"Sha~hahaha! A bunch of no-name pirates think they can stand up for Nami?" Arlong sneered.
"Go on, tell me your names. I'll make sure the story of your foolish deaths gets told."
Luffy couldn't hold back anymore. He stepped forward, cracking the knuckles of his right fist.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates!" he declared. "You messed with our navigator, Arlong. Are you ready to pay for that?"
Hearing that, Arlong's face instantly went dark.
"The Straw Hat crew... I never expected it to be you."
Hachi and the other fishmen looked just as grim.
They'd just gotten a warning from that crooked Marine Nezumi earlier today, telling them it'd be best to avoid the Straw Hats.
And now, here they were, in a full-blown standoff.
The fishman Kuroobi whispered in Arlong's ear, "Big Bro Arlong, are we... are we still doing this?"
Arlong was actually hesitating.
But then he looked at the humans standing before him, and all the memories of being oppressed and looked down upon by them came flooding back, filling his eyes with pure hatred.
He just couldn't bring himself to back down to a bunch of humans.
Besides, from what he'd heard, these guys were nothing like that freak Buggy.
After a moment, Arlong burst out laughing again.
"Sha~hahaha! Just a pirate crew made up of inferior humans. Today, we'll feed their corpses to Mohmoh!"
"Men, get ready to fight!"
"┗|｀O′|┛ ROOAAARR~~"
…
The terrifying aura from the fishmen was enough to make the villagers, who had been fired up just a moment ago, shrink back in fear.
But when they looked at the Straw Hat crew, they were completely stunned.
Every single one of them had a look of total, unshakable confidence on their faces.
What did that mean? It was obvious.
To the Straw Hat Pirates, these fearsome fishmen were a total joke.
Sanji casually lit a cigarette and blew out a smoke ring shaped like a fish.
"Let's see," he mused, "we could make some sashimi, shark fin porridge, maybe some grilled octopus... ah, so many options. It's hard to decide."
"Pfft—"
Nami, standing right behind him, couldn't help but burst out laughing at his comment.
But when Arlong and his crew heard it, they exploded with rage.
"It seems we'll have to kill a few of you before you realize how big of a mistake you've made!" Arlong roared.
"Men, go all out today! Slaughter every last villager if you have to! They're just livestock anyway!"
"Kill all the men! Keep the pretty women for ourselves!"
With Arlong's command, the fishmen charged, their bloodlust completely unleashed.
They swarmed toward the Straw Hats and the villagers.
Ray exchanged a quick look with the crew.
"I'll handle Arlong," he said. "You guys protect the villagers."
Since Nami had originally hired Ray for this job, Luffy didn't seem to have a problem letting him take the lead.
Before Luffy and Zoro could even move, Sanji was already fired up.
"No one hurts Nami-san and Nojiko-san's family while I'm here!"
Whoosh!
The crew instantly split up, each knowing their role.
Ray started walking, slow and steady, right toward Arlong.
Luffy intercepted Chu, the kissing fishman.
Zoro, holding just Wado Ichimonji, blocked the six-sword-wielding octopus, Hachi.
Sanji squared off against the fishman karate master, Kuroobi.
And Nami, Usopp, Johnny, Yosaku, and Chouchou took on the small fry.
The battle had begun!
…
After all her recent training, Nami was way stronger and way better with her staff.
She was still a bit weaker than the fishmen grunts in raw power, but her fighting skills were so good she was practically running circles around them.
'Ray's staff fighting technique is amazing!' she thought, growing more confident with every move.
She used the staff's longer reach to her advantage, dancing around her opponents and striking precisely at their weak points.
Just then, a huge, ball-shaped fishman blocked her staff with his blubbery body.
The tip sank deep into his fat.
"Hehehehe, Nami," he said with a gross, lecherous look on his face, "I've wanted a piece of you for a long time."
He stared at Nami, who couldn't pull her staff free, and stretched his arms out to grab her.
The villagers started to panic, but before they could rush in and get themselves killed, Nami showed no fear.
Instead, she just smirked.
"You want my body? First, let me show you what this staff can do."
She gripped the staff with her right hand and gave it a quick twist.
The part of the staff stuck in the fishman's gut suddenly extended.
A sharp, 40-centimeter blade shot out from the tip, piercing straight through his body and skewering his kidney.
"AHHH!!"
Nami yanked her weapon free.
What was once a blunt staff was now a deadly orange spear.
Holding it in one hand, she looked down at the kneeling fishman like a warrior goddess.
Under his terrified gaze, she thrust the spear straight through his skull.
"Tch. Still want my body?" she taunted. "Didn't think so."
With that, she retracted the blade back into the staff and went to find her next target.
…
On another part of the battlefield...
Usopp was zipping around, finally diving behind a rock for cover.
He pulled back his slingshot and started firing off one crazy homemade bullet after another.
"Special Attack: Spicy Sauce Star! Special Attack: Sour-to-Death Star! Special Attack: Bird-Slaying Lead Ball Star!"
"Special Attack: Chouchou's Shit Star!"
His shots flew with perfect accuracy, hitting the fishmen who were fighting Nami, Johnny, and Yosaku.
One by one, the fishmen fell victim to Usopp's underhanded tactics.
The poor guy who got hit with the "Chouchou's shit Star" was especially unlucky—the smell alone was enough to make him pass out.
In the end, Nami took the opportunity to finish him off with a quick spear thrust.
…
"Oh my god, Nami's friends are incredible!" one of the villagers shouted.
"Our little thief cat is pretty tough, too!" another added.
Nojiko and the villagers, who had been super tense at first, were now totally relaxed.
They could see that not a single fishman could get within five meters of the party.
So, they started cracking melon seeds, sipping wine, and munching on oranges like they were watching a movie.
"As cool as Nami's spear skills are," someone said, "that dog is way more terrifying."
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
Chouchou, now in his giant Dog Demon form, was swinging the upgraded "Great Battle Gun" around like a madman.
With every swing, he created an explosion with a 2.5-meter radius.
He wasn't just swinging wildly, either; he was using actual techniques.
'Straight Thrust! Diagonal Pierce! Returning Dog Spear!'
At one point, he got so into it that he skewered three fishmen at once, slammed them into the ground, and then cooked them with a flurry of explosions.
The main reason the fishmen couldn't get close to the villagers was because Chouchou had basically created a giant explosive barrier around them.
…
Ray, who was now standing right in front of Arlong, gave a small nod as he watched his crew.
Nami's technique was still a little rough, but he was impressed with how she adapted on the fly—even if her methods were a bit brutal.
Usopp was getting much better at dodging and finding good sniper spots.
And Chouchou... Chouchou was mastering the spear techniques so fast it actually surprised Ray.
'Who knew the little dog was so talented?' he thought.
The other three—Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji—were clearly just playing around.
They could end their fights whenever they wanted.
Ray brought his attention back to the present and fixed his cold gaze on Arlong.
"Arlong," he said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.
"Choose how you want to die."
----------------------------
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