Knock-knock!
Urgent pounding rattled the door.
Hiroto glanced up, called "Come in," and a frantic Nami pushed through.
She clutched several bounty posters, eyes brimming. "Captain… something's happened."
"Posters?" He blinked.
First came his own—70 million berries blazing across it.
Nami flipped to the next sheet.
The added note under the bounty made Hiroto's eyes narrow.
"Tsuru's handiwork…"
"Captain… you're all I've got."
Nami flung herself at him, soaking his collar with tears, seeking the only arms that felt safe.
Hiroto stroked her hair. "It's all right. I'll deal with Arlong and his lot."
Whatever waited there, he had to reach Cocoyasi Village fast.
East Blue, Cocoyasi Village.
Inside the half-built Arlong Park, in the Fishmen's tower.
Arlong's room was thick with tension, the air itself heavy, with fury.
"Shahahaha, the girl's grown bold."
Arlong's icy glare fixed on her bounty: 9 million berries, and the line beneath it stung worst.
"Boss, that human was never trustworthy." Kuroobi stepped forward, seething.
"How much has she saved?" Arlong asked suddenly.
"Around thirty million berries." Kuroobi answered.
He'd never trusted her, searched her room constantly, and knew where she hid the money.
"Thinks she's found a real backer. Shahaha! Humans never learn."
Arlong sneered at the other posters. "Nine-million Pirate Hunter Zoro—small fry."
"As for this 70-million Head-Chopping Swordsman Hiroto… shahaha! She thinks that punk can stand against me?"
He surged to his feet, snarling. "We sank trash like him every day in the New World. All they could do was watch their ships go down and that won't change now."
"Boss, you mean…?" Kuroobi's grin widened.
"Take a crew, find them, and drown the humans Nami pinned her hopes on. If that Hiroto survives, drag him back half-dead—I'll string him up on the tower to bake in the sun. But bring Nami back first, we still need those charts."
Arlong growled, "And don't go easy on her. Send Chew to Cocoyasi, grab Nojiko, toss her in the water-cell. Find that Genzo too, she'll watch me flay him alive."
East Blue, Loguetown Marine Branch.
Smoker, swathed in bandages, sat in his office staring at the fresh bounty.
Hiroto's third poster, 70 million, owed part of its figure to him: defeating a Logia user had earned it.
"A disgrace…" Smoker muttered.
A Marine beaten by a pirate, a Logia bested by a rookie who'd just learned Armament Haki.
A would-be champion of justice spared by the evil he hunted—utter humiliation.
He'd held every advantage yet still lost to Hiroto.
Tsuru had said Marines like him were unfit. He couldn't argue as he'd lost, and badly at that.
Hiroto was formidable now and given time, he'd become monstrous. But Smoker refused to drown in that defeat. Marines who carry justice can't let pirates break them.
Reviewing the fight, he saw Hiroto's Haki had come out only at the end, clearly newly learned and unable to last—his biggest weakness.
Everything else had failed, the finishing blow had been the Sea Stone in his jitte.
'He'll grow fast, factor that in. Ditch the jitte, call in nearby branches, and wear him down without Sea Stone.'
Smoker had learned. He'd gauged Hiroto's growth since their clash. Yet a Logia's edge couldn't be erased, no talent could rocket Haki mastery overnight nor would the gap between them widen beyond reach.
They would clash again. Next time, he'd give Hiroto no opening.
Purururu...
A den den mushi cut his thoughts.
Smoker frowned at the chattering snail. For a moment, he didn't know who was calling.
After a thought, he answered. The moment the receiver reached his ear, he heard a cold voice.
"I am Vice Admiral Onigumo. Smoker, right? You have a female Marine under your command named Tashigi. Tell her, no matter what she intends to do, to stop immediately and forget what she shouldn't know. This is a direct order from Admiral Akainu of Headquarters. That is all."
The simple words and forceful command made Smoker frown. Just as he was about to say something, he realized the call had been hung up.
In the past, he was always the one to hang up on his superiors first, but this time, the other party hung up before him.
However, what exactly was Tashigi investigating?
It was enough to warrant a direct call from a Headquarters Vice Admiral, even delivering an order from a Headquarters Admiral.
Smoker took out a cigar and lit it, vaguely sensing that something was amiss.
—
The Going Merry was replenishing supplies at top speed, preparing to set sail.
When Nami tearfully sought out Hiroto, everything unfolded naturally.
Upon hearing the situation, Zoro immediately expressed his desire to try out his new sword on a Fishman. Johnny and Yosaku also felt indignant for Nami.
In fact, the Going Merry's next stop was already Cocoyasi Village. Hiroto highly valued this world-class navigator. He also knew that only by slaying Arlong and annihilating the Arlong Pirates could he truly win over Nami and, in turn, obtain that vast Distortion energy.
He just hadn't expected Tsuru to pull such a move on him.
The Marine's intelligence network, Tsuru's authority as a Vice Admiral, and her strategic mind.
Hiroto strongly suspected this was just the beginning.
Simply put, because Jinbe, one of the Warlords, requested Arlong's release as one of the conditions for him joining the Warlords, Arlong, who was defeated by Kizaru and sent to prison years ago, was able to be released.
As for why Jinbe would make such a request?
It was because Jinbe and Arlong were once members of the same pirate crew, the Sun Pirates. Their Captain was the famous Fisher Tiger, a fierce man who climbed the Red Line with his bare hands and liberated slaves.
Fisher Tiger!
Jinbe and Arlong were members of the same pirate crew, but eventually, due to conflicting ideologies, Arlong left with some former Sun Pirates members.
So, if he killed Arlong, he might have to face Jinbe afterward.
Hiroto believed Tsuru might be subtly guiding him, either to have Jinbe eliminate him or to let him win and get closer to the position of a Warlord.
Of course, this was just speculation based on his knowledge of the plot and it might not happen.
'But no matter what, we must race against time.'
Hiroto got up and began to train. The potential enemies in the future were visibly escalating, to the point where his current strength might not be enough to handle them.
What he needed to do was to get stronger as much as possible. It would still take a few days to get to Cocoyasi Village. Now was the time to 'race against time'.
(End of Chapter)
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