Bab 4: Judgment

[You have learned the skill "Weapon Throw"!]

[Skill "Sprint" has been activated!]

[All the movement speed will be increased by 30% and 1 mana will be consumed per 1 second.]

Jin Woo used Sprint and instantly appeared in front of Arlong. Raising his fist, he brought it down on Arlong with all his might. The impact of Jin Woo's fist sent Arlong crashing through a wall.

As the dust settled down, Arlong could be seen standing groggily, his teeth broken and red blood flowing down from his mouth.

"Hahaha, the so-called superior race also bleeds the same color as the inferior race. Truly interesting."

Jin Woo taunted with a snicker. He was trying to rile up the enemy but, partially, he held the same feelings. He hated how the strong always oppressed the weak, trampled over them, ridiculed their struggles, usurped their rights. He had many experiences in his life.

"A pathetic human dares to…"

Arlong's fists were clenched and his body was trembling with wrath.

"Let me show you. The real difference between us!"

Arlong's half-broken teeth started to fall one by one and in place of them, a new set of razor-sharp teeth emerged within a few moments.

"Hahaha! See with your own eyes. They are gifts given to us by God!"

"You really are a shark. I will just have to plummet them as many times as they grow back."

Gathering strength in his legs, Jin-Woo jumped towards Arlong. His Dagger brandished at Arlong's neck, but it was stopped by his nose!

Arlong parried Jin Woo's Dagger with his saw-like nose. "My nose is sharper and harder than anything in the world. It's unbreakable!"

'What is this? Some kind of bad joke...' Jin Woo didn't know whether to laugh or cry at such a development.

Sparks flew around as Jin Woo's Dagger clashed with Arlong's nose at an unimaginable speed. Jin Woo calmly parried the attacks and dodged but he couldn't inflict a fatal attack on his opponent.

Their battle stayed in a stalemate as more and more nicks and cuts appeared on both Jin Woo and Arlong's bodies until Jin Woo suddenly felt a sharp pain near his abdomen. A warm sensation was spreading with the piercing pain as its origin.

"N-no way, He…just by throwing water…" Jin Woo could make out some voices in the background.

Jin Woo looked down to see blood dribbling from a hole in his stomach and water dripping from Arlong's hand.

'When did he…?! Did he throw water like that? Truly a damn shark!'

Arlong had managed to sneak in a deadly attack within their intense confrontation but that same sneak attack also led to a gap in Arlong's defense.

Jin Woo stabbed down his Dagger at Arlong's shoulder, right on his gills.

Arlong didn't expect Jin Woo to recover so fast as he helplessly allowed the strike to hit. Crimson blood spurted out. Jin Woo kicked Arlong to propel himself, effectively gaining distance from Arlong.

[The enemy has been inflicted with 'Paralysis!]

['Paralysis' has been resisted due to the enemy's high resistance!]

[The enemy has been inflicted with 'Bleeding'!]

['Bleeding' has been resisted due to the enemy's high resistance!]

'Damn resist when it matters the most…!'

Jin Woo's breathing was erratic, and his forehead was covered in sweat. Several windows flashed through his vision, each giving bad news. He pressed down his wound with his left hand to stop the bleeding.

'It hurts but it's not unbearable…'

Arlong quickly gained his balance and pulled out the Dagger embedded into his shoulder with a roar. He then thrust his hand through the wall and pulled out a long black pole with six saw-toothed patterned black blades, resembling a shark's saw-like teeth.

"T-that's Kiribachi! I-it is said that it can even cut through stone like butter!"

'A sword that can cut through stone…looks interesting…'

A wry smile appeared on Jin Woo's face. His stamina was running low and he had even lost his weapon. He couldn't afford to drag this fight any longer.

"I never expected to use it on a mere human, but you have proved yourself a formidable opponent. Don't expect a painless death now!"

Arlong roared at the top of his lungs and started rushing towards Jin Woo.

"Here! Take this!"

Jin Woo turned around and caught a sword that Genzo had thrown towards him.

'I appreciate the help, but I can use Daggers better…'

Lampooning inwardly, Jin-Woo got into stance. Continuously using Sprint had taken a toll on his limited mana and stamina so he didn't have much time.

At some point in time, Zoro and Sanji had defeated their opponents and also rescued Luffy but they decided to not intervene in the ongoing battle.

Arlong's terrifying sword met with Jin Woo's sword containing all the anger and frustration of long eight years of suffering. A crisp sound resonated under the dark sky as everyone's gaze, full of anticipation, was locked onto the duel in front of them. All the villagers were waiting for the moment they would be freed from the terror of Arlong.

But—their sword of hope and liberation got crushed under the might of Arlong's ferocious sword.

The grin on Arlong's face became wider and the colors from the people's faces drained. They seemed to lose all hopes as their eyes lost their luster.

In the midst of hopelessness, Jin Woo's face revealed a feral smile that seemed to etch an indescribable sense of fear into his enemies.

"You..."

Jin Woo's voice was low, but it reverberated clearly in everyone's ear.

"Do you think you are the strongest, the perfect existence?"

Tears welled up in the eyes of the villagers, they seemed to be reliving all the hellish torture they had to face in the last decade.

"...no, you are weak…"

They always told themselves that they were too weak and powerless to do anything but now, those same words were directed towards their mortal enemy.

"… Different from all humans, your weakness doesn't come from being weak, but…from your power itself. Your power and temptation."

They could see light, the light at the end of the dark tunnel. They realized that their journey filled with sufferings had finally come to its end. They would be able to laugh without any worries in the bright sunshine at last.

Jin Woo roared at the top of his lungs, sounding the knell that marked the new beginning for them.

"NOW!"

*Boom*

Various loud explosions rang throughout the tall building like thunder as Arlong's eyes widened. Jin Woo had been luring him into the perfect place and waited for the best timing when Arlong was drowning in victory to give the signal.

"I-"

*Rumble*

With an earth-shaking sound, the tall indestructible Arlong Park fell like a meteor on Arlong himself. The dark clouds over the island dispersed and bright twilight enveloped every corner. Many half-burnt papers fluttered and flew in the air, like liberated souls returning to their homes along with the quiet sobs of a young girl.

[You have acquired the title "The One Who Judges"]