A Dangerous Skirmish

Four days later, a supply ship was due to arrive.

In order, it was the Third Level's turn for the jailers to transport supplies. Second Captain Xiao led seventeen jailers—excluding the three on patrol—up to the sea surface platform.

While waiting to receive the ship, Xiao occasionally glanced back at the Impel Down entrance. Sure enough, just as he expected, Figo arrived before the supply ship.

"Captain Figo, here to help again?" The Third Level jailers greeted him warmly.

Figo didn't just show up for escorting and imprisoning pirates—that would be too conspicuous. He also came for tasks like this whenever he had free time, since it wasn't very tiring.

But this time, he wasn't here to help.

He unbuttoned his uniform jacket, hung it on the Baptism Room door handle, revealing a simple undershirt that accentuated his sharply defined muscles.

"I'm not here to help this time. I'll have to trouble you brothers to make an extra trip. It's a bit stuffy inside Impel Down, so I thought I'd take a swim while the supply ship is here," Figo said.

This wasn't anything unusual.

Impel Down was practically cut off from the world. Staying inside too long could drive a person mad. Many people had taken the chance to step out when the supply ship arrived, swim a few laps, and breathe some fresh air.

No one was foolish enough to take Captain Figo's help for granted. The jailers responded with understanding laughter, and some even said they'd find a chance to compete with Figo in swimming.

Xiao stood silently at the edge, unable to get a word in, feeling somewhat displeased.

The deeper into Impel Down, the stronger the prisoners. In terms of rank, the first three levels' squads were equal, but as the Third Level's captain, he always felt he was stronger than Figo and the Second Captain.

He also acted a bit aloof toward the ordinary Marine jailers. Now, seeing his own squad's jailers so familiar with Figo, the First Squad's captain, left him with an indescribable feeling.

It wasn't jealousy—just irritation. 'This fake bastard is only after the Vice Jailer Chief position... How hypocritical.'

"Captain Figo, maybe you're planning to kill a Sea King to treat everyone, just like the Warden?" He forced a smile.

The sea surface platform fell silent.

Figo turned to look at him and laughed. "I don't have that kind of skill, Captain Xiao."

Xiao chuckled. "Ah, right. Even if Captain Figo wanted to kill one, it'd have to be a large Sea King to feed everyone. A small one, you'd almost finish off yourself. But if you went after a large Sea King, you'd be the one feeding it!"

Though it sounded like a joke, Xiao didn't use a joking tone. He spoke seriously, as if subtly mocking Figo for being a glutton.

The awkwardness in the atmosphere became very obvious.

Figo paused, studying Xiao with a hint of wariness. He didn't know Xiao well, and they'd never clashed—barely nodding acquaintances for the past year.

What's wrong with this guy? Considering the one-year term was almost up and some rumors, Figo let out a soft "oh" and said, "You want to be Vice Jailer Chief? You think I'm in your way, don't you?"

The blunt words landed.

The atmosphere grew even more delicate.

The jailers kept their eyes down, noses pointed at their hearts.

Impel Down was small. Any wind or grass moving, these jailers were the first to know.

Jailer Chief Raul was about to leave. After Kinch took over, the Vice Jailer Chief position would be vacant. If no one was transferred from Marine Headquarters or the World Government, one of the three squad captains would have to fill it.

They naturally supported Figo, who fought alongside them every day on the front lines escorting pirates.

But their words carried little weight. They didn't dare speak up, only stealing glances at Xiao's face, waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Xiao's flushed face couldn't be hidden anymore.

The direct competition was three days away. He hadn't planned to hide his intentions.

But how dare Figo be so direct?!

An insult to justice! An insult to justice!

Fortunately, the arriving supply ship saved Xiao from the extremely awkward situation.

He roared, "Prepare to receive the ship!"

Without even glancing at Figo, he seemed to hope the shouting would make the jailers forget what had just happened.

Figo ignored him. In a world where might made right, who had time for passive-aggressive infighting? He stripped down to light clothing and stepped onto the ship's railing.

His goal this time was simple—to test the effects of the Fish-Man Power he'd obtained four days ago.

He greeted the supply ship's captain, then leaped off with a tiptoe. The splash was tiny, like an agile fish slipping into the water.

He was a good swimmer.

But this time, as seawater enveloped his body, Figo immediately felt a difference. A wave of comfort, as natural as instinct, surged through him. His arms moved lightly, and the resistance of the water seemed nonexistent!

In seawater, he couldn't breathe through his mouth or nose, but this time his skin took over the breathing function, absorbing oxygen from the water. Figo felt almost no need to hold his breath or any sense of suffocation—it was like walking on land!

Figo felt as if he had turned into a fish, and the sea had become his home.

So that's it?

Fish-Man Power equals underwater breathing?

No, maybe it's more than that.

No wonder it was marked as rare!

In a world where most domains were ocean, this ability was incredibly valuable!

Figo was pleasantly surprised.

The next moment, Figo suddenly sensed an unusual current fluctuation emerging behind him, as if a sizable fish was charging toward him.

This was also an effect of Fish-Man Power, sharpening Figo's sensitivity to shifts in the current.

His body moved faster than his thoughts; Figo swept both hands backward, twisting through the seawater like a nimble swordfish, swaying aside to create some distance.

Sure enough, the moment he left, a burly form shot through the spot he had just occupied.

But it wasn't any kind of sea fish.

Figo stared in shock at the fish-man with a human body and fish head: 'Fathead? No, a fellow tribesman?!'

Then he sensed more, his eyes darting left and right, spotting two other fish-men flanking him in a triangle with the one who had just attacked from behind—six fish-eyes gleaming with menace!

Two minutes earlier.

The three fish-men coming to rescue Agai clung tightly to the supply ship, following it to Impel Down.

Once the ship docked securely, the three fish-men poised to act, but just as they were about to move, someone suddenly jumped off the ship.

After a brief moment of stunned hesitation, the fish-man closest to Figo immediately launched an attack from behind, only to find...

"He actually dodged?"

"A sharp one..."

"Take him out fast, don't make a sound!"

The Fish-Man Race could speak and communicate underwater, while humans could not. As long as they prevented Figo from surfacing to raise the alarm, their operation wouldn't be exposed prematurely!

Figo roughly understood why they had appeared by now and silently cursed his luck.

If the fish-man who had just attacked him had been twice as fast...

Well, and twice as strong too...

Uh, and if he'd been carrying a weapon...

He might have gotten hurt!

Thus, Figo's gaze toward the three fish-men turned hostile. He clenched his right fist, muscles like gnarled old tree roots bulging along his arm!

The three fish-men charging at him suddenly felt a vague, ominous premonition. The moment Figo swung his fist, their unease swelled as they sensed the current rolling and crashing toward them with overwhelming force!

"What?!"

"Shit—run!"

Boom! In the calm Calm Belt, the placid sea surface suddenly erupted in waves, splashing spray that drenched Xiao, standing by the ship's edge, from head to toe!

The bone-chilling cold jolted him alert.

"Wh-what's going on?!"

Beneath the sea, Figo clamped his arms around three unconscious fish-men with rolled-back eyes and quickly surfaced.

A year's effort hadn't been wasted.

Physique: 1024

Level 3, Extremely Strong!

Update time tentatively set for noon, two chapters at once.