At that moment, inside Arlong Park, a dirty deal was underway.
Today wasn't just collection day for the Arlong Pirates' head tax, it was also the time for them to hand over their black-market payoff to Captain Nezumi.
The entirety of Arlong Park was encircled by towering stone walls, with only a single massive gate open toward the sea.
Beyond that stone gate stretched a long waterway, specially constructed by Arlong for his fellow Fishmen.
Beside the canal sat two equally sized pools, the usual spots where the Arlong Pirates would lounge or play.
At the far end of the waterway stood a towering, five-story, turret-like building. Atop its roof, the open maw of a shark-shaped tower bore the pirate flag of the Arlong Pirates, fluttering in the wind.
Between the tower and the waterway, on the stone pathway, lay a tall, broad Fishman with a long, jagged saw-like nose, the infamous captain of the Arlong Pirates himself: Arlong.
Directly across from him sat a man who bore an uncanny resemblance to a rat, dressed in a Navy officer's overcoat. Two plainclothes Marines stood behind him.
That had to be Captain Nezumi.
"This is this month's cut. Take it," Arlong said, pushing a thick stack of cash across the table, freshly handed to him by one of his underlings.
"Hehehe! Arlong, your mind really works nothing like the average pirate's," Nezumi chuckled, eyes gleaming at the sight of money.
He quickly scooped up the cash and stuffed it into his coat, nodding in satisfaction. "You really do know how to grease the wheels."
"Sha ha ha! We understand each other." Arlong spread his arms with a grin. "As long as you're willing to be my friend, there's no end to the sweet rewards you'll taste here in the East Blue."
His laughter stopped. He leaned forward, propping both hands on the table, eyes narrowed at Nezumi.
"The fact that you get that proves you're not just some average Navy officer."
Though he smiled, his eyes were as cold as ice.
Arlong was a dyed-in-the-wool racist.
He firmly believed that Fishmen were inherently superior to humans—that any resistance from humans was defiance against the natural order. He ruled over them with an iron grip, viewing their lives as worthless.
Greedy and violent by nature, he held money above all else, believing it was the greatest and most trustworthy thing in the world.
Meeting Arlong's cold stare, Nezumi broke into a sweat and forced a laugh.
"You've been more than generous all this time."
"Sha ha ha! Why bring that up now?" Arlong leaned back, relaxing once more. "Harmony breeds wealth, doesn't it?"
He looked at Nezumi and burst into laughter. "Money is a fine thing, more trustworthy than anything else. I may hate humans, but you, someone who knows how to play the game are an exception."
Nezumi felt increasingly uncomfortable.
He knew everything coming out of Arlong's mouth was nonsense, but he had to play along, nodding and grinning.
After all, Arlong was stronger than him. More importantly, he was a walking goldmine.
Finally, as Arlong finished speaking, Nezumi stood up and said, "Well then, I'll be taking my leave for today."
He didn't want to stay a second longer. The way the Fishmen around him looked at him as if he were livestock made his skin crawl.
Just then, a mocking voice echoed from the left side of the courtyard wall.
"Leaving?"
"Where do you think you're going?"
"You'd best stay here... and go to hell together."
"Who's there?!"
Around twenty Fishmen, lounging or sitting near the pools, all turned their eyes toward the voice. So did Arlong and Nezumi.
There, on the high stone wall to the left, two figures had appeared.
Kouta and Kuina.
They had been there for a while now, quietly listening to Arlong and Nezumi's exchange.
It wasn't until Nezumi tried to leave that Kouta finally spoke.
When the Fishmen near the pools saw that it was just two humans, they visibly relaxed and returned to what they were doing, uninterested.
But Arlong's fury erupted.
Those two lowly humans dared to stand above him? To a proud Fishman like him, being forced to look up to humans was intolerable.
He would rather they had smashed through the gate than stand above him on his own walls.
His eyes burned with rage as he glared at the two.
"Mere humans... daring to step foot in my territory and threaten my guest? Are you tired of living?!"
He clenched the wine glass in his hand and crushed it, shards and liquor spilling into his palm.
Then, without hesitation, he flung the broken glass and liquid at Kouta and Kuina with full force.
But the two didn't even blink.
Their eyes flashed red. With a slight tilt of their heads, they effortlessly dodged the flying shards.
The moment Kuina landed atop the wall, her gaze locked onto Nezumi. He looked every bit the weasel she expected. The type who reeked of betrayal and cowardice.
Kouta, meanwhile, stared directly at Arlong, his expression one of unfiltered disgust and disdain.
That dead-eyed stare, as if he were looking at a fish on the chopping block completely enraged Arlong.
Since arriving in the East Blue, he had always been the one to look at humans like that. When had any human ever dared to return the favor?
His eyes turned bloodshot with fury as he roared,
"My brothers, tear them apart!"
Arlong's murderous voice echoed through the entire park.
The Fishmen near the pools had already stood up when Arlong smashed the wine glass. Now, hearing their leader's call, they bared their fangs and claws and charged toward Kouta and Kuina.
Just as Kouta was about to act, Kuina spoke.
"Kouta, remember, you promised this one to me."
The bloodlust radiating from her was barely contained.
Kouta immediately stopped, scratching his head apologetically.
"Ah, right. Sorry, Kuina. I totally forgot."
He had been itching for a fight. It had been a while since he last swung his blade. Sure, these Fishmen weren't much of a challenge, one slash each but still, they could whet the appetite.
Kuina never took her eyes off Nezumi. From the moment she stepped on that wall, she looked like the embodiment of death, eyes cold, expression unchanging.
Her first target was him.
The sheer murderous intent radiating from Kuina made Nezumi feel as if his skin were being pricked by needles.
His instincts screamed.
Danger. Danger. Danger.
Frozen in place, drenched in cold sweat, Nezumi looked up at her and internally panicked.
"What's with this woman?! I don't even know her. Why has she been staring at me since she got here?!"
Just as the Fishmen reached the base of the wall, Kuina broke eye contact with Nezumi and leapt down.
She ignored the charging Fishmen and resumed walking calmly toward her target.
Kouta sat idly on the wall, yawning as he pulled out his gourd of wine.
Drink in hand, eyes on the show.
The first two Fishmen leading the charge roared as they closed in on Kuina. One raised a fist, the other a blade, aiming straight for her head.
Then-
Clang!
Before the one on the left could even throw his punch, a flash of steel slashed across his throat.
Kuina's eyes flashed red. With a slight tilt and a single step forward, she dodged the second Fishman's blade.
She paused, spun the sword in her hand, reversed her grip, and with a swift stab to the right, took him down.
Without a second glance, she walked calmly between the two.
A moment later, the two Fishmen toppled to the ground with a thud, twitching violently.
The Fishmen behind them all screeched to a halt, frozen in place.
Just like that, two of their own were dead.
"Ahhh!"
Their rage boiled over. With bloodshot eyes and furious roars, they charged at her again.
But Kuina didn't even flinch.
She kept her pace, walking straight toward Nezumi, unaffected by the chaos behind her.
With a smooth twist of her wrist, she returned her grip to a normal stance. Her blade gleamed with a cold, blinding light as she swung a clean horizontal slash at the oncoming Fishman.
The blade flashed. The Fishman's momentum stopped instantly.
Splat!
Kuina shifted slightly to the right, dodging the torrent of blood that burst from his chest.
With a cold gaze, she looked back at the others. She flicked her sword, casting off the blood.
The droplets scattered on the ground, forming a bright red under the sun's harsh glare.
The icy look in her eyes made every Fishman feel as if their very skin was burning.
They had forgotten something vital.
The way Kuina looked at them now... was the same way they had always looked at humans.
Only now, they finally understood fear.
They froze.
Staring at her, pupils constricted, bodies trembling, they began to back away step by step.
This human, no, this woman was no ordinary person.
She was a reaper.
Three slashes. Three dead.
They hadn't even seen the blade, only the gleam of death.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 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!