Chapter 35: The Murloc Officers' End
"Don't underestimate the officers of the New Fish-Man Pirates!"
Jeo roared, forcing bravado past his terror. He shoved more Energy Steroids into his mouth.
Muushi followed suit, swallowing handfuls of the deadly pills.
Itachi's fire crow dove toward them—
Jeo leaped. The crow exploded beneath him, flames billowing—
He landed, turning—
Itachi was ALREADY there. Blade extended.
Jeo's steroid-fueled reflexes kicked in. His eyes blazed red.
"I SEE YOUR ATTACK!"
His dagger flashed—faster than should be possible—deflecting Itachi's thrust at an impossible angle. The blade sank deep into Itachi's chest.
Itachi's eyes went wide. Pain twisted his features.
"GYAHAHAHA! JEO DID IT! HE KILLED THE MAN IN BLACK!"
The murlocs erupted. Hope returned.
Jeo's grin widened—
Something grabbed his ankles.
CRUNCH.
His legs were yanked into the earth, trapped in bedrock.
"WHAT—"
Behind him, Muushi raised his squid harpoon, aiming at Itachi's back.
"JEO! WATCH OUT!"
Jeo spun—
The Itachi before him—the one he'd stabbed—vanished in a puff of smoke.
POOF.
Muushi's harpoon pierced another Itachi. Another puff of smoke.
POOF.
Jeo's mind raced. The crow. The illusions. The crows when Hody struck him.
"HE'S A LOGIA! SOME KIND OF—"
When he screamed, he'd already vanished—turning invisible, ripping his feet from the stone.
Muushi stood confused. "WHAT ARE YOU—"
"HEY."
Itachi's voice came from behind Muushi.
Muushi turned—
SHINK.
Autumn Water took his head.
"MUUSHI!" Jeo's scream was soundless. He crept toward Itachi, invisible, dagger raised.
Despicable human! Attacking from behind!
He aimed for the neck. Struck—
Itachi's blade swept up, deflecting the blow effortlessly. The next instant, Autumn Water rested against Jeo's throat.
Jeo's invisibility failed. He stood revealed, trembling.
"HOW DID YOU SEE ME?!"
Itachi's Sharingan spun. He didn't answer.
SHINK.
Another head. Another body crumpling.
Jeo's "invisibility" was biological camouflage—mimicking surroundings. Useless against eyes that saw chakra, saw truth.
In the distance, Jinbe watched the execution.
"Two more officers down."
Sanji lit a cigarette. "All those steroids, and they couldn't touch him."
He smirked at Zoro, still mid-battle with Ranzo. "Moss-head should ask Itachi for sword lessons. His wild-dog style is SO inefficient."
Zoro—who'd just defeated Ranzo with Two Sword Style: Ryuki Zan—HEARD that.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, BLOOD-LOSER?!"
"What? Can't handle the truth, green algae?!"
"COME HERE AND SAY THAT, COOK!"
"I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"
They charged each other.
Jinbe lunged between them. "STOP! NOW IS NOT—"
A shadow fell over them.
Koukorou, recovered, raised a mountain-sized fist.
"DON'T IGNORE ME!"
The fist descended—
Sanji and Zoro looked up. Simultaneously.
DON'T GET IN OUR WAY!
Sanji's Devil's Leg: Brochette Shoot + Zoro's Two Sword Style: Bull Tiger!
BOOM.
Koukorou flew, crashing into murloc ranks and flattening dozens.
The two combatants immediately resumed glaring at each other.
"Dumb cook!"
"Idiot swordsman!"
"Pervasive!"
"Marimo!"
"Blood-freak!"
"Shut up!"
They wrestled.
Jinbe watched a crow fly overhead carrying Itachi. The man glanced down at the brawling pair, confirmed they were fine (relatively), and moved on.
"You two really ARE a matched set," Jinbe muttered.
The plaza was nearly won.
General Franky crushed the last resistance, punching Kako into unconsciousness.
Nami and Robin fought back-to-back, their teamwork flawless.
Chopper finally cornered Daruma—the little murloc who'd called him a "coral monster"—and ONE PUPPY PUNCH ended it.
Usopp's explosions had driven Daruma from his tunnels straight into Chopper's fist.
Everywhere Itachi looked, murlocs trembled. Weapons dropped. Will evaporated.
"It'll be over soon."
A shadow fell over the plaza.
Itachi looked up.
Something HUGE was descending from the sky.
Noah. It was falling. Directly toward them.<｜end▁of▁thinking｜># Chapter 35: The Murloc Officers' Final Stand
"Don't underestimate the officers of the New Fish-Man Pirates!"
Jeo roared, forcing bravado past his terror. He shoved more Energy Steroids into his mouth.
Muushi followed suit, swallowing handfuls of the deadly pills.
Itachi's fire crow dove toward them—
Jeo leaped. The crow exploded beneath him, flames billowing—
He landed, turning—
Itachi was ALREADY there. Blade extended.
Jeo's steroid-fueled reflexes kicked in. His eyes blazed red.
"I SEE YOUR ATTACK!"
His dagger flashed—faster than should be possible—deflecting Itachi's thrust at an impossible angle. The blade sank deep into Itachi's chest.
Itachi's eyes went wide. Pain twisted his features.
"GYAHAHAHA! JEO DID IT! HE KILLED THE MAN IN BLACK!"
The murlocs erupted. Hope returned.
Jeo's grin widened—
Something grabbed his ankles.
CRUNCH.
His legs were yanked into the earth, trapped in bedrock.
"WHAT—"
Behind him, Muushi raised his squid harpoon, aiming at Itachi's back.
"JEO! WATCH OUT!"
Jeo spun—
The Itachi before him—the one he'd stabbed—vanished in a puff of smoke.
POOF.
Muushi's harpoon pierced another Itachi. Another puff of smoke.
POOF.
Jeo's mind raced. The crow. The illusions. The crows when Hody struck him.
"HE'S A LOGIA! SOME KIND OF—"
When he screamed, he'd already vanished—turning invisible, ripping his feet from the stone.
Muushi stood confused. "WHAT ARE YOU—"
"HEY."
Itachi's voice came from behind Muushi.
Muushi turned—
SHINK.
Autumn Water took his head.
"MUUSHI!" Jeo's scream was soundless. He crept toward Itachi, invisible, dagger raised.
Despicable human! Attacking from behind!
He aimed for the neck. Struck—
Itachi's blade swept up, deflecting the blow effortlessly. The next instant, Autumn Water rested against Jeo's throat.
Jeo's invisibility failed. He stood revealed, trembling.
"HOW DID YOU SEE ME?!"
Itachi's Sharingan spun. He didn't answer.
SHINK.
Another head. Another body crumpling.
Jeo's "invisibility" was biological camouflage—mimicking surroundings. Useless against eyes that saw chakra, saw truth.
In the distance, Jinbe watched the execution.
"Two more officers down."
Sanji lit a cigarette. "All those steroids, and they couldn't touch him."
He smirked at Zoro, still mid-battle with Ranzo. "Moss-head should ask Itachi for sword lessons. His wild-dog style is SO inefficient."
Zoro—who'd just defeated Ranzo with Two Sword Style: Ryuki Zan—HEARD that.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, BLOOD-LOSER?!"
"What? Can't handle the truth, green algae?!"
"COME HERE AND SAY THAT, COOK!"
"I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"
They charged each other.
Jinbe lunged between them. "STOP! NOW IS NOT—"
A shadow fell over them.
Koukorou, recovered, raised a mountain-sized fist.
"DON'T IGNORE ME!"
The fist descended—
Sanji and Zoro looked up. Simultaneously.
DON'T GET IN OUR WAY!
Sanji's Devil's Leg: Brochette Shoot + Zoro's Two Sword Style: Bull Tiger!
BOOM.
Koukorou flew, crashing into murloc ranks and flattening dozens.
The two combatants immediately resumed glaring at each other.
"Dumb cook!"
"Idiot swordsman!"
"Pervasive!"
"Marimo!"
"Blood-freak!"
"Shut up!"
They wrestled.
Jinbe watched a crow fly overhead carrying Itachi. The man glanced down at the brawling pair, confirmed they were fine (relatively), and moved on.
"You two really ARE a matched set," Jinbe muttered.
The plaza was nearly won.
General Franky crushed the last resistance, punching Kako into unconsciousness.
Nami and Robin fought back-to-back, their teamwork flawless.
Chopper finally cornered Daruma—the little murloc who'd called him a "coral monster"—and ONE PUPPY PUNCH ended it.
Usopp's explosions had driven Daruma from his tunnels straight into Chopper's fist.
Everywhere Itachi looked, murlocs trembled. Weapons dropped. Will evaporated.
"It'll be over soon."
A shadow fell over the plaza.
Itachi looked up.
Something HUGE was descending from the sky.
Noah. It was falling. Directly toward them.
(End of Chapter)
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