Forced In! Dragon Paradise**
In the end, Yang Ning didn't go that far. Based on the identification of the villagers of Cocoyasi, he managed to leave behind a few well-regarded so-called good sailors.
Their existence was meaningful.
Although they could provide Yang Ning with a lot of growth nutrients, he did not want to become a slave to skills, lose his original intention, and kill for the sake of killing. What difference would there be between him and those ruthless fighting machines?
As a person, you should at least have some bottom line.
After all the surviving marines had left, Yang Ning squatted down in front of Nami and asked again earnestly:
"Do you need help?"
This time, Nami wasn't confused; with tears in her eyes, she nodded firmly.
"Please, help me."
Yang Ning stood up with a hearty laugh. The sunlight shone behind him, casting a golden glow on his figure. Nami lay in front of him, staring blankly at the man before her.
"I can help you, but it won't be for free. Plus, the ship you stole is worth a lot."
Nami gritted her teeth:
"I have 100 million Berries, and I'll give them all to you."
Yang Ning shook his head:
"I don't want the money; you can give it to anyone you want."
Nami was puzzled:
"Then what do you want?"
"You."
Yang Ning pointed at Nami, and everyone looked at him in disbelief. Esdeath's disdain was completely undisguised, and Nojiko desperately covered her mouth, her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and joy.
Nami was also stunned. As a young girl, she hadn't yet been exposed to so many worldly things, and her simple concept was still based on money and possessions.
Perhaps realizing that his words had caused a misunderstanding, Yang Ning coughed twice and explained:
"My ship needs a navigator, and you are an excellent one. If I help you take care of Arlong and his crew, would you be willing to become my partner and go on an adventure at sea with me?"
Nami didn't hesitate for long on this question. She hated Arlong so much that she was even willing to sell her soul to a demon if she could kill Arlong and his gang.
"I'm willing! As long as you can kill Arlong and his gang!"
The rough hand reached out to Nami again, and the familiar smile reappeared:
"Then please take care of me from now on."
Nami tilted her head, somewhat bewildered. Arlong and his gang hadn't been killed yet, so why was this man talking as if it were already done?
Yang Ning was certainly not one to make empty promises. After helping Nami up and leaving her in Nojiko's care, he immediately led Esdeath toward Dragon Paradise.
They were just a bunch of worthless scoundrels. The purpose of keeping them alive until now had been perfectly achieved, so there was no need for them to continue living.
Yang Ning had long disliked a mere group of humanoid fish creatures who dared to call themselves a superior race and treat humans like livestock.
Dragon Paradise was easy to find; it was located at the foot of the tallest four-story spire in the area.
After passing through Cocoyasi Village from the orange grove, Yang Ning and Esdeath arrived at the entrance of Dragon Paradise in just one hour.
Behind them, the injured Nami was being supported by Nojiko, stubbornly insisting on following.
Yang Ning let her go. After all, with her strength, he wasn't afraid of her getting hurt.
***Boom!***
Amidst a cloud of dust, Yang Ning kicked open the wall of Dragon Paradise.
It wasn't that he had no other options, but rather that he felt this way of making a grand entrance was more imposing.
Inside the amusement park, several Fish-Men were drinking and having fun together. Arlong, Kuroobi, Chew, Hachi, Iwasaki, Takeru, and several oddly shaped Fish-Man henchmen were all gathered together. All the executives and underlings of the Arlong Pirates were present.
The sound of the wall collapsing interrupted their drinking session, and everyone stared menacingly at the dusty spot.
When the smoke cleared, all they saw were two tiny, thin humans.
"Hey, have we been too gentle lately? You humans are getting a little too arrogant."
"Young man, it might not be too late for you to kneel down and beg for mercy now."
Two tall, burly, ugly Fish-Man henchmen approached, rubbing their fists. Their expressions were contemptuous, and their words were filled with undisguised disdain.
Two Fish-Man minions blocked Yang Ning's path from the left and right, bending down to prepare to attack.
The Arlong Pirates' officers watched all this with indifference, and Arlong didn't even glance at them.
As a pirate who once roamed the Grand Line, he couldn't possibly take the East Blue seriously.
***Clang!***
With a cold glint in his eyes, Yang Ning reversed his grip on the Tiger's Cudgel, slashing upwards and downwards. The two flashes of light passed almost simultaneously, and the voices of the two Fish-Man minions vanished in an instant.
"Uh, uh~"
The hollow, hoarse sound rang out twice, and the two Fish-Man minions were already divided into four pieces.
With his current total damage of over a thousand per hit, these defenseless minions would have a hard time leaving a whole corpse in front of him.
This lightning-fast and ruthless attack finally jolted the Arlong Pirates awake. The previously indifferent officers now showed surprise, and even Arlong's expression turned serious.
"Who are you?"
With practiced ease, Yang Ning flicked his blade, drawing blood, and replied casually:
"Yang Ning, a pirate who does it out of interest."
"Pirates!"
Despite being pirates themselves, these Fish-Men showed great apprehension towards the word.
Without Arlong giving the order, the three Fish-Man officers and the remaining Fish-Man minions surrounded them.
Their enormous size made the Fish-Men look very intimidating. Nami covered her mouth tightly and hid outside the wall with Nojiko, but her eyes never left the Fish-Man sitting on the beach chair.
"Kid, you're not bad for a human, but you killed one of our Fish-Men, so you're not leaving here today."
Kuroobi, the tall, bony Fish-Man with two topknots, spoke first, arms crossed.
"You talk too much nonsense."
Kotetsu burst forth, its sharp blade flashing out in an instant.
"Six-Sword Style, Sheathed Style!"
***Clang!***
Kotetsu was blocked in mid-air by six long swords, which belonged to the octopus-man, Hachi.
Under the impact of the immense force, Hachi staggered back several steps, and all six longswords in his hands developed cracks of varying degrees.
"What remarkable humans, to have achieved this much—but that's all you've got!"
Fish-Man Karate—Karakusa Tile Straight Fist!
Taking advantage of Yang Ning's blocked sword strike and his inability to generate new power, Kuroobi got into a fighting stance and threw a punch at Yang Ning's chest.
A smirk played on his lips. In his Fish-Man mind, no human could withstand his full-force attack—he was a 40th-dan master of Fish-Man Karate.
***Thump!***
A loud crash, like metal and wood colliding, rang out. After the shockwave dissipated, the smile that had just appeared on Kuroobi's lips vanished, and he stared wide-eyed at his fist in disbelief.
His prized punch was blocked half an inch in front of Yang Ning's chest, unable to penetrate any further, and intense pain kept coming from his fist.
It was as if he hadn't hit a person, but rather a lump of incredibly hard solid metal.
"How is that possible?!"
He roared in disbelief and madness, refusing to believe he couldn't defeat the humans of the Grand Line—or even the East Blue.
"Fish-Man Karate—Low Kick!"
With a twist and turn of his waist, the huge blue-skinned Fish-Man body stirred up a whirlwind in the narrow space, and his whip-like legs swept across like giant pillars.
***Thump!***
The same impact. The same roar.
Kuroobi's expression completely collapsed; his eyes bulged and his chin drooped as he stared at the unharmed Yang Ning:
"What kind of monster are you?!"
Yang Ning weighed the Tiger's Cudgel in his hand. Taking these two blows head-on gave him a new understanding of the strength of the Soul Furnace's shield. He slightly raised his eyes, and Kuroobi broke out in a cold sweat and retreated several meters in fright.
After a disdainful chuckle, he looked at the Fish-Man with a cold tone:
"Playtime is over, seafood."