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Chapter 49: Qilin Saliva
"Special Attack: Gunpowder Star!"
Usopp steadied his trembling arms, pulled back hard on his slingshot, and a projectile resembling a burning fireball shot out with a whistle, heading for Chew, one of the three executives.
"Now! Attack together!"
Beside him.
The bounty hunter duo, Johnny and Yosaku, who were ready to attack, immediately drew their two gleaming swords and charged towards the incoming Gunpowder Star at the same time as Usopp's attack.
Boom!
As expected, the Gunpowder Star accurately hit Chew's head, exploding into a small cloud of smoke.
"I got him!"
Usopp was overjoyed to see his gunpowder hit the enemy, but his expression quickly froze.
"Hmph."
Chew raised a hand, wiped away the ash from the explosion, and revealed an unharmed, even somewhat mocking, Fish-Man face underneath.
Are you... trying to tickle me?
"This... How is this possible!"
Usopp's eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock. His strongest special move, "Gunpowder Star," hadn't even scratched the opponent's skin!
In reality.
Usopp's current power level on the Gunpowder Star was roughly equivalent to a flintlock bullet commonly used by the World Navy.
It might be enough to deal with ordinary humans, but against a Fish-Man, especially a high-ranking officer, with their thick skin and physique far superior to humans, this level of attack couldn't break through their defense at all.
"It's okay, Big Bro Usopp! We're here with you!"
While Usopp was still in shock, Johnny and Yosaku had already used their charging momentum to successfully close in on Chew!
The two coordinated perfectly, one from the left and one from the right, their two sharp longswords whistling through the air as they slashed fiercely at Chew's shoulder and neck!
As bounty hunters who had fought in the East Blue for many years, Johnny and Yosaku were quite strong. Together, they could even take on a pirate with a bounty of several million Berries.
However.
On the Grand Line, where powerful creatures were rampant, the Fish-Man race might seem insignificant.
However, in the East Blue, the weakest of the four seas, they could almost be described as a force of nature.
There was a dull thud.
Chew didn't dodge; he simply raised his two blue arms and easily caught the blades that Johnny and Yosaku had swung down with all their might!
"What?!" ×2
Johnny and Yosaku were stunned by what they saw, their faces filled with disbelief.
This Fish-Man, who had been scared stiff by Ganyu earlier, was this strong?
"D*mn it!"
They desperately tried to pull their weapons back, but the two swords seemed to be welded to Chew's hands, not moving at all!
"Humans, your fragility disgusts me!"
As if noticing the terrified expressions on their faces, Chew revealed a cruel smile.
Then.
Suddenly, Johnny and Yosaku felt an irresistible force. Their hands, gripping the daggers, suddenly snapped, and the two longswords were forcibly taken and thrown, embedding themselves deep in the ground far away!
Boom!
Then, he swung his palms, which were as large as palm-leaf fans, and sent the two flying.
Now, only...
After doing all this, Chew raised his head, a playful smile on his face, wanting to get a good look at the expression of the last "little mouse."
However, the long-nosed human who had been standing there was now gone.
"Huh?"
Chew's smile froze, and he was stunned.
"He just fled out the door." A calm voice sounded in my ear.
Chew instinctively looked in the direction of the voice, towards the entrance of Arlong Park.
Sure enough, the figure of the long-nosed man was rapidly shrinking in his vision, and after just a few seconds, he had almost escaped the boundaries of the park.
Wow, so fast!
"Thanks."
Chew subconsciously thanked him, then strode off in pursuit of the long-nosed man who had dared to ambush him.
The moment I took my first step, I froze in place, as if frozen.
He stared blankly at the blue-haired girl in front of him, his expression changing from a playful, cat-and-mouse look to one of fear and apprehension.
"You..."
"Aren't you going to chase him?" Ganyu bent down and pulled the two swords from the ground. She held them and stared at Chew calmly, her eyes deep and unsettling.
"Or... do you want to stay and fight me?"
"Right... Right...! I'll go chase him right now! I'll go right now!" Chew, terrified by that gaze, felt his scalp tingle and his whole body tremble. He almost scrambled as he ran wildly in the direction Usopp had fled.
Somehow, facing this human girl, he felt a fear that stemmed from his survival instincts, and he couldn't generate the slightest thought of resistance.
...
"Flanchet Shoot!"
Sanji leaped into the air, concentrating all his power and rotation into one leg, and kicked down hard, like a battle-axe, hitting Kuroobi's neck!
Bang!
Kuroobi was hit hard and let out a muffled grunt, his massive body flying backward uncontrollably.
However, at almost the same time, Kuroobi also struck Sanji's relatively fragile waist and abdomen with a backhand palm!
"Oof!"
Sanji winced in pain and was also sent flying by the force, crashing heavily onto the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
This confrontation was another lose-lose situation, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.
Kuroobi was knocked back more than ten meters, staggering a few steps before stabilizing himself. A burning pain spread across his neck, and the impact made him dizzy.
However, thanks to the robust physique and regenerative abilities of the Fish-Men, he shook his head and forcibly suppressed the discomfort after a few breaths.
He looked into the distance and saw a man clutching his abdomen, his face pale, his body swaying slightly; clearly, that man was much more injured than he was.
"Humans, your resilience is no match for us Fish-Men!"
Kuroobi sneered.
Sanji was clearly not feeling well.
Kuroobi had struck his neck at an awkward angle and with great force, hitting a vulnerable part of his body. Kuroobi had even heard the sound of ribs breaking.
But.
Sanji's injuries were not as severe as Kuroobi thought.
The pain in his body was lessening and receding at a fairly rapid rate, and his broken ribs were healing at a speed unattainable by ordinary people.
This resilience was very abnormal, but Sanji was well aware of it and felt disgusted by it.
This special resilience stemmed from his genes and bloodline.
Suddenly.
A heavy, blood-stained back pressed against his, followed by suppressed, heavy breathing.
He glanced to the side and, sure enough, saw a figure with a patch of green moss growing from the back of its head.
At this moment, the man with the mossy head looked to be in even worse shape than he was.
His clothes were torn in several places, his exposed skin was covered in small bloody cuts, and the bandages wrapped around his chest had broken, stained a deep red with blood.
Sanji frowned and said in a low voice, "You want to rest? You look like you're about to collapse."
He had witnessed Zoro's duel with Hawk-Eye Mihawk at the Baratie and knew that Zoro was seriously injured.
For an ordinary person, if they suffered such injuries, let alone fight, they probably couldn't even walk.
Zoro opened his mouth, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, as if every breath aggravated his wounds.
His gaze was fixed tightly on the octopus-like Fish-Man in front of him, who was wielding six swords, ready to attack at any moment. His voice was hoarse but still forceful:
"Mind your own business and stay out of what's happening here!"
Hearing this, Sanji pursed his lips and said no more.
After all, we still don't know each other very well.
He took out a lighter from his pocket, lit another cigarette, and smoked to recover his stamina.
The brief ten-second rest passed in a flash.
On the other side, Kuroobi and Hatchan seemed to have reached some sort of tacit understanding. Almost simultaneously, they launched another fierce charge at Sanji and Zoro!
Sanji and Zoro also moved separately to meet them.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Zoro and the octopus Fish-Man, Hatchan, clashed again!
After the battle with the world's number one swordsman, Hawk-Eye, at the Baratie, he had lost two of his swords.
Now he only had one sword, the Wado Ichimonji, and he could no longer use his Three-Sword Style, his strength greatly diminished.
To make matters worse, he had a terrible wound on his body, inflicted by Hawk-Eye's black sword, stretching from his left shoulder to his right abdomen.
Every clash with Hatchan made the bandages wrapped around his upper body turn redder, stained deep crimson by the blood seeping from his wounds.
Gradually.
Even the somewhat dim-witted Fish-Man, Hatchan, sensed that his opponent was struggling, barely able to withstand his attacks. So he increased the intensity of his attacks, hoping to quickly finish this man before helping Arlong.
"Six-Sword Secret Technique: Six-Sword Waltz!"
After a few more exchanges, Hatchan took a deep breath and unleashed his self-created, strongest killing move!
His six arms swung at the same time, the six longswords seemingly merging with his body, causing his round body to spin at high speed like a giant, blade-covered pinwheel, and lunged at Zoro!
"Argh-!"
The sharp blades continuously slashed across his chest and arms. Blood, bandages, and even flesh flew everywhere.
The bandages tore completely, and the tattered strips of cloth, mixed with splattered flesh and warm blood, drew gruesome arcs in the air.
Zoro's face twisted in pain, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
Even so.
He still didn't fall, relying on instinct and willpower to desperately block and parry Hatchan's fierce attacks.
Under the rain-like blows, his body staggered backward, leaving a bloody footprint with every step, covering the entire path.
"Enough!"
Just then, a figure descended from the sky.
A barrier made of an ice-blue aura appeared out of thin air, blocking Hatchan's six swords and emitting a series of crisp clanging sounds!
At the same time, a slender, fair arm grabbed the back of Zoro's neck and dragged him backward.
Zoro was dragged several meters before he came to his senses. His gaze shifted downward, seeing the pair of long, black-stockinged legs.
He recognized the person who had grabbed him, his face darkened, and he gripped his sword hilt tightly, plunging the Wado Ichimonji into the ground, forcing the two of them to stop.
"Who told you to interfere!"
Then he suddenly turned around and shouted angrily at the blue-haired girl behind him.
Thud.
Ganyu said nothing, just released her hand.
Caught off guard, Zoro lost his balance and fell to the ground, aggravating his wounds, and sucked in a sharp breath in panic.
"You...!"
He angrily raised his head again, only to meet a pair of clear, glass-like eyes, as calm as still water.
Zoro stared at him for a long time.
I don't know why, but the nameless anger in my heart gradually subsided.
"..."
The air seemed to freeze for a long moment.
Zoro sighed, using his sword to support himself, and slowly sat up. He tilted his head up slightly, his voice tinged with helplessness:
"I won't give up this fight, even if you try to stop me... it won't work."
He had promised Luffy that he would never lose again until he defeated Hawk-Eye Mihawk and became the world's greatest swordsman.
He had just left the Baratie, and this was the first decent opponent he had encountered since Hawk-Eye. They had already crossed blades, how could he back down now?
Clang!
Two swords were thrown to the ground, and Zoro froze for a moment.
Huh?
Wasn't she here to stop him?
He raised his head, continuing to gaze into those eyes, and asked in confusion, "What's this?"
"Johnny and Yosaku don't need their swords for now, and you happen to be missing two, right?"
Ganyu slowly crouched down, meeting Zoro's gaze, and explained calmly, extending her hand towards Zoro at the same time.
Her hand slowly approached Zoro's blood-stained, still-bleeding chest.
Before Zoro could react, a cold touch covered the wound on his chest, and Zoro's body couldn't help but tremble.
What are you doing?
Zoro was a bit confused, not understanding why this woman was suddenly touching his wound, but after she touched it, the pain lessened.
However, the texture felt a bit strange.
"Wait, why is everything sticky? What's on your hand?"
"A substitute for saliva."
"Huh? What?"
"It's my saliva." Ganyu retracted her hand, her tone calm and steady, but an imperceptible blush flashed across her face.
"Spit... Saliva?!"
Zoro's eyes widened, staring at the woman's face in disbelief.
This baffling woman not only interrupted his fight, but... also insulted him with her spit?!
"You...!"
He was about to curse at the woman who had caused all this trouble, but suddenly realized that the wound that had been hurting for days was completely painless.
Could it be...?
He suddenly looked down and found his entire body was twisting, growing, and reshaping at a speed visible to the naked eye!
After just a few breaths, all the terrifying wounds had completely disappeared.
The skin, originally covered in blood and wounds, became smooth and clean, without even a single scar left behind!
He was actually healed!