The moon was hidden behind clouds.
The outpost rose from jagged rocks like a fortress carved from bone and barnacle. Lit by sea lanterns and guarded by towering fishmen brutes, it reeked of salt, steel, and rot. Watchtowers blinked with torchlight, and at the center, impaled on a horizontal iron rod between two poles—hung Isshin Ashina, upside down, bloodied and unconscious.
The ronins crept through the jungle path in silence, faces painted in ash. Ace and Gunnar stood among them, cloaked in darkness.
Ace whispered, "You take the gate. I go left, torch the fish tank."
Gunnar nodded. His eyes were like ice and ember. "No survivors."
Then
Screams.
The first fireball roared through the sky like a phoenix and struck the side barracks. The wooden walls exploded in fire and smoke. Fishmen scrambled in panic, grabbing spears and launching toward the flames.
Ace leapt down from a tree branch like a hawk, landing with a grin.
"Yo. Let's heat things up."
One fishman lunged with a trident—Ace ducked and drove a flaming uppercut into his chest, launching him skyward. Another came from behind, only to be swept by a wall of fire.
In seconds, a dozen fishmen surrounded him.
"Get the fire human! Burn him alive!"
Ace spun once, fire whirling around him like a cyclone.
"Heh... Already burning."
The ground exploded beneath him as he dove into the crowd. Bodies flew.
Meanwhile
Gunnar stood at the main gate, massive iron doors shut with coral chains.
The ronins beside him looked tense.
Then—he stepped forward, took a deep breath... and slammed his fists into the doors.
BOOM!
The gates shattered into splinters, blasting open like they were made of paper.
Dozens of fishmen guards turned in shock.
"WHAT THE HELL—?!"
But Gunnar was already inside.
The first came swinging a hammer—Gunnar caught it midair, pulled the fishman forward, and headbutted him so hard his jaw shattered. Blood flew like rain.
Two more came at him—Gunnar drove his elbow into one's gut, cracked the other's skull with his forearm, then tossed both bodies like trash.
"RONINS! MOVE!" he roared.
The samurai rushed in behind him, blades drawn, slicing through the chaos.
But Gunnar kept going, like a war god let loose.
One fishman jumped from above—Gunnar caught him midair and slammed him into the ground with bone-shattering force. The earth cracked. Blood sprayed.
Another tried to run. Gunnar grabbed a broken spear, hurled it with such force that it pinned the enemy to the wall, still twitching.
At the center of the camp—
Isshin Ashina hung unconscious. Blood dripped from his fingers. His armor was in tatters, face battered, barely breathing.
A guard moved toward him with a jagged blade.
Just as the blade reached Isshin's chest—
Gunnar crashed through the wall like a bull, grabbing the fishman's face and crushing it into the dirt.
He looked up at the barely alive figure, chest heaving.
"…You."
He remembered that face. The calm eyes.
He didn't speak again. Just stepped forward and ripped the iron rod from its chains—Isshin's limp body fell into his arms.
"Ronin! COVER US!" Gunnar barked.
---
Back at the shore
Ace stood atop a pile of bodies, covered in soot and burns but smiling wide.
More fishmen emerged from the water, reinforcements.
One was massive—twice Ace's size. With armored scales and a war axe.
"You'll die here, fire boy."
Ace tilted his head. "Maybe. But you'll die _first._"
He punched the ground—flames erupted, turning the sand into molten glass. The fishman leapt, only to be caught midair by a jet of fire straight through his chest.
He screamed once. Then fell, silent.
In the main hall
Gunnar moved like a storm. The remaining guards tried to hold the line.
He didn't slow.
One grabbed a sword—Gunnar caught it with his bare hand, snapped the blade, and stabbed the jagged end into the attacker's throat.
Another screamed and tried to run—Gunnar grabbed him by the leg, swung him into another, and crushed both into a wall.
His eyes burned. His fists dripped blood.
This wasn't a fight. This was massacre.
Finally
They reached the outer gate. Gunnar placed Isshin down gently. The ronins stood around him, panting, watching the sun begin to rise.
Ace walked over, smoke curling from his back.
"Anyone left?"
Gunnar glanced behind. "Not breathing."
Takeshi bent near Isshin, placing a hand over his heart.
"…He lives."
A collective breath.
Then silence.
Gunnar looked at the sea, his knuckles still bleeding.
"This is only the beginning."
Ace nodded. "Let 'em come. Let all of 'em come."
From the smoke, a shadow emerged—tall, broad, and dripping with seawater.
His skin was midnight blue, and his arms thick as tree trunks. Jagged coral horns curled from his forehead. He wore rusted chainmail over his chest, and in his hand—a triple-pronged harpoon, taller than most men.
The Fishman Captain.
Name: GENGAI THE UNDERTOW
Race: Shark Fishman
Notable Trait: Ex-Battle Pit Champion of Fishman Island*
Power: Fishman Karate Grandmaster, Muscle Density 10x Human
Reputation: Known to snap pirate ships in half underwater
"Burning up my outpost, killing my men…" Gengai growled, his voice like gravel under tide. His eyes locked onto Ace. "You'll pay for this, human."
Ace rolled his shoulder, flames curling lazily around him.
"You're the boss, huh? Thought you'd be bigger."
Gengai's jaw cracked sideways. "I've broken fire users before."
Ace grinned. "Let's make it a habit."
With a roar, Gengai charged.
The ground split under his steps—he launched his harpoon like a javelin.
Ace twisted, the spear grazing past his face, embedding deep into a wall.
Before Ace could react, Gengai was already there. He threw a massive fist forward—Fishman Karate: Seismic Palm!
BOOOOM!
The air exploded around Ace, blasting him back through crates.
He coughed, wiped blood from his lips.
"Alright… that hurt."
Ace snapped his fingers—flames exploded under his feet. He blasted forward, fists blazing.
"Hiken!!
The fire fist shot forward like a cannon. Gengai crossed his arms, took the hit dead-on. Smoke engulfed him.
Ace narrowed his eyes—until Gengai burst out of the fire, clothes scorched but laughing.
"You think that's fire?! I've swum through lava to kill magma beasts!"
He spun and delivered a brutal roundhouse kick. Ace ducked, countered with a flame-coated uppercut—but Gengai caught it midair and slammed Ace into the ground, shaking the earth.
Ace gasped, chest burning.
"Okay…" he muttered. "New plan."
Gengai raised both arms—fishman Karate: Ocean Wrath!!
A massive wave of compressed water shot from his hands, crushing everything in its path.
Ace clapped his hands together, channeling fire into both arms—Fire Pillars erupted in a V-shape.
The wave and flame clashed, turning into steam and pressure that blew out windows and cracked walls.
Amid the mist, Ace vanished.
Then— above Gengai.
He came down like a meteor, engulfed in a cloak of fire.
"Entei!"
A massive flaming sun the size of a building formed in his hand.
Gengai's eyes widened.
"No—"
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The ground collapsed.
The entire courtyard was bathed in red fire.
When the smoke cleared, Gengai lay embedded in the earth, burned, broken, gasping.
Ace stood above him, shirt torn, flames dripping from his arms like molten gold.
"You picked the wrong island."
The ronins cheered. Fishmen fled.
Gunnar watched from a distance, Isshin still cradled over his shoulder.
He looked at Ace. "You done?"
Ace smirked, flexed his arm. "Just getting warm."