Fish-Man Karate

Chapter 28: Fish-Man Karate

"Hey, Green, how did it go with that human?" Arlong asked nonchalantly, his voice coarse and his mouth filled with interwoven fangs, making him appear extremely ugly.

Well, despite his ugliness, his sister is beautiful. Though she's a mermaid, she lacks legs...

Ahem, Rodney shook off the water from his body and smiled, saying, "Of course, I took care of it, Boss Arlong. How can feeble humans compare to us merfolk?"

"Shahahaha, that's right!" Arlong laughed joyfully. 

"Humans who resist the merfolk are defying the laws of nature. Why don't these humans understand the natural order? The Arlong Pirates believe in the notion that merfolk are superior to humans, and humans should submit to us. It's a law of nature that cannot be violated! Shahaha!" 

Arlong's harsh laughter echoed through Arlong Paradise, and his laughter was joined by the boisterous laughter of other merfolk. The whole place was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Suddenly, a glimmer of cold light flashed under the sunlight, like a white rainbow piercing through the sun, aiming for Arlong. Arlong was taken aback and swiftly opened his large mouth, full of sharp teeth, biting down on Rodney's own teeth.

A thin layer of wind chakra was applied to the blade of White Light Chakra Sabre, which managed to cut a portion of Arlong's mouth. Despite the pain, Arlong clamped down even harder, using the pain to fuel his strength.

Click!

Arlong's teeth weren't as tough as he expected, crumbling under the pressure.

'Looks like I shouldn't rely too much on the White Light Chakra Sabre.'

White Light Chakra Sabre wasn't considered a strong ninja tool, but it was incredibly sharp and slightly sturdier than an ordinary sabre. Arlong's teeth were much stronger than Rodney anticipated.

'If I get another chance, I'll aim for his heart!'

Originally, Rodney intended to use the blade to sever Arlong's throat, but his weapon had been shattered. It seemed he had underestimated Arlong's strength.

"Green!! What are you doing?! What did you just do?!" Arlong exclaimed.

Arlong spat out fragments, a portion of his mouth cut off, blood staining his teeth and giving him an extremely ferocious appearance.

The merfolk were shocked. They didn't expect the honest and loyal Green to make a move against their boss. After all, Arlong was the strongest among them! 

Green's actions were tantamount to seeking death, even if Arlong treated his subordinates well, he wouldn't spare him. Rodney missed his mark and quickly backed away. Standing on the wall, he removed his disguise, revealing his true appearance.

"Human?! Who are you?! Where's Green?!" Aaron shouted.

"Green? Is that the merfolk I killed? I took care of him in the forest. I hope he wasn't dragged away by wild beasts." Rodney shrugged, revealing his red eyes.

"Bastard! Despicable human! You killed my fellow merfolk in such a manner and even attempted a sneak attack on me?! Despicable!" Arlong's eyes turned bloodshot with rage. He longed to tear Rodney apart with his own teeth to satiate his hatred.

"Really? Are you angry, Arlong?" Rodney's hands began to move, and within a few seconds, the final seal was formed.

"Leave him to me, Boss Arlong!" A blue-skinned merfolk with golden hair, a long pouty mouth, and a blush on each cheek spoke up.

Chew, nicknamed "The Kissing Fish-Man," was one of the high-ranking members of the Arlong Pirates, with strength ranking among the top three. Well, among those who can fight, along with Moomoo the sea cow, they totaled five.

"Kill him! Chew!"

"I understand, Boss Arlong! Water Gun!"

As he spoke, a long water arrow shot out from his mouth, flying towards Rodney.

"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"

The dense water clashed with the water arrow, quickly swallowing it and knocking Chew and the merfolk off balance.

Arlong, Chew, and the others remained unaffected. Arlong declared without hesitation, "Shahaha, humans, we are merfolk! Water is useless against us, I'll tear you apart!"

Chew remained silent, bowing his head to the water, gulping it down, his body swelling like a balloon before he sprayed it fiercely at Rodney.

Water Cannon!

A barrage of water arrows flew toward Rodney at bullet-like speed, easily piercing through trees, and piercing through Rodney's body.

"Useless human!"

Just when they thought they had succeeded, Rodney's body transformed into wood, riddled with holes from the water arrows.

"How...? Human?!"

Chew widened his eyes as a figure emerged from the water, crashing into the nearby merfolk.

Boom!

Smoke filled the air, and a merfolk was sent flying into the sky.

"Explosion!"

Everyone heard Rodney's low voice, followed by an explosion. The merfolk in the air was torn apart by the sudden blast, crashing back down into the pool. Fresh blood stained the water red.

"Bastard! Humans truly are despicable creatures! Everyone, retreat and jump into the sea."

Faced with such an unexpected turn of events, they had no choice but to retreat, minimizing their casualties. At Arlong's command, the merfolk quickly jumped into the sea one after another. Once the smoke cleared, there was no one left.

"Don't even bother coming up. I don't believe he can last much longer!" 

Merfolk could freely breathe in the water, a feat impossible for humans. Holding their breath for an extended period was beyond their capabilities.

One minute passed!

Two minutes passed!

Three minutes passed!

Ten minutes passed!

Then, a man emerged from the water, his eyes filled with fury, charging toward Arlong with the intention to kill.

Arlong didn't make a move, but the iron-gray cartilage merfolk named Kuroobi, sporting two round heads and dressed in a martial arts uniform, stepped forward, raising his foot and aiming a kick at Rodney's stomach.

"Fish-Man Karate: Sea-Speed Stomach Drop Kick!"

He struck Rodney's stomach with pinpoint accuracy. The blow was forceful enough to break a human's ribs and spine, resulting in instantaneous death. But in the next moment, Kuroobi realized his target had turned into a puddle of seawater.

Water Body!

"Water? How is this... possible?!" Kuroobi and the others had never witnessed such a peculiar ability.

"Could he be a Devil Fruit user?" Arlong immediately dismissed the idea. "Devil Fruit users become powerless in water; they're rendered useless! But how can we explain his ability? How is this possible?"

Without ninjutsu, the methods of the Wano Country were no match for Rodney's genuine ninjutsu.

"Boss Arlong, look!" 

Chew suddenly exclaimed, pointing in a direction. Aaron followed his gaze, noticing that the pool was now filled with fresh blood. Someone underwater had been injured.

Crash!

An injured merfolk emerged from the sea, gasping for breath. "Boss Arlong, that human is right below!"

Without hesitation, Chew jumped down, but Arlong was worried that the other merfolk would do the same. However, Kuroobi regarded them seriously and said, "Don't jump, the human has the advantage because of his explosions!"

He swiftly struck Rodney with a palm, causing Rodney to transform back into his original form. Using Sharingan, Rodney observed Kuroobi's movement and replicated the same attack.

"Exploding Palm Bomb!"

Bang!

With a loud noise, both Rodney and Kuroobi were sent flying backward, but Rodney was propelled further.

"How is this possible? That movement... it was indeed the Exploding Palm Bomb! How can you, a human, know Fish-Man Karate?!" 

Kuroobi was a high-ranking Fish-Man Karate practitioner at the forty-rank level, and he recognized Rodney's technique as his own. Rodney had copied his movements using Sharingan, enhancing his own strength with chakra to match Kuroobi's power.

After all, Fish-Man possessed physical abilities far superior to Rodney's.

"Why should I tell you?" Rodney smirked. 

He realized that Merfolk Karate was formidable. By acquiring this unique power, his own strength would increase significantly. 

Moreover, humans were capable of learning Fish-Man Karate. He recalled that there was even a Fish-Man Karate master in the Revolutionary Army, teaching it to their members. Sabo's girlfriend was acquainted with it as well.

Thus, Fish-Man Karate was a hidden gem, waiting to be unraveled.