Chapter 15 – You Dare Touch My People? Prepare to Be Cooked
From this chapter forward, Arlong's bloodlust begins to boil.
He grabbed the trembling fishman by the neck, roaring with a twisted snarl:
"What nonsense are you spewing now?!"
"A mere lower-species human, eat one of us? Don't be absurd!"
The terrified fishman stammered, pointing toward the gate:
"B-but it's true, Arlong-boss! That guy is outside right now… h-he just turned my arm into honey-glazed fish meat!"
He had seen it with his own eyes—his comrades being carved up and eaten. The sheer horror still haunted him.
As his voice trailed off—
BOOM!
The estate gates were blasted open with a thunderous crash, stone debris flying as splinters and dust filled the air.
Several mangled corpses were hurled through the gate. The bodies were unmistakably fishmen—limbs hacked off, fish heads violently decapitated.
"Fishmen really do taste like fish. Not bad at all."
A cold, lazy voice echoed through the smoke. A tall figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
"Ahhhh! That's him!! That human who's been EATING us!!"
The fishman collapsed in terror, crawling backward as if death itself were closing in.
Arlong stood from his chair, jaw tight. His eyes locked on the approaching figure. His aura turned stormy.
Beside him, Kuroobi readied his stance, eyes sharp with caution.
Hatchan summoned six swords out of nowhere, spinning them around his tentacles with practiced ease, hostility in his eyes.
Even Chew pulled his hands out of his pockets, expression hardening for once.
The air became tense. Every fishman there could feel it—this intruder wasn't normal.
The man's killing intent was suffocating.
Out of the dust strode Lynn, casually gnawing on a piece of roasted fish meat, as if this was all a picnic.
As the dust cleared, dozens of fishmen glared at him, their faces twisted with rage and fear.
Lynn's eyes swept over the crowd and landed on the shark-headed man near the pool—Arlong himself.
A devilish grin crept across his face.
"Arlong...""I'm your daddy."
"???"
You son of a—!
Arlong's face twisted with rage, but deep inside, his gut twisted with dread.
He had seen that relaxed confidence once before—from that filthy monkey Marine who beat him like a dog.
That same suffocating pressure… was back.
Lynn walked forward slowly.
"You fishmen... such lowly creatures. And yet you act like kings in a human sea?"
"Shameless."
Suddenly, he vanished.
"Soru—"
In a blink, Lynn appeared in front of Arlong and slapped him across the face so hard his entire body flew through the air.
"ARLONG-BOSS!!"
"Bastard! You dare lay a hand on our boss?! Die, you filthy human!"
Several fishmen roared and charged.
Crackling arcs of dark-red lightning danced through the air—
BAANG!
Every charging fishman dropped instantly, eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth.
Conqueror's Haki.
Their bodies thudded to the floor like sacks of fish.
The remaining officers were visibly shaken.
Lynn retracted his aura, barely interested.
He walked toward the crumpled Arlong, smirking:
"You ran from reality, fled to the weakest sea, and crowned yourself king. That's real brave of you."
"Still think you fishmen are naturally superior to humans?"
"Stop lying to yourself. Fishmen are trash. Didn't Kizaru teach you that?"
Arlong's face turned pitch-black, trembling with fury and humiliation.
He staggered up, snarling:
"You wretched human… you've crossed the line!! Today, you die!!"
Lynn just smiled deeper.
He didn't speak—just walked forward.
"Stop right there!"
Before Arlong could make a move, Kuroobi stepped in front of him.
"If you want Arlong, you'll have to get through me!"
He dropped into a stance.
Fishman Karate—100 Tile True Punch!
Kuroobi launched a deadly punch straight at Lynn's chest.
BOOM!
But the next second—
"AARGHHH!!"
He reeled back, arm shattered from the impact. He stumbled several steps, eyes wide in disbelief.
"H-How!?"
The pain was overwhelming. His strongest punch… had broken his own bones!?
Lynn frowned slightly, unimpressed:
"You call that a punch? Weak. Pathetic."
"Shut up!! Don't look down on me!!"
Kuroobi screamed and lunged again.
But before he could take another step—
Squelch—
"AAARGHHHH!!"
He looked down to see blood spraying from his wrists—both hands severed.
He collapsed to his knees, eyes wide with terror.
The others hadn't even seen the move.
But Arlong had. He stared at Lynn's sheathed blade.
That man had drawn, cut off Kuroobi's hands, and sheathed the sword again—all in a flash. So fast it looked like magic.
This wasn't a human… this was a demon in flesh.
How could something like this exist in the East Blue!?
Lynn slowly turned toward the kneeling Kuroobi.
Each step he took was like a blade scraping across Kuroobi's soul.
The trembling fishman fell backward, finally collapsing.
"Look me in the eyes.""Why are you running?"
Lynn leaned in, face-to-face with Kuroobi.
"ANSWER ME!!!"
The sudden roar shattered Kuroobi's will. He shrieked like a child, crawling backward, sobbing:
"D-Don't come near me!!"
Lynn stepped on his back with a sigh:
"Fishmen really are pitiful."
"Such a shame… you'll never know the taste of proper grilled fish."
Flame Art: Fire Fist!
BOOOM!!!
Lynn's blazing fist exploded into Kuroobi's back, engulfing him in flames.
His screams were drowned in the fire. The scent of grilled fish filled the air.
Kuroobi was no more.
Watching from the gates, the three girls—Nami, Kaya, and Nojiko—covered their mouths in astonishment.
In perfect unison:
"So cool!" ×3