"You—!"
Arlong's pupils contracted as a chill crept over his waist.
Gawain, without hesitation, drew the Seikō Masamune—a blade over 1.2 meters long—and slashed mercilessly at Arlong's lower body.
Swish!
A silver arc flashed through the air.
One of Arlong's legs separated cleanly from his body. He didn't feel pain—his damaged spine had dulled it. What he felt instead was an all-consuming cold.
And that was only the beginning.
Gawain's strikes rained down—limbs, then torso. He sliced Arlong's flesh with the precision of a butcher at the chopping block.
Scales removed. Bones exposed. Belly split.
Just as he promised.
Arlong's wails pierced the heavens. And in the distance, the villagers, battered and broken on the ground, smiled faintly when they heard the sound.
"So Arlong... he can scream like that too," an elder murmured. "Just like... my little boy used to."
"Cocoyashi… The nightmare is finally over…"
At the entrance of Arlong Park.
When Nami finally came to her senses, the screaming had stopped.
She struggled to her feet, only to find a tall figure standing in her way.
"I just gutted a fish," Gawain said, shaking blood off his blade. "It's a little messy inside. Best not to go in."
Sliding Seikō Masamune back into its sheath, he glanced at Nami, whose lips were pressed into a tight line.
"It's okay," she replied, voice low but steady. "I like sashimi."
"…Is that so."
Gawain stepped aside and let her pass.
Nami walked slowly into the blood-soaked remains of Arlong Park.
When she saw the carnage, her face turned pale. She held back the urge to vomit, swallowed hard, and said without looking back:
"Captain… forget it. I think I'm done with sashimi."
Her voice trembled, faded… and eventually dissolved into sobs.
Years of resentment and grief poured out all at once.
"Bell-mère…"
Her cries echoed softly through the ruined park. Gawain stood with his back to her at the entrance, shielding her from the eyes of others.
In the distance, two bloodstained figures approached—Gin and Kuro, walking side by side with steady breaths and blank expressions, as if they'd done nothing out of the ordinary.
Gawain asked without turning, "Is it finished?"
Gin spit out a bit of blood and cracked his neck.
"Their bodies were too tough. But no one got away."
Kuro sheathed his clawed blade and said coolly, "One hiccup. The octopus was rescued by a sea beast that leapt up from the depths. But the rest of them are dead."
"Octopus?" Gawain blinked, then nodded in realization. "No big deal."
"For now, let's let our navigator vent."
He looked around at the ruined village.
The survivors, still lying in the distance, were beginning to stir—forcing themselves upright despite the pain. But the wounds left by the fishmen were too grave. Most of them couldn't even move.
If they didn't get treatment soon, they'd die.
"Gin, call the ship's doctor. Get him here—now."
"These are people Nami cares about. We're not letting them die."
"Yes, Captain!"
Gin pulled out a Den Den Mushi, relayed the order, and within minutes, a group of pirates arrived under the guidance of a ship's doctor.
They moved swiftly through the wounded, stabilizing the injured and tending wounds.
They carried a man off a broken door—Genzo—whose injuries were the worst. The spear had nearly punctured his lung, yet he clung to life. Something deep in his heart had kept him breathing… long enough to witness Arlong's fall.
Now, finally, Genzo could speak.
He gritted his teeth, looked Gawain in the eye, and said:
"If you ever make Nami cry again… even if it kills me, I'll bite a chunk out of your flesh!"
Gawain glanced at him, voice flat.
"Only monsters like Arlong make her cry."
Then he turned and led Kuro toward the central building of Arlong Park.
After a short search, they reached the basement.
Creak—
Gawain pushed open the heavy door.
Inside was a mountain of banknotes and gold, enough to fill nearly the entire room.
He whistled softly. "How much is this?"
Kuro examined the stash and gave a rough estimate—even he was stunned by the number.
"Cash is close to a billion Berries. And the gold? At least two billion."
"With this, we could buy warships. Not just one—several."
Gawain pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Give Nami her share."
"Return part to the villagers of Cocoyashi."
"The rest—we'll use it to build ships."
"Our next destination is the Grand Line. Tens of thousands of miles ahead, and our ship is our life."
"Yes, Captain," Kuro responded.
Then he added, "There's something else. I found signs of the Navy's involvement."
Gawain's eyes narrowed. A face appeared in his mind.
"…I think I know who. But that guy doesn't have the guts to draw his sword against me."
"Still—just in case he tries something after we're gone—I'm going to leave him a little gift."
Kuro looked at him in confusion, but Gawain just smiled faintly.
Meanwhile, at the Navy's 16th Branch.
Nezumi gripped the Den Den Mushi tightly, face pale.
"What did you say?! Arlong is dead?!"
"You think this is funny?! He's a fishman from the Grand Line! How could he be—"
The marine on the other end stammered, "Sir… it was Knight Gawain. The one with an 85-million bounty! And he had Kuro and the Man-Demon Gin with him… it's confirmed both are now under his command…"
Nezumi froze. Sweat trickled down his spine.
Suddenly, it all made sense.
The bounty that shattered records in the East Blue. The freak who even the Marine Headquarters couldn't subdue. The so-called "monster" personally trained by former Admiral Zephyr.
That very monster—obliterated by Gawain at Raven Harbor.
A force like his… didn't belong in the East Blue.
No, it was a power to rival the Grand Line's strongest.
Damn it!
Worse, if evidence of his collusion with Arlong ever came to light, Nezumi wouldn't just lose his rank—he'd lose his head.
But if he played it right… this could be the greatest opportunity of his career.
If he claimed credit for the fall of Arlong's Pirates, a triple promotion wouldn't be a dream—it'd be reality!
And Arlong's hoarded fortune… Nezumi trembled at the thought.
Trying to control his excitement, he forced calm into his voice.
"Keep monitoring them. Once they leave, lock down Cocoyashi Village and especially Arlong Park."
"No one goes in. No one touches anything."
"Yes, sir!"
A cruel glint flashed in Nezumi's eyes.
"And once they've gone…"
"…we wipe out the village. Leave just enough wreckage to make it look like pirates did it."