Strawberry raised his arm, shielding his eyes as he said coldly:
"Truly ferocious."
Then he gave the order to fire again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!—
At this moment, Tiger's eyes were bloodshot, his reason lost.
Even as countless bullets tore into his body, he seemed not to feel the pain.
His mouth kept letting out low growls:
"Unforgivable... unforgivable..."
"Unforgivable, huuuumans!!!!"
Through the hail of gunfire, like a crimson arrow, he charged straight at Strawberry.
Clang!
Boom—
...
Inside the village.
The villagers were celebrating Koala's return.
Koala too was smiling brightly, but that continuous booming sound left her uneasy.
Looking at her mother, who was clutching her while crying, she asked:
"Mom, do you hear something?"
Sweat slid down her mother's forehead as she turned her head away:
"No..."
...
On Foolshout Island's shore.
Aboard the Sun Pirates' ship, everyone heard the gunfire echoing from inland and felt a wave of dread.
"That direction... that's where Tiger went."
Suddenly, the lookout shouted in terror:
"Look!"
"Warships!!!"
"We're surrounded!!!"
"Why..."
From the distance, nine warships came speeding in, spreading into a fan-shaped formation to encircle the Sun Pirates.
Arlong bared his teeth and snarled:
"We've been set up."
"That brat was definitely a bait the Navy prepared!"
"We and Tiger walked right into their trap!"
"This is the damned nature of humans!!!"
"If only you had listened to me—"
Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!—
Explosions rained down endlessly upon the ship.
The nine warships, with nearly a hundred cannons, all aimed at the pirate ship docked on the shore.
After only two rounds of bombardment, the vessel was utterly destroyed, its keel shattered, and it began slowly sinking.
Jinbe stared anxiously at the island.
"Damn Navy."
"Arlong! I'm leaving this to you!"
"We'll bring back the boss!"
Arlong snarled:
"Fine."
"But if you don't bring Tiger back safely..."
"I'll never forgive you."
Jinbe's voice came, heavy with resolve:
"As if I'd need reminding!!!"
"Let's go!"
He leapt from the ship, with two burly fishman fighters following right behind him.
They charged toward the direction of the gunfire inland.
Watching Jinbe's departing figure, Arlong hefted his jagged blade.
"All hands, disembark!"
"We'll seize a warship from the Navy!!!"
...
Inside the island.
Strawberry fought while maneuvering against Tiger, ordering bursts of gunfire in between.
Tiger's stamina was draining rapidly, blood pouring from his body without end.
His attacks grew weaker and weaker, yet the number of fallen soldiers around him continued to climb.
Boom!
With another surge, he sent a soldier flying unconscious.
Tiger halted, panting heavily, eyes locked fiercely onto Strawberry.
The soldiers nearby instinctively stepped back, swallowing hard.
"What terrifying vitality..."
"That many bullets..."
"Why hasn't he fallen yet..."
Strawberry looked at Tiger and said coldly:
"You're finished."
"Keep firing."
He waved his hand again, giving the order.
Tiger staggered under the rain of bullets, his figure wavering.
Just then, a furious roar came from afar:
"Fishman Karate!!!"
Jinbe leapt high into the air, several droplets of water gathering in his palms.
With a powerful thrust, the droplets shot like bullets, piercing through several Navy soldiers at once, their screams filling the air.
Strawberry drew his sword, deflecting two droplets.
"So, you finally show yourself."
"Jinbe."
Jinbe rushed to Tiger's side, standing protectively before him, glaring at Strawberry.
"So you're the bastard behind all this!"
Strawberry replied:
"All of this is for justice."
"For the annihilation of the Sun Pirates."
Jinbe's eyes burned with fury.
"You bastard..."
Whoosh—
The ground cratered as all eyes shot upward.
Jinbe soared, charging at Strawberry.
He drew back his fist, then drove it down from above toward Strawberry.
Strawberry stared at the oncoming Jinbe.
"Your head will be mine as well."
Buzz!
His right arm turned pitch black with Armament Haki, meeting Jinbe's crashing fist.
Boom—
The impact erupted like an explosion, shattering the ground for several meters around, dust billowing skyward.
In that instant, the two burly fishmen who had followed Jinbe darted into the battlefield, seizing Tiger and carrying him away.
At the heart of the explosion.
Sweat trickled down Strawberry's forehead. He gripped his right wrist with his left hand.
"Damn..."
"I underestimated..."
Then his eyes widened.
"Stop them!!!"
He shouted at the soldiers toward the direction the two fishmen were carrying Tiger.
The surrounding soldiers snapped out of it and charged with their rifles, but—
Boom!!!
Jinbe slammed down in their path.
"You'll go no further!"
"Fishman Karate!"
"Secret Technique!!"
He planted his stance firmly before the soldiers, assuming a solid horse stance.
His left hand opened into a palm in front, his right hand drew back into a fist at his waist.
A surge of water condensed from the air, wrapping his fist and spinning rapidly.
He aimed at Strawberry.
His punch unleashed rippling shockwaves, water and air combining into a massive water spear.
It spun forward, annihilating everything in its path as it hurtled toward Strawberry.
Buzz—
Strawberry drew the long sword from his waist in an instant, Haki surging over the blade.
He slashed, sending a white crescent flying at the water spear.
The two forces collided, locked for a moment, then the crescent slash shattered and the water spear surged onward.
Strawberry braced, sword raised before him.
Boom!!!
He barely caught the water spear, staggering backward several steps before halting, grunting in pain.
His coat and the cloak of justice on his back were torn clean through, leaving gaping holes.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he wasted no time and lunged at Jinbe.
"Everyone, after Fisher Tiger!"
"I'll hold him off!"
His tone carried a trace of urgency. After all... what was supposed to be a flawless victory, wiping them all out in one stroke—
If his eagerness to claim credit ended with their prey escaping...
"Damn fishman!!!"
His blade slashed down, sending multiple flying cuts to lock down Jinbe's movements.
Jinbe stood firm, his voice heavy:
"If you think you can get past me, then try!!!"
"Fishman Karate!!!"
Again he struck with a straight punch, shockwaves rippling outward, lingering for a few seconds—
Boom—
The blast swept through, hurling every soldier within range backward.
The slashes in the sky, knocked off course by the impact, veered into the ground instead.
---
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