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CHAPTER 65
Amidst the swirling rubble and debris, Kreegan managed to haul himself to his feet, a resolute determination burning in his eyes. He sensed the impending danger and reacted swiftly, utilizing his twin swords to create a swirling wind wall.
"Nitoryu: Tatsu Maki!" he bellowed, employing his two-sword style to unleash a ferocious technique known as the Dragon Twister. The slashing winds intercepted most of the high-speed water shots, dissipating them into harmless sprays. However, two of the powerful projectiles breached his defense, slamming into his chest like sledgehammers. The impact sent him staggering backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
But Kreegan was not about to yield. He planted one of his swords firmly into the ground, using it as an anchor to tank the blows. His high Armor Class played a pivotal role in his survival, and he gritted his teeth against the pain, determination overriding the searing agony.
With Arlong right in front of him, Kreegan knew he had to push harder. Kreegan had to break his spirit just as Arlong and his crew had tormented him all those years ago when he was a child, he had to terrorize him. Killing him was not enough; he had to strip Arlong of everything, including his pride. Channeling his resolve, Kreegan leaped out of the crumbling building, his swords piercing the ground as he unleashed a fierce torrent of earthen debris and concussive force directly at Arlong.
" Doryūsen (Earth Dragon Flash.)"
Arlong's mastery of Fishman karate allowed him to swiftly disperse the incoming debris, but this diversion had taken his focus away from Kreegan. Sensing an opportunity, Kreegan seized the moment and charged at the distracted fish-man.
Arlong launched his Yonsenmaigawara Seiken, a formidable technique that generated immense pressure, bearing down heavily on Kreegan. However, Kreegan was not one to be easily overwhelmed. With a lightning-fast sidestep at the last possible moment, he deftly changed his trajectory, spinning past Arlong in a blur of motion.
As he pivoted, Kreegan executed a devastating backhand slash, his blade singing through the air with deadly precision. His strike was aimed to capitalize on Arlong's momentary lapse in focus, and it held the potential to be a game-changer in their intense battle.
"Ryūkansen (Dragon Coil Flash)"
Kreegan's well-aimed strike found its mark, cutting through Arlong's midsection and inflicting a substantial wound. The sheer force behind the blow sent Arlong hurtling backward, crashing into a nearby building with a resounding impact.
Taking advantage of the moment, Kreegan quickly tapped into his arcane powers, channeling them into his swords with a pair of incantations.
"Arcane Weapon Shock, Arcane Weapon Shock," he chanted.
With his blades now imbued with the electrical energy similar to Shocking Grasp, Kreegan knew he had the upper hand. Though Arlong might possess a higher level, Kreegan's speed, adaptability, and newfound enhancements gave him an edge that Arlong couldn't fathom.
As Kreegan closed in on Arlong, a colossal saw-like sword came swinging toward him through the lingering dust and debris. Instead of evading the strike, Kreegan expertly parried it with one of his electrified swords, causing a surge of electricity to course through Arlong's body upon impact. The tide of their battle was rapidly shifting, and it seemed like Arlong had underestimated the human before him.
Arlong found himself in a desperate situation, grappling with the puzzling enigma of how a mere human had managed to overpower him and wield multiple devil fruit powers. The very essence of his existence as a Fishman, his reliance on moisture, made him particularly vulnerable to fire and lightning. While Fishmen skilled in Fishman karate could draw in moisture from the air to prolong their stay away from water, their inherent weakness remained.
As he continued to battle Kreegan, Arlong could feel his energy waning. His laborious breathing only intensified, and the deep wound on his side kept bleeding profusely. Time was running out, and he needed to bring this confrontation to an end swiftly. The possibility of being defeated by these bounty hunters was something he couldn't bear to contemplate.
Kreegan's approach was deliberate, as if he was offering Arlong a moment's respite, but it was a ruse. In the blink of an eye, he vanished, only to reappear right in front of the Fishman. Arlong, realizing his peril, attempted to use his sword to deflect the impending strike. He understood that the lightning-infused attack would be painful, but he couldn't react quickly enough to evade it.
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"Nigiri: Hirameki (Flash)," Kreegan proclaimed.
In a swift and simultaneous motion, Kreegan executed a horizontal slash with both of his electrified swords. Arlong managed to interpose his weapon to block the blow, but the result was inevitable. Electricity surged through Arlong's body, causing violent spasms and convulsions. At that moment, a chilling dread enveloped him, and he felt the icy fingers of death tighten their grip. His life would be extinguished before he could unleash his most potent weapon.
"Mirror Image," Kreegan intoned.
Suddenly, there were three identical copies of Kreegan, each wielding a crackling, lightning-clad sword. Arlong found himself in a dilemma. He couldn't discern which of the three Kreegans was the real one. All three illusions raised their swords and launched a simultaneous assault on the beleaguered Fishman from different directions. Arlong was left with no choice but to strike out randomly, hoping to hit the genuine Kreegan among the illusions. Yet, the trio of Kreegans executed their moves with perfect coordination, making it nearly impossible for Arlong to distinguish the real threat from the decoys.
Arlong's true tile fist passed through one of the Kreegans, but it dissolved into a puff of smoke, revealing the illusion for what it was.
"Nitoryu: Oni Giri!" Kreegan cried out, his voice carrying an air of finality, but the voice came from all of them.
As Arlong swung his massive weapon, his jagged-toothed saw sword, he felt a searing pain erupt on his back, the sensation of two long, deep gashes marring his tough, fish-man flesh.
Kreegan put one of his swords back into its scabbard, and his speed-enhancing buffs had expired earlier. However, the fear sown by the illusionary Kreegans still gripped Arlong, obscuring his perception of the situation, but after a few more exchanges, he finally realized that the remaining Kreegan was slower than he had thought, a realization that offered a glimmer of hope in the midst of his desperation. But just as this hope began to swell, Kreegan unleashed another arcane pool, reinvigorating his lightning-infused blade.
The once-mighty Arlong, overcome with fear and desperation, gazed upon Kreegan's lightning-clad swords, his heart pounding wildly. Kreegan's voice, icy and devoid of mercy, pierced the air as he taunted Arlong with cruel words,
"Run into the water, go ahead. I will kill you where you feel safest; I will slaughter you in your home."
Challenging the fish-man to flee into the water, his supposed sanctuary. The threat of being slain in his own domain struck terror into Arlong's heart, and he couldn't discern whether Kreegan's words were mere bluster or genuine intent.
But Kreegan's chilling voice continued, unveiling a startling revelation, "I don't need any scheme to kill you; you are nothing to me. Look towards the walls."
Arlong slowly turned his gaze towards the walls of Arlong Park. To his horror, he realized that nearly all of the Cocoyasi Villagers had assembled there, their eyes filled with a mixture of hope, determination, and anger. The people he had oppressed for years, the very individuals he had exploited, now stood there at the broken part of the wall and watched him get humiliated.
Kreegan's words struck Arlong like a physical blow, the weight of his impending humiliation and disgrace crashing down upon him. The villagers, whom he had oppressed and victimized for so long, were now witness to his downfall. The dread of facing a future as a laughingstock, stripped of his fearsome reputation, filled him with a despair deeper than he had ever known.
As Arlong locked eyes with Kreegan, he expected to see contempt, hatred, or vindication. Instead, he found only pity in Kreegan's gaze. It was a look that suggested Arlong wasn't even worthy of being considered an opponent, that he was simply a pitiable figure. This realization cut deeper than any blade.
In a moment of surrender and self-preservation, Arlong's defiance crumbled. He knew that now was not the time for vengeance or recklessness. First, he had to survive. If he could escape this situation with his life intact, he could still harbor dreams of future revenge.
"I give up. Take us to the Marines," Arlong conceded, his voice laced with bitter resentment. Hatred still burned within him, but for now, he would swallow it, biding his time for a chance to reclaim his lost dignity.
"Who the hell told you I am going to take you alive? Don't you know who I am?"
Arlong's plea for mercy fell on deaf ears as he realized the true identity of the man standing before him – Shinigami, the infamous reaper of pirates. A grim realization coursed through his veins: Shinigami never took pirates alive. Panic seized him, and the urgency of survival drove him to make a desperate dash for the water.
But Kreegan, unyielding, wasn't about to let Arlong escape his grasp. As Arlong leaped into the water with a terrified cry, Kreegan seized Ichinami with both hands and positioned himself at the water's edge. Closing his eyes, he raised his sword to his head.
Kreegan waited just enough seconds for Arlong to feel safe in the water and With practiced precision, Kreegan channeled his arcane powers – Perfect Strike, Arcane Accuracy, and the crackling energy of Shocking Grasp – into his katana. A surge of potent lightning enveloped the blade, growing more powerful by the moment. Kreegan's mind found a serene focus, a tranquil acceptance of the inevitable.
With unwavering determination, he lowered his sword, poised for the final strike that would seal Arlong's fate. The final strike came, and Kreegan executed it with deadly precision. With a whisper of "Tsuki Giri" – Splitting Moon or Moon Cutting – his katana swept through the air. To the onlookers, the slash appeared to move at a crawling speed, almost sluggish, but what they witnessed was the lingering afterimage left by the strike.
Their world shifted in an instant. As they turned their gaze toward the bay, an astounding sight met their eyes – the sea itself parted as if cleaved by some colossal force, creating a gaping chasm that stretched for a staggering twenty meters. The water roared and surged, a testament to the sheer power that Kreegan possessed.
Arlong's fate was sealed in that awe-inspiring moment, his body and spirit vanquished by the unyielding reaper of pirates, Kreegan The Reaper or Shinigami.
...
In a desperate bid for safety, Arlong believed he had found refuge in the sea. Yet, his sense of security was shattered in an instant. Following him into the water, a colossal, laser-like bolt of lightning manifested in the form of a gigantic sword, slicing through the sea and, tragically, through Arlong himself. The strike was as merciless as the reaper of pirates himself, severing an arm and a leg from Arlong's body.
He had lost too much blood as darkness encroached upon his vision, and the frigid waters swallowed him. Arlong's final gaze fell upon Kreegan. He witnessed the formidable hunter of pirates diving into the depths, his sword inching closer and closer to Arlong's head. It was a demise befitting a once-feared pirate, a conclusion authored by the relentless Shinigami, Kreegan.