"Whoosh!"
In an instant, a wave of Conqueror's Haki emanated from Moonlight and Nami, spreading rapidly in all directions. Every Fishman around them shuddered violently, collapsing to the ground, unconscious, foaming at the mouth. Only a few, with stronger physiques, managed to stay on their feet, though their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
At this moment, aside from Zoro, Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp, who were unaffected, the only ones left standing were Arlong, his three officers, and fewer than ten Fishmen scattered around. Moonlight's level 2 Conqueror's Haki had the power of control. He guided his Haki around his four companions; otherwise, in their current heavily injured states, they would have been affected, too. Even so, the imperfect control slightly impacted them, though it was negligible.
"What just happened?"
"Was this the work of that human swordsman?"
"Damn it!"
The few Fishmen who remained standing exchanged bewildered looks, staring at their fallen comrades in shock and confusion.
"Moonlight, you're finally here!"
Usopp let out a deep breath, looking at Moonlight, then dropped onto the ground with no care for dignity. Who needed dignity now when survival was on the line?
"It's all yours, Moonlight!"
Zoro also sighed in relief. Already seriously wounded, he had been fighting on sheer willpower alone; now, he finally had a moment to catch his breath.
"Moonlight, huh? He's even stronger than the last time I saw him."
Sanji thought to himself, deeply shaken. Though he had witnessed Moonlight's power before, seeing it again as a fellow crewmate filled him with awe.
"Moonlight!"
Nami clutched the edge of Moonlight's cloak even tighter.
"Bastard! What have you done to my comrades?"
Hatchan raised his swords, shouting in fury.
"Damn humans! What kind of power is this?"
Kuroobi stared at Moonlight with wary eyes, a mix of fear and caution.
"What a powerful human swordsman! Impressive!"
Chew's face was filled with battle intent. Despite Moonlight's strength, the Fishman warriors thrived on strong opponents—the stronger the enemy, the stronger they became.
"Don't underestimate him! This human is on a whole different level!"
Arlong's expression turned serious. Arrogant as he was, even he couldn't ignore Moonlight's overwhelming presence.
"Buzz!"
Suddenly, Moonlight swung his sword again.
A crescent-shaped slash cut through the air, spreading outward like a fan toward the three Fishman officers. The wave of sword energy surged forward with unstoppable momentum, as powerful as a tidal wave.
"Bang!"
The slash was fast and precise. By the time the three officers realized what was happening, the sword energy was already upon them. Even with the Fishmen's heightened reflexes, they were a moment too slow.
"Thud!"
"Thud…"
Three consecutive sounds of flesh being pierced echoed as the three officers were struck, deep sword wounds marking their bodies. They were sent flying, losing all combat capability.
A single slash had taken down Arlong's three officers.
And the sword energy, still not spent, barreled toward Arlong himself, fierce and overwhelming.
"Damn it!"
Arlong couldn't take it head-on and leaped to the side to avoid it.
"Boom!"
The slash struck the tall tower behind Arlong, cutting through its base as if slicing through the air, leaving the tower hanging precariously. In moments, it collapsed entirely, turning into rubble.
"Amazing… this…"
Usopp's jaw dropped, utterly stunned by what he had just witnessed.
"That guy… he's grown even stronger since his fight with Mihawk!"
Zoro was secretly astonished, his battle spirit igniting even further. The stronger Moonlight became, the more determined Zoro felt. He had once seen only Mihawk as his ultimate rival, but now there was Moonlight, too.
Leaving the East Blue had shown him just how vast the world truly was; he had been nothing more than a frog in a well.
Sanji's cigarette fell from his mouth, shocked by the display of power before him. He glanced at Moonlight, feeling even more shaken.
"This is… truly incredible!"
Nami held tightly to Moonlight's coat, her previous unease now transformed into newfound confidence. Standing behind a man like this, she felt like the safest person in the world. A profound sense of security surged within her heart.
"Lord Hatchan! Lord Kuroobi! Lord Chew!"
"This is bad! They were taken down with a single slash!"
"How is this human so strong? He defeated our three officers with just one attack!"
"Not only that, he destroyed the whole tower of Arlong Park! This human is terrifying!"
The Fishmen stared at the scene in disbelief, their shock and awe palpable.
"I'm sorry, Arlong. I didn't expect there to be a human this strong!"
Hatchan panted, still clinging to life.
"Captain, I'm sorry we embarrassed you. We always boasted about how strong we were, but we were taken down with a single slash."
Kuroobi lay on his back, staring blankly at the sky, unable to comprehend how a human swordsman could be this terrifying. Moonlight's power surpassed his own tenfold.
"Damn it… couldn't even take one attack?"
Chew was filled with frustration, but as he lay paralyzed on the ground, he could do nothing about it.
"Well, well, well… you damned human. You hurt my subordinates and destroyed my tower—my treasures, my maps—all of it! I'll make you pay for this!"
Hearing the desperate words of his officers and the shocked cries of his Fishmen, a burning rage swelled within Arlong. His eyes turned blood-red, filled with murderous intent, like a frenzied shark on a rampage.
"Not good! Lord Arlong is furious!"
"This is bad! The last time Lord Arlong got angry, he destroyed the entire Arlong Park that we spent so long building. This is going to be a disaster!"
"Is the enemy that strong?!"
"Lord Arlong, please don't lose control!"
"Yeah, these humans are not worth it!"
The Fishmen watched Arlong's rising fury with fear, as if witnessing something truly terrifying.
"Oh no, is he going to lose control? We have to stop him, or our park will be left in ruins!"
"That's right! Once the captain loses control, the entire park will be destroyed!"
"We have to stop him at all costs!"
"Dammit, we can't move!"
The three officers, Hatchan, Kuroobi, and Chew, watched helplessly. With their injuries, they were powerless to intervene, able only to watch in mounting horror.