Chapter 20The Marines and Arlong's crew were in cahoots; they only suspected it and didn't have definitive proof."Nami!"A girl with short blue hair pushed through the villagers and threw herself onto Nami."Are you okay? Why did you have to come back now?""It's a long story," Nami said. "I've decided not to endure it anymore. I'm going to drive Arlong and his crew out of the village!""But if you attack the Marines..." Nojiko looked at the mess ahead with great concern."We are pirates, and Nami is the navigator on my ship."Luffy pulled Nami back from Nojiko. "It's perfectly normal for pirates to fight Marines."At those words, Nojiko finally turned her gaze toward Luffy."Who are you?"As if her toy had been snatched, Nojiko quickly grabbed one of Nami's arms."Nami's Captain." Luffy showed a proud expression, lifting his head with a slight smirk."Well, I'm Nami's sister." Nojiko struck the same pose.Then the two of them began tugging back and forth."Is this something worth bragging about?" Namiclenched her fists; did these two not understand the current situation?"You guys will regret this!""The foolish villagers who harbor pirates and oppose the Marines will regret it too!""Just you wait for the wanted posters from Marine Headquarters!"On the warship that was about to sink after being smashed in the middle by a Gum-Gum Gatling, Colonel Nezumi, bruised and swollen, was cursing in a total breakdown.Nami looked at him with a dark expression.This was exactly what Nojiko was worried about; attacking the Marines meant becoming a wanted pirate.But..."So noisy. Gum-Gum... Bazooka!"Luffy stretched both hands back and let them fly toward Colonel Nezumi's head.Crack.Without the vitality of someone like Buggy the Clown, he should be as dead as can be."Nami."Luffy adjusted his hat and said, "Let's go find Arlong and his lot."Nami nodded."I'm going to kick all these Fishmen out!"Nami gripped the wooden staff in her hand."Fishmen don't belong here!""Nami, we need to plan this carefully. Let's wait for Gen-san.""I've already decided, Nojiko."Watching Nami and Luffy walk toward Arlong Park, Nojiko's face was filled with complex emotions.But...Nojiko glanced at the Marine warship sinking into the sea behind her. That man wearing the Straw Hat was incredibly strong!Nami hated pirates the most, yet when the Straw Hat boy pulled her arm and declared her the navigator of his ship, Nami didn't resist at all.There was a hint of helplessness mixed with affection in her eyes.What is their relationship?"With him there, Nami will be fine."Perhaps the one to truly save Cocoyasi Villagewouldn't be the Marines, but pirates!...Arlong Park was now close at hand."Nami, you watch from here." Luffy looked at Nami."I can help too.""That's an order from the Captain!""...Okay."Nami's lips twitched; she knew very well that if she went, she would only be in the way."Just wait, it'll be over soon." Luffy grinned, took off his Straw Hat, and pressed it onto Nami's head.Next, Nami saw the gate symbolizing Arlong Parkbeing kicked open.A Fishman's physical strength is more than ten times that of a human; they are literal monsters, yet even they didn't have the strength to kick that gate open like that.A few nearby Fishmen had just looked up when they found the gate crashing down on them.Ordinary people would have been flattened.The physical constitution of those Fishmen indeed seemed much better than the Marines dealt with earlier; they actually had the strength to push aside the stone gate on top of them and stand up.This was a Fishman.On a lounge chair under a sunshade not far away, someone only opened their eyes arrogantly in response to the commotion.This Fishman had a sharp, serrated long nose and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth."Which village's guy has come to seek death now?" Arlong said, his eyes fixed on Luffy."You humans really never learn your lesson.""Are you Arlong?" Luffy suddenly spoke."Where did this greenhorn come from? Boss Arlong doesn't have time to play with you."A nearby Fishman mocked. Arlong followed his gaze toward the gate and saw the familiar orange-haired figure."Hahaha, so it's someone Nami brought. Your taste is too poor..."Smack.Before he could finish, the Fishman who just spoke went flying past Arlong's body and slammed into the wall behind him.One punch, and his breath was gone!Chapter 23: Apex Predator LuffyArlong Park fell into an eerie silence, with only the steam on Luffy's body continuing unabated."A rare sight, indeed. Are you a Devil Fruit User?"Arlong suddenly spoke. To be honest, Luffy had startled him. As a pirate who had spent time in the Grand Line, his experience was not something ordinary pirates could match.How rare were Devil Fruit Users?In any case, in the decades he'd been in the East Blue, this was the first time he'd seen one."I've changed my mind. You should join us too."Arlong stood up, seemingly extending a serious invitation, and laughed with his arms wide open. "Just like Nami, become one of us!""Nami is my navigator."Luffy retorted seriously, "She has been since she boarded my ship, and she always will be.""Heh, hahaha..."Arlong burst into laughter, and the officers beside him did the same."Did you see that tattoo on her arm? She's been a member of our Arlong Crew since ten years ago. Look, this is the mark!"Chew showed the tattoo on his arm."What if Nami is the only one who has such a thing?"Luffy aimed his hand at Chew's arm, his tone flat."Just like this."Accompanied by a loud bang.Chew let out a heart-wrenching scream as the arm with the tattoo snapped in an instant.Nami covered her mouth, unable to make a sound, her heart feeling as if something had been filled."What did you do to my comrade!"Arlong roared. He was an extreme racist; Fishmen were superior to everything, and humans were just a despicable, inferior race in his eyes."This is just the beginning."Luffy was in no hurry to act, his cold gaze fixed on Arlong."Jie jie jie, inferior creatures like humans are as annoying as ants if they don't learn their lesson."Arlong pointed at Nami, "Are you trying to rescue that woman? Indeed, you've realized her enviable talent for navigation, haven't you?""Nami's talent is unparalleled! Unfortunately, I only found out after I killed her Marine mother; otherwise, I would have had even more ways to coerce her.""But as long as the village is under my control, it's impossible for her to escape my grasp!""Jie jie hahaha, Nami has always wanted to save up a hundred million Berries to buy the village from me. Too bad, if you had come a bit later, that hundred million would have been mine too. First give hope, then bestow despair!"Luffy looked up, the steam on his body erupting instantly, and the speed of his blood circulation accelerated.In fact, even someone as carefree as him could sense that Nami was troubled, so he knew the shackles she carried in her heart."I'll let you feel it too."Luffy said, "What despair is.""Just a mere human!""Don't be too arrogant!"The Fishmen's faces showed anger; ever since they came to the East Blue, no one had dared to show them such an attitude.They had never seen such an arrogant person!Arlong intended to go himself; he could see that Luffy's strength was unusual, otherwise Chew's arm wouldn't have snapped so suddenly. If his subordinates acted, they would just be throwing their lives away."Go and grab Nami for me. I'll handle this nobody."Arlong grinned and looked at Luffy, "I'll show you the strength of a great pirate with a bounty of twenty million Berries!"Luffy moved.His target, however, was not Arlong, but the surrounding Fishmen.Paying them back in their own coin.This was a truth Luffy had realized after reading a lot of books these past two days. When he didn't read, his head was empty, but after stuffing it with knowledge, it was like opening the door to a New World.Simply put, he would think seriously now, unlike his former simple self.A Fishman's strength is ten times that of a normal human?Too bad they weren't facing a normal human.Luffy's speed was terrifyingly fast.Gum-Gum Jet PistolGum-Gum Jet BazookaGum-Gum Jet Whip...These upgraded moves were powerful enough to knock out someone using Tekkai with a single blow, let alone these Fishmen who were like mere fodder.
