INIIDF-Chapter 308 Man Vs Fish Man Part 2

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The impact was immense. This strength… it was the real deal— powerful enough to fight Sea Kings head-on.

"Eh?"

The voice, distorted by the water, finally reached Jinbe's ears. Something about it made him pause.

Now that they were closer, Jinbe could see him more clearly.

And what he saw left him stunned.

This man was 'not' a Fish-Man.

Jinbe's mind reeled. The figure, who had just struck him with such overwhelming force, was floating casually in the water.

His upper body was muscular, and his posture relaxed, as if he were simply enjoying a swim. He wore only a pair of shorts, and his skin— though darkened in the water's hue— was unmistakably human.

There was no webbing between his fingers. No gills on his shoulders.

A human… had been fighting a Sea King?

Impossible.

And yet, here he was.

The figure puffed out his cheeks, clearly having taken a deep breath before diving into battle with the Sea King. Yet something about him seemed unusual— his chest appeared more inflated than that of an ordinary person as if his lungs held far more air than they should. Could a human even do that?

"Hehe... it's you... gū lūgū lū..."

The figure's mouth moved again, releasing bubbles as he attempted to speak— an ordinary human couldn't breathe or talk underwater, yet here he was, trying. 

Jinbe suppressed his astonishment, shifting his focus to the man's face. There was something oddly familiar about him, though he couldn't quite place where he had seen him before. In a deep voice, he asked, "Who are you? How can you..."

He had been about to praise this human warrior.

They would exchange names, perhaps even become allies— or, if they didn't get along, they would part ways.

But before Jinbe could finish his sentence, the figure suddenly burst into laughter, bubbles escaping from his mouth. Then, without warning, he charged straight at Jinbe. 'What was he thinking?'

Jinbe hadn't expected such an immediate attack. The blows were relentless, leaving him no time to speak. Each punch and kick carried real weight, sending dull pain through his body.

A human fighting toe-to-toe with a Fish-Man 'underwater'? Unbelievable.

Yet the figure was undoubtedly human— so how was he so swift, so agile beneath the waves? 

As they exchanged blows, Jinbe gradually began to discern a pattern.

This man— tall and physically imposing— moved through the water as lightly as a feather on the surface. It was as if his muscular frame was an illusion, a deceptive facade hiding a fluid, effortless grace.

Despite his powerful physique, he blended seamlessly into the ocean's currents, moving as if the water itself assisted him rather than hindered him.

How could such a human exist?

Jinbe, who prided himself on his natural abilities as a Fish-Man, was astounded by the sheer unnaturalness of his opponent's movements. 

This wasn't just a skilled fighter— this was an anomaly.

'Bang!' 'Bang!'

Their fists clashed, sending ripples through the sea.

Jinbe's mastery of Fish-Man Karate was unparalleled, capable of shattering rock and even steel. Against human pirates, he always held back to avoid outright killing them.

But this man? This man was different. 

Jinbe was on the defensive, feeling the force of each impact reverberate through his arms.

There were powerful human warriors in the world— legendary figures whispered about across the Grand Line— but this man before him was the strongest Jinbe had ever encountered firsthand.

As the water churned around them, Jinbe launched another attack, but the sensation upon impact was strange— like striking a solid wall. 

Fish-Man Karate was designed to manipulate the water within a body, shaking an opponent's insides. 

Yet this human...

Jinbe's eyes widened. The man barely flinched. At most, he had frowned slightly at the start— but now, he was adapting.

Adapting to Fish-Man Karate?

Impossible.

The technique worked by disturbing the water inside a living body. No one, human or otherwise, could simply 'adapt' to that. Could they?

"Gū lūgū lūgū lū..." The human continued muttering between their flurry of blows, but Jinbe couldn't fully grasp the words. 

He caught snippets—"MudaMudaMuda." 

Why? Why was this happening?

It 'should' be impossible.

Yet the human's attacks were growing more fluid, his strikes more relaxed, as if he no longer viewed Fish-Man Karate as a threat.

Jinbe's composure nearly faltered.

Could it be that this man... had no water in his body?

No, that was absurd! But then... was he controlling the water inside himself?

That was just as impossible!

Jinbe watched as the figure moved effortlessly, his body flowing like a feather in the water's chaos.

"Gū lūgū lū..." The human spoke again before surging forward once more.

Jinbe turned and swam away.

This man was insane. Through the bubbles, Jinbe could faintly hear his laughter, his words finally clear:

"So this is Fish-Man Karate? Interesting. Very interesting! Show me more!"

A madman. A 'real' madman.

Jinbe swam faster, realizing this human had no interest in conversation—only in escalating the fight. 

If this was retaliation for the earlier water column, that didn't make sense— Jinbe had 'deliberately' missed to show he meant no harm.

Yet the man had 'known' that.

And still, he fought.

Knowing he meant no harm, why had this turned into a full-blown fight?

Not only was this man a lunatic, but he had the instincts of a beast!

Jinbe had no desire to continue this pointless clash, yet no matter how fast he swam, the human remained on his tail, pursuing him like a relentless predator.

'Bang!' A muffled sound rippled through the water as the human caught up, surging ahead and striking downward with a powerful punch!

The shockwave exploded through the sea, and Jinbe instinctively redirected the force, spiraling downward in a controlled motion to disperse the impact while using the momentum to accelerate his escape.

But something gnawed at him— why hadn't this human surfaced yet? How much air had he inhaled?

Holding his breath for this long— wasn't it unbearable? Was this man even 'human'?

The more Jinbe watched him, the more he seemed like some kind of deep-sea monster disguised in human skin.

Through the rapid chase and relentless blows, Jinbe felt his stamina waning. He couldn't help but question how things had escalated to this point.

He had only wanted to see if this fighter was a potential recruit for the Sun Pirates. Even if the warrior turned out 'not' to be a fellow Fish-Man, it was nothing more than a misunderstanding.

How had it turned into this relentless pursuit?

Originally, all he had wanted was to enjoy a good swim and maybe catch a sea beast to bring back for the crew…

But now, something even more unsettling caught his eye.

As he darted through the water, he caught a glimpse of something just above the shimmering ocean surface. 

For a fleeting moment, a sense of unease gripped him.

It was as if another 'beast' lurked above, quietly watching him from the sky.

'Boom!'

Jinbe burst through the surface, water cascading around him. Amidst the crashing waves, he scanned the horizon.

The sky was empty. Only the drifting white clouds stretched lazily across the blue expanse.

Nothing should have felt out of place… and yet, the unease in his heart remained.

(End of This Chapter)