"Hey, wake up!"
Nojiko vigorously shook the unconscious Tom lying on the ship's deck.
After a while, seeing Tom still unresponsive, Nojiko without hesitation raised her right hand.
Tom felt a stinging, burning pain on his face, as if he'd been slapped over a dozen times. Instinctively, his hand shot out and gripped Nojiko's neck. His eyes snapped open. Seeing it was her, he released his grip.
"It's you."
Nojiko rubbed her slightly reddened neck. She had clearly felt that if Tom had used a bit more force, he really might have strangled her on the spot.
"Why'd you have to learn from your sister and hit my face? I always thought you were quite ladylike. Turns out you're just as violent as Nami. I really misjudged you."
Tom sat up, shaking his dizzy head. He remembered back at the Shells Town Marine base, when he'd passed out, Nami had also slapped him hard several times to wake him up.
When he first met Nojiko, Tom thought she was graceful and easy to get along with, and had even mused internally about how different she was from Nami. Did Nami get her head slammed in a door as a kid? How could two people taught by the same mother be so different? Rubbing his slightly swollen face, Tom now realized Nojiko was just as much of a violence maniac as her sister.
What Tom didn't know was that as kids, Nami and Nojiko had often fought with boys, frequently beating them up for saying Bellemere's tangerines tasted bad.
"Go tell that Sea Cow to stop! It's pulling us who-knows-where!"
Nojiko said to Tom with a stern expression. Hearing him lump her together with Nami as an insult, she wasn't about to look pleased. However, after glancing at the large sack filled with Nami's money on deck, her expression softened somewhat.
"What?"
Tom was startled. He hurriedly stood up, but as soon as he was upright, a wave of intense vertigo hit him, nearly making him collapse again.
After Tom lost consciousness, the Sea Cow, for some reason, had started pulling the ship in a different direction. By the time Nojiko finished treating Tom's wounds and realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
"It's really asking for it. Won't behave without a few more beatings."
Tom was eager to return to Arlong Park to check the situation. For this Sea Cow to still be causing trouble truly angered him.
Taking the fishing rod from his arm-sheath and extending it, Tom's jet-black pupils swiftly turned dark red. He hoisted the rod onto his shoulder and walked to the bow, with Nojiko following.
Just then, a faint glimmer flashed from a spot nearby on the water, but it vanished quickly. The sea remained calm.
Meanwhile, Zoro and Hatchan were locked in a fight to the death.
Hatchan unleashed a furious assault with his Six-Sword Style "Octopus Foot Strange Sword," but Zoro, using an offense-and-defense combined move from his Three-Sword Style called "Wolf Current," not only blocked the attacks but also countered them, wounding Hatchan.
The so-called "Wolf Current" was a soft-style sword technique Zoro created himself. When executing it, his movements were like willow branches in the wind—soft and elegant—a technique requiring superb swordsmanship.
After being cut, Hatchan said angrily, "I'm really going to kill you! Anyone with half a brain knows someone with three swords can't win against someone with six!"
"Idiot, you've got it wrong!"
Zoro, the dark green bandana tied around his head, said this to Hatchan, recalling his duel with Hawk Eyes.
What are you carrying on your back?
What do you want after becoming the strongest?
These were the two questions Hawk Eyes had asked him during their duel.
Sweat poured from Zoro due to his fever from his injuries. Gripping his swords tightly, he said to Hatchan, "Even with only three swords, each one of my blades is fundamentally different from what you're holding!"
Hatchan couldn't grasp the deeper meaning of Zoro's words at all. He thought Zoro was comparing blade weight.
"Your swords are heavy? Let me tell you, don't overestimate yourself! One of my swords weighs 300 kilograms! That's hundreds of times heavier than a human's sword!"
Zoro couldn't be bothered arguing with the stupid octopus and pressed his attack.
In truth, Zoro was extremely anxious. It had been a while since Arlong threw Luffy into the seawater pool. After pushing Hatchan back, he actually wanted to jump into the pool without hesitation.
But just as Zoro was about to jump, someone beat him to it: Sanji.
"You're too badly hurt. Jumping in the sea would kill you. I'll go. You moss-head stay up here and cover me!" That's what Sanji said before plunging in.
Seeing more time pass and knowing Luffy would surely drown if this dragged on, Sanji, after briefly tangling with Kuroobi on land, focused solely on saving him and decided to jump in.
Sanji had witnessed Zoro's duel with Hawk Eyes. He knew exactly how severe Zoro's injuries were. Besides, anyone could see Zoro didn't look good, his body swaying occasionally during the fight, clearly nearing his limit.
Letting Zoro jump into the sea to fight a Fish-Man in that state would be the end of him.
Precisely because Sanji understood this clearly, he ignored his own danger and jumped in before Zoro could. At least his own injuries were much lighter by comparison.
Seeing Sanji decisively jump in, followed closely by the cartilaginous Fish-Man Kuroobi, Zoro felt extreme urgency.
"Idiot! Don't act recklessly! That's exactly what they want!"
But no matter how much Zoro shouted, he couldn't stop Sanji. He could only focus his mind on Hatchan. Maybe then he'd have a chance to help Sanji later.
As for Usopp, after bravely challenging the Fish-Man officer Chew, even though he attacked with his "Fire Star" from his slingshot, he was quickly beaten half to death by a punch from the charging Chew. His long nose was knocked crooked, blood streaming from his nostrils and mouth.
At first glance, Usopp was completely on the defensive, passively taking hits. Chew mocked him, saying he should have kept playing dead instead of standing up to provoke him, that lowly humans had lowly brains too.
Right after mocking Usopp, as Chew was talking, Usopp seized the chance to counterattack with a secret weapon, successfully making Chew lift the foot planted on his chest.
But this completely enraged Chew. Hearing Usopp's bold declaration, he had thought Usopp had some powerful technique and hastily pulled his foot back.
Who knew that when Chew retracted his foot, what Usopp pulled from his backpack to attack him with was… a child's rubber band.
In other words, Usopp had merely flicked his foot with a rubber band and scared him into pulling back.
The twang of the rubber band in Usopp's hand seemed to mock his cowardice, sending Chew into a fury.
Seeing Usopp use such a ridiculous method to bluff him—and that he'd actually fallen for it—Chew's killing intent surged. He was determined to kill Usopp to vent his anger.
While Chew was thinking of cruel methods to torture him to death, Usopp bolted into the nearby forest.
By the time Chew reacted, Usopp was already hiding among the trees.
Chew had just angrily cursed Usopp as a bastard when something flew out of the woods. He caught it—a bottle of alcohol.
Staring at the bottle in his hand, before Chew could think it through, Usopp fired a "Lead Star" from his slingshot, shattering the bottle. The alcohol inside splashed all over him.
Being tricked like this made Chew even angrier.
"You pathetic brat always scheming! No matter where you hide, I'll flush you out with the water from the fields!"
"So what if I scheme or use despicable methods? As a man, I absolutely cannot run away from this fight!"
Usopp, wearing his sniper goggles, hid behind a large tree, a resolute look on his bloodied face.
"Defeat means death. I'm a pirate now. It's time to settle this!"
This was the boundary between the forest and watery rice fields. Usopp hid in the woods; Chew stood in the flooded field. Chew bent over, his long fish-like mouth forcefully sucking up water from the fields, inflating his body until it was round as a ball.
"Water Cannon!"
A massive water blast shot from Chew's long mouth, flying like a cannonball toward the forest.
With a thunderous boom, a dozen trees beside Usopp were knocked down by the water cannon, creating a large clearing in the woods. Usopp broke into a cold sweat, eyes bulging.
"The power is too strong!" he cried out.
"Why am I even fighting such an idiot? He gave away his own position." Chew, seeing Usopp only marveling at the power of the attack, had been careless enough to expose his hiding spot. Fighting Usopp felt like a waste of time.
"I'll blast you full of holes! Hundred Shot Water Guns!"
Chew didn't want to drag this out anymore. His long mouth fired like a machine gun, spraying small water bullets, slowly advancing toward Usopp's position.
Usopp, hiding behind the tree, faced the onslaught with a look of panic, clutching his head.
"Damn it! I, the former captain of the Usopp Pirates, am not scared at all! Kaya, watch me! I've gone to sea as a pirate! I'm fighting! I wasn't lying! One day, I'll become a truly brave warrior of the sea!"
"The leisurely and happy pirate game is over!" Usopp shouted loudly just as the tree he leaned against snapped.
"What did you say is over?" Chew said, then fired small water bullets at Usopp's position.
Usopp hurriedly dodged to the side. Falling to the ground, he aimed his slingshot at Chew.
"I'm ending this fight! Didn't you know alcohol is flammable?"
Hearing this, just as Chew realized the truth, Usopp shot a "Fire Star" at him.
Since Chew was soaked in alcohol, the moment the Fire Star touched him, he burst into flames. The destructive power of the fire, amplified by the alcohol, was completely different from before.
The scorching, searing flames on his skin made Chew roll on the ground in agony. Turning into a human torch, he immediately tried to run back into the water field.
Usopp wouldn't let him have his way. He charged forward and struck Chew on the back with a hammer, sending him crashing into the water field.
Soaked in water, the flames on Chew were extinguished. Covered in burns, he struggled to stand when Usopp lunged forward, pulling out his hammer and rubber band, proceeding to beat him senseless.
"Usopp Hammer! Usopp Rubber Band! Usopp Hammer! Usopp Rubber Band!"
Usopp only stopped when he was panting heavily. Chew, lying in the water field, had been beaten beyond recognition—bruised and swollen, over a dozen bumps on his head, his body swollen all over. It was utterly miserable; he wouldn't be fighting again anytime soon.
"I won… I beat a Fish-Man." A relieved Usopp collapsed weakly onto the ground, shouting excitedly to the sky.
"I can do it if I try! See? Don't look down on Captain Usopp!"
While Usopp was dealing with Chew, Sanji, fighting Kuroobi in the seawater pool, had fallen into a hard-fought battle.
Jumping into the pool, Sanji discovered Nojiko at the bottom, trying to use a sledgehammer to break the rock chained to Luffy's feet, but being underwater, she couldn't apply any force.
Still, it gave Sanji some peace of mind. At least Luffy's head was above water, allowing him to breathe normally.
Just as Sanji was about to dive down to kick apart the rock, Kuroobi caught up and launched a fierce assault.
Kuroobi saw Nojiko helping Luffy at the bottom. When he tried to go kill her, Sanji grabbed his leg. Kuroobi quickly changed his mind, deciding to finish off Sanji first.
Sanji's kicks in the water, hindered by the sea, had at least half their power reduced, unable to deal effective damage against Kuroobi.
As a Fish-Man, Kuroobi fighting in water truly was like a tiger given wings. He successively used "Karate Kick," "Firework Press," "Flying Sole Kick," and finally an "Upper Explosion Palm" that sent Sanji sinking deeper into the pool.
Having been underwater without taking a breath, Sanji was desperate to return to the surface to breathe, but Kuroobi blocked him.
Kuroobi remarked that Sanji was durable, unlike a human.
"See? This is the dead end of the chivalry you cling to. You can't escape my grasp! Once you die, the game is over." Kuroobi, able to speak normally underwater, sneered at the desperately suffocating Sanji.
"After the game, I'll kill that guard first. Then the rubber man will die. The long-nose and Zoro will also be killed. The rebelling villagers will all be slaughtered."
"And that guy who came alone to cause trouble before? We'll find and kill him too. Of course, after all this, we won't let Nami, the traitor, go either!" Kuroobi said contemptuously to Sanji, whose expression was gradually turning grave.
"Understand? That chivalry you keep talking about protects no one!"
Hearing this, Sanji's face darkened.
"You humans are so powerless. It's said you can't withstand rapid changes in water pressure. That means if you rapidly descend into the deep sea from here, your body will burst starting from the internal organs!"
Kuroobi gripped tightly Sanji's shoulders, dragging him rapidly downward.
"Die! Oppression Death Direct Descent!"
Change of plans. Leave Luffy to the old man for now. I won't let him get away with saying I can't protect anyone!
As Kuroobi dragged him downward at high speed, Sanji felt as if his internal organs were being crushed, an unbearable sensation as his organs were damaged by the intense pressure. He couldn't help but vomit blood.
Sanji forcibly endured the damage from Kuroobi's water-pressure attack.
As they were about to hit the pool bottom, Kuroobi decided to use the pressure attack again.
Facing this life-or-death crisis, Sanji remained calm enough to think. Fish-Men breathe with lungs on land and gills in water.
As a chef, Sanji quickly realized that if he blew air into Kuroobi's gills, the Fish-Man would experience the same suffocating pain.
So, before Kuroobi could launch a second attack, Sanji seized his chance and forcefully blew air into Kuroobi's gills.
Just as Sanji expected, with air forced into his gills, the suffocating Kuroobi released his grip. Sanji seized the opportunity to climb back to shore.
Back on land, seeing Zoro still fighting Hatchan, Sanji kicked the pool and shouted,
"Stupid fish! Get up here! I'm going to kill you!"
Kuroobi soon returned to land, declaring that whether on land or in water, Sanji couldn't win, and that he had angered him. He would now use the essence of Fish-Man Karate, his ultimate trump card:
"One Thousand Tile True Punch!"
"When I use this ultimate technique, your chance of survival is zero!"
Kuroobi had barely finished speaking, not even having time to use his move, when Sanji's foot whipped toward his head at a speed that gave him no time to react.
"Head Meat!"
"Shoulder Meat!"
"Back Meat!"
"Saddle Meat!"
"Chest Meat!"
"Thigh Meat!"
Sanji unleashed a continuous barrage of heavy kicks on different parts of Kuroobi's body, making him scream incessantly, nearly losing consciousness.
Watching Sanji beat Kuroobi until he couldn't fight back left Johnny and the others stunned.
"You want to take something from me? Say I can't protect anyone?"
Sanji walked up to the half-kneeling, trying-to-attack Kuroobi and delivered a powerful front kick.
"Mutton Shot!"
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Kuroobi was kicked so hard he crashed through several walls in a straight line, flying out and collapsing, unable to get up.
"No need for dessert after that," Sanji said, wiping blood from his mouth corner after finishing off Kuroobi.
Just as Sanji defeated Kuroobi, Zoro also won his fight.
Earlier, Hatchan had collided with the wound on Zoro's chest, sending him flying into the air. As Zoro fell, Hatchan used the secret technique of Six-Sword Style: "Six-Sword Waltz," raising all six swords above his head and spinning rapidly, creating a blade vortex.
Hatchan intended to grind Zoro into minced meat, but Zoro instead rolled along with the spinning blades, calmly evading the attacks while cutting all six of Hatchan's hands.
The split-open wound on Zoro's chest bled heavily, worrying Johnny and Yosaku.
Even with injuries that would make an ordinary person faint, I must not fall.
Even with injuries that would kill an ordinary person, I must not die.
Zoro thought this, standing with his back to Hatchan. Blood poured continuously from his wounds.
Since I want to defeat Hawk Eyes, whom ordinary people can't beat, I cannot be ordinary. I must surpass normal people!
With a sword in his mouth, Zoro felt as if a pair of hawk-sharp eyes were watching him from behind. He gritted his teeth, enduring the discomfort, and prepared to use "Oni Giri."
Hatchan aligned the tips of his six swords, using his strongest killing move:
"Six-Sword Style: Octopus Pot Stance," thrusting fiercely toward Zoro.
"…Oni Giri!"
Zoro met the attack head-on, cutting all six swords at once, breaking the strongest move. Hatchan was so shocked his jaw nearly hit the ground.
"Now do you understand the difference in weight between my blades and yours?" Zoro said.
With no swords left, Hatchan attacked barehanded.
"Octopus Sashimi Fist!"
"Tatsumaki!"
Ignoring the fist attack, Zoro assumed a stance like a dragon ascending to the sky. The single strike sent Hatchan spinning into the air like he'd been caught in a tornado.
Hatchan crashed heavily to the ground from a great height, making no further sound.
Seeing both Kuroobi and Hatchan defeated, Arlong's expression grew much darker.
"They were just underlings, after all. This round goes to us," Sanji said to Arlong, his head still bleeding.
"You dare do this to my comrades? Aren't you getting a bit too cocky!?"
Arlong, who had been leaning against the wall, stood up and walked toward Sanji and Zoro.
Zoro asked about Luffy. Sanji briefly explained that he just needed to go into the pool one more time to save him.
But with Arlong here, Sanji felt it safer to take him down first before diving back in, so he kicked at Arlong first.
Zoro followed immediately. But in moments, Arlong easily knocked down both Zoro and Sanji.
Johnny and Yosaku, seeing Arlong defeat them so easily, immediately lost the joy they'd felt from seeing the officers defeated, feeling as if they were trapped in a nightmare.
"When dealing with lowly humans like you, I don't even need to touch you directly. A small amount of water is enough to easily kill you. This is the gap in strength between Fish-Men and humans."
Arlong didn't even use his hands to attack, merely sprinkling water. The water he threw struck Zoro and Sanji, making them vomit blood and collapse.
This guy is unbelievably strong. For him, it's just playing with water, but the water he casually tosses is like buckshot. This is the power of a shark—exceptionally powerful even among Fish-Men. He's on a completely different level from the others.
Sanji was shocked inwardly. Hit again by Arlong's thrown water, feeling as if struck by a shotgun blast, the massive impact made him cough up blood.
"Hurry up and die. Your lives have no value," Arlong said, preparing to finish off the fallen Sanji and Zoro, when he heard Nami's voice.
"Arlong!"
Nami, wearing the straw hat, stepped into Arlong Park.
The Coco Village villagers were all somewhat surprised to see her.
"I was just about to kill some no-name pirates. What are you doing here?"
Arlong, seeing Nami, temporarily held back his attack on Zoro and Sanji.
"I came to kill you!" Nami said, her gaze fixed on Arlong with determination, no trace of hesitation left.
"Kill me? In these eight years with us, how many times have you tried to kill me? Assassination, poison, sneak attacks… which one ever succeeded?" Arlong burst into maniacal laughter.
"You should have deeply realized by now that you humans can't kill me."
"Listen carefully. I will not die by your hand. And you will not escape my control. You will forever be my cartographer!"
Arlong's words made Nami's face darken. Arriving here, she hadn't seen Luffy, nor Tom. Usopp wasn't here either. Only Zoro and Sanji were present, and they were nearly killed by Arlong. She felt somewhat uneasy.
But Nami also saw clearly that Arlong's mouth indeed, as Tom said, had two holes—it was ruined.
"You know I'm a generous man. I don't wish to imprison you. I want you to voluntarily become my cartographer."
Arlong sinisterly laid out his terms.
"I was planning to kill everyone here except you. But if you are willing to return to the Arlong Pirates and continue drawing maps for us as an officer, I can consider sparing the people of Coco Village."
"However, I won't spare these guys. They've gone too far and must be punished."
Arlong kicked both Zoro and Sanji, then continued to Nami.
"Will you take this chance to return to my side and save those villagers, or will you side with these trash against me? The people you rely on have already been beaten to this state. They won't last much longer."
"I remember that guy who stormed in here alone and forcibly took you away. He's with these people. Since I can handle his companions, naturally I can handle him! I can already see the tragedy that will unfold!"
Arlong's face was shrouded in shadow.
"Nami, are you my companion, or theirs? Look at you now. Not only are you injured, but the sandals on your feet and the hat on your head are clearly trash. You never liked such things before."
How can this be? If I say I'm Luffy's companion, everyone will be killed. But if I say I'm the Arlong Pirates' companion, I can save all the villagers. A single word from me decides life and death for everyone. What should I do?
Nami clutched the straw hat on her head tightly, lowered her head and pressed her lips together, torn and suffering intensely.
The villagers angrily condemned Arlong for his despicable methods, using them to threaten Nami.
"That's right!"
Nami suddenly remembered what Luffy said when he placed the hat on her head. She glanced at the sandals on her feet. Tom had indeed told her, Don't live alone anymore!
I must not doubt their words!
In an instant, Nami made her decision. If we can't survive, then let's all die together. That's better than living alone against my heart.
"I'm sorry, everyone. Please… die with me!"
As soon as Nami said this, a figure sailed over her head, followed by a thunderous roar.
"ARLONG, YOU BASTARD FISH, YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!!!!!"
"It's you!"
Arlong recognized Tom's voice instantly.
He saw Tom swing over Nami's head on a white line, kicking toward him. As Arlong tried to defend, Tom's blazing-fast kick connected with his left cheek, knocking his mouth crooked and sending him flying diagonally through a wall, crashing heavily to the ground.
"Nami, who gave you permission to die! You idiot!"
Tom landed, panting heavily, after delivering the midair kick, pointing angrily at Nami.
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T/N :
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