"Arlong-sama… you must win."
Before Kuroobi could say more, a blur seized his throat.
Shluck!
Hiroto hoisted Kuroobi by the neck and activated [Gluttony].
Kuroobi died instantly.
[Entry – Underwater Breathing (Green) acquired!]
[Entry: Underwater Breathing]
[Quality: Green]
[Type: Passive]
[Effect: Breathe freely underwater with human lung capacity.]
[Cost: None]
Exactly as expected.
A low-tier yet invaluable entry.
Within the seafaring world of One Piece, it perfectly covered a human's greatest weakness.
When faced with an overwhelming enemy, Hiroto could simply dive deep into the sea to escape—the ocean is simply too vast.
His body could handle extreme depths, and of course so could most foes, but almost none possessed underwater breathing to replenish oxygen. They lacked the ability to pursue and kill him on the seafloor for long, whereas Hiroto could hide down there indefinitely thanks to [Underwater Breathing].
In other words, this entry patched a fatal weakness humans normally have.
A low-tier entry, but undeniably useful.
That was one reason he hadn't killed Kuroobi outright.
Immediately after, fragments of Kuroobi's memories, his life as a Fishman, merged into Hiroto's body.
A moment later, Hiroto dropped the corpse and turned to the others.
Nami's face was deathly pale.
Hiroto delivered the brutal facts in a calm, unhurried voice, "It's not as bad as it looks. Genzo lost an ear but they were keeping him alive to flay him in front of you, so he's still breathing. Your sister Nojiko was thrown into a water cell—she'll last a few days."
That steadiness helped Nami rein in her panic, though she still trembled.
"Don't lose your head."
Hiroto stepped forward, slipped an arm around her slender waist, and spoke in a low rumble, "I'll take you to wipe them all out."
"Mm."
Nami clung to his collar, pressing against him. As long as she held on, she felt safe.
—
One nautical mile from the Going Merry, several hundred metres below.
Hatchan was spent and his strokes slowed, his body chilled, the gaping wound in his chest spilling blood. The agony and blood-loss made the world spin. But he couldn't stop—terror and instinct screamed at him.
It felt like stumbling into a Sea King while playing near Fish-Man Island. Except those ten-kilometre giants terrified him with size, while that human crushed him with raw power.
A monster.
An absolute monster—at Jinbe's level, maybe higher.
Even reminiscent of the dread he'd felt from Rayleigh.
As a child, he'd once rescued the castaway Rayleigh and sailed with him for a while, witnessing dangers. That was when Hatchan saw Rayleigh fight and learned true terror.
From then on, the man was known across the seas as 'Dark King'.
Now, Head-Chopping Swordsman Hiroto, gave him that same chill.
Proof that this wasn't some East Blue small-fry Arlong believed him to be.
'Must... must warn Arlong. That human's beyond us.'
That single thought looped as his strokes faltered.
Down in the dark water below, something sensed the bleeding prey and began to circle.
...
Grand Line, within the Florian Triangle.
An island-sized galleon drifted through fog.
The sky was ash, the sea cloaked in mist, the wind shrieked—a tableau of gloom.
Like the haunted castles of fairy-tales.
Indeed, at the ship-island's centre rose just such a forbidding castle. And, just like the stories, hundreds of zombies clawed from the earth.
Moaning and shuffling, they followed a blue-scarfed, geta-clad swordsman-zombie, toward the intruder who had dared set foot on Moria's turf.
At the edge of the forest ahead, the cane-bearing wanderer looked up, sensing movement.
"I am Issho, I only seek a brief rest in your domain and shall leave at once." His voice was low, hand resting on his cane.
The hostility ahead was thick—more than simple trespass warranted.
No reply came.
Hidden in the forest, Absalom frowned.
The man had looked straight at him. That should be mpossible, since Absalom's Clear-Clear Fruit rendered him invisible.
Could it be coincidence?
"Let General Ryuma test him. A swordsman won't stand against Ryuma."
Absalom slipped back, yet kept the intruder in sight.
Whoever landed here was to be ambushed and turned into another zombie, per Moria's orders. The weather-worn man would be no exception.
"Seems I've wandered into quite the place." Issho murmured, tightening his grip on the cane.
Crossing from the New World to East Blue was taxing, a short break had been necessary. Evidently, he'd chosen poorly.
So be it. He'd see what spirits haunted this graveyard.
Suddenly, howls erupted as zombies poured from every side, surrounding him. From their ranks, a zombie with a sword stepped forth, a dragon embroidered on his left shoulder.
Mocking words and cold killing-intent accompanied him. "Yohohoho, bold or simply lost, stranger?"
From afar, the hidden Absalom brightened—General Ryuma had arrived.
Yet the zombie received no answer.
The surrounded Issho simply stared, wide-eyed.
"Yohohoho, frightened by my face, are we?" Ryuma laughed.
"Why do you look familiar? Would you tell me who you people are?"
Issho rose slowly, his usual calm replaced by icy focus.
His gaze locked on the Famous Sword in the zombie's grip—Wano Country's national treasure, one of the twenty-one great grade swords: Shusui.
How had it come here?
And the zombie's garb struck a chord as well.
"Alas, I cannot satisfy your curiosity. Yohohoho..."
Zombie Ryuma replied on instinct, eyes fixed, fragments of memory surfacing.
"Then I'll carve my own answers."
Yakuza Kasen flashed as Issho drew, violet light wreathing the blade.
One Sword Style: Fierce Tiger!
(End of Chapter)
New Book
One Piece: Rule Breaker
Transmigrating to the world of One Piece and becoming the orphaned son of a Marine Rear Admiral, Tatsuki awakens the [Scummiest Justice System].
With it, he can become stronger by violating Marines' regulations.
[Ding! Host was called out by Head Instructor Zephyr at the opening ceremony for wearing a crooked tie]
[Violation Points +1000!]
"Kuzan, how can justice be superficial? Come with me to the Pleasure District and experience the hardships of life."
[Ding! Leading a future Marine Admiral astray and sneaking out of the base late at night!]
[Violation Points +1000!]
"Sakazuki, what do you know about absolute justice? It's nipping all evil in the bud."
[Ding! You have subverted the future Marine Admiral's ideology!]
[Violation Points +3000!]
The use of these Violation Points?
Upgrading skills!
[Violation Points –600,000! Conqueror's Haki upgraded to Advanced level!]
Upgrading stats!
[Violation Points –100,000! Physique increased to 70!]
Spinning the wheel!
[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining Senzu Bean ×3!]
[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a Logia Devil Fruit!]