To welcome the triumphant warriors, and to fulfill a promise powerful enough to shake the world, Rehn ordered the original martial arena to be transformed overnight into an extravagantly luxurious awards hall.
A red carpet stretched all the way from the harbor to the central stage, covered in expensive flower petals airlifted in from Dressrosa.
Hundreds of ceremonial cannons stood in neat rows, firing costly colored smoke shells into the sky every minute, dyeing the entire sea in brilliant rainbow hues.
BOOM!!
Another cannon blast thundered through the air.
Accompanied by deafening cheers, the entire G-5 base felt like a gigantic pressure cooker, overflowing with passion and desire.
"They're here! They're here!!"
"Look! That's sixth place, Balger! Damn, his arm still hasn't healed? He's actually showing up with it hanging in a sling?!"
"Of course! If you could get billions of berries and a Devil Fruit, even if you had to crawl onto the stage, you'd still come!"
Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of Marines, family members, and invited guests (mostly wealthy tycoons who had paid for entry), a somewhat miserable-looking yet overwhelmingly imposing procession slowly walked along the red carpet toward the central platform.
At the very front were the top twenty strongest contestants of the tournament.
Most of them were wrapped in bandages.
Some walked with crutches.
Some were literally carried on stretchers.
Others could still walk, but their faces were swollen and bruised black and blue, clearly having suffered inhuman torment during the battle royale.
Yet not a single one complained about pain.
Not a single one backed down.
Their eyes burned with raging fire.
That fire was longing for the future.
Greed for the wealth and glory soon to fall into their hands.
And above all, absolute loyalty toward the man who had given them all of this.
Meanwhile, atop the high platform, two gigantic thrones made entirely of pure gold and layered with Skypiea clouds had already been prepared.
The throne on the left belonged to the new Fleet Admiral Kizaru.
Today, he wore an outrageously flashy golden-striped suit, with the marshal's coat billowing dramatically behind him.
Yet he possessed not even the slightest dignity expected of a Fleet Admiral.
Instead, he lounged with crossed legs while holding a cocktail topped with a little umbrella.
Behind his sunglasses, his eyes curved into slits as he continuously waved toward the cheering crowd like he was attending a fan meet-and-greet.
The throne on the right belonged to the ruler of G-5, Admiral Haiiroyo.
Renzo still looked half asleep as always.
He wore a loose bathrobe-style coat and casually held an unopened winners list in one hand.
The other supported his chin as his lazy gaze swept across the crowd below, who were so excited they looked ready to faint.
Behind him, Monet gently fanned him.
Meanwhile, Dracule Mihawk stood silently in the shadows holding his black blade like a guardian deity.
He clearly had no interest in all this excitement, but still had to fulfill his role as "head of security."
"Everyone!! Quiet down!!"
Rehn's highly penetrating voice exploded through the loudspeaker Den Den Mushi spread across the venue.
Today he wore an even more ridiculous formal outfit,
A suit covered entirely in rubies, making him look like a walking signal flare beneath the sunlight.
"After more than a month of hellish selection! After countless trials of blood and fire!"
"These monsters who fought their way out from over thirty thousand contestants!"
"These apex predators standing at the top of the food chain!"
Rehn dramatically pointed toward the scarred warriors below the stage.
"They have proven their worth!"
"They have proven themselves worthy of the G-5 rank!"
"And even more importantly, they have proven that they are qualified to receive glory from Lord Renzo and Fleet Admiral Kizaru themselves!!"
"Now!!"
"The awards ceremony officially begins!!!"
"ROOOOOOOAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!"
The cheers exploded like a tsunami, nearly shattering the clouds in the sky.
"First!"
"Let us invite the winners ranked from 6th to 20th onto the stage!!"
As Rehn finished speaking, the elevator platform slowly rose, carrying fifteen battered yet proud warriors onto the stage.
"Maa… what a magnificent sight~."
Kizaru set down his drink, stood up, adjusted his tie, and smiled cheerfully at the crooked-looking bunch before him.
"Even though you all look pretty heavily injured… your eyes are excellent~."
"This kind of ruthlessness is rare even among the elite forces at Headquarters~."
"Of course."
Renzo slowly stood as well, yawning lazily.
"I selected them through a survival-of-the-fittest method."
"Anyone who survives, even if they're just insects, becomes a poisonous insect."
The two walked together toward the award platform.
Fifteen red velvet trays had already been arranged there.
On each tray sat a golden card displaying an astonishing amount of money,
As well as an exquisite wooden box engraved with the G-5 emblem.
Inside each box was a Devil Fruit.
"20th place! 'Quickblade' Robert!"
Rehn loudly announced.
A swordsman missing one arm stepped forward excitedly.
He had originally been a bounty hunter in the New World, risking half his life for this prize money.
"Congratulations~, young man."
Kizaru smiled as he handed him the golden card and box.
"Three hundred million berries as your settlement fund~."
"And this Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit: Lion~."
"Not an Ancient Zoan, but very fast~. Perfect for someone like you who specializes in quick swordsmanship~."
"Th-thank you, Fleet Admiral! Thank you, Admiral Renzo!!"
Robert trembled as he accepted the rewards, tears pouring down his face.
Three hundred million berries!
He could never have earned that much money in a year of hunting pirates!
And a Devil Fruit too!
These were treasures money alone couldn't buy!
"Mhm. Work hard."
Renzo casually nodded.
To a subordinate, that was the highest form of praise.
"Next! 15th place! 'Demolition Genius' Ziggs!"
A short man carrying explosives and with half his hair burned off rushed forward.
"Hehehe! Explosives! I need money to buy more explosives!"
"Here you go~."
Kizaru handed him a three-hundred-million-berry check and a fruit shaped like a bomb.
"Paramecia-type Boom-Boom Fruit~."
"A very powerful one~."
"Future mountain demolition and quarry work for the Marines will be entrusted to you~."
"No problem! As long as the money's good, I'll even blow up the Red Line itself!"
Ziggs kissed the check fanatically.
The award ceremony proceeded in an atmosphere that was both absurdly bizarre and unbelievably passionate.
The Marines below the stage watched with bloodshot eyes.
"I want that fruit too!"
"Three hundred million berries?! Ziggs used to just be a lunatic making homemade bombs! Now he's a billionaire?!"
"I'm going to get stronger too! I'm joining the next tournament!"
Envy. Jealousy. Desire.
All these emotions fermented within every G-5 soldier's heart, transforming into the purest form of motivation and loyalty.
As long as you followed Lord Renzo, as long as you had strength, even crippled men could achieve unimaginable wealth!
That was the truth of G-5.
Soon, the latter half of the top ten began receiving awards.
These contestants clearly belonged to an entirely different tier.
"7th place! Son of the West Blue's richest man, Zack!"
Although his mech armor had been destroyed by Blake…
Although he'd been robbed multiple times…
This pay-to-win warrior still stubbornly fought his way into the top ten through sheer wealth and survival tactics.
Now, though no longer wearing his exaggerated power armor, he appeared in a brand-new gemstone-studded suit.
As he stepped onto the stage, he looked at Renzo and Kizaru.
His face showed no greed for money.
Only burning obsession toward strength.
"Lord Renzo! Fleet Admiral Kizaru!"
Zack performed a standard noble's salute.
"I don't need prize money! My family has plenty of that!"
"I only want a Devil Fruit that will allow me to become truly strong without relying on external tools!"
"Oho? Now that's interesting~."
Kizaru looked at the rich young master with amusement.
Renzo raised an eyebrow and selected a metallic-looking fruit from the tray.
"Since you're rich, and since you can build all those weird machines…"
Renzo casually tossed the fruit toward him.
"Paramecia-type Combination Fruit."
"It can't manipulate magnetism like Kid's ability, but it lets you freely combine inorganic matter."
"With all the high-tech junk your family owns, you should be able to create some interesting things."
"The Combination Fruit?!"
Zack's eyes instantly lit up as he imagined himself transforming into some ultimate super mecha warrior.
"Thank you, Lord Renzo!! I'll immediately have my father invest another billion into G-5's research department!!"
"Sounds good."
Rehn grinned from ear to ear nearby and immediately recorded the donation.
Next, "6th place! 'Iron Fist' Balger!!"
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Heavy footsteps echoed out.
The giant man who had shined brilliantly in the preliminaries,
Though tripped by Blake and toyed with by Aramaki, had still clawed his way back through sheer physical toughness and unyielding willpower.
Balgerr's body was wrapped in bandages like a giant mummy.
Yet his eyes shone frighteningly bright.
"Lord Renzo!"
Balgerr roared in a deep booming voice so loud it made the microphones buzz violently.
"I'm just a rough guy! Don't understand any fancy principles!"
"All I know is-"
"The food here tastes good!"
"The beds are huge!"
"And the pay's damn generous!"
"As long as you feed me, my life belongs to you!"
"If anyone dares disturb your sleep, I'll smash them into meat paste!!"
This simple yet violently poetic declaration instantly drew thunderous applause.
"Well said, Iron Fist!"
"A real man!"
Renzo looked at the straightforward giant and, for once, showed a slight smile.
He turned toward Rehn.
"If I remember correctly…"
"Among the shipment Doflamingo sent us, there were some decent Ancient Zoans, right?"
"Yes, Lord Renzo!"
Rehn immediately presented a particularly heavy-looking box radiating primal wildness.
"Zoan-type Dragon-Dragon Fruit: Ancient Zoan: Ankylosaurus Form!"
"A top-tier Ancient Zoan specialized in physical defense!"
Renzo nodded and signaled for Kizaru to present it.
Kizaru smiled as he handed the fruit to Balger.
"This is good stuff~."
"After eating it, your iron-head techniques can reach the highest realm possible~."
"If pirates become disobedient in the future, just ram straight through them~."
"An Ancient Zoan?!"
Balgerr trembled with excitement while holding the fruit.
In the New World, what did an Ancient Zoan represent?
Durability. Recovery.
The qualification to become a true monster.
"THANK YOU, LORD!!!"
Balger slammed to his knees so hard the stage shook twice.
.....
As the sixth-place award ceremony concluded, the first phase of the event came to an end.
But this wasn't the conclusion, it was merely the calm before the storm.
Because everyone knew, the real monsters were still waiting backstage.
"Hoo…"
Rehn took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He glanced toward the shadows behind the stage.
Five figures stood there.
Even amidst this deafening celebration, the pressure emanating from those five felt completely out of place.
The aura of true power surrounding them was so overwhelming that even the Marines assigned to security didn't dare approach.
"Everyone!"
Rehn raised the microphone again.
His voice became low and mysterious, as though narrating the birth of a myth.
"I'm sure the appetizers so far have satisfied everyone thoroughly."
"But!"
"I know what you're truly waiting for!"
"You're waiting for the real monsters!"
"You're waiting for the most evil Logia Devil Fruit!"
"You're waiting for… the strongest warrior of this entire tournament!!"
The roaring crowd instantly fell silent.
Everyone held their breath and stared fixedly toward the entrance to the stage.
Tension. Anticipation. Reverence.
These emotions spread throughout the air.
Renzo leaned back into the sofa once more, slowly swirling a fresh glass of juice.
Even Kizaru stopped clowning around.
He adjusted his sunglasses, the smile on his lips becoming strangely meaningful.
"Then…"
Rehn dramatically waved his hand.
The spotlights instantly converged upon the entrance!
"Let us greet them with cheers powerful enough to shake the New World itself!!"
"Please welcome the top five competitors of this 'Genius Efficiency Martial Arts Tournament'!!!"
"ENTER THE STAGE!!!!!"
BOOOOOOM!!!!!
The music instantly shifted into something grand and heroic.
Five figures slowly emerged from the shadows.