Crunch! The massive shark giant's dorsal fin slashed across the hull of the Flying Dutchman like a great blade.
It tore open a gaping wound along the bottom of the ship, even splitting the keel in two.
Several crew members who were just about to help Vander Decken up were knocked off balance by the violent impact and fell. Fishman A, who had only just picked up an iron cannonball, dropped it again—straight onto Vander Decken's head.
"Sorry, Captain!" Even while falling, the polite Fishman A didn't forget to apologize.
The rest of the fishmen weren't in much better shape. They were usually the ones taking advantage of their undersea mobility to sabotage other people's ships. They never expected the day would come when their own vessel was the target.
"What's going on?"
"Something's attacking the bottom of the ship!"
"Quick, get down there and check!"
The violent blow caused the protective bubble membrane around the ship to burst instantly. Seawater poured into the space the bubble once occupied, slamming the old, rotting hull apart.
"What a waste. This ship might even be an antique," Zhang Da Ye clicked his tongue. Judging by its condition, it could have been handed down for generations through the Vander Decken family.
Rui Meng Meng asked, "Boss, should we go out and help?"
"Let's try out the cannons on this ship first. I've never fired one before," Zhang Da Ye suggested. "Judging from Shark Chili's performance, he doesn't really need us anyway. Artoria, keep an eye on that big guy."
"Got it." Artoria nodded.
At this point, there wasn't much for them to do anyway. After Shark Chili tore the ship apart, the fishmen were battered by the current, though their natural resilience meant they weren't seriously injured.
Still, when they caught sight of the terrifying shark giant, they all shrank back in fear. "What is that? A robot?"
The unluckiest of them was Vander Decken himself. After being hit on the head by two cannonballs, he was already dazed. When the seawater came flooding in, he sobered up a little, but as a Devil Fruit user, he immediately felt weak and powerless once submerged.
Luckily, his two relatively quick-witted subordinates, Fishman A and Fishman B, caught him in time and used bubble coral to create a small protective bubble around him, letting him temporarily move again.
"Damn bastard! You dare destroy my ship!" Vander Decken shouted furiously, pointing at the shark giant. "Wadatsumi, sink him!"
"I understand, Captain!" Wadatsumi swung a massive palm down at the shark giant. To him, the ten-meter-tall creature was still just a small fry.
But Shark Chili didn't dodge. Instead, he cunningly aimed the shark giant's dorsal fin right into Wadatsumi's palm.
Wham! The shark giant was smacked hard and sent tumbling back, rolling through the water and crashing into several unlucky fishmen who hadn't managed to get out of the way.
"Ow~ that hurts~" Wadatsumi wailed in a childish, drawn-out tone, blood dripping from the deep gash in his palm.
"Wow, that's some serious power." Inside the cockpit, Shark Chili wasn't having a great time either, bouncing around painfully against the walls. "Ouch, ouch… maybe Boss Da ye's right. I really do need to install seatbelts in here."
Wadatsumi looked at his bleeding hand and threw a tantrum like a child. "I'm mad now! I'm going to smash you flat!"
Shark Chili shouted calmly, "Double Super Transformation Mode!"
Inside the cockpit, he triggered the change. The shark giant instantly transformed into a menacing war machine, its left arm turning into a shark cannon and its right arm into a massive shark-fin ship-slicing blade.
"What? It transformed!" Vander Decken cried out in shock.
"It really transformed!" Fishman A and Fishman B yelled in excitement.
"So cool!" Wadatsumi and more than a dozen fishmen shouted in unison, their eyes sparkling.
"Why the hell are you all excited?!" Vander Decken roared. "Fight, you idiots!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Even if the opponent was a robot, their captain's orders were absolute. Reluctantly, a group of fishmen charged at the shark giant.
Of course, a few smarter ones veered off toward Zhang Da Ye's ship instead. Wadatsumi had already been injured fighting that "robot." Only an idiot would rush in to die there—better to find an easier target.
They were greeted by two cannonballs, fired by Rui Meng Meng and Zhang Da Ye. It was their first time using a cannon, so their aim was poor—but bad luck struck, and one unlucky fishman caught a cannonball head-on. Out of six, one was down instantly.
"I hit one!" Zhang Da Ye shouted gleefully. Sure, he could drop weaklings like these with a single sword strike, but firing a cannon was way more fun.
"Come on, let's fire again!" he said excitedly. But the fishmen weren't about to give them another chance. They swam quickly toward the ship.
"They're just humans! Sink their ship!"
"Yeah!"
Five fishmen drew their weapons confidently, ready to stab and smash. But then, A-Man's tail lashed down with unbelievable speed and power, smacking them senseless.
"Argh!" they cried. "Why would a fish…"
That was the question that plagued them. They'd seen fish towing ships before. They'd even seen sea beasts towing ships. But those creatures were usually docile—either fleeing from fishmen or passively taking the hits.
Why, today, was this eel not only fighting back but fighting with impossible strength and speed?
Even A-Man himself didn't quite understand. All he knew was that whenever he followed the commands of the woman at the bow, he felt overflowing courage and strength. That was why he hadn't fled, even when facing Wadatsumi's massive size.
The five fishmen were knocked out cold by the very eel they had dismissed, their limbs dangling like jellyfish as they floated away.
Meanwhile, Shark Chili wasn't fazed by a dozen fishmen rushing him. Controlling the shark giant, he spun the ship-slicing blade like a giant propeller.
"Shark Fin Tornado!"
On land, this move could summon a tornado powerful enough to blow away even Kabuda giants.
Underwater, it created a colossal whirlpool that swallowed all the fishmen in its path.
"What the hell is this?!"
"Captain, save us!"
The fishmen screamed as they struggled against the immense pull, only to be swept away, flung who knew where into the ocean.
At that moment, Rui Meng Meng's stray cannonball just happened to drift toward Vander Decken, who was observing from the sidelines.
Unfortunately, Rui Meng Meng wasn't Tom. Her cannonball had no special effects, and slowed heavily in the water. Vander Decken caught it easily with one hand.
"Damn it! Is this supposed to be an insult?" he snarled, casually tossing the cannonball out of his protective bubble.
But the next second, the cannonball suddenly curved in midwater, flying straight in another direction.
Vander Decken froze, clutching his head. "Oh no! I used the hand that marked Shirahoshi! I just threw the cannonball at her!"
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