Chapter 236: Rebellion
This connection didn't refer to Luffy's friendship,
but rather to Rhodes' first teacher—the fish-man Haku.
This mentor, who had imparted combat experience and taught him both forms of Haki, held great respect for Jinbe.
Haku had told Rhodes more than once that Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea, was the true hope of the fish-men race.
His words had been full of genuine praise, and the two shared a bond forged through life and death.
"Haku? You're Haku's disciple?"
Jinbe's expression grew intrigued.
He never could have imagined that the world-renowned Dragon Slayer Swordsman was actually his old friend's student.
"That's right." Rhodes nodded.
"This is truly..."
Jinbe's tone was complex, yet somewhat relieved.
With this teacher-student connection, Rhodes shouldn't harbor excessive hostility toward Fish-Man Island, and Jinbe felt his tension ease slightly.
At this moment, Madam Shirley approached Jinbe and quietly mentioned her earlier prophecy.
"What?!"
Jinbe exclaimed in shock, asking solemnly,
"Are you certain about this?"
He knew about Madam Shirley's prophecy foretelling the inevitable destruction of Fish-Man Island. After all, Jinbe was the island's strongest warrior—Shirley had no reason to hide such critical information from him.
Jinbe had once believed the Whitebeard Pirates would be Fish-Man Island's saviors, but with Whitebeard's fall at Marineford, that hope had naturally crumbled to dust.
"Yes, I'm certain."
Shirley nodded firmly.
In the eyes of these moderates, Fish-Man Island could not survive alone. The gap between their strength and humanity's military might was simply too vast. Even the depths of the ocean couldn't permanently stop those greedy wolves—they needed a powerful protector.
Jinbe's previous discussion with King Neptune about seeking Big Mom's protection had stemmed from exactly this reasoning.
"This..."
Receiving Shirley's confirmation, Jinbe felt a headache coming on. He was a straightforward warrior, not particularly adept at complex political maneuvering.
Therefore, after pondering for a while, Jinbe decided to determine the truth of the matter in his own way.
He looked directly at Rhodes and said,
"Since you're Haku's disciple, let's have a proper match."
"If you can defeat me, I'll help you persuade King Neptune to entrust Fish-Man Island's future to your protection."
"I'll also pledge to become your strongest ally."
After saying this, Jinbe stared intently at Rhodes, wanting to determine whether he possessed the potential to reach the absolute pinnacle and become a Yonko-level powerhouse.
And to gauge someone's talent and strength, combat was undoubtedly the most direct method.
"Agreed."
Rhodes nodded without hesitation. He certainly wouldn't refuse such an advantageous proposition.
While Jinbe wasn't quite as strong as a Marine Admiral, he was still a close second—not much weaker than Doflamingo in overall combat capability.
Especially during this period before Enel fully matured, Jinbe would arguably be Rhodes' strongest subordinate.
He would play an absolutely crucial role in the upcoming Dressrosa campaign.
Rhodes and Law were still somewhat inexperienced for such high-stakes battles.
The group crossed the plaza and headed toward Jinbe's private training grounds, where there would be ample space for Rhodes and Jinbe to fight properly.
Jinbe led the way, while Madam Shirley walked beside Rhodes, quietly asking,
"Rhodes, what are your honest impressions of fish-men and merfolk?"
"Fish-men and merfolk? I don't have any particular feelings about them. In my eyes, as long as they're intelligent beings, they're essentially the same. The only real difference is individual strength."
Hearing Rhodes' straightforward words, both Shirley and Jinbe were taken aback, a strange feeling washing over them.
"That's... quite a unique perspective."
While conversing, Rhodes and the others finally arrived at Jinbe's martial arts training grounds.
It was an extremely spacious open courtyard.
Rhodes and Jinbe faced each other there, the atmosphere growing heavy with anticipation.
Shirley and Robin observed from the sidelines.
"Knight of the Sea Jinbe..."
Robin's eyes held a complex expression.
She could dismiss Spark—he was from a decade ago and she hadn't known much about him personally.
But this was the famous Jinbe, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Knight of the Sea, the guardian of Fish-Man Island—definitely a formidable warrior of the seas. If she were to face him, she would likely be defeated within just a few exchanges.
"The future of Fish-Man Island..."
Shirley murmured, a strange light gleaming in her eyes.
Seeing was believing; hearing was merely conjecture.
Although Rhodes was world-renowned, Shirley hadn't personally witnessed his abilities and didn't truly understand his power.
"If he can defeat Jinbe at his age, he's definitely worth following."
Meanwhile, in the arena...
"You should be careful. My strength is greatly amplified in places with abundant water," Jinbe warned respectfully, influenced by Shirley's prophecy.
"Come. Let me witness the true power of Fish-Man Karate."
Rhodes casually raised his left hand, revealing a hint of genuine interest.
Fish-Man Karate was a very unique martial art that could manipulate seawater itself—it was worth experiencing firsthand.
"I will certainly not disappoint you."
Jinbe assumed the Fish-Man Karate opening stance, his tone deep and confident.
On dry land, he wouldn't feel particularly confident fighting Rhodes.
That ghostly speed was simply too terrifying.
But here on Fish-Man Island, he felt far more assured.
Although Fish-Man Island was technically isolated from the open ocean, it had abundant water throughout, making it essentially his home territory.
The omnipresent moisture would not only become a weapon in Jinbe's hands but also extend his sensory perception dramatically.
The amplification of his combat ability would be substantial.
Meanwhile, in Fish-Man District, at Hody Jones' headquarters...
"What?!"
"Madam Shirley claims Fish-Man Island should submit to some lowly human?!"
"Jinbe wants to have a 'friendly match' with this human?!"
Hody Jones was furious upon hearing his subordinate's report.
During the time Jinbe had been forced into semi-retirement due to the fallout from the Marineford War, Hody had risen to become the de facto military leader of Fish-Man District. His armed forces had grown tremendously, fueling his expanding ego. However, he had remained wary of Jinbe's presence on the island and hadn't dared act rashly until now.
"Boss, why don't we just take this opportunity to stage our rebellion?!"
A fish-man officer shouted enthusiastically. This man, one of Hody Jones' most trusted lieutenants, was a ruthless extremist who deeply hated humans and glorified violence.
"Yeah, boss! Lead us to the surface and wipe out all of humanity!"
"King Neptune submitting to Whitebeard was one thing—he was a monster, after all. But what's this about some random young human? Fish-Man Island will never submit to an ordinary human like him!"
"We are the superior fish-men race! Boss, let's do this!"
The fish-men were in high spirits, eager to storm Ryugu Palace, unify Fish-Man Island under their rule, and then march on the surface world to exterminate humanity.
Under the flattery and fervent encouragement of his subordinates, Hody Jones' initially cautious heart swelled with arrogance.
Yes! Why not just go for it?!
He commanded tens of thousands of soldiers! How could he possibly lose?!
Even Jinbe couldn't stop the inevitable tide of their righteous cause!
"Alright! Gather all the troops! We're staging our rebellion now!"
Hody Jones raised his fist dramatically, and the fish-men erupted in cheers, waving their weapons enthusiastically.
Seeing such high morale, Hody Jones revealed a fanatical gleam in his eyes, as if he could already envision himself leading Fish-Man Island to dominate the entire world, with all of humanity trembling at his feet.
(End of Chapter)
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