Let's Do This! (One Piece)

Chapter 16. Rising Through the brackets

The heat of the arena was suffocating. The packed stands were filled with shouts, cheers, and the occasional jeers, the energy crackling through the air like a live wire. Ruwa could feel sweat slicking her brow, mixing with the thin streaks of blood running from small cuts along her arms.

She rolled her shoulders, shaking out the tension. Her long spikey black mane moving with the motion. She had fought her way through multiple matches already, each opponent more brutal than the last. Now, standing in the center of the arena, she had reached the final rounds of the 40-bracket, going into the 30th bracket.

Captain Cutthroat's voice boomed through the stadium.

"RUWA, the damned monkey brat, is against DAGE, the Iron Fist!"

The gates creaked open, and her next opponent stepped onto the field. He had apparently decided to use the actual stairway down to the area rather than jumping down as most of them did. Dage was a mountain of a man, covered in scars and thick, corded muscle. He wore no armor, only wraps around his fists and a pair of reinforced boots. He was a fighter who relied heavily on his own strength rather than weapons or techniques. The kind of opponent who could end a fight with a single blow.

Ruwa exhaled sharply. She had already fought through several matches, her muscles burned, and exhaustion was creeping in. But she had no time to slow down, and she had no one to blame for that but herself.

Dage cracked his knuckles. "Heard you've got some quick hands, little girl." His grin was all teeth. "Let's see if you can dodge this."

The match started without much warning.

Dage launched forward, closing the gap between them in a blink. His fist shot out, aiming for Ruwa's ribs.

Too fast—

She barely twisted in time, feeling the rush of air as his knuckles grazed past her side. Before she could retaliate, another punch shot forward, forcing her to duck. He was relentless.

Ruwa's Byakugan flared, tracking his muscle movements before his strikes could land. But he was no fool; he knew how to feint. A quick flick of his shoulder tricked her into dodging left, right into the real punch.

The impact exploded against her forearm as she barely managed to block. Pain jolted up her arm, her skin bruising instantly. She skidded backward, gritting her teeth.

Dage chuckled. "That's all you got?"

No, she thought, not even close.

Ruwa grounded herself, lightning flickering around her fingertips. Her opponent may have brute strength, but she had speed.

And when she got moving, she was fast.

A burst of chakra-enhanced speed carried her behind him in a flash. Her fingertips struck in rapid succession: one, two, three precise hits to his spine.

Dage staggered, His muscles seizing up from the flashes of precise strikes. But before she could land a finishing blow, he roared and slammed his foot into the ground, shaking the entire arena. Ruwa's balance wavered, and in that split second, he turned, swinging his arm in a brutal backhand.

Her vision blurred as the strike connected with her shoulder, sending her flying. She crashed into the dirt, coughing as pain flared through her ribs. Skidding against the ground after she stopped rolling, he had rag-dolled her. Of course, Dage didn't give her any time to recover or even get up from where she'd stopped. He was already closing in.

Move—!

Ruwa rolled away, just as his fist slammed into the ground where she had been, cracking the stone beneath it. Dust and debris flew into the air, giving her the cover she needed.