I looked up and felt my blood run cold.
'Well, this is new. Even by this world's standards, or at least this ocean, this seems excessive.'
A two-story building—an entire two-story building—was flying through the air toward us from somewhere within Arlong Park.
Not a piece of debris, not a chunk of wall, but a complete architectural structure performing an impromptu aerial ballet that would make even the most seasoned circus performer weep with envy.
'Is this really a cartoon world?!'
The building tumbled over and over as it arced through the air, pieces of debris breaking off and raining down around us like the world's most destructive confetti.
Each rotation sent shutters, roof tiles, and what looked suspiciously like a kitchen sink spinning off into the afternoon sky.
It was moving fast enough that the wind of its passage created a low, ominous howling sound, and it was large enough to crush our entire line if it landed in the wrong place.
WHOOOOSH!
The sound was almost musical in its terror—a symphony of impending doom composed entirely in the key of "oh shit, we're all going to die."
Around me, the villagers erupted into panicked screams and shouts.
"It's a whole building!"
"We're all going to die!"
"Oh god, oh god, oh god!"
"GET BACK!!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos as I sent Hamon crackling through my sword.
The golden energy danced along the blade like captured lightning, and I could feel the familiar warmth spreading through my arms.
'In my old world, the most dangerous thing falling from the sky was bird droppings. Now I have to deal with actual buildings. The upgrade in my life's absurdity levels has been truly spectacular.'
I jumped up toward the airborne building, my legs coiling with Hamon energy before I launched myself through the air. For a moment, I felt weightless, suspended between earth and sky, staring at tons of wood and stone bearing down on me with all the grace of a drunken elephant.
'Hamon—Severing Tide!'
I swung my now Hamon-charged sword at the tumbling structure once,
WHOOSH!!
And immediately, a cross-shaped cut of golden energy split the whole building into four neat quarters midair.
SLAAASHHH!!
CRACK!
The sound echoed across the battlefield like thunder, followed by the satisfying cracking of splitting wood and stone.
Four pieces are much more manageable than one building. It's basic math, really. Though I doubt my old math teacher would appreciate this particular application of division.
THUD! CRASH! THUD!
The divided sections fell to the ground between us and Arlong Park with a series of earth-shaking impacts, sending up clouds of dust and debris that made everyone cough and shield their eyes.
People behind me—except Luffy and Sanji, who had seen me do something like this before at the Baratie—were gasping at the sight, their voices mixing into a chorus of amazement and disbelief.
"He... he saved us all," someone said, the relief evident in their trembling voice.
"Did he just... cut a building in half?" one of the villagers whispered.
"It was…in four, right?" another added, his voice cracking with awe.
"I thought we were dead for sure," an elderly man gasped, clutching his chest.
"Is that even swordsmanship?" a third wondered aloud.
'Well, technically, it's Hamon-enhanced swordsmanship with a dash of physics-defying anime logic. But 'swordsmanship' is easier to explain and sounds less insane.'
Roronoa in particular was targeting an intense gaze at me, his three swords still drawn and his expression unreadable. I could practically feel the wheels turning in his head, trying to categorize what he'd just witnessed within his understanding of the sword.
Johnny and Yosaku had their mouths agape, just like the villagers and Usopp. Their synchronized expressions of shock would have been comical if we weren't in the middle of a battle for our lives.
"Did you see his second swing...?" Johnny half-questioned, like he was unable to process what he was asking about.
"No...?" Yosaku answered, but it sounded more like a question than an answer.
But before we could linger on this moment of stunned silence, something else was flying in our direction.
'What the—'
Looking at it, this wasn't a house this time but what looked like a block of concrete—a massive round of gray stone that had probably been torn from some foundation or wall. It spun lazily through the air, its rough surface catching the sunlight as it traced a deadly arc toward our position.
"They're Not Done Yet," I called out, though the statement was fairly obvious.
'Multiple enemies throwing buildings at us.'
The variety and frequency of the projectiles suggested either multiple fishmen with the same level of strength doing the same thing, or one incredibly enthusiastic individual with the arm strength of a dozen siege engines.
Luffy stepped forward and stretched his arm back, coiling it like a spring while his rubber body absorbed the tension.
"Gomu Gomu no..." he called out, before launching his arm again.
"RIFLE!!"
Luffy's fist shot forward with explosive force, connecting with the concrete block in a thunderous impact that echoed across the battlefield.
BOOM!
CLANK! THUD! CLANK!
The impact shattered the projectile into countless fragments that rained down harmlessly around us, each piece hitting the ground with sharp sounds.
'One punch. He destroyed that entire block with one punch.'
Sometimes I forget just how ridiculously strong this guy is. Then again, in a world where a rubber boy can punch through concrete, my sword techniques probably seem almost reasonable.
They didn't let us catch a break as they threw another large piece of building and concrete, this time what looked like an entire wall section, complete with windows. The glass had already shattered from the impact of whatever had torn it free, leaving jagged edges that caught the light like teeth.
'Are they fishmen pirates, or the Catapult enthusiast club?'
That's what this feels like. Except instead of launching pumpkins at a festival, they're launching entire architectural features at us. I wonder if there's a fishman somewhere in Arlong Park keeping score.
This time, Roronoa and Sanji stepped forward together. Roronoa's three swords gleamed in the afternoon sun as he prepared his stance.
"Onigiri!" Roronoa's voice cut through the air as his blades traced three perfect arcs through the incoming debris.
SLASH!
The sound of his swords was followed by the satisfying cracking of stone splitting cleanly apart.
CRACK!
Simultaneously, Sanji launched himself into the air with his powerful legs, spinning into one of his signature kicks.
"Collier Shoot!" His leg connected with another section of debris with a resounding impact that sent fragments scattering in all directions.
WHAM!
Things kept flying at us—chunks of wall, pieces of furniture, what looked like an entire staircase that tumbled through the air like a wooden waterfall.
Sometimes they were still burning from the fire in the Park because of the cannons we'd used earlier, trailing smoke and embers like falling stars.
And we kept destroying them one by one, each member of our group taking turns to intercept the aerial assault.
CRASH! BOOM! SLASH! CRASH! BOOM! SLASH!
The area between us and Arlong Park became full of debris, a landscape of broken stone and splintered wood that looked like the aftermath of a very localized earthquake.
'Tsk, we are now on the defensive. We are not pressuring them nor pushing forward anymore.'
The cannons we'd deployed on the hill close to Arlong Park had already stopped, as they had run out of ammunition.
And now, according to the plan, Delgado and his group should be going to set an ambush on the other side of the park, in case one of the fishmen tried to run away from the back.
I gave the cannons a lot of ammunition, but only enough to do this job, as I feared that some of the fishmen could capture it during the battle, and the last thing we would want is our loaded cannons aimed at our backs.
The silence from that direction was ominous—we'd lost our artillery support just when we needed it most.
'Not good…'
WHOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!
While we were busy with the huge projectiles being thrown at us, something very fast flew above our heads, moving with a rushing sound that barely registered before it was past us.
I caught just a glimpse of something small and blue before it locked onto the place where Usopp was standing, exploding among the treetops like it was some kind of cannonball or something.
BOOM!
The explosion was followed by the cracking and crashing of branches breaking and falling, sending leaves and bark raining down like green snow.
CRACK! CRASH!
"USOPP!!!!"
We were alarmed, Luffy's voice cutting through the chaos as he shouted with genuine worry.
'Shit. They're targeting our support personnel specifically.' My heart skipped a beat as I watched the trees where our sniper had been positioned get torn apart by the enemy's assault.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!
WHOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
To make things worse, more projectile-like things were flying toward where Usopp was positioned, each one exploding among the trees like they were part of some coordinated cannon barrage.
CRACK! CRASH! CRACK! CRASH!
The impacts were accompanied by the cracking of splitting wood and the crashing of falling branches.
"ANIKI!" Johnny screamed.
"USOPP-ANIKI!" Yosaku's face had gone pale beneath his bandana.
"EVERYONE AROUND THOSE TREES, FALL BACK!" I ordered, my voice cutting through the chaos with the authority I'd learned to project over two years of survival. "MOVE! NOW!"
"Shit!" Roronoa snarled, his usual stoic composure cracking as he took a step toward the bombardment zone. His hand tightened on his sword hilts. "Those bastards are targeting him specifically!"
Sanji was chewing on his cigarette, his face twisted with rage. "Do they have a sniper too?!" He started to move forward. "This wasn't a normal gun!"
"I'm going after him!" Luffy growled, already taking another step forward.
"No!" I barked, raising my hand to stop him. "You will break our formation! We are needed here to stop their heavy assault, or everyone will die. Leave him to the guys at the back!"
"But—" Luffy wanted to argue, but I didn't give him the chance.
"Get the injured to the doctor at the back line!" I called out to the nearest uninjured villagers. "Move!"
The villagers scrambled away from the danger zone, some of them stumbling over debris in their haste. But some weren't fast enough—I could see injured figures being helped away from the explosion sites, blood visible on torn clothing and debris-scraped skin.
'Damn it, where are you? Did they get the kid? I couldn't see Usopp among the injured or the fallen, so I activated Mantra to find where he was.
But just when I was activating my Mantra to check on Usopp's condition,
THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!
BOOM! CRASH! BOOM!
From a position next to where the barrage had hit the trees, very fast bullets flew toward Arlong Park, causing explosions that sounded like grenades from that direction.
Usopp emerged from atop another tree, waving at us with one arm while the other clutched his slingshot.
"Fear not, my brave comrades!" Usopp's voice boomed dramatically from atop another tree, striking what I could only assume was a heroic pose despite his injuries.
"The Greaat Caaaaptain Usopp has single-handedly defeated the cowardly sniper who dared to challenge my superior marksmanship! With my incredible reflexes, tactical genius, and raging bravery, I not only survived their pathetic attack but delivered devastating counter-fire that sent them running in terror!"
'Your leg is trembling, you know?'
"USOPP!" Luffy's voice cracked with pure relief as his whole body visibly relaxed. "You scared the hell out of me!" His usual carefree grin returned, but I could see his hands were still slightly shaking.
"Shit, you long-nosed bastard... I thought we lost you there." Sanji let out a long breath he'd been holding, his cigarette trembling between his fingers.
"Damn it... don't pull that crap again, Usopp." Roronoa's shoulders dropped as the tension left his body, and for a moment, his usual stoic mask slipped completely. His voice was rougher than usual. "But... damn good shooting."
"USOPP-ANIKI!" Johnny's voice broke as he shouted, tears streaming down his face openly. "I thought... I thought they got you!"
"Don't ever scare us like that again!" Yosaku was openly sobbing, not caring who saw.
He was fine at least, but we couldn't help but notice he had a few surface injuries across his side, with a few small wooden splinters here and there creating dark spots on his clothing where blood was beginning to seep through.
"You're hurt," I observed, though he was clearly trying to downplay his injuries.
"Hehe, just scratches," Usopp replied, but I could see him favoring his left side as he stood.
Because of the stopping of the suppressing fire from the villagers and Usopp, and the projectile debris now turned into hurdles scattered across the battlefield, the fishmen who had been surrounded in Arlong Park started emerging from it.
They moved with the fluid grace of their aquatic nature, using the debris as barriers while advancing toward our line.
'Perfect. Now, the debris we created by stopping their attacks is providing them with cover. It's like a chess game where every move has three different consequences, none of them good.'
While the situation wasn't out of our control yet, I could see it heading in that direction like a slow-motion avalanche. The momentum was shifting, and not in our favor.
'This is how battles are lost. Not in some dramatic moment of defeat, but in a thousand small shifts that accumulate until suddenly you realize you're on the wrong side of physics and probability.'
Luffy, seeing that we were being pushed back like this, suddenly clenched his fists with an expression of barely contained rage.
His usual carefree demeanor was gone, replaced by the kind of cold fury that meant someone was about to pay dearly for hurting his friends.
"EVERYONE FOLLOW ME!!!" he shouted, and without waiting for acknowledgment or tactical assessment, he started charging recklessly straight at Arlong Park.
"Oi! Wait—" I tried to stop him, but he wasn't having it.
Roronoa's response was immediate and predictable.
"Finally," he said with a grin that was equal parts anticipation and bloodlust, his three swords already drawn and gleaming with deadly intent. "I was getting tired of playing defense."
Sanji stubbed out his cigarette with more force than necessary and cracked his knuckles.
"That rubber idiot," he muttered, but he was already moving. "Can't let him have all the fun. Besides, someone needs to make sure he doesn't get himself killed."
Johnny and Yosaku were less enthusiastic about the sudden change in tactics.
"Wait, what?!" Johnny shouted, his voice cracking slightly. "We're charging straight at them?!"
"But Aniki, there's got to be dozens of them in there!" Yosaku added, though he was still following despite his protests.
'At least someone around here has a basic survival instinct. Too bad they're also completely loyal to Roronoa, which means they'll follow him straight into whatever suicidal plan he's decided to support.'
"Don't think about it!" Roronoa called back to them without breaking stride. "Just cut down anything that gets in your way!"
"Easy for you to say!" Johnny replied, but his grip on his sword tightened with resolve. "You're the famous pirate hunter!"
"We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die," Yosaku chanted under his breath like a mantra, though he didn't slow down.
'And there they go. No planning, no coordination, just pure aggressive intent backed by superhuman abilities. I'd be impressed if it weren't so completely insane.'
"TSK!"
I found myself clicking my tongue in annoyance as I followed them,
But I could see what Luffy was trying to do, even if his execution left something to be desired.
The fishmen were using the debris field to their advantage, but it also provided concealment for an aggressive advance. By charging directly at them, we'd force them into close combat where their strength would be offset by our speed and, hopefully, superior strength and technique.
'It's not actually a terrible strategy. Reckless, dangerous, and likely to get us all killed, but not terrible. The problem is that it requires perfect timing and coordination, neither of which is Luffy's strong point.'
"All villagers, advance and provide covering fire!" I called out to the uninjured villagers. "Use the debris for cover and watch your targets!"
'At least someone around here should try to maintain some tactical awareness.'
"Usopp!" I shouted up at the sniper as I sped up to catch up with the assault team. "Lead the villagers forward across the debris field! Use your Mini Bazooka Rounds to clear any strong points or clustered enemies!"
'He's got the best eyesight on the battlefield, and his explosive rounds will be perfect for dealing with groups of enemies using cover. Assuming he doesn't get himself shot again.'
The response was immediate. Usopp waved acknowledgment and began moving from tree to tree, using his elevated position to spot enemy positions and relay information to the advancing villagers.
'Good. At least one person around here understands the concept of coordinated tactics.'
The villagers, despite their fear, began moving forward with their rifles ready. The weapons I'd given them were advanced enough for the job, they were reliable and packed enough punch to give even fishmen pause.
'It's strange how quickly ordinary people can adapt to extraordinary circumstances when they have no choice. These are farmers and shopkeepers, and here they are advancing under fire like seasoned soldiers.'
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Almost immediately, bullets started flying from the broken sections of Arlong Park's walls. The fishmen had positioned themselves with decent fields of fire, and they weren't wasting the opportunity.
PING! PING! PING! Bullets ricocheted off the debris around us, sending sparks and stone chips flying.
"I've got this!" Luffy shouted, his rubber body stretching and contorting to intercept the incoming fire.
THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!
The bullets bounced harmlessly off his stretched skin like pebbles.
'Well, that's one way to handle suppressing fire. Though I'm not entirely comfortable on only relying on someone's body as a human shield, even if it is bulletproof.'
I raised my hand with my pistol drawn, the Hamon Ether spreading like a magic circle!
WHOOOM!
A shimmering golden barrier of crackling energy appeared in the air, intercepting bullets meant for our assault team. The projectiles stopped harmlessly against the barrier, their kinetic energy absorbed and dispersed.
Much more civilized than Luffy's approach, and significantly less likely to result in someone getting shot by accident.
With the bullets handled, I readied my sword and immediately found myself engaged with fishmen emerging from behind cover.
"RRRRAAAAA!!!!!"
A blue-skinned fishman with razor-sharp teeth lunged at me with a larger cutlass, his movements enhanced by his physiology.
WHOOSH!
I sidestepped his thrust, letting the blade whistle past my ear before bringing my Hamon-charged sword down in a diagonal slash across his torso.
SLASH!!
"GAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
'Ten times stronger than humans, they say. Too bad strength means nothing if you can't land a hit.'
"Take This, Weirdo!"
WHOOSH!
Another fishman, this one wielding a spiked club the size of a small tree, swung at my head with enough force to cave in a boulder.
I ducked under the swing, feeling the wind from the massive weapon ruffle my hat, then swung my sword up quickly in a reversed grip slash across his back as I continued mt rush.
SLASH!!
"WAHAAAAHHAA!!"
A third fishman tried to flank me from the left, moving with the fluid grace that made their kind so dangerous in water.
WHOOSH!
Unfortunately for him, we weren't underwater. I pivoted on my heel, bringing my sword around in a very fast horizontal arc that caught him across the midsection.
'Hamon—Rushing Wave!'
The golden energy of my Hamon cut through his scales like they were paper in a flash-like speed.
SLICE!
They all lacked speed and the skills for me to even need the Mantra. I kept taking them down without slowing my charging with the rest of the assault team.
Two more fishmen approached simultaneously. One carried twin short swords while the other hefted a massive, jagged-edged axe as if it weighed nothing. The twin swords-wielder moved in fast and low while his partner swung the axe in a wide overhead arc meant to shred me apart.
SLASH!
"DAAAAAHHHH!!"
I dashed forward between them, coming up behind the twin swords-wielder as the axe smashed into the ground where I'd been standing. My sword already made its way through his side.
The axe-wielder spun around faster than something his size should have been able to move, bringing his weapon up in an underhand swing that would have launched me into orbit if it connected.
Instead, I leaned backward just enough to let the massive weight pass in front of me, then stepped forward and brought my sword across his wide-open chest.
'Hamon—Rushing Wave!'
SLASH!
"OOOOOOHHHH!!"
The Hamon energy made a massive cut across his front cleanly, and the axe fell to the ground with a thunderous crash.
CRASH!
'Overcommitting to attacks. Another classic mistake. If you swing with everything you've got and miss, you're just asking to get cut down.'
/A bullet at his unguarded back/
A fishman with a gun on a pile of debris had been lining up a shot at my back.
I sensed him through my Mantra. Without turning around, I flicked my wrist and shot him with my pistol while running, sensing his direction without seeing him.
BANG!BANG!
The bullets struck him before he had his shot, sending him tumbling from his perch.
CRASH!
Three more fishmen charged at me in a wedge formation—these ones actually seemed to have some coordinated training.
The center fishman carried a massive two-handed sword while his flankers wielded spears, trying to box me in with coordinated thrusts.
I feinted left toward the spear-wielder, drawing his thrust, then spun right and brought my blade up in a rising cut that severed his spear shaft.
SNAP!
'Hamon—Ghost Cutter!'
SLASH!
Before he could react, I continued the spin and slashed horizontally across all three of them in one fluid motion, Hamon energy extending to them through their weapons, cutting them without having my sword touch their body.
'Finally, some actual teamwork. Too bad it's wasted on people who think fighting is just about having the biggest weapon and the loudest battle cry.'
I kept charging toward the park with the rest as we mowed down the enemies we met through the debris.
Each swing of my blade sent Hamon energy crackling through the enemy by the wet sound of steel meeting flesh. The golden light traced arcs through the smoke and dust, making the battlefield look like some kind of mystical light show.
'This is what two years of surviving in this insane world gets you—the ability to cut down enemies while mentally critiquing their combat techniques. I've either adapted admirably or completely lost my mind. Possibly both.'
Luffy was right beside me as we led the charge to protect the assault team from waves of bullets every now and then. Luffy was using his myriad Gomu Gomu techniques to take down any fishmen in his path.
"Gomu Gomu no Gatling!" he shouted, his fists becoming a blur as they pummeled multiple enemies with rapid-fire sounds that echoed like a machine gun made of flesh and determination.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
'The rubber idiot makes it look easy. Then again, when you can stretch your limbs like taffy and punch through solid stone, most combat situations probably do seem relatively straightforward.'
Roronoa and Sanji were cutting down and kicking fishmen that escaped mine and Luffy's assaults, due to us needing to shield the assault team.
Roronoa's three swords flashed through the air in perfect coordination, each cut producing a distinctive sound that seemed to sing with deadly precision.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Roronoa seemed like he was testing the swords I gave him, putting them through their paces against live opponents. Nothing like life-or-death combat to really get a feel for new equipment.
Sanji's legs moved like pistons, each kick connecting with bone-crushing force.
"Collier!"
"Épaule!"
"Côtelette!" His targets dropped like sacks of potatoes, and somehow he managed to make it look elegant.
CRACK!
CRUNCH!
SLAM!
Even in the middle of a battle, the cook makes violence look like a dance. There's something almost artistic about the way he fights, like he's choreographing a ballet of broken bones.
Yosaku and Johnny were cooperating with their swords to take down anything that escaped us, making sure that nothing reached the back line. Their movements had a synchronization born of years fighting together, each covering the other's blind spots with practiced ease.
"Left side!" Yosaku shouted, his blade intercepting a fishman's club with a resounding impact.
CLANG!
"Got it!" Johnny replied, his sword finding its mark with a wet sound.
STHLUNK!
Teamwork. The thing that separates professional fighters from talented amateurs. They might not be the strongest individually, but together they're covering gaps that could have gotten us all killed.
BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!
Bullets were being shot at us by the fishmen from beyond the broken sections of the walls, the sounds of gunfire mixing with ricochets that rang off debris around us.
BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!
But Usopp, the village sheriff, and a few others were giving us covering fire, making the fishmen retreat behind whatever shelter they could find.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
PING! PING!
"Take cover!" Genzo—I think it was his name—shouted to his men, his rifle firing as he put down suppressing fire. "Don't let them get a clean shot!"
CRACK!
The sheriff's got good instincts. Keeping the enemy's heads down while we advance—basic but effective. Sometimes the simplest tactics are the best tactics.
"Explosive Star!"
THUNK! KABOOM!!!
"Lead Star!"
THUNK! BANG!
"Smoke Star!"
THUNK! POOF!
Usopp's variety of ammunition created a light show that would have been impressive at a fireworks festival, let alone in the middle of a battle.
When he used the Mini Bazooka Rounds I had given him to destroy a huge piece of building thrown through the air, the resulting explosion lit up half the battlefield.
KABOOM! CRASH! THOOM!
The chunk of building disintegrated into harmless debris, raining down as pebbles instead of crushing us all into paste.
'Crisis averted through superior firepower and good adaptation. I should probably be worried about how normal this is starting to feel.'
Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, I, Luffy, Roronoa, Sanji, Yosaku, and Johnny reached the gate of Arlong Park. The massive wooden doors stood before us, reinforced with iron bands and looking like they were built to withstand a siege.
Without hesitation, Luffy drew back his fist. "Gomu Gomu no..."
"Crushing—" I channeled Hamon through my own blade, feeling the familiar warmth spread through my arms as golden light began to dance along the steel.
"Three Sword Style—" Roronoa raised all three swords, his own fighting spirit and technique making the blades gleam with deadly intent.
"Collier—" Sanji coiled his leg back, muscles tensing for a kick that could probably cave in a brick wall.
'Four different approaches to the same problem: breaking things. Sometimes I love the elegant simplicity of direct action.'
"RIFLE!!"
"WAVE!!"
"ONIGIRI!!"
"SHOOT!!"
BOOM!!
CRUSH!!
SLASH!!
CRACK!!
KABOOOOOMMM!!!!!
The combined assault hit the gate simultaneously, and the wood and iron simply ceased to exist as a barrier. The sound of destruction echoed across the battlefield as debris rained down around us.
CRASH! BOOM! CRUMBLE!
And just like that, we're in. All that buildup, all that preparation, and the final obstacle gets obliterated in about three seconds. There's something almost anticlimactic about overwhelming force meeting immovable objects.
As the dust settled, Arlong Park lay open before us, its interior revealed for the first time. Whatever was waiting for us inside, we'd find out soon enough.
'Time to finish this. One way or another.'
…
A\N: Whew, That's it for now.
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