One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 168 Fist to the bone is the romance of a martial arts practitioner

Sure enough, words seem rather pale in comparison to fists.

It's too difficult to persuade Jinbe with sweet words. He's a pragmatist who needs to see action. Trying to convince him with just hope for the future won't work.

The greatest asset Roman can offer to the fish-men is her future—a bright future filled with power, a future where she must become strong.

Just like Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido, they are powerful enough to scare away villains with their mere names without even having to show their faces.

However, such a future is still too far away, which means that this is an uncertain gamble.

Although he had already made up his mind, Jinbe was still uneasy because he didn't know if what he was doing was the right thing to do.

Therefore, she must experience it for herself. Since she is so confident in her future, she would not possibly show any fear when working under me.

And Roman, as he had expected, agreed to the duel.

"I apologize, because my hesitation has delayed the duel, which should have been held that day. It is certainly not honorable to fight a child. So, if you can convince me of the result, I will explain the situation to the King and Queen and join the Navy." This was Jinbe's reply.

Jinpei, the Knight of the Sea.

In the original work, Jinbe can obtain the title of "hero" through his identity as a pirate, which shows his character and chivalry, and is also the recognition of Jinbe's character by others.

Then there's no need to worry about him going back on his word.

But just how far has Jinbe gotten?

Roman was a little curious.

Jinbe is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea from the original manga, so we absolutely cannot treat him the same way we treat Arlong, especially since we are in the sea.

Even though he didn't think he would lose, Roman was still fully prepared.

"It seems the outcome of this match is crucial, and I won't hold back."

“That suits me perfectly.” With that, Jinbe got into position.

It is a karate stance unique to fish-men, and like her sword aura, it has the ability to manipulate water to a certain extent.

"Fishman Karate - Karakusa Tile Style".

Jinbe uses the form of his straight punch to generate a 360° shockwave.

It's a little tricky.

The power of fishmen is not to be trifled with, especially Jinbe's power, but it is also a good opportunity.

He gathered Haki in his palm, his fist turned black, and directly clashed head-on with Jinbe.

Unlike Arlong the Fishman's recklessness, Jinbe always guarded his vital points with his left hand.

After witnessing Arlong's miserable state, Jinbe was mentally prepared for Roman's monstrous strength, but he was still shocked when their fists made contact.

It's hard to imagine that such a petite body could contain such immense power.

The exchange of punches amplified the range of the shockwave, which was then directly reflected back onto the other person.

Those skilled in physical combat must have a strong body; otherwise, they would find it difficult to withstand even the shockwaves generated by an enemy's physical techniques.

To be honest, the feeling of the air being compressed made Roman feel a little uncomfortable, but in the training camp, the ability to withstand blows was an essential part of the training.

You can tough it out.

After confirming this, Roman became excited.

She began to unleash her superhuman strength, punching Jinbe with her free left hand.

However, it was blocked by Pu's blue palm.

Jinbe escaped the center of the vortex with an incredible spinning motion. The agile blue fat man retreated to a safe distance before looking at his somewhat deformed palm.

Terrifying brute force!!!

For a moment, Jinbe's feelings were a bit complicated, unsure whether he should marvel at Roman's terror or something else.

“You’re not a martial arts user, are you? Although you have great brute strength, it would be difficult for you to withstand damage given your current size and age. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I won’t go easy on you just because you haven’t drawn your sword. The future of the merfolk is at stake, so I must go all out,” Jinbe said seriously.

"Don't worry, I'm more serious than anyone else. I just want to test my limits. You know, there aren't many humans with brute strength like me, but fishmen are almost all strongmen. I enjoy this kind of head-on attack. If things really don't go well, I'll draw my sword immediately. After all, I must win." These words were full of arrogance and confidence.

"She really doesn't know her place!" Although he was criticizing Roman, Jinbe surprisingly didn't dislike the girl's boldness; he felt that she was somewhat to his liking.

As long as she maintains her attitude, the stronger she becomes, the better it will be for the future of Fishman Island. Although it's not entirely appropriate, I must let her reveal her full potential.

"Because now, I have to treat you as an enemy, so I will do everything I can to make you show your strength." After saying that, Jinbe began to swim away into the distance.

That is, the entrance to Mermaid Island.

The sea at the mouth of the gorge connecting the sea surface and Fishman Island.

The merman soldiers are twice as powerful here, as water is their best weapon.

But the same applies to her.

After unleashing his brute strength, Roman once again used his speed advantage to catch up with Jinbe.

In the agility-based attack route, Roman's physique is more suitable than Jinbe's, so she quickly caught up with Jinbe.

And then he punched again, preparing to teach Jinbe a lesson from behind, but Jinbe reacted very quickly, quickly turning his body and catching Roman's violent attack with both hands.

Of course, a sudden defense is hard to withstand a full-force attack. Jinbe's body began to fall rapidly, and his massive size left a huge crater in the ground, as well as scars on his skin.

But he managed to block it, and the wounds on his body obviously did not affect his movement.

"What incredible power." The pain wasn't in the skin, but in the body's internal organs.

The power of that punch seemed to be aimed directly at its own weakness.

As Roman grew larger, Jinbe knew that Roman's next punch was about to begin.

He quickly moved his body and dodged the fierce punch.

It definitely feels more satisfying to punch someone.

At this moment, Roman also understood Karp's feelings.

For martial arts practitioners, every punch landing with a visceral impact is their romance; each strike is a spiritual elevation.

The feeling of the domineering energy flowing through my fists is exceptionally exhilarating, especially when I'm hitting someone.

But he had to wait until later to revel in his newfound glory. Roman quickly used Shave to teleport to Jinbe's next move location, blocking his path.

Although Jinbe's choice wasn't bad for him, it was an opportunity to hone his skills.