Chapter 102
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On the periphery of the execution square, thick white smoke blocked all street entrances.
While isolating the unsuspecting residents from the battle area, it also obscured all visibility.
"Hey! What's happening inside now? I heard that Zyhark, the hero from the East Blue, is fighting with pirates?"
"It seems the pirates struck first, those rare fish-men look very brutal…"
"That's no ordinary pirate crew; they're supposedly part of the Shichibukai, even the navy can't handle them!"
Residents gathered at various streets looked at the white smoke in front of them, buzzing with discussions.
Some of the braver ones tried to run in to witness the fight but were stopped by marines stationed at the entrances.
Inside a five-story brick building at the edge of the square, the glow of a burning cigar was especially prominent in the dim observation room.
"Colonel Smoker, what should we do next? Should we stop them?"
The aide-de-camp furrowed his brows, his face filled with concern, "It's very troublesome that a pirate under the Shichibukai is causing trouble in our jurisdiction…"
Standing by the window, Smoker took a deep drag of his cigar, his gaze fixed on the one-sided battle unfolding in the square.
After a few seconds of silence, remembering the actions of these fish-men pirates, he said gravely, "Let's wait a bit longer."
Due to the relationship between the navy and the Shichibukai, as the Colonel of Loguetown, he had no grounds to act against the Arlong Pirates.
Although there was a duty to protect their interests and safety, what you don't see, you can't act upon…
This was one of the reasons he hurried here and immediately used thick smoke to block all the streets!
Aside from the naval forces led by Smoker, in the hidden corners of the surrounding buildings, many onlookers were paying attention to the battle.
This included a man dressed as a wilderness pimp with a child, a spiky-haired, spirited boy hiding in a corner, pirates from the East Blue preparing to head to the Grand Line, and capable bounty hunters.
Among them, the least noticeable was a middle-aged man wrapped in a black robe, standing behind a high tower.
A gentle breeze blew, lifting the hood off his head, revealing a face with a "slipper mark" on one side.
On the execution square.
After a fierce melee, Arlong and his officers were badly wounded, their chests heaving dramatically.
Underneath their tattered clothes were numerous slash wounds of varying sizes.
"Damn it, wasn't the East Blue supposed to be the weakest of all the seas? How could there be such a monster here!"
Arlong, bleeding from the corners of his mouth and with bloodshot eyes, stared intently at Zyhark who stood opposite him, blades in hand.
His fish-man physique was indeed much more robust than that of ordinary humans, and even with a fatal wound piercing his chest, he stood firm, showing no sign of falling.
He had chosen to leave Fish-Man Island for the East Blue because he heard it was the weakest sea, where a bounty of over ten million was considered a big-time pirate level, allowing him to freely slaughter humans and seize resources.
Little did he expect that he would encounter such an unbeatable opponent just days after arriving!
Despite his reluctance and unwillingness to admit it, Arlong indeed regretted provoking these people: if only he had known, he wouldn't have messed with them!
"What's the matter, Arlong, weren't you going to kill me and take my companion? If that's all you've got, then save your breath."
Zyhark flicked the blood off Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri.
Facing a group of experienced fish-man pirates, in a fight to the death, he inevitably sustained some minor external injuries, his clothing ripped and marked with cuts from blades and bites from teeth.
—Under the cover of Armament Haki, attacks from ordinary fish-man officers hardly penetrated his solid physical defense!
With a sharpening look in his eyes, he stepped forward, Sandai Kitetsu leading and Yuki behind, ready to attack.
An oppressive atmosphere instantly enveloped the Arlong Pirates; the weapon-bearing fish-man underlings, terrified, began to instinctively retreat.
"Don't get too cocky there, I am the fish-man Arlong!"
In frustration, Arlong snatched a flintlock pistol from one of his underlings, aimed at Zyhark in the distance, and decisively pulled the trigger.
Bang!
With the smoke rising, the dark bullet broke through the air's resistance, speeding forth.
Zyhark calmly tilted his head, easily dodging the bullet aimed straight at him.
The piercing sound of gunfire seemed to bolster the frightened fish-man pirates, realizing they still had such a powerful weapon, they aimed their guns at Zyhark.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
The successive gunshots echoed across the square, and a barrage of bullets whistled out, forming a net impossible to dodge, completely enveloping Zyhark.
At the same time, Zyhark's power and speed also accumulated to their peak.
Facing the barrage of bullets, he, with dual blades in hand, charged forward like a ferocious beast instead of retreating.
A red glow flickered, and with Observation Haki fully activated, the dense bullets seemed incredibly slow in his eyes, every trajectory clearly visible!
Amidst the dance of his blades, sparks flew everywhere; any bullets that fell on his path were sliced apart by Sandai Kitetsu and Yuki, turning into broken fragments that continuously fell to the ground, making a tinkling sound.
"Monster, he's a monster, Captain, this guy is a monster!"
The fish-men who witnessed this shocking scene were scared out of their wits.
Even in Fish-Man Island's lawless area, Fish-Man Street, firearms and cannons were considered very formidable weapons.
Yet, against this human, they had no effect at all!
Some of the fish-man pirates, frightened by his fierce momentum, collapsed weakly to the ground.
In an instant, Zyhark, who was quickly advancing, arrived in front of them, his famed blades reflecting a chilling light.
A shocked Arlong hastily swung the large sword he had snatched to block.
At the moment of contact, the fragile large sword, along with the arm holding it, was cut into two by the blade covered in Armament Haki!
The excruciating pain from the severed arm was the last straw that broke Arlong's physical endurance, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.
Zyhark's cast shadow enveloped Arlong; although not tall and imposing, it brought immense pressure and fear to Arlong.
"No, you can't kill me, I am a pirate under the Shichibukai…"
Feeling the threat of death, Arlong, no longer arrogant, hurriedly invoked his boss, the hero Jinbei.
Completely forgetting how vehemently he had opposed Jinbei accepting the title of Shichibukai for the sake of fish-men and mermaids, hating humans.
"If you intend to commit evil on the surface, be prepared to face death."
Zyhark was unmoved and not intimidated by the title of Shichibukai, "Die, Arlong!"
Swoosh!
Under Arlong's terrified gaze, Sandai Kitetsu furiously struck down!
(End of Chapter)