Chapter 44 For that man, we are so weak

"You filthy human! How dare you harm my brethren and destroy my sanctuary and my sea charts! I will tear you apart and bathe them in your blood!" Arlong's eyes were blood-red as he entered a berserk state. He locked onto Moonlight, moving like lightning, his strength overwhelming. Wherever he went, it was as if a bulldozer had plowed through.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The ground beneath Arlong's feet shattered under his steps. He grabbed a massive stone pillar weighing thousands of pounds and hurled it at Moonlight with terrifying force, like a mountain crashing down.

"Whoosh!"

Moonlight struck back, unleashing a crescent-shaped slash of sword energy. The pillar shattered instantly, and the sword energy sliced toward Arlong, cutting into his body.

"Crack!"

Arlong's body shuddered as he was pushed back ten steps. But after quickly brushing off the debris, he charged forward again, unscathed.

"He blocked Moonlight's sword energy with his body! What kind of monster is this?" Usopp gasped. He knew how powerful Moonlight's sword strikes were; they could slice through anything, even steel. But Arlong's body seemed tougher than metal itself.

"That's insane!" Sanji exhaled sharply, realizing he had severely underestimated Arlong's strength.

"Of course," Hatchan chuckled confidently. "Arlong's body is the strongest among us Fish-Men. Our strength, speed, and endurance are ten times that of humans, but Arlong is a fighter among fighters. He's faster, stronger, and more powerful. That swordsman may be skilled, but he's no match for Arlong!"

"Exactly," Kuroobi sneered. "That human swordsman may have wounded us, but against Arlong, he's still far from being a threat. You're all finished!"

"How can he compare to Arlong?" Chew scoffed, watching Arlong rampage through the battlefield like a bulldozer.

"What…?" Nami was filled with fear as she looked at Moonlight.

"Moonlight!" Usopp shouted, his worry clear.

"Damn it, looks like we'll have to step in!" Sanji gritted his teeth, still feeling the pain from his earlier injuries, but they couldn't afford to lose Moonlight. If he fell, they would all be done for.

"No need. For that man, Arlong isn't even worth mentioning," Zoro said, crossing his swords with a calm confidence, fully trusting in Moonlight's abilities.

"Zoro!" Sanji looked over in shock.

"Zoro, Arlong is a monster!" Usopp called out.

"Yeah, Zoro!" Nami added, her voice trembling with concern.

Zoro merely smiled faintly, not bothering to respond further. To him, Arlong was simply insignificant.

"Clang!"

Suddenly, a loud metallic sound echoed as Arlong opened his massive, razor-sharp jaws and lunged at Moonlight's sword, aiming to bite it in half. For a swordsman, having their blade broken was the ultimate humiliation.

"Arlong!" Everyone's eyes were drawn to the scene.

"You want to bite through my sword?" Moonlight chuckled. His Kusanagi Sword was a divine weapon granted by the system, superior to any sword in the world, even Mihawk's black blade, Yoru. Moonlight's sword could withstand Mihawk's without a scratch, even without Haki. Enforcing it with Armament Haki made it invincible.

And Arlong dared to try and break it?

"Crack!"

Arlong bit down with all his might, intending to prove his strength. However, in the next second, the sound of something breaking filled the air, and Arlong's sharp teeth shattered, falling to the ground like broken glass.

"His teeth broke!" Hatchan, Kuroobi, and Chew were dumbfounded.

"What kind of weapon is that? Arlong's teeth are among the hardest parts of his body, capable of biting through a warship, but they couldn't break that sword? Is it some kind of divine weapon?" The remaining Fish-Men who managed to stay on their feet were equally stunned, the reality of the situation too much to comprehend.

"Moonlight!" Usopp and the others cheered. Arlong wasn't an opponent; he couldn't even handle Moonlight's sword, his strongest weapon useless.

"Damn it! What kind of sword is this? It's harder than my teeth!" Arlong staggered back, clutching his broken mouth in disbelief. He had never imagined that his supposedly unstoppable fangs would be so easily shattered.

"Want to know? Maybe you'll find out in your next life." Moonlight said coldly.

He activated his Armament Haki. "Clang!" The Kusanagi Sword was enveloped in a black aura. Moonlight slashed forward with a fierce attack.

Arlong's body was indeed formidable, tougher than steel itself. This was the strongest physical body Moonlight had encountered, honed by the intense pressure of living 10,000 meters deep under the sea. Breaking through such a defense was not easy, but Moonlight was done wasting time.

"Three-Stage Slash!"

A crescent-shaped, triple slash of sword energy shot out, fast and lethal, especially at such close range. Arlong couldn't dodge and was struck head-on.

"Thud, thud, thud!"

The sword energy tore through the air, relentless. Arlong tried to block with his nose, the toughest part of his body, but the sword energy was too much.

"Crack!"

His nose snapped, and the three-stage slash cut deep into his body. Arlong stumbled back three steps before collapsing to his knees in front of Moonlight.

"Arlong-sama lost?!"

"How is this possible? Even Arlong was defeated! This human swordsman is terrifying beyond belief!"

"This… this…"

All the Fish-Men watched in stunned silence, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"How could this happen? Even Arlong couldn't win?" Hatchan was in shock.

"Damn, how strong is this guy? What kind of monster is he?" Kuroobi's eyes widened, unable to comprehend the overwhelming power before him.

"This…!" Chew could only gape in speechless disbelief.

"We did it! I knew it, Moonlight is unbeatable. He's never lost since the day I met him!" Usopp exhaled in relief, muttering to himself.

"He really won, huh? That green-haired idiot was right." Sanji breathed out, the tension easing. Despite knowing how strong Moonlight was, Arlong's display had been terrifying enough to make him nervous.