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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Thirty-Five: Fishman
Xiaqiu had already decided to hunt the members of the Dragon Pirate Crew, not only because their territory had been invaded, but also due to the energy contained within their bodies and the surging anger within his heart.
Of course, he knew he was no match for them; charging in recklessly would only lead to his demise.
He needed to think carefully about his approach and not act solely on instinct.
After all, he was not just a fish; he was a fish with a human soul. Could he consider himself a Fishman?
Absolutely.
To deal with the Dragon Pirate Crew, he recognized that he was outmatched.
At least against Arlong and the four Officers, he felt somewhat powerless at this moment.
If he faced too many Fishmen at once, it could lead to trouble.
So what he needed to do now was to increase his own strength.
True strength was paramount; possessing absolute power meant he wouldn't have to fear them at all.
Secondly, he needed to take down the Dragon Pirate Crew one by one.
There was no need for him to confront the entire crew at once. If he could separate them, attacking isolated Fishmen or teams led by a single Officer, then he would have a fighting chance.
By defeating the Fishmen, he would grow stronger and sustain himself through battle.
Third, I need to make sure that the evil dragon, the Pirate Crew, draws the Navy's attention.
I know that Colonel Mouse from the 16th Branch is colluding with the Arlong Pirates.
If I were to kill Colonel Mouse when he comes to find Arlong and then wipe out all the Navy on the battleship as I leave, who would the Navy consider the murderer?
At least in the operational reports at the Branch Base and in the eyes of other stationed sailors, Colonel Mouse would have died while searching for Arlong.
When Colonel Mouse dies, the news will reach higher-ups in the Eastern Sea Division and Naval Headquarters.
They will know that the Navy disappeared during contact with Arlong and will certainly target Arlong as their primary suspect.
This leaves two options: the Navy could either attack Arlong or continue their investigation.
If they choose the latter, someone will definitely take over the 18th Branch Base, leading to two more choices: continue tracking Arlong or become complicit with him.
If they choose to become complicit, Xiaqiu plans to make another move.
As the Navy continues to suffer losses, Arlong will attract more and more attention from them, and his bounty will rise higher, eventually drawing in stronger Naval Officers.
Even if a colonel from headquarters arrives, like Smoker, the Arlong Pirates would have no choice but to flee in panic.
Even if it's not someone from headquarters, if a Commodore from the Seventy-Seventh Division or another Navy officer shows up during a confrontation, Xiaqiu can launch a surprise attack from underwater in an attempt to assassinate an Officer.
Troublemaker.
...
"From now on, you will be a member of the Evil Dragon Pirate Crew, serving as our Navigator."
Arlong looked at Nami standing before him and smiled, "From now on, you'll live here. My paradise is almost complete, and I will prepare a room for you. Whatever you need, I can provide."
Nami's gaze shifted from the busy Fishman and humans in the distance back to her left arm, where a tattoo marked her with disdain, yet she felt helpless.
She looked at Arlong, her voice trembling as she asked, "So, if I bring you One Hundred Million Berries, I can buy back the village? Is that true?"
Arlong nodded and replied, "That's right. As long as you bring me One Hundred Million Berries, I'll return the village to you."
"I... I will do it." Nami took a deep breath, her expression turning resolute.
As long as she could save the village, she was willing to steal or deceive.
"That's just perfect."
Hearing this, Arlong broke into a wide grin.
How could I possibly let you go? With your exceptional skills as a navigator, you will become a part of my empire.
...
Crunch, crunch.
Xiaqiu bit into a sea fish, his teeth clamping down and crushing it before swallowing it whole.
Feeling a fullness in his belly, he turned around and swam towards the island.
The evil dragon Pirate Crew had been here for a month now.
At this moment, Southern Bay, constructed through the joint efforts of Fishmen and humans, had risen with the Five-Story Tower. At the top was a massive Shark Mouth, surrounded by a wall.
The cove where Xiaqiu resided had been excavated, transforming it into a vast pool of water.
Two platforms were built outside the wall, while the Pirate Ship remained anchored on the right side beyond the enclosure.
This was Arlong Park, the stronghold of the evil dragon Pirate Crew.
In the time to come, they would gather here, radiating outwards to dominate the surrounding seas and ultimately conquer twenty villages.
Xiaqiu slowly approached Arlong Park, lurking quietly over forty meters deep underwater, more than a hundred meters away from the Pirate Ship.
At this distance, they could not detect his presence, yet he was at the limit of his vibration perception.
If they got too close, Xiaqiu would simply leave and swim into the deep sea.
But just then, Xiaqiu sensed vibrations approaching.
The Pirate Ship raised its sails and slowly set off, heading into the distance.
"Is the Pirate Ship out?"
Xiaqiu's eyes lit up as he opened his mouth, releasing sound waves to locate the ship based on the echoes. He confirmed that the Pirate Ship had slowly departed from the Harbor.
"What are they planning? To attack other villages? Collect protection fees?"
Xiaqiu's excitement grew; if they left, wouldn’t the remaining ones be easy pickings?
However, he couldn't rule out the possibility of Arlong and his Officers staying behind. Just one of them would bring him Trouble.
Xiaqiu didn’t rush; instead, he cautiously approached and arrived at a distance from Arlong Park.
There was no door in the outer wall, but the inner wall had a sturdy round gate that was already closed.
The round gate was meant only for outsiders, and there was a Waterway below that allowed entry.
Xiaqiu didn’t move closer but looked into the distance, feeling a surge of joy.
He saw two Fishmen standing on the wooden Boardwalk where the Pirate Ship had been docked.
These two Fishmen were about six feet tall; one was short and very fat with full lips, while the other had a Moxi hairstyle and a slender build.
At first glance, they seemed to lack combat ability, and since the Pirate Ship had just left, it was likely they were there to help untie the ship's ropes as the remaining Fishmen.
He was not an Officer, just an ordinary Fishman.
They stood on a wooden Boardwalk, the place where they disembarked to reach the shore.
He could easily smash this Boardwalk, sending them plummeting into the water, and then devour them.
With that thought, Xiaqiu slowly descended, gliding along the seabed as he charged toward the Boardwalk.
"Arlong went to attack another village, leaving us here to guard. What bad luck," said the Slender Fishman, shaking his head.
"I really wish I could follow Arlong to hunt humans," another Obese Fishman said with a hint of longing.
"The Pirate Ship has sailed far away; we should head back."
The Slender Fishman waved his hand, intending to leave.
But at that moment, the Obese Fishman furrowed his brow and stared into the water, asking blankly, "What is that?"
"Huh?"
The Slender Fishman turned around and walked to the edge, looking down. He saw a dark shadow rapidly approaching beneath the water.
"What is this?"
The Slender Fishman exclaimed in surprise, "What a huge sea creature!"
"Run!"
The Obese Fishman shouted and turned to flee.
But in the next moment, Xiaqiu had already crashed into the Boardwalk.
Boom.
The wood of the Boardwalk shattered on impact, and the long structure suddenly collapsed downward.
The two Fishmen found themselves with nothing beneath their feet and fell into the sea.
At the moment of entering the water, Xiaqiu opened its massive jaws and lunged forward to bite.
Crunch.
Xiaqiu's teeth sank into the Slender Fishman, piercing through his body with razor-sharp fangs.
"Ah..."
The Slender Fishman let out a cry of pain, only to be crushed and swallowed whole.
"Damn it."
The Obese Fishman landed in the water behind the Slender Fishman. As he took advantage of the distraction caused by the Slender Fishman's demise, he quickly turned around, kicked off with his legs, and swam toward the distant Coast.
"Want to run?"
Xiaqiu saw this scene and quickly chased after, instantly closing the distance.
"Here it comes."
The Obese Fishman’s expression changed drastically. In the moment Xiaqiu lunged at him, he suddenly pushed off with his legs and swam to the left.
Splash.
Xiaqiu's body brushed past him.
"Am I saved?"
The Obese Fishman felt a surge of joy. At the distance from the Coast, that large fish would crash into the cliff.
But in the next moment, the massive Fish Body collided with him, crushing him against the rock wall.
Boom.
The rocks of the cliff shattered, and the Obese Fishman was crushed into a meat paste as layers of his bones broke apart.
Meanwhile, Xiaqiu's body was already parallel to the Coast.
He had no intention of killing his opponent; if he continued to bite down, the immense force at the moment of impact would slam his head against the cliff.
Its head was hard, with massive horns capable of smashing through a wall without issue, but crashing into a rock face would surely cause injury.
As it was about to catch up to the Fishman, Xiaqiu abruptly changed direction, swimming to the right while simultaneously leaning its body to the side, executing a drift.
The Obese Fishman swam left, narrowly avoiding Xiaqiu's fish head.
However, it was immediately slammed against the wall by Xiaqiu's massive body, resulting in countless broken bones.
With a thud, the Obese Fishman's corpse slowly slid down and settled on the ocean floor.
Xiaqiu turned around, bit down on the Obese Fishman, and swallowed it whole before quietly swimming away into the distance.
Xiaqiu was curious about what kind of energy the Fishman could provide.
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