After severely injuring Hachi, Gojo looked toward Arlong, who still hadn't attacked and was simply circling, waiting for the perfect moment to launch a sneak strike that could actually hurt him. But Arlong, until now, hadn't been able to find that chance.
Gojo began walking toward him. The moment Arlong saw that steady advance, he suddenly dove into the water with a splash. Gojo's face twisted in anger the instant he saw it.
"Want to escape? No, you won't."
He vanished from his spot and reappeared at the edge of the water, the air around him tightening.
His index and middle finger came together, a small blue sphere forming between them—quiet at first, then swelling as he released it toward the water. As Blue touched the surface, a massive whirlpool tore open, the waves spiraling upward like a rising vortex. A low rumble echoed through the shore.
Arlong hadn't escaped at all. He had been lurking beneath the surface, waiting for his moment to strike—or, in the best-case scenario for him, hoping Gojo would foolishly dive in.
But nothing of the sort happened. Blue pulled the water toward itself—no, it sucked the water inward—and soon a massive sphere began forming as the currents spiralled violently around the technique. The churning motion made the entire mass glow, a shimmering orb of swirling water, and Arlong was dragged helplessly into its pull.
When he was finally yanked close to the surface, Gojo appeared above him in an instant. Arlong's body was unstable from the force of the vortex, his balance completely shattered.
Gojo didn't hesitate. He plunged his sword forward and stabbed Arlong straight through the head.
Arlong died because of his own cleverness. He had believed he could outsmart Gojo—that after Gojo exhausted himself killing the other fishmen, he would strike at the perfect moment and finish everything in a single blow. But that so-called cleverness became his downfall. It was the clearest example that cunning only works up to a point; when the difference in strength reaches an entirely different league, cleverness simply can't bridge the gap.
After killing Arlong, Gojo didn't display the body. Instead, he let it sink just enough before subtly guiding it toward a shadowed corner of the water. The lingering Blue technique had already faded. He simply didn't want anyone realizing he had taken Arlong down—not yet.
Once the corpse was hidden, Gojo didn't pause. He moved through the remaining fishmen of the Arlong Pirates, cutting them down one by one. And each time he struck, he made sure to voice his frustration.
"Dammit, how the hell did Arlong escape?"
"Tch… I'm gonna capture him again."
The irritation in his tone wasn't just convincing—it carried across the battlefield like a man genuinely annoyed that his prey slipped away. That frustration didn't go unnoticed. The surviving Marines aboard the ship Captain Nezumi had arrived on—only a handful still alive—watched him closely. They hadn't attacked Gojo, which was the only reason they were still breathing, and now they stood frozen as they observed his anger simmer through each kill.
Finally, when the last fishman of the Arlong Pirates fell, the villagers of Cocoyashi Village emerged. They came carrying whatever they could find—makeshift weapons, farming tools, kitchen knives, wooden sticks. Only Genzo held a real sword, gripping it tightly as he led the way.
As they stepped into Arlong Park, they froze. The entire area was littered with the corpses of fishmen, a silent, bloody aftermath of the battle. Not a single one remained alive. Gojo exhaled slowly and sheathed his sword, the soft click echoing faintly through the ruined courtyard.
At that moment, the Marines aboard the ship finally gathered enough courage to speak. One of the officers leaned over the railing and called out, voice trembling, "C-Can we take the body of Captain Nezumi and the others?"
Gojo turned his head toward them, sunglasses hiding his eyes, his expression unreadable.
"As you wish," he said calmly. "I don't care about their dead bodies. You can take them."
After that, the remaining Marines descended from the ship and began gathering the bodies of their fallen comrades, including Captain Nezumi. Corrupt or not, Nezumi had still been a Marine, and being killed by an outsider left a bitter taste in their mouths. They feared Gojo—every step showed it—but beneath that fear simmered a quiet hatred they couldn't voice.
When the last body was carried aboard and laid out on the deck, Gojo addressed the same officer who had earlier mustered the courage to speak.
"Although very few Marines have a pure sense of justice," Gojo said, his tone steady, "I hope you don't sugarcoat what Nezumi did or hide anything from your higher-ups. If he doesn't get punished, I'll know."
He paused, letting the officer feel the weight of his gaze even behind the sunglasses.
"I mean, he's already dead… but if he's treated like some hero who died fighting a vicious pirate and his family gets welfare for that lie?" Gojo stepped closer, the air around him tightening. "I swear, I will destroy your entire Marine base."
Of course, this was mostly an empty threat from Gojo. He wouldn't actually go out of his way to destroy a Marine base over something so trivial.
…Or he could, depending on his mood.
The Marine officer, pale and rigid, nodded quickly before the ship began to pull away from the shore.
Genzo stepped forward. "Did Arlong escape?"
Gojo glanced at the villagers of Cocoyashi. They were relieved to see the fishmen dead, yet their joy was strained. Arlong's body was nowhere among the corpses, and that absence cast a long shadow of fear—fear that he might return, stronger and angrier than before.
Gojo noticed their unease. Without a word, he walked toward the shadowed corner of the water where he had hidden the body earlier. He dragged Arlong's corpse out into the open, letting it slump onto the ground before the villagers.
"You don't have to worry," Gojo said, brushing off his hands. "I killed Arlong. I only hid his body from those Marines so they'd report that he escaped. This way, his bounty won't be null and void when they send the news to their higher-ups."
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