Chapter 240: A Casual Strike
One second, the battle cries were deafening, the shouts incessant.
The next second, the air was still, silent as death.
All of this changed because of one person's single thought.
"Haoshoku Haki..."
Both Jinbe and Madam Shirley were visibly shaken. Although they knew of the Dragon Slayer Swordsman's reputation, they hadn't known this man possessed the legendary Conqueror's Haki.
But then again, it would be far stranger if such a person didn't possess Haoshoku Haki.
BOOM!
Under this overwhelming surge of Conqueror's Haki, the fish-man army's charging momentum came to an abrupt halt.
However, because Rhodes carefully controlled the intensity,
the fish-men didn't lose consciousness. Instead, they stood frozen in place, their eyes trembling as they stared at the handsome human in white.
At this moment, in the eyes of every single fish-man,
this human figure seemed to grow infinitely larger, towering over heaven and earth itself, looking down upon them all.
They felt no will to resist whatsoever—only absolute submission.
"Could he be... a god?"
This thought inevitably crossed the minds of all the fish-men, and their legs buckled, causing them to drop to their knees in waves.
In an instant,
only a scattered handful of the seemingly endless fish-man army remained standing.
Hody Jones also felt an overwhelming sense of divine majesty washing over him.
This pressure made him instinctively want to kneel and submit.
A primal survival instinct screamed at him:
Only by submitting to this being could he possibly survive.
But as a fanatical believer in fish-man supremacy, how could Hody Jones possibly bow down to a human?!
At that very moment,
Rhodes' indifferent gaze slowly shifted directly toward him.
This gaze contained no overtly hostile aura, nor did it actively release any domineering pressure.
Yet it plunged Hody Jones into an icy abyss of terror, making him feel as if he were facing a legendary, supreme deity.
Like when he was a helpless child encountering a colossal Sea King, he inevitably felt crushing insignificance.
In that instant, Hody Jones couldn't help but feel an overwhelming urge to flee.
"Damn it..."
Hody Jones felt ashamed of the cowardly thought that had crossed his mind, and his slightly trembling hand reached into his pocket.
Somehow, touching what was inside seemed to give him new strength, and the trembling in his body miraculously ceased.
Rhodes noticed this with mild curiosity but didn't particularly care.
An ant was still an ant—even with borrowed power, it remained nothing more than an ant.
Then Hody Jones pulled out a massive handful of pills from his pocket and, without hesitation, threw them all into his mouth and began frantically chewing.
"Energy Steroids?"
Rhodes tilted his head slightly with recognition.
Energy Steroids were treasures from the Ryugu Palace vault—explosive enhancement drugs of mysterious ancient origin.
They could grant the user superhuman strength temporarily, but carried the severe side effect of drastically shortening one's lifespan.
Hody Jones typically took them one pill at a time.
But now, under Rhodes' overwhelming pressure, he consumed them by the fistful.
Under such a massive overdose, his body immediately underwent visible, grotesque changes.
His long, black, wavy hair turned bone-white and brittle in an instant, and his already pale grayish fish-man skin became even more sickly and corpse-like.
In stark contrast to his dying coloration,
Hody Jones' muscles swelled dramatically in the blink of an eye, making him appear monstrously oversized.
His terrifying muscles bulged like small mountains, and his veins protruded like writhing pythons, all speaking to the frightening power now coursing through him.
Coupled with his already razor-sharp fangs and bloodshot crimson eyes, Hody Jones' appearance at this moment was enough to strike fear into any fish-man's heart.
"B-Boss..."
A surviving fish-man officer asked weakly,
"What's happening to you?"
Clearly, even Hody Jones' most trusted lieutenant couldn't comprehend his current state.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Hody Jones laughed maniacally, clenching his fist tight. The air itself exploded outward with a muffled thunderous boom.
This terrifying display of power caused Hody Jones' ego to swell even further. His ferocious crimson fish-eyes locked onto Rhodes, killing intent erupting from every fiber of his being as he charged forward.
"You're asking for death,"
Jinbe shook his head with resignation.
He was a moderate, but not a naive saint. Hody Jones' actions would clearly lead Fish-Man Island down a path of destruction—perhaps it would be better for him to die by Rhodes' hand here and now.
At that moment, Hody Jones had already closed the distance and threw a devastating punch.
Rhodes casually sidestepped, effortlessly dodging the powerful blow.
BOOM!
A terrifying explosion erupted beside Rhodes, dirt and debris flying everywhere. Some of the flying debris struck Rhodes, causing slight stinging sensations.
Hody Jones was already naturally strong, and after consuming such a massive quantity of Energy Steroids—essentially burning through his entire remaining lifespan—his raw physical strength now far exceeded even Jinbe's.
Unfortunately, he was hopelessly slow.
In the same instant Rhodes dodged the punch, his blade was already drawn.
Slash!
No need for Armament Haki, no need for electromagnetic oscillation.
Seeing Hody Jones completely wide open due to overcommitting to his attack, Rhodes casually slashed across his chest.
Rhodes' speed was simply absurd.
Hody Jones, who had never awakened any form of Haki, couldn't react whatsoever.
Hiss...
Shodai Kitetsu sliced cleanly across Hody Jones' chest, opening a horrific wound that nearly exposed his lungs.
Before Hody Jones could even scream in agony, Rhodes had already delivered a second strike.
Not only was his movement speed incredible, but his slashing speed far exceeded ordinary comprehension.
THUD!
Hody Jones' massively muscled arm was severed cleanly, spinning through the air.
He let out a bloodcurdling, inhuman scream of pure agony.
This scene, witnessed by the entire fish-man army, made them perceive the human wielding that cursed blade—his expression utterly indifferent—as a demon straight from the depths of hell itself.
No.
Judging from their current circumstances, Rhodes appeared more like a divine executioner from heaven, delivering righteous punishment!
BANG!
Rhodes kicked Hody Jones contemptuously, sending him flying backward.
As he tumbled through the air, Hody Jones' bulging muscles deflated rapidly like a punctured balloon.
In the blink of an eye, Hody Jones transformed into a withered, emaciated, frail old man on the verge of death.
Forcibly using borrowed power that wasn't truly his own had cost him everything—his life force had been completely drained, and he was clearly moments from death.
Rhodes didn't even spare a glance at the now-dying Hody Jones, instead turning to face the tens of thousands of fish-man soldiers still staring at him in stunned silence.
"Humans and fish-men are equal."
"Does anyone have any objections to my words?"
The arena was deathly silent—no one dared speak.
All of Fish-Man Island was deathly silent.
Everyone had witnessed this scene through the video Den Den Mushi that Hody Jones had arrogantly prepared beforehand to broadcast his "glorious revolution."
"Heh, it seems the boss has done something incredible again."
Law and Bepo, who had been leisurely sightseeing around Fish-Man Island, finally snapped out of their daze and remarked with awe.
"Jinbe... I now believe wholeheartedly that my prophecy will definitely come true."
Madam Shirley drew from her pipe, her slender, pale fingers trembling slightly with excitement.
Fate itself was truly about to change course.
"Yes. I will devote everything to assist Rhodes-sama in reaching the pinnacle of this world, and Fish-Man Island will one day bask in true sunlight."
Jinbe placed his hand solemnly over his heart, making a sacred oath.
"The boss is becoming more and more overwhelming."
Robin pouted slightly, complaining though she felt genuinely delighted.
The more domineering and powerful Rhodes became, the greater her chances of reaching her own dreams and standing in the light.
(End of Chapter)
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