Johnny and Yosaku revealed that Nami had sailed the Going Merry alone into the domain of the Arlong Pirates.
Luffy, having just left the sea, had no idea what the Arlong Pirates' territory meant, but Zoro, Sanji, and the others did.
"Arlong, huh? He's got the highest bounty in the entire East Blue," Zoro muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"So why would Ms. Nami go to the territory of such a dangerous pirate?" Sanji asked, concern laced in his voice. His impression of Nami was, as always, deeper than it probably should have been—for him, any beautiful woman left a lasting impression.
"No matter the reason, we need to find Nami," Usopp said angrily. "She's already one of us! And besides, she took the Going Merry with her!"
Luffy smiled confidently. "Of course we'll bring her back. She's our navigator."
With that, the Straw Hat Pirates set off on a new journey.
The only problem? They didn't have a ship big enough to carry everyone.
Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Johnny, Yosaku, and Ikki—a total of seven people—stood looking at the small dinghy Bharati had provided. It could only fit four to six people, at most.
While Johnny and Yosaku could transform into fishmen and swim alongside, there was no guarantee they wouldn't revert back to human form in the middle of the journey.
As the group pondered their predicament, Luffy raised his hand excitedly. "I'll ride a bicycle!"
Both Ikki and Zoro shut the idea down immediately.
Ikki's eyes wandered toward the two Marine warships still docked near Baratie. A spark of inspiration struck him. "I've got it," he said. "We can use a warship."
Sanji furrowed his brow in confusion. "Wait, aren't we pirates?"
Ikki grinned. "Sure, we're pirates, but we're also… private Marines."
To Sanji's bewilderment, Ikki pulled out an official-looking private Marine appointment letter and handed it to him for signing.
"Once you sign, you'll be part of the private Marines, just like us," Ikki explained with a smirk.
Sanji blinked at the document, still processing the bizarre situation. "And what's my position supposed to be?"
Ikki chuckled. "Like me and Zoro, you'll be a Admiral."
Usopp overheard this and immediately protested. "Wait, why am I just a vice admiral? That doesn't make sense!"
Ikki glanced at him casually. "You're a sniper, aren't you? All snipers are vice admirals."
"Oh…" Usopp trailed off, mollified by the explanation. "That makes sense, I guess."
Still confused, Sanji eventually signed the paper and followed the others onto the Marine warship.
Once aboard, they came across Fullbody, who had just finished receiving medical treatment. The pirate world's resilient physiques never failed to amaze; despite the beating he had endured, even a lesser Marine officer like Fullbody could recover quickly.
Fullbody flinched when he saw Ikki approach, remembering their earlier encounter. Through his post-battle reflections, Fullbody had realized something: the reason he had felt no pain during the fight with Krieg must have been because of the strange candy Ikki had given him.
Though the candy had undeniably been beneficial, Fullbody couldn't forget how much the aftermath had hurt.
Beside Fullbody, a woman in a striking red dress tended to him. Her name was Moodie.
Judging by the way Fullbody and Moodie interacted, it was clear that Fullbody had successfully won her favor.
The Marines on the warship didn't object to Ikki and the others boarding. News of the private Marine initiative had spread among lower-ranking Marines, especially through those stationed in Shells Town.
The private Marines had garnered a reputation for their heroic deeds—capturing the corrupt Marine Captain Morgan, defeating the Buggy Pirates in Orange Town, and wiping out the Black Cat Pirates. These feats were enough to elevate even an ordinary Marine soldier to the rank of major, or higher, in a branch office.
As a result, many of the Marines aboard the warship regarded Ikki and his companions with admiration and respect.
Soon, Fullbody, now confined to a wheelchair, was pushed over by Moodie.
"Haha... Sorry, guys! I'm seriously injured, so I can't entertain you properly right now!" Fullbody said with a sheepish laugh.
Despite knowing Ikki had tricked him, Fullbody greeted them warmly. This wasn't just because of Ikki's connection to Vice Admiral Garp but also because the ordeal had actually worked out in his favor. The injuries and chaos had earned Fullbody credit for the operation, and he was optimistic about a promotion and pay raise upon his return.
Ikki smiled back. "No worries. First, we came to check on your condition. Second, we'd like to borrow your warship to get somewhere."
"Oh, you just need the warship? No problem!" Fullbody replied without hesitation.
Before handing over the warship, Fullbody ordered his subordinates to contact the nearest Marine branch to send reinforcements and secure the captured Krieg Pirates. With the credit already his, Fullbody was more than happy to leave the cleanup to others. The request to borrow the warship also gave him a convenient excuse to leave the area and avoid more work.
"Listen up, everyone!" Fullbody announced to his soldiers. "For now, I'm handing over command of this warship to the private Marines."
"Yes, sir!" the Marines responded in unison.
The warship set sail shortly after, but only a few miles out, Johnny and Yosaku reverted from their fishman forms back into humans.
Seeing the transformation, Luffy and Usopp couldn't help but express their envy.
"I wish I could turn into a fish too!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Yeah, that'd be so much fun!" Usopp chimed in.
Ikki smacked Luffy on the head. "Don't be an idiot—you're a Devil Fruit user!"
While they were talking, Fullbody approached curiously. "By the way… where exactly are you planning to go?"
Without hesitation, Ikki replied, "Arlong Park."
Fullbody's face turned pale at the name.
The Arlong Park was widely considered a restricted area for Marines. No Marine warship, save for those under the corrupt Colonel Nezumi, dared approach. Any other vessel entering the area was sunk by Arlong's fishman crew, leaving no survivors.
Fullbody knew all too well that Nezumi had some sort of shady deal with Arlong to keep the area off-limits.
"Why are you heading to such a dangerous place?" Fullbody asked, wiping cold sweat from his brow.
"Our partner is there, and we're going to bring her back," Luffy replied without hesitation, completely unfazed by the mention of danger. His only concern was Nami.
Realizing he couldn't dissuade them, Fullbody reluctantly shared what little he knew about the Arlong Park. He explained that the territory was infamous throughout the East Blue—so fearsome that neither pirates nor Marines dared enter. The fishmen in Arlong's crew were known to be beyond what humans could handle.
"If your companion managed to enter the Arlong Park, it's either because she's connected to them… or something unfortunate happened after she arrived," Fullbody said grimly.
In his mind, Fullbody assumed the worst—that the villagers of Cocoyasi had all been slaughtered by the fishmen. Though Fullbody himself had never encountered a fishman, his imagination painted them as monstrous and extraordinarily cruel.
In truth, while Arlong and his crew were indeed ruthless, they hadn't killed all the people of Cocoyasi Village. Their goal wasn't to exterminate but to enslave. For Arlong, there was a twisted satisfaction in ruling over humans and making them suffer under his control.
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