The tension in the air grew thicker, and Rodney's actions finally infuriated Arlong. The fish-man's eyes narrowed into slits of bloodthirst rage—a sure sign of anger.
"You wounded and killed my loyal comrades, insulting us, noble fishmen!" Arlong growled, his scarlet eyes blazing with menacing malice. "I will kill you! I will show you what true cruelty is! Koruubi, Hachi, join me, and we will destroy him!"
Koruubi assumed a fighting stance typical of fish karate.
"Of course," he nodded, preparing for the fight.
Hachi, using all six of his arms, deftly wielded six long swords, their blades glinting in the rays of the setting sun.
"I see," he chuckled, stretching his numb limbs. "Are you ready to meet us?"
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!" Rodney shouted, and a powerful stream of water erupted from his mouth, crashing down on his opponents.
Arlong, Koruubi, and Hachi stood unfazed against the torrent. Hachi even allowed himself a mocking comment:
"Is this man an idiot? What good is water against us fishmen? Maybe it will even help us?"
Despite the words, the octopus's six flexible arms continued to swing their swords, indicating Hachi's readiness for battle.
Arlong snorted coldly.
— How can a common man understand the power of fishmen?
"No! Boss Arlong, look at his hands!" Koruubi exclaimed, noticing Rodney's strange movements.
Rodney, taking advantage of the moment, shouted:
— Lightning Element: Lightning Technique!
Bright flashes of lightning, like bolts of celestial punishment, struck the three fishmen, leaving them frozen in stupor. Rodney ceased his attack, spat out water, and, taking advantage of their paralysis, took a deep breath. A massive amount of chakra gathered in his chest, ready to burst forth.
"Fire Element: Extinguishing Veil Field!" his voice rang out, and a powerful barrage of fire descended upon the opponents.
"What?!" the fishmen whispered, feeling the flames scorching their skin, drying and cracking it.
Screams filled the air, and the fishmen's bodies, engulfed in flames, plummeted into the water. Rodney, having expended most of his chakra, realized victory was his.
"I can't let them escape," he whispered, his body beginning to shimmer with green energy.
"Eight Gates: Gate of Opening! Open!" Rodney shouted, releasing the limitations of his mind and unlocking the full potential of his body. "Eight Gates: Gate of Healing! Open!" Fatigue left him, and strength returned. "Eight Gates: Gate of Life! Open!" Blood rushed to the surface of his body, filling him with incredible energy.
Rodney stopped, unwilling to open any further gates and risk his health. This was just an experiment, and he didn't want to put his life in danger.
The limitations of his body vanished, and his chakra flowed freely, like a mountain river. Rodney, using all his power, destroyed the house standing above him, its debris flying like projectiles into the water.
"Moon Step!" he whispered, and like an arrow shot from a bow, he darted towards Arlong, who was still in the water, his body covered in deep burns.
"Human?! How dare you invade our sea!" Arlong roared when he saw Rodney. "This is the home of our fishmen!"
But he noticed that Rodney was moving freely in the water without any difficulty.
"Wait, Boss Arlong, look at this guy!" Koruubi exclaimed, sensing Rodney's powerful, fearsome aura.
Rodney, ignoring their fears, concentrated all his energy into his fist.
"Fish Karate: Thousand Brick Fist!" he shouted, and a powerful blow landed on Arlong, sending him flying out of the water.
Rodney, not giving him time to catch his breath, broke through the water's surface, stepped onto the surface and, using "Moon Step", jumped into the air, catching up with Arlong.
Blow after blow rained down on Arlong's body, and he collapsed, exhausted, onto the rubble of the destroyed house.
Rodney, without saying a word, approached the fallen enemy.
"Boss Arlong!!!" Koruubi and Hachi screamed as they watched their leader die.
- Boss!!! Stop!!!
Rodney, ignoring their pleas, slammed his foot into Arlong's chest, crushing his ribcage.
"Now it's your turn!" he whispered, turning to Koruubi and Hachi.
"Ah-ah-ah! I'll kill you!" Koruubi shouted, preparing to attack. "Fish Karate: Thousand-Brick Fist!"
Rodney easily dodged the blow, his Sharingan catching all of Koruubi's movements.
"Pooh!" came the sound, and Rodney, using kunai, chopped off Koruubi's arm.
—
Koruubi, the cartilaginous fish-man, didn't even have time to scream before Rodney, with lightning speed, attached an explosive tag to his body. A subsequent oblique kick to the stomach, like a cannon shot, sent Koruubi flying.
"Ah!" a short, hoarse sound escaped his lips.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The chain reaction of the explosion caused by the seal blew Koruubi to pieces, leaving behind only clouds of smoke and the stench of burning.
"You're next!" Rodney squinted like a predator, looking at Hachi, whose hand, clutching the sword, was shaking.
"You... you..." Hachi, shocked, retreated back like a cornered animal. Rodney's presence filled him with a dread far greater than the fear he felt of Arlong.
"If you leave the Arlong Pirates now, I can spare your life. Leave immediately and return to your homeland."
Rodney, without a shadow of a doubt, declared his mission complete. The Arlong Pirates were nothing more than a memory.
"I... you killed everyone! I won't leave!" Hachi, although frightened, continued to stand his ground.
"Really?" Rodney, with icy calm, activated the Eight Gates, and then, with incredible force, struck Hachi in the face, sending him flying into the sea.
Clapping his hands, Rodney felt a sense of emptiness. The Eight Gates technique, having drained him, had returned to its previous limitations, leaving him with limited chakra. He felt tired, as if he was about to collapse.
"I can't fall now!" he whispered, fighting back the overwhelming weakness.
Trying to maintain consciousness, Rodney headed into the nearby forest. In the fog, he spotted a river, and on its banks, as if greeting him, lay the fish-men he had killed.
"An illusion?" he whispered, unable to distinguish reality from delusion.
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