Rodney glanced at Kuroobi, his eyes flashing. There was a gap in physical ability between Naruto's world and this pirate world.
Naruto was renowned for his flexibility and coordination, while pirates boasted brute strength and destructive power. But even here, in the pirate world, people hardened by a harsh life possessed incredible physical fitness.
However, the strength of pirates was no match for the ancient martial arts. Marine Rokushiki, Kite Karate, Hashoken... A multitude of schools where body and spirit became one. The Sharingan, a piercing gaze, allowed Rodney to instantly copy movements, and chakra, replacing muscle power, made his movements deceptively precise.
"Damn you! How dare you imitate our Fish Karate? I'll kill you! Fish Karate: Flame Axe Strike!" Kuroobi roared, attacking Rodney.
"Fish Karate: Flame Axe Strike!" Rodney met his attack, matching the move with precision.
Kuroobi, a black belt in fish karate, was furious. He considered himself superior to the man who dared challenge his mastery. Which of his fishmen had allowed this man to learn their secrets?
"I will use the essence of fish karate to make you, pathetic human, understand that humans can never compare to fishmen!" Kuroobi assumed a fighting stance. "Hundred Brick Fist!"
This technique, capable of breaking a hundred bricks underwater with a single blow, demonstrated true power. The resistance of the water, even for fishmen, was immense, but on land, the speed of the blow increased.
"Interesting position..." Rodney, catching the movement of Kuroobi's muscles, channeled chakra into his fist, mimicking his stance. "Fish Karate: Hundred Brick Fist!"
"Fish Karate: Hundred Brick Fist!" Kuroobi shouted.
Boom!
Their fists collided with incredible force, shaking the ground. Rodney and Kuroobi stood their ground, not retreating an inch.
The wind generated by the impact tore tiles from the roofs, and the trees shook as if they were about to collapse. Rodney, however, was the first to falter. His Sharingan and chakra allowed him to mimic the movements, but they didn't provide true strength.
His right arm, which had received Kuroobi's blow, throbbed with pain, temporarily paralyzing him.
"Damn, I knew I shouldn't have tried so hard..." Rodney retreated, climbing to the top of the building.
Despite the pain, he was pleased. He had mastered some fish karate.
"Hmph! Humans can never match a fishman! How can weak humans be our opponents!" Kuroobi exclaimed, reveling in his victory.
At that moment, Arlong, Chu, and the octopus man led a group of people to the shore.
"Hm? Wasn't the pond supposed to hold them off? Never mind, let's just blow this place up..." Arlong grimaced, looking at Rodney. "Despicable human! You've used your dastardly methods again, targeting my comrades! Comrades..."
The water clone created by Rodney apparently killed many fishmen in the water.
"Ah, so that's it... A shadow clone!" Rodney, having created a clone, threw three shurikens at him. The clone, in turn, threw shurikens as well.
Shurikens, tied to thin steel wires, circled around Arlong and the others, entangling them.
"This weakling thinks he can hold off us fishmen?" Arlong sneered, ignoring Rodney.
The clone, holding the steel wire in his mouth, closed his eyes.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!" A chakra-fueled flame blazed along the wire, heading toward the four merfolk.
"Not good!" Arlong tore the wire apart, and Kuroobi and the octopus-man rushed towards the pool.
Chu, however, didn't follow suit. He opened his mouth and spat out seawater, trying to extinguish the flames.
But simple seawater couldn't combat the chakra-ignited fire. The water evaporated instantly.
- A-a-a! - Chu, engulfed in flames, broke free from the wire and dived into the pool.
Arlong, Kuroobi, and the octopus man, along with the charred Chu, emerged from the water.
Rodney, having received healing from the clone, smiled.
"You overestimated yourself. Fire damage is much greater than water damage."
"Human! I'll kill you!" Arlong, not wanting to wait any longer, rushed at Rodney.
Rodney and his clone easily dodged the attack.
The building collapsed beneath Rodney's feet like a house of cards as Arlong, swinging his jagged sword, slammed into the wall.
"Kiribachi!" he roared, the thunder of his voice echoing through the ruins.
Rodney, clenching his fists, stepped forward, his gaze determined. The situation was on the brink, but he felt he could still gain control. However, against Arlong, a monster from the deep, he had to resort to cunning, like a guerrilla. He had plenty of chakra, but with the fishmen, who possessed incredible strength, he had to be careful.
Arlong, legs bent like a torpedo launched from the depths, lunged forward. His sword, its tip flashing like lightning, described a deadly semicircle.
"A shark on darts!" he roared, and the air around him shook with his fury.
"Leaf Dragon God!" Rodney leaped forward, spinning in a whirlwind that took the form of a mighty dragon. The whirlwind collided with Aaron's sword, sending him flying into the sea like a feather.
A shadow clone of Rodney, created from his chakra, rushed towards Koruubi.
"Wind Burst: Vacuum Sphere!" he whispered, and invisible air bullets pierced Koruubi's body, leaving bloody wounds.
"How is this possible? What kind of ability is this?" the surrounding people whispered in horror. Many of the Wind Style's attacks were invisible, and without Haki, Sharingan, or chakra perception techniques like Vacuum Sphere, they were deadly.
"This is an ability that will lead to your death!" the Shadow Clone said with icy coldness. But at that moment, waves rose up, and droplets of water rushed toward him like bullets.
The shadow clone, compared to the main body, was much more vulnerable. Even a minor attack could disperse it, and these water droplets instantly destroyed it on impact.
Arlong, like a sea demon, emerged from the water, unharmed, his eyes sparkling with a predatory gleam.
"Now I will show you the true power of the fishmen!" he growled, clutching a handful of seawater. The water slipped through his fingers, turning into large, crystal-like droplets.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" Rodney glanced at Arlong and spoke the words like a spell.
Flames erupted from his palm, burning the droplets of water into steam. Arlong, unable to react, dodged the fatal blow.
"What did you just say?" Rodney, surprised by Arlong's words, looked at him questioningly.