Chapter 143: The Arlong Pirates
Two days passed in a flash.
Orange Town wasn't large, but the Buggy Pirates and Luffy's group never crossed paths.
Both sides were intentionally avoiding each other, not wanting interference as they focused on completing their contract quests.
Out at sea, in shallow waters near Orange Town,
several pirate ships collided—each of their contract quests marked the others as targets.
A fierce battle erupted.
"Take this—Silverlight Bladefall!"
A muscular pirate leaped high into the air, wielding a toothpick-sized beginner iron sword, and came crashing down onto an enemy ship.
Boom.
The shockwave shattered the ship's deck, sending pirates tumbling into the hold—
Where a blinking red light awaited them.
It was a self-destruct robot.
The Blood Axe Pirates' captain had abandoned his oversized axe after obtaining a Contract Fruit and become a mechanical specialist.
Self-destruct robots were his reward from completing one of the quests.
BOOM.
The Blood Axe ship exploded, taking many of its former crew with it to the depths.
The captain leapt onto the ship he had just destroyed, glaring coldly at the stunned swordsman's crew. "From now on, I'm your captain. Any objections?"
"Captain!"
Their former leader had been blown to pieces. Of course, they obeyed. Nobody was foolish enough to seek revenge.
More and more pirates had begun to experience the power of the Samsara Game.
Driven by ambition, they pursued their contract quests, desperate to become full-fledged players.
Then—
A massive vessel approached, slowly.
"Who's that?"
The Blood Axe captain narrowed his eyes at the saw-toothed prow. It looked familiar.
A towering figure with purplish skin and a sharp, jagged nose stood on the bow, grinning ferociously.
"The Arlong Pirates?!"
Anyone who lived by the blade on the high seas knew the major pirate crews in East Blue.
Once they saw the Jolly Roger, they were sure.
It was Arlong's flag.
A shiver ran down every spine.
"Arlong… the Fishman Arlong!"
"Help! Weren't they supposed to be holed up in the Conomi Islands? Why are they here?!"
"It's gotta be the Contract Fruits too!"
Panic spread through the human pirates.
The mere mention of Arlong's name was enough to make them tremble.
In all of East Blue,
aside from Krieg—who had already entered the Grand Line—Arlong was the most infamous pirate.
His entire crew was made up of Fishmen, far stronger than ordinary humans, and capable of breathing and fighting underwater.
Arlong himself had a 20 million bounty.
They rarely left their domain, yet had carved out a fearsome reputation thanks to their brutality.
Most pirate crews would absorb defeated enemies.
But not the Arlong Pirates.
They killed every human they encountered.
That's why nearby pirates were so terrified.
"The Arlong Pirates…"
Sweat dripped from the Blood Axe captain's forehead, but he quickly calmed down.
"So what if they're Fishmen? They won't survive a direct hit from my Suicide Chaser."
His final contract reward, RX-78 Chaser, had reached Level 3. It could blow up an entire ship in seconds.
Fishmen?
Their sensitive skin couldn't handle fire and explosions.
As the two ships approached, human pirates held their breath, afraid to even make eye contact with Arlong's crew.
"Lowly humans."
Arlong sneered and glanced sideways at the Blood Axe captain, chuckling coldly.
The Blood Axe captain leapt onto the Arlong ship's railing and activated his skill.
A robot with a burning fuse on its head leapt out, aimed directly at Arlong.
BOOM.
An ear-splitting explosion.
But there were no flames.
Arlong had caught the explosion in his bare hands. His palms were only slightly scorched.
"What… how?"
"Why not?"
Arlong's grin turned cruel. Like a torpedo, he charged forward, grabbing the Blood Axe captain by the neck.
"You didn't really think only humans got contract rewards, did you?"
His arm darkened, turning granite-like.
[Stone Skin].
It gave immense durability—stronger than even Arlong's famed iron jaws.
At first,
Arlong's crew hadn't paid much attention to the strange Contract Fruits. But after several uprisings in the villages they controlled, they started investigating.
Following the quests' directions, they'd arrived at the Conomi Islands' Orange Town.
[Quest Complete. Reward Granted]
As the Blood Axe captain's throat was crushed, Arlong received his reward.
His Stone Skin glistened, tougher than before.
"One more quest… and I'll become a Samsara player. Then all of East Blue's humans will bow before Fishman rule!"
Splash.
His lieutenants dove into the sea, slaughtered the remaining pirates, and headed for their next target—Orange Town.
...
"So strong!"
Zoro grunted around the sword in his mouth.
The Sea King's enormous head crashed into the water, sending a salty mist into the air.
Behind him—
a smoky, dark figure loomed.
It was a vague black silhouette, barely visible, with a fierce face like a demon from the underworld.
This was the effect of the skill [Ghostly Affinity].
To be attuned to ghostly energy was to be attuned to the power of death itself.
This was the fourth Sea King Zoro had slain.
His Ghostly Affinity was now Level 4—just shy of gaining the experience and proficiency needed to summon a tangible ghost instead of a shadow.
Zoro's mind, will, and soul were all being drawn toward this demonic force.
This power came from swordsmen of Arad Continent who didn't suppress ghosts—they embraced and controlled them fully.
"What a powerful spirit…"
As the smoky shadow faded, Zoro panted and swam back to shore.
The physical drain wasn't bad.
But mentally—after summoning the ghostly figure—he was nearly overwhelmed by the madness and bloodlust.
His untrained mind had almost lost itself.
He could feel it.
That spirit had only answered the call because it saw him as prey.
But Zoro wasn't afraid.
He gave a grin full of killing intent and muttered,
"Perfect. Let's see who breaks first."
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