In the World of One Piece: I Can Copy Any Talent

Noil cooperatively applauded when he saw this and shouted, "Amazing! Is this acrobatics?"

"Shut up, human!" Arlong could not be bothered to deal with this sharp-tongued human boy.

"This is the advantage of being a Fish-Man. My entire body is a weapon. I have plenty of ways to kill you!"

Noil shrugged and asked, "So?"

Arlong charged over while gripping his mouthguard and roared, "Take this! Iron Teeth Technique!"

Noel raised his blade with one hand, blocking left and right. Arlong's seemingly fierce assault could not break through Noel's simple defense no matter what he tried.

Noil brought his blade down, suppressing the Iron Teeth Technique. He then swiftly changed the direction of the blade and forcefully knocked the Iron Teeth Technique away, making Arlong drop his weapon.

Naturally, he would not miss this opening. His Black Blade, wrapped in Armament Haki, swept horizontally across Arlong's wide-open chest, instantly carving a deep wound into it!

The Fish-Man's bright-red blood flowed freely, as though everyone around him could see the jagged white bones beneath his flesh.

"Ahhhhhh!!"

Arlong clutched his wound and fell to his knees, screaming loudly.

After shaking the blood from his blade, Noel sheathed it and looked at Arlong without the slightest trace of pity.

Noil mocked him softly. "How long has it been since you last trained?"

"You relied on your racial advantage to slaughter humans with weaker bodies than yours. Did you forget how to cultivate your strength?"

"What right do you have to insult humans? Is it because of your stagnant strength?"

Arlong's blue face flushed red. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Arlong poured all his strength into leaping high into the air. Opening his sharp teeth, he began to spin and rolled toward Noel!

"Gear!!"

He really never learned his lesson.

Noil thought disdainfully.

He slowly extended both hands, intending to catch Arlong barehanded.

Arlong roared while spinning, "Stop looking down on me!"

But then Noel's body began to swell. Brown fur sprouted from his skin, and his handsome face transformed into a bear's face.

His Devil Fruit talent activated!

His thick bear paws steadily caught Arlong's Gear. Looking at Arlong's dumbfounded and shocked expression, Noel's bear face revealed a naive yet cunning smile.

Noil shook his head in an exaggerated, chuunibyou-like manner and shouted, with considerable embarrassment, "Dragon Embrace Murder!!"

What?!

A look of confusion had only just appeared on Arlong's face when Noel spread his bear arms and pulled him into his embrace.

Arlong instantly felt warm and comforting...

The Kuma fur was even a little prickly.

But then he was dumbfounded. Noil gradually exerted the strength in his arms, using all his might to squeeze Arlong tightly in his embrace!

"No... don't!!"

Noil ignored Arlong's miserable cries. As though unleashing some ultimate technique, he shouted with blood boiling, "It's over, Arlong!"

"Let me love you properly, little darling!!"

Creak, creak—crack!

First came a tooth-aching sound as his bones were forced out of alignment, followed by a crisp crack!

Noil slowly loosened his arms. Arlong slid from his embrace like a puddle of mud, looking like a dead fish.

"Damn... hu...man..." Arlong cursed weakly.

Noil exclaimed in surprise, "You're still alive?!"

The Fish-Man racial talent really is impressive.

I wonder if I can copy some kind of Fish-Man talent from Arlong?

Noil reached out to lift Arlong, but Arlong suddenly pulled a capsule from somewhere.

What was this...?

Noil's pupils shrank.

Arlong tossed the capsule into his mouth. As if returning to life, he slapped Noel's bear paw away and retreated.

Arlong's eyes were now filled with hatred. He wished he could tear this brat limb from limb.

But he knew he could not do so in his current state.

Fortunately, his companions from Fish-Man Island had previously sent him an experimental forbidden drug called Energy Steroids ES.

It could grant tremendous strength for a short period by overdrawing one's life force. Proud Arlong would normally never have been willing to use such a drug!

But he had actually been forced into this situation!

Having temporarily regained his combat strength, Arlong no longer wished to fight. He shouted at his subordinates behind him, "Go attack the villagers!"

Seeing their leader recover, the Fish-Men were overjoyed and immediately understood. They rushed into the crowd of villagers and launched an attack.

Noil's brows drew tightly together. Was Arlong trying to distract him?

Arlong had seized his lifeline. He absolutely could not ignore the villagers!

Noil had no choice but to abandon Arlong, who still possessed fighting strength, and turn around to protect the villagers under attack by the Fish-Men.

With one swipe of his paw, he sent a Fish-Man flying. Noil firmly shielded the villagers, preventing them from advancing, while Arlong used this opportunity to run over to the three officers.

He hoisted them onto his shoulders and fled without looking back. Seeing that their officers had been rescued, the Fish-Men stopped holding Noel back and turned to leave.

The Arlong Pirates' ship had not sailed away yet. The Fish-Men dove into the water and transformed into shadows, shooting beneath the surface like arrows.

Noil chased them to the shore and stared speechlessly at the Fish-Men scattering in all directions.

Damn it, they still managed to escape?

The Banquet King

Noil chased them all the way to the shore. Watching the silhouettes rapidly disappearing beneath the water, he could only sigh at the sight.

A Fish-Man was still a Fish-Man. Their speed underwater was no joke.

Noil said bitterly, "Damn it! Why does Arlong have Energy Steroids ES? He never used them in the Original Story!"

What Noel did not know was that if he had not driven Arlong to the brink of death, Arlong would have thrown this forbidden drug with its severe side effects into the trash in a couple of days.

Arlong was like a thorn, constantly threatening Bellemere and the villagers' safety.

Noil's expression turned cold.

Hunt Arlong down! I absolutely can't let him live!

At that moment, the system's voice rang out as well.

"Ding! Detected that the host successfully rewrote an important plotline! Rewards doubled!"

"Rewards have been issued! Observation Haki Awakening—Beginner Level *1, Fish-Man Karate Training Manual *1, Red Talent Copy Card *1, White Talent Copy Card *10!"

A string of the system's cold announcements battered Noel's mind until it became hazy. Then a wave of wild joy surged through him!

His Observation Haki had awakened as well. Now, the only type of Haki he lacked was Conqueror's Haki.

And with the talent "Conqueror's Natural Disposition," obtaining Conqueror's Haki at seventeen was practically guaranteed!

Besides that, Fish-Man Karate was an excellent combat technique.

This martial art was not limited to Fish-Men. Humans could also train it to great heights. Once cultivated to a certain level, it could even grant the ability to manipulate water.

Most importantly, it could replace the useless talent "Village Police Fighting Style" that Noel had previously copied from Kensuke.

Only after obtaining that talent had Noel realized that it was completely worthless. It could barely be used for self-defense, and encountering an expert in physical combat meant instant defeat.

That was why Noel had later taken up swordsmanship.

Just like in his previous duel with Kembla, when the blade in his hand had been broken, Noel had only been able to endure the beating with his physical strength while fighting barehanded.

But now things were looking good. With Fish-Man Karate, a famous combat art even in the New World, he could make up for his weakness.

More importantly, it did not occupy a talent slot. Noil could cultivate it himself.

I might as well find an opportunity to replace Kensuke's talent later.

As for the talent copy cards, it was great that the Red Copy Card supply had been replenished.

But what use is there in giving me so many White Copy Cards?

After experimenting, Noel was certain.

White talents are all just minion abilities, aren't they?

There was nothing he could do about it. Having something was better than having nothing...

Noil sighed repeatedly and withdrew his gaze before turning toward the villagers.

"Noil!"

Seeing that the pirates had been driven away, the villagers cheered excitedly and surged forward, enthusiastically surrounding Noel.

The first to rush forward were naturally the two adorable little girls.

Nami and Nojiko threw themselves into Noel's arms, rubbing against him and hugging him until he burst into laughter.

Bellemere wore a hearty smile as she watched her children become the center of attention among the villagers.

"Ohhh!"

Before long, the villagers lifted Noel high into the air. Then, with a collective burst of strength, they threw him into the sky.

While being tossed through the air, Noel held one little girl in each hand. The two little ones laughed like sparrows.

"Long live Noel!"

"Long live Noel!"

"Long live Noel!"

After being thrown up and down by everyone, Noel felt a little dizzy, but he still grinned smugly. "Wahaha, take it easy, take it easy! I'm just that... damn it, who touched my darlings?!"

After all the commotion, everyone finally remembered Kensuke, who was lying on the ground half-dead.

Genzo's current complexion looked as though he had eaten shit!

He had been lying there for half the day, smelling the fragrance of the earth for half the day, and not a single person had come over to help him!

Which bastard was so blind that they stepped on me?!

The villagers hurriedly helped Kensuke up. Only then did his expression improve. He said weakly, "All right, let's return to the village. Hurry and find me a doctor..."

A villager beside him suddenly came to his senses and shouted with a smile, "Mr. Gen-san is right! Let's return to the village and hold a banquet!"

"Hold a banquet! Hold a banquet!"

"Oh—"

Genzo angrily rolled his tongue and roared, "Baka yarou rurururu!!"

Night fell. The exhaustion and hardship of the day reached their end. In the darkness, people concealed all their negative emotions and reset their feelings for the day.

Yet Cocoyasi Village, which would have already been silent at this hour in the past, was still bustling and prosperous.

A huge bonfire burned in the center of the village square. Various kinds of roasted meat were clamped on the grills beside it, coated in sauce. The fragrant, tender meat was roasted golden-red, and the glistening oil on its surface gave off an aroma that made everyone's mouths water.

Sitting around the bonfire, Noel had his arms around the shoulders of several strong villagers. He was having a grand time telling jokes, playing drinking games, sipping liquor, and bragging.

Nearby, Nojiko and Nami stared curiously at the liquor in a wooden barrel, tentatively dipping their fingers in to taste it.

Their eyes instantly lit up. Each of them filled a cup to the brim, then clinked them together with practiced seriousness before gulping the liquor down.

The two satisfied little divine beasts let out a pair of burps, completely unaware that Bellemere was quietly approaching from behind...

The hunt had begun!