East Blue, the waters of the Conomi Islands.
This area was a small human community formed by some twenty-odd villages clustered together.
There was no clearly defined village chief or single leader in any village.
Instead, each village elected its own peace officer to maintain local security.
Coupled with the fact that the entire sea region lay under the jurisdiction of Marine Branch 16…
By all logic, this should have been a quiet, peaceful land.
However, eight years ago—
A group of pirates released from prison turned this place into a gathering ground of suffering and misfortune.
"How long… how long is this nightmare going to last?"
In the desolate Cocoyasi Village, a thin, frail bookstore owner tremblingly took out several hundred thousand Beli and placed it into the hands of a strange-looking fish-man.
Watching the fish-man's retreating back, she could not help but sigh deeply in her heart.
Once upon a time, she had been an obese woman plagued by high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol.
But ever since the Arlong Pirates arrived, the entire village had sunk into lifeless despair.
It was said that just last month, another village had been wiped off the map for daring to rebel.
That made four villages that had completely vanished—hundreds of lives lost, just like that, at the hands of villains.
And if this continued, no one knew whether they themselves would be the next victims.
"Oh God, please save us!"
"Bring divine punishment upon those damn beasts!!!"
The bookstore owner clasped her hands together and prayed fervently toward the sky.
And at that very moment—as if her prayer had reached the heavens—
BOOM!!!!!!!!
Before her stunned eyes, a violent explosion roared skyward, its thunderous sound echoing across the entire Conomi Islands region!
Blazing flames erupted as a massive mushroom cloud surged into the sky.
In an instant, residents across the surrounding seas rushed out of their homes, staring in terror toward the rising mushroom cloud.
In Cocoyasi Village, Nojiko—Nami's sister—had been observing the fish-man pirates together with the peace officer Genzo, keeping watch to prevent them from causing trouble.
The sudden upheaval made them snap their heads toward the distance.
"Th-That's… isn't that the location of the Arlong Empire?!"
"What happened!?"
Nojiko and Genzo exchanged glances, seeing the same confusion reflected in each other's eyes.
After a brief hesitation, the two immediately set off toward the abnormal area to investigate.
…
…
At the same time.
Outside the gates of the Arlong Empire, thick black smoke poured out from the cannon barrel at the bow of the Going Merry.
Usopp—who had been helping Nami brace the cannon—crawled out from beneath the artillery like a black dragon reborn, sporting a massive explosion-scorched afro.
Wrapped in smoke, he coughed violently a few times before lifting his head and peering forward through the gun platform's viewport.
"Whoa!!!" Usopp shouted in shock.
"As expected of my very own Usopp Special Concentrated Buggy Ball!"
"The power is insane!!!"
"I really am a genius!!!"
Looking utterly ridiculous, Usopp planted his hands on his hips and laughed loudly, his nose practically pointing at the sky.
Red, standing nearby, could not help but nod with an appreciative smile.
"Well done!"
He praised without holding back:
"Even though it's an improved version based on the Buggy Ball formula, this alone proves you didn't disappoint anyone, Usopp!!!"
As he gazed at the mushroom cloud rising above the Arlong Empire, his grin widened even further.
Some memories etched deep in their blood made sights like this inevitably bring to mind old acquaintances from Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Of course, a shell improved from Buggy Ball gunpowder was nowhere near comparable to Little Boy.
But even so, this cannon's power already rivaled a single strike from Luffy in Gear Third!
Blowing apart a heavy Marine battleship would have been effortless.
As for the mere Arlong Empire…
"Nami?"
Red suddenly turned back and saw Nami standing motionless behind the cannon, her bright eyes fixed blankly on the scene that looked like hell on earth.
The once-grand gate had been completely erased, pulverized into dust under the bombardment.
The surrounding walls had collapsed as well.
At the very center of the Arlong Empire, a massive crater yawned open in the pool, seawater pouring into it violently.
Around the crater lay blazing remnants of shattered buildings.
A glance across the ground revealed fish-man corpses everywhere.
Some had been blown into bloody mist by the shell.
Others were roasted into dried fish by the extreme heat.
Even those lucky enough to survive were missing limbs, rolling on the ground and wailing.
The scene was unimaginably brutal.
To let Nami experience the satisfaction of personal vengeance, Usopp had deliberately entrusted the ignition to her.
In other words, the current devastation of the Arlong Empire—was entirely caused by Nami herself!!!
"Huh?!"
Called by Red, Nami seemed to snap back to reality, light pouring back into her eyes.
Just as Red worried she might be sinking into painful memories…
A strange flush spread across Nami's fair face.
Her eyes sparkled with exhilaration as she exclaimed to Red and Usopp:
"That felt AMAZING!!!"
"Red, Usopp—can I fire another one?!"
To see those fish-men trapped between life and death, suffering so miserably…
It was a sight she had dreamed of countless times over the years—yet never once attained.
At that moment, Nami looked almost yandere-possessed: a radiant smile on her face, both fists clenched tightly at her sides.
Years of suppressed hatred finally dissolved, releasing all the pain and resentment buried deep within her heart.
"..."
"..."
Both Red and Usopp froze, startled by her state.
After a long pause, Red finally spoke:
"I don't really mind. Cannons are meant to be fired, after all."
"But as for Usopp…"
He shifted his gaze to Usopp, who looked visibly troubled.
Scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, Usopp said:
"Sorry, Nami."
"This is the first time I've made a shell like this, and I wasn't sure how effective it would be. Just the materials alone cost several hundred thousand Beli, so I didn't make any extras."
"What?! Several hundred thousand Beli?!"
The moment money entered the conversation, Nami instantly snapped back to her usual penny-pinching self.
She glared at the ruined Arlong Empire and snorted indignantly:
"Hmph! They really got off cheap!"
"Even dying had to cost this much money."
"Ah… hehe…" Not knowing what to say, Usopp could only laugh awkwardly.
"Now's not the time to complain~"
Red suddenly interjected, smiling as his gaze shifted toward a spot within the ruins.
"Your enemy hasn't completely disappeared yet."
"What?!"
Following Red's line of sight, Nami immediately spotted several battered figures crawling out from the wreckage.
They were Arlong, the leader of the Arlong Pirates, and his two top officers—Chew and Kuroobi.
They had been lucky.
Due to their positioning, even though they had been swallowed by the shell's firestorm, their sheer combat ability and physical toughness spared them from serious injuries.
Compared to them, the Arlong Pirates' other officer was far less fortunate.
When the shell landed, Hatchan had been right at the center of the blast, completely engulfed by flame and shockwave, losing his life on the spot.
"Hatchan!"
Covered in dust, Arlong stared at the empire he had built over nearly ten years collapsing in an instant.
His vicious eyes were instantly flooded with bloodlust, like a devil from hell.
Chew and Kuroobi looked no better.
Staring at the corpses of their fellow fish-men scattered across the ground, their expressions twisted into something monstrous.
The raging flames scorched the bodies, sending out a rich, meaty aroma.
Arlong let out a furious roar:
"W-Who did this?!"
At that moment, a girl's clear shout rang out sharply from the sea outside the Arlong Empire, answering his question.
"I DID!!!"
The sudden, familiar voice immediately drew the attention of the three fish-men.
They turned toward its source—and froze.
"…NAMI?!"
(End of Chapter)