Chapter 53: Scrape Scales, Remove Bones, Slit Belly, Break Chest

Xiang Gaowen smiled faintly:

"You were the first to lie."

"So now, Nami, having learned of our strength, do you still wish to flee?"

"No!

Nami turned her head to look at Arlong. The suppressed anger and resentment in her heart for years exploded in this moment, her voice almost hoarse.

She did not know how strong Xiang Gaowen was, but she knew the number eighty-five million was exactly four times Arlong's!

"Captain, help me kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"

Nami mechanically repeated these three words, to the point where she did not even know when tears began to flow.

Xiang Gaowen reached out and patted Nami's head, then turned to look at Arlong, feeling only a fire burning in his heart.

At this moment.

Simply killing Arlong would no longer release the omnipresent anger in Xiang Gaowen's heart; he decided to do something else.

Step by step.

Xiang Gaowen walked toward Arlong and said calmly:

"Have you ever killed a fish?"

Arlong was stunned, then his face darkened.

Even though he had never heard of such a saying, it did not prevent him from instantly understanding the naked contempt in Xiang Gaowen's words.

"You..."

"I have killed."

Xiang Gaowen continued without waiting for Arlong to reply:

"Nothing more than eight characters."

"Scrape off the scales, remove the bones, slit the belly, and break open the chest!"

The words fell to the ground.

Xiang Gaowen instantly vanished into the air; whether in physique, Observation Haki, or the level of his deadly skills, he was above Xiang Keluo.

The explosive speed resulting from the combination of the three far exceeded Xiang Keluo's by several times!

Even with the fish-man physique surpassing humans by several times, Arlong could only see Xiang Gaowen's afterimage rushing in from a distance.

The silver-white blade of Guanshi Zhengzong refracted the sunlight, appearing infinitely dazzling!

This guy was not just talking!

He truly intended to do it!

Realizing this, Arlong broke out in cold sweat in shock, with not a trace of the composure he had possessed a moment ago.

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

Even Jinbe, currently recognized as the strongest on Fish-Man Island, possessed only the level of a Warlord.

Strong?

Of course, strong.

But compared to the monsters in the New World or even the Four Emperors and Admirals, they were still insignificant, unable to carry the banner of the fish-men.

So much so that often the fish-man race had to rely on Whitebeard's protection to barely survive.

But the more this was the case, the more unwilling Arlong felt in his heart.

Fish-men, born with endowments surpassing humans, could only struggle to survive in the Grand Line.

On what grounds?!

His thoughts were complex, but Arlong's body instinctively evaded Xiang Gaowen's attack, barely turning sideways, yet ultimately only avoiding vital points before Xiang Gaowen's blade struck him.

The muscle density and bone strength of fish-men, far superior to humans, held no meaning against the blade of Guanshi Zhengzong.

Xiang Gaowen did not even feel any resistance from the blade as it cut through Arlong's skin like slicing through butter.

Sss!

Blood sprayed, like a thin mist.

The intense pain stimulated Arlong's brain to more clearly recognize a cruel fact:

The opponent before him possessed combat power far above his own!

Just a little bit more, and he would truly have been slit open and gutted!

"How could such a monster exist in the East Blue? Who exactly sent you?!"

"The Marines? Whitebeard? Kaido?!"

Arlong's mind was in chaos, countless guesses surging, yet his body's movements were not slow in the slightest.

Using the impact of Xiang Gaowen's strike, he turned sideways and fell into the water, diving instantly to the seabed dozens of meters below.

Here, unless it was a firearm prepared specifically for underwater combat, even the finest flintlock could only inflict effective damage for a few meters after leaving the barrel.

Similarly, it could greatly weaken the slashes of swordsmen, serving as a natural defensive position.

The shore has never been a battlefield for fish-men!

Fish-men possess strength several times, or even dozens of times, that of humans on land; once in the water, this gap will only widen further!

This is my only chance to turn defeat into victory.

The seawater stimulated Arlong's wound to hurt even more, yet his mind cooled down at this moment.

He clearly understood the advantages of fish-men.

Webbed feet could provide unimaginable propulsion for the body underwater; the instantaneous explosive speed combined with the fish-man's superhuman physique was even enough to ram through a warship!

"Only one chance: seize the moment that guy pauses, then strike to kill in one blow!"

"Even if he trains his swordsmanship and speed to their utmost, he is still human; there exists an insurmountable gap between his flesh and that of a fish-man!"

Thinking thus.

Ah Long's heart gradually calmed; the near-perfect tactic filled him with overconfidence, and the smile on his lips grew ever more sinister.

He lay dormant underwater, waiting quietly for an opportunity.

A few breaths later.

Xiang Gaowen's figure gradually appeared; he stood by the pool, his gaze calmly fixed on the water's surface.

This indifferent expression made an nameless fire rise in Ah Long's heart, yet he knew even more clearly that the opportunity...

had come!

Boom!

Ah Long's heart contracted violently, his legs accelerated their paddling, and the fish-man's innate super physique allowed his body to surge to a terrifying speed in an instant.

He shot out of the water like a rocket, his nose, shaped like a long spear, thrusting straight for Xiang Gaowen's heart...

Mermaid·ON·DARTS!

Puff!

Ah Long broke through the water, shooting toward Xiang Gaowen like a missile.

He had already seen Xiang Gaowen's deathly expression, yet a voice of utter contempt suddenly reached his ears.

"Was that fun?"

Ah Long instantly felt a chill run down his spine as a palm grew larger and larger before his eyes...

Boom!

Xiang Gaowen used one hand to pin Ah Long, who had surged out of the water; the overwhelming impact force shattered the floor beneath his feet, yet his figure did not shift a single inch.

With his physique upgraded several tiers and the Balanced Attribute buff, even in pure physical ability, Xiang Gaowen had already reached monster-level.

Ignoring Ah Long's shocked gaze, Xiang Gaowen curled a sinister smile at the corner of his lips:

"This truly is a big fish!"

Immediately, Xiang Gaowen reversed his hand and pierced Ah Long's spine with a sword, pinning him firmly to the ground.

Where Ah Long's vision fell was precisely outside Ah Long's Paradise, where countless villagers lay on the ground.

Those who still drew breath watched the scene before them, unable to help but reveal a gratified smile on their faces.

The evil dragon that had pressed upon everyone's hearts for so many years now resembled a fish on a cutting board; how utterly ridiculous!

"Hahahaha~"

The rising and falling laughter made Ah Long feel even more humiliated; he struggled with his life, but his lower body, which had lost all sensation, rendered all his efforts futile.

Xiang Gaowen bent down and said faintly into Ah Long's ear:

"Do you know why Fisher Tiger, even when humans offered him blood transfusions, chose death?"

Ah Long froze, then gritted his teeth and said:

"You even know about Big Brother Tiger's matter?"

Xiang Gaowen did not answer Ah Long's question; a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes:

"It is precisely because he knew that if he survived, he would become what you are now: sinister, ugly, and no different from those humans who went to Fish-Man Island to poach."

"Say, Ah Long, do you want to try changing this world's rules with me? Changing this world where fish-men are persecuted?"

"I am willing!"

At the brink of life and death, Ah Long hesitated almost not at all and agreed at once.

But Xiang Gaowen's next words made him feel as though he had fallen into an ice cellar:

"Well, of course, I was lying to you."

"I told you all this not to make you repent and reform, but to make you descend to hell carrying pain and regret!"

"After all."

"You like this game, don't you?!"

(End of this chapter)