One Piece: Dungeon Shop. Scamming Garp, Reward: Eight-Tails Jinchuriki-Chapter 329: Cynthia Takes the Stage
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Chapter 329: Cynthia Takes the Stage
"Gyarados, [Dragon Tail]."
Lilly’s voice was a flat, chilling monotone that cut through the roaring wind of the stadium. At her command, Kaido’s obsidian tail—thick as an ancient redwood—was instantly enveloped in a crushing, invisible will. There were no flashy lights or elemental sparks; there was only a raw, terrifying pressure that seemed to warp the very fabric of space around his massive frame.
Moving second, yet striking with the speed of an executioner’s blade, Kaido’s counter landed first. Just as Mega Charizard X’s emerald-glowing claws were about to find their mark, the massive black tail tore through the atmosphere with a piercing, high-pitched shriek.
BANG—!!!!
The sound was heavy and absolute, a dull thud of extreme force as claw met tail in mid-air. A violent shockwave exploded outward like a category-five hurricane, sweeping across the entire stadium and forcing the audience to shield their eyes against the sudden gale. Mega Charizard X let out a pained, guttural roar. Under the sheer weight of the blow, its massive frame was forcibly swatted aside like a common insect. It struggled to stabilize itself in the air, its right claw trembling uncontrollably as a look of grim realization flickered in its sapphire eyes.
This strength was absurd. It was a level of pure, physical power that sat on an entirely different plane from its own.
"Worororororo—!!!"
Kaido let out a boisterous, delighted laugh that rattled the stadium’s foundations. That’s more like it! Finally, a worm that doesn’t snap at the first touch!
"Charizard! [Flare Blitz]!"
Alain’s face had gone pale, his expression shifting to one of absolute, desperate gravity. He knew that ordinary tactics were useless against this freak of nature.
"ROAR—!!!"
Mega Charizard X bellowed, its entire body suddenly engulfed in violent, blue flames that licked the sky. It looked like a cobalt meteorite falling from the heavens, trailing a terrifying wake of heat that threatened to incinerate the very air as it dove toward Kaido.
"The game is over," Lilly said, her eyes hollow as she watched the incoming inferno with complete indifference. "Gyarados, crush it head-on."
"ROAR—!!!!"
Kaido let out a sky-shaking roar and lunged forward, choosing raw aggression over a retreat. His massive head was suddenly coated in a deep, absolute black—the ultimate application of his reinforced spirit.
[Tekkai: Steel]!
It was the strongest headbutt imaginable, a collision of biological armor and the crushing will of a sovereign.
BOOM—!!!!!!
The black demon dragon and the blue meteorite collided in the center of the arena before tens of thousands of stunned witnesses. For a single heartbeat, the world seemed to go silent as the physics of the impact struggled to process. Then, a spherical shockwave, a hundred times brighter than the sun, erupted outward. The destructive energy instantly uprooted, shredded, and melted the reinforced stone of the arena floor. The entire Indigo Plateau trembled violently, the sheer pressure nearly causing the stands to collapse.
As the dust slowly cleared, two figures emerged from the haze.
The blue flames on Mega Charizard X had been extinguished, leaving it covered in fine lacerations and gasping for air in ragged, pained heaves. Kaido, meanwhile, merely shook his massive head with a casual grunt. On his dark-coated forehead, there was nothing but a faint, shallow white mark.
The gap in power was undeniable.
"How... how can this be?" Alain stared at the scene, his world-view fracturing. Charizard’s most powerful [Flare Blitz] had been countered by nothing more than a stubborn headbutt.
Too weak.
A flash of disappointment crossed Kaido’s crimson eyes. You call this ’the strongest’? He was bored now. The novelty had worn off, and this little game had reached its conclusion.
Rumble—!!!
The entire arena suddenly gave way. Countless millstone-sized chunks of rock were launched into the air by a massive surge of Kaido’s power, creating a literal rain of meteors across the battlefield.
"What?!" Alain’s pupils constricted. He’s deliberately destroying the field?!
In the middle of the flying debris, Mega Charizard X found flight nearly impossible. Its speed was neutralized as it struggled to weave through the falling boulders. This was exactly what Kaido wanted. In this chaotic, three-dimensional battlefield of his own making, he was the only true king.
"Get... DOWN!!!"
Kaido roared, his massive body weaving through the falling boulders with impossible, serpentine agility. He appeared behind Charizard in the blink of an eye. His tail, coiling with the crushing pressure of his absolute will, whipped upward.
The air was sucked out of the space; even reality seemed to warp under the tension of the strike.
[Modified Thunder Bagua]!!!
BANG—!!!!
The thud was heavy and final. Mega Charizard X didn’t even have time to scream before the massive tail struck it squarely in its armored back.
CRACK—!
The sound of shattering bone was clearly audible throughout the silent stadium. Charizard’s massive body fell from the sky like a downed fighter jet, trailing a plume of black smoke.
BOOM—!!!
It slammed into the ground, kicking up a massive shroud of dust that obscured the crater.
One second. Two seconds.
Ten seconds passed. The black Charizard did not stand up.
The referee raised a flag, his voice trembling as he made the call.
"Charizard is unable to battle! The winner is—Lilly!"
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The dust settled, revealing an arena reduced to total ruin. Mega Charizard X lay embedded in a deep crater like a heap of broken clay, eyes rolled back in total unconsciousness.
The obsidian dragon hovered in the air, completely unscathed. He didn’t even grant his defeated opponent a second glance. He simply let out a roar of utter disdain, dominating the battlefield like a sovereign.
"The winner is... Lilly!!!"
Silence. After a heartbeat of deathly quiet, the entire Indigo Plateau Stadium erupted in a volcanic explosion of cheers and frantic screams.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The semi-finals are officially over!"
"Next is the—Final Battle of the Indigo Conference!!!"
"Representing our unstoppable dark horse, Lilly!"
"Against our special guest who has traveled from afar—"
"The Champion of the Sinnoh Region! Cynthia!!!"
As the announcement finished, a figure emerged from the far end of the stadium. She wore an elegant black trench coat, her long golden hair cascading down like a waterfall, partially obscuring one side of her beautiful, yet stern face. Her presence carried a strange magic; the frantic, roaring stadium suddenly fell quiet as she stepped into the light.
Her eyes were like deep, ancient wells—calm, indifferent, yet containing a wisdom that saw through everything.
The Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia! A woman who stood at the absolute apex of her region through her own strength and that of her Pokémon—hailed as the strongest Champion.
Cynthia walked to the center of the arena, her gaze sweeping over the ruins of the battlefield. Finally, her eyes settled on the young girl in the gothic dress.
"You are strong," Cynthia spoke, her voice clear and melodious. "Your Gyarados is the most unique Pokémon I have ever seen."
Lilly merely looked back with hollow, emotionless eyes, offering no reply.
This caused Cynthia’s brow to furrow slightly. From this girl, she could sense no desire for victory, nor any trace of a bond with her Pokémon. There was only a void of cold indifference. It was as if she were facing a heartless machine of war.
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