At that moment, Arlong was handing over this month's bribe to Captain Nezumi of the 16th Marine Branch in the East Blue.
"This is this month's payment."
Arlong's lips curled slightly as he handed over a bag of coins, his expression deceptively calm.
Nezumi's eyes narrowed greedily. With a sleazy grin, he opened the bag, checked the amount inside, and only closed it again after confirming everything was there.
He stroked his thin mustache and nodded in satisfaction.
"Heh… looks right. Then I'll take care of things for you this month. I'll be back again next time."
The smile in Nezumi's eyes could not be hidden.
He and Arlong were already in the same boat.
Every month, Arlong paid him off, and in return, Nezumi covered up all the crimes the Arlong Pirates committed in this area.
Because of that Marine protection, Arlong and his crew had been able to do whatever they wanted without fear.
Otherwise, someone like Smoker would have come to wipe out Arlong Park long ago.
At the same time, Shiki was being led by Nami toward Arlong Park.
When Arlong saw the unfamiliar blond man beside her, he did not understand what was going on at first.
Then he saw Nami's face.
Arlong slowly rose from his chair.
His body was over two meters tall, and just seeing him stand could make some people tremble instinctively.
"Nami…" Arlong stepped forward slowly, his grin widening to reveal rows of sharp teeth.
"What are you doing here… bringing some unknown guy with you? Who is he?"
His smile was ugly and vicious, like a devil baring its fangs.
"Aren't we supposed to be companions?" he added mockingly.
Nami clenched her fists.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, but this time, she did not lower her head.
"I'm not your companion!"
Her voice tore through the air.
"You're nothing but a monster! I came here for Belle-mère… and for everyone in Cocoyasi Village!"
She shouted with everything she had, pouring out years of hatred, fear, and grief.
Arlong stared at her for a moment.
Then he smiled.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"As expected of Nami."
He clapped slowly, but the anger in his eyes was already spreading.
"As expected of my precious navigator."
On the other side, Nezumi narrowed his eyes and stared at Shiki.
The more he looked, the more familiar that face seemed… but he couldn't place it.
The golden hair… the swords…
Something about him felt wrong.
He felt as if he had seen this man somewhere before, but Shiki's handsome face made his judgment waver.
He pinched his chin, thinking hard, yet he could not remember.
Shiki casually raised a hand and pointed at the gathered Marines and fish-men.
"It should be fine if I kill them all, right?"
His tone was calm.
The corrupt Marines standing with Nezumi were no different from Arlong's pirates.
They were not worth keeping alive.
"How dare you betray me!"
Arlong's anger finally boiled over. He ground his teeth and strode toward Nami.
Nami's body shuddered.
Even after all these years, Arlong was still the trauma left behind from her childhood.
She instinctively hid behind Shiki and gripped the corner of his clothes tightly.
"So this is the man you brought back to save you?"
Arlong sneered at Shiki.
His cold eyes looked as if they wanted to tear Shiki apart but Shiki had no interest in wasting words on someone like Arlong.
"Step back a little."
His voice became gentle when he spoke to Nami.
He was only worried that if he moved too freely, he might hurt her by accident.
Nami nodded and stepped back.
The next instant a violent gust of wind exploded in front of her.
Nami squeezed her eyes shut.
When the wind finally faded, she slowly opened them again.
BOOM!
A wall collapsed.
Dust filled the air.
Through the haze, everyone could see a blue-skinned figure lying in the rubble.
"Arlong… was knocked down?"
The villagers who had secretly followed them froze in shock.
Arlong's subordinates were also stunned.
None of them could believe it.
Arlong had been sent flying by a single punch.
"Damn it…"
Arlong struggled to crawl out of the ruins.
That punch had not been light.
He coughed hard, tasted blood in his throat, and spat out a mouthful of red.
"What the hell… are you…?!"
His ribs were close to breaking.
Even with the powerful body of a fish-man, his frame nearly fell apart from that single blow.
"What kind of monster is he…?"
Nezumi stared at Shiki's face, his body trembling.
That strength.
A terrible thought began to rise in his mind.
After injuring Arlong with one punch, Shiki's gaze remained cold.
He glanced down at Arlong, then quietly decided not to end him too quickly.
He stood where he was.
"Lowly human!"
Arlong forced himself up despite his injuries and charged again, swinging his fist.
"Die!"
Bang!
Another punch.
In speed, strength, and every other aspect, Arlong was far beneath Shiki.
The only thing supporting Arlong was his twisted belief in fish-man superiority yet that belief meant nothing in front of overwhelming power.
Arlong was smashed back into the ruins.
Half of Arlong Park was nearly destroyed from the impact, and Arlong lay in the rubble, gasping.
His ribs throbbed with unbearable pain, and weakness spread through his limbs.
Shiki looked at him indifferently.
A swift death would be too merciful for Arlong.
Sometimes, if a monster like Arlong died too quickly, the fear he left behind would not disappear.
People would still remember him as something terrifying.
However if they watched the "invincible" Arlong get beaten down again and again like a dying insect, then the fear buried in their hearts would finally start to break.
Only then could they feel free.
The fish-men finally realized something.
The man Nami had brought was not an opponent Arlong could handle.
They wanted to attack together, but before they could move...
Zssst!
A red aura burst from Shiki's body.
It was not ordinary Conqueror's Haki that merely knocked people unconscious.
This was advanced Conqueror's Haki.
The pressure struck the surroundings like invisible lightning.
The fish-men collapsed on the spot.
Their bodies could not withstand such overwhelming force, and they died where they stood.
"Huh…?"
Nami covered her mouth with both hands.
Tears filled her eyes but they were not tears of sadness.
They were tears of relief.
Now, only Arlong and Captain Nezumi remained.
Shiki's figure flashed.
In the next instant, he appeared in front of Arlong.
His right foot came down heavily on Arlong's chest.
Crack!
The ribs that had already been badly injured broke beneath that step.
"Gah!"
Arlong spat out another mouthful of blood, which ran down the corner of his mouth.
"Killing you like this would be too cheap."
Shiki looked down at Arlong and spoke softly.
For the first time, fear flashed in Arlong's eyes.
He had completely lost the ability to fight back.
"How about this?"
Shiki's voice was calm, almost casual.
"I send you to the seafood market in Loguetown. They can cut your meat piece by piece, make sashimi out of you, and let you watch as the humans you despise eat your flesh."
His tone was light, but the words made Arlong's entire body freeze.
"You can't!"
Arlong struggled and roared.
"You can't do that to me! I'm a noble fish-man! How could I be eaten by lowly creatures like you—!"
Shiki pressed down slightly with his foot.
"Cough!"
Arlong choked out another mouthful of blood.
Not only the fish-men, even Nami and the villagers turned pale when they heard those words.
It was too cruel.
Shiki turned his head.
Nezumi met Shiki's icy gaze, and his body stiffened instantly.
A thought screamed inside his mind.
Is this man planning to kill me too?
Nezumi's eyes darted around in panic.
Then his expression suddenly changed.
He pointed at Arlong and shouted in a righteous tone.
"Arlong Pirates! We have already gathered evidence of your crimes against Cocoyasi Village! I came here today to arrest you!"
His act was so pathetic that it was almost laughable.
Everyone knew what kind of person he was.
Did Nezumi really think such cheap lies could deceive Shiki?
Shiki looked at him with cold interest, like he was watching a dying rat struggle.
The villagers' anger rose at once.
They had seen Nezumi at Arlong Park more than once.
Every time, he and Arlong had been laughing together.
Anyone could tell they were protecting each other.
And now that Arlong had fallen, Nezumi actually dared to pretend he had come to uphold justice.
"Do you really think you're clever?"
Shiki glanced at him.
Then he stepped down again.
Arlong finally lost consciousness completely.
Shiki moved his foot away and walked toward Nezumi.
The instant Shiki approached, Nezumi's legs gave out.
He collapsed to the ground.
Shiki's presence alone made his knees unable to hold him up.
"Forgive me! I didn't do anything! Arlong forced me!"
Nezumi crawled backward desperately as Shiki walked closer step by step.
Finally, Shiki stopped in front of him.
"Don't worry."
Shiki closed his eyes and spoke lightly.
"I'll reward you."
Nezumi was so terrified by Shiki's aura that he could not move.
Then, in front of him, a lion's jaws formed from Shiki's power.
The next instant—
It tore half of Nezumi's body apart.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Everyone froze.
Nezumi's ruined lower body collapsed to the ground, blood spreading beneath him.
Shiki looked around.
There were still Marines left.
When those Marines saw Shiki's gaze sweep toward them, their faces turned pale.
Are we going to die too?
Shiki hesitated for a moment.
There were many scum in the Marines of this world.
But some of the subordinates under scum like Nezumi were just weak men caught in the system, forced to obey orders and unable to resist.
They were not innocent enough to be spared punishment.
But they did not need to die here either.
"The death penalty can be avoided."
Shiki raised his hand.
"But you won't escape punishment."
He waved his hand, activating the power of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi.
"I'll throw you all into the sea. Whether you survive or not depends on your own lives."
The Marines floated into the air one after another, then were sent flying toward the sea.
None of them dared to complain.
Compared to being killed on the spot, this was already mercy.
In the darkness surrounding their hearts, a faint glimmer of hope appeared.
In the middle of the ocean, their chances of swimming to another island were almost zero.
But what if they ran into a merchant ship?
Or even a pirate ship?
At least there was still a small chance of survival.
Some Marines jumped into the sea on their own as if fleeing from a plague god.
Others were thrown away by Shiki's ability.
After dealing with them, Shiki looked back at Arlong.
Nami seemed frightened by Nezumi's death. She hurried forward, grabbed Shiki's hand, and spoke hesitantly.
"Um… wait…"
Her voice trembled.
"Can we change it? Don't use such a cruel method."
She turned her face away as she said it.
The hatred in Nami's eyes was real.
But so was the softness in her heart.
No matter how much she hated Arlong, she could not become the same kind of monster he was.
Shiki looked at her and sighed faintly.
"Nami."
His voice was calm.
"Since you're going to be my navigator from now on, there's something you need to understand."
He looked down at Arlong.
"I'm not a hero."
Then he turned his gaze back to her.
"And what I was doing was for you."
After saying that, he did not give Nami time to answer.
He turned toward the villagers and ordered,
"Tie Arlong up and hang him at the entrance of Cocoyasi Village for everyone to see."
His voice carried clearly through the air.
"Every villager may take a knife and stab him once. If anyone is too afraid, there's no need to force yourself."
Shiki thought for a moment.
This method was still slow death.
But at least it did not trample on Arlong's identity as a fish-man in the same way.
Nami clenched her fists, anger surging within her... not toward Shiki, but toward herself.
Shiki's words kept echoing in her ears.
Remember who I'm doing this for.
Yes.
Shiki had no personal hatred for Arlong.
Everything he had done today was for her.
The truth was, Nami wanted Arlong dead more than anyone.
But the thought of letting humans eat him like fish still made something inside her resist.
After a long moment, Nami took a deep breath.
Then she picked up a sword from the ground nearby.
Determination flashed in her eyes.
At this moment, Arlong had fainted and knew nothing of what awaited him.
This was the result of his own sins.
Soon, Arlong was hung from a tree at the entrance of Cocoyasi Village.
He had already regained consciousness.
But his limbs had been broken, and he could not use any strength.
All he could do was let the villagers decide his fate.
Arlong opened his eyes weakly.
His vision was stained red with blood.
"Cough…"
He coughed softly.
Then a roar exploded beside his ears.
"Kill him!"
It was not one person's voice.
It was the voice of the entire village.
The moment those words fell, Arlong felt a sharp pain pierce his thigh.
Warm blood flowed down his leg.
Then more knives came.
Again and again.
Blades stabbed into him from every direction.
The pain made Arlong struggle and roar, but his mouth had been sealed shut, and his broken limbs could not move.
Blood surrounded him like seawater.
His consciousness grew more and more blurred.
Shiki watched coldly from the side.
As long as the deepest pain in a person's heart was drawn out, they would find the courage to raise a blade.
It did not matter whether the enemy was Arlong.
Even if an admiral stood in front of them, they would still dare to strike.
The villagers continued for a long time.
At some point, whether from exhaustion or because the excitement had finally faded, they began to stop.
Looking at Arlong's riddled body, many of them felt bitterness rise in their throats.
Some collapsed to the ground and vomited.
They could hardly believe they had reduced Arlong to such a state with their own hands.
After venting their hatred, the villagers slowly returned to their senses.
But Arlong was still alive—barely clinging to what little breath remained.
Through his fading vision, he saw someone walk toward him with a sword.
Short orange hair.
A familiar face.
It was none other than...
"Nami!"
Arlong roared.
Nami's eyes were cold.
She thrust the sword straight through his heart.
Arlong finally died by the hand of the girl he had always treated as nothing more than a useful tool.
Clang!
The sword slipped from Nami's hands and fell to the ground.
She stood there, breathing heavily.
Nojiko came to her side and wrapped her arms around her.
The two sisters held each other and cried.
…
That night, Cocoyasi Village held a bonfire party to celebrate the end of its darkness and the arrival of light.
As the greatest hero who had defeated Arlong, Shiki was naturally invited.
The moonlight was gentle.
Its silver glow spilled across the beach, making the sand shine like scattered frost.
Not far from the shore, the villagers gathered around a large bonfire.
Red flames danced between the stacked wood, illuminating every face around them.
For the first time in years, everyone could see smiles on each other's faces.
Their smiles shimmered in the firelight—some carefree, some blurred by tears, some still carrying the scars of yesterday... yet every one of them was genuine.
Shiki watched the villagers' strange dancing, their laughter, and their clumsy celebration. A faint smile appeared on his face.
He lifted another bottle of wine and drank.
"A decent start, I suppose."
Next, he would see how this world reacted and more importantly... how high his bounty would become.
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