BOOM!
Waves of water exploded across the battlefield
The ocean-blue shark chomped down on Zephyr in one massive bite.
Armed Haki and Tekkai (Iron Body) activated at once, his face went pitch-black— and not just from the color of the Haki.
No, his expression was darker than the bottom of a scorched pot.
Because just now—he'd heard the guy curse.
Not only were the guy's techniques dirty, his mouth was filthy too!
And to top it off, he let a shark do the biting for him!
Sure, you're a Fishman—letting a fish bite someone is par for the course.
But cussing too?! That's just plain rude.
Zephyr squinted at the shark's razor-sharp teeth digging into him. It stung a little, but he grinned through the pain.
Then without warning—he ripped off his own shirt, revealing a hulking mass of scarred muscle.
"Kid, let me show you what it really means to be a man!"
As his voice boomed out,
Black light shimmered around him, arcs of purple lightning began to crackle.
The air thudded with pressure.
Water around him churned violently, as if stirred by an invisible force.
It was like an invisible wall of pure energy had erupted from his body, pushing the water away—forming a swirling vacuum sphere around him.
"GET OUT OF MY FACE!!"
Veins bulged across his forehead as his arms came crashing down on either side.
A wave of black and purple energy erupted from his fists like a thunderclap, tearing through the air— as if he were pounding the atmosphere itself into submission.
The giant shark that had come crashing from the sky
POOF!
It exploded into a spray of mist and water droplets, raining back down and merging with the surface.
Zephyr, breathing heavily, stomped both feet against the ground.
BOOOOM!
The impact shattered the terrain beneath him. With a burst of force, he launched from the vacuum zone, landing with an earth-splitting crash.
Black fists smashed down.
The water parted, forced back by raw power, revealing the cracked earth below.
As the ground splintered, Zephyr stood tall like an immovable mountain.
Right there, in the center of the destruction.
He really, really wanted to cuss someone out.
Once again, he'd destroyed another damn fake body.
But he was a disciplined Marine. He couldn't just start swearing in front of an audience.
Instead, he grit his teeth and muttered:
"Bastard."
He turned to look for the culprit and paused.
His Observation Haki flared.
He sensed that foul-mouthed Fishman midget right by his side.
He instinctively raised a fist
But then...
"Suiton… Water Prison Jutsu!"
The moment Zephyr turned, a clear film of water surged up from beneath his feet, curling upward in a dome.
The strange technique caught him slightly off guard.
But that one moment— was all it took.
SPLASH!
The water dome snapped shut like a trap, forming a massive sphere of water that completely encased him.
In an instant, Zephyr felt his breath falter.
His eyes narrowed with surprise and then flared with fury.
"BREAK!!"
With a thunderous shout, Zephyr's aura thickened like a rising tide. His fists were cloaked in jet-black Armament Haki, purple lightning crackling and dancing along his arms like wild snakes over obsidian steel.
BOOM!
Just one punch...only one and the very air trembled.
The watery prison collapsed instantly!
"I—!"
Outside the prison, Kisame broke out in cold sweat. He scrambled back, retreating as fast as he could.
Watching Zephyr burst free like a wild beast unleashed from its cage, Kisame couldn't help but curse in his heart.
This guy…Is he even human?!
In the Shinobi World, once you were trapped in a Water Prison, it was usually game over.
But here… in this world…
No, it's not the world's fault.
It's this monster—he's just built different!
As Zephyr barreled toward him with a murderous glare, Kisame retreated to a safer distance, then tossed his Samehada into the air to try and distract him.
No luck.
Didn't even blink.
Against someone this terrifying, tricks and theatrics were useless now.
Left with no choice, Kisame weaved hand signs, channeling chakra down his arm and slammed his palm against the water's surface.
"Five Shark Frenzy Jutsu!"
From each of his five fingertips, a streak of blue chakra shot downward, instantly forming five massive sharks beneath the surface.
They surged upward all at once, launching straight at Zephyr.
But Zephyr's Observation Haki flared instantly—he halted mid-step and slammed his fist downward.
WHAM!
A single punch blasted the water beneath him, sending it crashing backward in a roaring vortex.
All five sharks were obliterated in the shockwave, shattered into spray.
Straightening up, Zephyr locked eyes on Kisame again.
"Kid, if that's all you've got... this ends now."
"Soru!"
His massive frame vanished in an instant.
And when he reappeared
He was right in front of Kisame.
At the same moment, a pitch-black iron fist came crashing in.
BOOM!
The force of the blow ripped the air apart, sending out shockwaves like a hurricane.
"—!"
Kisame barely had time to think. His hands flew into a blur.
"Water Style—Water Formation Wall!"
A thick wall of water surged upward just in time to meet the incoming blow.
But it only barely held.
CRASH!
The water wall shattered under the raw force.
The dark fist, roaring with condensed power, crashed straight into Samehada.
CRACK... CRACK...
Luckily, Kisame had just caught his sword in time to block.
But—Even so, he felt it..
a monstrous force pulsing through the blade, shaking his arms to the bone.
His bones creaked and groaned—he couldn't hold on.
With a grunt, Kisame let go of Samehada without hesitation.
Then he quickly dove into the water, and his voice followed right after.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
With a thunderous boom, a massive shark burst out from the surface.
Zephyr immediately pulled his fist back, ready to strike again
But to his surprise, the shark...
Ran away!
Yes, seriously, it ran!
It was only then that he saw it clearly:
That damned bastard had hidden himself inside the shark's belly and slipped right out of Zephyr's attack range.
"Bastard! Can't you fight me head-on like a man?!"
"Sneaky little freak!"
Watching Kisame retreat at lightning speed, Zephyr's rage boiled like a volcano about to blow.
"Heh... Am I not facing you now?"
From a safe distance across the water, Kisame stood grinning, looking up at the mountain of a man that was Zephyr.
Fight him head-on?
Yeah right—what is he, Hidan?!
This Navy brute in front of him was way tougher than a tailed beast!
"You..." Zephyr's face darkened further at those words.
"Fine. Since you want a head-on fight, I'll give you one!"
Kisame paused for a moment, then gave a wide, toothy grin.
"Hehehe... You asked for it! Try and handle this!"
He glanced around the area. At this point, it was already a disaster zone...
Might as well go big or go home.
Without hesitation, he slapped both hands onto the water's surface
"Water Style: Thousand Hungry Sharks!"
RUMBLE!!
The once-calm water exploded into chaos as a colossal wave surged into the sky.
A towering wall of water, over a hundred meters high, loomed over the battlefield.
And in front of that monstrous wave, everyone looked tiny.
The young recruits watching from the rooftop
Let's just say... if they didn't piss themselves, it's only because they'd already pissed it all out.
Especially the Devil Fruit users— the moment they saw that over-a-hundred-meter-high wave, their legs just about gave out.
If others got swept away by that thing, sure, it'd be embarrassing.
But for them?
It could mean death.
---
"H-How many moves does this guy even have?!"
"Can a Fishman even do this kind of thing?!"
The massive wave rising before their eyes— no, at this point, it wasn't a wave.
It was a tsunami.
Watching that monstrous wall of water thunder toward them, the crowd finally cracked.
They didn't care anymore about watching any so-called battle between titans.
At this point, they'd sell their souls for a couple extra legs just to jump off the building and get the hell out of there.
"This bastard..."
Zephyr stared at the oncoming tsunami, and his face... turned green.
Not because he was scared.
But because right behind him was his precious office building.
And he'd just said, in front of everyone
That all the damages from this fight?
He'd cover them himself.
Only now, he was starting to wonder…Could he even afford it?
(End of Chapter)