Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?
Arthur floated on the ocean's surface, dazed and staring at the sky.
It took him a long moment to process what happened.
Then it hit him—
He had been punched.
And not just any punch.
A single devastating punch had sent him flying across the water.
Arthur clenched his teeth, feeling the dull ache radiating through his body.
"Damn it! I was careless!"
He replayed the fight in his head, remembering Shin's speed and strength.
Now that he thought about it—
That bastard might actually be stronger than him.
However, as Arthur prepared to swim back to shore, he saw something unbelievable.
Shin was standing on the ocean.
Standing.
"How about it?" Shin smirked. "Do you want to fight me in the water?"
Arthur's pride flared up instantly.
"You dare underestimate me?!" He growled. "I am an Atlantean! No one defeats an Atlantean in the ocean!"
Shin simply nodded, as if saying—
"Oh, so you haven't admitted defeat yet?"
"Fish-man Karate: Spear Wave!"
The ocean itself turned into a weapon as a massive wave surged up—
And then—
SLAM!
The wave crashed onto Arthur's head like a meteorite.
Ten Minutes Later…
Arthur sat on the shore, bruised and battered, mumbling to himself.
"Which of us is actually an Atlantean?"
"Why… why can he control the ocean better than me?"
His entire worldview was shaken.
Arthur let out a deep sigh.
Then, with the utmost respect, he handed Shin…
A cup of coffee.
Since this was the West, there was no tradition of serving tea to a master.
But Arthur had still insisted on following a proper apprentice ceremony.
He believed that if you randomly taught someone martial arts, they were just a nameless disciple.
But if they shared a drink together?
That meant official discipleship.
Well—
Arthur mostly wanted to make sure Shin didn't hold back when teaching Fishman Karate.
Arthur's initial arrogance had vanished completely.
He was now eager and respectful—almost flattering Shin.
Why?
Because Fishman Karate is perfect for Atlanteans.
Even though the biological structure of the DC world was different from that of the One Piece world, the core principles of Fishman Karate still worked.
Though its full power was diminished in this world—
It was still far superior to any martial art in the DC Universe.
In DC, even the most elite martial artists could only take on dozens of normal people at once.
But Fishman Karate?
It was on the level of high-tier martial arts.
And for Atlanteans, who naturally thrived in water—
It was a perfect match.
If a Fishman from One Piece practiced Fishman Karate, they could unleash 100% of its power.
A regular human in One Piece could only use 80% of its power.
But in DC?
An Atlantean could use 50% of its power.
And a human?
Most humans couldn't use it at all.
Unless they were incredibly gifted, like Batman, who had trained for nearly a decade.
Even then—
He could barely use 10-20% of Fishman Karate's potential.
He would never be able to master it at a high level.
Each world had different rules.
In DC, the strongest superheroes were millions of times stronger than anyone from One Piece or Naruto.
But at the lowest level?
DC's ordinary people were far weaker than the average warrior from One Piece or Naruto.
At least in One Piece, an average soldier could train hard and eventually become superhuman.
And in Naruto, even a civilian could become a Genin after years of practice.
But in DC?
Only Atlanteans were naturally extraordinary.
For them—
Fishman Karate was a game-changer.
The Flash leaned toward Batman, watching Arthur's sudden change in attitude.
"I feel like…" The Flash whispered. "We were completely unnecessary. Shin could've convinced him alone…"
Batman was speechless.
After finishing his apprenticeship coffee, Arthur stood up, looking thoughtful.
Then, without hesitation—
He pulled out a conch shell from inside his house.
"I don't have many friends in Atlantis," Arthur admitted.
"In fact, I've never even been there. The only connection I have is through Atlanteans who occasionally visit me."
Of course—
Arthur left out the part about Vulko, the Atlantean who had secretly trained him in Atlantis' martial arts and culture.
"But you're right, Master." Arthur nodded seriously. "At the very least, I can contact Atlantis."
He held up the communication conch.
"Ah, hey, hey!" Shin waved his hands frantically. "Don't call me Master! I'm younger than you!"
"Relax," he added. "I'll teach you properly. It's not the old days anymore. People don't hold back when passing down martial arts."
At least—
Not in DC.
Unlike the secretive martial artists in classic Chinese fiction, DC's martial arts had no hidden techniques.
If someone knew a technique, they used it.
And in One Piece, martial arts like Navy Six Styles and Fishman Karate were widely shared and improved upon.
In that world—
Martial artists taught freely and pushed each other forward.
For example—
Coby became one of the strongest Navy fighters in just two years under Garp's training.
Shin didn't mind teaching Arthur, but the "Master" title?
That was too much.
Arthur, after all, had a beard and long hair, making him look like a 30-year-old man.
Meanwhile, Shin—
After multiple transformations, chakra training, and longevity enhancements, still looked like a teenager.
It just felt weird.
"Alright then," Arthur scratched his head. "I'll just call you Shin."
Then he raised the conch.
"As long as I blow this, I can contact Atlantis."
Arthur paused for a moment.
"Come to think of it… Atlantis has been strangely quiet lately."
"I haven't seen my usual visitors in a long time…"
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