At the now-devastated fortress of Arlong Park, a strange scene of domesticity was unfolding. Hatchan, the octopus Fish-Man, was humming a cheerful tune to himself. With his six arms, he was masterfully preparing an enormous meal—giant slabs of sea beast steak, piles of kelp salad, and buckets of seasoned squid.
"Mooomoooo!" he called out, his voice a sing-song. He then put a tentacle to his lips, puffed up his cheeks, and produced a bizarre, trumpet-like sound that echoed across the water. "Dinner's ready!"
The sound, strange as it was, carried. It reached the ears of Roronoa Zoro, who was sitting patiently amidst the mountain of his own unconscious victims, waiting for the boss to return. His head perked up, and he followed the noise to a secluded shore of the park.
He saw the six-armed Fish-Man standing beside a massive trough of food.
"Who're you?" Hatchan asked, his large, round eyes blinking with a simple-minded curiosity.
"A guest," Zoro replied, his voice a flat, dangerous monotone. He was in no mood for games, but he was curious.
"Oh, a guest!" Hatchan's demeanor brightened instantly. "Well, you're outta luck! Arlong-san isn't here right now. He had some business over at Cocoyasi village." The octopus Fish-Man was, by all accounts, not the sharpest tool in the shed. "Do you need a ride? I can take you!"
Zoro considered this. A free ride into the village where this Nami girl was from? It was a better plan than sitting here waiting. "Yeah," he grunted. "That'd be great."
Meanwhile, out on the open sea, Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku were about to enjoy a peaceful lunch, their small boat bobbing gently on the waves. That peace was shattered when the water beside them began to churn and boil.
A head, massive and cow-like, with large, dopey eyes and two small horns, emerged from the deep. It was Momoo, a colossal sea cow, one of the most feared beasts of the local waters.
Yosaku shrieked in terror. "It's Momoo! The Sea Cow from the Grand Line! He must be hungry!" he yelled, suggesting they toss the creature some of their precious food supplies to appease it.
Luffy, however, had a different philosophy when it came to dealing with giant, hungry creatures that blocked his path. He stood up, pulled his arm back, and punched it.
The blow, a solid Gomu Gomu no Pistol, connected squarely with Momoo's massive snout. The sea cow just blinked, a look of profound, bovine confusion on its face. The punch had bounced off its thick hide, annoying it more than hurting it.
Sanji exploded. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, YOU IDIOT?!" he roared, kicking Luffy in the back of the head. "YOU DON'T PUNCH AN ANIMAL JUST BECAUSE IT'S IN YOUR WAY! CAN'T YOU SEE IT'S PROBABLY JUST HUNGRY?! NEVER HURT A HUNGRY CREATURE! THAT IS THE LAW OF THE SEA!"
He then turned to the giant sea cow, his demeanor shifting to one of a gentle, caring host. He held out a piece of roasted sea king. "Here you go, big guy. You must be starving."
Momoo leaned in to take the food. But as it did, it also tried to bite Sanji's entire hand off along with the meal.
Sanji's chivalrous kindness vanished in an instant, replaced by a cook's righteous fury. "YOU TRY TO BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU, YOU UNGRATEFUL BEAST?!"
He delivered a powerful kick to Momoo's face, sending the massive creature reeling. The sea cow roared in pain and anger and tried to retaliate, charging towards their small boat.
Sanji just scoffed. He leaped high into the air, his body an arc of controlled, deadly grace. He aimed a powerful, descending axe kick directly at the beast's thick neck.
"Collier Shoot!"
WHAM!
The impact was tremendous. Momoo's eyes rolled back into its head, and the colossal creature slumped into the water, unconscious, sending a massive wave across the sea.
The three of them then calmly resumed their lunch, floating next to the unconscious, multi-ton sea monster.
Zoro, thanks to his unlikely octopus chauffeur, arrived at the quiet docks of Cocoyasi village. He stepped ashore, his one eye scanning the tense, silent streets. Something was wrong here.
At that exact moment, Arlong and his officers were returning to Arlong Park. They walked into their stronghold to find a scene of absolute carnage. Their entire reserve force was lying in a single, massive, unconscious heap.
Arlong's eyes narrowed, a low, dangerous growl rumbling in his chest. "Who… did this?"
One of the conscious Fish-Men pointed a trembling, webbed finger. "It… it was him! The Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro!"
Arlong's rage began to build, but it was quickly pacified by Chew, who had just returned from his own failed mission. "Arlong-san! We have captured the long-nosed human!"
"Hmph. At least you accomplished something," Arlong grunted. His attention then turned to Nami, who was standing there, trying to look as innocent as possible.
"Some of the men are saying you let the swordsman escape, Nami," one of the officers, a fish-man with large lips named Kuroobi, accused. "They say betrayal is your specialty, after all."
Nami's expression hardened. "Don't be ridiculous. Why would I risk the 100 million Beli I've worked so hard for? I have a promise to buy back my village, fair and square. I would never betray this crew until that promise is fulfilled."
Arlong looked at her, his sharp eyes searching for any sign of deception. He then let out a hearty laugh. "She's right! The little witch is far too greedy to betray me over something so trivial! I trust her!"
He turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "We will deal with the swordsman when he returns. For now, we have the long-nosed liar to deal with."
Back in Cocoyasi village, Zoro overheard the terrified villagers whispering. "…the long-nosed boy… they captured him… took him to Arlong Park…"
Zoro's eye narrowed. "Usopp…"
He turned and began walking briskly back in the direction he had come.
And out at sea, Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku, having finished their lunch, were now heading full-steam towards the Conomi Islands, a collision course with destiny. All roads, it seemed, now led back to Arlong Park