The Arlong Pirates ruled over more than twenty villages on the island.
Each month, the villagers were forced to pay a hefty "head tax" to the Arlong Pirates.
Failure to pay meant death.
Rebellion resulted in the destruction of their village.
This cycle of oppression had continued for six long years.
Today was collection day, the monthly ritual of despair.
A group of Fish-Men swaggered down the village path.
Leading the group were two officers of the Arlong Pirates.
One was Kuroobi, dressed in a blue karate gi and sporting twin braids.
The other was Chew, a Fish-Man with short brown hair and lips thick as sausages.
Cocoyasi Village, being closest to Arlong's domain, was always the last stop for collections.
With the two officers at the helm, the Fish-Men marched to the center of the village, stopping at the checkpoint on the main road.
No prompting was necessary—terrified villagers stepped out of their homes, each clutching the Berries they had prepared for tribute.
Kuroobi stood impassive as the villagers handed over their payments one by one.
Chew, hands stuffed into his pockets, tilted his head back in boredom, his gaze wandering aimlessly around the scene.
Behind them, over twenty fierce-looking Fish-Men loomed, their intimidating presence suffocating.
"Hurry up," one of them growled menacingly.
The villagers moved as fast as they could. One man, slower than the others, was shoved roughly to the ground by a Fish-Man collecting the money.
Though the villager landed hard, he dared not complain.
The rest of the line remained deathly silent, their spirits crushed under the Fish-Men's tyranny.
Before long, the sack for collecting money bulged with neatly stacked Berries.
The Fish-Man counting the funds gave Kuroobi a nod, signaling that all the head tax had been collected.
All except for one remaining payment from the orange grove.
"Let's go."
Kuroobi turned toward the grove, the other Fish-Men following closely behind.
Once they collected this last payment, their day's work would be done.
The villagers, heads bowed, stood motionless by their houses, avoiding eye contact as the Fish-Men passed.
The collection ended in the same oppressive silence that had begun it.
However, as the Fish-Men advanced, they suddenly noticed a young human approaching from the opposite direction.
It was none other than Maude, leaving the orange grove to head directly to Arlong's domain.
Having already recorded the intelligence in his Hunter's Notebook, Maude was ready to reap the rewards of his efforts.
Seeing Maude approach, the Fish-Men stopped in their tracks.
Kuroobi turned to the Fish-Man who had been counting. "Did we miss one?"
"No, everyone's accounted for," the Fish-Man replied, hefting the sack of Berries. "Other than the woman at the orange grove, all head tax has been collected."
Kuroobi's gaze returned to Maude, his eyes cold. "If he's not from the island, kill him."
At that moment, Maude spotted the group blocking the road ahead.
"Looks like an appetizer has arrived," Maude murmured, a faint smile curling his lips. His eyes swept over Kuroobi and Chew, immediately recognizing them from their distinctive appearances and attire.
Without hesitation, Maude quickened his pace toward the Fish-Men.
On either side of the road, the villagers watched anxiously, worried for the unfamiliar young man who dared approach the Fish-Men.
Just then, a middle-aged man in uniform hurried onto the road, stepping in front of Maude to block his way.
This was Genzo, the village sheriff.
Genzo immediately realized that Maude was an outsider.
Hoping to prevent any harm from coming to him, Genzo stepped forward to intervene.
"I need to get this boy out of the village before the Fish-Men get to him," Genzo thought to himself.
He fixed Maude with a stern look and said harshly, "Boy, Cocoyasi Village doesn't welcome outsiders. Leave immediately!"
"Thanks, Uncle," Maude replied nonchalantly, patting Genzo's shoulder. Then, with the agility of a breeze, he leapt past Genzo, continuing toward the Fish-Men.
Genzo froze, stunned by Maude's unexpected reaction.
"I was kicking you out, not welcoming you!"
"Wait!" Genzo called out, spinning around and instinctively reaching for Maude's shirt.
But in the blink of an eye, Maude was already over ten meters away.
"So fast…"
Realizing how close Maude was to the Fish-Men, Genzo's heart sank.
"Boy, you shall not pass!"
"Shut up," Chew sneered.
He wasn't oblivious to Genzo's intentions.
Puffing out his blaring trumpet-like lips, Chew fired a water bullet at Genzo's legs.
The attack wasn't meant to kill but to wound, ensuring Genzo wouldn't interfere.
Clang!
Maude swiftly drew his blade, Chidori, slicing cleanly through the water bullet.
The bisected projectile splashed harmlessly to the ground on either side of Genzo.
It was only then that Genzo realized what had happened.
"That boy…"
On the Fish-Men's side, Kuroobi's expression shifted the moment he saw Maude cleave the water bullet in two.
That single move was enough to tell him Maude was no ordinary human.
An experienced fighter, Kuroobi lunged toward Maude without hesitation, aiming to strike before Maude could sheath his blade.
"Fish-Man Karate: Arm Blade Slash!"
Kuroobi swung the sharp, blade-like fins on his elbows, aiming directly for Maude's neck.
The blade whistled through the air.
But Maude didn't sheath his sword. Instead, he raised his free hand, firmly catching Kuroobi's blade.
"My Arm Blade Slash…"
Kuroobi's eyes widened in shock. His "iron-hard" blade had been stopped so effortlessly.
"Impossible! I'm a Fish-Man!"
Muscles bulging, veins popping, Kuroobi poured all his strength into his arm.
Yet no matter how hard he tried, his blade remained immovable in Maude's grasp.
"Unbelievable!"
Kuroobi's disbelief was short-lived. Maude abruptly yanked downward, snapping the blade with a sickening crack!
Kuroobi's body jerked forward, spinning like a low-flying top.
Maude wasted no time. As Kuroobi rotated past him, Maude stabbed cleanly through his torso, withdrawing the blade in one smooth motion.
The Fish-Men watched in stunned silence as Kuroobi's lifeless body hit the ground with a heavy thud.
"C-Captain Kuroobi!"
Chew's face twisted in shock.
On either side of the road, the villagers stared, dumbstruck by what they had just witnessed.
"With one strike… he killed an officer of the Arlong Pirates…"
Genzo gaped at Modder's back, his disbelief palpable.
Nearby, Nami and Nojiko arrived at the scene.
Their eyes quickly took in Kuroobi's corpse and Maude, walking toward the remaining Fish-Men with his sword still in hand.
"What in the world just happened?" Nami murmured, her expression one of stunned incredulity.
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