Mutual Brawl

The "Fish-Man Race" was a special race in this vast ocean, whose members often had features that were half human and half fish.

Because of historical circumstances, the Fish-Man Race had still been treated as "fish" until just a few decades ago.

And thanks to their tough physiques and strength twenty times greater than that of ordinary humans, "Fish-Man slaves" were extremely popular in the slave market.

The Fish-Man Race had long harbored resentment toward humans. Even the goodwill shown by a handful of humans had done little to ease the conflict between them.

The "vast majority" of Fish-Men and the "vast majority" of humans regarded one another as enemies.

In response to this deadlock, the then Queen of Fish-Man Island, Otohime, had tried to change the future of Fish-Men and Mermaids, advocating "coexistence with humans."

This great queen had even rescued a Celestial Dragon in distress in the not-too-distant future, hoping to use him as a means of establishing a rational channel of communication with the World Government.

That act did, in the more distant future, lead to the rare awakening of a Celestial Dragon named Saint Mjosgard.

But for now, Queen Otohime's beliefs still seemed naive. The vast majority of the Fish-Man Race remained hostile toward humans.

And at this very moment, another Fish-Man held in high regard by his people was growing ever more resentful of humans, gradually losing control of his anger.

His name was Fisher Tiger!

Bam!

A fist slammed down, striking Aiven Lindsey squarely in the cheek.

Fisher Tiger clenched his fist, the muscles in his upper arm bulging as he tried to end the fight in a single, decisive blow!

But after the punch landed, Tiger's expression froze.

It felt as if he hadn't punched someone's "face" at all, but had slammed his fist into the unyielding ocean floor. His blow hadn't budged it in the slightest!

"Ugh..."

Tiger groaned in pain, realizing that his opponent was no pushover—he was worlds apart from the human slaves Tiger had faced before!

Years of slavery had long since pushed this Fish-Man's hatred of humans to its limit.

He didn't want to bargain with humans, but with freedom within reach, Tiger wasn't willing to give up so easily, even if the promise had come from that disgusting Celestial Dragon.

He just wanted to go home. He wanted to see the little brats in Fish-Man District again, and the dazzling Fish-Man Island...

"Hey, human!"

Pulling back his slightly numb fist, Tiger quickly moved in close to Lindsey and whispered, "Listen, I have a plan!"

He grabbed one of Lindsey's wrists with each hand, making it look as if the two were locked in a stalemate, then continued explaining:

"That Celestial Dragon, Saint Ecowina, is an arrogant fool. He's easy to fool."

"He'll probably keep his promise. Just let me knock you down, and while he's gloating, we can escape!"

"..."

Tiger's suggestion made sense.

From a rational point of view, defying the Celestial Dragons meant taking on both the World Government and the Navy.

No one in this ocean could do that.

Fortunately, Saint Ecowina wasn't the sort of Celestial Dragon who killed indiscriminately. He just liked flaunting his superiority.

If they could satisfy that vanity, then both Lindsey and Tiger would have a chance to wait for an opening!

"Fair enough. I don't think I have a reason to refuse."

Lindsey stared into Tiger's bloodshot eyes.

At over three meters tall, with perfectly defined muscles, Lindsey was already tall and powerfully built by human standards, though he was still a little shorter than Tiger's enormous body, which stood over five meters tall.

But in terms of presence, the two seemed evenly matched.

Lindsey grinned. The pupils in his eyes had already transformed into the shape of the Kun Trigram, and his Devil Fruit ability was ready to unleash. His voice brimmed with excitement:

"But I really want to find out what a Fish-Man's fist feels like!"

"..."

"You're crazy,"

Tiger muttered.

He had never met a human like this. The man didn't seem like a real "person" at all—more like a beast, radiating an aura that was impossible to read.

The feeling left Tiger deeply unsettled, even a little terrified. He couldn't help shouting:

"Don't you want to live? What are you trying to do?!"

"You've got to enjoy the moment!"

Lindsey laughed loudly. His wrists suddenly thickened, two horns sprouted from his head, and his skin began turning red.

In the blink of an eye, the "human" in front of Tiger had vanished, replaced by a hulking, broad-limbed beast. It was even a head taller than him!

Earth Demon Form!

In this state, aside from his special ability to "destroy the land," Lindsey's physical abilities had also increased dramatically. His already frightening strength had become even more astonishing.

He raised his thick fist and brought it crashing down on Tiger.

Bam!

Tiger crossed his arms to block the blow, but both of them went numb. He couldn't help staggering back several steps.

"Tch..."

After that exchange, Tiger's anger flared as well.

Was he a Devil Fruit User?

Whatever his ability, he was still a disgusting human!

If he wanted to fight, then Tiger would show him the Fish-Man Race's spirit!

Thud!

Tiger stomped his back foot against the ground, forcing himself to steady his body. Then he clenched his fist and swung at Lindsey again.

The Fish-Man Race was already twenty times stronger than humans, and Fisher Tiger was renowned for his monstrous strength on Fish-Man Island.

Few people in this ocean would dare take his punch head-on!

But Lindsey had no intention of dodging. He took every one of Tiger's punches head-on.

And even as he was being hit, he laughed out loud.

"Come on, Fish-Man! Let's beat the hell out of each other!"

He clenched his own fist and launched a fierce assault on Tiger in turn.

They traded blows back and forth. The dull thuds, roars, and laughter echoed throughout the entire Arena.

In the blood-soaked stands, Saint Ecowina clapped excitedly and laughed.

"Good! Good! What a great fight!"

This was exactly what he liked.

The lowly rabble beating each other senseless while he, a Celestial Dragon, watched from the sidelines—it was all tremendously entertaining!

And having watched countless fights, Saint Ecowina could naturally see the difference in strength between the two.

The Fish-Man was powerful, but in the end, he was no match for that unknown Zoan Devil Fruit User.

The fight was about to end!

In the Arena.

After trading blow after blow, Tiger was already panting.

Lindsey, on the other hand, had taken a few minor cuts to the face, but they were only superficial. His eyes still gleamed with excitement.

In a flash, Lindsey spotted an opening in Tiger's defense.

He straightened the index finger of his right hand, then thrust it forward with all his strength, jabbing Tiger in the neck.

Splurt!

"Wonderful!"

Saint Ecowina leaped to his feet in excitement.

But when he got a clear look at the situation in the Arena, his expression turned utterly strange.

The bloody scene he'd expected never came.

Lindsey's finger hadn't pierced Tiger's neck. Instead, it had struck the Explosion Collar around his neck!

"Metal and gunpowder are both processed minerals. They're part of the land, too."

Lindsey had been pondering a question.

"If I can destroy the land, then what about 'metal'?"

The "pattern" in his pupils began spinning rapidly, then locked onto something in an instant.

At that moment, Lindsey, in Earth Demon Form, sensed every detail inside the Explosion Collar—its structure, its materials, and even the tiny flaws hidden within.

It was like taking apart a toy as a child: everything suddenly made sense!

"All I have to do is break this part..."

His ability activated—

Crack!

With a crisp snap, the Explosion Collar around Tiger's neck came apart instantly and clattered to the ground!

As Fisher Tiger stared in stunned disbelief, Lindsey clapped his hands excitedly and laughed. "Find the weak point inside the metal, then break it with one strike..."

"Hahaha! Great, I've got it!"