The village lay in ruins.
Collapsed houses stood among scattered rubble, their broken walls barely holding together.
Yet—
Hidden within the debris, villagers peeked out from the shadows.
Their eyes burned with resentment, but their bodies remained motionless, weighed down by years of fear and oppression.
This was the sorrow of the weak—
A reality far too common in the world of pirates.
Rin narrowed his eyes, contemplating.
At first, he intended to ignore them completely.
But after a brief moment of thought—
He changed his mind.
Striding forward, he grabbed one of the villagers by the collar.
"Oi, tell me—where's Arlong's base?"
The young man gasped, his face pale.
"G-Gulp… Are you… Are you working for Arlong?!" he stammered in terror.
Casa clicked his tongue, folding his arms.
"Tch, don't lump us in with those Grand Line rejects."
Rin grinned, bursting into laughter.
"Exactly! We're pirates with dreams! Pirates who plan to turn this whole world upside down!"
But the young man didn't understand.
After all—
He was just an ordinary villager, crushed by the iron rule of the Fish-Man Pirates.
Still—
Under Rin's piercing gaze, the villager finally gave in, stammering out directions to Arlong Park.
Rin grinned.
"Thanks for the trouble."
Without another word, he turned and strode off.
Casa and Artoria followed without hesitation.
As they walked, the villagers continued to watch them.
Not one of them stepped forward to question their intentions.
They only stood silently—their gazes filled with a mixture of hope and dread.
But—
Rin and his crew paid them no mind, heading straight for their target.
---
The Gates of Arlong Park
Before long—
They arrived.
A massive iron gate loomed before them, its metal surface rusted from the salty sea air.
On either side, thick stone walls stretched outward, forming a fortress-like stronghold.
Two Fish-Men guards stood at the entrance—hulking figures, their muscular bodies marked with distinctive shark-like features.
And before them—
A young girl with short orange hair stood defiantly.
"Let me out! I want to go home!" she shouted, her small fists clenched.
One of the Fish-Men guards sneered.
"Sorry, Nami. Boss Arlong gave strict orders—you don't leave without his permission. Otherwise…"
His grin widened menacingly.
"Your sister dies."
Nami's face fell.
Her lips trembled, but she said nothing.
She knew better than anyone—
Resistance would only make things worse.
From a distance, Rin watched the exchange unfold.
The corners of his mouth curled into a smirk.
Without hesitation—
He stepped forward.
---
A Foolish Toll Demand
"Oi, you three! Stop right there!"
One of the Fish-Men snapped his head up, eyes narrowing at the newcomers.
His gaze flicked over Rin, Casa, and Artoria, before he grinned greedily.
"You're not from this island, are you?"
Rin shrugged nonchalantly.
"Yeah. So what?"
The Fish-Man's grin widened.
"Then that means you have to pay the protection fee."****"
"100,000 berries per adult… 50,000 for children… That makes it 300,000 in total. Pay up, or—"
"Or what?" Rin's voice cut through the air, cold and sharp.
The Fish-Man sneered.
"Or you die, human."
The words had barely left his mouth when—
BOOM!
A sudden explosion of force shook the ground.
Before anyone could react—
Casa had already moved.
His fist, coated in Armament Haki, had driven straight into the Fish-Man's skull, smashing his head into the dirt.
A shudder ran through the earth as the impact cratered the ground beneath him.
Casa scoffed, shaking the dust off his knuckles.
"Tch. Extorting us? How stupid can you get?"
The second Fish-Man stared in shock.
Then—
"Y-You bastards! Do you have any idea whose territory this is?!"
He snarled, baring his razor-sharp teeth.
"This is Arlong Park! You think you can just attack us and get away with it?! You'll be slaughtered the moment Boss Arlong finds out—"
Rin tilted his head, expression unreadable.
Then—
He smiled.
"Arlong, huh?"
A sudden gust of wind swept through the air.
"Sorry, but I didn't come here to run."
"I came to kill him."
Shave. (Soru!)
In an instant, Rin vanished.
A blur of movement—
And the next moment, he was behind the Fish-Man.
Sching.
A silver flash—
A single clean slice across the throat.
For a brief moment, the Fish-Man's eyes widened in horror.
Then—
Blood gushed from the wound.
Thud.
The body collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
Rin flicked his blade, sending droplets of blood scattering across the dirt.
Then, without a second glance—
"Let's go."
He stepped toward the iron gate.
Casa grinned, following.
Artoria nodded, her expression unreadable.
But just as they reached the entrance—
A voice suddenly called out.
"Wait! Wait!"
Rin paused, turning his head slightly.
There—
Nami stood staring at them, her face a mix of shock, suspicion, and confusion.
She was still just a child, her orange hair slightly messy, her delicate features betraying just how young she truly was.
Though she lacked the mature beauty she would one day possess in the New World, even now, her sharp eyes and determined expression marked her as someone special.
Rin's lips curved into a teasing smirk.
"Something wrong?"
Nami hesitated.
Her hands clenched into fists.
Her lips pressed together.
Then—
She finally spoke.
---
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