XX-level Hokage

Meanwhile, Chinjao, draped in a heavy cloak, strolled leisurely toward the registration area, accompanied by his grandson, Oron Booth. His enormous, cone-shaped head stood out conspicuously in the crowd, prompting many veteran pirates to whisper amongst themselves upon seeing him.

"Old Man Green Pepper has also arrived... This martial arts tournament of this era is indeed extraordinary."

Rebecca stood quietly on one side of the arena, clad in armor, her eyes filled with determination. Her purpose in participating this time was clear: not only to prove herself, but also to protect Dressrosa.

Meanwhile, other contestants also flocked into the arena. They were all strong contenders who had come after hearing about the competition, and each of them was silently calculating their chances of winning.

Just as everyone was registering, a slender woman wearing a hood quietly entered the registration area.

She didn't attract much attention, but the guard in charge of registration couldn't help but feel a chill, as if this ordinary-looking woman was hiding a great danger.

"Name?" the guard asked nervously.

“It’s really white.” She answered calmly, her voice like a gentle breeze across water, calm yet carrying an invisible sense of pressure.

The guard registering her was stunned for a moment, then reacted, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes. Although Mashiro had lowered her aura, her name was already widely known within the Don Quixote family. The guard suppressed his fear and quickly processed her entry, afraid of neglecting this "sorcerer".

With her name added to the list, a mysterious and powerful figure joined the ranks of the martial arts tournament participants. And Mashiro, meanwhile, blended into this group of powerful individuals.

Of course, there was no point in her participating in the competition; she preferred watching others fight rather than getting involved herself.

Her purpose in signing up was simply to sneak into the bullfighting arena to get a closer look at the contestants and see if there were any potential candidates.

Due to the rarity of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, the martial arts competition attracted a large number of participants, totaling 600 people. The competition was divided into four groups: A, B, C, and D, with 150 people in each group. After three rounds of selection, one person from each group was chosen for the final showdown.

Mashiro belongs to group C.

After scanning around, Mashiro felt incredibly disappointed.

They are basically all low- to mid-level combatants in the Beasts Pirates.

Even Cavendish and Chinjao, whom other pirates revered, were barely worthy of being mentioned in Mashiro's eyes.

"As expected, the real powerhouses are still concentrated in the major powers. I hope the other three groups can give me some surprises, otherwise this martial arts competition is really boring." Mashiro muttered to himself, turning to leave.

Just as she turned the corner, Mashiro suddenly bumped into someone. "I'm sorry!"

A voice came from beside me. It was quite a pleasant voice.

Turning her head, she saw a girl with long pink hair, tied in a braid, wearing almost no armor except for a helmet in the style of an ancient Roman soldier, a green cloak, and gold shoes, looking at her with a knowing gaze.

I can't help but marvel once again at the openness of this world.

After arriving in this world, aside from the occasional seasickness, the biggest problem Mashiro encountered was clothing. When shopping for clothes, she found that very few of the trendy items were to her liking.

Wearing a skirt is already the limit of what she can tolerate. As for showing her thighs or... well, forget it.

The girl in front of her was dressed quite sexily. [Name: Rebecca]

Gender: Female Age: 16

Affiliation: Noble; Three-color Haki: None

Height: 171cm Luck Value: 75 Approval Rating: 10

Looking at the information displayed on the bread, Mashiro became slightly puzzled.

Chapter 158: The Arena Where No One Wins (Part 2)

Mashiro narrowed her eyes slightly, sizing up the girl named Rebecca in front of her. The information displayed on the system panel piqued her interest, especially the tips on luck value and identity information.

"Rebecca?" Mashiro's voice remained calm, yet it carried a subtle, enigmatic quality.

Rebecca felt her gaze and was slightly uneasy, but she still nodded politely and said, "Yes. I'm so sorry, I didn't notice what was in front of me just now."

"It's alright." Mashiro waved her hand, a faint smile playing on her lips, and said, "You're the former princess of Dressrosa, aren't you?"

These words struck Rebecca like a bolt from the blue. Her expression changed drastically, and panic flashed in her eyes. "You...how did you know?"

Mashiro smiled calmly, offering no reply, but instead turned to look at the bullfighting arena not far away.

She has deduced the conspiracy behind Doflamingo's control of Dressrosa, and Rebecca, as a descendant of King Riku's family, is clearly burdened with a heavy fate on this island.

Although her luck value isn't top-tier, it's enough to show that she has considerable potential.

“I know far more than that,” Mashiro said casually, then turned to Rebecca. “The question now is, how do you plan to free Dressrosa from Doflamingo? By yourself?”

Rebecca's body trembled slightly, and after a moment of silence, a trace of pain and helplessness appeared in her eyes.

Doflamingo's rule brought her and her entire family immense shame, and she harbored a strong desire for revenge. However, she knew very well that with her current strength, it was impossible for her to defeat the Donquixote Family.

“I…” She gritted her teeth, then shook her head weakly. “I can’t do it alone.”

"If you can't do it yourself, why not use the power of others?" Mashiro's tone was casual, but there was a certain allure in her words. "Use the power of others?" Rebecca looked up, her eyes showing a hint of confusion and hesitation.

“That’s right,” Mashiro chuckled, a deep glint in his eyes, “You can cooperate with me, and I will help you liberate Dressrosa. In return, you only need to pay a small price.”

Rebecca's heart suddenly raced. The woman before her possessed a powerful and mysterious aura, and she suddenly felt that she might actually be able to seize this opportunity to break Doflamingo's rule.

However, she still hesitated, after all, she didn't know who Mashiro really was. "You...who exactly are you?" Rebecca couldn't help but ask.

"Hyuga Mashiro, or you can call me a sorcerer, of course." Mashiro said this shocking news in a relaxed tone, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"Wh...what?!" Rebecca's face turned pale instantly, her eyes widened, and she stared at Mashiro in disbelief. A sorcerer, that's the person who just defeated Kaido, one of the Four Emperors.

Mashiro didn't explain much; she knew this news would be enough to shock Rebecca. Sure enough, Rebecca fell into a brief silence, clearly processing this astonishing fact.

"You only need to make one choice," Mashiro said softly, leaning closer to Rebecca. "Become my slave, and I will help you free Dressrosa from Doflamingo. This is your only chance."

“Slaves?” Rebecca’s expression became complicated again. She had an innate aversion to slavery, especially under Doflamingo’s rule, where she had witnessed too many innocent people being enslaved.

"Of course, you can refuse," Mashiro smiled gently, "but the price of refusal is that you will never be able to change the fate of your family."

Bebe fell silent. She knew in her heart that she had no choice at all. Mashiro was the only one who was capable of fighting Doflamingo. If she missed this opportunity, she might never have any hope of taking back Dressrosa.

After a moment of struggle, Rebecca finally lowered her head, her voice low and strained: "I promise you."

Mashiro nodded in satisfaction, gently raised her hand, and a faint black energy condensed at her fingertips. She said, "In that case, I will place the Life Curse Seal on you. This will be a sign of your loyalty to me, and it will also be the source of your new power."

Rebecca gritted her teeth and remained silent, letting Shiro's fingers gently press against her forehead.

Black energy slowly seeped into her body, leaving a complex rune mark on her forehead. This mark signified that she had become Zhenbai's slave, completely subject to her will.

Feeling the power of the cursed seal, Rebecca felt uneasy, but more than that, she had a complex emotion. She knew that from this moment on, her fate was completely tied to this mysterious woman.

“Very good.” Mashiro withdrew his hand with satisfaction. “Next, you just need to win the martial arts competition, and I will help you achieve the final victory as the first step in our cooperation.”

"I..." Rebecca instinctively wanted to refuse, after all, she didn't want to rely on external forces to win the game, but Mashiro just smiled gently, "Don't worry, I won't fight for you, I'll just give you a little help. The real victory still depends on your own efforts."

After speaking, Mashiro turned and left, leaving Rebecca standing there, feeling the curse mark on her forehead, her heart filled with complex emotions. She knew that this match was not only about her personal glory, but also about the future of Dressrosa as a whole.

The process of heating was rapid, and by evening it gradually entered the autothermal stage.

Mashiro quietly observed the matches in each group, especially Group C, where Rebecca was.

Rebecca's performance was unexpectedly outstanding. Although she had once doubted her own abilities, with Mashiro's help, she gradually demonstrated a fighting power that surpassed her previous abilities.

The power of the seal did not directly enhance her strength, but rather stimulated her potential in a subtle way, allowing her to unleash amazing combat skills at crucial moments.

Faced with those powerful opponents, Rebecca did not back down. Instead, she became even more composed. Her nimble figure moved across the battlefield, and with her agile skills and precise attacks, she defeated her opponents one by one.

Whenever she wins, Mashiro stands on the high ground of the arena, calmly watching her every move. Her eyes are unwavering, as if everything is within her expectations.

“She does have potential,” Zhen Zi murmured to himself, “but she still needs more training to become a true chess piece.” Meanwhile, the matches in the other three groups also entered a crucial moment.

Green Pepper, Cavendish, and other strong individuals emerged, demonstrating remarkable strength. However, Mashiro was still disappointed because, although these people were powerful, they lacked the potential to change the world that she was looking for.

"It seems this competition is nothing special after all," she sighed.

However, just as she was about to leave, a strange and powerful aura suddenly caught her attention.

At the distant entrance to the arena, a mysterious man draped in a cloak of armor slowly entered the arena. His face was obscured by shadows, making it almost impossible to see clearly.

But that unique aura gave Mashiro a strange sense of familiarity. "This is..." Mashiro frowned slightly, her gaze fixed on the man.

She sensed a hidden danger approaching. This man was not an ordinary contestant; his appearance might bring new variables to the competition.

“Interesting,” Mashiro chuckled softly, turning and walking towards the stands. “Look, this match still has some openings.”

Chapter 159: The Arena Where No One Wins (Part 2)

Amidst the clamor of the arena, Mashiro's radiant light remained fixed on the mysterious man.

Despite being cloaked and his face shrouded in shadow, his aura was so distinctive that it alerted Mashiro. This intuition told her that this person's appearance was no accident.

The second round of selection matches was drawing to a close, and the battles in the arena were gradually subsiding. Mashiro stood up, a calm smile on her face, and walked towards the entrance of the arena. Her steps were light and elegant.

In the shadows outside the arena, a masked, cloaked man stood in the darkness, seemingly waiting for something.

Mashiro's appearance did not startle him. Instead, he calmly watched Mashiro approach. The distance between the two gradually shortened, and the tense atmosphere in the air became increasingly intense.

When Mashiro walked up to the mysterious man, she stopped, a faint smile on her face, but her eyes held a deep scrutiny: "It seems you are very interested in me, Monkey D. Dragon."

[Name: Monkey D. Dragon]

Gender: Male Age: 45

Affiliation: Revolutionary Army

Three types of Haki: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror Haki. Devil Fruit: Zoan type, Mythical Zoan, Quetzalcoatl form.

Luck value: 90 Approval level: 30

[Zoan Type, Mythical Zoan, Feathered Serpent Form: The user can manipulate hurricanes, rain, and lightning, and can transform into the legendary feathered serpent god.]

[Significantly enhances physical fitness and recovery ability, and may even be able to control the weather and trigger natural disasters]

The mysterious man's figure shifted slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes beneath the mask.

Clearly, Mashiro's direct revelation of his identity surprised him, but he quickly regained his composure: "It seems the title 'Sorcerer' is indeed formidable. Hyuga Mashiro, I've come here precisely to cooperate with you."

Mashiro smiled slightly, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes, and said, "Cooperation? That's an interesting suggestion. But before we discuss it in depth, could you tell me why you're so eager to meet with me? Especially after you learned about my plans related to the pirate alliance from the newspapers?"

Long nodded slightly, his tone firm: "A few days ago, I learned from the newspaper that you planned to organize a pirate alliance to overthrow the World Government."

I had the revolutionary soldiers scattered across the world gather information about you.

Since you began your activities, your actions have not only liberated Cocoyasi Village, Alabasta, Skypiea, and Wano Country, but have also shown us a revolutionary who pursues freedom and possesses high moral character. Therefore, I have decided to personally investigate your true intentions.

Mashiro's smile grew even more meaningful: "It seems you think highly of me. In truth, my goal is to collect all the historical texts and overthrow the world..."

The World Government's rule aims to achieve true freedom, and you, as the leader of the revolutionary army, must share the same goal, right?

Long nodded, his eyes revealing unwavering determination: "That's right. We all hope to change this world, and to express my sincerity, I disregard the southeast..."

Despite the obstruction of four army commanders from the Northwest, they personally came to Dressrosa hoping to reach a cooperation agreement with you.

A hint of approval flashed in Mashiro's eyes as she said softly, "Your decisiveness and courage are commendable. However, we need to discuss the conditions and details of our cooperation in detail. After all, overthrowing the World Government is no easy task, and the interests and risks involved cannot be ignored."