Arlong Park, the base of the Arlong Pirates, buzzed with activity as most of the crew operated there. At the center of the chaos sat their leader, Arlong—a towering fishman with blue skin, a jagged saw-like nose, and a sun-shaped tattoo emblazoned on his chest.
Earlier, Nami had left Arlong Park with a glimmer of hope. She had come to inform Arlong that she had collected the promised 100 million berries, praying he would keep his word and free Cocoyasi Village.
Arlong smirked as he declared, "We fishmen never break a promise. If you bring me 100 million berries, the village will be hers again."
Reassured by his words, Nami hurried off to secure the last of the money.
Not long after, Kuroobi, one of Arlong's officers, turned to him with a skeptical look. "Boss, are you really planning to let Nami and the village go?"
Arlong chuckled darkly. "Hehehe... that depends if she can even bring me 100 million berries!"
His jagged teeth gleamed as he added, "I've already sent the Marine rats to sniff out her treasure. Nami won't even have a single coin left to give me!"
The other fishmen burst into laughter at Arlong's despicable scheme.
"Nami's worth more to us than gold," Arlong sneered. "I'd never let her go."
Before his words could settle, the gates of Arlong Park burst open with a resounding crash. Standing in the wreckage were none other than Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, with Luffy leading the charge.
Arlong's eyes narrowed as he regarded the intruders. "Humans? What business do you have here?"
Luffy, about to declare their mission, was interrupted as Ikki stepped forward and dramatically presented a Marine appointment letter. "We're private Marines, here to arrest the Arlong Pirates!"
The room fell silent for a moment before erupting in mocking laughter.
"Hahaha! Arrest us? These weaklings?"
"Humans are not just fragile—they're stupid too!"
Unfazed by the ridicule, Ikki calmly stowed the letter and said, "No need to waste time. Let's take them down."
At his signal, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji sprang into action, while Usopp readied his slingshot after popping a piece of special candy given to him by Ikki.
The fishmen, however, didn't take the crew seriously. To them, these humans weren't worth their leader's time. The grunts rushed forward, determined to prove their superiority.
Hatchan, watching from the rear, started calling for his pet sea cow, Momoo. After a few moments with no response, he scratched his head. "Huh? Maybe Momoo went out to find food?"
Turning nervously to Arlong, he added, "Boss, Momoo isn't around. Please don't be mad!"
Arlong's eyes burned red with anger, but it wasn't Momoo's absence causing his frustration. Before Hatchan could apologize further, Kuroobi called out, "Hatchan, focus! It's time for us to step in!"
Chew, the long-snouted fishman, nodded grimly. "These humans aren't ordinary."
Hatchan spun around, and his heart sank at the sight: his fellow fishmen lay unconscious across the battlefield. Not a scratch was on Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, or Ikki. The real MVP, however, stood at the back—Usopp, slingshot in hand and a satisfied grin on his face.
Thanks to Ikki's candy, Usopp's attacks now carried a fiery effect. Even the simplest stones from his slingshot ignited on impact, a devastating blow against the fire-averse fishmen. At such close range, Usopp's precision was flawless, and one by one, the fishmen dropped like flies.
Only four or five fishmen remained standing, and even they were already considering retreat.
At that moment, Kuroobi stepped forward, shielding the remaining fishman minions. "Fall back! These humans are not opponents you can handle!"
Simultaneously, Hatchan drew his six swords, and Chew readied himself for battle, standing alongside Kuroobi.
Zoro smirked, his swords glinting in the light. "Finally, the real fight begins. That warm-up earlier wasn't even worth breaking a sweat."
Sanji lit a cigarette, eyeing Hatchan with calm detachment. "Octopus, huh? Boil it in salt water, slice it thin, then season with olive oil and chili powder. Perfect with wine."
Luffy, however, ignored the three Arlong Pirates officers entirely and strode directly toward Arlong himself, his expression as carefree as ever.
Kuroobi and Hatchan moved to intercept him, but Sanji and Zoro quickly blocked their path, preventing them from getting anywhere near Luffy.
Ikki faced off with Chew, cutting off the last chance to stop the Straw Hat captain.
Meanwhile, Usopp continued his long-range assault, ensuring no recovering fishman could rejoin the fight. His fiery slingshot attacks kept the battlefield under control.
Luffy stopped before Arlong, who greeted him with a sneer.
"So, you're the one they call the Straw Hat," Arlong said mockingly. "What makes you think you can stand against me?"
Luffy's eyes narrowed. "Ikki said if we want Nami to return to the crew, I've gotta beat you first."
Arlong's grin widened. "Oh? Is that so? And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
"With my fists!"
Before Arlong could react, Luffy swung a devastating punch, smashing into his jaw and sending the fishman flying into the wall.
The blow signaled the start of the real battle.
Kuroobi clashed with Sanji.
Zoro faced Hatchan.
Ikki squared off against Chew.
Arlong, now pulling himself out of the rubble, looked at Luffy with a mixture of anger and caution. He had traveled the Grand Line and understood how dangerous truly strong humans could be. But in the East Blue? Arlong scoffed at the idea that anyone here could pose a threat.
That punch, however, changed his perspective. Luffy wasn't an opponent to underestimate.
Arlong's expression turned savage as he prepared to unleash his full strength against the boy in the straw hat.
Meanwhile, the battles between the other Straw Hats and Arlong's officers were already over.
Zoro made quick work of Hatchan. In the original fight, Zoro had been injured, which made the duel more challenging. This time, uninjured and at full strength, Zoro easily overpowered the six-sword style user with a single powerful technique.
Sanji's fight against Kuroobi was equally decisive. Instead of ending up underwater and at a disadvantage, Sanji fought with everything he had from the start, delivering a relentless barrage of kicks that left Kuroobi sprawled on the ground, defeated.
Ikki's battle with Chew was the quickest of all. Chew, a shooter who relied on his high-pressure water cannon, stood no chance in close combat. Ikki swiftly closed the distance and took him down before Chew could even react, akin to an ADC in a game of League of Legends caught by an assassin with no chance to escape.
As Arlong saw his top officers lying unconscious on the ground, the veins in his forehead bulged, and his bloodshot eyes burned with fury.
Luffy, however, remained unfazed. Without a word, he charged at Arlong once more, his fist raised and ready to strike.
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