Chapter 67: You're Not Allowed To Bully My Navigator!
Usopp stared at Chew lying on the ground.
The Fish-man's body was still twitching slightly, blood-flecked foam continuously bubbling from the corner of his mouth.
Usopp's hands were trembling.
Not from fear, but... from some indescribable emotion.
Disgust? Terror? Or... guilt?
"Ralph..." Usopp's voice was barely a whisper, "Will all future battles... be this brutal?"
Ralph stood beside him, his gaze also fixed on Chew on the ground.
Several seconds of silence passed.
"If you want to fight mercifully, that's possible too."
Ralph spoke slowly, "There's only one condition—that you're strong enough."
He turned to look at Usopp, "In case you don't understand, let me give you an example."
"When Zoro cuts down ordinary soldiers, he can definitely decide whether his blade kills or wounds. Because his strength far surpasses theirs, he has the freedom to choose."
Ralph paused:
"But what about when Zoro fights Hawk Eye? When he swings his sword, whether it results in life or death, or even whether it hits at all—none of that is up to him to decide. His strength isn't sufficient, so he has no right to choose."
"Conversely," Ralph continued, "Hawk Eye could beat Zoro to that state and still guarantee 'no death if he says no death.' That's the mercy of the strong."
"Because Hawk Eye is strong enough, he can control the outcome."
He looked into Usopp's eyes:
"In my view, it's only cruel when the strong wantonly slaughter the weak. You don't need to worry about our Pirate crew doing such things—"
The corner of Ralph's mouth curved upward:
"Because we only challenge the strong."
Usopp was stunned.
He didn't fully understand, but he vaguely grasped something.
"Take your time to digest it." Ralph patted his shoulder, "Now, tell me, how are Lufia and the others doing?"
Usopp snapped back to reality and pointed toward Arlong Park:
"They're over there! Challenging Arlong right now!"
Ralph followed his pointing finger.
In the distance, the outline of Arlong Park was clearly visible.
Faint sounds of battle could be heard—the clashing of metal, furious roars, and the rumble of collapsing structures.
But just then—
Rustle... Rustle...
The sound of dense footsteps came from outside the woods.
Ralph and Usopp turned simultaneously.
A crowd was approaching.
No, not "approaching"
But "swarming."
The villagers of Cocoyashi Village.
Some carried cutlasses, some gripped pitchforks, some had merely picked up thick wooden sticks. Those without weapons stood empty-handed, their faces filled with determination.
Leading them was Sheriff Genzo, the man who had nearly been thrown to his death by Arlong during the day.
His face was bruised, his uniform torn and tattered, but he clutched a cutlass tightly in his hand.
And Nojiko, the short-haired woman with tattoos.
Usopp was astonished.
"They... they're..."
"Resisting," Ralph said calmly.
He watched the villagers, observing the mixture of rage and fear in their eyes.
For so many years, they had endured humiliation and survived under the threat of Arlong's violence.
They told themselves: Endure, wait.
Wait for an opportunity.
It could be the Navy, it could be Pirates, it could be anyone who could help them break free from Arlong.
And today, the opportunity had arrived.
The resistance against Arlong by these outsiders, like Usopp, had lit the first spark.
Arlong's brutality against Genzo had poured the first bucket of oil on the flames.
Even possessing hidden weapons could lead to execution. If they continued to endure like this, would they still have the courage to resist?
Public sentiment surged like a volcano.
Ralph asked himself—he couldn't stop it.
Nor was there any need to.
Then he turned to Johnny and Yosaku.
The two young men had been following him all along, and now they stared in shock at the approaching villagers.
"Johnny, Yosaku."
"Yes!" they answered in unison.
Ralph pointed at the villagers:
"You two, lead them."
Johnny and Yosaku froze.
"Us... us?" Johnny stammered.
"Yes," Ralph said. "Tell them to wait for my signal. When the time comes, both of you charge forward with the villagers."
Yosaku asked, "The signal... what is it?"
Ralph didn't answer.
"Just wait for it."
Meanwhile, the situation at Arlong Park was taking an unexpected turn.
The battle in the courtyard had reached a fever pitch.
Leaders clashed with leaders, officers fought officers—the combat was intense.
Bonfires still burned, the aroma of grilled octopus mingling with the scent of blood hanging in the air.
Lufia and Arlong, as the respective leaders of their sides, stood facing each other.
Suddenly, a cannonball flew in from the sea. Arlong turned and chomped down, shattering it to pieces with his razor-sharp teeth.
Another cannonball followed. Lufia used Gomu Gomu no Fusen, deflecting it away.
The minor interruption did nothing to break their momentum—the two were evenly matched.
"A Devil Fruit user?" Arlong grinned, baring his fangs. "Heh... I've been to the Grand Line. There are more ability users there than you can count. Someone like you doesn't scare me."
He pointed to the pool nearby, which connected directly to the sea:
"Besides, Devil Fruit users can't swim. And we Fish-men... excel in water combat."
Without turning his head, Arlong called out to Nami, who stood at a distance:
"Nami, it seems the companions you've brought this time... aren't much to speak of."
His voice dripped with mockery:
"Whether you've truly betrayed us or not, everything you've done is in vain. These fools are destined to die by my hand!"
Arlong paused, his tone turning icy:
"And you... as a lowly human, are destined to draw sea charts for me for the rest of your life."
Those words cut into Nami's heart like a knife.
She thought of her adoptive mother, Bellemere, and recalled all those years—day and night spent drawing sea charts, staring at maps but losing sight of her own direction.
The golden staff in her hand suddenly felt heavy.
Then—
Click!
A mechanism triggered!
Both ends of the staff extended, transforming it into a nearly two-meter-long pole!
Nami gripped the staff with both hands, her eyes blazing with fury:
"Arlong—!!!"
She charged forward!
Swinging the staff with a sharp whistle through the air, she aimed a fierce blow at the back of Arlong's head.
But Arlong didn't even turn around.
He merely flicked his hand casually toward the pool.
Splash—!
The water erupted!
Countless droplets shot out like bullets, densely blanketing Nami's entire body.
Thud-thud-thud-thud—————!
The sound of water droplets striking flesh was like rain pelting banana leaves.
Nami grunted in pain, her body sent flying backward before crashing heavily to the ground.
She struggled to get up, but agony wracked her entire being.
Only then did Arlong turn, looking down at Nami with utter contempt in his eyes:
"Did you see that? Humans are such fragile creatures. Just a little splash of water can take your lives."
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
Lufia's furious roar echoed!
"Don't you dare bully my Navigator!"
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