Zatoichi stood smiling.
But the silence came quickly.
The battlefield froze.
Mufasa let out a soft chuckle. "Zatoichi, your swordsmanship is the finest I've ever faced. You actually managed to cut my finger. Maybe the era of samurai isn't over after all."
His wounded finger began to heal, steam rising as chakra sealed the injury.
Just moments ago, his golden aura had clashed with Zatoichi's willpower.
Even so, Zatoichi's technique had landed.
Zatoichi chuckled, slightly self-deprecating. "Heh... maybe I should've just stuck with being a blind masseur."
The wall he faced felt impossible to climb.
Still, surrender wasn't in his blood.
He stepped forward again.
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "You want to keep going?"
Zatoichi nodded, calm as ever. "I may be blind, but the fire of swordsmanship in my heart lights my way. If I give up when faced with a stronger blade... then the fire dies, and I am truly blind."
He bowed his head.
His old kimono rippled in the breeze, his hands trembling.
But to Mufasa, the light in the man's soul was brighter than ever.
"Good," Mufasa said seriously. "A true warrior has an unbreakable spirit. Then I, Whitebeard, will give you the respect you deserve. I'll fight you for real."
He roared.
Golden particles scattered into the air like stardust.
Ahri saw his eyes—clear, sharp, terrifying.
She gasped. "How is this even possible...?"
Mufasa smirked. "Little girl, we're in the era of 5G. Your illusions? They're lagging in 2G."
Ahri's Bloodline Limit fused Water and Lightning Release—an illusion-based kekkei genkai, somewhat like advanced tech.
It could flood minds with vivid hallucinations, forming large-scale illusions in water-rich environments.
But against someone like Mufasa?
She might as well have been throwing static at a monitor.
Her illusions—designed to confuse, distract, overwhelm—meant nothing.
Mufasa marched forward. "Now then... be my daughter. Let me show you how the women of the new age should fight."
Ahri's eyes widened.
BOOM!
The sky split revealing Enel forming as a massive cloud fist that he slammed downward.
Mufasa swung his left arm.
SLASH!
ZINGGG—!
The smoke fist split clean in two.
But his right hand kept moving—toward Ahri.
She acted fast.
"Water Release: Water Clone Jutsu!"
BAM BAM BAM!
A dozen Ahri clones splashed into being.
But the real her still felt that looming grip.
How?!
Mufasa grinned. "Tricks like this don't work on me. The magnetic field around your real body is different from your clones. Might as well be wearing a neon sign."
CLANG!
Zatoichi appeared out of nowhere, his blade stopping Mufasa's giant hand mid-swing.
But Mufasa was taking things seriously now.
He gripped Zatoichi's sword and slammed him into the ground.
BOOM!
Zatoichi crashed into a crater in a Yamcha pose, gasping, blood spilling from his mouth.
He could feel his ribs cracking, organs bruising.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The sliced smoke fist reformed into two massive snakes, striking at Mufasa.
He turned, punching them both.
The spiraling force of his punch shredded the serpents into mist.
From above, a storm roared.
"Whitebeard's punch... impossible..." murmured Enel, trembling.
Ahri took the chance to escape—but Mufasa was already in front of her.
SWISH!
His naginata slashed, cutting a few strands of her pink ponytail.
Ahri froze.
Mufasa smiled, toothy and wild. "What do you say? Ready to be my daughter yet?"
A cold blade kissed her forehead.
She shook. Terrified.
"I... I will..."
Tears pooled in her golden eyes.
It was over.
Stuck with this old beast of a man.
Behind them, a roar echoed.
"Secret Technique: Swallow Return!"
Zatoichi launched skyward, spinning like a deadly pinwheel.
His chakra-infused blade came down like a hurricane.
Mufasa swung his blade backward casually.
CRACK!
The back of his sword slammed Zatoichi into the dirt again.
The old warrior was out cold.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Ahri's mouth widened, firing a high-pressure water beam like a razor.
It struck Mufasa's back.
The cloak of justice tore—but he didn't flinch.
Ahri refused to submit so easily.
She'd unleash everything she had.
Mufasa turned slowly.
His tiger-like glare made her knees buckle.
"Bad girl. Naughty kids get punished."
He snatched her again.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
"That's for being disobedient."
"And that."
Ahri cried, her butt stinging. "Waaaah! No more! I'm sorry! I'll be good!"
Despite the water blast, she hadn't even scratched his skin.
Her spirit broke.
Mufasa nodded. "Good. Be a good girl and Daddy will take care of you."
Thunder cracked overhead.
"Pirates of Border Town!" came a booming voice.
"Destroy Whitebeard's ship! Anyone who helps will be rewarded by Lord Enel! A thousand gold per crew member! Take down the ship—earn half my fortune! Become my right hand!"
Enel bellowed, his shout accompanied by thunders—he was unleashing his wrath.
He wanted to strand Mufasa. Corner him.
The greed of men stirred.
The pirates of Border Town surged toward the docks.
In the crow's nest of the Flying Dutchman, Manyo peered out.
"Guys... we've got a problem."
Everyone on board heard the call.
Shun barked orders. "Raise anchor! Full sail! Commandos to deck! Gunners ready positions!"
Ganji Hoshigaki spun the wheel, steering hard away from the crowded docks.
Gunports opened.
Heavy cannons locked on targets.
Ganji frowned. "Too many ships on both sides. It's affecting our mobility."
Pirates leapt toward the Dutchman, trying to board.
Shn shouted, "FIRE! Sink all ships to port and starboard!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The Flying Dutchman roared to life.
Twenty 36-pounders and eighteen 24-pounders lit up the sea.
Explosions rocked the harbor.
Ships splintered.
Flames danced on the water.
The pirates froze.
"What kind of monster ship is that?!"
Suddenly—a rotund figure broke through the chaos.
"WAIT FOR ME!"
It was Hoshigaki Jinbe.
He'd hidden when Mufasa fought earlier, but now—with Enel calling for blood—he knew things were spiraling out of control.
He had to act.
"GET HIM!"
"He's with Whitebeard!"
Shuriken and kunai filled the air, all aimed at Jinbe's back.
Water Release: Water Wall!
Hoshigaki Jinbe wasn't a fool.
The moment the flurry of kunai and shuriken came flying toward him, he reacted instantly, raising a shimmering water wall behind him to shield himself.
But that move was like poking a hornet's nest.
"Water Release!"
Everyone could use it.
A chorus of jutsu incantations erupted from behind him.
"Water Release: Raging Waves!"
"Water Release: Iron Cannonball!"
"Water Release: Whip of the Deep!"
"Water Release: Rising Tides!"
Dozens of Water Style users unleashed their techniques together.
The result felt like a massive collaborative jutsu you'd only see in a war.
In this ocean-adjacent environment, their water jutsu was supercharged.
It was like an entire sea had risen up against them.
A towering wall of water surged from the docks like a tsunami, crashing toward Jinbei.
The tiny water wall he erected was swallowed instantly.
Jinbe felt the cold breath of doom licking the back of his legs.
He glanced over his shoulder.
"Oh crap."
A wall of death was heading right for him.
One hit, and he'd be sea foam.
Jinbe dove straight into the ocean and swam downward with the force of desperation. Lucky for him, he's a Hoshigaki—he could breathe underwater.
But the Flying Dutchman wasn't so lucky.
The tsunami hit.
The dock swelled like it had a pulse, and the Dutchman rocked violently as if caught in a storm.
Cannon fire became impossible.
The commandos on deck couldn't stay upright.
"Iron Body!" Tabby shouted.
The commandos focused their chakra, grounding themselves in their strongest stances.
It wasn't just about blocking the blow—just staying on their feet was a battle.
But this was just the beginning.
The massive wave was still charging toward the Flying Dutchman.
If it hit full force, they'd lose the masts for sure.
And a ship without masts was just a target floating on the sea.
Up on deck, the Ice-Style ninja, Staff Officer Kama, threw all his chakra into a last-ditch defense.
"Ice Release: Triple Ice Barrier!"
Three massive gates of solid ice rose before the ship, forming a frozen wall.
"Ganji! Turn the rudder and pull us out!" Shun barked.
Ganji, the helmsman, was already struggling with it.
"The wind's weak at the dock! I need more speed!"
From the watchtower, Manyo stood silently.
Then, with a calm exhale, he drew his sword.
"When the heart reaches emptiness, the world becomes weightless. When the soul finds purity, the wind listens."
The natural energy in the air stirred.
Manyo raised his blade toward the sea.
"Against the Wind."
A great gust blew in from the island, catching the Dutchman's sails.
The ship surged forward with new speed.
BOOM.
CRASH.
The tsunami smashed through the triple ice gates—but hit nothing.
The Flying Dutchman had already escaped.
The pirates on the docks cursed in disbelief.
"Quick!"
"Get those ships moving!"
"We can't let them escape!"
The harbor was a natural curve, safe inside, but once the Dutchman reached the open sea, it'd be impossible to catch.
Naval combat wasn't like a street brawl.
Once a ship gained distance on the ocean, chasing it could take months.
And the Dutchman wasn't out yet.
This was their best shot.
The firepower of the Dutchman was legendary, but even legends could be crushed by numbers.
Several ships in the harbor were already moving to intercept.
Six pirate ships clustered together, blocking the harbor exit.
Ganji gritted his teeth. "What now?"
"We ram them," Kama said without blinking.
Straight ahead was a typical vessel from the Land of Water—half the Dutchman's size.
Shun didn't hesitate.
"All hands, brace!"
"Commandos, hold onto the mast!" Tabby shouted.
"Full speed ahead!" Shun barked.
The wind obeyed. The Dutchman thundered forward like a wild beast.
The pirates on the blocking ship froze.
Were they really going to crash into them?!
It was too late to move.
The Dutchman hit like a sword.
CRACK!
The pirate ship splintered from the bow inward. Then the Dutchman's massive body crushed what was left.
Not even a scream escaped the sinking wreck.
The other enemy ships hesitated.
Manyo called down from above. "We've picked up debris on the hull!"
Huge chunks of wood and rope tangled around the ship's side.
"I'll handle it!" Tabby shouted.
She swung overboard with a rope, landing gracefully along the side.
One slash from her massive axe cut the debris free.
"Hey, help me up!"
Hoshigaki Jinbe burst from the water and grabbed her ankle.
Together, they swung back onto the deck.
The harbor ahead was clear.
"Should we escape now?" Jinbe asked.
"Escape?" Shun smirked.
He turned to face the pirate fleet that was now giving chase.
"No. We turn this into a celebration. For the captain."
The crew looked at him, catching his drift.
"Lock down the harbor mouth."
"Z-pattern maneuver!"
"All cannons ready."
"Sink every ship that comes into range."
This wasn't an escape.
It was a counter-attack.