Chapter Header Serialization・" Love-Sick 15"・No Scent of Her in the Wind
At the shore of Kuja Island, a massive bear paw print was left behind.
At the top of the towering Kuja City walls stood a silent, burly man, built like a brown bear.
Beside him, a cloaked figure stood overlooking the entirety of Kuja City. Their cloak fluttered fiercely, despite the absence of wind…
…
Recalling that human pirates' unstoppable, terrifying strength… Even Old Boss Tiger and Big Brother Jinbe together couldn't do anything. In fact, they were at risk of being defeated one by one...
The other Fish-Men lowered their heads, covering their faces, saying nothing.
Their morale was at rock bottom.
"Nyuu, I think that's about right." Hatchan, always carefree and a bit slow to react, said fearfully, "Man, that was really scary!"
Kuroobi and Chuu glared at him and whispered angrily:
"Shut up, you idiot!"
Arlong stood dumbly on the deck, looking around at all his wounded Fish-Man brothers.
"Are we really just going to let him go?" He spread his long, bald gorilla arms, bloodshot eyes burning with frustration. "After what he did to me?! We're just going to forgive that?!"
Jinbe stared expressionlessly at the fading horizon, his face shadowed.
"More accurately… He's the one who let us go. We don't know why," Jinbe continued, "But that human named Giorno clearly holds a grudge against you, Arlong. So, thinking about asking him to remove the Devil Fruit from your body, there's no chance. He'd never agree to that."
Tiger, covered in bandages, added bluntly: "So just accept it."
He walked over and tried to press down on Arlong's head, couldn't quite reach,
So he pressed firmly on Arlong's gorilla-sized shoulder, looking up and speaking earnestly:
"Even if you're now a Devil Fruit user who can't swim… You're still a Fish-Man, Arlong. One with a Devil Fruit power. That guy giving you a Devil Fruit… Will be the biggest mistake he ever made."
"Tiger Oyabun..."
Arlong lowered his head, tears filling his shark-like eyes.
"Train with that Zoan Devil Fruit," Tiger said, "And one day, surpass him. Only strength can bring you revenge."
The bald gorilla-form Arlong pounded his chest and let out a mighty roar, the other Fish-Man brothers cheered around him, crowding around and laughing as they hugged him: "That's right, Arlong! You might not be able to swim anymore, but at least you won't drown! Ha ha ha…"
Thump! Someone got punched.
"If you can't speak properly, then shut up!"
"I heard Devil Fruit users are super strong! Arlong, you might become the strongest on our ship!"
"Even Tiger Oyabun couldn't knock you down just now!"
At the ship's stern, three Fish-Men slowly walked over, gazing at the sea's white wake.
"That Devil Fruit Giorno discarded so casually…" Doctor Aladin sighed, "Can it really be used to surpass him?"
"Maybe it can," Tiger said with arms crossed, expression unreadable. "Maybe it can't."
"Jinbe, what do you think?"
Jinbe answered slowly: "I think… Arlong should just forget about Giorno. Otherwise, he really might die."
"That's not like you, Jinbe." Tiger smiled. "You don't usually say things so defeatist."
Jinbe stared seriously out at the sea.
"That Giorno guy… even when fighting us… He probably wasn't using anywhere near his full power."
"…?!"
Tiger and Aladin were both shocked. The three of them stared in silence at the ocean beneath the night sky.
Suddenly, shouts came from the deck:
"Marines!"
"The Marines are on our tail!"
"Persistent bastards, brothers, prepare to fight!"
Tiger raised his hand and waved decisively.
Just then, Arlong, still simmering with rage, leapt overboard,
--only to hear his crewmates shout in panic:
"Hey! Arlong, you forgot, You can't swim anymore!!"
"?!"
"…"
"!!!"
"GULUGULUGULU, !" (sinking sounds)
Back on the Resort Island, personnel rushed in to handle street cleanup and tend to the wounded…
"Hiss... It hurts, it hurts!!" Kajitsu was still impaled with seven bent swords, clamped tightly against his body. When the medics tried to saw through the bent parts to remove them, he immediately let out a miserable scream of pain.
"Endure it!" A nurse scolded, "You're a Rear Admiral from Marine Headquarters, aren't you? How did you lose to a pirate, and lose so pathetically?"
Kajitsu immediately fell silent.
Not only the medical staff, in the dim night, even the onlookers on the island, their disappointed stares, and their casual chatter about the pirates Giorno and Jolyne, stabbed at his pride more deeply than any blade.
"Is this all a Rear Admiral and a Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters amount to?"
"They must be imposters."
"So pitiful... getting wrecked by just two pirates."
"That pirate was so handsome."
"And the female pirate, super gorgeous too!"
"They were such classy pirates, didn't hurt any of us at all. Even these Marines, they barely killed anyone."
"What's the big deal with these Marines anyway? I heard they didn't even do much. Why were they even causing trouble?"
"Right? Pirates have been swarming this island lately; these Marines are way out of line…"
Each sentence cut deeper into Kajitsu's pride than the swords ever could.
"Remember how this moment feels." The heavily bandaged Vice Admiral Onigumo, showing only one cold eye, said flatly, "You've got the potential to become an Admiral someday… So remember this shame. This fury. Kajitsu."
Kajitsu turned away and pulled the brim of his blood-soaked fisherman's hat down over his face, saying nothing.
Elsewhere, Gion (Commodore Momousagi), a future Admiral candidate, sat frozen in place, gently touching her slim, pale neck… As if she could still feel the slow, precise sensation of a blade slicing through it. The pain was eerily vivid, disturbingly real.
Meanwhile,
After Liam and Robin finished eating like nothing had happened, they booked a room at a hotel.
Huā lā lā...
In the bathroom, Robin, with a towel in hand, had gone in first for a shower. Her graceful figure swayed behind the frosted glass door.
"Why do I have to come along too?"
Inside the steaming bathroom, Robin, freed from the expressionless "Jolyne mask" on her face, revealed her true appearance. Smooth skin, delicate, supple, and soft, even that conceited Hancock would be forced to admit inferiority…
As she casually posed the question while rinsing herself, no response came from outside.
Robin, now done wiping those two mounds, chuckled quietly and shook her head, starting to wash her long hair.
At the same time, a thought flickered in her mind. From the living room, petals suddenly swirled, forming a flower-clone of Robin on the couch.
Liam, who was mid-conversation with B.I.B., turned his head, looked at her twice, then grinned: "What's this? Trying to cosplay as Rose or something?"
"Flower clones can only replicate my current state." The clone on the couch sighed and looked toward the bathroom, where the water still splashed noisily.
Liam said sincerely:
"If you wanted to talk, you know you could've just made a head. I wouldn't be scared, you know."
The clone smiled teasingly:
"So, which form do you prefer?"
"This one!"
Liam laughed heartily and casually tossed a thin blanket over her.
(End Of This Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/marvel6395