Dragon Paradise.
This was the base of the Dragon Pirates, home to their band of fishmen.
And within this place…
Laughter echoed endlessly.
With the wealth they'd extracted from the surrounding villages—including Cocoyasi Village—they had built a private paradise, a haven carved out of others' suffering. Life here was nothing short of luxurious for them.
"Brother Arlong, I saw Nami come back yesterday. She sailed in on a huge ship. She must've scored big on this trip!"
One of the younger fishmen eagerly reported what he'd seen.
"Hahaha! It doesn't matter how much she made—whatever money she sweated for ends up in our pockets sooner or later."
Arlong grinned wickedly.
"Go tell Colonel Nezumi I've got a business proposal for him. Same deal as always—fifty-fifty split."
The more Nami earned, the more Arlong pocketed. Of course, at the right time, he'd make his move—like always. He'd let Colonel Nezumi 'confiscate' her treasure, forcing Nami to start all over again.
As for whether that was cruel?
Come on—he was a pirate. Being cruel was part of the job description.
Then—
SWISH!
BOOM!!!
The steel gates of Arlong Park suddenly exploded, reduced to shards and twisted metal.
"Well, well! The great Dragon Pirates still strutting around like kings, huh? Even colluding with the Navy? No wonder no one's tried to stop you all these years."
Standing at the entrance, Kairos Flint spoke with a cold smirk. He pointed toward the top of the wall.
There, a Den Den Mushi—a video transponder snail—sat, filming everything happening inside Arlong Park.
Everything the Dragon Pirates had just said?
It was being broadcast live.
Broadcast to none other than Navy Captain Smoker, all the way in Loguetown.
Loguetown – Inside Captain Smoker's Office
"Colonel Nezumi… that rat bastard! He's been colluding with pirates this whole time?!"
Smoke coiled around the furious Marine as he clenched several cigars between his teeth, yet none muffled his outrage. His expression was a mix of disbelief and fury as he listened to the live transmission.
Smoker had once believed that corrupt officers like Colonel Morgan were isolated incidents.
But now? After receiving Kairos Flint's call urging him to tune into the live broadcast, Smoker was forced to face a truth that made his blood boil.
Before the stream started, Kairos had explained the situation in Cocoyasi Village:
Eight years.
Eight years of oppression.
Eight years where the Dragon Pirates openly built their so-called "Dragon Paradise" right there in the village.
And the Navy?
Silent. Inactive. Nowhere to be seen.
Smoker had always suspected something fishy about the East Blue command, but he'd chalked it up to incompetence. He never imagined it would be full-on corruption.
But hearing it from Arlong himself?
"Business with the Navy"?
"Fifty-fifty, like always"?
There was no doubt. This was outright collusion.
No wonder no Marines ever appeared in Cocoyasi.
No wonder the Dragon Pirates remained hidden in plain sight.
It was all thanks to scum like Nezumi, shielding them from justice.
Smoker's fury reached a boiling point. His face darkened further as Kairos Flint, through the live feed, delivered his final mocking jab at the Navy.
"You're broadcasting this live?!"
Arlong's eyes widened as he spotted the video Den Den Mushi. He snarled at Kairos with visible fury.
"Damn right I am. And it's broadcasting straight to a Marine officer. What's the matter? Surprised? Shocked?"
Kairos smirked casually.
"You damn human!!!"
Arlong's voice roared with murderous rage. His glowing red eyes locked onto Kairos with undisguised killing intent.
His carefully maintained empire—his secret Dragon Paradise—had just been exposed to the entire Marine force. Worse yet, he had no clue who the broadcast was sent to, nor where that Marine was stationed.
Even if he wanted to bribe or silence the officer, he had no target to manipulate.
It was too late.
The Navy would now know exactly where he was.
And if they decided to mobilize…
He was finished.
No one understood the Navy's power more than Arlong.
He had once stood before Admiral Kizaru, and compared to that monster, he'd been nothing more than an ant throwing punches at an elephant.
The only reason he'd even been released from prison was because of Jinbei's influence—when Jinbei had become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. That's the only reason fishmen like him had been let go.
But Arlong never let go of his hatred for humans.
Even though he lacked the power to confront the world head-on, he turned his sights to the East Blue—the weakest of the four seas.
There, he could dominate.
And dominate he did, creating his so-called "Dragon Empire" over eight years of tyranny and exploitation.
Now?
All of that—gone.
One careless moment, one damn human, and the dream he'd clung to was crumbling.
If he wanted to survive, he would need to abandon everything he had built. And he couldn't bear that.
His rage burned hotter than ever.
He no longer cared about the future of the Dragon Pirates.
All he wanted now…
Was to kill Kairos Flint.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her—Nami.
"So it was you, Nami! You dare betray us? You really went and turned against us like this?!"
His voice was thick with venom.
"You've angered me completely. Before the Marines even have a chance to show up, I'm going to raze Cocoyasi Village to the ground. I'll kill every last person—no exceptions."
"This… is the price of betrayal!"
He bared his sharp teeth in a savage snarl, his eyes blazing with the promise of blood.