Chapter 11: Arlong Park
The group followed Nami quickly into the tangerine grove.
As soon as they entered, they saw a young woman with short blue hair anxiously and angrily confronting a group of Marines.
"Are you okay, Nojiko!?"
Nami rushed forward to Nojiko's side, then immediately turned her glare towards the Marines opposite them.
Before she could ask anything, a shifty-eyed Marine officer with three long whiskers on each cheek stepped forward.
"Nyehehehe, I am Captain Nezumi of Marine Branch 16."
"We received intelligence that stolen funds are hidden here."
"Now, all these illicit funds are to be confiscated."
Captain Nezumi had a treacherous look on his face. As he spoke, he gestured behind him, where several subordinates were digging up a wooden chest filled with treasure.
Nami's face darkened, but she didn't act rashly, her mind racing:
*"How did the Marines know about this place? I've always been so careful.*
*Besides Nojiko, no one knows where the money is hidden, and Nojiko would absolutely, 10,000 percent never betray me.*
*Could it be..."*
At this thought, Nami nearly ground her teeth to dust, forcing out a low growl through clenched teeth, "You damn bastards!"
"Nyehehehe, what are you talking about? This captain doesn't quite understand."
"Did Arlong's pirates send you here?!"
"Whoa, whoa, Arlong and his associates are a legitimate organization that pays its taxes on time. They're certainly not pirates."
"You... What kind of Marines *are* you!?"
Nami was so furious she could barely speak. Nojiko stepped forward and put an arm around her, afraid Nami's agitation might lead to worse consequences.
*Whirr— Whirr—!*
Just then, the grating sound of chainsaws suddenly erupted.
The attention of all the Marines instantly snapped towards the source.
They saw a terrifying figure with three massive chainsaws protruding from its body rushing towards them at high speed.
"What is that thing!?"
"Quick, shoot it! Stop him!"
It wasn't just the Marines who panicked; Nami also turned back and yelled at Reiner and the others:
"Wait! If you attack the Marines..."
"Do pirates care about that kind of thing?!"
Luffy interrupted Nami, charging forward in a rage.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Bullets rained down, but they had absolutely no effect on the Chainsaw Devil or Luffy.
Neither figure faltered in the slightest, reaching the Marines in the blink of an eye.
"Guns don't work on them!"
"Damn it, what kind of monsters are these!?"
"You idiots! Hurry up and protect me!"
Captain Nezumi cursed furiously, scrambling backward in panic, trying to hide among his men.
However, the soldiers were completely ineffective as a barrier.
"Gum-Gum... Whip!"
Luffy stretched out his leg in a powerful whip kick, sweeping away the Marines in front.
The Chainsaw Devil headed straight for Captain Nezumi.
*Whirr— Whirr—!*
The grating sound echoed from right behind Captain Nezumi. Like fingernails scraping glass, the irritating noise made his skin crawl.
"W-w-wait a minute!"
"Who on earth are you people!?"
"I'm a Marine Captain! If you attack me..."
*Schlick!*
Before he could finish, a spinning chainsaw slashed viciously across his chest.
A gruesome wound instantly appeared, blood pouring out relentlessly.
"AHHH!!!"
"Captain Nezumi!"
The surrounding Marines watched in horror as their captain collapsed, wailing in agony, yet not a single one stepped forward to help him.
Fear contorted Nezumi's face. He sat paralyzed, desperately trying to push himself backward with his feet, screaming and begging for mercy:
"Please, don't kill me! I'll give you money! Lots and lots of money!"
However, the Chainsaw Devil remained silent, simply stalking closer step by step.
"Ah!"
"No!"
"St-stop!"
Under the menacing threat of the two terrifying chainsaws, Captain Nezumi bid farewell to the world amidst pain and terror.
"Captain Nezumi is dead!"
"Run!"
"Devil! He's a devil!"
Seeing the Marines scatter in panic, Reiner promptly recalled the Chainsaw Devil. He had no particular penchant for killing for fun.
"Let's go. Straight to Arlong. Lead the way, Nami."
Luffy spoke coldly, pulling his straw hat down low over his eyes. It was clear he was in a very bad mood.
"O-okay... Okay."
Nami stammered in agreement, still trembling. Everything had happened too fast; she hadn't fully processed it yet.
"You guys were too careless."
Zoro emerged from the tangerine grove, holding two Fish-Men.
They had likely been sent by Arlong to secretly watch the Marines, preventing Captain Nezumi from pocketing the money himself.
He tossed the two Fish-Men onto the ground. Both had deep sword wounds and were no longer breathing.
"Not bad, Zoro. Very alert," Reiner praised with a smile.
Nojiko looked at the group, trembling slightly. "Nami, who are these people?"
"It's okay, Nojiko. They're my nakama. We came back this time..."
Nami's eyes flashed with determination. "...to overthrow Arlong!"
"Wait, Nami!"
"Don't say any more, Nojiko! My mind is made up. I trust my nakama."
"Luffy, Reiner, Zoro... let's go."
Nami pulled her hand away from Nojiko's grasp and walked off without looking back, leaving Nojiko standing alone, stunned.
"...Nami."
Watching the group head towards Arlong Park, Nojiko's expression was complicated.
---
Inside Arlong Park.
Beneath a tall, imposing tower, a group of Fish-Men laughed and played in a swimming pool.
Under a long awning nearby, a row of deck chairs was set up.
A robust purple-skinned Fish-Man lounged in one, characterized by a long, sharp, saw-like nose, a mouth full of pointed teeth, a felt hat atop disheveled hair.
"Gyahahahaha! I wonder what kind of expression Nami will make when she finds out all the money she saved for years has been completely looted!"
Arlong laughed boisterously, his surrounding officers chiming in with agreement.
"That was a brilliant move, Boss. But Nami will probably guess that we colluded with the Marines, right?"
"So what if she knows? Can she possibly resist me? Gyahahahaha!"
"When the time comes, we'll just make her save up another hundred million, and then we'll harvest it from her again!"
"Anyway, as long as the village is under my control, she can never defy me! Gyahahaha!"
Arlong's cruel laughter echoed throughout the park.
"Speaking of which, Hatchan escorted Captain Nezumi and his men over quite a while ago. He should be back..."
*BOOM—*
Before Arlong could finish, a massive explosion sounded.
The main gate of the park was violently blown off its hinges, crashing down and pinning several nearby Fish-Men underneath.
"What happened!?"
"Hey, are you guys okay!?"
"Who did this!?"
The huge commotion drew everyone's attention.
Arlong frowned, his gaze turning cold as he looked towards the entrance.
Through the thick smoke, a familiar figure with orange hair slowly walked in, accompanied by several others.
"Gyahahaha, it's Nami."
Arlong recognized Nami among them, then looked mockingly at her companions.
"Well now, looks like this isn't exactly a friendly visit."
"You're Arlong, right?!" Luffy shouted, his face grim, walking straight towards Arlong, who was surrounded by several Fish-Men.
Reiner's eyes burned with intensity as he scanned the park, taking in the various Fish-Men in and around the pool watching them.
*"Two, four... eight... eighteen... Tsk tsk tsk, not bad at all!"*
He was already overjoyed internally. Fish-Men were naturally excellent swimmers, and their physical strength was typically ten times that of humans.
Whether used as deckhands for chores or as combat grunts, they would be extremely useful.
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