446-450

Chapter 446: That Arrogant Fishman, Arlong 

So, after Nami and the others got blasted away by that Navy Admiral Kizaru... 

She ended up making her way to this Fishman Paradise. 

She was all set to hand over the one hundred million Beli she'd worked her whole life to earn to that guy, Arlong. 

The plan was to buy back her town, the one he'd taken over. 

But, what Nami didn't see coming was Zoro and Sanji, who had no idea what was really going on. 

And those two, well, they thought of Nami as a dear friend, a true nakama. 

So, they both charged into Fishman Island, thinking they were there to rescue Nami. 

That's how that Fishman Arlong ended up capturing Sanji and Zoro and locking them up. 

At first, Nami was thinking she'd have to give it her all to rescue Zoro and Sanji. 

But then she started thinking, "Wait a minute, how can I possibly beat that overbearing, arrogant Fishman Arlong all by myself?" 

So, Nami decided to play it smart, even if it meant swallowing her pride. She kept up the act, like a double agent. 

Her secret plan was to find a way to help Zoro and Sanji escape. 

But that Usopp, clueless as ever, actually thought Nami had genuinely joined Arlong's side. 

That's why he went and told Luffy what he thought was happening. 

And now, not only has Luffy failed to save Zoro and Sanji... 

He's even gotten himself captured! This was definitely not what Nami wanted to happen. 

It sent a shock right through Nami's heart. 

Just then, Nami thought to herself, her voice laced with worry, "The only one who can probably rescue us now is Kazama-aniki... Kazama-aniki, where are you? Please, hurry up and get here!" 

As these thoughts raced through Nami's mind, her brow furrowed with worry. 

Meanwhile, that Fishman Arlong? Oh, he'd already figured out Nami's little schemes. 

So, even if he took Nami's one hundred million Beli... 

He had no intention of ever giving back the town he'd seized. 

Truth is, this Fishman Arlong was totally after Nami for her looks; he wanted to make her his. 

So, while Arlong was lording it over Zoro, Sanji, Luffy, and the others... 

He turned to Nami with this disgusting, lecherous grin. 

"You know, Nami-chan," Arlong purred, "I've watched you grow up since you were little. And now, you've blossomed into such a beauty. Plus, I'm in a really good mood today... so how about we spend a passionate wedding night together tonight, eh? What do you say?" 

"Heh heh heh, Boss, that's a fantastic idea!" 

Before Nami could even open her mouth, Arlong's goons started cackling wildly. 

Nami, though? She absolutely despised this Fishman Arlong from the bottom of her heart. 

There was no way she'd ever let that creep lay a hand on her! 

So, Nami forced a smile and quickly placed the one hundred million Beli right in front of Arlong. 

"Look, Arlong-san," she said, trying to sound calm, "please don't joke around like that! I've earned the one hundred million Beli. I really hope you'll give us our town back now!" 

"Give you back your old lady's...!" (A very rude dismissal, basically "Like hell I will!") 

Before Nami could even finish her sentence, Arlong smacked her hard, sending her sprawling to the ground. 

"You worthless wench!" he sneered. "Who do you think you are, trying to make a deal with me? Let me tell you, if you weren't such a famous navigator, I wouldn't have even bothered with you! You really think earning a hundred million Beli means you can buy back your town from me? Ha! You're dreaming!" 

"But... but you promised me before!" Nami cried out. 

"Heh heh heh," Arlong chuckled darkly. "I promise a lot of things. I also promised to make you scream with pleasure..." 

As Arlong spoke, a cold, cruel smile spread across his face. He started walking towards Nami, clearly intending to force himself on her. 

Chapter 447: Giving the Fish-Man Arlong a Beatdown! 

And just then, in the absolute nick of time, when things looked their bleakest... SWOOSH! A figure suddenly jumped right in front of the Fish-Man Arlong! 

Arlong squinted, his eyes focusing. He saw this black-haired kid standing before him, looking pretty scrawny, not gonna lie. So, naturally, he totally dismissed Kazama, this nobody blocking his path. "Heh, another fly to swat," Arlong probably thought. 

With a casual backhand, he figured he'd just send Kazama's head spinning from his shoulders, and then get back to his lovely chat with Nami – you know, "persuading" her. 

But, plot twist! What Arlong never saw coming was that Kazama wasn’t the one who hit the deck. Instead, Arlong himself, the big, bad Fish-Man, got sent rocketing sky-high by a single, earth-shattering punch from Kazama’s insane, almost demonic strength! BA-BOOM! 

This sudden turn of events? Man, it wasn't just Arlong who was caught completely off guard. Even Nami, watching from the sidelines with wide eyes, and all of Arlong’s Fish-Man grunts, those small-fry koban, were totally gobsmacked, their jaws on the floor. 

Because, listen, they all knew Arlong was a Fish-Man, proud member of the Fish-Man tribes! His strength, his speed, his physical toughness – all that jazz was supposed to be hundreds of times greater than any mere human's! So, they just couldn't wrap their heads around it – this newcomer had sent the famously powerful Arlong flying with just one punch! Unbelievable! 

And Nami, when she saw it was Kazama, her Kazama, who had sent Arlong sailing through the air, her heart did a little flip of pure joy and relief. She quickly cried out, her voice filled with emotion, "Kazama-aniki! Thank you, thank you so much for saving me!" 

You gotta understand, even though this Arlong dude was tough, a real powerhouse, super strong, all that… in Kazama's eyes? This Fish-Man Arlong was still just… well, trash. Yeah, Grade-A garbage. Kazama didn't consider him a threat, not even for a second. 

Meanwhile, Arlong, who'd been unceremoniously smacked down hard by Kazama, was seething. He couldn't believe he’d been bested right off the bat, and so easily! Getting floored by this... this weakling, this nobody he’d looked down on as utter scum! How could he not be absolutely furious, veins popping on his forehead furious?! 

So, Arlong gathered himself, ready to unleash every dirty trick and all his terrifying power, to launch a full-blown assault on Kazama. But just then, Arlong’s three top officers – you know, the ones who got beaten by Luffy earlier – wanting to suck up to their boss big time, came scurrying over to Arlong's side, all eager and tripping over themselves. 

"H-Hey, Boss Arlong!" one of them stammered, "Th-this little punk only got you ‘cause he, uh, took you by surprise! Yeah, that's it! Don't be too mad, Boss!" 

"Yeah, that's right!" another one chimed in, puffing his chest out. "Why should you, the great Arlong-sama, even bother getting your fins dirty with a pipsqueak like this? Tell ya what, Boss, let the three of us handle him! We guarantee we'll take this kid down, no problem!" 

Arlong paused, then gave a short, kinda forced laugh. "Heh... Alright then. No problem!" 

Truth was, between you and me, Arlong was actually a little worried he wasn't a match for this Kazama kid. He was thinking, 'If I get beaten by this Kazama guy again, in front of everyone, how am I supposed to keep my authority over all my Fish-Man followers? My reputation will be shot!' 

So, hearing his underlings offer to step in, Arlong immediately seized the convenient excuse, the perfect way out of a tight spot. He thought, 'Okay, this Kazama kid is strong, seriously strong, no doubt. But he's still just one guy. He can't win if he's outnumbered three to one! Even two fists are no match for six, right?' 

A nasty grin spread across Arlong’s face. "'Alright then,' he schemed internally, 'I'll let my three guys attack Kazama. The moment he shows any kind of opening, any weakness, I'll strike from the shadows! Hey, it’s like they always say: winners are kings, and losers are dirt! As long as you crush your enemy, who cares how you do it!'" 

Thinking this, Arlong casually hung back, shooting Kazama a cold, smug sneer. 

But Kazama? He wasn't paying Arlong or his three stooges – ahem, officers – any attention at all. Not a single glance. Because in Kazama's eyes (and yeah, the old scrolls might have a typo saying 'Feng Jing' here and there, but it was definitely Kazama!), those three goons and Arlong himself were all just… garbage. Total weaklings, not even worth his breath. 

Then, with a single, almost lazy wave of his hand, Kazama once again summoned that incredible power of his – the brilliant, warm Yang-Fire from his legendary Yin-Yang Twin Flames. And with it, he focused, channeling the energy to heal the injuries of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. 

And as their wounds began to mend, feeling strength flow back into them, the three Straw Hats were instantly, incredibly overjoyed, ready to jump back into the fray! 

Chapter 448: Schooling the Octopus 

So, they immediately regrouped, ready to throw down with that army of Fishmen. 

Now, when that Fishman Arlong saw Kazama, he wasn't just strong... 

He actually had the power to bring people back from the brink of death! This totally blew Arlong's mind; he was seriously shocked. 

So, Arlong quickly barked at his underlings again, "All of you, get him now! You absolutely have to take down this Kazama punk!" 

"Heh heh, no problem at all, boss!" 

Those three henchmen, well, they were the arrogant and overbearing type, always had been. 

Because of that, they didn't give a damn about any human. 

Even though they'd already seen that Kazama was no joke in terms of strength... 

They still thought Kazama was just some weakling. 

They still felt like Kazama had no right, no ability, to act tough in front of them. 

But what they didn't realize was, if Kazama really wanted to, forget just taking them out... 

He could take down a Yonko, a Shichibukai, or even the entire Marine Headquarters. 

For Kazama, stuff like that was a piece of cake. 

And just then, a whole mob of Arlong's Fishman followers charged straight at Kazama and the others. 

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji saw them coming and immediately jumped in to fight the approaching enemies. 

"You damn little fry, you bastards! How dare you try to act tough in front of me, Roronoa Zoro, the master of Santoryu? Well now, I, Zoro, am gonna make sure you see what I'm really made of!" 

As Zoro said this, he immediately unleashed his famous Santoryu (Three Sword Style). 

He started clashing with an octopus-like Fishman who was coming right for him. 

But when that octopus Fishman saw Zoro use Santoryu, he just scoffed. 

Then, using his four arms, he busted out a Rokutoryu (Six Sword Style)! 

He and Zoro got into a wild, no-holds-barred brawl. 

And as the octopus Fishman fought Zoro, he started taunting him. 

"Heh heh, I've heard of the name 'Santoryu Zoro' before. Sure, you're tough, but you only use three swords. Me? I use six! So you've got no right, no ability, to act all high and mighty in front of me!" 

"Don't give me that crap!" 

When Zoro saw this octopus Fishman actually using sword techniques just like a human... 

He was seriously shocked, deep down. 

But Zoro knew this wasn't the time to be stunned. 

Because this octopus guy's Rokutoryu, compared to his own Santoryu, was definitely on another level, maybe even better. 

Just a few clashes in, and Zoro's Santoryu was already struggling to hold up. 

And then, not long after, with a few quick moves, that octopus Fishman knocked Zoro straight to the ground. 

"Heh heh heh, I told you, Zoro! I said I use Rokutoryu and you use Santoryu. You're no match for me! There's no one in this world who can beat me when it comes to sword fighting!" 

"Heh heh, let me tell you something," Zoro retorted, "Maybe your Rokutoryu was impressive before, but now there's someone even more badass than you – someone who uses Juttoryu (Ten Sword Style)!" 

"What? Juttoryu! How is that even possible?" 

As soon as the octopus Fishman heard Zoro's words, his heart skipped a beat. 

Just then, Zoro looked a bit sheepishly back at Kazama, who was behind him. 

"Aniki... I'm really sorry. My strength is limited right now, I can't beat this Rokutoryu octopus guy. So... I hope you can help me out!" 

"No problem!" 

Kazama heard Zoro's call for help and, with a cool smirk, stepped right in front of the octopus Fishman. 

But that octopus guy? He wasn't even paying attention to Kazama. 

He immediately pointed right at Kazama's nose and yelled, "Hey, you little punk! I don't believe for a second that you can use Juttoryu!" 

"You're right," Kazama said calmly. "I actually don't use Juttoryu anymore." 

"Heh heh heh, see? I was right, wasn't I?" 

Hearing Kazama's words, the octopus Fishman burst out laughing. 

And Zoro? He looked totally shocked too. 

"Hey, Kazama-aniki," Zoro stammered, "wasn't your Juttoryu super awesome, super powerful before? How come you don't use it anymore?" 

"It's simple," Kazama replied. "Because now... I've upgraded to Hyakutoryu (Hundred Sword Style)!" 

"WHAT?! Hyakutoryu! How is that even possible?!" 

When Kazama said that, Zoro was completely stunned, and that octopus Fishman? His jaw dropped, totally speechless. 

Chapter 449: I Am the Hundred Sword Style! 

"Nani?! How can that be? That's absolutely impossible! I refuse to believe there's any man in this world who's mastered a Hyakutōryū – a Hundred Sword Style!" 

At that moment, the octopus dude (let's call him Tako-san) saw Kazama actually dare to claim he was a user of this legendary Hundred Sword Style, right to his face! 

This, as you can imagine, left Tako-san totally floored, his mind reeling in shock. 

And hey, it wasn't just Tako-san who was finding this hard to swallow. 

Even Zoro, standing right there as Kazama's nakama (comrade), couldn't quite believe his ears. 

You see, Zoro had already witnessed Kazama pull off a Juttōryū – a Ten Sword Style. Even that was enough to make Zoro respect Kazama down to his very core, like "whoa, this guy's sugoi (amazing)!" 

But now, he never, ever expected Kazama to claim he could also use a Hundred Sword Style. This was completely rewriting everything Zoro thought he knew about the world, a total shock to his system! 

You have to remember, this Zoro was a pretty famous kengō (master swordsman) himself. But even with all his experience, he'd never heard of anything like a "Hundred Sword Style." 

So, when he heard Kazama make this claim, Zoro was instantly filled with doubt. He quickly sidled up to Kazama and whispered, "Hey, Kazama-aniki (big bro), we're in a real life-or-death showdown here, you know? This isn't the time to be bluffing, right?!" 

"Heh heh!" 

Before Kazama could even say a word, it was Tako-san on the side who burst out laughing. Turns out, this octopus fella had some seriously sharp hearing, almost like a superpower. 

So, the moment he heard Zoro's doubtful words to Kazama, he immediately figured Kazama was just putting on a show, trying to act tough. 

"Oi, you little punk!" Tako-san sneered. "Even your own partner doesn't believe you're this legendary Hundred Sword Style user! And you still have the damn nerve to stand before me and spout that nonsense? Seriously, I don't know whether to laugh or cry!" 

Fwish! Fwish! Fwish! (Imagine some cool sound effects here!) 

Before Tako-san could finish his taunt, Kazama's hands flashed through a series of seals – you know, like a ninjutsu! And in that instant, hundreds of Kazama's bunshin (clones) appeared all around them! 

This, understandably, scared the living ink out of Tako-san, making him plop right down on the ground in pure shock. He'd never seen anyone, anyone, capable of summoning so many clones! And he'd certainly never seen a mere human wield such incredible power. 

Then, Kazama channeled some kind of freaky, otherworldly fire – an ikai flame! He solidified it into a blazing steel katana of fire, gripping it tight. And as this special fire sword appeared in the original Kazama's hand, every single one of his hundreds of clones instantly had one too! 

Kazama grinned at the stunned Tako-san. "Well? What do you say now? Does this count as a proper Hundred Sword Style, or what?" 

"Kono yaro! This is infuriating!" Tako-san seethed. 

You see, Tako-san had imagined that Kazama's "Hundred Sword Style" meant Kazama himself would be wielding a hundred swords, some crazy, impossible feat. He never dreamed Kazama would bust out hundreds of clones instead. 

And each of these clones was holding a single sword. 

"This isn't a Hundred Sword Style, you baka (idiot)!" Tako-san finally exploded. "This is just ganging up on me! A mob attack!" 

Driven absolutely bonkers with rage, Tako-san pointed right in Kazama's face and screamed, "You little scumbag! You teme (bastard)! This is blatant fraud! Let me tell you, the true Hundred Sword Style involves one person using hundreds of blades! You? You just have hundreds of guys each holding one sword, and you have the audacity to call that the Hundred Sword Style in front of me?! This is so ridiculous, I could just... ARGH!" 

"Heh heh," Kazama chuckled, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You're the one who's about to find this hilarious... or not." 

And before Tako-san could finish his tirade, Kazama shot forward like an arrow, launching his attack on the fuming octopus. 

Chapter 450: The Fish-Man Karate Master 

"Hey, you little punk!" the octopus creature spat. "I didn't even yell 'start' yet! What's with the cheap shot, huh?" 

"Save your damn excuses!" Kazama shot back. 

Before the octopus could even get another word out, Kazama instantly ordered his hundreds of bunshin—his shadow clones. In a flash, they sliced all eight of the octopus's tentacles into several pieces. 

"Let me tell you something!" Kazama declared, his voice ringing with authority. "This here is a duel to the death, not some sissy tournament match! Don't give me that crap about 'waiting for the start signal.' When you're facing me, Kazama, I decide when it begins! And when I say it starts, it STARTS!" 

After just a few exchanges, Kazama had easily, completely demolished the octopus. 

And get this—that was Kazama holding back. If he'd actually used his full power, Kazama could have probably torched the entire Fish-Man Island to cinders in a single, devastating attack. 

Meanwhile, as Kazama celebrated his victory over the octopus, Fish-Man Arlong’s other two top cronies, a guy known as "Big Mouth" and a self-proclaimed Karate Master, were watching in utter shock. 

They knew that even though the octopus was the weakest of their trio, if it had been the two of them, there's no way they could've taken him down that fast. 

But now, Kazama had just swatted him aside like it was nothing. How could they not be shocked to their core? 

At that very moment, the ones squaring off against Big Mouth and the Karate Master were none other than Luffy and Sanji. 

But Luffy and Sanji weren't having an easy time; they hadn't gained the upper hand at all. In fact, far from it—they were constantly being pushed back and overwhelmed by Big Mouth and the Karate Master. 

Seeing their nakama, the octopus, get taken out by Kazama, the two Fish-Men flew into a rage. Each of them landed a brutal kick, sending Luffy and Sanji sprawling to the ground. 

Then, their faces twisted in fury, the two glared daggers at Kazama. "You little scum-sucking bastard, Kazama!" Big Mouth roared. "How dare you lay your filthy hands on our comrade! Kisama! This is unforgivable!" (The idiom used, 士可忍孰不可忍, means "If this can be tolerated, what cannot be?") 

"Heh," Kazama scoffed. "Like I care if you forgive me or not. Let me make one thing clear: in my presence, you two don't even have the right to feel 'intolerant'!" 

"You're really asking for it!" the Karate Master seethed. 

In the blink of an eye, Big Mouth and the Karate Master charged, lunging straight for Kazama. 

"Big Bro Kazama, watch out!" Sanji yelled, knowing firsthand just how dangerous this Karate Master was. He scrambled to Kazama's side. "Kazama! Don't let his Fish-Man looks fool you! This guy's karate is on a whole other level—even crazier than any human's!" 

"Oh, is that so?" Kazama's eyes lit up with interest upon hearing Sanji's words. He'd fought countless strong opponents, tsuwamono of all kinds, but he'd never actually faced a true Karate Master before. 

Just then, the Fish-Man Karateka, hearing Sanji's backhanded compliment, let out a booming, arrogant laugh. "That's right! Your friend there might be a total weakling, but he's not wrong about my skills! I am a 30th Dan Karate Master!" 

"Bwahahaha! You're killing me!" Kazama burst out laughing. He knew perfectly well that the highest rank in karate was 9th Dan. And here was this guy, bold as brass, claiming to be 30th Dan. How could he not laugh? 

Meanwhile, Sanji, hearing this Fish-Man Karate "Master" dare to call him a "weakling," felt his anger flare up even hotter. 

Kuso! With a shout, Sanji launched himself forward again with a barrage of kicks, aiming straight for the Fish-Man Karate Master. 

But what Sanji hadn't quite bargained for was that this Fish-Man Karate Master was infamous for being an incredibly arrogant and overbearing yatsu.