The Final Battle with the Arlong Pirates (1)

"What's going on?" Arlong looked at the blasted-open gate and spoke with a hint of irritation.

Luffy saw Arlong sitting in the middle of the courtyard, legs crossed in a lounge chair. "Are you Arlong?"

"That's me. Who are you?" Arlong looked at Luffy, his sharp teeth constantly grinding together.

"My name is Luffy... I'm a pirate." Luffy stared at him as he walked forward step by step.

"A pirate? What business do you have with me?" Arlong asked.

"Hey, kid! Don't take another step!" Two fish-man lackeys suddenly blocked Luffy's path, trying to stop him.

But Luffy showed no intention of stopping. He continued walking toward Arlong, one step at a time.

"I said, don't take another step!" "Hehehe! If you come any closer, who knows what might happen?" The fish-man lackeys leered at Luffy and waved their casserole-sized fists at him.

Luffy reached out and grabbed both their heads. "Get lost. Don't get in my way!" Then he slammed them down, pressing their heads into the stone floor.

"What?!" Arlong stared at Luffy in shock. Someone actually dared to openly resist fish-men? He was practically courting death!

Bang!

Before Arlong could think any further, Luffy drove a right hook into him, sending him flying more than two meters away.

"You made my navigator cry! I'm going to teach you a lesson!" Luffy roared, his eyes like those of an enraged lion.

"Zoro! Sanji! Usopp! Look! It's Squidward! Squidward!" Aaron anxiously tugged on Zoro's pant leg, pointing at Hatchan with a trembling finger.

"Nu! My name is Hatchan, not Squidward!" He glared at Aaron in annoyance, then tilted his head and muttered to himself, "But I am older than you, so calling me Squidward doesn't seem entirely wrong... No, no, no! At the very least, you should call me Uncle Squidward... Nu! What a hard choice!"

"...What nonsense." Zoro looked in the direction Aaron pointed. "Oh, it's you!" The one Aaron had pointed out was Hatchan, who had given Zoro a ride to Cocoyasi Village not long ago.

"Nu?" Hatchan heard a somewhat familiar voice and stopped working his single-core brain. Turning around, he looked over. "Nu! It's you? Roronoa Zoro?!" Hatchan said in shock.

Then his face filled with delight. "Perfect! I was just looking for you to get revenge!"

He glared fiercely at Zoro. "I actually gave someone who hurt my fellow fish-men a ride. What a disgrace! I'll wash away that shame with your blood!"

"Oh?" Zoro smiled. He stared closely at Hatchan and slowly drew Wado Ichimonji. "That depends on whether you have what it takes!" As he spoke, he clenched Wado Ichimonji between his teeth and drew his other two swords.

"Wah! Zoro, are you going to fight Squidward?!" Aaron looked at Zoro in panic.

"If you don't want to see that guy get hurt, you can turn around." Zoro said flatly... Was that a cold joke?

It was impressive that he could speak so clearly with a sword in his mouth.

"My name is Hatchan! Human! I'll remind you one last time!" Hatchan shouted angrily. Then he looked at Zoro. "You actually dare challenge me! I'm one of Arlong's three top officers, Hatchan!"

"Oh, you talk too much." Zoro mocked him indifferently.

"Damn it!" Hatchan roared, his eyes widening as the muscles throughout his body bulged.

...Then he put on a shocked expression. "Ah! I didn't bring my weapons!" He scratched his head and looked at Zoro sheepishly. "Wait a moment. I'm going to get my swords." Without caring what Zoro did, he turned and dashed into the building.

"This guy... is he an idiot?" Zoro watched Hatchan's retreating figure, his face covered in black lines.

"Squidward isn't an idiot! Squidward is really smart!" Aaron jumped up and continuously waved his hands to get Zoro's attention.

"You've been saying Squidward, Squidward this whole time. Who exactly is Squidward?" Zoro asked.

"Squidward is obviously..." Aaron opened his mouth. "Squidward is... who was Squidward again?"

"So you don't know either!" Zoro rolled his eyes wildly.

"Strange... Who was Squidward... again?" Aaron racked his brain. He turned to look at Hatchan's back, his brows furrowing tightly.

At that moment, a fierce gust suddenly struck toward the back of Aaron's head. "Watch out!" Zoro shouted, his right hand opening wide as he lunged at the attacker like a mantis claw.

Kuroobi saw Zoro's blade swiftly slash toward his fist. Though he was confident that a lousy blade like that could not cut him, he changed his fist into a palm just in case, using a deft motion to evade the sword downward. Then he clenched his other hand into a fist and punched at Zoro's face.

The fist wind was too fierce. Zoro had no time to swing his sword and could only raise his left arm to block it.

Bang!

Kuroobi sent Zoro flying with one punch, then lowered his head and looked at Aaron. "I didn't expect your luck to be so good, Aaron. You actually didn't die from that heavy punch."

"Mr. Kuroobi..." Aaron looked at the stern, burly fish-man.

"However, since you didn't die, you should cherish this hard-won life. Why come here to throw it away?" Kuroobi folded his arms, looking solemnly at Aaron.

"Mr. Kuroobi..."

"But since you dared to come here, I suppose you've already resolved yourself to die."

"Mr. Kuroobi..."

"Come! Let me see your resolve!"

"..." Aaron rolled his eyes. Why would he not let him finish a single complete sentence?!

I'm completely fine, okay? Your attacks don't work on me!

Uh... Better not say that.

Aaron sighed and looked at Kuroobi, slowly taking a starting stance.

"This is... Fish-Man Karate?" Kuroobi's pupils shrank as he stared at Aaron in surprise. "You know Fish-Man Karate?"

"I just learned it. And this isn't Fish-Man Karate. This is, um... Sponge Karate!" Aaron pouted, thought hard for a moment, and answered righteously.

"Hmph!" Kuroobi was so angered by Aaron's words that he laughed. He loosened the muscles across his body and slowly assumed the exact same starting stance as Aaron. "I studied Fish-Man Karate at a dojo for ten years before attaining my current strength of forty dan! You think such a profound art can be learned after just one lesson? You even dream of altering it? What a joke!"

"You've pissed me off!"

He shattered the stone tiles beneath his feet and took a huge step forward. His right palm became a fist, striking Aaron with punches that whipped up the air.

Clang!

A dull, explosive impact rang out.

"..." Kuroobi looked down at Aaron grimly.

Kuroobi's right fist had been firmly caught in Aaron's left hand. The enormous contrast between those two hands made it impossible to look away.

He only felt as if he had punched into water.

"But I really do know it, Mr. Kuroobi." Aaron blocked Kuroobi's fist, craned his neck, and grinned.

"..." Veins bulged across Kuroobi's face.

Over on Sanji's side.

"Chew! Then I, Chew, will be your opponent!" A tall kissing fish-man wearing floral shorts and a floral shirt stepped before Sanji and Usopp.

"Huff." Sanji silently lit a cigarette. "I can handle you alone. Usopp, deal with those grunts!"

With that, Sanji charged toward Chew.

"Hey, hey, hey! How am I supposed to deal with that many fish-men by myself?!" Usopp shouted. The fish-men around him seemed to have heard Sanji's command and surrounded Usopp with vicious grins.

"Hey! Why are you all so obedient?! I said I'd fight you, and you actually came over?!" Usopp cried in terror.

"Quit talking! Brothers, this one's tough. Let's take him together!"

"How do I look tough to you?!"

...Perspective shift...

Usopp turned and ran.

The lackeys chased after him relentlessly.

Usopp activated protagonist aura and successfully hit a fish-man.

Usopp received a courage buff, greatly increasing his accuracy.

Usopp achieved godlike status!

A fish-man launched a sneak attack.

A fish-man circled behind Usopp.

A fish-man carried out intimidation.

Usopp could not move.

Usopp was about to GG.

...Perspective shift...

"Ahhh!!" Along with a scream, the fish-man in front of Usopp was rammed away and embedded deeply in the wall.

Everyone turned their heads in unison, and the scene fell silent for a moment.

"That hurt..." Aaron slowly crawled out of the wall, clutching his head.

Kuroobi walked over. Standing opposite Aaron with his arms folded, he said coldly, "I've trained in Fish-Man Karate for over a decade, enduring winter's bitter cold and summer's blazing heat without a single day's rest. How could I possibly be compared to a brat like you?!" After a pause, he added, "Though that so-called Sponge Karate of yours has a strange, yielding force, you're far too weak! You can't contend with me at all!"

"How could this happen..." Aaron lowered his head dejectedly. Then he cheered up and pulled a strange conch from his clothes. "It's okay, I still have the Magic Conch!"

Ignoring everyone's curious stares and Usopp's helpless gaze, he slowly pulled the string. "Magic Conch, where can I train Karate until I become really powerful?"

Ding! Go home!

"Hooray! Magic Conch!"

Naturally, all the fish-men were left utterly dumbfounded.

Kuroobi was beginning to regret getting worked up with this idiot child. After a long silence, he raised his fist. "...You can die now." He was about to hammer Aaron flat.

Then Sanji sent Kuroobi flying with a flying kick. "Honestly, don't bully children."

Sanji looked at Chew. "Hey! How about we switch opponents?"

Chew stood nearby, bruised and swollen, panting heavily as he glared fiercely at Sanji.

Apparently, he had been completely crushed.

Chew wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He opened his mouth, then finally nodded. "Fine!"

Sanji had beaten the fear into him.

Then he turned his gaze toward those two useless rookies, one big and one small.

The big one shoots accurately, but his attacks are weak. One Water Cannon would take care of him. The little one looks like an idiot, but he survived one of Kuroobi's hits... Take care of the little one first! Chew calculated inwardly.

"Why has another officer-level fish-man come over?!" Usopp was on the verge of breaking down.

Splash!

Chew leaped into the swimming pool.

"Huh? Why did he run into the pool? Did I scare him off? Hahahaha! As expected, Captain Usopp is invincible! Hahahahaha..." Usopp threw back his head and laughed, failing to notice the fish-men surrounding him slowly retreating. Their eyes were filled with pity as they looked at Usopp and Aaron.

"Hm?" Aaron carefully put away the conch. Seeing Usopp act like an idiot, he asked, "Usopp, are you having a fit...?"

Before he could finish, Chew suddenly burst from the water. Like a bush-League Aaron jumping out of the bushes, his cheeks bulged as he locked onto Aaron and violently spat out a massive mouthful of phlegm!

...It was saliva.

...Fine, equally disgusting.

The Water Cannon hit Aaron dead-on. The splashing water struck Usopp's face hard enough to sting, and he shouted worriedly, "Aaron!"

"Useless! Once that kid gets hit by Chew's Water Cannon, he's definitely been blasted to pieces," a lackey helpfully explained.

"Now only this long-nose is left." Chew did not look at Aaron again. He turned to stare at Usopp, his mouth beginning to twitch eagerly.

"Uh... Why did you spray me with water?"

"What?!" Chew suddenly turned around and found Aaron looking at him with a helpless expression.

He was completely unharmed! Chew stared at Aaron in shock, vaguely sensing something was wrong.

Why did it feel like... this kid had gotten bigger?

"Honestly..." Aaron looked troubled at his slightly puffed-up body. Then he gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and tensed every muscle in his body.

Hiss...

Water slowly seeped out from all over his body, and Aaron gradually returned to normal.

"You... You can absorb water?!" Chew felt that all the shock of his past several decades had been spent on Aaron.

This is troublesome. My strongest move has basically been neutralized. But in close combat, with my meager martial arts skills, I probably can't kill this kid... As the only strategist among the three officers, Chew found this extremely difficult.

Take care of the long-nose first. As for this kid... use numbers against him! With that thought, Chew looked around at the fish-men. "What are you standing around for? Get him!" After saying that, he looked at Usopp maliciously.

"..." Usopp froze, then instantly understood. His expression turned bitter. "Why am I so unlucky?!"

Chew did not care about Usopp's complaints. His mouth writhed as another Water Cannon began to build.

"Aaaaaah!" Usopp turned and fled.

Chew followed close behind, running out of Arlong Park.

"...Don't come any closer!" Aaron warned the fish-men slowly surrounding him. "Otherwise, you might get hurt." He said it kindly.

"Hahahaha! You, a little brat?"

"Hahahaha!"

"Hahahahahaha!"

The fish-men's mockery did not cause Aaron any negative feelings. He still looked at them worriedly. "I'm serious. You might get hurt."

"Then let us see it, brat!" "Yeah, yeah! Let us see!" "We won't make you pay compensation, so hurry up and show us!"

"Uh... Since you're all so enthusiastic, okay." Aaron could not very well refuse any longer. He took a bottle from his clothes, pulled out the cork, and poured all the liquid inside onto his hands. Then he rubbed his hands together for a moment before suddenly spreading them apart. Tiny white foam drifted from his hands and scattered around him.

The moment the foam left Aaron's palms, it rapidly grew at a visible rate. It slowly became bubbles the size of thumbs, surrounding Aaron completely and expanding outward.

More and more bubbles appeared!

In the end, they formed a bubble person more than five meters tall!

At the bubble person's head, a massive crack suddenly opened. Before the terrified eyes of the fish-men, it opened and closed, slowly producing a thunderous voice. "Bubble Technique: Bubble Giant!"