The roar of steel and air tore through the hall as Arlong's great blade, Zan Fang, sliced forward like a hurricane. The weapon's wind howled as if trying to tear the world apart.
Fast as Arlong's strike was, Loshue was faster.
He twisted his body slightly, just enough to let the blade whistle past him, missing by inches. Then, like a whip, his leg snapped upward and struck Arlong's side.
BOOM!
The impact cracked through the air like thunder. Arlong's body jerked violently, flung sideways as though struck by a boulder weighing ten thousand pounds. He slammed into the ground, gouging a trench across the stone floor.
"Thousand Tile True Punch!"
Before Loshue could take another step, a deep, rumbling voice cut through the chaos. From the side, another of Arlong's officers Kuroobi, master of Fishman Karate lunged forward.
The man was no ordinary fighter. A 40th-dan practitioner of Fishman Karate, his signature technique could shatter a thousand roof tiles underwater. Even on land, its power was enough to crush boulders.
His punch came like a tidal wave, the air itself seeming to twist from the force. The rippling shockwave of water and muscle closed in on Loshue.
Facing it, Loshue exhaled softly.
In the depths of his soul, the Ox Talisman pulsed.
Raw, unrestrained power surged through his limbs, swelling in his bones and muscles until the air itself trembled.
BOOM!
The ground beneath his feet cracked and sank as though pressed by a mountain.
And then, Loshue's fist met Kuroobi's head-on.
The collision exploded like cannon fire.
"Kid! You actually dared to take my punch head-on"
Kuroobi's words twisted into a scream mid-sentence. His eyes went wide, face draining of color. A stabbing pain shot through his arm the kind of agony that seared down to the bone.
"How—how is that possible?!"
The force he prided himself on, the strength that could crush a thousand tiles, had been completely overwhelmed. His arm felt as if it had been struck by an iron mountain.
Loshue didn't even flinch.
"Getting distracted during a fight," Loshue said with a faint smile, "is a bad habit."
Before Kuroobi could react, Loshue's other fist swung upward, slamming into his jaw with explosive force.
CRACK!
The officer's face twisted grotesquely as his jaw shattered. His body shot through the air like a broken kite, smashing into the ground with enough force to carve a crater into the stone.
Silence.
The pirates of Arlong's crew froze mid-breath, stunned.
Their captain and one of their strongest officers had both attacked and yet, the human still stood unharmed.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
Usually, anyone foolish enough to challenge Arlong's crew ended up as nothing more than blood on the floor. But now…
Now they were the ones trembling.
"Damn it! What are you idiots standing around for?!" Arlong roared, rising from the rubble, shards of stone sliding off his shoulders. His sharp-toothed mouth twisted in fury.
"Kill him! All of you! NOW!"
The pirates snapped out of their shock.
"Yeah! There's only one of him!"
"Hack him to pieces!"
"Make him pay for Chu and Kuroobi!"
Blades gleamed under the dim light. The room filled with the clamor of steel as more than a dozen pirates charged at once, the air thick with killing intent.
Nami stood frozen at the edge of the chaos, her hands clutching her shirt so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched Loshue face the storm alone.
Could he really take on all of them? Could anyone?
But to Loshue, they were just background noise
fish in a barrel.
No matter how many there were, weaklings were still weaklings.
He pressed one foot into the floor.
CRACK!
The stone tiles shattered underfoot, the ground bursting open as Loshue propelled himself forward like a black bolt of lightning.
Every time his shadow flickered across the room, a scream followed and a body flew.
Pirates were sent crashing into walls, ceilings, and tables in all directions.
"Damn it! He's too fast!" Arlong growled, his gills flaring. He tried to track Loshue's movement, but the human's speed only kept climbing.
How was this possible? Arlong had always prided himself on his power and agility, far beyond any human's. Yet now, that very pride was being shattered before his eyes.
But then a thought crossed his mind.
"Heh… If I can't catch him," Arlong muttered, his lips curling into a cruel grin, "I'll just catch the other one."
His eyes darted toward Nami.
It didn't take a genius to see the connection between her and the intruder. And if there was one thing Arlong excelled at, it was exploiting weakness.
"Let's see how you handle this!"
His body tensed, muscles bulging as he gathered his strength.
"Shark… On… Darts!"
In an instant, Arlong launched himself forward like a living torpedo, spinning at blinding speed. His serrated teeth gleamed like sawblades, and his massive form streaked straight toward Nami.
Nami's breath caught in her throat. Her pupils dilated as the monstrous shark-man closed in.
"So this… this is how I die," she thought.
There was no way she could dodge that. No time to move.
She shut her eyes tight, bracing for the inevitable pain.
But it never came.
Instead, a familiar voice rang beside her ear calm, confident, almost teasing.
"Hey."
"That's my employer you're aiming at."
"You can't touch her."
Her eyes snapped open.
Loshue stood before her, back turned, his body shielding her completely.
Then she saw it Arlong's jagged teeth had pierced deep into Loshue's shoulder, half his arm practically bitten through. Blood poured freely down his side.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Arlong threw his head back in manic laughter.
"You fell for it! Too easy!"
He wrenched his weapon free and jumped back, smirking. "In the East Blue, kid, brawn isn't everything! You've gotta use your head!"
Around them, the pirates howled with glee.
"Captain Arlong got him!"
"Now he's done for!"
"Let's see how long that tough talk lasts when he's missing an arm!"
They cackled wildly, confident the battle was won.
Loshue's right shoulder hung limp, torn and bloody. To any onlooker, it seemed impossible for him to continue fighting.
But then he straightened.
"Warm-up's over," Loshue said lightly, rolling his neck.
"Now… we can start."
"What?" Arlong blinked, confused.
Was he serious? His shoulder was half gone!
"Still pretending, huh? You're half-dead already!" Arlong spat, flashing his bloodstained grin. "You really think you can fight me now?"
Loshue raised an eyebrow. "You mean this?"
He pointed casually at his shoulder.
Before Arlong's eyes, the torn flesh began knitting itself back together. The flow of blood slowed then reversed, like time rewinding. Within seconds, his wound was gone, his arm whole again.
Nami gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
"What… what kind of monster are you?" Arlong muttered, his grin faltering for the first time.
Loshue flexed his newly healed arm, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"A monster?" he echoed quietly.
"No. Just someone you shouldn't have picked a fight with."