Half an hour ago, Arlong Park.
Arlong leaned lazily on a massive chair, his sharp, serrated fangs glinting coldly in the sunlight.
Arlong was an imposing sawshark fish-man.
He was tall and burly, with powerful muscles as strong as steel, exuding an undeniable sense of power.
Whether standing or moving, Arlong carried an indescribable aura of dominance.
The self-confidence of a strong individual and his disdain for humans naturally emanated from every one of his movements.
"What?" When he heard his subordinate's report, he suddenly stood up, his massive figure seemingly casting a shadow over the entire hall.
"Cocoyasi Village... someone actually dared to secretly hoard weapons?"
Arlong's voice was deep and cold, carrying a bone-chilling frost.
He looked around, his gaze sweeping like a blade across the fish-men pirates.
Kuroobi and Hachi both lowered their heads, only Kuroobi stood to the side, a slight smirk on his lips; he knew Arlong's wrath was about to be unleashed.
"This land belongs to the great me—Arlong!" Arlong roared, his voice shaking the entire hall.
"Lowly humans dare to defy my orders? Dare to hoard weapons?
I will make them know who the master of this land is! Those who defy me will only have one outcome!"
Arlong, accompanied by a few fish-men and Kuroobi, decided to go to Cocoyasi Village to deal with the human who dared to defy his orders.
In stark contrast to Arlong's fury was Cocoyasi Village.
The scenery here was picturesque, the village nestled by mountains and water, with lush green vegetation and the azure ocean reflecting each other.
Sunlight spilled onto the red tiled roofs of the village houses, and villagers walked in twos and threes along the paths; their simple lives made them seem detached from the world.
However, beneath this tranquility lay a deep fear.
The faces of every villager were etched with suppression and pain; they knew in their hearts that all this beauty was merely a precarious existence bought with money and humiliation.
A noisy commotion came from the street, accompanied by a terrifying sense of oppression.
The villagers stopped their work one after another, looking in terror at Arlong's group.
Arlong stood at the forefront, coldly surveying the village, his fangs bared in a cruel smile.
"Where is the person?" Arlong asked in a low voice.
Soon, a fish-man subordinate brought Genzo before Arlong.
"It's him," Kuroobi said with a sneer.
Genzo did not resist, his gaze fixed on Arlong, without a hint of fear.
Genzo calmly said, "I've always liked weapons. Am I not even allowed to collect them?"
"Not allowed. Weapons only generate violence and become a major factor endangering peace!"
"I rule twenty towns; rebellion is not permitted."
"Listen, you inferior humans don't need to think about anything; just keep paying money."
Arlong grabbed Genzo's head and held him suspended in mid-air, sneering, "I'm going to kill you here as a warning!"
"How can you be so reckless, Arlong!" At this moment, a clear, angry voice came:
"For the past eight years, we've paid you every single penny!"
Everyone turned to look, only to see a tall woman emerge from the crowd.
She was Nojiko, Nami's older sister, with slightly disheveled purple short hair, and a delicate face filled with anxiety and anger.
"Our village has never defied your orders; how could there be any intention of rebellion? Let Genzo go!" Nojiko's voice was filled with anger and determination.
"That's right, he hasn't used any weapons, stop it!"
"Let Genzo go!"
Many villagers could no longer stand by and watch, coming out of their homes and surrounding them.
Arlong sneered, his gaze piercing Nojiko and the villagers like a knife:
"I said possessing weapons means having intentions of rebellion. Or do you want me to wipe out the entire village?"
"If even one of you lays a hand on me, this village is doomed!"
Arlong's words were full of coldness and threat.
"Everyone, quickly go back inside! If we cause trouble here, our eight years of effort will be in vain!"
"If we were going to refuse your rule by fighting to the death, we would have done so eight years ago!"
"This is a prolonged battle, for the sake of survival!"
Genzo, held aloft by Arlong, saw the villagers about to act to save him and urgently tried to dissuade them.
"What a profound statement, well said! Indeed, there's joy in being alive! Even for an ant like you!"
Arlong gave a cruel, toothy grin and violently slammed Genzo to the ground. Genzo painfully coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Creatures are inherently unequal!"
"We fish-men are the most superior race in this world, and you humans are only fit to grovel at my feet!"
Arlong bared his mouth full of sharp teeth and burst into wild laughter.
"Indeed, creatures are not equal, for a low-level fish-man like you!"
"Daring to harm humans has already sealed your fate!"
"That is death!"
A voice devoid of any emotion appeared behind everyone.
Kai, Luffy and their group had arrived at Cocoyasi Village.
"Who!" A cold shout rang out, like a thunderclap exploding in everyone's ears.
Kai led the group forward, his gaze sharp as an eagle, his aura crushing the entire scene like a mountain.
He walked step by step towards Arlong, the ground beneath his feet trembling slightly. The surrounding villagers watched this scene in astonishment, their faces filled with disbelief.
"Fish-men? Heh, merely a group of low-level creatures who fancy themselves superior," Kai said calmly and coldly.
"Today, I will completely eradicate you despicable things from here."
The fish-man race also existed in Kai's previous world, but they all survived by attaching themselves to humans.
"What!" Arlong's face drastically changed, his scales bristling with anger.
His gaze, sharp as a knife, fixed on Kai, "Despicable? You dare to call fish-men despicable?!"
The surrounding villagers were so frightened by these words that they dared not speak, fearing that Arlong would slaughter them all in a fit of rage.
However, there was not a trace of fear on the faces of Kai and his companions.
Zoro's hand slowly gripped the hilt of Wado Ichimonji, and Sanji was also ready, prepared to strike at any moment.
Nojiko spotted Nami among Kai's group and quickly ran over to ask about the situation.
"Nami!" Nojiko ran over with an anxious and worried expression.
"Sister Nojiko!" Nami opened her arms and hugged Nojiko, happily saying:
"These are my companions; they are very strong and have come to save our village!"
"Arlong's group possesses terrifying strength..." Nojiko warned Nami with a serious expression.
"I know, but my companions are even stronger!" Nami interrupted Nojiko, very confident in the strength of Kai, Luffy, and the others.
Kai and his group also greeted Nami's sister, Nojiko.
"Hmm? Nami, did you bring these people? It seems you're preparing to defy me?"
Arlong saw Nami among Kai's group and warned:
"I will kill everyone in Cocoyasi Village!"
"Brother Arlong, there's no need for you to personally handle such a small matter." A deep voice came from the side, interrupting Arlong's roar.
Stepping forward was one of the Arlong Pirates' officers—Kuroobi.
"Kuroobi, an officer of the Arlong Pirates, bounty of 9 million Berries, skilled in Fish-Man Karate, possessing great strength and technique."
Zoro, acting as an information expert, provided a detailed introduction to Kai, Luffy, and the others.
Kuroobi was burly, over two meters tall, covered in rough black and blue fish scales that reflected a cold glint.
Kuroobi slowly walked forward, standing beside Arlong, watching Kai and his group with a sinister gaze:
"Humans, I will make you realize how small and powerless you are before fish-men."
Before he finished speaking, his aura suddenly erupted.
"I'll take care of this guy!" Sanji took a deep drag from his cigarette and slowly walked towards Kuroobi.
The villagers watched this scene in stunned silence.
They couldn't imagine that anyone would dare to so fearlessly provoke Arlong's subordinate in front of him.
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