"If you guys run into the sea, it'll be quite troublesome!"
This sentence completely shattered Arlong's last fantasy.
His face, with its jagged long nose, twisted in a mix of mania and unwillingness, but he didn't give up completely.
The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything; he roared, still leading his remaining subordinates as they charged toward the ice field that used to be a harbor.
Running further away was clearly unrealistic, but the ice layer beneath their feet couldn't be infinitely thick.
A final, crazy thought rose in Arlong's heart: as long as he could break through this layer of ice, as long as he could return to the water, they would still have the strength to fight!
Lorne seemed to see through their thoughts; a playful arc curled at the corner of his mouth, but he didn't move to stop them immediately.
He shoved his hands back into his pockets and followed leisurely, watching this group of creatures who considered themselves a superior race make their final struggle in the desperate situation he had created with his own hands.
Only by giving hope and then ruthlessly crushing it could one bring the deepest pain and despair.
"Everyone, do it! Break open this damn ice surface!"
Arlong roared, taking the lead as he slammed his massive serrated blade onto the ice.
"Clang!"
With a loud bang, ice chips flew everywhere, but only a shallow white mark was left on the hard ice layer.
The other fish-men also reacted, using their fists, weapons, and the brute strength they were so proud of to attack the ice under their feet frantically.
For a moment, the entire ice field echoed with dull thuds and the heavy panting of the fish-men.
However, this ice layer was far tougher than they imagined, and no matter how they attacked, it was futile, only splashing up some ice fragments.
"Nyu~! Everyone, get out of the way!"
The only remaining executive, Hatchan, let out his unique, simple-minded roar as his six thick arms gripped six long swords simultaneously.
"Six-Sword Style~ Octopus Open Gate!"
Hatchan gathered all his strength into his six arms, and the six blades slashed at the same point Arlong had attacked earlier at a tricky angle.
This time, it was effective.
"Crack~"
With a crisp sound, the tough ice surface finally couldn't bear the weight, and a clear crack spread out from the point of impact.
"It's working! It's cracking!"
"Great! A little more effort and we can get down!"
Seeing the crack, ecstasy appeared on the faces of all the fish-men, and the hope of survival was reignited.
Arlong was also invigorated, preparing to call on everyone to strike together and shatter this ice surface completely.
Just as they watched in wild joy, the crack that had just spread began to heal rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In the blink of an eye, the crack returned to normal, as if everything just now was just an illusion.
"Ho... how?"
A fish-man stammered, the joy on his face solidifying into astonishment.
"The... the ice healed itself?"
Tap, tap, tap!
Clear footsteps rang out across the dead-silent ice field, each one striking against the fish-men's taut nerves.
Lorne walked over slowly, a casual smile on his face.
He even leaned in to take a look at the pristine ice surface, pretending to be curious.
"Keep going! You were so close!"
He said in an encouraging tone, then tilted his head, showing a puzzled expression.
"Aren't you a superior race? How can you not even break a piece of ice?"
This light mockery instantly ignited the last shred of Arlong's reason.
The humiliation of being toyed with and the hatred for his fallen kin completely overwhelmed him, plunging him into pure madness.
"Aaaah! Human scum!"
Arlong let out a roar that didn't sound human; he gave up attacking the ice and instead poured all his rage toward the young man who had subjected him to such humiliation.
"Even if I die! I will drag you down to hell with me!"
"Shark~ON~DARTS!"
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