Chapter 238: Solution
Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea, was incredibly powerful. Whether in physical combat, Haki mastery, or physical constitution, he was a true powerhouse of the seas—second only to a Marine Admiral in overall capability. He had once fought Portgas D. Ace to a draw and repeatedly withstood Akainu's magma attacks during the Marineford War.
In the ocean, his strength would be amplified tremendously, making him virtually unmatched anywhere in the world.
With Rhodes' current level of power, he could achieve victory, but not completely overwhelm Jinbe.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Under the shocked gazes of the onlookers, the two combatants, like humanoid Sea Kings, shattered the earth wherever they clashed, even causing the walls of the training grounds to crumble and collapse.
Waves of destructive energy swept outward in all directions, clearing away all obstacles in their path.
"Too powerful..."
"If these two went all out, the entire Fish-Man Island might sink!"
"I think we should retreat even further back."
The fish-men spectators were tense and deeply worried. Although they didn't fully understand why this battle had erupted, they clearly hoped Jinbe would emerge victorious.
He was Fish-Man Island's strongest defender at present, and also their last line of defense after Whitebeard's death.
If Jinbe were defeated, Fish-Man Island might fall into a situation where they'd be completely at others' mercy—something no one wanted to witness.
In the ruins of the training arena,
Jinbe employed special taijutsu techniques to seemingly clash with Rhodes' sword before separating almost instantly. Before the blade could even break through his Armament Haki completely, Jinbe suddenly pivoted and launched a devastating kick at Rhodes.
"Nanasenmaigawara Mawashigeri!"(Seven Thousand Tile Roundhouse Kick)
The close-range burst capabilities of taijutsu masters were extraordinary, with continuous fluid attacks. An ordinary opponent wouldn't be able to react to Jinbe's sudden tactical shift.
But Rhodes' mental processing and physical reactions were exceptional. He clearly tracked Jinbe's movement pattern, and his body, activated by lightning enhancement, moved instantaneously to intercept with his blade.
BOOM!
Sword met foot, instantly creating a thunderous explosion.
Immediately afterward, an invisible shockwave rippled outward, dispersing all the surrounding dust and debris.
Rhodes felt tremendous force against his blade, but by adjusting his stance fluidly, he steadily blocked Jinbe's frontal kick.
"Tch...!"
Feeling his Armament Haki being constantly sliced through by the oscillating blade, Jinbe didn't dare become careless and quickly used Rhodes' counterforce to propel himself backward.
This rotund fish-man was remarkably agile despite his build.
But just then, Rhodes suddenly slashed downward with his sword.
"Raimei Ryū!"
The power of thunder roared and surged forth, transforming into a ferocious lightning dragon that tore through the air.
Jinbe, caught mid-air with no foothold, had no room to dodge, but he remained utterly calm. Instead, he took a deep breath, channeling all his strength and internal water manipulation, his blue fish-man face turning crimson with exertion.
"Gyojin Karate Ōgi: Buraikan!"
A highly condensed, ultra-high-pressure water projectile slowly materialized from the moisture in the air.
Then, with a devastating thrust, it ripped through the atmosphere, carrying an aura capable of piercing anything, meeting the oncoming thunder dragon head-on!
BOOM!
When the water projectile collided with the lightning dragon, the air itself seemed to freeze momentarily, then exploded outward, transforming into a catastrophic shockwave that swept in all directions.
Both were supremely concentrated, ultimate-level techniques.
In the original timeline, Jinbe's "Buraikan" strike had directly pierced through a massive Sea King several times larger than a mountain—the power of that single blow was sufficient to penetrate entire mountain ranges.
Rhodes' Thunder Dragon, empowered by his improved swordsmanship and refined lightning manipulation, possessed equally extraordinary destructive force.
"Crackle... hiss..."
The power of lightning and the ultra-high-pressure water flow collided and struggled continuously, exploding with deafening sounds before finally shattering into a shower of water droplets and scattered electrical arcs.
"Even the secret techniques of Fish-Man Karate couldn't secure victory..."
The fish-men spectators were deeply disappointed and somewhat dejected, but at that moment, their expressions suddenly changed dramatically, as if witnessing something utterly unbelievable.
The scattered electrical arcs that had dispersed near Jinbe suddenly trembled slightly, as if responding to some unseen command, and surged directly toward Jinbe all at once.
Jinbe was still in a momentarily vulnerable state after unleashing his ultimate technique, unable to dodge effectively or even properly coat himself with Armament Haki for defense. He was immediately struck by the concentrated electricity, feeling his entire body go numb.
He could smell a distinctly cooked aroma emanating from himself, as if he could be served as a meal with proper seasoning.
"Hah..."
Jinbe exhaled a puff of black smoke, feeling pain and numbness coursing through his entire body. His muscle control was noticeably sluggish and unresponsive.
In this condition, he could technically still fight, but it was clearly unnecessary to continue.
Defeat was inevitable.
"I have lost."
Jinbe's expression was complex with mixed emotions. Although he had expected potential defeat, he hadn't anticipated such a decisive loss. Despite having significant home-field advantages, he had been suppressed throughout the entire match, and even his ultimate technique had been broken through directly.
"You fought well."
Rhodes sheathed his sword, his expression calm, though a hint of satisfaction flickered in his heart.
Fish-men weren't the absolute strongest race physically, but in this world filled with vast oceans, their potential was extraordinarily promising.
Subduing Fish-Man Island would be equivalent to acquiring an elite underwater special forces unit, which, if deployed properly, would create major problems for any enemy.
"Your strength and potential are worthy of our allegiance, but to truly protect Fish-Man Island, power alone isn't sufficient—you also need an intimidating enough reputation," Jinbe said in a serious tone. He was a straightforward warrior who kept his word, and having made his promise to Rhodes, he wouldn't hesitate to follow through.
"I agree."
Rhodes nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
He had shone brilliantly during the Marineford War and become world-renowned, but in many people's eyes, he was still merely a rising star—the strongest rookie of his generation.
Such a reputation was far inferior to that of Whitebeard, the World's Strongest Man, and couldn't effectively deter slave traders and pirates.
Even during Whitebeard's lifetime, there had been no shortage of slave traders willing to risk everything to operate on Fish-Man Island.
The astronomical profits were enough to drive people to madness.
"What should we do..."
Rhodes pondered thoughtfully. If this matter couldn't be properly resolved, Jinbe would remain tied down defending Fish-Man Island.
Having such combat capability wasted on guard duty here was truly inefficient.
But his current reputation was indeed insufficient to protect Fish-Man Island through fear alone.
"Wait..."
Rhodes thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up as an excellent idea came to mind.
He could station Enel to guard Fish-Man Island!
With his vast Kenbunshoku Haki capable of covering an entire sky island, he could definitely eliminate 99% of would-be slave traders.
After all, those who became slave traders and personally captured slaves couldn't be exceptionally powerful.
Enel's strength was more than sufficient to easily defeat them, and he could safely train his Busoshoku Haki here simultaneously.
By the time Enel's Armament Haki was fully developed and he could operate independently, Rhodes would probably have already established his reputation throughout the New World—enough to protect Fish-Man Island through his name alone.
Perfect.
Rhodes smiled slightly and explained his plan to Jinbe.
"A Logia-type Goro Goro no Mi user? Kenbunshoku Haki covering an entire island?"
Jinbe was genuinely shocked upon hearing this, but quickly recovered, and uncontrollable joy appeared on his fish-like features.
He was straightforward, not stupid, and of course understood the strategic value of such an ability user.
At the same time, he couldn't help but regard Rhodes with renewed astonishment.
He had initially assumed he would be the strongest combatant under Rhodes' command, but he hadn't expected Rhodes to already have a Logia-type Devil Fruit user—and one who wielded the legendary Goro Goro no Mi at that.
Just as Jinbe was processing this pleasant revelation, a series of deafening roars suddenly erupted from outside the training grounds.
The sound grew progressively louder as it approached, as if tens of thousands of people were shouting and marching simultaneously, causing the very earth to tremble beneath their feet.
The overwhelming hostile aura shook the entire Fish-Man Island.
The island's peaceful inhabitants all looked on with mounting worry and fear.
Panic quietly crept into everyone's hearts.
(End of Chapter)
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