Chapter 55: The Death of Arlong
East Blue - Cocoyasi Village - The Coast
"BOOOOM!!!"
The flames washed over the beach, leaving only charred, smoking remains where the four Fish-Men had stood.
Ace slowly pulled back his fist, the blue-white fire coiling around his arm, his eyes cold.
Arlong, Hachi, and Kuroobi stared in stunned silence, their minds reeling from the shock. In a single "Fire Fist," half of the Arlong Park officers had been incinerated.
"Are you kidding me...?!" Arlong's eyes bulged, his serrated nose trembling with a mixture of rage and... fear. "By a single... brat?!"
He stared at Ace, who was standing calmly in the inferno's afterglow, and for the first time in his life, Arlong felt a genuine sense of crisis.
Ace smirked, his voice full of contempt. "What's wrong? Are the 'superior' Fish-Men... scared?"
"You bastard!!!"
Enraged, Arlong roared and leaped, bringing his massive sawtoothed blade down. "Shark On: Gash!"
The blade screamed through the air, aimed straight at Ace's head!
Schlick!
The blade hit... nothing but fire.
"What?! An afterimage?!" Arlong's pupils shrank. The flames in front of him suddenly re-formed into Ace.
"You don't even know how to use Haki... and you dare to run rampant like this?" Ace's voice was low. Before he even finished speaking, his fist was already buried in Arlong's stomach!
"BOOM!!!"
The super-heated impact was like a cannonball. Flames erupted from Arlong's back as he was sent flying, coughing up blood, smashing through three palm trees before finally crashing to the ground.
"Arlong-san!!"
Hatchan (Hachi) roared, drawing all six of his swords. "Six-Sword Style: Octopus Pot!" A flurry of blades descended on Ace from every angle!
"Hmph." Ace's eyes went cold, and his body dissolved into fire.
"Where is he?!" Hachi yelled, confused.
"Behind you."
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
Dozens of tiny, compressed fire-bullets exploded against Hachi's back. "Fire Gun: Barrage!"
Hachi was engulfed in the fiery impacts, his six swords scattering as his smoking, scorched body was blasted into the sand.
Meanwhile... Kuroobi vs. Luffy!
"Fish-Man Karate: Hundred-Tile True Punch!!"
Kuroobi's fist, wreathed in water, shot forward with the force of a tidal wave!
"Nice!" Luffy grinned, stomping his foot and coating his own small fist in a faint sheen of Armament Haki. "Iron Fist: Rock Breaker!!"
"BAM!!"
The two fists collided. The air exploded. The sand beneath them was pulverized.
K-krak...
A sickening sound came from Kuroobi's arm. His eyes went wide. "H-How...?! This brat's fist... it's not human!!"
"My turn! I finally get to be the one hitting!" Luffy laughed, and his figure vanished.
"Soru!"
He reappeared behind Kuroobi.
"Iron Fist: Gatling!!"
BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!!
A storm of Haki-coated fists rained down on Kuroobi, who was forced back, step by step, already covered in bruises, blood leaking from his mouth.
"Fish-Man Karate: Water Shot!!" Kuroobi roared, firing a high-pressure blade of water at Luffy!
Luffy just laughed, kicking the air. "Geppo (Moonwalk)!"
He "jumped" three times in mid-air, easily dodging the attack, then spun and dove.
"Tempest Kick: Circle!!"
SHING!
A sharp, crescent-shaped blade of air shot down. Kuroobi, with no time to dodge, crossed his arms to block.
"BOOM!!!"
He was slammed into the ground in a cloud of sand and debris. When the dust cleared, both of his arms were shattered.
Luffy landed, rubbing his nose. "Grandpa's 'Fists of Love' weren't for nothing, you know!"
The villagers were speechless, staring as if in a dream.
"Those... those two kids..."
"...Are they gods?" Genzo whispered, the broken harpoon falling from his numb hand.
Luffy and Ace stood in the smoke and fire, turning to face the last, terrified Fish-Man.
Ace wiped the soot from his hand. "This... is what you call an 'inferior species'?"
Luffy scratched his head and grinned. "Shishishi! Big Bro Roy trained us, after all!"
Arlong's body was trembling. For the first time, he had the urge to run. He struggled to his feet, staring at his defeated crew. "Who... what are you?!"
Ace and Luffy stood side-by-side.
"Ace, of Marine Headquarters."
Luffy put his hands on his hips. "And I'm Luffy! The man who's gonna be Fleet Admiral!"
"That way I can order Grandpa around! Shishishi!"
Arlong: "...?!!"
Are all the brats in the Marines this terrifying now?!
Just as Ace and Luffy were about to finish Arlong—
"Stop!! Move an inch, and I'll kill him!!!"
A shrill voice cut through the air. Chew burst from the ruins, holding one of the villagers, Dr. Nako, in a chokehold. His sharp fingernails were pressed against the doctor's throat, drawing blood.
"Gahk..."
Luffy froze, his fists clenching. "You... you cowardly bastard! Taking a hostage!"
Chew cackled. "Heh heh! You're strong, brats... but you're soft!" His eyes were bloodshot and crazed. "Go on! Hit me! I dare you!"
Arlong, his chest scorched, staggered to his feet, a venomous smile returning. "This... this is a real fight, brats. Not your playground!"
"Hachi!" Arlong roared. "Grab the rest of the villagers!"
The battle had turned. The villagers' faces were pale with despair.
"Kids... run..." Dr. Nako choked out.
"Go on! Attack me!" Chew taunted.
But just as he was enjoying his moment—
Pft.
A tiny, almost silent sound.
No one noticed a single, dark-red ember... the size of a firefly... float from Ace's fingertip and land silently on Chew's temple.
The instant it touched him—
"BOOM!!!!"
A blinding, 3000-degree flash of white-hot fire vaporized the air.
Chew didn't even have time to scream. His entire head was instantly carbonized and incinerated, exploding into a cloud of black ash that scattered in the wind.
His headless body slumped to the ground.
"..."
The entire beach was silent. Dr. Nako, freed, collapsed to the sand, staring at the sky, gasping for air.
Hachi and Arlong were frozen, their faces white, their bodies shaking with pure, primal terror.
Ace, his finger still smoking, looked at them, his voice as cold as the deep sea.
"Big Bro Roy taught us from the beginning..."
"When fighting pirates, never trust a single word they say."
"Huh...?" Luffy scratched his head, confused. "Did he say that?"
BAM! Ace punched him on the head, sending sparks flying. "You bastard! You weren't even listening!"
"Heh heh..." Luffy rubbed his head, grinning. "So... can we finish him now?"
Ace didn't answer. He just walked toward Arlong, his right arm erupting in blue-white fire, so hot it distorted the air.
Arlong scrambled to his feet, roaring in desperation. "Stop!! Our boss is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea! We have powerful people on our side!!"
"D-don't mess with us!" Hachi yelled. "Our old captain is Jimbei, a new Warlord!!"
"A Warlord?" Ace paused, then gave a confused smile. "What's that?"
The next second—
"BOOOOOOM!!!!"
His fist smashed into Arlong's chest. The blue-white flame exploded, vaporizing Arlong's torso in an instant.
"GRAAAAAAAH!!!"
Arlong's final, desperate scream was cut short as his body was silently consumed by the fire. His charred corpse fell backward, a smoking husk.
The only sound was the wind.
Hachi fell to his knees, and Kuroobi, his arms broken, just stared, muttering, "Monsters..."
Ace turned to them, his flames dying down. "Stop talking about 'superior species.'"
"A pirate's blood... is nothing to be proud of."
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