Meanwhile, Usopp had managed to find his way to Arlong Park. But before he could get close, he was spotted by the Fish-Man pirates.
"Who goes there? Trespassing on the territory of the great Arlong Pirates!"
"Grab him! That long-nose is one of Nami's companions!"
Usopp, terrified, turned and fled for his life. "Mom! Don't chase me!" he shrieked, firing a signal flare into the sky. "Luffy! Moonlight! Sanji! Help me!"
From different parts of the island, his crewmates saw the signal.
"That's Usopp's direction! He's found Nami!" Sanji said, immediately changing course.
"Usopp!" Luffy, who had been in the middle of a meal in the village, patted his full stomach and took off running.
"Over there!" Johnny and Yosaku, who had been watching over the still-recovering Zoro, also headed towards the signal.
"No, that's Usopp!" Nami exclaimed, her face filled with worry. "He must have broken into Arlong Park and been found! Moonlight, we have to hurry!"
"Don't worry," Moonlight said calmly. "Don't underestimate Usopp. He may seem like a coward, but he's surprisingly resilient when it counts."
Nami was stunned. She had never expected someone as strong as Moonlight to have such a high opinion of Usopp.
At Arlong Park, Arlong himself had seen the signal flare. "So, they've shown up," he sneered. His network of Fish-Man spies covered the entire island; he knew everything that happened.
"Yes, not just him, but the other members of the Straw Hat Pirates have been spotted as well," Chew reported.
"I didn't expect them to be Nami's partners," Kuroobi said with a shrug. "A pity they came all this way just to die."
"Heh, my swords are getting thirsty," Hatchan added, juggling his six blades.
"Alright, open the gates," Arlong commanded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Let's welcome our guests."
A short time later, Luffy and Sanji arrived, with Usopp joining them from his hiding place in the bushes. The gates of Arlong Park were wide open, a clear sign that the Fish-Men were not taking them seriously.
"Where's Nami?!" Luffy shouted as soon as he entered, ignoring the dozens of menacing Fish-Men who were watching them. "Nami, I'm here to take you home!"
"Luffy, keep your voice down," Usopp whispered, his teeth chattering. "These Fish-Men look fierce."
"It doesn't matter," Sanji said, his eyes scanning the crowd and finally settling on Arlong, who was seated on a throne in the center of the park. "The situation is clear. It's us against all of them. Luffy, the three with him are the officers. I'll take them. You take the captain."
"Alright," Luffy said, gearing up for a fight.
"Hey, don't underestimate us, you curly-browed bastard!" Hatchan roared, insulted.
Kuroobi simply sneered and charged at Sanji. The two met in a clash of kicks and punches, evenly matched.
With Sanji occupied, Luffy made a beeline for Arlong. But Hatchan and Chew moved to intercept him. Before they could reach him, a blur of green steel blocked Hatchan's path. It was Zoro, who had finally arrived. At the same time, an iron pellet hit Chew square in the face. It was Usopp, who had found his courage.
"Don't disturb our captain!" they shouted in unison.
"Alright!" Luffy yelled, his eyes fixed on Arlong. "I'm gonna send you flying!"
"Hehehehe, what a brave declaration," Arlong laughed. "But can you do it?"
The battle was short and brutal. Zoro, still injured from his fight with Mihawk, was quickly overwhelmed by Hatchan's six-sword style. Usopp's projectiles were no match for Chew's water jets. Sanji, despite his powerful kicks, was outmatched by Kuroobi's Fish-Man Karate. And Luffy, after a single Gum-Gum Pistol, was caught off guard by Arlong's powerful jaws, which bit a chunk out of the ground beneath him, sending him falling into the shallow pool in the center of the park. As a Devil Fruit user, he was completely helpless in the water.
The four of them were defeated in an instant.
"Hahaha, humans are so fragile," the Fish-Men laughed.
Just as Chew was about to bite off Usopp's nose, Kuroobi was about to finish off Sanji, and Hatchan was about to deliver the final blow to Zoro, a crescent-shaped wave of sword energy shot through the park, sending the three Fish-Man officers flying. The energy from the slash churned the water in the pool, and a whirlpool formed, lifting Luffy and Sanji back onto the shore.
"Who was that?" Arlong roared, leaping to his feet.
A figure in black walked through the now-open gates. It was Moonlight, and behind him, clutching his coat, was Nami, her eyes filled with a mixture of tears and hatred.
"A member of the Straw Hat Pirates, Moonlight," he announced, his voice echoing through the park.
"You dare to attack me?!" Hatchan roared, furious that his beautiful octopus skin had been marred by the slash.
"A powerful sword slash, but that's all," Kuroobi said, shrugging off the minor wound.
"You coward, attacking from the shadows! I'll kill you!" Chew shouted, charging at Moonlight.
"Nami? It seems you've found a helper," Arlong said with a smirk. "Are you prepared to defy me?"
Nami trembled at the sound of his voice, the voice that had haunted her nightmares for years. "Moonlight," she whispered.
"Don't worry," Moonlight said, taking her hand. He looked at Arlong and the other Fish-Men, his eyes as cold as the deep sea. "You dare to make my navigator cry. For that, you will pay."
"Conqueror's Haki!"
An invisible wave of energy exploded from him, washing over the entire park. The Fish-Men pirates collapsed in droves, fainting and foaming at the mouth. Only Arlong and his three officers, along with a handful of the strongest crew members, remained standing, their bodies trembling.
Moonlight had controlled the blast, sparing his own crewmates, but the effect was still devastating.
"What... what did you do to my men?" Hatchan stammered.
"What an incredible human swordsman," Chew said, his earlier bravado gone.
"Don't be careless. This human is on another level," Arlong warned, his face now grim.
Moonlight swung his sword again, and another wave of energy, even more powerful than the first, shot out, striking the three officers. They were sent flying, their bodies covered in deep wounds, and they collapsed, completely incapacitated. The slash continued, tearing through the tower behind Arlong's throne and reducing it to rubble.
The remaining Fish-Men stared in stunned silence. Usopp, Zoro, and Sanji were equally shocked.
"You... you destroyed my tower!" Arlong roared, his eyes turning blood-red with rage. "All my treasure was in there! My precious charts! Human, I will tear you apart and offer your blood as a sacrifice!" He charged at Moonlight, his body a blur of motion, trampling the ground beneath him as he grabbed a massive stone pillar and hurled it.
Moonlight simply slashed it in two, the sword energy continuing on to strike Arlong. But the Fish-Man barely flinched, the slash leaving only a shallow cut on his tough skin.
"He took Moonlight's slash with his body! What kind of monster is he?" Usopp gasped.
But Zoro just smiled. "To that man, this Arlong is nothing."
Arlong charged again, his mouth open, ready to bite through Moonlight's sword. "Do you want to snap my sword?" Moonlight laughed. The Pheasant Sword was a gift from the system, a blade of unparalleled quality. When Arlong's teeth, which were strong enough to bite through a warship, clamped down on the sword, they shattered into pieces.
"My teeth!" Arlong cried out in shock and pain.
"Want to know what this sword is made of? You can find out in your next life," Moonlight said, his Armament Haki flaring, turning the Pheasant Sword black. "Three-Stage Cut!"
A triple-layered slash of dark energy shot out, striking Arlong with incredible force. His nose, the hardest part of his body, was instantly severed, and the three slashes tore into his torso, sending him crashing to his knees, defeated.
The remaining Fish-Men stared in disbelief. Their invincible captain had been defeated.
"Nami, kill him," Moonlight said, holding Arlong's head up for her to see.
Nami's eyes flickered with a mixture of fear and hatred. She had grown up in Arlong's shadow, and the thought of killing him, even now, made her tremble.
"To get rid of your nightmare, to free your heart from its chains, there is only one way: kill him," Moonlight said, offering her the Pheasant Sword.
"Nami, killing isn't always the best solution," Luffy said, having finally recovered. "But if you want to kill him, I won't stop you."
"People like Arlong are not uncommon in this Great Pirate Era," Sanji added, lighting a cigarette. "You can kill him, but what about the next Arlong? The only way to be free is to open your heart."
"He's right," Usopp said, his voice surprisingly serious. "I was trapped in Kuro's shadow, but I realized that killing him wouldn't make me stronger. Surpassing him, defeating him... that's true strength. That's why my dream is to become a brave warrior of the sea."
Just then, the villagers of Cocoyasi, led by Nojiko and Genzo, arrived, armed with farming tools and makeshift weapons. "Nami, we respect your choice," Nojiko said with a smile.
Nami looked at her friends, at the villagers, and then at the defeated Arlong. A warm feeling spread through her chest, and a smile touched her lips. She threw the Pheasant Sword back to Moonlight. "Forget it," she said, her voice clear and strong. "I'm not that little kid anymore. After all these years, I finally know what I have to do." She was no longer a victim; she was a member of the Straw Hat Pirates.
At that moment, Captain Nezumi and his Marines returned, surrounding the park. "Listen up!" he shouted, pointing at Luffy and the others. "If you don't want to be arrested, each of you will pay a fine of ten million Berries!"
"It's you," Luffy said, his face sinking. "You're the one who made Nami so unhappy."
"Stop your nonsense! If you don't want to fight the Marines, then—"
BAM!
Luffy's foot shot out, a Gum-Gum Tomahawk that sent Nezumi crashing to the ground. "You dare to attack a Marine Captain?!" his men shouted, rushing forward.
But when they saw Moonlight step forward, they all froze, their faces filled with a familiar terror. "It's him!" Nezumi squeaked, his body trembling. "Run!"
The Marines fled in a panic, not daring to face the man who had defeated them with a single look.
With the threat of Arlong and the corrupt Marines gone, the village of Cocoyasi was finally free. They threw a massive party to celebrate their saviors, a joyous feast that lasted late into the night.
The next morning, as they were preparing to leave, Nojiko came running with a newspaper. "You... you're wanted!" she panted, holding out a stack of wanted posters.
"Ah! I'm a wanted man?" Nami said, stunned.
"Great! Am I finally an official pirate?" Usopp cried, tears of joy streaming down his face.
"There's no poster for me?" Sanji grumbled.
"A bounty of 30 million? Awesome!" Luffy cheered.
"Mine is 15 million," Zoro added with a smirk.
"Hey, Moonlight," Usopp said, his eyes widening. "How come your bounty is more than all of ours combined?" He was right. Moonlight's bounty was a staggering 50 million Berries.
"It's natural," Zoro said with a shrug. "The Marines aren't idiots. They can see his strength. But 'suspected vice-captain'? I'm not so sure about that."
"Yeah, Moonlight is incredibly strong," Luffy agreed, completely unfazed. "He's worth every Berry."
"They're still underestimating him," Nami added. "If they'd seen him fight Hawkeye, it would be double that."
With their new bounties and a renewed sense of purpose, the Straw Hat Pirates said their goodbyes to the people of Cocoyasi Village and set sail once more, their sights set on the Grand Line.