Yes.
He wasn't seeing things.
That human-shaped… fish in front of him—
Really was a fish.
The fin on its head, the scaled skin, the webbed palms… none of it resembled a human.
Suddenly, Adrian froze as a realization struck him.
"…Don't tell me the world I transmigrated into is One Piece."
If that was true—
This world was far, far more dangerous than he expected.
But worrying about that now would just be asking for stress.
The fish-man narrowed his eyes at them, taking a swig from his wine jug before speaking.
"You two… why haven't I seen you before? Outsiders?"
For nearly eight years, the Arlong Pirates had ruled this area.
In all that time, this fish-man—Salt-Broiled—knew every villager under their control.
Even if he didn't know everyone's names, he'd at least recognize their faces.
But these two?
Completely unfamiliar.
Which meant they must've come from somewhere else.
Adrian, however, smiled brightly.
"Just started my outlaw career, and someone delivers themselves to my doorstep… Good start."
He took out his AK and pointed it at the fish-man.
"Robbery. Hand over everything valuable on you."
"You… dare to rob me?"
Salt-Broiled squinted, his drunken arrogance swelling.
"So you really are outsiders. A bunch of lowly humans daring to rob a noble fish-man? You must be looking for death."
Years of unchecked tyranny in this tiny East Blue village had already inflated the Arlong Pirates with delusions of superiority.
Humans were low-class trash.
Fish-men were the superior race.
So being threatened by humans only enraged him.
He lunged toward Adrian and Zabuza, planning to beat them half to death and drag them to Arlong afterward.
But—
BANG!
Adrian pulled the trigger.
It was his first time actually firing a gun.
But once the trigger was squeezed, a full burst of bullets roared out.
As the saying goes:
Outside of seven steps—gun is fast.
Within seven steps—gun is fast and accurate.
And this was exactly the case.
Even as a complete newbie, thirty bullets meant at least ten found their mark.
Fish-men were tough—much stronger than humans physically.
But they weren't bulletproof.
Several rounds struck Salt-Broiled's chest and even his head.
He dropped instantly.
"Damn—my muzzle jumped straight to the sky."
Adrian cursed as the burst ended, then approached the fallen fish-man.
Salt-Broiled was no longer breathing.
Dead.
Adrian had just killed… well, a fish.
Still a life, though.
His first kill as a newly debuted outlaw.
He felt complicated—but only for a moment.
"You just had to resist, huh? Now look at you—turned from a fish into a dead fish."
Adrian shook his head and crouched down to loot the body.
He came here to rob the guy—
Whether the target resisted or not, he had to finish the job.
He prided himself on being someone who started what he intended to finish.
After searching thoroughly…
He only found some money.
Berries, to be precise—the currency of this world.
"Huh… I can read this? Oh—right, the system activated language and text functions. Same as the storage ability. Saves me the trouble of learning the local language."
He glanced at the bills and immediately understood the writing.
But the "earnings" made him want to cry.
His very first job as a brand-new outlaw—
And he only got five thousand berries.
Adrian removed the AK's magazine.
The moment it left his hand, it vanished.
Less than a second later, a fresh, fully loaded magazine materialized in his grip.
He slapped it in, aimed at Salt-Broiled's corpse—
DADADADADA!!
A full burst rained down on the already dead fish-man.
Damn fish-man, carrying so little money.
His very first robbery yielded only this?!
Good thing his bullets were free.
If he had to buy ammunition…
These 5,000 berries wouldn't even cover a single magazine.
He had almost gone bankrupt on his first day as an outlaw!
…
Translators's Thoughts: Adrian's first step into the outlaw life… and he earns a pitiful 5,000 berries. With income like this, he'll go bankrupt faster than a Marine recruit on payday. But hey—every great criminal empire starts somewhere, even if the first score is barely pocket change!
"Salt-Broiled" is the localized name for this minor Arlong Pirate fish-man; the original text uses a food-themed name consistent with Oda's naming style.
Stay tuned to see whether our rookie outlaw can turn things around, or if he'll keep drawing the short end of the stick. Your comments and support keep the story going!
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