The dozen or so Kingdom Guard members stationed at the second obstacle had now clearly become nothing more than "decorations" and signposts.
Of course, it wasn't that the contestants were deliberately ignoring them—
it was simply that the cliff bridge carved out by that single slash was far too unbelievable.
On top of that, as the ones responsible for guarding this checkpoint, they had personally witnessed Arashi split the cliff in half with one strike.
The result?
They had been completely petrified into human statues.
"B-Bro…"
Finally, as the contestants gradually passed through the checkpoint and continued running forward, one of the guards slowly turned his head toward the soldier standing at the front.
"What we just saw… that was definitely an illusion, right?"
"Cutting a cliff like that with a single slash—there's no way it's real. We must've stayed up all night playing cards and didn't get enough sleep… right?"
"You idiot, you've clearly taken too many drugs!" the leading soldier snapped as he turned around.
"Alright, maybe I overdid it last night too—but I'm telling you, that wasn't an illusion… it was fake! Even the so-called world's greatest swordsman couldn't slice a cliff flat like that in one strike!"
"Hahaha… yeah, definitely fake."
The other guards chuckled and went right back to dozing off.
After all, they hadn't just been drinking heavily the night before—they'd gone completely overboard.
They had even volunteered to guard the second checkpoint specifically so they could take advantage of the terrain and slack off for some extra sleep.
So something like Arashi slicing a cliff in half?
They couldn't be bothered to take it seriously.
They'd rather catch up on sleep—there was still partying to do tonight.
By the time all the contestants had passed the second obstacle and continued forward, Arashi had already crushed through the third checkpoint and was racing toward the fourth with Robin at incredible speed.
These so-called obstacles…
were nothing more than child's play to him.
No matter what stood in his way—
he would simply bulldoze straight through!
Compared to the guards at the second checkpoint, the guards at the third had it even easier.
Because from start to finish—
they hadn't even seen how Arashi and Robin got through.
By the time they came back to their senses, the obstacle had already been completely destroyed beyond recognition.
As Arashi entered the fourth checkpoint, Lafitte—who was stationed at the fifth—casually picked up a Den Den Mushi and dialed out.
"Hello? Second 'idiot' checkpoint team? Report your situation."
"Sir—it's checkpoint, not 'idiot'! Yes, we are the second checkpoint team! All contestants have passed and are heading toward the third checkpoint!"
"All passed?"
A trace of confusion flashed through Lafitte's eyes.
He immediately dialed the third checkpoint.
"Third 'idiot' team?"
"Sir! Reporting! The third checkpoint has been destroyed—someone has already broken through!"
"What?!"
Lafitte shot to his feet, his expression instantly darkening.
"The checkpoint… destroyed?"
"Yes, sir! It was destroyed by a contestant! I—I'm certain he's a Devil Fruit user!"
"…Interesting."
Lafitte quickly calmed down.
The first checkpoint was nothing more than crocodiles—anyone with basic ability could pass.
The second checkpoint posed some threat to Devil Fruit users, but not much.
As for ordinary people?
They could slowly climb through—but inevitably, some unlucky ones would fall into the sea.
Whether they lived or died didn't matter.
As long as people fell—that was enough.
But the third checkpoint…
was something Lafitte had meticulously designed.
A massive trap stretched across several kilometers of marathon track.
At regular intervals, the entire road was covered with hidden traps—
and beneath them…
dense fields of deadly spikes.
From this stage onward—
the true essence of this "ultra-long marathon" began.
From this single checkpoint alone, Lafitte was confident that at least a hundred people would die.
And for those who hesitated after discovering the traps?
The guards, already under his orders, would force them forward at gunpoint.
Retreat—
and you die.
Advance—
and maybe, just maybe, there's a sliver of survival.
That's right.
This so-called marathon…
was, in truth, a Death Marathon orchestrated by Lafitte himself.
He had originally intended to use this event to create a grand spectacle of death.
But now—
a game-breaker had appeared.
Someone had directly destroyed his third checkpoint.
Unacceptable.
Absolutely unacceptable!
The more Lafitte thought about it, the angrier he became.
He decided to personally deal with this troublesome Devil Fruit user.
"Buru buru buru—"
Just then, the Den Den Mushi rang again.
Lafitte immediately picked it up, ready to curse.
"Sir! This is bad—really bad! The fourth checkpoint has been completely destroyed! All the guards have been killed—ah! N-no, don't kill me—AAAH!!!"
"Damn it!!!"
Even without seeing it, Lafitte could already guess what had happened.
He slammed the Den Den Mushi aside and turned to the two guards behind him.
"You two stay here. I'll handle this myself."
As his voice fell, he activated his Devil Fruit ability.
A pair of white wings sprouted from his back, and like a white dove, he soared into the sky—flying straight toward the fourth checkpoint.
Meanwhile—
Arashi's good mood for the day had been completely ruined the moment he entered the fourth checkpoint.
The first and second stages?
He could accept them. Harmless enough.
But the third and fourth…
had completely crossed the line.
Especially the fourth.
The moment he arrived, the guards had ordered him to pass within one minute—
or be shot dead.
Was this still a marathon?
This was basically a death game disguised as a race!
With his mood thoroughly spoiled, Arashi didn't bother wasting words.
He simply flattened the entire fourth checkpoint—
and, along the way, wiped out the guards who had ruined his mood.
"Sigh…"
After killing the last guard who had tried to report the situation, Arashi pressed a hand to his forehead in frustration.
"My journey… my enjoyment… completely ruined."
After a brief pause, he seemed to recall something and turned to Robin, who looked equally downcast.
"By the way… this 'Chief Security Officer' they keep mentioning—what's his deal?"
Extra chapters are already prepared… waiting to be unleashed.
Get early access on Patreon:
patreon.com/c/DreamWriterStudios
Want more chapters? You decide the pace:
✨ 10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
🔥 200 Power Stones = Another Release
Your support fuels the journey.
The stronger your backing… the faster the story unfolds.