Rewinding the timeline slightly, as Kuroobi and his group charged toward the bank, another member of the Fish-Men, Hatchan, tasked with starting fires, encountered unexpected resistance earlier than his comrades.
With six torches in his six arms, Hatchan had just leisurely tossed two of them when he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps. The previously quiet alley was now blocked at both ends by several men.
Hatchan looked at them in astonishment. The man standing at the entrance of the alley appeared to be in his late twenties, tall and muscular, with bulging muscles that seemed ready to burst through his vest. His short, messy brown hair framed a face marked with deep nasolabial folds and numerous small scars, giving him a fierce appearance. But what caught Hatchan's attention the most was the horrifying scar on the man's throat—a scar that nearly encircled his entire neck, leaving one to wonder how he had survived such an injury.
This man blocking the entrance was none other than Harden. He glanced in the direction where Hatchan had thrown the torches and instructed the crew members of the Morgan Pirates behind him, "Go put out the fires."
As he spoke, Harden began striding toward Hatchan, drawing the scimitar from his waist as he walked.
The subordinates exchanged glances before nodding and heading off to extinguish the flames.
At the other end of the alley, Selkirk, who was blocking the rear, also ordered his men to put out the fires and prevent further chaos.
"I've never seen a Fish-Man before," Harden remarked as he picked up speed, his stride turning into a full sprint. "From the looks of you, you must be an octopus Fish-Man, right? You've got six arms—cutting off one or two shouldn't be a big deal. I wonder if you taste like octopus."
Hatchan was startled and threw down the torches in his hands, quickly drawing his swords. "Y-You people from the East Blue eat others?"
"Aren't you just fish?" Harden replied with a vicious grin, slashing down with his blade. Hatchan barely managed to block the attack, but as he dodged the other swords swinging from Harden's subordinates, Harden laughed darkly, "You're lucky. Your friends at the bank will probably end up steamed by our boss!"
"You humans are barbaric!" Hatchan exclaimed, his eyes wide.
No sooner had he spoken than the sound of rapid footsteps came from behind him. Turning quickly, he saw Selkirk tossing aside his coat and charging toward him.
"Selkirk, this octopus is mine!" Harden shouted.
Selkirk leaped into the air, dodging the six blades Hatchan swung at him. While airborne, he landed a claw-like grip on Hatchan's head. Using Hatchan's head as a pivot, Selkirk arched his body in a graceful curve and landed firmly behind him. He then spun around and delivered a brutal elbow strike to Hatchan's spine.
"Pirates returning from the Grand Line aren't so easy to deal with," Selkirk said, glancing at Harden with a double-edged remark.
Harden gritted his teeth. The two men, responsible for different aspects of the Morgan Pirates' operations, had a subtle rivalry brewing between them.
Selkirk, a native of the North Blue, had ventured into the Grand Line and was one of the strongest officers under William's command, ranking higher in combat ability than Harden. However, Harden, as one of William's original crew members and a local of the East Blue, was deeply respected by the pirates of the Morgan Pirates for his fearless, brash personality, generous nature, and ferocity in battle—qualities that an outsider like Selkirk couldn't rival.
Hatchan broke free from Selkirk's grip, baring his teeth at the two men. Harden shot a sidelong glance at Selkirk before suddenly lunging at Hatchan, with Selkirk following close behind.
Hatchan swung his six swords at both men, three on each side. However, lacking the ability to focus on two opponents simultaneously, Hatchan left an opening. While he was focused on Selkirk, Harden launched a fierce attack, deflecting two of the blades. As the third sword stabbed toward his shoulder, Harden didn't dodge. Instead, he let the sharp blade pierce through his left shoulder.
Harden's face remained fierce; he didn't even flinch as the sword embedded itself in his flesh. Using the blade stuck in his shoulder to trap Hatchan, Harden seized the moment of Hatchan's shock. With a single slash, he severed one of Hatchan's arms holding a sword.
Hatchan let out a scream of pain, and as he lost his balance, Harden followed up with another slash across his chest, sending him crashing to the ground.
Harden slowly pulled the sword from his shoulder, blood dripping from the wound, and tossed it to the ground with a metallic clatter.
Clutching his bleeding shoulder, Harden turned to Selkirk with a grin. "I told you, this octopus is mine."
...
Inside the Flash Gold Bank, Kuroobi grimaced as steam hissed from the point of contact between his skin and his opponent's hand. A burnt smell filled his nostrils.
He tried to counterattack with a punch, but before he could, the hand that had struck him suddenly exploded with a loud boom. Scalding steam erupted from the blast, far hotter than the vapor already filling the underground corridor, and the force sent Kuroobi tumbling backward.
Using the momentum of the blast, Kuroobi put some distance between himself and his opponent, whose face was obscured by the dense steam. Kneeling on the ground, he gritted his teeth against the pain of his burns and drew his right fist back to his waist. With a sharp exhale, he thrust his fist forward.
Fish-Man Karate: Thousand Tile True Punch!
A unique shockwave mixed with the force of Kuroobi's punch blew away some of the steam in front of him.
"Huh?" A curious male voice echoed through the mist.
The steam around Kuroobi thinned, as if controlled by some unseen force, allowing him to catch a glimpse of his opponent's silhouette.
As the figure stepped closer, Kuroobi finally saw him clearly—a sharp-featured human male with short golden hair and an air of confidence.
"What was that technique just now?" the man asked.
It was, of course, William. Kuroobi's earlier punch, which had dispersed the steam, carried a distinct shockwave that clearly wasn't generated by mere physical strength. It was a special technique.
Having honed his swordsmanship for years and possessed several unique talents, William was a prodigy in combat. His expertise wasn't limited to brute force; he excelled in recognizing and mastering various techniques. In the steam-filled corridor, where his senses were at their peak, William immediately discerned the extraordinary nature of Kuroobi's seemingly simple punch.
"Who are you?" Kuroobi asked warily, ignoring William's question.
William frowned, his right leg shooting out like a bullet. As he kicked, a column of steam erupted from behind his leg, propelling his strike with immense force. Enhanced by the recoil of the Steam Power ability, William's kick carried multiplied strength.
Kuroobi didn't have time to react before the kick landed squarely on his chest.
Boom!
Kuroobi's body smashed through the thick wall of the corridor, crashing into another underground passage. The impact didn't stop there; he was embedded deep into the solid wall of the second corridor.
A deep dent and a gash on Kuroobi's chest oozed blood, the injury a testament to the devastating power of William's kick.
William brushed aside the rubble and walked over to Kuroobi. Grabbing him by the hair, he yanked him out of the wall with ease.
Looking down at the coughing, bloodied Kuroobi, William spoke coldly, "I asked you a question. Didn't you hear me?"
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