Jinbe 7: Ethan vs.
Jinbe With the talent, physical potential, and vitality inherited through the Soul Palace connection, Ethan’s growth became increasingly terrifying.
Another four days passed.
And in that short span of time, his mastery of Fish-Man Karate improved yet again.
Eventually, even Jinbe decided it was time to test him properly.
So the two arranged a formal sparring match aboard the deck of the Sun Pirates’ ship.
The rules were simple.
Only Fish-Man Karate.
No Haki.
No Wood Release.
No special powers.
Pure martial skill.
At first, most of the crew assumed Jinbe was joking.
A human who had studied Fish-Man Karate for barely a week?
Impossible.
Even Fish-Men who trained from childhood couldn’t progress that quickly.
Still skeptical, the entire crew gathered to watch.
Even Arlong appeared.
Wrapped in bandages from head to toe, he stood silently at the edge of the deck, eyes fixed on Ethan the entire time.
Jinbe stepped forward casually.
“You attack first.” He didn’t even bother taking a defensive stance.
“Alright.” Ethan accepted immediately.
His posture lowered slightly.
One fist drew back near his waist as his muscles tightened like a compressed spring.
Then he punched.
The instant his fist shot forward, compressed force detonated through the air in a violent shockwave.
Fish-Man Karate: Vacuum Tile True Fist.
A modified technique Ethan developed after studying Jinbe’s Tile True Punch.
Longer range.
More concentrated impact.
And thanks to the increasing vitality granted by Wood Release and Senju physiology, the raw force behind it had already reached—or even surpassed—Jinbe’s original version.
At first, Jinbe underestimated it.
Then the shockwave reached him.
His expression changed instantly.
The pressure was enormous.
“Shark Tile True Punch!” Jinbe’s massive blue arm bulged with muscle as he launched a devastating counterstrike into the air ahead of him.
BOOM!
The collision exploded like artillery fire.
Violent air currents blasted across the deck, nearly knocking nearby Fish-Men off their feet.
Arlong stared in disbelief.
The force generated by a single exchange exceeded anything he’d imagined possible from a human.
“He really learned Fish-Man Karate?!” “And he’s actually matching Big Brother Jinbe?!” “What the hell is this monster…?” The crew erupted into shocked discussion.
Even Fisher Tiger stood speechless.
At this point, he genuinely didn’t know how to process Ethan anymore.
Jinbe slowly grinned.
For the first time since meeting Ethan, genuine excitement appeared in his eyes.
“Not bad, kid.” The casual attitude vanished from his voice entirely.
“In that case…” He rolled his shoulders.
“I’ll stop holding back.” Ethan smiled back.
But hidden behind that smile was something dangerous.
A trace of the same cold madness Arlong had witnessed in the cargo hold.
Arlong immediately felt his scalp go numb.
The two moved again.
No more probing.
No more restraint.
Pure close-quarters combat.
Fist against fist.
The physical contrast between them looked absurd.
Jinbe towered over Ethan completely.
The teenager barely reached above the Fish-Man’s waist.
His legs weren’t even as thick as Jinbe’s arms.
Every collision looked like fragile branches smashing against iron pillars.
The visual impact alone made the spectators tense instinctively.
Tiger honestly feared Ethan’s body would snap apart at any moment.
And truthfully— every exchange hurt.
Jinbe’s strikes carried force like crashing tides, sending shockwaves through Ethan’s muscles and bones with every impact.
A normal human would’ve collapsed long ago.
But Ethan’s regeneration bordered on monstrous.
Wood Release continuously revitalized his body faster than anyone aboard the ship could comprehend.
As long as Jinbe wasn’t using Haki, Ethan could endure it.
So the battle continued.
From noon… to sunset… to deep night beneath the stars.
Only then did it finally end.
Because Jinbe ran out of stamina first.
The whale shark Fish-Man collapsed flat onto the deck, breathing heavily.
Bruises covered his massive body.
Across from him, Ethan looked equally battered.
Swollen face.
Bruised arms.
Torn clothing.
A complete mess.
But there was one crucial difference.
Ethan was still standing.
The entire Sun Pirates crew stared in stunned silence.
A human who had studied Fish-Man Karate for only one week— had fought Jinbe to a draw without relying on any special powers.
The result shattered common sense.
One week.
That was all it took for Ethan to evolve from someone with no martial arts foundation into an elite Fish-Man Karate practitioner.
Tiger looked at Ethan as though staring at some unidentified sea monster.
He already knew Ethan wasn’t normal after witnessing Wood Release in Mary Geoise.
But this level of combat talent was horrifying.
Jinbe finally laughed weakly from the floor.
“You little monster…” He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.
“You’re ridiculously hard to put down.” Ethan grinned.
“You’re less durable than I expected.” “Hahaha!” Jinbe burst into laughter.
“Fine.
I’ll count this one as my loss.” Then he pointed at Ethan.
“But next time, I’m using everything.” Ethan immediately shook his head.
“If you use Haki, I’m getting demolished.” Jinbe smirked.
“You can use your Devil Fruit too.” Ethan still refused.
“No thanks.
Still losing.” Jinbe rubbed his forehead helplessly before finally offering a compromise.
“Alright.” He crossed his arms.
“I’ll teach you Haki.” “Then we’ll fight properly later.” Ethan’s smile widened slightly.
Mission accomplished.
Then his legs suddenly gave out and he collapsed onto the deck.
He’d stayed standing purely through stubbornness.
From that day onward, no one aboard the Sun Pirates dared gossip about Ethan anymore.
No one looked at him with contempt.
No one treated him like an outsider to bully.
Everywhere he went, he felt only respect.
The kind reserved for strength.
Only Arlong still carried resentment— but he no longer dared display it openly.
Whenever they crossed paths, he simply lowered his head and walked away as quickly as possible.
Two days later, Ethan eagerly sought Jinbe out again.
This time— to learn Haki.
He had become addicted to growth.
Everything came faster now.
Easier.
Every single day, he could feel himself becoming stronger.
And once someone experienced that kind of rapid progress— stopping became impossible.
Jinbe stared at the fully recovered Ethan in disbelief.
Bruises still covered Jinbe’s own body from their fight.
Meanwhile, Ethan looked perfectly healthy.
“What a freak…” Jinbe muttered.
Then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“Tell me honestly.” “Are you actually human?” Ethan rolled his eyes.
“What kind of stupid question is that?” He pointed at himself.
“What part of me doesn’t look human?” Jinbe clicked his tongue.
“Honestly?” “All of you.” “Don’t insult me in circles.” Ethan laughed despite himself.
“Just teach me Haki already.” Shaking his head helplessly, Jinbe finally began explaining the fundamentals of Haki.
At the same time— inside the captain’s cabin— Fisher Tiger’s expression looked grim.
In his hand was the latest newspaper and a freshly delivered bounty poster brought that morning by News Coo.
Printed across the page was his own face.
Fisher Tiger — 500,000,000 Berries.