Chapter 53: Scale Removal, Bone Extraction, Gutting and Disembowelment

Gao Wen smiled faintly:

“You were the one who lied first.”

“So now, Nami, having seen our strength, do you still want to run?”

“No!”

Nami turned to look at A Long , and the anger and resentment she had suppressed for years erupted violently, her voice nearly hoarse.

She didn’t know how strong Gao Wen was, but she knew that eighty-five million was exactly four times what A Long had!

“Captain, kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

…

Nami mechanically repeated those three words, unaware that tears had already streamed down her face.

Gao Wen reached out and patted Nami’s head, then turned to face A Long , a fire burning inside him.

At this moment.

Simply killing A Long would no longer release the boundless rage within Gao Wen; he decided to do something else.

Step by step.

Gao Wen walked toward A Long and said calmly:

“Have you ever killed a fish?”

A Long froze, then his face darkened.

Even though he had never heard such a phrase, he instantly understood the naked contempt in Gao Wen’s words.

“You…”

“I have.”

Gao Wen did not wait for A Long ’s reply and continued:

“Just eight words.”

“Scale removal, bone extraction, gutting and disembowelment!”

The words landed.

Gao Wen vanished instantly from the air; his physique, Observation Haki, and the skill level of Shou Si all surpassed Kelo’s.

The combined burst speed far exceeded Kelo’s by more than several times!

Even with A Long ’s fish-man physique, superior to humans by many times, he could only catch a blur of Gao Wen’s shadow racing toward him from afar.

The silver blade of Kanshizheng reflected the sunlight, blindingly bright!

This guy isn’t just talking!

He truly means to do it!

Realizing this, A Long broke into a cold sweat, losing all trace of his earlier composure.

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, fish-men on the Grand Line, in the New World, were never a dominant race.

Even the strongest fish-man on Fish-Man Island, Jinbe, was only at Warlord level.

Strong?

Of course strong.

But compared to the monsters of the New World—even the Four Emperors’ generals—it was negligible, unable to carry the fish-man flag.

As a result, fish-men often had to rely on Whitebeard’s protection just to survive.

But the more this was true, the more bitter A Long became.

Fish-men, born with abilities surpassing humans, were forced to struggle for survival on the Grand Line.

Why?!

Emotions churned, but A Long ’s body instinctively dodged Gao Wen’s attack, barely twisting aside—yet he could only avoid vital points, and the blade still struck him.

The fish-man’s muscle density and bone strength, far exceeding humans’, meant nothing against Kanshizheng’s blade.

Gao Wen felt no resistance at all; the blade cut through A Long ’s skin like butter.

Ssshh!

Blood sprayed like a thin mist.

The intense pain jolted A Long ’s mind into clear recognition of a cruel truth:

His opponent’s power far surpassed his own!

Just a fraction away—he would truly have been disemboweled!

“How could there be a monster like you in the East Blue? Who sent you?!”

“The Marines? Whitebeard? Kaido?!”

A Long ’s mind swirled with countless theories, yet his body moved without hesitation.

Using the momentum of Gao Wen’s slash, he twisted sideways into the water tank and instantly dove dozens of meters beneath the surface.

Here, unless armed with specialized underwater firearms, even the finest flintlock could only inflict lethal damage within a few meters of firing.

Similarly, swordsmen’s slashes were drastically weakened—this was a natural defensive position.

The shore was never the fish-man’s battlefield!

On land, fish-men possessed strength many times, even dozens of times greater than humans; once in water, that gap widened further.

This is my only chance to turn defeat into victory.

The seawater stung his wound, but his mind grew calm.

He knew the fish-man’s advantages.

Webbed feet underwater provided unimaginable propulsion; the instant burst speed, combined with the fish-man’s superior physique, could even pierce through a warship!

“Only one chance—wait for the moment he pauses, then strike to kill!”

“No matter how strong his swordsmanship or speed, he’s still human—the physical gap between him and a fish-man is insurmountable!”

Thinking this,

A Long ’s heart steadied; his near-perfect tactic filled him with confidence, his grin turning more vicious.

He lay hidden underwater, waiting silently for his opening.

A few seconds later,

Gao Wen’s figure appeared—he stood at the pool’s edge, gazing calmly at the water’s surface.

This calm expression ignited a nameless fury in A Long , but he knew better: the opportunity…

Had come!

Boom!

A Long ’s heart contracted violently; his legs kicked hard, his innate fish-man physique accelerating his body to a terrifying speed.

He shot out of the water like a rocket, his spear-like snout aimed straight at Gao Wen’s heart…

Jiao·ON·DARTS!

Plop!

A Long burst from the water, rocketing toward Gao Wen.

He had already imagined Gao Wen’s death—when suddenly, a voice of utter contempt reached his ears.

“Fun?”

A Long ’s spine went icy cold; a hand loomed larger before his eyes…

Boom!

Gao Wen seized A Long as he burst from the water; the force shattered the floor beneath his feet, yet his own body didn’t budge an inch.

His physique had been upgraded several levels, enhanced by balanced modifiers—even pure physical strength had reached monster levels.

Ignoring A Long ’s stunned gaze, Gao Wen smirked:

“What a big fish!”

Then he reversed his blade, piercing A Long ’s spine and pinning him to the ground.

A Long ’s line of sight fell upon the countless villagers lying on the ground outside A Long Park.

Those still alive watched the scene, their faces breaking into satisfied smiles.

The evil dragon that had oppressed them for years now lay like a fish on a cutting board—how absurd?

“Hahahaha~”

…

The rising laughter deepened A Long ’s humiliation; he struggled desperately, but his numb lower body rendered all his efforts futile.

Gao Wen leaned down and whispered softly into A Long ’s ear:

“Do you know why Fisher Tiger chose death, even though humans offered him blood transfusions?”

A Long froze, gritting his teeth:

“You even know about Brother Tiger?”

Gao Wen did not answer; a mocking glint flashed in his eyes:

“Because he knew that if he lived, he’d become exactly what you are now—hideous, grotesque, no different from the humans who came to Fish-Man Island to poach.”

“Hey, A Long , want to try changing the world’s rules? Change this world where fish-men are persecuted?”

“I do!”

Facing death, A Long didn’t hesitate a moment—he immediately agreed.

But Gao Wen’s next words plunged him into ice:

“Well, of course I’m lying.”

I’m telling you all this not to make you repent and change your ways, but to make you descend into hell with pain and regret!

After all.

You love this game, don’t you?!

(End of Chapter)