OPTC Chapter 336: Use Some Force, I Can Handle It
Arlong and the other fishmen turned their attention toward Zhang Da Ye's group — one man, two women, one cat, one fishman? No, that one looked more like a robot. And… a corpse?
When fishmen used words to count people, they deliberately used "creatures" instead of "people." To them, humans were not equals. Unlike Zhang Da Ye, who used the same word affectionately for small pets, Arlong and his kind used it out of contempt and hostility.
Seeing this lineup, Arlong frowned. Something wasn't right. After being beaten by both Kizaru and Jinbei, and scared half to death by Fujitora, he had grown more cautious. At least now, when facing a sudden situation, he forced himself to stay calm and think.
First of all, anyone who knew the "starting price" of fishmen had most likely been to the Grand Line — maybe even a human trafficker from Sabaody Archipelago. That meant these people knew fishmen well, and wouldn't be frightened by the "ten times the strength of a human" rumor. They might even have specific tactics to counter fishmen.
Secondly, that robot and skeleton didn't look ordinary at all. They were probably special ability users. The strongest ones among the group were likely those two — while the one doing the talking seemed to be the weakest.
They've arranged it perfectly, Arlong thought. The weakest one taunts us as bait while the strongest stand ready at the edges to ambush. Such cunning, devious humans.
Unfortunately, this place was too far from the sea — no way to use seawater to unleash their full power or suppress Devil Fruit users. Fighting on land put fishmen at a disadvantage. So the best option was simple: attack together and finish it fast.
Arlong truly felt he had matured. With just one glance and a few words exchanged, he'd already analyzed the enemy and formed the best battle plan.
The other fishmen weren't nearly as composed. They were already cursing loudly — "Damn humans," "Stupid humans," "Weak humans." Their vocabulary was quite limited.
Only the officer-type fishmen stayed steady. The kissing fishman Chu asked coldly, "Who are you people?"
"You can think of us as bounty hunters," Zhang Da Ye replied, walking deeper into the crowd. "We're here for Arlong's head. I think the bounty's twenty million berries, right?"
As he moved closer, Zhang Da Ye kept his tone polite, patting a few fishmen's arms as he squeezed through. "Excuse me, pardon me, thank you."
"Oh— sure," a few fishmen replied automatically, stepping aside. Then a moment later they froze, confused. Wait, why did I just let him through?
Bell-mère, who had just been tearfully saying her last words to Nojiko and Nami, was now too stunned to continue.
Nojiko and Nami, their faces streaked with tears, looked up at these sudden newcomers. They looked strong — could they be saved?
"Hey, are you crazy? They're fishmen from the Grand Line! Their arm strength is ten times stronger than humans! And there are so many of them — run while you can!" Gen shouted.
He was a kind man. Even in danger himself, he didn't want others to die because of him. Zhang Da Ye's group — even counting the cat — numbered only six. The fishmen here were more than a hundred.
Tom tilted his head curiously at the pinwheel on Gen's hat. He took a deep breath and blew. The pinwheel spun with a cheerful whir, making Tom giggle. He tugged Zhang Da Ye's collar, pointing at it, eager to share his amusement.
Gen, however, got a faceful of spit and snapped, "This isn't the time for games, damn it!"
"You say you're here to take Arlong's head and still want to walk away alive?" Kuroobi stepped forward into a fighting stance. "I'll give you credit for your courage, at least. I'll handle you myself. For your information, I'm a 40th-degree master of Fishman Karate!"
Zhang Da Ye turned to Shark Chili. "How many degrees was Hack again?"
"One hundred," Shark Chili replied.
"Oh? So this guy's pretty strong then — about half a Hack!" Zhang Da Ye said, genuinely surprised. That wasn't what he'd expected.
"Not really," Shark Chili said. "It may sound close, but in truth, Hack could beat him like an adult beating a child."
"You… know Hack?" Kuroobi's expression grew serious. Hack's name carried weight among fishmen. Most didn't know what happened after he left Fishman Island, but they all respected his strength.
"Of course," Shark Chili said. "We fought him not long ago. He's an impressive man."
By now, Zhang Da Ye's group had surrounded Gen and Bell-mère's family protectively.
"Stop bluffing! You're just—" Kuroobi paused, realizing that whatever this man was, he didn't seem entirely human. "Let me show you the power of Fishman Karate!"
"Wait, Kuroobi," Arlong said sharply.
"You're stepping in, boss?" Kuroobi asked, puzzled. "They're just—"
"They're not ordinary opponents," Arlong interrupted. "Don't underestimate them. I'll fight too. Everyone, attack together. Don't give them a chance to breathe!"
As he spoke, Arlong drew his jagged greatsword — the legendary Kiribachi.
The fishmen obeyed immediately, surging forward as one.
Octopus Hatchan drew six swords, ready to unleash his Six-Sword Style.
Kuroobi, seeing Arlong's caution, decided not to go head-to-head with Shark Chili. Instead, he targeted the man with the cat — Zhang Da Ye. He went all in, using his strongest move right away.
"Fishman Karate — Thousand Brick Fist!"
Zhang Da Ye and Tom exchanged a look of mock terror. They'd never faced a "finishing move" like that before. Shark Chili usually used Thousand Brick Fist as a warm-up exercise.
"Well, since he's serious," Zhang Da Ye said, rolling his shoulders, "I'll return the favor. One Serious Punch!"
Boom. Crack.
The sound of their fists colliding was followed by the sharp crack of bones breaking. Kuroobi's face twisted in agony as his right arm went limp. He clutched it, kneeling with a groan. "My… my arm!"
Zhang Da Ye glanced at his own fist. "Guess I shouldn't call it that next time. Makes me look bad compared to Teacher Saitama."
Tom, noticing that everyone else's opponents were already down, frowned. That wasn't right — too uneven. He pulled out a baseball bat and whacked Kuroobi on the head with a loud *thunk*.
Kuroobi collapsed. Tom nodded in satisfaction, waving his bat at the remaining fishmen in challenge.
"Our… our officers!" The regular fishmen froze. Their three elite fighters had been wiped out in seconds.
Arlong's rage exploded. "You bastards! What have you done to my people?!"
Gen could only stare. These people were monsters.
"They're the Amber Travel Group!" Bell-mère shouted suddenly, eyes widening as she recognized them — especially the mischievous cat making faces and taunting the enemies. "It's really them!"
"The ones who wiped out Krieg's pirate fleet — over a thousand men?" Gen asked in disbelief.
"More like two thousand," Bell-mère said, tears of relief welling in her eyes. "We might actually live."
"Eh?" Nami and Nojiko looked up, eyes shining. "Go, big brother with the cat!"
Zhang Da Ye almost tripped. He turned back with a strained smile. "Let's not say that again, okay? Just watch. We'll save you."
They nodded quickly.
"You won't save anyone! Water Shot!" Arlong shouted, slamming his webbed hand forward. Dozens of water bullets fired like shotgun blasts.
"Iron Body!"
The shots hit Zhang Da Ye, tearing his clothes but doing no damage. He stood there grinning like an idiot.
Arlong sneered. "Pathetic human. You're happy just to block one attack?"
"No, no," Zhang Da Ye laughed. "I'm not laughing at you." He clapped Rui Meng Meng's shoulder proudly. "Meng Meng, did you see that? I finally used Iron Body correctly! Just the right timing!"
Indeed, if he'd dodged, the attack would have hit the people behind him. Blocking it was the right choice — something worth celebrating.
Rui Meng Meng tilted her head. "But boss, wouldn't it have been easier to use your ability to summon a big table or a cabinet to block instead?"
Zhang Da Ye paused. "…Oh. Yeah. That would've worked." His joy vanished instantly.
Arlong didn't understand what they were babbling about, but he knew one thing — the man with the cat was clearly insane. "Everyone, kill them all! Leave no one alive!"
"Yeah!"
"This won't do," Shark Chili said, swatting aside two fishmen with a slap. "Fighting while protecting others is too inconvenient. Guess I'll bring out the big guy. Super Shark Titan!"
Rumble!
The ground shook violently as a massive mechanical shark appeared out of thin air. Everyone — human and fishman alike — froze in disbelief.
Where did that giant come from?!
"Cockpit open!" Shark Chili grabbed Gen and tossed him gently inside.
Rui Meng Meng understood and helped Bell-mère, Nojiko, and Nami in as well. Once they were safe inside, Shark Chili began to move the Shark Titan.
Screams filled the air as fishmen were kicked, trampled, and sent flying. The brave ones who tried fighting back only managed to dent their blades or bruise their knuckles on its armored hull. Against this towering mechanical beast, they were helpless.
Inside the cockpit, the girls stared wide-eyed at the screen. Moments ago, they had been the ones trembling before the fishmen. Now, it was the fishmen trembling before them. The reversal was so sudden it left them dizzy.
Meanwhile, the others kept fighting. Artoria swung her sword in wide arcs, dropping fishmen by the dozens. Brook danced through the battlefield, sheathing his blade as blood sprayed behind him. Rui Meng Meng leapt high and drove her sword into the ground, blasting away anyone nearby with a shockwave.
Zhang Da Ye fought with a frying pan in one hand and a folding chair in the other, knocking out enemies left and right. Tom rode on his shoulder — taunting, cheering, and occasionally jumping down to finish someone off.
These fishmen were stronger than Krieg's pirates, but it made no difference. Even with ten times human strength, weaklings were still weaklings. They had the potential to be great but had grown lazy — relying only on their natural gifts instead of mastering Fishman Karate.
Among them, only Kuroobi had trained seriously, though his talent was limited. The rest simply coasted on their genetics — and it showed.
Arlong watched as his crew fell one after another, his eyes turning blood-red. "You dare… hurt my brethren?!"
He swung his massive Kiribachi, aiming straight for Zhang Da Ye's neck.
Clang!
Zhang Da Ye raised his left arm. The saw-edged blade struck it, ringing like metal on metal — and failed to even scratch him.
Arlong's strength was tremendous. The impact made Zhang Da Ye stagger slightly, but he steadied himself and grinned.
"Use some force," he said calmly. "I can handle it."
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