The flintlock rifles in the one piece world are peculiar; they don’t conform to the characteristics of traditional flintlock rifles regarding loading mode and rapid fire issues, and their accuracy is much higher than normal flintlock rifles. However, most flintlock rifles do not have a very long range.
The gun in Hody’s hand was the same. Living underwater and spending most of their time in sea battles, the most standard equipment of Poseidon’s army was not flintlocks but tridents.
Although they were also provided with flintlocks, the guards accompanying Otohime and Neptune on their trips did not carry such weapons.
Due to the range issue, Hody wasn’t particularly far from the plaza. Having never left Fishman Island, Hody was somewhat ignorant and didn’t really believe that someone can catch a bullet with bare hands. Seeing no reaction, he thought he had missed.
He hadn’t even noticed the people approaching him, still aiming at the plaza and waiting for the next opportunity.
Arlong was originally drunk, but when he noticed the slightly serious look on Jinbe’s face, he realized something was wrong.
“Hey, Jinbe, is something up? I think I smell blood.”
Fish-Men not only have ten times the strength of ordinary humans but also inherit some fish characteristics, such as the anglerfish Fish-Men’s bioluminescent lure, which can be used as a flashbang, and the blue-ringed octopus Fish-Men’s deadly poison. Arlong himself was very sensitive to the smell of blood.
Without needing Jinbe to answer, Arlong had already spotted their target. Hody was aiming his gun at the wedding venue, with a human corpse beside him, the source of the blood that Arlong had detected.
The corpse was a pirate Hody had killed randomly. Even on Fishman Island, not all pirates were strong; there were countless weaklings. It wasn’t difficult for an adult male Fish-Men to kill such a human.
This was the scapegoat Hody had prepared. If discovered, he intended to make this person take the blame.
But he was too focused and didn’t realize he had been discovered.
Arlong didn’t care about the deaths of humans, and even now, this hasn’t changed. But he remembered what Hody had told him before. Combined with the current scene, what Hody was doing was obvious.
“Hey, Hody, what are you doing?!”
“This human tried to attack Queen Otohime just now. I discovered it in time and killed him.”
The voice behind him startled Hody, but he continued with his pre-made lie while stuffing something into his mouth.
Had Hody not said a bunch of strange things before, Arlong might have believed this reason. He was always less guarded against his own kind.
But Jinbe was different. When someone shows up at the wrong place at the wrong time, he isn’t easily convinced by their excuse.
“Then can you explain why you were aiming your gun at the plaza?”
Faced with Jinbe’s question, Hody could have made up a reason to muddle through since they had no direct evidence. Moreover, on Fishman Island, Jinbe would still abide by the laws here.
But Hody saw Arlong and Pierman beside Jinbe.
“Brother Arlong, you have really betrayed the Fish-Men and have forgotten the hatred of the Fish-Men. You are standing together with the humans, aren’t you?”
Previously, he still had a sliver of hope for Arlong, but the current situation for him was like seeing a judgment against his idol.
“Stop talking nonsense. Tell me, why are you here!”
“Of course, to kill Otohime, to reignite the anger of the Fish-Men! Jahahaha, Brother Arlong, no, Arlong, it seems I missed the shot. In that case, let’s start with you!”
In case the shot missed the target, he had prepared beforehand. His gang was lying in ambush nearby. Killing Otohime was one goal; it would be best to incite hatred between the humans and Fish-Men present and seize the opportunity to kill all the royalty.
By then, using the Fish-Men’s anger, he could become the new leader to lead the Fish-Men.
Originally, he didn’t need to directly confront Jinbe, but he was feeling too angry right now, even clouding his judgment.
This was the influence of what he had just consumed, Energy Steroid i.e. ES, hidden in Tamatebako. Hody had taken the opportunity while Otohime and Neptune were selecting wedding gifts to steal it.
It could grant the user greater strength at the cost of reducing their lifespan, and make them more irritable, which is why it was called “Energy Steroid.”
“You b*stard…You actually want to… harm your own people?!
Arlong doesn’t care if the person he wants to kill is Otohime; what matters more to him is the person’s race. He doesn’t like Otohime, but she was still a Mermaid, one of his own people.
Hody’s intention to kill his own people was something Arlong couldn’t accept. Before Hody could do anything, Arlong had already rushed over to teach Hody a lesson.
Seeing Arlong charging at him, Hody’s lips curled into a dangerous smile. He gripped the gun barrel, using it as a club, and swung it fiercely at the approaching Arlong.
At this moment, Arlong was in a state of “low-altitude flight” using his explosive power, which was his usual way of fighting. His mouth was wide open, his sharp teeth and powerful bite could easily crush a flintlock.
He intended to teach the young Hody a lesson, but the outcome was completely different from what he expected. Hody’s speed and strength far exceeded his expectations. He bit into empty air and was instead struck on the back of his head by Hody’s club.
The inexplicable superhuman strength slammed him into the ground, filling his mouth with dirt as he lay prone.
“What?!”
Jinbe’s eyes widened at the shattered gunstock in Hody’s hand. Arlong’s strength may be low in his eyes, but Hody shouldn’t have been able to knock him down with a single attack.
“Jahahaha, do you see? This is my power. I am the embodiment of Fish-Men’s hatred! I will lead the Fish-Men to make humans fear us! Jinbe, you and those guys are all heretics who deserve death!”
“Madman… Brother Jinbe, if you don’t act, I will. Boss Mandrell’s wedding banquet isn’t over yet.”
“No, the Fish-Men’s matter… let me handle it.”
Jinbe stopped Pierman and walked step by step towards the slightly crazy Hody. Seeing Jinbe approaching instead of running away, Hody’s expression became even more vicious.
Defeating Arlong in one blow made him feel invincible.
“Jinbe, die! I will crush your head! Fish-Man Karate: Shark Grip!”
Hody’s large hand reached for Jinbe, who didn’t dodge, letting Hody grasp his head.
“Though I don’t know where your confidence and strength come from, someone like you has no right to be so arrogant. Fish-Man Karate: Shark Brick Fist!”
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