Fierce Battle

Lido kicked off with both feet, shooting toward the surface like an arrow released from a bow.

Splash.

Lido leaped into the sea, landing directly above Xia Qiu's head. Gripping the Shark Spear with both hands, his arm muscles bulged as he drove it fiercely downward at Xia Qiu's head.

Bang.

The spear in Lido's hand struck Xia Qiu, but it missed his head, hitting the side instead. It left a bloody gash, shattered scales, and carved a deep mark into the bone.

Not good.

The next instant, Xia Qiu's massive pectoral fin came sweeping toward him.

Bang.

Lido was struck by the fin as if hit by a shield and sent flying.

The moment Lido entered the water, Xia Qiu had judged where the attack was coming from. He turned and swung his pectoral fin.

That was why Lido had only managed to strike the side of Xia Qiu's head.

Lido was knocked away, his body jolting violently from the tremendous force. He spat out a mouthful of air.

Unable to hold his breath, his lungs immediately began to feel stifled.

Damn it.

He could actually attack with his fins.

Caught completely off guard, Lido hurriedly bit down on the fruit and gently squeezed it. Oxygen diffused out, and he drew it into his lungs, easing the suffocating feeling.

This was a device for storing oxygen. It could provide oxygen roughly three times, allowing someone to remain underwater for a while.

But the instant he inhaled the oxygen, before the numbness in his body had fully faded, Xia Qiu turned again and swung his enormous pectoral fin at him once more.

Spiral Slap.

The huge pectoral fin swept toward him again, attacking Lido.

But this time, Lido had the Shark Spear in hand. In his haste, he gripped it tightly and raised it before himself.

Xia Qiu's massive pectoral fin slammed into the shaft of the Shark Spear.

Bang.

A muffled boom rang out, rippling layers of water through the surroundings. Lido was slapped more than a foot away through the water, while the spear in his hand trembled violently.

What tremendous strength.

That was the thought in both Lido and Xia Qiu's minds.

Xia Qiu was surprised that his opponent had actually blocked his strike. He retreated, but the spear had caught against his pectoral fin.

His strength was immense.

Xia Qiu did not dare underestimate him. He twisted his head and bit toward Lido's upper body.

Rows of teeth filled his enormous mouth, sharp as blades, like a spinning wheel of knives sweeping toward his opponent.

Gear Teeth.

Facing that attack, Lido felt a chill run through his body, as though he had stepped through the gates of hell. Cold engulfed his entire being.

It was the result of his instinctive projection of what lay ahead.

He couldn't dodge it. He was going to die.

Lido's heart lurched, but in that instant of hesitation, he suddenly lowered his body and slid downward.

But Xia Qiu was too fast. He could not evade completely.

So Lido gripped the lower end of the Shark Spear with his left hand and pushed it forward, while his right hand pressed down on its upper end. He tucked in his head, leaned back, and braced it before himself.

Bang.

The instant Xia Qiu bit down, the Shark Spear became a slope. Xia Qiu crashed into it, and the tremendous force traveled into Lido's body.

Lido's upper body was already tilted backward, and Xia Qiu had been attacking his upper body. As Lido swam downward, more than half his body ended up beneath Xia Qiu's lower jaw.

As Xia Qiu bore down on him, Lido blocked him with the Shark Spear and used it to redirect the force downward.

Gulp.

Lido's body instantly relaxed, and he was pressed downward through the water, slipping out of Xia Qiu's biting range and ending up beneath him.

Feeling the numbness in his arms, Lido knew his opponent was powerful and difficult to resist head-on. But he did not try to flee. Instead, he kicked off with both legs and moved close to Xia Qiu's belly.

To avoid his teeth and evade his charges, using his body as cover was the best option.

With that thought, Lido arrived beneath Xia Qiu's abdomen, kept some distance, gripped the Shark Spear, and thrust it viciously.

But at that moment, Xia Qiu suddenly turned, rotating one hundred and eighty degrees in the water.

As he spun, the side of Xia Qiu's body slammed directly toward Lido.

Lido found it deeply strange.

He had seen many sharks, and those over twenty meters long were not uncommon. Aside from their teeth and tails, they rarely used other weapons.

As long as he timed things properly, hunting them was not difficult.

But this fish not only used its fins, it used its body as well.

Pfft.

Lido's spear stabbed into Xia Qiu, plowing a gash across his body. Scales were damaged, and blood spread through the water.

But Xia Qiu also slammed into Lido, knocking him sideways.

The instant he was hit, Lido relaxed his body. He pressed down on the Shark Spear with his right hand, exerted force with both arms, and kicked with both legs along the direction of the current, rapidly pulling away.

Bang.

Even so, Lido was still struck, but only a small part of Xia Qiu's body grazed him, greatly weakening the force and shoving him some distance away.

But at the instant of impact, Xia Qiu flipped over and swam away from Lido.

Was he leaving?

Lido steadied himself, preparing to pursue.

But in that instant, Xia Qiu turned and swung his tail. His massive tail smashed toward Lido's body.

Not good.

Lido's body stiffened. He curled himself up, raised his arms, and drew in his legs, trying to block with his arms and thighs.

Bang.

The tail lashed into Lido. The immense force sent him flying sideways, and he spat out strings of bubbles.

It hurt.

Lido felt excruciating pain in his arms and legs, and after expelling a mouthful of air, he felt horribly suffocated.

He hurriedly bit down on the fruit, and oxygen emerged again, filling his body.

By then, Xia Qiu had already turned around and charged at Lido, opening his huge mouth to bite him.

Facing Xia Qiu's attack, Lido hurriedly kicked off with both feet and swam to one side.

Boom.

Xia Qiu's head swept past Lido, biting only water.

Just as Lido thought he had escaped disaster, Xia Qiu revealed a mocking expression. Having missed his bite, he used the momentum to tilt his body slightly upward.

Bang! His pectoral fin slammed into Lido.

The front section of the pectoral fin was a thick, hard spine, as tough as bone. Combined with the speed of his charge, it possessed tremendous force.

Lido raised his arm before himself, colliding with the fin.

Crack.

His arm snapped instantly, and his body was sent flying backward.

Yet Xia Qiu did not stop. He continued swimming forward, and the instant he passed Lido's body, his tail swept over.

Lido did his utmost to steady himself, but just as he regained control of his body, the tail struck him.

Bang.

Lido was hit heavily, the air in his mouth forced out as suffocation gripped his lungs.

He had no choice but to bite the fruit again, and oxygen diffused out.

This was already the third time.

The fruit could only provide oxygen three times, and this was the third. It could no longer provide any more oxygen.

But that no longer mattered.

The enormous sea fish in the distance had already turned around and was charging back toward him.

He had not been Xia Qiu's match even at his peak. Now that one of his arms was broken, how could he possibly defeat him?

Too strong.

Lido felt somewhat despairing. He had never imagined that a sea fish could be so powerful.

Its defense was extremely strong. His attacks could easily pierce through the bodies of twenty-meter sharks and plunge straight in, yet they could only break Xia Qiu's scales.

Its strength was immense, far surpassing that of any other shark he had encountered.

And it knew how to dodge, avoiding his direct attacks.

Beyond that, aside from using its teeth and tail to attack, it also used its pectoral fins and body.

It was also far too intelligent—its pectoral fins, body, tail, and evasions...

Fighting it felt like fighting a person.

It was too terrifying.

Lido regretted fighting it in the sea. He had thought that a sea fish less than twenty meters long could not possibly be that strong.

Damn it.

Lido gritted his teeth. Looking at the giant fish charging toward him, he raised the Shark Spear in his left hand.

Clang.

Lido's Shark Spear stabbed into Xia Qiu's upper jaw.

Crack.

Under the force of Xia Qiu's charge and Lido's strength, Xia Qiu's upper jawbone was shattered by the thrust.

But the immense impact also made Lido lose his grip on the spear, and it flew from his hand.

Xia Qiu shot forward with Lido's spear lodged against him, then bit down on him.

Crack.

Blood spread through the water. Lido's body was instantly bitten apart and swallowed directly into Xia Qiu's stomach.

This man was stronger than that Marine and those pirates. He would definitely have a large amount of heat.

With that thought, Xia Qiu swam into the distance.

"Colonel Lido will definitely win."

On the warship, Kurume leaned forward over the railing, staring fixedly at the surface with some nervousness.

The battle had been going on for some time. Judging by how long one could hold their breath, they should have needed to surface for air at least once or twice by now.

Based on past experience, Colonel Lido should already have succeeded.

Yet they were still fighting.

Suddenly.

Kurume stared intently at the sea, but he was some distance above the surface, and both fish and man were beneath it.

Kurume could only see a huge shadow and the occasional glimpse of another shadow.

Boom.

Suddenly, the enormous black fish turned and charged, then stopped before swimming into the distance.

"What is this?"

Kurume's eyes widened. The black fish had left, but Colonel Lido was nowhere to be seen.

If the colonel were still alive, how could he allow the black fish to leave?

The colonel was dead?

Kurume's body trembled slightly as he shouted, "Colonel Lido!"

There was no response. Apart from the blood slowly rising to the surface, there was no sign of the colonel beneath the water.

Colonel Lido had failed?

He had been killed by the black fish.

Kurume's heart immediately went cold. If Lido was dead, he would have no chance of being promoted.

"Fire the cannons! Fire the cannons! Aim at the sea fish and kill it!"

Kurume shouted, veins bulging across his face as his expression twisted savagely.

Seeing his appearance, the others hurriedly passed on the order. The cannons were prepared and fired at the designated position.

Boom, boom, boom.

The cannons roared, shell after shell firing out. But the sea fish swam deeper and deeper until even its shadow vanished, disappearing into the distance.

"Pursue it! Pursue it!"

Kurume shouted.

But a lieutenant beside him said, "It's heading against the ocean current and the wind. We can't catch it. And even if we did, I-I mean, we couldn't harm it."

"Damn it."

Kurume punched the railing hard. Wood chips flew, and his palm was cut open.

His expression was exceptionally grim.

Colonel Lido had actually died.

He had not wanted Colonel Lido to die. Unlike Lieutenant Colonel Berio, who was greedy and suppressed him, Berio's death could have given him an opportunity.

But Colonel Lido's rank was far too much higher than his. Even if Lido died, Kurume was not qualified to replace him.

At the same time, Lido had promised that after killing the sea fish, he would give Kurume the credit, helping him earn a promotion.

Damn it.

Kurume hated that sea fish beyond measure, but there was nothing he could do.

Without Colonel Lido, they had no way of killing the sea fish.

Colonel Lido?

Xia Qiu was swimming toward the distance when he suddenly heard someone shouting from above.

That man was named Lido, and he was actually a colonel?

In the Marines of the One Piece world, a captain was a high-ranking position—the highest rank below flag officers. Above that came commodore.

Xia Qiu had not expected to have eaten a Marine Colonel.

Yet he was not satisfied.

This Marine warship had clearly come specifically to capture him because of the Marines he had eaten last time. Lido should have been the captain of the Marine Base responsible for maintaining order in the village.

A Marine branch captain was far too weak, nowhere near as strong as a headquarters captain.

Just how weak? Colonel Morgan of Marine Base 153 had been instantly defeated by Zoro, who had been tied up for three days.

When Smoker had still been a captain, he had easily captured Luffy in Loguetown while facing Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, only for Dragon to rescue him.

Hina, once a headquarters captain, had captured Mr. 2 Bon Clay.

Captain T-Bone could cleave pirate ships apart and split a Sea King in two with a single slash.

Captain Shuuen, wielder of the Rust-Rust Fruit, had once rusted away Zoro's Yubashiri.

Then there were Bellamy, Charrilin, and Koby, who possessed Observation Haki.

Even Tashigi, back when she had only been a sergeant, was no weaker than Colonel Morgan. There were six ranks between them.

The gap in strength between branch captains and headquarters captains was enormous—probably the difference between being killed with one finger.

It had taken him so long just to kill a branch captain. He was still far too weak.

He needed to grow stronger.

With that thought, Xia Qiu passed through the artillery fire and swam into the distance, intending to find a place to digest his meal.

But after Xia Qiu had swum some distance, a massive black shadow suddenly appeared ahead of him, rapidly closing in.

Hmm?

Xia Qiu froze slightly, stopping as he slowly backed away.

As the distance closed, Xia Qiu finally saw what it was.

It was a gigantic sea fish, at least thirty meters long. Its enormous body was like a small boat as it charged toward him at high speed.

Seriously? His luck was just that bad?

At the sight of it, a trace of panic rose in Xia Qiu's heart.