"Excellent." Oguro revealed a satisfied smile. "Then I'll go deal with the Arlong Pirates first."
Whoosh!
Before his voice had even faded, both Oguro and Kuchiki Rukia vanished from sight.
Seeing this, everyone finally understood—these two were truly not ordinary people!
Perhaps… they really could end the terrifying rule of the Arlong Pirates.
Hope began to sprout in their hearts.
Arlong Park.
The two suddenly appeared before the gate, startling the fishmen guarding the entrance.
"Hey! You two—who said you could come near here? Get lost!" one of the nameless fishmen barked viciously.
Every one of Arlong's men was a firm believer in Fishman Supremacy.
To them, humans were weak, lowly creatures meant only to be enslaved.
Oguro said nothing. Rukia's eyes flashed coldly as she drew Sode no Shirayuki.
Those who offend the Soul King… must die.
Slash!
The fishman didn't even see how she moved.
A flash of silver filled his eyes—and then his head flew off, blood gushing like a fountain.
A Vice-Captain of the Gotei 13 was at least equal to a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral in strength. Without bankai that is.
Dealing with these fishmen was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.
Inside Arlong Park, Arlong's nose twitched. His face darkened immediately.
As a shark fishman, his sense of smell for blood was sharp. He instantly realized something had happened outside.
He was just about to send someone to check when—
Boom!
The massive gate of Arlong Park was cleaved apart by Rukia's blade, crashing into a nearby building.
The deafening noise alarmed the entire Arlong Pirates crew. Within seconds, Oguro and Rukia were surrounded by dozens of fishmen.
"Humans! You've got some nerve! How dare you kill one of our great fishmen?!"
Arlong's eyes turned blood-red as he saw the headless corpse outside.
"Get them! I want them to taste every form of torture in this world—then die in the deepest agony!"
At his command, the fishmen charged forward together.
Rukia's eyes narrowed. Her figure vanished in a flash step.
The next moment—swish!
The fishman at the front collapsed, head rolling across the ground.
Rukia did not stop moving. She flickered among the fishmen like lightning, her white blade sweeping through them like the scythe of death itself.
"Damn it! How can a human be this strong?!"
Krieg—Arlong's officer with the saw-like arms—gritted his teeth.
Seeing Rukia slaughtering fishmen left and right, he shifted his gaze to Oguro, who stood quietly to the side.
From their earlier exchange, it was clear that this boy held higher status than the woman.
If he could capture him, maybe he could use him to force her to stop!
And compared to that fierce woman, this frail-looking boy seemed much easier to handle.
Krieg moved, murderous intent flaring as he lunged at Oguro.
Oguro raised an eyebrow.
"Going for the leader first? Smart move. But… with your strength, that's not a hand you can play."
Seeing Oguro stand motionless, Krieg smirked.
Got him!
Humans really were weak—pathetic creatures meant to serve fishmen!
But just as he was about to reach Oguro—
Oguro lifted his right hand, pointing a finger at Krieg's forehead.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai."
Crack!
Reiryoku gathered at his fingertip. A white bolt of lightning shot out like a spear.
What—?!
At this close range, Krieg had no time to react.
In the next instant, the lightning pierced clean through his skull, leaving a neat hole front to back.
"Damn it… a Devil Fruit user?"
Arlong's face twisted in shock.
As a former member of the Sun Pirates, he had sailed the Grand Line and knew about Devil Fruit users.
Oguro's kidō looked just like an ability power to him.
"How can such a strong ability user appear in the East Blue…?"
A twinge of fear flashed through his heart.
It was because he feared true monsters like this that he'd hidden himself in the weakest sea, lording over the helpless.
Now, facing that nightmare again, the fear he had long buried resurfaced.
"Bastard! You killed Krieg!"
Another fishman, with thick lips and a strange reddish flush on his face, shouted in fury.
The next instant, a water bullet the size of a basketball shot from his mouth like a cannonball toward Oguro.
Oguro blurred out of the way with Shunpo.
Boom!
The water bullet exploded on the ground, leaving a small crater.
Oguro's face twisted in disgust.
From his perspective, that fishman's "attack" was basically him spitting on him!
No damage—but utterly revolting.
"I remember you… Chu, right?"
Oguro quickly recalled who the fishman was.
Arlong's officer, the kissing fishman Chu.
Bounty: 5.5 million berries.
His ability—spitting water bullets.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you manners? Don't spit in public!" Oguro said coldly.
"Die!"
Chu spat another water bullet—twice as large as before!
Enough was enough.
Oguro's eyes darkened. He raised his right hand again, reciting in a solemn voice:
"O Lord, mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man—
Truth and temperance, upon the sea, surge forth!
Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
Fwoosh!
A massive fireball, over half a meter wide, condensed before his palm and hurtled toward Chu's projectile.
Sizzle!
The moment the two collided, the water bullet evaporated instantly—yet the fireball didn't diminish in the slightest.
Before Chu could even react, the roaring fireball struck him head-on.
Boom!
Flames erupted violently. Chu didn't even have time to scream before he was reduced to a heap of charred ash.
Cold sweat streamed down Arlong's back.
Two of his officers—dead in the blink of an eye.
Neither of these humans was to be trifled with!
Screams echoed everywhere as Rukia continued to cut down fishmen without pause.
None could withstand even a single swing of her blade.
Arlong knew he couldn't hesitate any longer.
In just this short time, half his crew was already gone!
He turned and dove straight into the massive pool behind him.
The next second, the water began to rumble and swirl.
A tremendous surge gathered, forming into a towering water dragon that rose high into the sky.
"Fishman Jujutsu—Great Tide Current!"
Arlong stood in the center of the torrent, grinning viciously.
As a fishman, the water was his true domain!
That was why he'd built massive pools inside Arlong Park—connected directly to the sea.
They not only aided his combat but also gave him an escape route whenever needed.
And since it was seawater, this attack was the perfect counter to a supposed Devil Fruit user!
"Human! Remember this well—on the seas, fishmen are the true kings!"
The water dragon roared and came crashing down toward Oguro like a tidal mountain.
***
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