"I-I-I can give you a Devil Fruit!" Van der Decken IX's tone shifted—fear now visible in his fish-like features as he tried bargaining with Rin.
"I don't lack Devil Fruits—now, you can die."
Rin raised his hand, and a radiant orb of light began forming in his palm, glowing brighter with each breath. His intent to kill was absolute.
"Wait, wait!" Van der Decken IX cried out again something clearly forming in his scheming mind.
"What now? If you dare spout any more useless garbage, you'll die an even uglier death than I planned."
Rin's gaze was cold, sharp as seastone he was quickly running out of patience.
"I… I want to challenge you to a fair duel!"
Van der Decken IX declared suddenly, attempting to regain even a sliver of control over the situation. He wanted to use the powers of his Target-Target Fruit to level the playing field.
"Oh? Your Target-Target Fruit?"
Rin smirked. He already knew about the fruit Van der Decken IX had eaten the Mato Mato no Mi which allowed him to mark any target by touching them and throw projectiles that would always hit that mark. A dangerous ability, but limited by the need to physically tag the enemy. Unfortunately for him, its greatest weakness was also its source of irony: it had robbed him, a fish-man, of his natural ability to swim.
"Y-You… how do you know I ate the Mato Mato no Mi?!"
Van der Decken's eyes widened. He hadn't mentioned his fruit he hadn't even shown it. And yet this Rin seemed to know everything.
"How I know isn't your concern. What you should be thinking about is how you plan to beat me."
Rin made it clear he was accepting the challenge. After all, it was already over before it started.
"Fine! Then let's do this!"
Van der Decken IX yanked off his right glove, revealing a grotesque, webbed hand the cursed mark of the Devil Fruit. He reached out toward Rin.
Rin, unshaken, extended his own hand. As their hands clasped, Rin felt it a prickling sensation crawling over his skin, like an unseen eye watching him. The mark had been made.
"Hahahaha!"
Van der Decken jumped to his feet, pulling two flintlock pistols from his waist. He fired wildly, but the bullets guided by the mark of the Mato Mato no Mi curved unnaturally midair, all zeroing in on Rin with unerring accuracy.
"Tch."
Rin looked unimpressed. With a wave of his hand, he activated his Pika Pika no Mi—the Light-Light Fruit. A wall of radiant flame burst to life beside him, forming a shimmering shield of pure light. The bullets collided with the wall and disintegrated instantly.
"You damn monster—how the hell do I fight that?!"
Van der Decken grit his teeth. He'd never felt so helpless. His power, once feared, was now laughably weak in the face of Rin's sheer strength and technique. He stared at Rin , this was no child, this was a predator.
"You're pathetic. And you dare call yourself a Devil Fruit user?"
Rin scoffed, mocking him with venom. "You ate a fruit and became a fish-man who can't swim—how tragic is that?"
Rin's insult was precise and cruel. He knew that for a fish-man, losing the ability to swim was beyond shameful. Van der Decken's expression twisted with rage.
"You... what did you say?!"
His voice quivered with fury. Nothing infuriated him more than being reminded of that shame.
"You heard me. Can't you recognize sarcasm when you hear it?"
Rin's tone was casual, but he watched carefully. His goading was working.
"Say it again! I dare you!"
Van der Decken IX growled through clenched teeth, his rage boiling over.
"Fish-man. Who. Can't. Swim."
Rin enunciated every word, each one like a slap across Van der Decken's pride. His smirk made it worse it was as if a king was toying with a clown.
"RAAAAGH!!"
Van der Decken snapped. He rushed forward with both hands clenched, using the target tag to fuel his attack. His strength as a fish-man was considerable even without water but Rin had already predicted his next move.
"...Rankyaku."
Rin vanished with Soru, another of the Navy's Six Powers, then leapt backward. Midair, he unleashed Rankyaku—a flying blade of compressed air fired from his leg. The vacuum blade hurtled toward Van der Decken.
Van der Decken raised his marked hand and braced himself. The Rankyaku struck with deadly force slamming directly into his forearm.
But it didn't sever him.
Though his arm bled and trembled from the impact, Van der Decken IX stood his ground. He staggered back several steps, but the blade dissipated shattered by sheer durability and willpower.
"Impressive. Not many can block that move and remain standing," Rin admitted honestly. His Rankyaku was no idle attack. For a moment, he acknowledged Van der Decken's resilience. "Maybe that fruit of yours isn't entirely useless."
"You'll pay… for mocking me!"
Van der Decken IX wheezed, clearly strained. Though he had managed to break Rin's vacuum blade, it had drained much of his stamina. The gap between their power was undeniable.
He realized now Princess Shirahoshi must have had Rin in her corner for a reason. The Pandora Pirate wasn't just a Warlord in name—his strength was real, overwhelming, and far beyond what Van der Decken had ever prepared for.
"Damn that princess… just how did she get someone like you on her side?"
His heart sank. Even if he survived today, it was clear—he would never touch Shirahoshi. And if he tried again, this demon would return.
And next time, he might not walk away.
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