113 Instructions Unclear, Talk-No-Jutsu Fail #113

'So much for talk-no-jutsu. You lied to me, Kishimoto, you bastard...!' I mused, my eyes twitching in annoyance. I hoped my words would inspire some of them to question their loyalty to Hody's destructive path or instill doubt in their hearts, at the very least.

But it seemed that the grip of hatred was still too powerful for my words to reach them.

Without warning, Ikaros charged me, his commanding voice shattering the brief hesitation. "Attack!" he bellowed, his words echoing through the battlefield. The fishmen recruits, despite their doubts, obliged his orders, driven by a mix of fear and loyalty.

I watched as they lunged forward, their various Fishman abilities on display. Some unleashed powerful shockwaves of Fishman Karate, while others charged in with brute strength, wielding their weapons with deadly intent. The air crackled with their energy as they closed in, their intentions clear: to eradicate the "lesser" humans standing before them.

As the fishmen descended upon me, their attacks raining down from all directions, I held my ground, my gaze fixed on Hody. The flames within me burned brighter, fueling my resolve to end the fight quickly.

With a burst of power, I leaped into the air, my movements guided by instinct and years of training. I twisted and turned, evading their strikes with ease, the heat of their attacks brushing against my skin but failing to land a blow. Their loyalty to Hody had turned them away from the truth, and now they would pay the price for their ignorance.

Summoning the fire within, I focused my energy, channeling it into my fists. Flames erupted around me as I unleashed a devastating counterattack, my fiery punches cutting through the air with incredible speed and precision, blowing away Ikaros as he was the first to reach.

I didn't stop with the giant squid Fishman as I continued my onslaught. Each strike found its mark, sending fishmen recruits flying in all directions, their bodies scorched by the scorching heat.

Their cries of pain and fear filled the air, intermingling with the crackling of flames. The sight of their defeated comrades only seemed to intensify their rage and desperation, fueling their attacks with renewed zealotry.

As the battle continued, I noticed a glimmer of doubt flickering in the eyes of some fishmen recruits. The truth was slowly dawning upon them, the realization that blind hatred and destruction were not the paths to true strength. Their loyalty wavered, and their attacks became hesitant, their strikes lacking the same ferocity as before.

I held back my punches against such fishmen.

Regardless, I seized this opportunity, capitalizing on their momentary uncertainty. With each opponent I defeated, I aimed to plant a seed of doubt, a spark of introspection that would eventually lead them away from Hody's destructive path, or so I hoped.

But amidst the chaos and the clash of wills, one thing remained clear—Hody's unwavering determination. He was the embodiment of everything Fisher Tiger and Arlong despised. He had become the very thing they fought against, using his own kind as mere pawns in his quest for vengeance.

I focused my attention on Hody, eyes locked onto his form as he stood arrogantly, commanding his recruits with a twisted sense of authority, having recovered from my attack.

With each passing moment, my desire to take down Hody Jones intensified. He was the mastermind behind all this chaos, and I knew that defeating him would dampen the spirit of their cause. But as I prepared to attack, the new Fishman officers stepped forward, blocking my path.

With his ability to camouflage himself, Zeo, the Japanese wobbegong Fishman became my first obstacle. He disappeared from sight, his presence masked from my observation haki. However, his overconfidence proved to be his downfall. He shouted his attacks, believing he could overpower me through sheer force. But his voice betrayed his location, giving me an advantage.

I focused my energy, honing my senses. With a swift maneuver, I anticipated the next move and retaliated, my fist charged with fiery power. As Zeo materialized for a split second to strike, I unleashed a devastating blow, sending him hurtling through the air with a resounding crash. The invisibility granted him no protection against the sheer force of my attack.

Armed with eight swords, Hyouzou, the poisonous blue-ringed octopus merman, posed another challenge. The poison he applied to his blades from his tentacles heightened their lethal potential. He was also fast, making the act of dodging his wild sword swings almost impossible. But little did he know I could produce antidotes within my body thanks to my mastery over the Hercules Method.

As Hyouzou lunged at me with his poisoned blades, I evaded his strikes with precise movements, my body flowing with agility. With each dodge, I analyzed his patterns and his rhythm. When an opening presented itself, I allowed him to land a hit and launched a powerful counterattack, my fist colliding with his body, sending shockwaves through his tentacles. The impact shattered his concentration and sent him flying.

With his razor-sharp teeth capable of biting through almost anything, Daruma, the cookie-cutter shark fishman,‎ waited for the perfect moment to strike. He aimed for a moment when I couldn't dodge or block, believing he had found a weakness in my defense. Again he was in for a disappointment.

As Daruma lunged at me, his teeth clamping down with immense force, he met resistance. His teeth shattered upon contact with my muscles, the sheer density of my physique proving impenetrable. The expression of disbelief on his face mirrored my satisfaction as I kicked him away.

Armed with his eight spears tipped with dried squids that absorbed moisture from their prey, Ikaros, the giant squid, seemed to possess an advantage. But I still had tricks up my sleeve. As his spears pierced my skin, I grinned, revealing my trump card.

The method allowed me absolute control over my body, and moisture wasn't an exception to that control. Instead of absorbing the moisture within my body, the dried squid tips on Ikaros' spears crumbled, turning to dust as I gave them a taste of their medicine.

With the Fishman officers momentarily incapacitated, my attention returned to Hody Jones. But he was already charging me, fueled by his unyielding hatred, as he stuffed blu and red pills into his mouth.

'Energy Steroids...' I mused, my expression darkening as I watched Hody's muscles bulging and his frame growing broader. 'And it looks like our little drama here got an audience...' I sighed as I felt a presence lurking in the shadows nearby.

As Hody lunged at me, his enhanced strength fueled by the energy steroids was evident. The surge of power had made him faster and stronger than before, his movements a blur as he closed the distance between us with incredible speed. However, I remained calm and focused, my years of training allowing me to anticipate his every move.

I sidestepped his initial attack with lightning-fast reflexes, narrowly avoiding his clenched fist as it sailed past me. As he recovered, I could see the frustration in his eyes, a mixture of anger and disbelief that I effortlessly evaded his attacks.

"You can't touch me, Hody," I taunted, my voice dripping with mockery. "All that strength, and you still can't lay a finger on me. Is this the best you've got?"

Enraged by my provocation, Hody charged at me once again, his movements a blur of speed. His punches came in rapidly, each strike powerful enough to shatter stone. But I effortlessly danced around his attacks, weaving through the air with fluid grace.

With each dodge, I seized the opportunity to retaliate with light punches meant to annoy him and nothing more. My fists crackled with fiery energy as I launched quick and precise counterattacks, striking Hody with calculated precision.

Hody's movements became more erratic, his desperation to hit me evident as he unleashed a flurry of strikes in a frantic attempt to land a strike. But my evasive maneuvers were too much for him to handle. I effortlessly evaded his punches and kicks, my body flowing with the agility of a seasoned warrior.

I continued to toy with Hody, a smile playing on my lips as I danced around his attacks. It was a dance of power and skill, a battle of wits and physical prowess. Well, it was for me. Despite his enhanced strength, Hody was no match for my years of training and experience.

As the fight progressed, Hody's frustration grew, his face contorted with anger and confusion. The energy steroids that had initially given him an advantage now seemed to work against him. His movements had become erratic and uncontrolled, his attacks lacking the precision and finesse they once had.

"You're nothing but an idiot, Hody," I taunted, my voice laced with contempt. "You think those energy steroids make you invincible? They're only amplifying your flaws. You're weak, and you always will be."

My words hit their mark, further fueling Hody's rage. He charged at me once more, his attacks wild and uncoordinated. But I easily evaded his strikes, my body moving with supernatural grace.

With each dodge, I struck back, now landing powerful blows that sent shockwaves through Hody's body. But I held back, ensuring that he remained conscious. I wanted him to open his big mouth and sing for me.

In the midst of our battle, I decided to strike a nerve that I knew would push him over the edge. With a smirk, I started speaking. "You're a disgrace to your kind...."

"Fishmen had people like Queen Otohime to guide them to a brighter future, but she's dead now..." I said, shaking my head as I dodged another punch from Hody. "There's still Jinbe and King Neptune for the main island Fishmen, but the people of the district are stuck with a waste of air like you..."

"I can only feel bad for the people here..." I said, closing in and burying my fist into Hody's abdomen with all my might.

"Don't you dare mention that coward's name!" Hody snapped, his voice filled with venom as he swiped his arm at me, causing me to jump back. "Jinbe betrayed our cause, just like that traitor Otohime!"

I raised an eyebrow, pretending to be intrigued. "Oh? And what did they do to deserve such labels?"

Hody's voice quivered with anger as he confessed, his words laced with bitterness. "Jinbe turned his back on us, on our dream of destroying humanity. He chose to side with the humans, to bow down and serve them. And Otohime, she was nothing more than a traitor who took the humans' side, advocating for peace and understanding as if that would ever happen!"

"Is that so?" I replied, my voice heavy with disappointment. "It seems your version of strength is a mere delusion, Hody. Jinbe and Queen Otohime were willing to seek peaceful coexistence to build bridges instead of walls. They were true leaders, unlike you."

Hody's face contorted with rage as he lunged at me again, his attacks fueled by desperation and blind fury. But I continued to evade his strikes, dodging and weaving effortlessly. I carefully calculated my movement as I refrained from attacking to keep the Fishman talking.

As Hody's attacks grew more frenzied, I began to feel a shift in the atmosphere. The onlookers, the fishmen recruits who had once followed Hody, seemed to waver in their loyalty. The seed of doubt had been planted, and now it began to take root.

With each dodge and counterattack, I pushed Hody further to the edge, physically and mentally, with mockery. And as he continued to miss his mark, his frustration turned into desperation.

In a moment of weakness, fueled by his anger, Hody's mouth betrayed him, and he let out a confession that shook the battlefield.

"And you want to know the truth?" Hody's voice echoed, filled with a twisted sense of pride. "I murdered Queen Otohime and framed the humans for her death. She was a traitor, a mermaid who dared to side with the humans."

"She deserved to die for turning her back on our race! But at least her death made my brothers realize who the real enemy was!"

The words hung in the air, a chilling reminder of the depths to which Hody had sunk. The atmosphere turned somber as the fishmen recruits who had been fighting alongside him looked on, their expressions a mix of shock and horror.