With the power of the spin, the water formed sharp blades, and he became a dangerous "top".
Earlier, Borsalino had stepped in to save Strawberry. Mandfeish wanted to test whether Borsalino could ignore his subordinates' casualties, as his battle required a lot of water. To conserve energy, he used Rain Dance to change the weather.
However, water alone couldn't deal with Borsalino. He wasn't Crocodile, who lost his elementalization ability when drenched.
The rain summoned by Rain Dance came from the moisture in the air. Although it contained P Particles feared by those with powers, it wasn't enough. Unless the opponent was soaked in seawater, they wouldn't be rendered powerless.
But Mega Gyarados was different. After its Mega Evolution, its ability changed to Mold Breaker, which could render the opponent's abilities ineffective to some extent.
In other words, when facing Mandfeish's attack, if Borsalino tried to dodge using Logia-type's passive ability, he might fail, as evidenced by the bloody mark on his shoulder.
The water blade, for some reason, didn't turn his body into light but instead left a bloody wound.
It wasn't Haki, yet it was strange. If the opponent's attack truly had the means to bypass elementalization, why didn't he always use this method? It seemed to be a random attack.
A small wound made Borsalino reassess the situation, but afterward, he began preemptively dodging Mandfeish's water blades, not wanting to gamble on the opponent's accuracy.
However, as Mandfeish spun, the range of the water blade's attack gradually expanded, eventually encompassing other Navy forces.
"This guy... well, he is a pirate after all..."
A regular Navy leader wouldn't stand by while others slaughtered their subordinates, except when absolutely necessary. Sakazuki wouldn't either, or rather, he wouldn't tolerate such behavior.
He could send part of the Navy as sacrifices for the mission because that was an unavoidable aspect of war. Soldiers could die in battle, but not in this manner.
Of course, Borsalino wouldn't turn a blind eye either. In terms of large-scale attacks, he feared no one; at most, he'd just graze surfaces.
Allowing subordinates to be massacred was practically nonexistent within the Navy. The most unfortunate incident was when Zephyr couldn't protect the trainees due to his strength.
A flurry of lasers shot out, blocking Mandfeish's water blades from attacking the surrounding Navy, yet Mandfeish still achieved his goal. His seemingly chaotic attack had a primary target all along.
This target wasn't a specific person but the island beneath his feet. Before arriving, he had thoroughly studied Fuerxhe Island.
The island appeared to have a desert climate, covered in large cacti, yet villagers settled there, indicating a stable water source.
This was a characteristic of Fuerxhe Island. While there were no major rivers on the surface, underground rivers flowed beneath the island. Mandfeish's attack aimed to open a passage to these subterranean rivers, which was part of his escape plan.
When it came to covering his retreat, he would prepare an unexpected escape route, which was why Jack had no hesitation. Within the Hundred Beasts, Mandfeish's survival instincts and strategies were well-known.
This heavy rain wasn't just to enhance his combat strength but also to conceal the situation on the surface.
Due to their attacks, the rain-soaked ground became so riddled that it was impossible to discern anything. Following Mandfeish's aoe attack, Borsalino also reached his opponent's front.
Apart from the initial wound on his arm, Borsalino sustained no injuries.
"I heard you mark your strength with numbers, so you must be the strongest, right?"
Gazing at the NO.1 on Mandfeish's shoulder, Borsalino began to "praise" him, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"So your strength should surpass that of Zeraora, right? Then you should have even more terrifying abilities."
"Ha, the Navy's intelligence is decent, but who said I'm the strongest? No number doesn't imply weakness; it could simply mean he doesn't need one."
"Such a complex system... How about you come back and chat with me slowly, or do you want to experience what it's like to be kicked by light?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Borsalino's leg shone brightly as he kicked at Mandfeish, but this strike was blocked with crossed arms.
"Truly a monstrous Vice Admiral of the Navy, but unfortunately, my mission is complete. I'll pass on your regards to Lord Zeraora."
Saying this, he used Borsalino's kick to descend. By this time, Jack and the others should have retreated, so he decided to slip away as well.
After Mandfeish fell to the ground, he vanished. When Borsalino landed, he found a large hole in the ground, with the sound of rushing water inside.
"An underground river? Such a cunning guy..."
Borsalino abandoned the chase, only sending a parting shot downward.
Even Borsalino couldn't predict where someone submerged would end up, which was why the Navy, intrigued as they were, hadn't pursued any further action.
Based on calculations, capturing Queen on the sea had a higher success rate than capturing Mandfeish. When the opportunity arose, he would take action, but since the opponent had escaped and it was his oversight, he wouldn't deliberately pursue.
He and Mandfeish weren't fated enemies. He even felt that if they weren't on opposing sides, they might get along well.
"Vice Admiral Borsalino! Junior Admiral Strawberry is in critical condition!"
While pondering at the entrance to the underground river, a nearby Navy member reported.
Although he'd blocked Jack's follow-up, Jinbe's punch and Jack's powerful whip had already hit him. Now, even his towering hair was askew.
In fact, it wasn't just hair; it was his head. Given the timeline where he'd bandaged his hair entirely, it could be deduced that it was also a person with a peculiar head shape.
"I'll take him back to the warship for treatment. You all should hurry back with the other wounded."
With that, Borsalino turned into a flash of light and left with Strawberry. Afterward, the thunderclouds above the island dissipated.
But some people's doubts remained.
"Mom, was it really just thunder just now?"
Koala looked out the window, asking her long-separated mother in confusion.