Gawain smiled faintly.
"You were the one who lied first."
He tilted his head toward Nami, voice calm but firm.
"So now, Nami—knowing our strength—are you going to run away?"
"No!"
Nami turned sharply to Arlong. The fury and resentment that had been buried in her heart for years finally burst forth. Her voice cracked with emotion, raw and hoarse.
She didn't know exactly how strong Gawain was. But she knew one thing: a bounty of 85 million was over four times Arlong's.
"Captain... kill him. Please, kill him. Kill him!"
She repeated it like a prayer, over and over, until she couldn't even feel the tears running down her cheeks.
Gawain gently reached out and patted her head before turning to face Arlong, an inferno of wrath burning quietly in his chest.
At this moment...
Simply killing Arlong wasn't enough. Not anymore. The anger boiling in Gawain's heart demanded more.
Step by step, he walked forward.
And in a voice devoid of emotion, he asked:
"Have you ever killed a fish?"
Arlong blinked, momentarily confused. Then his expression darkened.
He'd never heard the phrase before—but he didn't need to. The contempt in Gawain's tone was unmistakable.
"You—"
"I have," Gawain cut in.
"It just takes a few moves."
He paused.
"Remove the scales and bones. Rip open the belly."
The words fell like a verdict.
And then—
Gawain vanished.
His physique, his mastery of Observation Haki, and his lethal Death Walk far surpassed Kuro's. When all three combined, his speed exploded past human comprehension.
Even with his enhanced Fishman body—stronger than any human—Arlong could only see a blur of afterimages as Gawain charged in.
The silver-white blade of Seikō Masamune gleamed in the sun, refracting light like a mirror.
He's serious.
Realizing this, Arlong broke into a cold sweat. The composure he had just moments ago—the smug control—shattered completely.
Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Fishmen had never been considered a dominant race in the Grand Line, let alone the New World.
Even Jinbei—their strongest warrior—was only on par with the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Strong? Yes.
But compared to the monsters of the New World, the Four Emperors, even Jinbei was insignificant. He couldn't carry the Fishman race's flag alone.
They'd survived for years only under Whitebeard's protection.
And the more they relied on that protection, the more bitter Arlong became.
Why?
Why, when they were born with physical advantages, did they still have to crawl to survive?
With tangled emotions surging, Arlong's body moved on instinct. He barely twisted to the side, avoiding a fatal strike—but he couldn't escape completely. Gawain's blade found its mark.
Fishmen had muscle density and bone strength far beyond humans, but to the Seikō Masamune, it made no difference.
Gawain felt no resistance at all—Arlong's flesh parted like butter under his blade.
Swish!
Blood sprayed in a mist.
The pain shocked Arlong back into focus—and made him realize something terrifying:
The man in front of him was vastly, overwhelmingly stronger.
Just a bit more—and he would've been disemboweled!
"H-How could a monster like you exist in the East Blue?!" Arlong roared in panic. "Who sent you?! Navy? Whitebeard? Kaido?!"
His thoughts spiraled with paranoia, but his body moved swiftly.
Using the momentum from Gawain's strike, Arlong twisted and plunged into the water, diving dozens of meters in an instant.
Underwater, unless it was a specially crafted weapon, even the best flintlock guns were practically useless. Swords too lost their edge—literally and figuratively.
This was his domain.
On land, fishmen were already several times stronger than humans. In the water, that difference multiplied.
This is my chance! My only chance!
Saltwater stung his wound, but it also sharpened his mind.
He knew his edge.
With webbed limbs and unmatched underwater mobility, a Fishman could reach insane acceleration. The power of his body alone could ram through a warship if needed.
"There's only one shot," he thought.
"When that guy pauses—when he lets his guard down—I'll kill him in one blow."
"He's human. No matter how fast or skilled, there's a gap in our biology he can't overcome."
Arlong's heart slowed. Confidence returned. The plan was perfect.
A feral grin crept across his face as he lurked beneath the surface, waiting.
Seconds passed.
Gawain stepped toward the edge of the pool, gaze calm, expression unreadable.
That look...
It infuriated Arlong.
Now!
Bang!
Arlong's heart pumped like a drum. His legs kicked hard. His body rocketed upward with explosive speed.
He erupted from the water, spear-like nose aimed straight at Gawain's chest.
"Shark·ON·DARTS!"
Puff!
The water exploded behind him as he shot forward like a missile. He could already see Gawain's lifeless body in his mind.
But then—
A cold, mocking voice echoed in his ear.
"Is it fun?"
Arlong's blood ran cold.
A massive palm appeared before him—getting larger by the second.
Bang!
Gawain caught Arlong mid-air with one hand. The impact cracked the ground beneath them, but Gawain didn't budge an inch.
With his enhanced physique and the bonus from Balance, Gawain's raw physical power had already reached monstrous levels.
Ignoring Arlong's stunned expression, Gawain grinned darkly.
"This is a big one."
Then he drove his sword backward, piercing through Arlong's spine and pinning him to the ground like a specimen.
From the wreckage of Arlong Park, the villagers—battered, bloody, but still breathing—watched.
And they smiled.
For the first time in years, they smiled.
The fish-man that had crushed their spirits for so long now lay helpless... like a fish waiting to be gutted.
"Hahahahaha—!"
Laughter echoed all around.
Arlong's face twisted in humiliation. He struggled, thrashed—but his lower body was numb.
Powerless.
Gawain leaned close, his voice low and sharp.
"Do you know why Fisher Tiger chose to die, even when humans offered to save him with blood transfusions?"
Arlong froze. His eyes widened.
"You… You know about Brother Tiger?"
Gawain didn't answer. A flicker of mockery crossed his face.
"It's because he knew... if he lived, he'd become exactly like you. Twisted. Ugly. No different from the human poachers who hunted Fishman Island."
Then he whispered, almost conspiratorially:
"Hey, Arlong. Want to help me change the rules of this world? Make a world where Fishmen aren't hunted anymore?"
"I—I do!" Arlong gasped, desperate. "I do!"
But Gawain's next words turned his blood to ice.
"Oh. I lied."
"I didn't say all that to help you repent or change. I just wanted you to die in agony, full of regret."
He stood up.
"And besides…"
He smirked.
"You love this game, don't you?"