"Huff… huff…"
After returning to the surface, the two men gulped in air desperately.
"That brat's speed in the water is terrifying," Huo Shaoshan said grimly. "No wonder he's so fearless."
He considered himself fast—but inside the water, that ninja was even faster.
"Just cheap tricks," Strawberry replied coldly. "Find an opening and break his ninjutsu."
In his view, Jin's abnormal underwater speed had to come from the special nature of his techniques.
Once he was forced out of the water, killing him with their speed wouldn't be difficult.
"That may be true…"
Huo Shaoshan stared at Jin below, who was openly provoking them with his gaze. "But that's exactly the problem—he's too fast to pin down."
They had already tried cutting through the water with flying slashes.
Yet the water sphere simply restored itself again and again—completely pointless.
Tap—
The sound of Geppo drew their attention.
Seeing Momonga return, Strawberry first felt relief—then frowned.
"Why are you alone?"
Where were the other two?
Doberman had lost an arm, yes, but that alone shouldn't have removed his combat power.
And Onigumo was still very much a fighter.
"Prepare yourselves," Momonga said gravely.
"This time… the enemy we're facing is extremely despicable."
Under their questioning gazes, he explained everything that had just happened.
When he finished, he looked down.
Jin had stopped slaughtering the ordinary Marines and was instead beckoning at them.
The gesture clearly said:
Come down. I won't kill them.
"…Truly despicable," Huo Shaoshan growled through clenched teeth.
"That filthy bastard!"
He didn't fight head-on.
He didn't rely on overwhelming ninjutsu.
Instead—he used poison as the finishing move.
Damn him.
"No wonder they couldn't escape the water prison," Strawberry said calmly.
"From now on, both of you—keep Observation Haki at maximum."
"Do not get hit. Under any circumstances."
"And absolutely do not inhale seawater."
"If your oxygen runs low, surface immediately—then return."
He paused, then added in a low voice:
"I don't know if he poisoned the entire water zone… but we can't afford to gamble."
Two Vice Admirals were already out of the fight.
If this dragged on any longer, they might actually die.
They couldn't afford even one more mistake.
"Then we keep fighting him," Huo Shaoshan said.
"At the very least, we buy time for the others to escape."
The Marines trapped in the water had already realized the truth.
Staying meant death by drowning.
From the beginning, they'd been swimming outward desperately.
Some were caught and killed by Jin.
Others—stronger ones—tried to drag comrades with them.
But saving everyone was impossible.
This time… some would inevitably be left behind.
"Honestly, I really want to cut them down," Momonga said, glancing toward the Straw Hats, veins bulging on his sword hand.
But he knew—this was absolutely not the time.
One wrong move could trigger irreversible consequences.
"Leave that to them," Strawberry said.
"Not everyone who came this time is an ordinary Marine."
"That brat will learn sooner or later just how firm the Navy's will truly is."
If the soldiers escaped the water zone, they might still intercept the Straw Hat pirates.
That—was the true purpose of holding the enemy here.
"Geppo!"
Strawberry shot downward, charging straight toward Jin.
The other two followed without hesitation.
This time, all three Vice Admirals pushed their Observation Haki to the limit, ready to coat their bodies in Armament at the slightest sign of danger.
Die, brat!
Killing intent flared in Momonga's eyes as he launched a flying slash before even closing the distance.
"Whoosh—!"
The slash tore through the water, sending ripples everywhere.
But even outside the water he couldn't hit Jin—let alone underwater.
"Slash!"
The attack instead tore straight into a Marine battleship behind Jin, splitting part of its hull open and rendering it severely damaged.
Momonga: ...
He stared at his own handiwork, momentarily stunned.
Huo Shaoshan patted his shoulder, signaling him not to dwell on it.
From the moment the battleships were engulfed by the water domain, they were already considered lost.
Jin simply hadn't destroyed them yet—likely to conserve stamina.
Two-Sword Style — Extreme!
Strawberry's speed suddenly surged.
Like a swordfish, he shot forward at terrifying velocity.
The instant he reached Jin, he raised both blades and slashed down mercilessly.
Die, you little bastard!
Armament-coated blades sliced cleanly through Jin's body.
Splash!
Did we get him?!
Momonga and Huo Shaoshan felt a surge of hope.
But Strawberry's expression instantly changed.
The feedback was wrong.
Completely wrong.
"BOOM!!"
The severed Jin exploded violently instead of dispersing.
Strawberry's pupils shrank.
Damn ninja—did you think I'd fall for this again?!
With Onigumo and Doberman as warnings, he absolutely would not allow himself to be trapped inside a water prison.
He immediately retreated at full speed.
But before he could escape—
His Observation Haki screamed.
Something was flying straight toward the exact path of his retreat.
Damn it—no way to dodge!
"Armament Haki—HARDEN!"
He reinforced his body without hesitation, choosing to take the hit head-on.
The next instant—
BOOM!!
A spear of condensed water slammed into him, transforming on contact into a terrifying spiraling water vortex.
The crushing force tore at his body relentlessly.
Strawberry gritted his teeth, Armament Haki covering him completely.
Even so, he was hurled away and smashed into the sea—creating a massive vacuum burst on impact.
BOOM!!
A moment later, seawater rushed back in, burying him completely.
Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Without Armament, that attack would have killed him outright.
"Water Release: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade!"
Jin stood calmly in a throwing stance, watching the result.
Then he shifted his gaze to Huo Shaoshan and Momonga—
As if saying:
You're next.
"…Damn it."
Huo Shaoshan was furious.
This bastard refused to fight them up close.
In that case—
Even if it meant destroying the battleships, they would cut this water domain apart!
He turned and signaled Momonga.
Understanding instantly, Momonga nodded.
The two rose to the surface together.
Then—simultaneously—they unleashed their attacks.
"One-Sword Style — Severing Water!"
"One-Sword Style — Blazing Flame!"
BOOM!!
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