After cleaving the incoming sea stream cleanly in half, Gojo immediately used Blue. The technique formed on his right index finger—his sword sheath secured on his back, the sword itself resting in his left hand—and began to swell, growing larger and denser with each passing second. The surrounding seawater shuddered as it was pulled inward, dragged violently toward the point of attraction. Even the fish-man attacking from below the surface was caught in its pull, his body yanked upward against his will.
The moment the fish-man was dragged out of the sea by Blue, he began spinning violently, water coiling around him as he rolled within the suction like the core of a vertical whirlpool hanging unnaturally in the sky. The air screamed under the strain. Then, just as abruptly, Gojo dismissed Blue.
With the force gone, the fish-man started falling back toward the sea. Gojo didn't hesitate—not even for a heartbeat. His grip tightened around the sword in his left hand, muscles tensing, and he slashed forward, aiming directly at the fish-man's stomach as the body dropped past him.
The blade struck true. Cloth tore apart on impact, the sound sharp and clear—but the flesh beneath remained untouched.
There was no blood. No wound.
The fish-man was completely unharmed.
Through the Six Eyes, Gojo immediately understood why. A layer of Armament Haki coated the fish-man's stomach, hard and refined, functioning like invisible armor. His strike had met resistance far beyond ordinary flesh. Even with that clean hit, the sword had failed to pierce through.
Gojo frowned slightly, he hadn't gone for a killing blow from the start. Yes, this fish-man had tried to destroy his ship—but every attack aimed at Gojo himself lacked true killing intent. There was aggression, certainly, but not the desperation or resolve of someone trying to end a life.
That's strange…
If this fish-man wasn't here to kill him, then why attack at all? Why strike without intent, yet with enough force to be dangerous?
The contradiction lingered in Gojo's mind as the fish-man fell back toward the sea.
So anyway, Gojo calmly sheathed his sword onto his back. The moment the blade clicked into place, he clenched his both fists and covered them with Blue.
Once again, the fish-man—who had just fallen back into the seawater—was dragged upward. The attraction seized him instantly. He struggled, thrashing violently, clearly trying to resist, but it was pointless. The pulling force generated by Blue was massive—far beyond anything he could oppose. His body was ripped free from the sea and pulled helplessly into the air.
Gojo still didn't bother asking any questions about why did he attack him. It was obvious this fish-man was in no mood to talk—only to attack. Talking now would be a waste of time. First break his momentum… then we talk.
As the fish-man was dragged mid-air once more, Gojo moved.
His fists, glowing with compressed blue light, drove forward. At the same time, his arm hardened as Armament Haki spread across it. The first punch slammed into the fish-man's stomach.
Because of Blue.
The moment Gojo's fist came close to the point of impact, the attraction sharply intensified. His punch accelerated violently at the final instant, smashing into the fish-man's body with crushing force. The strength behind it was already enormous—but Blue amplified it to another level.
And then there was the Haki.
With both forces combined, Gojo unleashed a relentless barrage. His both fists struck again and again, hammering the fish-man from the shoulder down to the stomach in rapid succession. Each hit landed faster and harder than the last.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
The air shook with every impact. The sound echoed across the sea as Gojo's punches crashed into the fish-man's body without pause, each blow snapping the body back into Blue's pull before the next strike landed.
Finally, Gojo drew back his fist for one last attack.
This time, he didn't use Blue.
—or rather, the exact moment his fist made contact, he deactivated it.
Without the attraction holding him in place, the accumulated force detonated outward. Gojo's punch connected cleanly, and the fish-man's body was launched away like a missile.
He shot through the air like a rocket, tearing across the sky and flying straight toward Drum Island.
Gojo followed right behind the fish-man, his body slicing through the air at a terrifying speed. He wasn't falling—he was pulling himself forward mid-air, manipulating space with his Limitless as if gravity itself were optional. Snow-laced wind rushed past his limitless layer as Drum Island rapidly grew closer.
Although Gojo had no idea who this fish-man was, Vivi and Igaram recognized him immediately.
Vivi turned toward Igaram, her eyes wide, her voice tense.
"If I'm not wrong… the person Gojo just punched—he was one of the Shichibukai, Jinbe, right?"
Igaram answered without hesitation. "Yes, Princess. You're right. That was definitely one of the Shichibukai—Jinbe." His brow furrowed deeply. "But I don't understand. Why would he attack our ship?"
The moment the question left his mouth, Vivi's face drained of color. Her lips parted slightly as a terrible possibility took shape in her mind.
"Is it possible," she said quietly, "that he and Crocodile are friends… or that they've formed some kind of alliance? That Crocodile plans to use him—or his help—against the Alabasta Kingdom?"
As soon as Igaram heard Vivi's speculation, fear flashed clearly across his face. His fists clenched.
"Princess… I truly hope this is nothing more than a speculation," he said gravely. "Because if it turns out to be true—if two Shichibukai have joined forces—then our kingdom…"
He stopped himself before finishing the sentence. He didn't need to say it aloud. The meaning was obvious.
On the other side of the battlefield, Jinbe crashed into the snowy surface of Drum Island, sending snow scattering outward on impact. His body carved a shallow trench through the white ground before finally coming to a halt.
A moment later, Gojo appeared just a few meters away, boots crunching softly as he landed on the snow. He stood calmly, hands relaxed at his sides, Six Eyes fixed on Jinbe.
Looking down at him, Gojo spoke, his voice steady and direct.
"Why did you attack my ship?" he asked. "Is it because of the two people riding on it—Princess Vivi and the captain of the Alabasta guards, Igaram?" His gaze sharpened slightly. "Or do you have some other reason?"
Jinbe rose to his feet with ease, as if the barrage of powerful punches from Gojo had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience. His clothes were torn and battered, fabric hanging loose in places, but there were no serious bruises, no visible damage to his body. He stood tall and steady, completely fine.
He looked directly at Gojo and said, "My name is Jinbe, and I am a Shichibukai."
The moment those words reached him, Gojo's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Oh," Gojo replied calmly, "so you work for the World Government and you're here to hunt me. Now I get it."
Jinbe immediately shook his head.
"No. I did not come here on the orders of the World Government, the Marines, or anyone else," he said firmly. "I came here on my own accord—to capture you and have you imprisoned in Impel Down."
That answer made Gojo pause. His expression shifted, confusion flickering across his face. Jinbe noticed it instantly and continued, his voice growing heavier.
"The reason I am attacking you," Jinbe said, "is because Arlong was like a brother to me. And you killed him." His fists clenched at his sides. "Yes, he committed despicable acts. I do not agree with his methods, and I never supported what he became. But we once sailed on the same crew. We once shared the same goal."
Jinbe's gaze hardened.
"We later went our separate ways. Our paths diverged. But even so," he said slowly, "you had no right to kill him."
For a moment, Gojo simply looked at him. Then he exhaled lightly, the tension easing from his shoulders as understanding settled in.
"Oh," Gojo said at last, his tone almost casual, "so this is about revenge." He nodded once. "Yeah. I get it."
----
Want to get daily updates and read 20+ chapters? Then join my Patreon!
Patreon Link: https://[email protected]/Hkj822
Join Discord Link: https://discord.gg/MXPrVTBM