Watching their fish-man brethren recoil in terror, Arlong stood up, his bloodshot eyes glaring. With a roar from his gaping mouth, he bellowed, "All of you, get out of the way!"
Hearing their boss's voice, the fish-men collectively sighed in relief and scrambled backward. Their disheveled state was a far cry from their usual arrogance.
Gu Yina paid no mind to the fleeing fish-men or Arlong. Her gaze shifted, fixing once more on Nezumi.
At that look, Nezumi shivered violently. As Gu Yina approached him, his legs went weak, and he stumbled backward to the ground. Then, in sheer terror, he shouted, "What is your problem, woman! We have no quarrel, why are you targeting me!" He was filled with fear and a sense of injustice. "Why me! I'm human too! Why are you staring at me instead of the fish-men!"
Seeing Gu Yina completely ignore him, Arlong's rage intensified. "You human woman, if you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish." He turned, pulling a large, serrated saw blade from behind a pillar. Then, he spun back, glaring fiercely at Gu Yina, kicked a table aside, and charged at her. He believed that no matter how skilled this human woman was, she couldn't defeat him. After all, he was the fish-man Arlong, captain of the Arlong Pirates, with the highest bounty in the East Blue!
Arlong reached Gu Yina in an instant, raising his saw blade high and bringing it down with ferocious power. "Die!" Arlong was confident no one in the East Blue could withstand his attack.
At that moment, Gu Yina's gaze finally fell upon Arlong. A cold glint flashed in her eyes as her blade moved faster than his, blocking the saw blade.
*Clang!*
A wave of pressure emanated from the point where the two blades collided, sweeping outwards.
"Gah—!" Arlong faltered, staring at his blade as he felt a power equal to his own below it. "Impossible, how can anyone in the East Blue withstand my attack?" His gaze rose to meet Gu Yina's indifferent eyes, his voice tinged with newfound gravity. "You're not from the East Blue. You've come from the Grand Line." Only this explanation could make him believe this human woman's strength could match his.
Gu Yina looked up at Arlong, her expression unwavering, still cold. "You talk too much." She then placed her left hand on the hilt of her sword, gripping it with both hands and forcefully pushing Arlong's blade upwards.
Veins bulged on Arlong's forehead and arms, his entire body flushed red. Gritting his teeth, he dug his heels into the ground and roared at Gu Yina, "How can a mere lowly human possibly surpass the great fish-man race in strength!"
Gu Yina paid no attention to Arlong's furious roar. She took a deep breath, subtly pulled her sword back, and then with even greater force, lifted Arlong and his saw blade off the ground.
*Clang—!!*
The clash of blades produced a louder sound and greater pressure. Nezumi, still seated on the ground, could barely keep his eyes open from the wind pressure. He wanted to flee, but his body felt drained of all strength, unresponsive. Arlong struggled to keep his feet planted, but it was useless. That overwhelming power lifted him. The moment his feet left the ground, he lost any chance of countering Gu Yina. Then, his massive body was propelled backward with an irresistible force.
*Thump—!!*
His back arched as he slammed violently into the wall behind him, creating a deep crater. With a *crash*, the wall behind him suddenly collapsed, burying him completely. The surrounding fish-men stared at the small mound of rubble, their eyes wide with confusion. How could this human's strength possibly surpass Arlong's? They shook their heads, their faces filled with disbelief. This creature couldn't possibly be human.
Just then, Kōta's gaze suddenly flicked towards the pond behind Gu Yina. "Is that Hachi over there!" He had been wondering if something was missing, and it turned out to be this six-armed octopus fellow! If Hachi had stayed hidden in the deep sea, Kōta wouldn't have found him so easily. After all, he could camouflage himself as a real fish. From his current posture, it seemed he intended to ambush Gu Yina when her strength was waning. Unfortunately for Hachi, Kōta wouldn't give him the chance. Kōta didn't care if Hachi was Rayleigh's savior or not; he wouldn't spare him. Despite appearing as a good person in the anime, Hachi was no different from the other fish-men of the Arlong Pirates, merely acting a bit foolish. If Rayleigh came seeking revenge later, Kōta would simply deal with Rayleigh too.
Seeing Hachi about to emerge from the water, Kōta swiftly drew Zankon and casually unleashed a slash towards the area where Hachi was hidden. A silver-gray energy wave streaked towards the pond behind Gu Yina. It met Hachi, who was just surfacing, head-on.
*Clang!*
The silver-gray slash showed no sign of slowing, swiftly slicing through the twin swords Hachi held before him, through his body, and then continuing along the water channel towards the distant sea, disappearing from view. Hachi stood frozen, his twin swords raised. A wave washed over him, and with a sharp *ting*, his swords snapped into two pieces. Then, a blood line appeared on his body, starting from his brow and running downwards. The line rapidly widened, and with a *splat*, his body split in two, his blood staining the surrounding water red. Of course, it wasn't just his body that split; the water channel behind him also developed a silent fissure. The crack extended to the open sea, looking from afar like someone had sliced a large piece of jelly. Seawater poured into the fissure from both sides, slow to heal.
"Hachi!"
At this point, the fish-men, who had been staring at the rubble that was Arlong, finally reacted. They roared at Hachi in the water channel. Then, they simultaneously turned to face Kōta, their bodies trembling, eyes bulging, utterly terrified.
"A swordsman?"
"He's a Great Swordsman!"
They hadn't seen one, but they had heard of them! They were monsters capable of splitting mountains, cleaving seas, and cutting ships in half. They were individuals who could become major figures even in the terrifying New World! They stood frozen, their bodies turning cold. They knew they were doomed.
Gu Yina paid no attention to the events unfolding behind her. As long as Kōta was there, she only needed to move forward. She looked down at Colonel Nezumi, who lay sprawled on the ground, a look of extreme disgust flashing in her cold eyes.
Facing the Gu Yina standing before him, Colonel Nezumi was now completely petrified. Trembling, he pushed himself backward with his hands, digging his feet into the ground, inching away. He yelled, "I... I... I'm with the Navy! If you kill me, you'll be hunted!"
"Hunted?" Gu Yina tilted her head and shrugged indifferently. "Then let them hunt me."