Cocoyasi Village.
Inside the headquarters of the Arlong Pirates, the air was thick with tension and the scent of sea salt.
Arlong, the towering sawshark fishman and captain of the crew, lounged arrogantly in a massive chair, his jagged teeth gleaming as he looked at the woman seated across the table Nami.
"Well now, Nami," he drawled, voice dripping with mock sympathy, "how much of that hundred million Berries have you managed to save up?"
"...Around eighty million," Nami murmured, her right hand unconsciously brushing against the tattoo of the sun mark on her shoulder. Her head hung low, her voice heavy.
Arlong let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "Hahaha! That means you're getting close to freedom, huh? You should be happy, Nami!"
"Yeah," said Kuroobi, lounging lazily on the sofa nearby, his sharp gills flaring as he smirked. "Freedom's right around the corner. Smile a little, girl."
Nami clenched her fists. Her gaze hardened as she looked up at Arlong. "You promised me, Arlong. Once I give you the full hundred million, you'll leave Cocoyasi Village for good. You have to keep your word!"
For a moment, Arlong's grin faltered. His sharp eyes narrowed before his expression softened again into a sly smile.
"But of course," he said with mock sincerity. "I am, after all, the great Arlong, captain of the Arlong Pirates! My bounty is twenty million Berries! When I give my word, I keep it!"
He spread his arms dramatically, flashing that sharklike grin. "You know, Nami, I don't enjoy killing people. I'm only here to make money. But what can I do? I'm a pirate. Plundering is all I know…"
Before he could finish, the door burst open with a loud crash.
A terrified fishman stumbled inside, panting heavily, scales glistening with sweat. "Boss! Boss Arlong! There's a crazy woman outside! She's strong way stronger than Brother Pisaro! He's been caught! You have to come see this!"
Arlong's brow twitched in irritation. He hated being interrupted. But as the report sank in, his annoyance turned to rage.
"What? Someone dares to cause trouble in my territory? Has she lost her mind?!"
He stood abruptly, the heavy chair scraping against the floor. "Let's go. I want to see which lunatic thinks they can challenge the Arlong Pirates!"
"...Huh? What did you just say?"
"I asked where your treasure is. Why are you telling me useless nonsense?"
"Fine. One more chance. Tell me or die."
Arlong arrived just in time to see a terrifying sight.
A woman clad in black armor stood on the shattered remains of the outer wall, her right hand gripping a black blade, her left hand clutching Pisaro by the throat and holding him high in the air like a rag doll.
Her cold, golden eyes glowed with murderous intent.
Arlong's instincts screamed danger.
"Stop!" he roared.
The woman Ryan Quinn tilted her head slightly, looking at him in mild annoyance. "Hm? What is it?"
The vein on Arlong's temple bulged. "You've got some nerve, human. What do you think you're doing to my subordinate?"
Ryan blinked, then looked down at Pisaro, who was barely conscious. "He's yours?"
"That's right," Arlong growled. "I'm Arlong, the Sawshark! A pirate worth twenty million Berries!"
"Twenty million Berries?" Ryan repeated, eyes lighting up like gold coins in the sun. She stared straight at Arlong's head, and a grin slowly crept across her face.
A sudden chill ran down Arlong's spine.
"Listen up, human. Let him go, and I'll pretend this never happened," Arlong said, trying to sound threatening yet cautious.
But Ryan wasn't listening anymore. Her mind was already spinning in overdrive.
Arlong Pirates… Fishmen… East Blue… Wait a minute this is Nami's home village!
Her eyes darted across the scene until they landed on Nami, standing stiffly beside Arlong, her blue eyes wide with shock.
Yep. No doubt about it. This was definitely that Nami.
That meant Ryan had hit the jackpot.
She could get Arlong's treasure, his twenty-million-Berry bounty, and maybe squeeze a little extra from the infamous cat burglar herself.
The thought made her grin uncontrollably.
"Hahaha! Hahaha!"
To Arlong and his crew, though, it looked like she'd completely lost her mind a deranged woman laughing with blood still dripping from her sword.
Something about that laughter made Arlong uneasy. His instincts screamed that this wasn't a normal human.
"Enough! Stop laughing, you crazy woman! What the hell do you want?!"
Ryan's grin widened. "What do I want? Oh, nothing much. I just feel like killing some fish today."
Before anyone could react, she tightened her grip on her sword Excalibur Morgan and drove it straight through Pisaro's chest.
The blade pierced clean through.
Blood sprayed into the air, splattering across her armor and cheek, leaving crimson streaks that made her look even more unhinged.
Pisaro's body twitched once before going limp.
"Pisaro!" several fishmen shouted.
Arlong's fury erupted. "You crazy woman! Kill her! Tear her apart!"
But before his men could charge, Ryan raised a hand. "Wait!"
Everyone froze mid-step.
"What? Regret it already, human?" Arlong sneered.
"No," Ryan said calmly. "I just have a question."
Arlong blinked. "What?"
Turning her head slightly, Ryan called out to Nami. "Hey, Nami! If I get rid of these fish freaks for you, can I have all your money? Pretty please?"
Her eyes gleamed like a kid staring at candy.
Nami blinked in disbelief. "Huh? Wait what?"
Arlong's grin returned, sharp and mocking. "So that's it, huh? You've been quiet these last few days, Nami. I thought something was up. Turns out you've been plotting with this lunatic!"
He jabbed a finger at Nami, his voice dripping with venom. "Don't worry. Once I deal with this crazy woman, I'll settle things with you next."
Nami's lips parted, her hands trembling as she stared at Ryan in confusion.
Ryan just smirked, resting Excalibur Morgan on her shoulder. "Well, guess I'll start with the appetizer."
As the wind howled through the broken walls and the sea roared in the distance, the stage for the storm that would change Cocoyasi forever was set.
And standing right in the eye of it all Ryan Quinn, the black-armored swordswoman smiled like chaos itself.