The killings on the island didn’t attract much attention, which was typical after the tournament. It wasn’t unusual for people who had personal grudges to settle things with life-or-death outcomes. This was also why most people chose to leave quickly after the tournament ended.
They don’t want to get caught up in trouble, nor do they want to encounter any unknown AOE attacks, leading to unexpected injuries or deaths. After the order on the island disappears, the only way to ensure safety is to rely on themselves.
If not for the allure of fame, prize money, and the stable order during the tournament, the New World Central Fighting Tournament wouldn’t have continued as smoothly as it did.
King had already returned first with the plate, and Delia and Isuka were also on their way back. At this moment, Delia was quietly counting her money.
“Repay Amalee, Boss and Babanuki…”
The large stack of prize money already had creditors. After deducting what she owed, only a small amount was left. She highly valued the champion’s prize—it had become a new and important method for her to repay debts since she started competing.
“Alright, the remaining bit should be enough to have fun for a few days. Boys, let’s head back quickly. Once we’re back at Onigashima, drinks are on me!”
“Ohhhh!!”
Apart from banquet times, drinks were never free, so having their leader treat them was always a good thing. However, Isuka didn’t understand Delia’s behavior.
“Sister Delia, maybe… you should save some?”
“Hm? Almost forgot about you. You come along, too. What kind of pirate doesn’t drink? It’s a good time to train your alcohol tolerance, so you won’t pass out after one cup in the future.”
People have tried to persuade her before, but it never worked. Most of her money gets squandered on days like these when she treats others. Her underlings do treat her sometimes, but it’s nothing compared to the scale of her spending.
“Sister Delia, I’m talking to you about something serious!”
“Don’t worry about it so much. With Onigashima’s dining hall, we won’t starve. Treasure just sits collecting dust if you don’t spend it. The real value of treasure lies in spending it.”
Their differing values lead to different lifestyles. Rather than treasure hoarded in a warehouse that could last forever, she preferred treasure that disappeared like fireworks.
She pursues a luxurious lifestyle and enjoys the fleeting thrill of emptiness that comes after a storm has passed. For her, spending money brings more happiness than saving it.
“I already told Boss King about the situation, and you’ll definitely get your reward. Think about what you want—it’s a rare opportunity!”
While Delia was still on her return journey, King had already returned to Wano Country with the plate. However, Arceus hadn’t returned yet. After placing the plate in a safe spot, King left.
A few days later, Delia returned, drawing envious and jealous glances from the surrounding pirates.
But she didn’t show off—just as in previous years, after paying off her debts, she invited her underlings and close friends to the pubs in Wano Country. In the past, King might have dragged her back to work, but this time, he had granted her an extended vacation.
Some time later, Genesis returned to Onigashima. As it neared Wano Country, the plate stored within Onigashima began to glow with radiance.
Upon returning, King had already informed Arceus, confirming the plate’s authenticity through its hardness. With the plate now back on Onigashima, there was no longer any concern for unexpected mishaps, so Arceus hadn’t rushed back early.
Arceus’ navigation route is well-planned, and returning early might have caused him to miss something he would otherwise instinctively find.
…
“Fighting-type…Not bad.”
As the plate returned, Arceus began to emit a unique aura. Even King and Shayna, who were nearby, could feel the unusual aura. Each time a plate returned, Arceus’ aura would briefly change.
The overwhelming malice of the Dread Plate, the vibrant life force of the Meadow Plate, the endless vitality of the Splash Plate, and the peculiarity of the Pixie Plate—but this time, Arceus’ aura became incredibly unusual.
There was no profound change in his aura. Instead, it was a suppression of physical aura. As a Fighting-type, the power the Fist Plate brought was quite special.
Now Arceus had already regained three major plates: the Iron Plate, the Fist Plate, and the Blank Plate.
The combination of Steel, Fighting, and Normal-type led to a new qualitative change. This world was not the Pokémon world; most human attacks here relied on their physical bodies.
The biggest difference between humans and beasts is that humans use tools, but no matter what metal weapon is used, the power of the Iron Plate could neutralize it. Ordinary attacks would be purified by the Blank Plate, and now, with the Fist Plate, fighting techniques would become ineffective.
Haki is the power of the heart, a special “martial art” that people can use only after undergoing rigorous training. The appearance of the Fist Plate meant that Armament Haki’s attacks could no longer harm Arceus.
Simple physical attacks from the body would be completely nullified. Arceus has now acquired this buff, and only a few elemental attacks could still have some effect on him.
The Fist Plate encompassed all Fighting-type moves. Now, for masters of martial arts, Arceus had become the ultimate boss with an unbreakable defense—no matter how long they had trained or how refined their martial arts were, it would have no effect.
If this were a game, it would create a puzzle: guessing whether the next punch would be Normal-type or Fighting-type. But unfortunately, this was not a game. Each plate meant an entirely new type of immunity.
No matter how strong your attack is, if you can’t deal any damage, it’s meaningless. This was far more significant than simply missing the target.
“Delia and Isuka, right? Where are they?”
Awarding people according to their contributions. Though King had taken action at the end, it was Delia and Isuka who had found the plate, making them the primary contributors, as per the established rules.
“I’ve already notified them. They should be here soon. Please wait a moment, I’ll go check.”
King replied. After all, Delia was his subordinate. He had already contacted her earlier as plate’s reaction meant two things—not only did Arceus know that they had succeeded, but King also knew that Arceus had arrived nearby.
Soon, the two arrived and saw King waiting for them. However, Delia still reeked strongly of alcohol and appeared somewhat hungover.
“You…”
A few angry symbols appeared on his forehead. Because she had found the plate, he had given Delia a long vacation as he knew that she tended to get like this during her time off. But he hadn’t expected her to be so heavily drunk. [TN: Just google – angry symbol.]
“Isuka, you go ahead. Lord Sacred Beast is waiting for you. I’ll take care of sobering her up.”
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