"My death?" Arlong's shark-like face twisted into a grin, laughter bursting out as though he'd heard the funniest joke under the sun.
"I was planning to deal with him later, but it seems he's too impatient to wait for his own funeral!"
"Guess he's eager to die!" one of the fishmen sneered.
"Let's see if he's got the skill for that," came a calm voice from outside.
A moment later, Loshue stepped into the room, Nami following close behind.
"Shahahaha!" Arlong's booming laugh filled the hall. "You actually came! A single man walking into my territory?"
He leaned forward, jagged teeth glinting. "Should I call that courage… or stupidity?"
The rest of his crew burst into howls of laughter.
But as Arlong's gaze slid toward Nami, his expression turned cold.
"Nami, have I been too kind to you lately? Did my generosity give you the illusion that I'm a good man?"
The hall erupted again.
"Hahaha! A good man? The great Arlong hates good men more than anything!"
"If Arlong's a good guy, then there's no evil left in the world!"
The crew roared with laughter, their cruelty echoing through the hall.
Arlong raised his hand, gesturing for silence. His sharp eyes locked on Nami.
"Come here, Nami. You don't want your precious villagers to die because of you, do you?"
He knew exactly which strings to pull. For years, he'd kept her obedient with the same trick her love for her village. It was how he'd forced her to draw maps, to steal treasure, to live in fear.
But this time… it didn't work.
Nami stood firm beside Loshue, her eyes trembling but resolute.
"Today, we're here to end you," she said, her voice quivering but fierce, each word forced out through gritted teeth.
"End me?" Arlong smirked, pointing at Loshue. "With him?"
"Don't think that beating Yordle makes you someone important!"
Loshue's gaze stayed calm, his voice flat but sharp enough to cut.
"Oh? You, a washed-up failure from the Grand Line, hiding in the East Blue, still think this is your domain?"
"YOU—!" Arlong's smile snapped into a snarl. The words Grand Line hit him like a blade to the heart. Rage flooded his veins, his face twitching with barely contained fury.
"Captain Arlong, let me handle this brat!" one of the fishmen barked, stepping forward with a massive battle axe.
"This loudmouth's tongue would taste great roasted over a fire!"
Another pirate snickered. "And Nami… once he's dead, maybe we'll visit that little village of yours next. Let's see if you'll cry for them then!"
Laughter filled the hall again, harsh and vile.
None of them took Loshue seriously.
This was Arlong's fortress home to the most feared fishman crew in all of East Blue. With Arlong's 20-million bounty hanging over them like a banner of dominance, who would dare challenge them?
Except Loshue.
The axeman cracked his neck and stepped forward, grinning wide. "Let's see if one swing is enough to split you in half!"
Loshue didn't even look at him.
"Step back, Nami," he said quietly.
Nami hesitated, her heart pounding, but obeyed. "O-okay."
Her palms were slick with sweat. Could Loshue really defeat Arlong? She didn't know.
But at this point, all she could do was believe.
It was a gamble the biggest one of her life.
"Do you even know where you are, kid?" the axeman taunted, raising his weapon high.
"Fishmen love killing little humans like you!"
The axe came crashing down
Clang!
Loshue's hand shot up, gripping the pirate's wrist mid-swing.
"Not bad, kid!" the pirate sneered, still laughing. He tried to force the axe downward but it didn't move.
Loshue's fingers clamped around his wrist like steel welded to his bones. No matter how hard he struggled, the weapon refused to budge.
"Calling yourself a pirate when you can't even swing properly?" Loshue's tone was almost mocking.
He tightened his grip slightly.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bone split the air.
"AAAHHH!" The pirate's scream tore through the hall as his arm twisted grotesquely, bones shattered and tendons snapped.
Loshue threw him aside like trash. The man's body slammed into the wall, punching a crater into the stone and leaving spiderweb cracks spreading outward.
The laughter stopped.
Every pirate froze, eyes wide with disbelief.
That strength… it was monstrous.
Even some of the officers tensed, realizing this human might not be as weak as they'd thought.
From a nearby sofa, Chu, the fishman officer, jumped to his feet and cracked his knuckles.
"Not bad, kid. But that's as far as you go!"
He lunged forward, body blurring like a fired cannonball.
"Psssh! Psssh!"
From his mouth, streams of water bullets shot out like arrows his species' special attack. Each droplet was sharp enough to pierce steel.
But Loshue didn't flinch.
As the water bullets closed in, his body shimmered and vanished.
The Rabbit Talisman's power had activated.
"Behind you!" Arlong shouted, but it was too late.
Loshue appeared behind Chu, one arm wrapping around his neck.
Crack!
A sharp twist and silence.
Chu's body went limp, falling to the floor with a dull thud.
For a moment, even the air seemed to freeze.
"Y-you bastard!" Arlong roared, fury bursting out of him like a storm. He drew his massive sawblade sword, veins bulging across his arms.
Chu wasn't just another crewmate he was one of Arlong's oldest allies, someone who had followed him since the days of the Sun Pirates. Losing him in front of everyone was a humiliation Arlong couldn't bear.
"I'll tear you apart!" he bellowed.
He stomped the ground, the floor exploding beneath his feet as he launched himself forward like a living cannonball, the earth cracking in his wake.
The force of his movement sent waves of pressure rippling through the hall the true might of a Fishman unleashed.
But Loshue didn't move. His eyes glowed faintly, calm and cold.
The storm was coming and he was ready to meet it head-on.