Hody watched as Arlong was sent flying with a single kick. Gritting his teeth, his eyes flashed with malice as he charged at the opening Evan had created with his kick. His hands were spread wide, revealing sharp, deadly claws ready to slash viciously.
“Do you want to resist?” Evan watched him, growing more interested. His body rotated slightly, feet firmly planted on the ground, force building layer by layer. Clenching his fist, he delivered a powerful left hook at the approaching Hody. Evan’s mastery in martial arts was no less impressive than his swordsmanship. The perceived opening instantly turned into an attack.
Hody didn’t expect such a swift reaction. But with no turning back, he had to go all out, hoping for the best.
Their fists collided, creating a shockwave. Hody’s pupils contracted as he felt the immense power behind Evan’s punch. His own fist felt as though it would shatter under the pressure, the strength was too overwhelming.
Clutching his injured right hand, Hody was forced to retreat, leaving a trail on the ground as he fell back.
“How is this possible…”
Lying on the ground, Hody stared in despair at Evan, who hadn’t moved an inch.
A mere human, no matter how strong, should have limits! Yet in a direct contest of strength, even with the tenfold strength advantage of a fish-man, he was thoroughly defeated.
“How can there be such immense power?” Hody gritted his teeth, his eyes gradually showing signs of madness.
“You should calm down and tell me where the queen is. I might spare your life and hand you over to King Neptune,” Evan said, dusting off his robe.
“Just a mere human… No, I can have that strength too. I’ll tear you apart,” Hody muttered, struggling to his feet. He pulled out a few red capsules from his pocket and swallowed them in one gulp. Evan, recognizing the capsules, smiled, eager to continue the warm-up. He signaled Snow to stay back and approached Hody himself.
After consuming the pills, Hody’s muscles bulged, becoming more robust. His eyes turned blood-red, filled with a frenzied and ferocious look, losing some rationality.
“Let me show you the true terror of the fish-men!” Hody growled, his hands cracking loudly as he clenched them. He stomped the ground, which cracked instantly and rushed at Evan with explosive speed.
“Come on.”
Evan’s eyes focused, watching Hody approach. He raised his arms to block the incoming punch when they were just a few meters apart.
Bam!
Hody’s full-force punch landed on Evan’s crossed arms, shattering the ground beneath. Evan was pushed back a few steps, and Hody, seeing his attack connect, unleashed a flurry of violent punches, leaving no gaps.
The ground continued to crumble, with rocks and shockwaves erupting. Evan kept retreating, seemingly overwhelmed by Hody’s assault.
But Hody, despite his relentless attack, noticed that Evan showed no signs of injury. Instead, he had a smile on his face, as if he was—enjoying it.
Evan wasn’t a masochist; he just found Hody’s punches somewhat interesting, unlike the previous ineffectual blows.
“Those red pills boosted your strength several times, didn’t they? Can you take more?” Evan asked, his words making Hody even more ferocious but also filling him with dread. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
“How can it be ineffective! How!” Hody roared, having consumed several Energy Steroids yet still unable to touch victory against Evan.
“Sea Taiko Drum!”
Hody threw a punch filled with rage, compressing the surrounding water into a massive force.
The blow pushed Evan back, with the ground around him upheaving. Mid-air, he saw a fast-moving water ball coming at him like a cannonball.
“This should work!” Hody’s red eyes gleamed, but his grin froze in the next moment.
Evan, who had been sent flying, stopped mid-air and shattered the water ball into a mist with a punch. The white vapor rolled around, billowing his white robe.
Hody froze, his blood boiling from the Energy Steroids, but he felt as if he had fallen into an ice pit, losing all will to fight.
“Giving up already?”
Evan stood on an air cube, looking down at him. Hody, not at his peak adult state and only boosted by the drugs, could at most reach a vice admiral’s level, not enough to challenge Evan.
Hody’s red eyes flickered, and as Evan expected another move, Hody suddenly dashed towards the deep-sea area. Evan shook his head.
“ROOM: Spatial Imprisonment.”
The circular space expanded, and Hody, feeling as if stuck in a quagmire, found himself immobilized.
Evan walked up, patted Hody’s shoulder, and said, “Now, can you tell me where the queen is?”
Hody, stunned, moved his lips and then burst into mad laughter. His blood-red eyes fixed on Evan. “You can’t save the queen… and soon you’ll be in danger too.”
“What?” Evan frowned, a sense of foreboding rising within him.
“Ahahaha…”
Ignoring everything, Hody laughed maniacally, then choked, eyes wide open, his body convulsing. The resistance of the spatial hold kept him from collapsing, but his mouth foamed with blood—he had bitten his tongue to commit suicide.
“I respect you for your bravery.”
Evan sighed, looking at Hody’s lifeless body without much pity. With Hody’s suicide, the queen’s whereabouts were now a mystery.
Just then, Snow walked over, dragging a fish-man—Arlong.
Arlong’s sawtooth nose was broken, his face a bloody mess with several burn marks on his body, but he was alive, breathing heavily.
“Leader, this fish-man tried to escape during the fight.”
Snow threw Arlong to the ground. He struggled to rise.
“Well done,” Evan praised Snow, then looked at the miserable Arlong. “Arlong, any last thoughts?”
Arlong, trembling, kowtowed, “Master Evan, it was my mistake. I shouldn’t have offended you. Please, spare me.”
Seeing Arlong’s pathetic plea, Evan suddenly felt Hody’s sacrifice was in vain. Risking everything for such a coward wasn’t worth it.
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