Arlong Park
Unlike the relaxed mood of Ash and his group, the Fish-Men led by Arlong were facing a terrifying enemy.
Arlong and his crew were arrogant, but they were not fools.
When dealing with ordinary humans, they loved to boast about the superiority of their so called "higher race." However, when confronted by opponents far stronger than themselves, they knew when to lower their heads and submit.
If they were truly fearless, they would never have fled the dangers of the Grand Line to dominate the East Blue, a sea widely known as the weakest.
Arlong and his crew still maintained loose ties with Fish-Man Island, so they were far less ignorant than most people in the East Blue.
At the very least, they recognized one particular figure standing before them.
The newly appointed member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Heavenly Emperor Ash, with a bounty of 888 million Berries.
They also recognized one of the powerful figures beside him.
Youki of the Dawn Hunter Pirates, one of the Ten Demon Saints, carrying a bounty of 300 million Berries.
These were people far beyond their reach. Naturally, none of the Fish-Men dared to provoke them.
At the same time, Arlong and his crew silently prayed that Ash and his companions were merely passing through.
Even though they had seen Nami and her sister, they could not believe someone of Ash's status would have any real connection to two village girls from the East Blue.
At most, they assumed Ash had taken an interest in Nami's talent as a navigator.
If that were the case, they would simply hand her over without hesitation.
Unfortunately for them, Ash had no intention of wasting words on what he saw as nothing more than fish waiting to be sliced.
Ash calmly swept his gaze across the Fish-Men gathered inside the park.
Arlong.
Hachi.
Chu.
Kuroobi.
Kin.
Yaki.
Ajou.
Bisaro.
Every major officer of the Arlong Pirates was present.
Perfect. That saved him the trouble of hunting them down one by one.
Ash turned slightly and spoke calmly.
"Youki, they are all yours."
Youki did not hesitate.
He swung his arm forward, and instantly the air screamed.
A dense storm of pale green wind blades erupted across the entire park, slicing through the open space like a hurricane made of steel.
The Fish-Men never even had time to beg for mercy.
Screams erupted as bodies were torn apart. Blood splashed across the stone ground while fragments of flesh scattered in every direction.
Within seconds, the entire Arlong crew had been reduced to uneven pieces of fish sashimi.
Silence followed.
Nami and Nojiko stared at the scene with wide eyes.
The sisters had believed Ash and his crew would easily defeat Arlong, but they never imagined it would be this effortless.
Youki had merely lifted his hand once.
The same Arlong Pirates who had tormented Cocoyasi Village for two long years were completely wiped out.
The gap in strength was overwhelming.
"Ugh..."
Once the shock faded, Nojiko finally reacted.
Her face turned pale. She covered her mouth and nose before quickly running out of Arlong Park.
Without needing to be told, Tsuki immediately followed after her to make sure she was safe.
Ash and Youki both turned their attention toward Nami.
Strangely, the reaction they expected never came.
Nami did not vomit.
She shivered slightly, then suddenly dashed toward the shattered remains of Arlong's manor, which had been torn apart by the wind blades.
Moments later, her desperate cry echoed across the ruins.
"My sea charts!"
---
Cocoyasi Village
When the villagers heard that the Arlong Pirates had been completely destroyed, the entire village erupted with emotion.
Some people burst into tears.
Others shouted and cheered loudly.
After thanking Ash and his crew again and again, the villagers quickly organized a grand celebration.
The feast continued all the way until the next evening.
Fortunately, the Dawn ship carried an enormous supply of food. Otherwise, if Ash's crew were allowed to eat without restraint for two days and one night, Cocoyasi Village might have run out of food entirely.
While the villagers celebrated their long awaited freedom, another quiet moment was unfolding elsewhere.
---
Belle-Mere's Grave
On the cliff behind the village stood a gravestone surrounded by flowers.
Genzo sat beside it, pouring a bottle of strong liquor over the stone.
He then sat cross legged beside the grave and spoke softly.
"Belle-Mere..."
"You have been gone for two years now."
"In those two years, your daughters have grown into remarkable young women."
"They found powerful allies, wiped out the Arlong Pirates, and avenged you."
Genzo chuckled quietly as he wiped his eyes.
"When I watch them laugh and cry, it reminds me of you when you were younger."
"Thanks to them, the village is finally free."
"We are planning to work hard and truly live again."
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"We have already sacrificed too much."
"So from now on, we will live loudly and laugh as much as we want, even if we look like fools."
---
Not far away, hidden among the trees, two figures stood silently.
The liquor and flowers they had brought to offer at the grave lay forgotten at their feet.
Nami and Nojiko bit their lips as tears streamed down their faces.
Behind them, Ash and Youki watched quietly.
Youki took a long drink from a bottle of East Blue liquor before speaking in a low voice.
"I do not fully understand why they want to laugh like fools."
"But I do understand the desire to keep living."
Ash glanced at him.
Youki smiled faintly.
"My village, Diwen Village, suffered many pirate attacks when I was young."
"Losing family... and wanting to keep living for their sake. I understand that feeling."
Ash remembered that Youki had grown up under the care of his uncle after pirates killed his parents.
He gently patted Youki's shoulder.
After a moment, Youki asked curiously,
"This Police Chief, Genzo... do you think he was in love with Belle-Mere?"
Ash chuckled softly.
"Who knows."
"Still, if only we had arrived two years earlier."
Youki nodded with a quiet laugh.
"Yes. I would have liked to meet such a brave mother."
---
After calming themselves down, Nami and Nojiko suddenly ran toward Genzo.
They began teasing him loudly, causing the old man's face to turn bright red.
When Genzo learned that both girls had joined Ash's Pirate Hunter crew and planned to set sail soon, he fell silent for a moment.
Then he gently patted Belle-Mere's gravestone.
A wide smile spread across his face.
"You really are just like her."
Nami and Nojiko tilted their heads.
"Gen-san? What did you say?"
Genzo burst into loud laughter.
"I said you truly are Belle-Mere's daughters!"
He pointed proudly toward the sea.
"Go out there and sail proudly."
"Become true warriors, just like Belle-Mere!"
"Even if we are separated by the Four Seas, we will always be proud of you."
"Belle-Mere will be proud too."
---
The celebration in the village continued late into the night.
Meanwhile, sometime in the darkness, Nami quietly slipped into the clinic.
---
The Next Morning
There was no opportunity for Nami to recreate her famous wallet stealing trick.
Under the warm farewells of the villagers, Ash and Youki lifted Nami, Nojiko, and even Belle-Mere's orange grove into the air.
They flew toward the Dawn ship waiting in the nearby sea.
As the wind brushed past them, Ash noticed something on Nami's shoulder.
The tattoo she once had was gone.
In its place was a design he remembered well.
An orange combined with a windmill.
But something else caught his attention.
A new tattoo had appeared on Nami's right arm.
A hollow circle surrounded by eight flame shaped markings, four long and four short.
Ash recognized the design immediately.
It was the same symbol used on the flag of the Dawn ship.