The fierce clash erupted like a tiger pouncing from the shadows—Zoro's savage aura and blade strike met Arlong's massive serrated sword in an instant of roaring steel.
Zoro vs. Arlong!
The fangs of the Tiger Hunt met the shark-toothed blade head-on, both locked in a brutal contest of strength.
"You'll lose! No human can surpass a Fish-Man in raw power! Our arms are ten times stronger than yours!" Arlong snarled, veins bulging as he held his sword tight. "I'll slice you apart piece by piece, and use your blood to honor my fallen brethren!"
"Talking about that mid-fight… doesn't it feel pointless?" Zoro grinned, muscles tightening. "Boasting is a privilege for the victor."
He didn't take a single step back—his power only grew stronger. "If we're talking about raw strength, I'm no weakling myself!"
Boom—!
The twin blades of Tiger Hunt shattered the force of Arlong's weapon. With the Wado Ichimonji clenched in his teeth, Zoro's slash cut clean across Arlong's waist.
A spray of blood burst forth—!
"How… how could this be?!"
Arlong staggered back, clutching his side, disbelief etched on his face. A Fish-Man—overpowered by a human?
"There are plenty of impossible things in this world! Oni Giri!"
Zoro seized the opening. Blades in both hands, he crossed them in front of him—the posture of a predator ready to trap its prey.
A crouch, a step, and a charge—striking before the Fish-Man could react!
A flash of steel swallowed Arlong whole!
Clang—!
The light faded.
Arlong had blocked the left blade with his massive sword—and bitten down on the Wado Ichimonji with his sharklike teeth.
But a third slash ripped through his flank, spraying blood into the air.
Arlong grunted in pain, but his fury only burned brighter. His shark teeth bit down harder on Zoro's sword, locking it in place with a metallic creak before his leg lashed out violently.
Bang!
Zoro bent double as he was kicked across the ruins, skidding along the ground and spitting up bile.
What strength… so this is a Fish-Man?Even that deep cut barely pierced the flesh before striking what felt like iron.
No wonder Ren had warned him—had told him about every one of Arlong's tricks.
"Come, human swordsman! I'll snap your blades and make you taste utter defeat!"
Two wounds marred Arlong's body, but his battle spirit blazed undimmed.
Fish-Men stood above humans—not just in strength but in endurance too. His entire body was a weapon: a saw-toothed nose, bones as tough as steel, arms that could lift houses, teeth that regrew endlessly, and jaws powerful enough to bite through cannonballs.
A mere human swordsman? He'd crush those fragile swords with his fangs!
While their clash burned white-hot, Ren and Kuroobi's battle was a raw, punishing exchange of fists and blood.
From the start, Ren had switched to the Third Calabash Brother template, his aura flaring with ki.
His physical strength now matched an E-rank warrior—comparable to pirates worth millions in bounty, like Alvida.
But Kuroobi was a master of Fish-Man Karate, 40th dan, a boneless Fish-Man whose body perfectly combined flexibility and technique, making his hand-to-hand combat terrifyingly strong.
Ren's Doran Sword was kicked out of his hand almost immediately, clattering across the floor.
Then came two punishing Fish-Man Karate combos, driving Ren back with crushing precision.
The gap in experience was overwhelming.
By all rights, Kuroobi should have won easily.
But—he couldn't break through Ren's Indestructible Vajra Body!
Bang—!
Kuroobi's full-power punch smashed into Ren's jaw, finally sending the iron-bodied human flying—but at the cost of pain shooting through his own knuckles as though he'd just punched solid steel.
What the hell is this thing?!A human?!
"You hit like that? Pathetic! You call yourself a pirate with that weak-ass punch?!" Ren spat blood, but his grin was mocking.
He rubbed his sore cheek, then pulled out his Silver Desert Eagle, ready to show this Fish-Man the true "wheel of progress."
There was no way he'd let the Fish-Man get close again.
[Magic Trick: Crosshair!]
A crimson hunting mark appeared before his eyes as his Sharingan flared to full power, locking onto his target.
Ren squeezed the trigger without hesitation.Bang! Bang! Bang! Bullets screamed through the air—an entire magazine emptied in seconds!
"Thousand Tile True Fist!"
Kuroobi's eyes widened. He couldn't dodge—he gathered all his energy into a single monstrous punch, the shockwave of his fist deflecting several bullets.
But the rest tore through his body, leaving bloody holes that burst outward like small explosions.
His vision dimmed. A strange numbness spread through him—his strength draining away.
He staggered, trying to crawl toward the bay.
If… if I can just reach the sea… the water…
A Fish-Man's true power lay underwater. Fish-Man Karate drew its strength from the sea itself.
If only Hachi and Moo Moo hadn't gone out patrolling—he wouldn't have been driven to this.
But Ren—who had planned everything from the start—would never let him reach the water.
Ren hooked his foot under the Doran Sword's hilt and flicked it into the air, his hand closing around the purple-glowing blade as golden patterns flared along its edge.
His Boots of Swiftness ignited with light.
In two swift strides, Ren thrust the sword straight through Kuroobi's back—piercing his chest from behind!
"Go dream about your Fish-Man Empire in eternal sleep!"
He twisted the sword, shredding Kuroobi's heart, then kicked the corpse into the bay.
The Fish-Man had fought cleverly, slowly driving their battle closer to the water—but the distance was still too far.In truth, Ren had chosen this time to blow up the building precisely to keep them from reaching the sea.
"Kuroobi!"
Arlong's roar of grief and rage tore through the ruins. He lunged at Zoro, slamming his jagged nose straight into Zoro's shoulder.
The horn pierced Zoro's collarbone, launching him backward.
Zoro rolled across the ground, grimacing, before pushing himself up again—clutching the Wado Ichimonji in his hand.
From Three-Sword Style, he was down to Two-Sword Style—the third blade shattered by Arlong's teeth earlier.
But in exchange, Arlong's body was covered in slashes, his blood staining the ground crimson.
The entire battlefield had turned into a pool of Fish-Man blood.
"Let's finish this, Zoro."
Ren approached slowly, Doran Sword in one hand, Silver Desert Eagle in the other, eyes cold and steady.
His gaze locked onto Arlong. "You're furious, huh? I used to be just like you… but blood debts should be paid in blood, Arlong!"
"Sha-ha-ha-ha! You humans dare compare yourselves to my kind? Your deaths are part of nature's order! Submitting to Fish-Men is the only way you survive!"
Arlong was nearly delirious with rage. His gaze darted around, searching for the cause of everything—for Nami.
But she was gone.
No matter. Once he crushed these two humans, he'd march to Cocoyasi and execute every last villager himself.
(End of Chapter)