"Cocoyasi Village… I'm buying it."
Ron spoke casually, almost lazily, as he took a single Berry coin from his pocket.
He flicked it between his fingers.
The coin spun through the air in a perfect arc—
and landed squarely on Arlong's forehead with a soft ping.
Then, Ron turned slightly toward Nami and smiled.
"Watch carefully, Nami," he said with mock solemnity.
"This is how your brother Ron does business with pirates."
The coin gleamed in the sunlight, resting on Arlong's brow like a crown of mockery.
It didn't hurt him—
but it stung in every other way.
For a few seconds, even Arlong froze, unsure how to react.
"One hundred million Berries," Ron continued, his voice smooth as silk.
"From this moment on, Cocoyasi Village belongs to Nami."
The words carried no weight of threat—only cold amusement.
And yet, the single coin on Arlong's forehead seemed to seal the deal in front of everyone.
"One… Berry?"
The Fishmen looked at each other in confusion.
"Is this guy serious?"
"Did he just call one Berry a hundred million?"
"Has he lost his damn mind?"
Arlong finally snapped out of his daze, his face twisting into rage.
"Brat…" His gills flared as his shark-like teeth gleamed.
"Do you even understand what happens to people who mock me!?"
Even Nami and the villagers stared at Ron in disbelief.
What was he doing? Was he trying to get himself killed?
But Ron's expression suddenly changed.
The lazy grin vanished.
His eyes grew cold—glacial.
"Wait," he said softly, his tone razor-sharp.
"Are you telling me that wasn't one hundred million Berries?"
He took a step forward, voice rising.
"You dare suggest that I—Ron—underpaid you?"
"Who gave you the guts to accuse me of cheating, huh?"
"Are you calling me a liar, Arlong?"
The courtyard fell into dead silence.
For a moment, even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Then—
"Pfft… HAHAHAHAHA!"
The Fishmen erupted into laughter.
"This guy's insane!"
"Trying to bluff Arlong with pocket change!"
"Hey, maybe he thinks shouting loud enough makes it true!"
Their laughter echoed through the air—
—until a blinding green arc split the space between them.
SLASH!
A storm of compressed air roared outward.
In the blink of an eye, half the Fishmen were cut cleanly in two.
Their laughter ended in a wet, horrible silence.
Bodies hit the ground one after another—
thud. thud. thud.
Blood sprayed across the courtyard like a crimson mist.
Everyone stood frozen.
The villagers.
Nami.
Even Arlong.
Their eyes widened as Ron slowly lowered his hand, the faint afterglow of his strike fading into the air.
He smiled again—this time, the smile of a predator.
"So," he said softly, stepping closer with deliberate calm.
"Let's try this again."
His footsteps echoed against the stone.
"Tell me, Arlong… how much did I pay you?"
Arlong's gills flared again. His instincts screamed at him—this human was not to be trifled with.
He glanced at the pool beside him, the one leading directly into the ocean.
If he could just reach the water…
In the sea, no human could touch him.
He swallowed hard, then forced a grin.
"O-Of course! One hundred million Berries! That's what you said!" he stammered, raising his hands.
Ron's grin returned, smooth and effortless.
"Good."
He turned back to Nami, his tone light again.
"You see, Nami? That's how you make deals with pirates."
"With scum like this, you have to be ten times crueler than they are. Got it?"
Nami stared, speechless.
Ron winked at Nojiko.
"See? He's an honest guy after all. Told you he was big on honor."
But the moment Ron turned his back, Arlong's grin twisted into hatred.
"Idiot," he thought. "You've got no idea who you're dealing with."
He spun and lunged toward the pool.
"Once I'm in the water, I'll rip you apart—!"
But he never made it.
A hand shot out like lightning, clamping around his ankle.
A crushing grip—strong enough to grind bone.
Arlong's heart seized.
And then, Ron's low, cold voice came from behind him:
"Where do you think you're going?"
Arlong turned pale.
"Sorry," Ron said evenly. "The deal might be over…"
"…but we still have one more matter to settle."
Before Arlong could react, Ron yanked him upward with monstrous strength—
—and slammed him into the ground hard enough to crater it.
BOOM!
Dust exploded outward.
Arlong lay embedded in the dirt, coughing blood, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Boss!!"
Hatchan, Kuroobi, and Chew all shouted at once—
but not one of them dared to move.
They'd never seen anything like it.
Their proud captain—
the terror of the East Blue—
pinned down like a bug by a single human.
"This… can't be real…" Hatchan muttered, tentacles trembling.
Nojiko covered her mouth, eyes wide.
"Unbelievable…" she whispered.
The man who had crushed twenty villages under his rule—
the tyrant who had enslaved their home—
was helpless before Ron.
And now she understood what he meant when he said Arlong "kept his promises."
A puppet, after all, always does what its master tells it to.
Tears welled in her eyes—tears of relief.
"Finally," she whispered. "Nami's found someone who can protect her."
"The village… it's finally free."
Around her, the villagers began to cry and cheer all at once.
Even as blood pooled at their feet, they smiled.
Their nightmare was ending.
Nami stood frozen, staring at Ron in shock.
"Ron…" she breathed.
It felt unreal—like watching a dream made flesh.
But before she could speak, Ron pressed his boot down on Arlong's chest, pinning him in place.
"You made my navigator cry," he said softly. "That makes my job harder, Arlong."
Arlong coughed, his pride in tatters.
"W-What… what do you want…?"
Ron tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Hmm…"
Then he smirked.
"One tear… ten million Berries. Sounds fair, doesn't it?"
Arlong blinked. "Wh—what?"
"Each tear she shed because of you," Ron repeated, smiling faintly.
"Ten million apiece. Fair price."
"Y-Yes! Yes, very fair!" Arlong said quickly, nodding so fast his gills flared.
"Good."
Ron's grin widened.
"But since I'm in a generous mood, I'll give you a discount."
He leaned closer, voice low and mocking.
"Flat rate—ten billion Berries."
"W-What!?" Arlong's jaw dropped.
The villagers gasped.
"Ten… billion!?"
"That's insane!"
Arlong's mind went blank.
Even among the Four Emperors, such sums were beyond imagination.
But Ron only smiled, his voice calm and final.
"Relax. I'm sure a big, honorable pirate like you…"
"…can find a way to pay."