"Ahhhh… you bastards! Big Brother Arlong won't let you die easy… ahhh—!!"
On the beach not far from the port, the Fishman in charge of watching that stretch of coast became the target of Nami's first real battle—and her first step toward revenge.
The result went without saying.
Even though a Fishman's physique is ten times that of an ordinary human, in the first half of the Grand line, in front of the almost invincible power of a Logia Devil Fruit, he was no different from how Arlong once described himself facing Kizaru, who was still a Vice Admiral back then—completely helpless.
This guard was more than two meters tall, over a meter taller than Nami.
But—
Nami merely turned both arms into flame and used Flame Mirror, drowning the Fishman in fire.
It was as if he were walking across a sea of flames. His entire body was wrapped in orange fire, and his tall, muscular frame toppled to the sand, rolling and screaming in agony as the smell of charred flesh slowly spread.
"To still be talking big in that state… as expected of a Fishman," Carina said, watching him with zero sympathy and a faint, amused smile.
Her reaction made it clear that El's "education" over the past six months had started to take effect.
You can't become strong without seeing blood.And there is no truly strong person whose hands are completely clean.
After their bond stabilized, every time El hunted, he made sure the targets were beheaded without mercy.
Nami and Carina had grown used to it, moving from initial discomfort to calm acceptance.
That experience didn't just toughen their mental endurance; it sharpened their choices.
Under El's influence, both girls' values had begun to change.
If half a year ago they'd still been blank sheets of paper, then those sheets were now painted over in El's colors.
That was why, the moment she saw a Fishman, Nami burned him alive without hesitation—And why Carina could look at the charred corpse and laugh lightly.
After she completed the first kill of her life, the rest became Nami's solo show.
Within the range of El's Observation Haki, the entire Arlong Pirates were under his constant surveillance.
They began a quiet purge—hunting down and burning to death the Fishmen patrolling around Cocoyasi Village, inside and out.
When they found a lone Fishman, El left him entirely to Nami.
When there were two, El would restrain one, read the other's memory while he was at it, then let Nami incinerate both in flames.
Drowning and burning are among the most painful ways to die in any world.
To let Nami truly vent her hatred and forge her will—like the warriors of Amazon Lily who mastered Armament Haki at a young age—El deliberately refused to "steal" that experience from her.
With such high-profile killings, the four of them were soon discovered by the people of Cocoyasi.
"Nami, you—!"
Led by Genzo and Nojiko, the villagers quickly found the four of them hunting down Fishmen.
They arrived just in time to see Nami, wreathed in orange fire like an incarnate goddess of flame, burn another Fishman into a blackened corpse.
The sight shattered everything they thought they knew about the world.
"Everyone, it'll all be over soon."
Having killed more than a dozen Fishmen already, Nami was overflowing with a confidence she'd never had before.
Seeing Genzo and Nojiko bringing the villagers, she didn't even flinch at their unclear expressions. Instead, she smiled—a bright, familiar smile that her adoptive mother used to wear before she died.
"Just wait a little longer," she said. "I'll wipe out the Arlong Pirates soon."
With that, Nami turned and led El, Carina, and Kuina toward Arlong Park.
The villagers, stunned by both her power and her declaration, could only stare blankly at the four receding backs.
"Everyone, get ready to fight the Arlong Pirates!"
Genzo was the first to snap out of it. Pushing down the brim of his hat, he looked around at the villagers with a grave expression.
"We can't let Nami fight alone. We'll back them up!"
"Of course we will! How can we let a few kids take all the risks for us?!"
"Nami's always been a kind, adorable girl, but I had to glare at her every day… her heart must've been breaking. I don't want to keep acting anymore!"
"I've had it with the Arlong Pirates' rule. I'm going to fight those monsters too!"
"Everyone, go home and grab whatever weapons you have! We're heading to Arlong Park!"
"Yeah!!"
Their shouts, carried by the sea breeze, faintly reached the ears of the four already on their way.
Although the exact words were hard to make out from this distance, Carina remembered the expressions the villagers were wearing before—and she turned to Nami with a puzzled look.
"Nami, are you really being ostracized and hated by the villagers? Those faces just now… that was worry. It felt nothing like what we saw back at the port."
"Y-yeah… I… think so?" Nami said, suddenly unsure.
"In your memories, I saw your conversation with Nojiko…" El spoke up, gently nudging her thoughts in the right direction. "If I'm guessing correctly, Nojiko probably hid it from you and told the villagers everything behind your back."
Nami's beautiful eyes widened.
"If that's the case," Carina said, snapping her fingers lightly, "then what we saw earlier makes total sense."
"Their 'rejection' and 'disgust'… they were all playing along with your act."
"Why would they do that?" Kuina finally couldn't hold back her curiosity.
Carina looked at Nami, who was already crying again—but this time through a radiant smile—and answered softly,
"It's simple. They didn't want to crush your determination to turn your blade against the one who killed your mother. They didn't want you to worry about them."
"I see…"
Kuina nodded slowly.
El, meanwhile, looked ahead at the dark silhouette of Arlong Park finally appearing in front of them. The corner of his mouth curled upward.
"To celebrate Nami reconciling with the villagers," he said, "let's build a massive bonfire here."
"Yeah!"
Nami wiped away her tears and nodded strongly.
"Right…"
As if suddenly remembering something, El added,
"I just read that last Fishman's memories. Arlong and one of his cadres both use a technique called Water Shot. There's another Fishman who attacks with a water cannon. All three of them might be able to hit you even in your elemental form. Don't let your guard down."
"Got it…"
Nami nodded again, this time with a far more serious face.
"I won't give them a chance to get close. I'll finish them off as fast as I can."
"You still don't have much real combat experience," El reminded her. "So you handle Arlong."
He smiled faintly.
"Just focus on dodging his Water Shot—don't let him land a clean hit. As for the others… leave them to me."
PS :
Genzo
Ex-sheriff and village leader of Cocoyasi.
Pretends to despise Nami to protect her plan and resolve.
Nojiko
Nami's adoptive sister.
Knows the truth about Nami's deal with Arlong.
Arlong Pirates
Fishman pirate crew ruling Cocoyasi Village by force and extortion.
Led by Arlong, supported by several cadres using water-based techniques.
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