The Blood-Eyed Ninja Was Far Beyond Anything We Could Stand Against

"Cough cough... you wretched little thing..."

Hody, stuck in the wood, said with a ferocious expression, "Not bad."

She actually knocked him onto Noah's Ark in one go... I really underestimated her!

If he hadn't taken the Energy Steroids, this blow might have knocked him unconscious!

"And that Sharks," Hody said angrily, "If it weren't for him, I would have killed those two humans!"

What a meddlesome jerk!

After cursing under his breath, Hody flexed his muscles and crawled out of the ship, then turned to look in the direction where Merry and the others had been.

"Um?"

"They've disappeared..." Hody frowned. "Were they taken aboard this ship by Sharks?"

If you think about it carefully, it's not impossible.

After all, the human girl's goal from the very beginning was to get Straw Hat into that place.

"In that case, I'll go find you on the ship," Hody said with a sneer. "I can also go look for Vander Decken!"

After letting out a cold laugh, Hody burst out of the crater and rushed towards the direction where he had previously seen Vander Decken.

"Just you wait, Vander Decken!"

He wanted to make this traitor understand just how serious the consequences of betraying him were!

"This ship is even more extravagant than I imagined," said Merry, looking up at the sky.

I wonder if she has the ability to control this ship.

"It is indeed very big." Luffy, who was also looking up at the sky Luffy, then turned to Merry and said, "Merry, can you control this?"

If Merry could control this ship... wouldn't it be possible to forcibly move it?

"I don't know."

Merry shook her head honestly and said, "I haven't tried it."

"Then give it a try!"

Luffy seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes lit up as he said, "If you can control this ship, you can fight that guy named Decken for control."

That way... they won't need to care about this ship anymore!

"Luffy," Merry said with a hint of helplessness, "This ship is currently damaged and cannot sail."

Although she didn't go up to inspect it, she could still tell the condition of the ship just by looking at its exterior.

A ship damaged like this absolutely cannot continue sailing!

"Is that so?" Luffy asked doubtfully, "Then why was the Going Merry able to move back at Judicial Island?"

"That's because Iceberg Uncle fixed me," Merry explained.

If it weren't for Iceberg Uncle helping her repair the ship, even with her special ability to control it, she wouldn't have been able to sail to Judicial Island to rescue people.

"So that's how it is..."

Luffy fell silent after speaking, realizing that something like that had happened back then.

"I don't know what you mean, but Noah's Ark really can't sail right now," Sharks said without turning his head. "To get this ship moving, we must first repair it."

But the current situation doesn't allow them to do that, so Sharks didn't consider how long the ship repairs would take.

Luffy frowned upon hearing this; this was going to be a bit tricky.

It seems the only options are to have Little Coward Star lure the ship away or forcibly destroy it.

No matter what, he wouldn't allow that ship to land on Fish-Man Island!

After all... their companions are up there!

"Alright, stop overthinking it." Merry looked up at the enormous Noah's Ark in the sky and said, "Even if that thing really crashes down, it's okay. I believe Xi Yan can stop it."

In her opinion, with Xi Yan's current strength, stopping this thing shouldn't be a problem.

After all... that man is truly strong now!

Luffy simply nodded in response and said nothing more.

After all... he trusted Merry and Xi Yan completely!

Sharks, however, showed a shocked expression. Blocking Noah's Ark?

Just how terrifying is Lord Xi Yan's current strength?

Although we don't know exactly how strong that man is now, if he can really do something like this... then their Fish-Man Island will be saved!

Thinking of this, Sharks's eyes became incredibly excited, and its tail swung faster and faster.

Soon, thanks to his efforts, the three successfully reached the bow of the ship.

"There they are!" Luffy pointed in Shirahoshi's direction and said, "Little Coward Star and Xi Yan are there!"

Although the light here wasn't very bright, his Observation Haki still managed to detect the presence of the two people.

I saw it.

Sharks nodded, then quickly rushed towards Shirahoshi.

"Um?"

As if sensing something, Xi Yan, who was chatting with Shirahoshi, subconsciously turned his head to look to the side and then noticed Luffy standing behind Sharks.

"Luffy?"

Xi Yan looked surprised and said, "What are you doing here?"

Shouldn't Luffy be fighting Hody on Fish-Man Island at a time like this? Why is he here?

Could it be... that the battle in the square is over?

That's impressive efficiency!

"Xi Yan!"

"Quick, save Merry!" Luffy said anxiously.

"Merry?"

Xi Yan was taken aback for a moment, then his expression changed and he asked, "What's wrong with Merry?"

She's injured.

As he spoke, Luffy bent down and lifted Merry from Sharks's hair, then continued, "Hurry up and heal her."

"So it was inside her hair." Xi Yan murmured upon seeing this, "No wonder I didn't see Merry earlier."

After saying that, Xi Yan's body instantly disappeared onto Shirahoshi's shoulder.

When it reappeared, it was already on the back of Sharks.

This scene completely stunned Star Emperor and Sunfish Star.

"So fast!"

It covered dozens of meters in an instant... What terrifying speed!

Even the Fish-Man Race couldn't achieve such terrifying speed in the deep sea.

Shirahoshi and Sharks stared at Xi Yan in shock, clearly not expecting this human to be so terrifying.

Ignoring the reactions of the others, Xi Yan took Merry from Luffy's arms and carefully checked her wounds.

"Xi Yan..."

Seeing Xi Yan carefully examining her wounds, Merry immediately stopped crying, tears streaming down her face.

"Don't be afraid." Xi Yan looked at Merry with heartache, reached out and rubbed the little one's head, and said, "With me here, you'll be fine."

"Um..."

The little one nodded, then said with teary eyes, "But it hurts so much..."

She felt like her arm was about to break; it hurt so much.

"It's alright, Merry, it's alright..."

As Xi Yan unleashed his Medical Ninjutsu, he said, "It won't hurt anymore once you're healed."

"Good..."

"What happened to Merry?" Shirahoshi asked anxiously. "How did she get hurt?"

She longed to come closer and check on the little girl, but because of the enormous Noah's Ark behind her, she could only continue swimming upstream.

"Explain yourself, Luffy." Upon hearing this, Xi Yan turned to look at Luffy and asked, "Why was Merry injured?"

"And why are you here?"

Normally, shouldn't Chopper have given Merry emergency treatment to stop the bleeding?

"I saw Hody coming here, so I decided to come and chase him down," Luffy said. "And Merry thought she could help me, so she came with me."

"Did Merry come with you to chase Hody in the ocean?" Xi Yan asked, frowning.

Did Merry ask to come along...?

"Yes," Luffy nodded honestly and said, "It's fortunate that Merry was there, otherwise I would be dead."

After saying that, Luffy paused for a moment, then continued, "As for Merry's injury... it was inflicted by Hody."

After hearing Luffy's explanation, Xi Yan understood what had happened.

Then, anger appeared on Xi Yan's face.

"Hody..."

That bastard actually dared to hurt Merry like this... He deserves to die!

"Is Merry alright?" Luffy asked worriedly.

"With me here, he'll be cured quickly."

Although Merry is too small to stop the bleeding on her own, she can be healed quickly using Medical Ninjutsu.

"That's good..."

Luffy breathed a sigh of relief at first, then his face darkened as he said, "Xi Yan, give me that, I need to go find Hody!"

He will absolutely not let this bastard who dared to lay a hand on Merry get away with it!

"Good."

Xi Yan nodded, understanding what Luffy meant, and then used Wood Style to create a clone.

"Is this the legendary clone?!" Star Emperor exclaimed in surprise as he looked at Xi Yan's Wood Clone. "It's exactly the same as the original!"

You can't even spot this tiny flaw!

Although Sharks was also quite surprised, he knew this wasn't the time to discuss such matters, so he said, "When I came here, I glanced at Noah's Ark and noticed that there was no air on it."

"So... you'd be at a huge disadvantage fighting Hody up there."

Even with this bubble, it's useless, since... it's all seawater on top!

"No air is fine," Luffy said. "As long as we have that Xi Yan Ninjutsu, there won't be any problems."

Although the Fish-Man Race become incredibly powerful in the deep sea,... Xi Yan's Ninjutsu can also grant him formidable combat abilities in the deep sea!

This time, he's going to take down Hody in the deep sea in a fair and square Vice Admiral!

"What's the meaning?"

Several question marks simultaneously appeared on the faces of the three Sharks brothers, clearly not understanding what Luffy meant.

Luffy had no intention of explaining to them, as that would be too troublesome.

Once Xi Yan unleashed his technique, the opponent would naturally understand.

Understanding what Luffy was thinking, the Xi Yan Clone nodded, then turned around and went to the main body's side, taking out a scroll from the main body's Ninja Tool Bag.

"Bang!"

A wisp of white smoke drifted by, and a bucket of special resin appeared in Xi Yan's hands.

Sharks:!!!

What is this thing?

Creating things out of thin air?

Or is it spatial capability?

"Lord Xi Yan can actually take things out of the scroll?" Shirahoshi, who had been looking back to observe the situation, asked in surprise.

"Well, I guess it's one of my abilities," Xi Yan replied without turning his head.

Then, Xi Yan took out the resin and, combined with Water Release Technique, unleashed a special version of Water Release: Dance of the Swimming Fish Luffy!

"Buzz~"

The next moment, a thin membrane appeared on Luffy's body, protecting him firmly inside.

"This is... a bubble?!"

Sunfish Star stared in shock at the bubbles on Luffy's body, clearly not expecting Lord Xi Yan to create something like this.

Their body coating technology is far more advanced than that of the Fish-Man Race!

At least the bubbles they wear close to their skin aren't this strong!

"More or less," Xi Yan nodded and said.

In a sense, his Ninjutsu can indeed be considered a special kind of bubble.

It's just that this bubble has more comprehensive functions.

"Finally, I can move freely in the deep sea..."

Luffy clenched his fists, his eyes gradually sharpening.

"Luffy!"

"Profound!"

Luffy upon hearing Xi Yan's words, then turned to look at Noah's Ark behind him and said, "I will take down Hody!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Luffy burst out of the bubble with a whoosh and rushed towards Noah's Ark behind him!

If I remember correctly, the other party was right behind Noah's Ark!

"His speed has increased so much!" Sharks exclaimed in surprise. "Is this the power of your Ninjutsu?"

"Yes."

Xi Yan nodded and said, "This Ninjutsu not only allows humans to stay afloat in the deep sea for extended periods, but it also minimizes the impact of seawater on humans."

This Ninjutsu could grant humans deep-sea mobility similar to that of Fish-Man!

"Then Hody's advantage is gone," Sharks laughed.

The reason Hody was able to beat the Straw Hat so badly was because of the Fish-Man Race's agility in the deep sea.

But now that the Straw Hat have this ability too, so... Hody is doomed!

"That's true."

Star Emperor and Sunfish Star nodded in deep agreement, clearly also agreeing with their elder brother's words.

Hody has absolutely no advantage against this Straw Hat!

"Xi Yan, will I be left with a scar...?" Merry looked up at Xi Yan and asked.

She would be very upset if she had an ugly scar on her arm.

"Don't worry," Xi Yan said softly, "With me here, it won't happen."

"That's good..."

After receiving an affirmative answer, a smile returned to Merry's face.

But that smile... it's a little pale.

Seeing this, Sharks sighed silently; he really felt sorry for the little girl.

Then, he turned his gaze to Noah's Ark behind him, thinking, 'I wonder where that guy Hody is now.'

Noah's Ark is so huge, finding him is no easy task.

Thinking of this, Sharks said, "I'll go with Straw Hat over there and see if I can be of any help."

Go ahead.

Without even looking up, Xi Yan said, "Leave this to us."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xi Yan's Wood Clone released a Water Release Technique, creating a Water Dragon that lifted the group and Bubble up, and together with Shirahoshi, they swam away into the distance.

"Water Dragon..."

Sharks immediately showed a look of surprise. Is this Lord Xi Yan's Water Release Technique?

That's amazing!

However, this means he's no longer needed here.

With that thought in mind, Sharks turned around and rushed off into the distance without hesitation.

"Hody!!"

"You come out here!" Luffy roared.

"Um?"

Hody had just arrived not far from Vander Decken, paused for a moment, then turned his head in surprise to look up and said, "That voice is... the Straw Hat?"

This guy not only doesn't want to run away, but he's also provoking me?

Are you looking for death?

After thinking for a moment, Hody shook his head and said, "Forget it, we can kill the Straw Hat at any time. Let's deal with Vander Decken first."

Otherwise, Noah's Ark might be moved from the sky Fish-Man Island, making his plan impossible to implement!

With that thought in mind, Hody quickly rushed toward Vander Decken.

Upon arriving before Vander Decken, Hody coldly said, "I've been looking for you long, Vander Decken!"

"You bastard, how dare you recite it..."

Before Hody could finish speaking, he realized something was wrong. Why was Vander Decken completely motionless, as if he hadn't even seen him?

Puzzled, Hody raised his hand and waved it in front of Vander Decken's eyes, trying to see what was going on, but the other man didn't react at all!

"Is he dead?" Hody asked, puzzled.

Instinctively, he raised his hand to check Vander Decken's pulse and then discovered that the man was not dead.

"He's not dead..." Hody asked in surprise, "Then why didn't he react at all?"

It's as if I've been controlled...

After thinking for a moment, Hody shook his head and said, "Forget it, never mind. The most important thing is to kill this guy."

Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, he didn't necessarily need to find out.

After all... his goal from the very beginning was to kill Vander Decken!

Thinking of this, Hody didn't hesitate to stab Vander Decken with the fork in his hand, piercing right through his body!

"Puff!"

"Oh no!"

Van Decken, whose body had been pierced, let out a painful growl, but his body remained under control.

Seeing this, Hody frowned and said, "It seems that this simple attack won't be able to kill you."

In that case... let's cut him in half!

With that in mind, Hody didn't hesitate to pull out a large knife that looked like a shark's dorsal fin.

Then... without any mercy, Vander Decken was cut in half at the waist!

"Puff!"

"Ah!!!"

Van Decken, who had been cut in half at the waist, was immediately awakened to consciousness by the extreme pain, while his body was also in a near-death state.

He turned his head and glanced at his own body, Vander Decken's expression immediately became somewhat distorted.

"My body..."

Internal organs pierced, body severed at the waist...

With injuries of this severity, he'll probably die soon.

Damn it, why did this happen?!

"Hahaha~"

"Looks like you've finally regained consciousness, Vander Decken," Hody said with a sneer.

"Hody?"

Van Decken, who had fallen to the ground, turned to look at Hody, then noticed the still-dripping blood-stained broadsword in the other's hand.

This immediately made Vander Decken understand why he had been cut in half.

"You cut me?!"

"Why?!!"

"Answer me, Hody!"

Looking at Vander Decken, who seemed even more energetic in his final moments, Hody sneered, "That's right, it's me."

"You traitor, you planned to kill me too, how could I possibly let you go?"

He shows no mercy to traitors!

"Ah... so that's how it is..."

Van Decken, whose expression gradually became listless, immediately understood Hody's thoughts.

That's true. If it were him, he wouldn't have held back either.

"Alright, it probably won't be long before this giant Noah's Ark crashes onto Fish-Man Island." Hody looked up and said coldly, "Then all the humans on that island will die!"

As for the Fish-Man Race?

As long as those guys are smart enough, they can escape from the island. Then... even with absolute power, he'll still have subordinates to use!

Shrimp, hahaha~

"You're ruthless than me..." Vander Decken said.

While Noah's Ark crashing down would certainly kill those humans,... Hody's men would also suffer heavy losses!

But this guy doesn't care at all... You have to admit, he's really ruthless!

"What right do you have to say such things, having just thrown Poseidon down here to die?" Hody scoffed.

We're in the same boat.

Then Hody said, "Vander Decken, before you die, tell me who did what you did."

"Maybe if I'm in a good mood, I can even help you get revenge~"

"Hahaha~"

Upon hearing Hody's words, Vander Decken immediately understood what the other man was thinking.

They wanted to get information about that man out of him...

But how could he possibly tell his own killer something so important?

"You think I'd tell you?" Van Decken, looking dejected, said with difficulty, "Don't even dream about it!"

"Aren't you afraid I'll continue to torture you now?" Hody frowned.

Unfortunately, such words meant nothing to the dying Vander Decken.

"Hody..."

"What?"

Hody leaned close to Vander Decken's mouth and said, "Speak louder, I can't hear you."

"I'll be waiting for you in hell..."

"Click~"

Upon hearing Vander Decken's words, Hody's face contorted with rage. This bastard actually dared to curse him?

Did Vander Decken really believe his dead ancestor could curse him?

Thinking of this, Hody cursed, "Do you think I'd be like a piece of trash like you?"

"Not only will I not die, I will become the king of Fish-Man Island!"

"You piece of trash, just stay down there and watch!"

"Hahaha~"

As he finished speaking, Hody couldn't help but burst into laughter, as if he could already see that scene unfolding before his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Vander Decken opened his mouth, wanting to say something sarcastic to Hody.

But since his body could no longer make a sound, he looked at Hody with a mocking gaze, trying to disgust him.

"Looking at me like that won't do any good, because what you're hoping for will never happen!" Hody said coldly.

He will kill all the rebels, and then... become the true king of Fish-Man Island!

Shrimp, hahaha~

Upon hearing Hody's words, Vander Decken's mockery intensified.

' Hody... you have no idea what you're dealing with.'

That man is far beyond the capabilities of people like you and me!

Let us accompany each other on the Yellow Springs Road.

Target hohohoho~

Just then, Xi Yan appeared above Noah's Ark, carrying two people in his arms.

'Was Vander Decken cut in half at the waist?' He frowned, looking down at Xi Yan, thinking, 'No wonder the Genjutsu: Release...'

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Luffy, who was being held like a chick by Xi Yan, said unhappily, "Don't hold me, I'm going to find Hody!"

Sharks looked at Xi Yan with some embarrassment. It felt so awkward for someone as big as him to be carried in the hands of someone so small.

Xi Yan ignored the two idiots and stared intently at Vander Decken, who had been cut in half by Hody.

"This is truly... beyond my expectations."

Luffy and Sharks were taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then turned to look at the direction Xi Yan was looking.

"That one that was cut in half... Vander Decken?!"

Upon seeing what had happened, Sharks's pupils shrank to their maximum size.

If that man gets killed... Noah's Ark will just crash!

Upon realizing this, Sharks immediately panicked.

What should I do?

Luffy seemed to understand something, glanced down at Noah's Ark, and said, "If this person is killed... will this ship sink?"

"Yes."

"Do you have a way to save him?" Luffy asked, pointing at Vander Decken.

If we can save this person's life, then there shouldn't be any problems, right?

"He's injured to this extent; there's no hope for him," Xi Yan said in a deep voice.

This level of injury cannot be saved by Medical Ninjutsu.

"What do we do then?" Sharks said frantically, "If Vander Decken dies... this ship is going to sink!"

Once this ship lands on Fish-Man Island, Fish-Man Island is doomed!

Xi Yan did not answer the question, but instead frowned as he looked at Vander Decken, pondering what to do next.

"Then why don't we just smash this thing?" Luffy said.

"No."

Sharks decisively shook his head and said, "This ship is of great importance to our Fish-Man Island; it cannot be destroyed."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Um?"

Hearing the commotion, Hody instinctively turned to look at the sea above, then sneered, "Heh, I didn't expect you guys to dare come looking for trouble... You really have no sense of mortality!"

"In that case, let me..."

Before Hody could finish speaking, he realized something was wrong: why weren't these two humans covered in bubbles?

How can he move freely without bubbles?

At this moment, Hody was filled with confusion.

"Humans, how did you do that?"

Xi Yan ignored the guy and turned to Luffy, saying, "Luffy, do what you're supposed to do. Leave the ship to me."

Although things have become a bit complicated, they are not unmanageable.

"Okay, I understand."

Luffy, who had absolute trust in Xi Yan, Luffy, then quickly charged towards Hody, shouting, "Hody!"

"I won't let you get away with this!"

"Straw Hat!"

Seeing Luffy getting closer and closer, Hody decisively abandoned his thoughts and grinned maliciously, "Although I don't know what's going on with you, as long as you humans are in the ocean, you can never be a match for us Fish-Man Race!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hody moved swiftly, reaching Luffy in the blink of an eye.

The next moment...

"Bump!!!"

"Boom!"

Their fists collided violently, instantly causing the surrounding seawater to surge!

"To be able to keep up with my speed in the ocean..." Hody, observing Luffy up close, said, "Is it because of that strange membrane on your body?"

Could this be a special technology researched by the Neptune Royal Family of the Ryugu Kingdom specifically for humanity?

Thinking of this, Hody's eyes turned cold.

'He specially invented this thing for humanity... He truly deserves to be called a traitor who is close to humankind!'

Today, the Neptune Royal Family must die!

"That's right, that's why," Luffy said coldly. "Now, you're no match for me!"

"How arrogant!"

"You think this is my maximum speed?" Hody roared. "Let me show you the power of the Fish-Man Race in the deep sea!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hody vanished from the spot.

When they reappeared, they were already to Luffy's side.

"Die!" Hody yelled.

As he spoke, he thrust the harpoon in his hand toward Luffy's head, as if he intended to kill Luffy.

But what happened next stunned Hody, because Luffy simply tilted his head and dodged his harpoon attack.

Hody:???

No, why is it like this again?

How the hell did this damn human even detect his attack?

"Smack!"

After grabbing Hody's harpoon, Luffy coldly said, "How could you possibly hit me when you don't even have Observation Haki?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Luffy punched Hody in the stomach.

"Rubber Jet Pistol!"

"Bump!!"

The fist, brimming with Haki, slammed into Hody's abdomen, causing his eyes to bulge out, and he was sent flying rapidly toward Noah's Ark behind him!

"Boom!!"

"Amazing!"

Sharks stared in astonishment at Luffy's retreating figure and said, "Is this the power of that Ninjutsu?"

To allow a Devil Fruit User to gain such immense power in the deep sea... truly worthy of being called Lord Xi Yan's Ninjutsu!

"The main reason is Luffy's strength," Xi Yan said.

The "Dance of the Swimming Fish"Ninjutsu, in essence, only grants the user the ability to move freely underwater; it does not actually enhance combat power.

Luffy is able to achieve this mainly because he is strong enough.

"Is that so...?"

Sharks was stunned for a moment. Did that mean... Straw Hat's strength was also extremely powerful?

As expected of Lord Xi Yan's partner, you're truly amazing!

After a moment of reflection, Sharks turned to Xi Yan and asked, "Lord Xi Yan, what are your plans to resolve the current situation?"

Although Vander Decken is not dead yet, he could die at any moment due to being cut in half at the waist!

Therefore... we must come up with a solution as soon as possible.

This time, Xi Yan did not answer immediately, but lowered his head and thought for a moment.

Then he said, "Let's see if we can keep this guy alive."

If we can keep this guy alive, we can buy some time for Shirahoshi.

"Do you intend to treat him using the same methods used to treat Miss Going Merry?" Sharks asked.

"More or less," Xi Yan said. "However, Vander Decken's condition is quite serious; we can only try to keep him alive."

As for whether it can be held up... we'll have to see.

If all else fails, the only option is to use Water Release Technique to move this enormous Noah's Ark away.

"Then let's give it a try," Sharks nodded and said.

Even a desperate measure is better than doing nothing.

Xi Yan nodded, then swam downwards, saying, "Let's go, let's go down and check the situation first."

"Profound!"