Annihilation of the Arlong Pirates**
"**Chirp!**"
Unable to defeat them openly, the enemy struck from the shadows.
The kissing gourami Fish-Man, **Chew**, puffed out his cheeks and spat a high-pressure **water bullet** straight at Yang Ning's head.
Yang Ning didn't even turn. He let the projectile fly toward him.
"We got careless, humans," several Fish-Men sneered, watching with smug satisfaction as the water bullet tore through the air.
But in the next instant, Yang Ning's head vanished from their sight—replaced by the gleaming edge of a **black greatsword**.
***Clang!***
The water bullet slammed into Esdeath's blade—and stopped dead. The massive sword didn't budge an inch.
"Esdeath," Yang Ning said calmly, "handle the small fry over there."
"And leave them alive. You know what I mean."
Esdeath gave a slight nod. She understood perfectly—Yang Ning's strange power grew stronger through killing. But sometimes, survivors were more useful.
With a single sweeping motion, her greatsword carved through the air, instantly engaging half the Fish-Men—including Chew.
To outsiders, she remained aloof, silent, utterly composed—even while surrounded by monstrous seafood.
Not a word wasted.
Just wind, steel, and the thunderous crash of her blade descending upon them.
Meanwhile, back at Yang Ning's position—**Kuroobi** still refused to accept reality. His confidence in **Fish-Man Karate** was absolute.
**Hachi**, master of the Six-Sword Style, was too dim-witted to feel fear.
Only **Arlong** looked truly serious. He'd already recognized Yang Ning's terrifying strength.
And Arlong had no honor. Against a powerful foe, he wouldn't hesitate to gang up—or strike from behind.
So, as Yang Ning faced Kuroobi, Arlong drew his **serrated greatsword** and launched a silent, brutal slash at Yang Ning's back.
"**Careful!**"
Nami's scream tore through the air. Her eyes brimmed with horror and sorrow.
She knew better than anyone how heavy Arlong's blade was—she'd seen dozens **chopped to pieces** by it.
Yet Yang Ning—just as the blade neared his neck—**closed his eyes**.
To onlookers, it looked like surrender. Madness.
But only Yang Ning knew the truth: **he'd just deactivated his Soul Furnace Shield**.
This wasn't suicide.
It was **desperation**.
Six months of training under Koushirou. Countless hours drilling **Dual-Color Haki**.
And still—**nothing**.
He'd accepted that his **Armament Haki** lagged—his physical strength simply wasn't there yet.
But **Observation Haki**? The *easiest* of the three to awaken?
He couldn't even grasp the basics. *That* was unacceptable.
> *Observation Haki… come out!*
Eyes shut, brow furrowed, he strained to sense the world as Koushirou had taught—beyond sight, beyond sound.
"**Hahahaha! Die!**"
Arlong's serrated blade whistled downward, aimed to sever Yang Ning's spine.
Nami and Nojiko turned away, unable to watch.
But—
***Clang!***
A flash of white light—but it wasn't Yang Ning falling.
**Arlong** staggered back two steps, his greatsword **shattered**, face twisted in shock.
Yang Ning stood before him, **eyes still closed**, sword raised in a perfect parry—
—and a triumphant smirk tugging at his lips.
> *So this is Observation Haki?*
In the darkness behind his eyelids, the world was no longer void.
Shapes emerged—**dots, lines, planes**—vaguely outlining every person, every weapon.
Not as sharp as sight, but **omnidirectional**. No blind spots. No obstructions.
Exactly like "eye-rolling" from a certain other series.
"**Whoosh!**"
Without opening his eyes, Yang Ning spun and slashed backward.
***Riiip!***
Kuroobi's arm flew into the air, blood geysering from the stump.
"**HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!**"
Kuroobi howled, clutching his wound, eyes bulging in utter disbelief.
"**Fish-Man Karate—Sacrifice Kick!**"
Seeing this, **Hachi** snapped out of his daze.
"**Six-Sword Style Secret Technique: Six-Sword Waltz!**"
With both henchmen attacking desperately, Arlong seized the moment.
He'd guessed Yang Ning's secret—but still clung to East Blue arrogance:
> *"So what if he's strong? He's still just an East Blue human!"*
> **"Shark Gear!"**
Arlong twisted into a spinning drill, charging at blinding speed—coordinating with Kuroobi and Hachi from three directions.
Yang Ning remained still, eyes shut.
His body twisted slightly left.
Left hand gripped right wrist.
Right hand raised Kotetsu across his shoulder.
> **"One-Sword Style: Rondo!"**
A blinding ring of blade-light erupted—
colliding with all three attacks at once.
For a heartbeat, they held—
then the circular slash **shattered** through them like sunlight piercing storm clouds.
The three Fish-Men were **blasted backward**, weapons and limbs splintering mid-air.
So were the minions surrounding them—torn apart in an instant.
***Snap.***
Kuroobi's body—**sliced into three pieces**—landed like leaky sacks of meat.
Nearby, Hachi was miraculously alive—but all six swords **shattered**, a deep gash carving through his torso.
Arlong, who'd used his **nose as a drill tip**, wasn't dead—but **half his head was gone**.
He wouldn't last long.
They were the **only two survivors**.
Every other Fish-Man lay in crimson chunks across Dragon Paradise.
Nami, Nojiko, and the villagers who'd gathered watched in stunned silence.
Even **Esdeath** couldn't help but ask:
"When did you learn such a powerful technique?"
Yang Ning flicked blood from his blade, expression grim.
"No special move. Just a name I made up. **Pure power.**"
*"As expected,"* Esdeath thought, rolling her eyes. *"Not a swordsman at all—just that unreasonable flying slash again."*
She sheathed her sword and walked toward the wall, leaving a trail of downed Fish-Men behind her.
Yang Ning chuckled. How could he explain things like **Starfire Blade** or **system skills**?
With a few final slashes, he finished off the Fish-Men Esdeath had subdued—efficient, ruthless, thorough.
"**HUMANS!**"
Arlong's voice, raw and bloodied, cut through the silence.
His remaining eye burned with hatred.
"You inferior race… only dare slaughter us when we're weak! But wait—the true strength of our Fish-Men will avenge us! **I'll be waiting for you in hell!**"
Yang Ning turned slowly. He studied Arlong for a long moment—then smiled, almost pitying.
"When you're few, you demand respect.
When you're many, you call us 'inferior' and slaughter us without mercy.
It's righteous when **you** burn villages… but a crime when **I** kill you?"
He shook his head.
"Arlong, I thought you were a real pirate—a Grand Line veteran. But you're just… **naive**. Pathetic."
"If you love waiting so much," Yang Ning said coldly, "then go wait in hell.
You might just see more of your kind joining you soon."
He didn't waste another word on the dying Fish-Man.
With a casual side kick, he **snapped off the rest of Arlong's head**.
Now, only **one Fish-Man** remained alive in all of Dragon Paradise.
**Hachi**—the octopus-man with ties to **Silvers Rayleigh**, the Pirate King's right hand.
Kill him, and there was no telling if Rayleigh himself might come calling.
And Rayleigh? He was on **Emperor-level**.
Yang Ning glanced at the wounded Hachi, then at Esdeath.
"Heh. So what?"