CHAPTER 14 - ARLONG PARK: THE VICE-CAPTAIN'S VENGEANCE
Luffy's rage was a tangible force, a swirling vortex of rubbery fury. He tore through Arlong Park, a one-man wrecking crew, each punch and kick infused with the raw power of his loyalty to Nami. Arlong, initially confident, began to realize the depth of his mistake.
Adam, however, wasn't just observing. He had a score to settle. Nami's tears, the despair in her eyes, the years of silent suffering – it all fueled a cold, quiet fury within him that surpassed his usual sarcastic irritation. "You hurt her, Arlong. You branded her. You broke her spirit. And for that, you get to experience the full, unadulterated wrath of a very annoyed Vice-Captain who also happens to know exactly what buttons to push."
Arlong, enraged by Luffy's relentless assault, turned his attention to the villagers, specifically targeting Genzo, Nami's adoptive father. "If I can't break Nami, I'll break her family!" he snarled, launching himself at Genzo with a powerful "Shark on Darts" attack, his razor-sharp nose extended like a deadly projectile.
Genzo, caught off guard, froze in terror.
Adam saw it. The template. The moment. He had to act. And he had to use his newly acquired skill.
"Not on my watch, fish-face!" Adam roared, a chillingly serious tone in his voice. He activated his copied "Shark on Darts" technique, acquired from Arlong's hate. His own arm blurred, extending with surprising force, and he launched himself forward, intercepting Arlong's attack mid-air. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't elegant, but it was enough. The impact was jarring, a sharp, jarring pain in his arm, but he managed to deflect Arlong's deadly nose away from Genzo.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: ARLONG][LIKE METER: 0%][HATE METER: 80%][ACQUIRABLE SKILLS: SHARK ON DARTS (COPIED - 90% EFFICIENCY), FISH-MAN KARATE (BASIC - COPIED)]
"Eighty percent hate! Yes! It worked! And 'Shark on Darts (Copied - 90% efficiency)' and 'Fish-Man Karate (Basic - Copied)'! My personal vendetta is paying off! I can now use his own stupid moves against him! The irony is delicious."
Arlong roared in disbelief. "WHAT?! YOU CAN USE MY TECHNIQUES, HUMAN?!"
"Oh, did I not mention?" Adam panted, clutching his arm, a triumphant smirk replacing his grimace. "I'm a quick learner, fish-face. Especially when I'm motivated by sheer, unadulterated spite. You're like a bad teacher, Arlong. You inspire me to be better. By being so utterly terrible."
Genzo stared at Adam, wide-eyed. "You... you saved me!"
"Just doing my job, Mr. Pinwheel," Adam said, wincing slightly as he rubbed his arm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a fish to fry. And by 'fry,' I mean 'utterly humiliate and then help my Captain punch into next week.'"
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: GENZO][LIKE METER: 30%][HATE METER: 0%][ACQUIRABLE SKILLS: NONE]
"Thirty percent like for Genzo. Good. Another ally. I'm building quite the fan club. Too bad they'll mostly be fans of my ability to annoy villains."
Adam then turned his full attention to Arlong. Luffy was still fighting, but Adam knew he could make it easier, and far more infuriating, for the fish-man. He activated his copied "Fish-Man Karate (Basic)" skill, surprising Arlong with a few basic, but effective, underwater-style palm strikes. He wasn't a master, but the fact that a human was using his own style was enough to send Arlong into a fresh paroxysm of rage.
"YOU INSOLENT HUMAN! I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET THAT!" Arlong shrieked, launching a barrage of attacks.
Adam, using his "Bo Staff Skills (Practical)" (which he'd manifested as a sturdy piece of pipe he found lying around) combined with his newfound "Fish-Man Karate," parried and dodged, infuriating Arlong further. He was a constant, irritating distraction, a buzzing fly around a furious shark.
He then saw an opening. Arlong was charging Luffy, blinded by rage. Adam quickly manifested a "Temporary Copy of Future-Favorite Booze" (from Zoro's skills), then, with his "Shark on Darts (Copied)" precision, he threw the glass bottle directly into Arlong's open mouth.
Arlong choked, sputtering and gagging on the unexpected liquid. "BLARGH! WHAT IS THIS FILTH?!"
"Just a little taste of future regret, Arlong!" Adam yelled, grinning. "It's Zoro's favorite! I figured you'd appreciate a good, strong drink before you get your butt handed to you!"
The momentary distraction, the unexpected taste, and the sheer audacity of the prank, sent Arlong's "Hate" meter soaring.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: ARLONG][LIKE METER: 0%][HATE METER: 90%][ACQUIRABLE SKILLS: TOOTH GUM (BASIC), WATER JINBEI (BASIC)]
"Ninety percent hate! Almost at 100%! And 'Tooth Gum (Basic)'? So I can probably regenerate my teeth. Excellent. Very useful for... well, for regenerating teeth. 'Water Jinbei (Basic)'? So I can probably create a small water barrier. My abilities are getting dangerously close to actual superpowers. This is fun!"
Arlong, spitting out the liquor, lunged at Adam, abandoning Luffy for a moment. "I WILL DEVOUR YOU, HUMAN!"
"Kinky," Adam deadpanned, easily dodging. "But I'm pretty sure I'd taste like sarcasm and regret. Not your usual menu, I'm guessing."
Luffy, seeing Arlong distracted, seized the opportunity. With a final, explosive "Gum-Gum Battle Axe," he brought down the entire upper structure of Arlong Park, shattering the very symbol of Arlong's reign of terror. Arlong roared in defiance, but it was over. He was crushed beneath the rubble.
Adam watched, a satisfied smirk on his face. "That's it, fish-face. Game over. You messed with the wrong navigator. And the wrong Vice-Captain. Enjoy your new, confined living space. I hear it's quite cozy. And remarkably free of human sarcasm."
The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the crumbling of debris and the ragged breaths of the Straw Hats. Arlong was defeated. Nami was free. And Adam felt a profound sense of accomplishment. Not just for the victory, but for Nami's sake.