Zoro swiftly dispatched the twenty or so fish-men beneath the ship.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Usopp emerged from the cabin, their bellies distended.
"Is there an enemy attack?" Luffy asked, rolling his shoulders.
Ikki gestured toward the floating fish-men corpses. "The enemy has been annihilated."
"Oh! Never mind then," Luffy replied, nonchalant.
The Marines and Fullbody on deck were stunned at the sight of the fish-men's bodies adrift in the sea.
"Pirate Hunter Zoro is incredibly strong..."
"Yeah... those were fish-men, and Mr. Zoro defeated them underwater!"
"With Mr. Zoro and the others, we might be able to take down the entire Arlong Pirates this time!"
Inspired by Zoro's prowess, many Marine soldiers began envisioning their branch capturing the notorious Arlong Pirates, the most formidable crew in the East Blue.
Even Fullbody entertained such fantasies.
If... if he could capture the Arlong Pirates during this mission, and perhaps distribute some well-placed gifts, he could surely ascend to the rank of Marine branch captain...
The thought made Fullbody swallow hard in anticipation.
Unbeknownst to them, a massive figure was swimming toward the warship from the depths.
After neutralizing the patrolling fish-men outside Arlong's territory, the journey proceeded without incident, leading them directly to the island housing Cocoyasi Village.
Several fish-men observed from the island's edge but made no move to intervene.
To them, Marines breaching the outer patrol line could only mean one thing: these Marines were allies.
As the warship docked, Zoro and Sanji leapt ashore, swiftly eliminating the fish-men stationed there.
Just as Ikki, Luffy, and the Marines prepared to disembark, a sizable wave surged behind the warship.
Turning, they saw a colossal sea creature with a bull's head glaring at them from the water.
This was Momoo, the pet of the Arlong Pirates.
In the Grand Line, Momoo's size might be unremarkable, but in the East Blue, he was second only to the Lord of the Coast in stature.
The Lord of the Coast itself had been brought from the Grand Line by Garp for his grandsons, aiming to deter them from setting sail until they were strong enough to defeat it—a protective measure for his family.
Possessing a degree of intelligence, Momoo recognized the slain fish-men as his comrades and sought vengeance.
Without warning, he rammed the warship, attempting to capsize it.
But Ikki and Luffy were quick to respond.
Luffy extended his arms, seizing Momoo's horns, then used the tension to catapult himself like a cannonball into Momoo's head.
The impact sent Momoo reeling backward.
Simultaneously, Ikki conjured a magic circle with his right hand and delivered an uppercut.
"Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!"
Ikki's punch generated a tornado comparable in size to Momoo, lifting the massive sea beast off the water and hurling it far away. When Momoo crashed back into the sea, it was completely unconscious.
"Ikkiiii!" Luffy shouted, disappointed. "Why'd you knock it away? I was gonna catch it and have Sanji cook us some sea beast meat!"
Ikki let out a helpless sigh. In truth, his plan had been to kill Momoo outright. As Arlong's pet, it had likely played a role in the suffering of Cocoyasi Village.
According to the villagers in the original story, Momoo had destroyed numerous homes and was even considered a monster from the Grand Line. The hatred the villagers held for it was unmistakable. Ikki figured killing it might even earn some justice points.
However, Ikki's dragon-slaying magic, though powerful, still required a high level of physical fitness to reach its full potential. His body wasn't strong enough yet to finish Momoo in one blow.
To build that strength, Ikki knew he'd have to rely on Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, a martial art focused on physical conditioning as its foundation.
With Momoo dealt with, Ikki and Luffy disembarked from the warship.
Fullbody, hesitant to leave the perceived safety of the warship, weighed his options. After some thought, he realized the ship might actually be the most dangerous place once Luffy and the others left. Reluctantly, he decided to follow them ashore.
After landing, the group set out toward Arlong Park, the base of the Arlong Pirates. There was no need to search for Nami. Ikki's plan was simple: eliminate the Arlong Pirates, and with them, destroy the chains that bound Nami both physically and emotionally.
To ensure Nami's safety and win over the trust of Cocoyasi's villagers, the Marines accompanying them were sent to the village. Their mission was to protect Nami, reassure the villagers, and improve the tarnished image of the Marines in the eyes of Cocoyasi's people.
While Ikki and the others marched toward Arlong Park, a much larger warship sailed into the area. Standing on its deck was Colonel Nezumi, the corrupt Marine who had been working with Arlong.
"Hahaha! What a sweet deal!" Nezumi gloated, rubbing his hands together. "All I have to do is collect the 100 million Berries from the orange orchard, and 50 million of it is mine!"
The "100 million Berries" Nezumi referred to was the money Nami had painstakingly saved to buy back Cocoyasi Village from Arlong. Years earlier, Arlong had coerced Nami into joining his crew, forcing her to use her navigational skills to map charts for him. He had promised that if she managed to gather 100 million Berries, he would release her village.
At the time, Arlong never believed Nami would achieve such a feat. But now, years later, Nami had somehow managed to collect the full amount. Though surprised, Arlong had assured her he would honor the deal.
However, the promise was a farce. Arlong had already made arrangements with Nezumi to steal the money, splitting the haul between them.
As Nezumi's warship entered Arlong's territory, he noticed something unusual.
"Huh? No patrolling fishmen today?" he muttered, puzzled.
Though it struck him as odd, Nezumi shrugged it off and continued toward the port, navigating the area with practiced familiarity.
Upon arrival, Nezumi's eyes narrowed as he spotted a warship docked at the port.
"What the…? Did Arlong find someone else to make the deal?" he wondered aloud.
In Nezumi's mind, the idea of a Marine assaulting the Arlong Pirates was unthinkable. To him, the Arlong Pirates were untouchable—not just because of their power, but because of their connections. Even high-ranking officers at Marine Headquarters were reluctant to interfere with Arlong's operations.
"No… If someone else gets to the money first, my 50 million will be gone!" Nezumi grumbled.
Without hesitation, he barked at his crew. "Speed it up! If that treasure's been taken, I'll get it back myself!"
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