Two days later, in the early morning.
Genzo hummed a little tune as he pushed his bicycle along the field path outside the village. The weather was pleasant—perfect for patrolling.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and his wide-brimmed police hat flew off. He hurriedly stopped the bike, bent down, and picked it up.
His little windmill had also gotten wet. After wiping it dry for a while, he carefully placed it back on his head.
He had only just made it last night. The one he had built a year ago had mysteriously vanished a few days earlier.
Who—why—would repeatedly target a worthless little windmill?
Genzo still couldn't understand it.
Just as he straightened up, he noticed a group of children he often saw playing near the docks running toward him, panicked and constantly looking back.
Seeing him, they shouted urgently, "Uncle Genzo! Something's wrong, something's wrong!"
"Pirates! Over at the docks—a pirate ship is coming!"
"What?!"
Genzo's face went pale. He immediately swung his leg over his bicycle. "I'll go check it out. You all run to the village and warn everyone to head up the mountain—"
Wait—up the mountain?
He froze mid-motion, realizing that today's Cocoyashi Village was not an era when any random pirate could easily be dealt with.
In the mountains, a formidable monster was in charge!
"Grab any adults you see on the way and go find Shanu! Tell him to get to the docks immediately. This is urgent—no delays! Got it?"
"Yes, Uncle Genzo!"
Watching the children dash off, Genzo pedaled toward the docks, biting his lip, still feeling a nagging unease.
Cocoyashi Village had been peaceful for many years. This time, what level of pirate would really show up?
What if, by bad luck, it was one of the strongest pirate crews in the East Blue?
Could Shanu really handle them?
...
Deep in the mountains.
A black-haired boy swung a massive tree, weighing several tons, like a golden staff, enjoying himself immensely. His peripheral vision caught a white shape streaking across the sky.
"Geppo!"
—Whoosh!
Shanu launched into the air, flashing several times to intercept the newsbird mid-flight.
"Squawk!!!"
The bird shrieked in surprise, feathers bristling.
It was responsible for this section of the East Blue and had only heard rumors of humans who could fly from the Grand Line—never seen one itself.
"One paper, please," Shanu said, flicking a fifty-Beli coin into the satchel hanging around the bird's neck.
The Geppo allowed him to hover in midair for a few seconds. But just as he grabbed the paper and hadn't even opened it yet, his body began to descend.
The newsbird stared down at the falling figure, dumbfounded.
—This guy leisurely reads a newspaper while free-falling? Isn't he afraid of killing himself?
"Queen Otohime assassinated?"
Shanu read the headline, holding the paper motionless as he plummeted.
Seconds later, he crashed onto a mountaintop, creating a massive crater, dust and debris flying in all directions.
Once the dust settled, he had finished reading the report and frowned.
So, Arlong came to the East Blue the same year Hody Jones assassinated Queen Otohime?
Two generations of scum… or fish scum. Truly, bad deeds run in the family.
Pocketing the newspaper, he stepped out of the crater he'd created and moved to the southern edge, habitually gazing toward the docks—a routine he had repeated countless times over the past year.
"Arlong… why aren't you here yet…" he murmured almost instinctively.
But the next moment, his eyes suddenly stiffened, frozen in place.
On the horizon, a massive pirate ship appeared, heading for the docks.
Under the fluttering skull-and-crossbones flag, the ship's prow was carved jagged like a shark's teeth—gruesome and menacing.
The sea breeze swept past, and the silhouette on the mountaintop remained motionless for a long time.
After a while.
"Arlong…"
A voice, somewhere between a laugh and a cry, filled the air with grievance. His body flexed, muscles trembling with an unsettling resonance. "You've finally arrived…"
"I really… really missed you…"
At that moment, the arch of his foot tensed. Spiderweb-like cracks spread explosively from beneath him down the cliff, the entire precipice groaning under the strain.
Boom—!
The air erupted in ripples. The colossal muscular figure vanished, the cliff collapsing completely.
When he reappeared, he was tens of meters away, atop a coconut tree. Pressing the trunk into a taut bow shape, he used the rebound to launch himself fiercely toward the approaching enemy.
...
Thud!
With a crash, the Shark Sparb rammed the dock, smashing the wooden pier into splinters.
Clatter-clatter-clatter! Dozens of bulky figures slowly disembarked, stepping onto the debris-strewn ground.
"This is Cocoyashi Village?"
Looking at the distant village with smoke curling from chimneys, a fishman named Chiu raised an eyebrow.
"Bigger than the charts show. Looks like we can squeeze a lot of money from this place~"
"I find it disappointing."
Another officer, Kuroobi, cold and aloof with arms crossed, said:
"No surprises. I haven't flexed in a while, and here in this backwater village, finding anyone capable of facing me is nearly impossible."
He wore indigo combat gear, muscles rippling, a black belt tied around his waist, and his hair tied into two small buns—intimidating to behold.
Clap.
A purple hand landed on their shoulders.
"Shahahaha—! Enough chatter, minions."
Arlong grinned, fangs bared. "We've set foot on land. Now, follow me and proclaim the Arlong Pirates' declaration!"
He spread his arms. Behind him, the fishman pirates drew their swords, grinning fiercely.
"Pathetic humans!"
Arlong laughed at the distant village. "From now on, this village—no! This entire island—is ours!!!"
Shahahaha—!!!
Amid his wild laughter, the Arlong Pirates advanced from the docks toward the village.
Just around the corner, four fallen coconut trees blocked the road.
"Huh? Someone did this?"
Kuroobi narrowed his eyes, sneering. "Scared by the pirate ship, perhaps? Naïve! You think this will stop us?"
"Look closer—there's someone sitting on top~"
Chiu giggled, pointing to a black-clad figure perched atop the trunks.
"Hey there, young man. You're trying to protect your village alone? Tsk tsk tsk… courage like that is commendable!"
The figure remained seated, head bowed, fists clenched and trembling, seemingly battling fear itself.
Hearing the praise, he finally looked up, revealing a clean, handsome youthful face.
Among the teasing fishmen, he smiled shyly:
"…Thank you."