Watching his underlings get cut down with a single sword stroke, Arlong's eyes bulged in disbelief.
This was impossible!
Wasn't the East Blue the Weakest Sea?
Why was there someone like this here?
"Damn inferior race!"
Perhaps it was the sheer terror that had sparked boundless rage and fury in Arlong's heart.
That rage seemed to briefly suppress his fear.
"Inferior race?"
Dunn heard Arlong's words, raised his eyes to meet his gaze, and suddenly swung Flame.
"Bastard, the gap between our races can never be erased."
Facing the sword coming down at him, Arlong bared his teeth and thrust his head forward. His sharp teeth, like gears, clamped firmly onto the blade.
Dunn twisted his wrist, turning the sword in his hand with it.
A cracking sound rang out.
The teeth gripping the blade snapped one by one. Arlong's mouth filled with blood as he stared at Dunn in disbelief.
His teeth were his sharpest weapon—and the thing he was proudest of.
Shark-On-Gear!
Arlong suddenly pulled his right leg back and lunged at Dunn. His body spun, curling into a wheel with his pointed nose at its tip as he thrust toward Dunn.
Dunn raised his hand and brought it down, smashing Flame's hilt into the top of Arlong's head.
Boom!
Arlong crashed down, his head plunging into the stone paving.
He strained to pull his head free of the pavement. His body stiffened as a cold blade came to rest against his neck.
Dunn held his sword to Arlong's neck, then turned to look out over the sea beyond the island. A large ship was rapidly approaching, its pirate flag—bright as the sun—impossible to miss.
Suddenly, a figure burst from the water. His round body leaped into the air as he drew a fist back to his waist.
Spear Wave!
The water lifted into the air with him gathered before him, then blasted toward Dunn with tremendous force.
Dunn drew his sword and swung. The slash split the incoming wave of water.
Boom! Boom!
The divided streams hit the ground like a pair of cannonballs.
The round, blue figure flipped in midair and landed not far from Dunn.
"A swordsman!"
Jinbe's expression turned grave. His gaze shifted to the Fish-Men lying dead across the ground, then to the terrified humans huddled together.
With his considerable wits, Jinbe immediately guessed what had happened here.
"I'm Jinbe of the Sun Pirates. I ask that you spare Arlong."
Jinbe took a deep breath, then bowed deeply to Dunn.
"No!"
As soon as Dunn spoke, he set his sword against Arlong's neck again.
Jinbe's expression froze. He watched Dunn's movement, but before he could speak, Dunn's blade flicked. Arlong's furious glare at Jinbe went blank, and his head rolled to the ground.
His headless body struggled for a few moments, then fell still.
As he watched Arlong beheaded, Jinbe's first thought was that Shyarly's prophecy had come true.
But then anger flashed in his eyes.
Arlong had certainly been in the wrong, and Jinbe would have punished him once he brought him back.
But the man before him had his own reasons, too.
With his Observation Haki active, Jinbe could immediately sense that many people had died in this village Arlong had attacked.
Fish-Men had killed humans, and humans had killed Fish-Men.
"Big Brother Jinbe!"
A large group of Fish-Man pirates jumped from the ship moored at the docks and rushed over.
"Damn it, Arlong's been killed!"
As soon as they arrived, they saw Arlong's head at Dunn's feet. Their eyes widened as they shouted in anger.
Whoosh!
Dunn vanished in an instant. The next moment, he was already in front of the shouting pirate, swinging Flame down at his head.
Clang!
Jinbe blocked the blow with his thick arm, which was coated in deep-black Armament Haki.
The force was immense.
Jinbe's heart jolted as the blow drove him backward, crashing him into the Fish-Man pirates behind him and sending them sprawling.
The ground shook violently with every step he took back.
Once he regained his footing, the paving stones before him were shattered by a trail of footprints, cracks spreading in every direction.
"Go back to the ship. Take Hatchan with you."
Jinbe stared fixedly at Dunn, his expression grave as he gave the order.
The other Fish-Men were stunned by that clash, too.
Jinbe was nearly as strong as Brother Fisher, yet he'd been driven back by a single strike?
Dunn paid no attention to the Fish-Man pirates as they retreated. His eyes stayed on Jinbe.
That brief exchange had told him that Jinbe was the strongest opponent he had ever faced.
Koushiro's swordsmanship was formidable, but his Haki and physical strength still fell far short of Jinbe's.
"Hand over the bodies, and this ends here."
Jinbe didn't know who Dunn was.
The Arlong Pirates had attacked the village and killed many people, but now the entire crew had been wiped out, save for Hatchan.
"No. I'm taking these Fish-Men's bodies to the Marines to collect the bounty."
Dunn smiled, then refused.
"You're a Pirate Hunter?"
"You could say that. But you're also one of my targets, Shichibukai Jinbe!"
Dunn nodded, then sheathed Flame and rested his hand on the hilt.
"You're one of them, too!"
"Big words."
Jinbe's expression hardened, anger showing on his face.
Nadeshiko Slash!
Whoosh!
The terrifying blade swept out with a slash and reached Jinbe's thick neck the moment he finished speaking.
Jinbe bent backward with agility that belied his build, flipping back to evade the slash.
Boom!
The flying slash cut through the air and sliced through the Fish-Man Pirates' flag on the ship moored by the shore.
Dunn didn't stop. He chased after Jinbe as he fell back.
Armament Haki coiled around Flame in his hand, and the dark blade thrust straight ahead.
Karakusa Gawara Seiken!
Jinbe, retreating with a turn, drew back his fist and punched at the oncoming blade.
The Armament Haki-coated sword clashed with his fist.
Bang!
A shock wave burst out, and both men were driven backward.
Dunn swung his sword and pointed it diagonally at the ground. Jinbe used the force of the clash to retreat to the shore. With the sea beneath his feet, he spread his stance and stomped down hard with his right foot.
Uchimizu!
His Armament Haki-coated palm struck the splashing water.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of something tearing through the air rang out.
The struck water shot toward Dunn like countless bullets.
Dunn charged forward, swinging his sword to cut down every droplet coming at him.
Samehada Shigure!
Before Dunn could reach Jinbe, he sent even more water flying at him, like a series of blue pillars.
These were far more powerful than the droplets, and much faster.
Dunn swung his sword and split the incoming pillars, but more kept coming. His expression darkened as flames rose from his wrist, spread along his arm, and enveloped his whole body—even the blade in his hand.
Torch!
Dunn raised the burning Flame and slashed down hard. A burst of fire shot forward, evaporating the water pillars along its path. When it reached Jinbe, it suddenly exploded.
A fiery tornado tens of meters tall surged upward, spinning with searing heat as it swept Jinbe inside.
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