When Arlong saw so many of his subordinates gathered, he secretly felt relieved.
Good thing I'm cautious. There aren't many fighters on their side, and the rest are just villagers—nothing to worry about. Even if this Straw Hat is tough to deal with, we can just overwhelm them in the end.
Arlong grinned and said, "Heh heh, Nami, are you really going to defy me? Aren't you afraid I'll slaughter all the villagers behind you? Listen to me—stand by my side now, and I'll only kill these few people. The villagers will be spared."
But this time, Nami didn't waver. "Arlong, your time is up! I believe in my crew—they're going to take you down!"
The villagers shouted in support, "Nami-chan, we're with you! If it comes to it, we'll fight too! Damn you, Arlong! How dare you torment our Nami-chan?! You're finished!"
Seeing this, Johnny and Yosaku had to hold the villagers back, stopping them from charging in recklessly.
Arlong's grin widened. "Me? Finished? Don't make me laugh! We fish-men are the superior race! Our natural strength is ten times greater than you weak humans. How do you plan to defeat us?"
At his words, the villagers hesitated, their voices lowering as they exchanged uneasy glances with Nami.
Just then, Carl suddenly burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Superior race? What a joke!"
Arlong's face darkened. "What did you just say?!"
"Oh, you know exactly what I mean. Fish-men have lived deep in the Grand Line, on Fish-Man Island, yet humans constantly capture and sell them as slaves.
And you, Arlong—after Fisher Tiger's death, you were captured by Admiral Kizaru. If Jinbe hadn't joined the Seven Warlords of the Sea, do you really think you would've been released?
And what did you do after that? Instead of returning to the Grand Line, you ran off to the East Blue to act like a big shot. If you're so powerful, why not go back to the Grand Line? Why not challenge the New World?
You're nothing but a coward!"
Carl's words struck Arlong like a thunderbolt.
While a few people knew about these events, there was no reason for some random human to have such detailed knowledge!
The villagers began murmuring in shock. They never imagined the terrifying Arlong was actually just a coward hiding in the weakest sea. Even the Straw Hats were surprised that Carl knew so much about it.
"You dare call me weak?!"
Arlong suddenly snapped, roaring in fury. "Everyone, get them! Show them just how weak we really are!"
The fish-men immediately closed in, ready to strike.
The villagers wanted to fight, but Johnny and Yosaku held them back. Meanwhile, Carl stood still, letting everyone pick their opponents.
Zoro immediately locked eyes with Hachi. "Hey, this guy's a swordsman—he's mine!"
Luffy grinned. "Arlong's mine! You guys handle the rest however you want!"
Sanji chose Kuroobi, the fish-man with fins on his arms, while Usopp faced off against the big-lipped fish-man, Chew. As for the remaining underlings, they were left to Nami, Jango, and Richie.
Carl assured everyone that as long as he was here, they could fight without fear.
Hachi spun his eight swords effortlessly and sneered. "So, you're the pirate hunter who uses three swords? Well, I use eight! That's five more than you—I will win!"
Zoro smirked. "That's not how it works. Strength isn't measured by the number of swords. A while ago, you might've given me some trouble, but now..."
Swish!
Zoro and Hachi passed each other in an instant.
"Three-Sword Style—Demon Slash!"
Three deep cuts appeared on Hachi's body as blood sprayed into the air. He collapsed to the ground, defeated.
Now that Zoro was at a true swordsman's level and hadn't suffered any serious injuries before the fight, taking down Hachi was effortless. Of course, his two additional swords were temporary ones taken from the warehouse. Still, Hachi's swift defeat dealt a heavy blow to the Arlong Pirates.
Meanwhile, Sanji faced off against Kuroobi.
Kuroobi, a skilled user of Fish-Man Karate, matched Sanji's powerful kicks blow for blow, leading to an intense battle.
On the other hand, Usopp had an easier time dealing with Chew. Unlike in the original timeline, where he struggled, this time, he fought more aggressively.
Chew's water bullet attacks were shot down midair by Usopp's quick slingshot skills.
Even in terms of raw physical strength, Usopp had the upper hand, allowing him to secure a fast victory.
After all, this was the same Usopp who had taken down the so-called Overlord of the East Blue!
As for the remaining low-rank fish-men, Jango, Nami, and Richie handled them with ease.
Jango, a former ship captain, was no pushover. Wielding his signature twin circular saws, he cut through Arlong's grunts one after another.
Then there was Richie, the lion.
Even though fish-men were naturally ten times stronger than normal humans, they were still no match for a lion. Richie simply pounced and took them down effortlessly.
And Nami...
She stood her ground as a group of Arlong's underlings rushed at her with weapons drawn. She didn't dodge or even flinch.
Nojiko, and the villagers gasped in horror, screaming her name. Some even tried to rush in to help.
But what they saw next was something they could hardly believe.
The blades of Arlong's underlings slid harmlessly across Nami's skin, leaving no marks at all. The fish-men froze in shock for a moment—only to be met with a sharp slap from Nami.
"When did Nami get this strong?! What was that just now?" Nojiko's eyes widened in disbelief.
Johnny and Yosaku grinned with pride. "Sister Nami ate a Devil Fruit! Normal attacks can't hurt her anymore! And from what we heard, her fruit power also makes her skin smoother—look how much more beautiful she is now!"
You two sure sound way too proud about that…
"So that's what happened! No wonder—I barely even recognized her!" Nojiko sighed in relief.
The villagers, seeing Nami unharmed, started chatting excitedly, their worries fading away.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hats' overwhelming victory made Arlong's face darken. He had spent eight years building his empire, and now this little pirate crew was tearing it all apart.
Unforgivable!
"Nami, your crew has already won. They're stronger than any of your underlings. And you… I'm taking you down too!"
As Luffy spoke, he vanished in an instant, using Shave to appear right next to Arlong. Before the fish-man could react, Luffy's fist—coated in Armament Haki—slammed into his stomach.
Arlong's eyes bulged as a wave of pain tore through his body. It felt like his insides were about to be crushed.
His vision blurred, and in the next second—he blacked out.
The Arlong Pirates… were completely destroyed!
Nearby, Nami watched as Sanji sent Kuroobi crashing to the ground with a final, devastating kick. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
At that moment, Luffy walked up to her, flashing his brightest, most carefree smile.
"Nami, it's all over!"
Tears streamed down Nami's face. "Yeah… it's over! Luffy, thank you! Everyone… thank you!"
She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
The villagers, overwhelmed with emotion, cried as well—but soon, their sorrow turned into cheers.
Today, the Arlong Pirates had been completely wiped out.
Cocoyasi Village—and more than 20 other villages—had finally regained their freedom.
It was a day of true celebration!
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