The Arlong Pirates had ruled over this island for nearly six years.
Every village on the island was required to pay a head tax to the Arlong Pirates every single month, one payment per person, no exceptions.
If you couldn't pay, there was only one outcome: death.
And if anyone dared to resist, their entire village would be wiped off the map.
So far, not a single person had ever dared to truly fight back.
In the beginning, there had been hope. They had prayed that the Navy would come to crush these pirates.
But when Arlong's crew effortlessly obliterated the five warships sent to take them down, all hope vanished.
No matter how many reinforcements the Navy sent, in front of these monstrous fish-men, they shattered like fragile eggs in a clenched fist.
That was when the islanders realized: the terrifying strength these creatures displayed wasn't something ordinary humans could ever match.
Worse still, the final nail in the coffin came in the form of a rat-faced Navy officer. Not only did he refuse to fight Arlong, he used his position to seal off all news from the island.
If anyone sought help from the Navy, that officer would immediately report it back to Arlong.
Those who tried would die horribly and their entire village would suffer the consequences too.
And just like that, even their last sliver of hope was crushed completely.
For six long years, the people of this island had lived under this burning sun of fear and despair, enduring in silence.
Today just happened to be the monthly collection day.
A squad of fish-men, led by two of Arlong's lieutenants, marched imposingly into Cocoyashi Village, Nami's hometown.
At the front was a sawshark fish-man.
He wore a deep-blue, sleeveless karate gi. His hair was tied into two short braids, his muscular arms bore fins shaped like cleavers, and his entire body exuded a dangerous, suffocating pressure.
He could only be one person, Kuroobi, a former member of the Sun Pirates and now one of Arlong's core officers.
Just a step behind him was a kiss-lip fish-man who resembled a triggerfish, with a large golden fringe of hair, a sleeveless blue shirt, and black shorts.
That was Chuu, another officer of Arlong's crew, also a former Sun Pirate.
The squad stopped at the center of the village's only street.
They didn't even need to say a word. The villagers automatically emerged from their homes, money in hand, forming a quiet line to deliver their monthly payment.
All the hard-earned wages of the past month were thrown into a fish-man's empty sack—without protest.
"Hurry it up! Why're you dawdling? You short on money or something?"
The collector snarled, his eyes full of menace, glaring at a villager who moved just a bit too slowly.
He snatched the money from the villager's hands, weighed it lazily in one palm, and tossed it into the sack without a second glance.
Then, he grabbed the villager's wrist, shoved him aside, and threw him to the ground.
The man didn't protest. He simply got up silently, limping away toward his home.
The rest of the villagers looked on, eyes vacant, expressions dulled. They had long since grown used to this.
Used to the fish-men's power.
Used to their tyranny.
Used to their cruelty.
Before long, the sack was full.
Kuroobi glanced coldly at the villagers flanking the street. Without a word, he turned, hands in his pockets, and walked off toward the orange grove with Chuu and the rest of the crew.
There was still one last person to collect from, Nami's sister. No exceptions.
Only after collecting that final head tax would today's "work" be done.
Because Cocoyashi was the closest village to Arlong Park, it was always the last stop in their collection route.
But just as Kuroobi and Chuu stepped forward, they suddenly stopped, causing the fish-men behind them to bump into one another in confusion.
"What's wrong?"
All eyes turned forward.
Outside the village gates, a boy and a girl were walking toward them.
These two were Kouta and Kuina, just arrived from the coast.
They had docked their ship at the makeshift pier and were now heading straight for the village—just in time to cross paths with the departing fish-men.
Kuroobi narrowed his eyes, staring at the two unfamiliar humans.
He turned and asked one of the fish-men, "Did we miscount? Who are these two? I don't recognize them."
The fish-man in charge of the tally lifted the money sack and replied firmly, "Everyone's paid, except for Nami's sister at the orange grove."
Kuroobi's gaze turned sharp, locking onto Kouta and Kuina.
"In that case, they're outsiders. Kill them."
That's right, kill them.
No loose ends. No risk of news leaking out.
As the fish-men halted, Kouta also came to a stop. He handed something to Kuina, then lazily uncorked the wine gourd at his hip, sipping leisurely while watching the fish-men with a playful smirk—waiting to see Kuina perform.
Kuina's expression was cold and distant. Her eyes scanned the group before resting on Kuroobi and Chuu.
She wasn't interested in the others.
She knew exactly who they were. No mistake.
Instead of slowing down, her pace quickened.
The villagers watching from under their eaves tensed. They had noticed too. The girl was speeding up—toward the fish-men.
Worry etched itself into their faces.
At that moment, a middle-aged man with a windmill on his cap, a criss-cross of scars on his face, and a sheriff's uniform burst out from a nearby house.
He stepped in front of Kuina, blocking her path with one arm.
Kouta smiled when he saw him. He recognized him at once, it was Genzo, the village sheriff.
A gentle soul. To Nami and Nojiko, he was like a father.
When Genzo saw the girl marching toward the fish-men without an ounce of fear, he couldn't help but rush out to stop her.
These two were obviously new here, they didn't understand the kind of monsters they were dealing with.
"I've got to get them out before the fish-men get here," Genzo thought in a panic.
He fixed Kuina with a hard glare and snapped, "Little girl, strangers aren't welcome here. You two need to leave."
Kuina looked at him. Despite her icy expression, a hint of warmth flickered in her gaze.
His tone might've been harsh, but the urgency in his eyes, the concern he couldn't hide it if he tried.
Seeing Kuina hesitate, Kouta strolled over, shrugged, and nodded for her to keep going.
Then, he wrapped an arm around Genzo's shoulders, guiding him to the side and speaking softly.
"Thanks, old man. We appreciate your concern. But trust me, we know exactly what we're doing."
Genzo blinked, taken aback.
And in that brief moment of distraction, Kuina was already ten meters ahead, walking straight toward the fish-men.
"Don't go! Girl, stop!" Genzo shouted desperately.
Kuina glanced back and smiled.
"It's okay, old man. We're here to deal with Arlong."
"…Deal with Arlong?" Genzo's face froze in disbelief.
"That's right. Just watch." Kouta pointed ahead.
Just as Kuina turned back, Chuu attacked.
He didn't care about honor or sneak attacks, all that mattered was eliminating the enemy.
He puffed up his lips like a cannon's muzzle and launched a high-pressure water bullet at Kuina's head.
Like a bullet, the water shot forward, aimed squarely at the back of her skull.
Chuu's eyes gleamed with anticipation, he was sure this would be a kill shot.
But things rarely went according to plan.
Just as the projectile was about to hit, Kuina tilted her head ever so slightly—and the blast missed completely.
It whizzed past her ear… heading straight for Kouta and Genzo.
Genzo's pupils dilated. Cold sweat ran down his back.
He instinctively tried to shove Kouta aside but something was wrong.
It was as if the space around them had frozen in time. He couldn't move.
And neither could the water bullet, it hung suspended in midair before them.
Then, in the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal.
Plop.
The water bullet dropped harmlessly to the ground.
Genzo stared at it in stunned silence.
What… what kind of power was that?
If they had this kind of strength maybe… just maybe they really could defeat Arlong.
A flicker of hope sparked in his eyes—then quickly dimmed.
No. Impossible. Those monsters… no human could beat them.
He had seen too much despair to believe otherwise.
Shaking his head, he looked back at Kouta.
Kouta met his gaze, raised the wine gourd for a swig, then smiled.
"I told you, we came to take care of Arlong."
He paused, his tone growing more serious.
"Yeah… we're very strong."
Then he turned to watch Kuina, nodding at Genzo.
Maybe it would take cold, hard proof to convince the villagers, proof that these two could finally end the reign of the Arlong Pirates.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 100, 200, 300 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!