When Nami reached Arlong Park, the battle was already over.
The gates stood wide open.
Arlong sat in the center, flanked by Chew, Kuroobi, and Hachi, with dozens of Fish-Men watching her with interest.
Outside, villagers writhed in agony, blood staining the ground red.
Though gravely injured and defenseless, they clung to life.
Nami looked up, her pupils shrinking.
Ajiken, unconscious, was impaled on a spear against the gate, blood dripping from his shoulder and abdomen.
Drip! Drip! Drip!
"Nami!" Arlong's sadistic laugh snapped her back. She forced a smile, but her eyes blazed with rage and hatred. "I got the money. As agreed, 100 million Berries to buy back the village!"
"Of course," Arlong nodded, his mockery deepening. "Bring it into Arlong Park, into my hands."
Nami pursed her lips, stepping forward, but a gunshot froze her.
Bang!
She turned, numb.
The Fish-Man Saltburn held a rusty flintlock, smoke curling from the barrel.
A villager lay dead, a bullet through their head, blood pooling.
"Whoops~" Saltburn taunted. "That Ajiken guy had a good gun. Years without maintenance, yet so reliable."
Click!
He reloaded, smirking at Nami. "Go on, Nami. Fulfill your dream, your obsession. Isn't this what you've endured for?"
Nami gripped the chest's handle, nails piercing her palm, blood trickling unnoticed. "This is your promise about money?!"
"Arlong!"
She hadn't imagined he could be this vile.
Her game of saving to buy the village was just his amusement.
All her hopes, her dreams, were now a joke.
"Shahahahaha!" Arlong's laugh echoed through the park. "What's wrong, Nami? Isn't this your wish? Step through that gate, and Cocoyasi is yours!"
"Of course, a village without living souls is still a village, right?"
Her trembling lips fueled Arlong's release of years of pent-up resentment.
He stood, approaching the motionless Nami, grabbing her hair as before. "Your only worth is slaving in Arlong Park, charting maps day and night to help me conquer the East Blue, the Grand Line, the world!"
"That's the purpose of you inferior humans!"
He leaned close. "Let's make a deal."
"This money buys the lives of everyone here—except that Ajiken guy. His shot hurt my kin."
Saltburn rubbed his chest. "Big red mark~"
Nami shivered at Arlong's familiar words. "What about those not here?"
"Rebels against me die!" Arlong sneered, snatching her chest and pinning her to the wall. "Now… what's your choice?"
"I…" Nami's mind reeled, but a sharp voice cut through.
"What are you doing to my navigator?!"
Arlong turned, seeing a silver flying slash hurtling toward him. He raised the chest as a shield.
Slash!
The chest split, the slash sending Arlong flying into the park's pool, Berries scattering everywhere.
Nami, amidst the falling money, froze, then saw three familiar figures. "Captain Lancelot? How did you find this place?"
"Arlong's a monster. Swords, poison, guns, cannons—nothing hurts him. You'll die coming here!"
Gawain didn't answer, draping his cloak over her, his voice thick with suppressed rage. "Just tell me, do you want him dead?"
Nami bit her lip. "Yes, every day, every hour, every second. But I don't want you to die."
"Run now!"
"Wanting it is enough," Gawain said, patting her shoulder. Scanning the scene, his expression grew colder. "Gin! Kuro! Time to stretch!"
Kuro's claw blades glinted, and Gin's tonfas spun, stirring a whirlwind.
Furious at Nami's treatment, they growled, "Understood, Captain!"
They charged, clashing head-on with the Fish-Men.
Claw blades and tonfas unleashed a storm of blood.
Several Fish-Men were sent flying by Gin's tonfas, crashing through walls.
Saltburn, targeted, had his head crushed by Gin's iron ball before he could raise his gun.
Kuro activated Spoon, becoming an invisible reaper, leaving deep, bone-revealing gashes on the Fish-Men.
Ordinary Fish-Men could dominate civilians with their racial strength, but against real threats, they fell.
In today's East Blue, Kuro with Observation Haki and Gin were absolute powerhouses. Even Hachi, Chew, and Kuroobi were outmatched, suppressed in moments.
…
"Captain Lancelot, how—!" Nami gaped at the one-sided battle.
As she spoke, Arlong shot from the pool like a sword, landing lightly.
He touched the bleeding gash on his chest, grinning wickedly. "That stung a bit~"
He turned to Nami, voice dripping with scorn. "Nami, he's no Lancelot. You trick others, but now you're the one deceived."
"Bounty of 85 million Berries, East Blue's top swordsman, Knight Gawain. With him, 'Hundred Plans' Kuro at 16 million, and 'Demon' Gin at 12 million!"
Nami froze, recalling the crew's odd reactions when Gawain's group revealed their fake names.
"You were all lying to me?!"
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