Then came the sound
crack… crack… crack.
"Wha—what the—!?"
Kuroobi froze as a wave of sharp pain shot through his fist.
His face twisted in agony.
It felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over his entire body.
All his fury, all his bravado vanished in an instant.
He looked down, trembling.
His knuckles were cracked.
His entire arm throbbed in pain.
That punch—his full-force strike—hadn't hurt Ron in the slightest.
Instead, it had shattered his own bones.
"How… how is this possible!?"
The other Fishmen recoiled in fear, their faces pale.
The villagers stared in awe, speechless.
They had never seen such a thing in their lives.
Ron sighed, disappointed.
"That's it?" he muttered.
"Already done?"
He'd even let Kuroobi "perform" for half a minute but forty forms of Fishman Karate, and not one decent move.
What a waste of time.
He thought of the techniques he had once learned from Mihawk:
Intermediate Swordsmanship.
Advanced Swordsmanship—Cutting Iron.
Master Swordsmanship—Flying Blade Slash.
And finally, the Supreme Intent: Heaven-Splitting Sword Will.
Then he looked at Kuroobi.
"Pathetic."
He didn't even hesitate.
He simply lifted his hand and slapped him.
The sound echoed like thunder.
Kuroobi flew across the courtyard, smashed into the wall, and crumpled to the ground—
barely breathing, life slipping away.
"...Kuroobi."
The voice came weak and hoarse.
Arlong, who had just begun to regain consciousness, stared blankly at his fallen officer.
Fear slowly spread across his face.
"This… this man… he's a demon from the abyss," he whispered.
The once-feared tyrant of the East Blue now trembled like a child.
He looked up—and found Ron staring down at him.
"You," Ron said coolly, "know Fishman Karate, right?"
Arlong froze.
He didn't.
Not even a little.
He opened his mouth, wanting to deny it, but the look in Ron's eyes stopped him cold.
That gaze seemed to see straight through lies, straight into his soul.
He lowered his head in silence.
Ron smirked.
"Didn't think so."
He clicked his tongue.
"What a disappointment."
But then, his tone shifted—light, almost playful.
"Still," he said, "I'm in a good mood today."
"I'll give you a chance."
Arlong blinked.
"A… chance?"
Ron nodded.
"If you can escape from my grasp in this ocean, I'll let you live."
For a moment, Arlong's eyes widened in disbelief.
Then came a spark of hope.
A drowning man had just been thrown a rope.
He forced a laugh, bowing his head again and again.
"Y-yes! Thank you! Thank you, Ron-sama!"
But inside, his hatred boiled hotter than ever.
"Just wait," he thought. "Once I'm in the sea… once I'm back in my domain…"
He never got to finish that thought.
Ron kicked him lightly and Arlong's body shot backward, crashing into the waves.
"No!" Nojiko shouted. "He's letting him escape!"
But Nami grabbed her arm firmly.
"Trust Ron," she said quietly.
"He knows exactly what he's doing."
Nojiko hesitated—then nodded.
Meanwhile, Ron turned his gaze toward the remaining Fishmen.
He couldn't risk leaving a single threat alive.
His fingers blurred.
In a flash, several arcs of light sliced through the air.
The remaining Fishmen screamed and then fell silent, one after another.
Only Hatchan and Chew were spared, since they'd gone to fetch the Berries.
The rest lay motionless.
Ron turned toward the sea.
"Time to end this."
He dove gracefully into the water.
The moment he entered, the world changed.
Sound muffled.
Light danced above him.
And far ahead—he saw it.
Arlong.
The shark Fishman was moving fast—blisteringly fast—his body slicing through the current like a torpedo.
Even Ron was surprised.
"So this is Fishman speed in the sea…" he thought.
"Impressive. But perfect."
His lips curved upward.
"Exactly what I wanted to test."
If he was to become the ultimate warrior—the flawless six-sided fighter he couldn't afford to have any weakness.
Not even in the ocean.
He clenched his fist.
"Thousand Tile Punch!"
Boom!
The water exploded outward as Ron's strike surged forward like a sea dragon, tearing through the current.
The shockwave carved through the depths, hurling whirlpools in every direction.
The Thousand Tile Punch a blow said to crush a thousand tiles with a single strike.
But Ron's power far exceeded that.
For him, it was more like a Ten-Thousand Tile Punch.
The sea itself trembled.
"Impossible…!"
Arlong's heart froze.
This human had mastered Fishman Karate and not just the basics.
The force of that punch could rival Jinbe himself!
"No… no, this can't be happening!"
He darted aside at the last moment, the shockwave grazing past.
Even underwater, the pressure sliced through coral and shattered rock formations below.
Arlong forced a laugh, his gills flaring wide.
"Ha… hahaha! Farewell, human!" he shouted.
"You'll regret letting a Fishman return to the sea!"
With a final burst of power, he shot deeper into the abyss, a blue streak vanishing into the dark.
Ron watched him go, smiling faintly.
"Running, huh?"
He raised his hand again.
"Who said I'd let you?"
And just as he was about to launch after him—
Ding!
The familiar voice echoed in his mind.
[System Notification]
Host has observed the Fishman Arlong moving freely in the ocean.
Congratulations! Host's body has automatically learned the Fishman-exclusive skill—[Lightning-Speed Swim]!
Ron blinked in surprise.
"What…? A Fishman-only ability?"
For a moment, he was stunned—then he grinned.
"Well now… that's a nice surprise."
He clenched his fists, feeling the power surge through his limbs.
"God-tier talent… truly unbelievable."
He could feel it—the seamless flow of motion through the water, the way his body cut through the current with zero resistance.
A human body, moving like a Fishman.
"Across species, huh?" he murmured, amused.
He finally understood why Fishmen reigned supreme in sea combat why even the Marines feared them.
That raw speed. That effortless grace underwater.
It wasn't just technique—it was evolution.
And now, that same evolution… belonged to him.