked incredibly crude. He slowly removed the heavy armor, casually tossing it aside to land more than ten meters away.
The black armor crashed into the ground, creating a large crater. This sight stunned the Roger Pirates' crew, and their faces contorted in disbelief.
"Is this guy a monster? He's wearing weights that heavy?" Buggy's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Those weights must be at least five tons! And he acts like it's nothing," Shanks said gravely, equally astonished.
"Godfather's weighted iron suit is a full ten tons, and that's not even all of it!" Enel, standing nearby, declared proudly to Shanks and the others.
Boom!
Another heavy thud echoed. Bege had removed the weighted bracelets from his wrists.
These weighted bracelets and the iron suit were high-tech training equipment that Bege had purchased at a high price through the Shipping King's connections. Supposedly, it was the kind of gear only available to Marine Headquarters.
Enel looked at Bege with adoration, puffing out his chest like a victorious rooster. "Godfather's weighted iron suit is ten tons. The weighted bracelets on his left and right arms add up to another six tons. Godfather wears them every day for training. When he takes them off, he can shatter a small mountain with a single punch."
Bege's disciples gazed at him with fervent admiration and respect. For the past two years, Bege had trained tirelessly, his intensity and rigor far surpassing everyone else's. It was his dedication that inspired his subordinates and officers, leading to their remarkable progress in strength.
"He's added another four tons. Among all of us, I have the best physique, and I can only wear eight tons of weights. Bege is already using sixteen tons. It seems my training is still too slow," Moria muttered, touching the weighted bracelet on his wrist, his expression displeased.
Weighted training wasn't exclusive to Bege. Modi and other officers also engaged in it. Moria, thanks to his superior physique, could already wear eight tons of weighted bracelets and iron clothing. Modi could handle six tons, Riki seven... the officers generally wore at least two tons of weights. But compared to Bege's sixteen tons, their efforts seemed insignificant.
The Roger Pirates, including Shanks, looked as if they'd seen a ghost. Sixteen tons of weight! They might not even be able to stand up under that load, yet Bege trained with it daily.
Rayleigh's eyes gleamed. From the crater caused by the falling weights, he'd roughly estimated their mass. He knew this young man was no ordinary figure, and his expression turned serious.
"What a monster. Lord Bege, I'm truly looking forward to this fight."
Bege's grin widened. He took a deep breath, and his arms expanded three times in succession, becoming incredibly thick. His upper body also bulged, doubling in size.
He had improved upon San Gorilla, extending the strength enhancement from just his arms to his entire upper body. He was still refining the technique, hoping to eventually strengthen his entire body.
Then, a ferocious, brutal aura erupted from Bege, sweeping outwards. A chorus of beastly roars, inaudible to ordinary people, resonated from within him. Behind him, illusory phantoms of savage beasts appeared.
These beastly phantoms were invisible to the naked eye, but they could be perceived through Observation Haki.
Rayleigh, as one of the sea's top fighters, was proficient in all three types of Haki. The illusory roars of the beasts seemed almost audible to him. He instinctively activated his Observation Haki, capturing the phantoms of the beasts, his expression growing even more serious.
In Rayleigh's perception, the phantoms of the beasts plunged into Bege's body. Bege's physique expanded again, more than doubling in size, and the brutal aura emanating from him became even more violent and savage.
The surrounding onlookers were all affected by this aura. Those with weaker wills were startled by the ferocity, breaking out in cold sweat.
"You kids can't handle Bege's ferocity yet," Moria said, pushing Enel and the others further away.
"I feel like he's even scarier than the Beast King on Koya Island," Buggy said, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, clearly intimidated by Bege's aura.
"It's not a feeling; he's definitely stronger than the Beast King," Shanks stated firmly.
Koya Island was a wild beast island, populated entirely by gigantic, powerful creatures. They had trained on Koya Island and even fought against the island's strongest Beast King. Shanks had clashed with the Beast King hundreds of times, giving him a deep understanding of its power. Therefore, he could immediately judge that Bege was stronger.
"A terrifying kid," Rayleigh muttered, unsure of how many times he'd been surprised already. Even before the battle began, he had fully acknowledged Bege's strength in his heart.
"Lord Rayleigh, I'm going to attack." Bege's eyes blazed with excitement and fervor. Two years of intense training had allowed him to fully master the Fierce Beast Tag List. Combined with his improved physique, the burden of the Fierce Beast Tag List on his body had been minimized.
"Come," Rayleigh replied, drawing the sword at his waist, his expression composed.
Bege's figure vanished instantly. Rayleigh swiftly countered with his sword, clang!, blocking Bege's savage strike. Despite the force of Bege's downward slash, Rayleigh didn't budge an inch, demonstrating the depth of his power.
Bege's hands moved, becoming a blur as a flurry of slashes rained down on Rayleigh. Rayleigh responded in kind, a whirlwind of sword strikes meeting the onslaught of blades.
In a matter of seconds, the two exchanged over a hundred blows, the intensity of the clash leaving the onlookers dumbfounded.
No matter how fierce or cunning Bege's attacks were, Rayleigh blocked them all.
"As expected of the Dark King. Lord Rayleigh, I'm going to use my full strength now," Bege exclaimed, his fighting spirit soaring even higher. He laughed heartily, and the brutal aura emanating from him grew even more intense.
"Bring it on. Let me see what you've got," Rayleigh replied with a calm smile.
"One Sword Style — Tyrant Dragon!"
Bege took a step forward, slashing his sword forward with tremendous force. A fierce surge of sword energy transformed into a raging dragon, charging towards Rayleigh.
Rayleigh's expression remained unchanged. He swung his sword, cleaving the dragon in two. But then, a dense barrage of sword shadows, hundreds strong, pierced towards him.
His eyes sharpened. Rayleigh swiftly retreated, taking several quick steps backward, covering over ten meters. But suddenly, he stopped, gripping his sword tightly.
His Observation Haki had sensed Bege moving behind him with astonishing speed.
"What an impressive kid."
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