OPTC Chapter 332: Arlong Pirates
Their outing plans were temporarily canceled. That same day, Mr. Rochester called several doctors to his house for a thorough medical examination.
Zhang Da Ye stared blankly at the array of medical equipment. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't once been to a hospital. The doctors here looked nothing like Chopper from the anime—more like something out of a modern hospital instead.
Mrs. Simplen and Kaya were urged by Mr. Rochester to undergo one test after another while the doctors explained their results.
As the explanations went on, one of the doctors became increasingly animated. "A miracle—this is an absolute miracle! From the previous examination, both the lady and the young miss had severe defects in their heart and lung functions, but now, their results are completely normal! Did you invite a famous physician to treat them?"
He had examined them before and knew these were conditions everyone believed untreatable. The sudden full recovery left him awestruck—if only he could meet such a doctor, perhaps he could learn a thing or two.
Mr. Rochester exchanged a joyful glance with his wife, uncertain whether he should tell the truth.
Zhang Da Ye spoke up, "It's not medicine. Just a special healing ability."
"Ability?" the doctor paused, then immediately understood, his expression tinged with disappointment. "Ah, I see. Then there's no way to study that. Still, congratulations, Mr. Rochester—you and your family are truly blessed."
The disappointment came partly from realizing he'd lose such a wealthy client—but mostly because there would be no chance to study the miracle.
If it had been achieved through surgery or medicine, there would've been research opportunities, discoveries, maybe fame and fortune. But an ability? That couldn't be studied. It was like missing out on a gold mine.
Mr. Rochester didn't notice the doctor's thoughts. Overjoyed, he decided to double the medical fees—and for Wendy's help, multiply it again.
Even that didn't feel enough, but in his happiness, he couldn't think straight. He'd figure out proper repayment later.
Reviving Mrs. Simplen temporarily was one thing—but curing both mother and daughter completely was another. Mr. Rochester quietly decided to upgrade tonight's dinner two levels higher in celebration.
After the banquet, though, he started to doubt himself. Should he really have paid those consultation fees?
Because things had gone so pleasantly with Kaya's family, Zhang Da Ye and his group stayed for a few more days.
Mr. Rochester and Shark Chili had long conversations about business and success—true "man-to-man" talks that left both satisfied and wiser.
To Shark Chili, Rochester was the picture of success—career thriving, happy family —someone worth learning from. He even asked for relationship advice and came away looking oddly inspired.
Mrs. Simplen spent her days either watching Kaya play or doting on Carla. The cat's snow-white fur and elegance completely stole her heart. It wouldn't be surprising if she started searching for a similar cat soon. Seeing her enthusiasm, Zhang Da Ye casually recommended food from MeowMeow Pet Supplies—high quality, fit for both humans and cats.
Kaya, meanwhile, got her wish—to visit her family's farm with Wendy and Perona. It was winter, so only hardy vegetables like cabbages and radishes remained, but the three little girls still had a great time pulling them up together.
Tom was just as delighted. Between eating and napping, he spent his days running around the farm with the girls. Milking cows, stealing eggs—fun *and* food combined? Perfect entertainment.
Of course, there were mishaps: getting pecked by hens or chased by bulls. Sometimes he dragged the girls into trouble too, but thankfully, no one ever got hurt.
Whenever they ran together, the girls seemed to gain speed boosts, agility bonuses, and… reduced intelligence.
For example, when facing a waist-high fence, none of them thought to climb over or crawl under. Instead of splitting up, they always ran in one pack. Perona even forgot to use her powers until she'd been chased all the way across the field.
Watching them play gave the Rochesters heart attacks on a daily basis. If not for Zhang Da Ye's constant reassurance and the fact that they had never seen Kaya this happy before, they would've stopped it long ago.
Even so, Mr. Rochester decided that once the guests left, the farm would become off-limits to Kaya. That cat was too dangerous—it had already dug its own grave in advance.
As for Usopp, no one knew what he was up to. He hadn't shown himself since that day. Hopefully he was alright.
Merry, on the other hand, nervously asked if he could visit the Amber. He'd been designing a ship since childhood and wanted to see the real thing for inspiration.
Zhang Da Ye agreed at once. It seemed the Going Merry would still be born someday—just not yet clear whose hands it would end up in.
Despite all the fun, the day of farewell eventually came.
Kaya tearfully clung to Wendy and Perona, her eyes glistening as she begged them to visit again.
Wendy tried her best to act like a composed big sister, comforting Kaya—but her voice trembled, and she nearly cried too.
Perona, on the other hand, boldly suggested, "Why don't you just kidnap her, Da Ye?"
Zhang Da Ye flicked her forehead. "Don't be ridiculous. Kaya has her family—she wouldn't want to run around the world with us."
Perona pouted, rubbing her head. "What's the problem? You're great with kids. Just kidnap her whole family, then."
"You sound like a bandit, young lady. You want another smack?"
Perona huffed, realizing it was hopeless, and hurried to say goodbye properly.
Before they boarded, Mr. Rochester took a suitcase from Merry and handed it to Zhang Da Ye. "This is for Miss Wendy—her consultation fee. It's not much, but please accept our gratitude."
Judging by the size of the suitcase, Zhang Da Ye figured it contained at least a Crocodile-sized bounty. He shook his head. "That's unnecessary. Wendy wouldn't take it. She and Kaya got along so well—why would she accept money from a friend?"
He knew perfectly well how much they'd eaten during their stay—and how much destruction Tom had caused—so there was no way he'd feel right accepting payment.
"This isn't about the money…" Mr. Rochester didn't care. His business empire went far beyond this island. Healing his wife and daughter was worth more than a few farms.
"Really, don't worry about it. You've done more than enough."
In the end, Zhang Da Ye refused to take the money. After Wendy and Perona exchanged farewell gifts with Kaya, they returned to the ship and set sail.
The sails unfurled, the ship pulled away from shore, and Kaya waved with all her strength until the Amber disappeared from sight.
Then she turned back to her parents, her little hands clasped behind her back. "Mom, Dad—I want to be a doctor."
Mr. Rochester asked gently, "Why is that?"
"Because I want to be like Sister Wendy. I want to cure any illness, so you'll never have to worry again."
Mrs. Simplen hesitated. "Studying medicine is very hard."
"That's okay!" Kaya smiled brightly.
"Then work hard," her parents said with pride. It was a good dream. Whether she succeeded or not didn't matter—they were just glad she had one.
On a distant rooftop, a long-nosed boy watched the cat-flag fluttering in the wind. His eyes were full of uncertainty as he murmured, "What… should I do now?"
---
A massive red ship sped across the sea. Its bow was carved like a shark's skull, its hull lined with white jagged patterns, and its flag bore a red shark symbol instead of the usual pirate skull—menacing and fierce.
The ship wasn't driven by wind but by a huge sea creature resembling a bull.
"Nyuu, Brother Arlong, why do we have to go to the East Blue?" asked Hatchan the octopus. "Wouldn't it be better to stay on the Grand Line like before?"
Arlong, ever patient with his own kind, explained, "It's strategy. We'll start by establishing our power in the weakest sea—where the World Government pays no attention. We'll gather money and influence, and one day, Jinbei and Queen Otohime will realize how wrong they were. Fishmen are destined to rule the inferior humans who can't even breathe underwater!"
"Nyuu… but I think Queen Otohime—"
"Hachi!" shouted Kuroobi, dressed in a dark blue martial arts uniform. "Brother Arlong is never wrong! Just do as he says!"
"Yeah, yeah! Arlong's the best!" the other fishmen cheered, dreaming of using their superior strength to conquer the East Blue—and eventually the world.
But deep down, Arlong wasn't as confident as they were.
If they could have survived well in the Grand Line, who would willingly go to the East Blue?
He once believed that with Fisher Tiger, Jinbei, and the rest of their brothers, the Sun Pirates could dominate the Grand Line. After all, in a world made mostly of ocean, who could defeat the fishmen?
Until Tiger's death.
When Arlong sought revenge, he met a filthy human who defeated him with just one finger.
So humans were that strong…
He never admitted it out loud, but deep down, he knew the truth.
Later, after Jinbei became a Warlord and Arlong was released from prison, the two fought—and Arlong was crushed.
He realized then that the Sun Pirates' success had little to do with his own strength.
Losing to Jinbei didn't shame him—losing to a fellow fishman was acceptable. Even losing to that "filthy human" wasn't unbearable; after all, that man later became a Marine Admiral—one of the strongest in the entire Navy.
Aside from Jinbei and those monsters in the Navy, Arlong still believed himself strong. Determined, he rebuilt the Arlong Pirates. (A/N: He'd had a crew before, but it was absorbed into the Sun Pirates under Tiger. Now, he was simply reforming it.)
He planned to build a name again—staying far away from Marine Headquarters and any Admirals.
And he succeeded, for a time. Several small islands on the Grand Line learned to fear the fishmen. The Navy placed a 20 million Berry bounty on his head.
That night, they were celebrating the news when Arlong met a massive blind man.
Arlong had stepped outside for a breather—and witnessed something unforgettable.
The blind man drew his blade, and an entire house vanished. Then, with a second motion, a meteor fell from the sky, obliterating five pirate ships that had been preparing to attack the island.
Afterward, the man calmly tapped his cane-sword along the ground, walking straight toward Arlong.
Arlong froze. Another monster. Was this the end of his journey?
"Excuse me, young man," the blind man asked. "Do you know where I can find a casino?"
"I… I just came here for a drink," Arlong said automatically, his tone soft as silk. "Go a few hundred meters ahead—you'll find locals there. They'll know."
"Much obliged."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of the cane faded into the distance, but Arlong's heart still pounded in rhythm with it.
"I'm alive… The Grand Line really is too dangerous…" He almost collapsed, then bolted back into the tavern and yelled, "Set sail—immediately!"
For the first time in his life, Arlong paid his tab in a human bar.
Originally, he had planned to stop by Foolshat Island—to find the human girl Fisher Tiger had risked everything to return home. Whether she meant to or not, she was the bait the Navy used to capture Tiger. Tiger was gone—so why should the bait live?
But that no longer mattered. All Arlong wanted now was to escape the Grand Line alive. He wouldn't risk his crew's lives for a single human girl.
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