East Sea.
Arlong Kingdom.
This is the territory of the Arlong Pirates.
The Arlong Pirates rule over about twenty towns and villages.
The leader, Ah Long, is a shark man who claims fishmen are a superior race, viewing the humans in these towns and villages as slaves to the Arlong Pirates, wantonly exploiting the villagers.
The Arlong Pirates levy exorbitant taxes in these towns and villages, conscripting ordinary villagers to build the Arlong Kingdom. If the villagers displease them, they kill without hesitation.
This kind of thing...
The Navy has never intervened.
Colonel Nezumi of the East Sea Branch 16 has always colluded with Ah Long, accepting regular bribes from him and acting as his shield.
Therefore, when Colonel Nezumi arrived with a warship, the Arlong Pirates were unfazed, even thinking he was there to collect money.
However...
This time, Colonel Nezumi brought quite a few soldiers, but the warship couldn't enter the Arlong Kingdom. In fact, Colonel Nezumi could only take three or four men with him inside, needing a fishman to escort them, which shows Ah Long's cautious nature.
Akihara Kagura stood on the warship, already seeing the fishmen of this world. They mostly looked ugly and strange, with deep-sea fish features on their faces.
The leader of this pirate group, Ah Long, had a sharp, nail-like long nose, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and a shark fin on the back of his head. His muscular body suggested he wasn't someone to be trifled with.
In fact...
He indeed wasn't easy to deal with.
Some naval branches in the East Sea had attempted to eradicate Ah Long; some were bribed with money, while others were defeated by the Arlong Pirates.
"This month's payment..."
Upon seeing Colonel Nezumi, Ah Long pushed several wads of cash to him, but seeing Colonel Nezumi wasn't taking them, he grinned, "Colonel Nezumi, one shouldn't be too greedy. This is the share we agreed upon..."
"Hehehehe..."
"It's not about greed, I brought some news..."
Colonel Nezumi's eyes twinkled as he looked at the shark man before him. He thought of a peaceful solution and how to extort money, and grinned, "This news is worth a fortune, it will help you avoid a disaster..."
"Oh?"
Ah Long wasn't worried, even showing interest, "Is the Navy dispatching new forces to the East Sea? The most troublesome now is the one stationed in Log Town..."
"It's not a naval problem..."
Colonel Nezumi stroked his mustache, grinning as he said, "A Heavenly Celestial Dragon is coming to visit the East Sea, and I've heard this Dragon despises you fishmen, intending to kill a few in the East Sea for fun..."
"What!"
Ah Long's expression suddenly darkened!
This news...
Is indeed worth a lot!
Those heartless bastards...
Their purpose is merely amusement in killing fishmen!
Despicable humans...
Ah Long could only curse inwardly, having witnessed the cruelty of the Heavenly Celestial Dragons on the Grand Line. He hated them to the core, wanting nothing more than to kill them, yet dared not act.
If the Dragon's purpose is to kill fishmen for amusement, the Arlong Pirates must leave the East Sea quickly, at least not be discovered by the Dragon!
"It seems you understand the seriousness..."
Seeing Ah Long's expression, Colonel Nezumi understood his fear of the Dragon's power and grinned, "Just hand over a few fishmen to fulfill that Dragon's whims, and you can continue to rest easy here..."
"You..."
Anger flashed across Ah Long's face as he looked at Colonel Nezumi, feeling a surge of killing intent at the suggestion of giving fishmen to the Dragon for slaughter!
This bastard...
How could he think like that!
Even knowing he might avoid the Dragon by handing over a few fishmen, he refused to sacrifice his kinsmen and would not let fishmen die at the hands of the Heavenly Celestial Dragons; he couldn't hand anyone to them!
If Ah Long weren't planning to continue building his Arlong Kingdom in the East Sea, and if this cowardly, sneaky Colonel weren't a familiar face, he might have turned hostile and killed him on the spot!
This bastard...
Is just like those who consider fishmen inferior, isn't he?
"I will leave here for a while..."
Ah Long gritted his teeth, eyes bloodshot, "We'll continue our cooperation after the Dragon leaves..."
"That won't do..."
Seeing Ah Long's anger, Colonel Nezumi hurriedly explained with a grin, "I've heard the Dragon is coming to the East Sea specifically to kill more fishmen for fun..."
"Fishman Pirate Jinbe is acknowledged by the World Government as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and this Dragon finds it inconvenient to kill fishmen on the Grand Line..."
"Moreover, if the Dragon's purpose in coming to the East Sea is to kill fishmen, but he doesn't enjoy the pleasure of killing, what if he gets angry?"
This Colonel Nezumi already had a sleazy look, grinning as he spoke, yet his words seemed mocking, clearly indifferent to the lives of fishmen...