Fighting ten thousand meters beneath the sea was completely different from fighting on land.
The crushing pressure of the deep ocean and the dense seawater made their movements clearly visible as they sped through the water, long trails forming behind them like blazing tails.
Yemu and Barobar moved through the sea like two agile swordfish, constantly darting around each other. Yet every collision of fists and kicks was like two Sea Kings crashing together, like meteors striking the earth. The sheer force of their blows shook the surrounding water apart.
"Looks like this won't be settled easily."
Barobar frowned as the currents surged around him.
He had not expected this pirate to possess such strength even without the power of the Mera Mera no Mi.
"But that's not a problem..."
Barobar glanced around. As the battle continued, the air inside the bubbles was being consumed quickly.
"In that case, let me see what other tricks you've got."
At that moment, the comical persona he had shown earlier disappeared completely. Instead, he revealed a calculating side that did not match his massive appearance.
Barobar suddenly pushed off the seabed and retreated rapidly.
"Hm?"
Yemu paused for a moment, but once he saw Barobar's target, he immediately understood.
Barobar quickly moved beneath a pirate ship, reached up with both hands, and grabbed the ship's keel.
"If thirty times isn't enough to deal with you, then what about forty times..."
"Muscle Enhancement · Forty Times!"
"Arm Strength Enhancement · Forty Times!"
"Leg Strength Enhancement · Forty Times!"
"Skin Enhancement · Forty Times!"
"Bone Enhancement · Forty Times!"
...
As the words fell, Barobar's body visibly slimmed down as if it had shrunk. At the same time, however, an even more terrifying strength burst out of him.
With both hands, he lifted the entire pirate ship and swung it through the sea like a giant club.
The surrounding seawater churned violently, forming a massive whirlpool. Pirates and fishmen nearby were swept into the swirling current.
"Let's see how you block this!"
Barobar smiled faintly.
Then he hurled the enormous ship.
But the target was not Yemu.
It was the entrance to Fish-Man Island.
...
"This is bad..."
King Neptune was horrified.
If that ship crashed into Fish-Man Island's entrance at that kind of speed, the result would not simply be a crack.
But there was nothing he could do now.
All he could do was place his hopes on Yemu, the human pirate.
...
"What a cunning guy. That really does fit a spy's style."
The World Government's spies had clearly analyzed Yemu's personality very thoroughly. They knew how to exploit every aspect of his character that they considered a weakness.
Under forty times enhancement, the ship had been thrown at incredible speed. But because it was so large, if it had been aimed directly at Yemu, he would easily dodge it.
Attacking Fish-Man Island, however, was different.
And things unfolded exactly as Barobar expected.
"So like I said, I hate being a savior..."
Yemu looked rather troubled.
He had no idea whether Barobar's attack would truly damage Fish-Man Island.
But he absolutely could not take that gamble.
His body shot forward at incredible speed, cutting through the water like an arrow. A long streak formed behind him as he rushed ahead and positioned himself between the incoming ship and Fish-Man Island's entrance.
"If I can't use the Mera Mera no Mi, I'll just have to try this move instead..."
Trying to stop it with his body would obviously be the dumbest option.
Yemu extended both hands toward the sea and grabbed forward.
...
The person most shocked by this scene was Jinbe.
Because that move was his own signature technique.
"Tiger-aniki... isn't that one of Fish-Man Island's..."
"Yes. I taught it to the captain."
Tiger spoke while his expression drifted into memory.
At Yemu's level, any physical technique was simply an extra tool, and learning them was incredibly fast.
Still, when Tiger remembered how both Yemu and Enel had completely mastered Fish-Man Island's proud martial arts, Fish-Man Karate and Fish-Man Jujutsu, in just one week, even he found it hard to believe.
As he spoke, Tiger noticed Jinbe hesitating as if he wanted to say something. Realizing the reason, he added.
"In the Sky Pirates, we're all family. As long as it can make everyone stronger, Captain Yemu has never been stingy about teaching the power he has mastered to his companions."
Tiger's words answered Jinbe's question.
And at that very moment, Yemu's attack had already been launched.
As Yemu pulled at the sea with both hands, a massive stretch of seawater, as huge as a mountain, was seized in his grasp and turned into a towering wave.
"Fish-Man Jujutsu · Mizugokoro · Kairyu Ipponzeoi"
The pirate ship flying toward him slammed into the wave.
The tremendous force instantly shattered the ship into pieces, tearing it apart, and the remaining force continued surging toward Barobar.
Barobar's eyes tightened.
"So this is fishman martial arts... I absolutely can't afford to take that head-on..."
With that thought, Barobar thrust both hands backward, spread his palms wide, and assumed a shockwave stance.
"Rokushiki Secret Technique · Kongō Palm"
Barobar's palms began striking forward in a rapid, almost unbelievable chain of blows.
In an instant, countless giant palms of water burst forth from the sea, visible to the naked eye.
...
Beneath the ocean, the giant water palms collided with the rushing current, and the resulting explosions filled the sea with endless foam.
Even from far away, the surrounding pirates and Fish-Man Island warriors could feel the massive impact. Swept up by the surging currents, they were driven back in all directions.
"S... so terrifying..."
"Hey... is this really a fight between humans?"
"It feels like we're watching Sea Kings fight..."
"There's no way we can interfere in a battle like this..."
"Even without us, Captain Yemu alone is enough to protect us..."
At that moment, an angry roar rang out in everyone's ears.
"You have all disappointed me!"
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice and saw that it was none other than the Tiger they deeply respected.
"In truth, we noticed these pirates coming a long time ago. The captain also wanted to step in and help you wipe them out, but I refused..."
"Eh?!"
"Why?"
Confusion filled the faces of all the fishman warriors, and some even showed resentment.
If Tiger and the others had appeared earlier, many people would not have been injured, and some would not have died.
"Why?!"
Tiger looked at his companions with anger born from disappointment.
Perhaps his captain had been right.
Compared to freeing them physically, what mattered more was freeing their hearts.
"Because this is our own homeland! This is the Fish-Man Island of us fishmen!"
"If you won't protect your own homeland yourselves, and instead place all your hopes on others, can you still call yourselves proud warriors of Fish-Man Island?!"
"So what if blood is spilled? So what if people die?!"
"What peace in this world has ever been won without bloodshed and death?!"