Staring at the arrogant human before him, Arlong couldn't help but laugh from sheer rage.
"I've changed my mind," he growled, voice seething with hate. "I won't kill you right away. I'll break your arms and legs, string you up at the harbor, and let the seagulls peck away your flesh until nothing's left but bones. I'll show everyone what happens when you dare defy the fish-men!"
While Arlong spat his threats, Bane ignored him completely. His eyes were already scanning the group of fish-men… until they landed on one figure—Nami, the navigator hiding among them.
At that same moment, Nami was watching the two strangers who'd walked so boldly into Arlong Park. When her gaze passed over Zoro, she felt nothing. Over the years, many bounty hunters had come, and every one of them had failed. Most had become fish food.
But when her eyes met Bane's, recognition hit her instantly.
Bane—the man who had slain Whitebeard's 4th Division Commander, Thatch, a pirate with a bounty of 360 million berries.
Unlike Zoro, who was still just an up-and-coming swordsman, Bane was already a legend. The Whitebeard Pirates had plastered his bounty posters all over the New World. He wasn't just strong—he was infamous.
Arlong and his men, of course, didn't recognize him. Fish-men rarely paid attention to human affairs.
But Nami did.
She had once hated all pirates equally—viewing them as the scum of the sea. And the Whitebeard Pirates? To her, they were among the worst. If Arlong's 20 million bounty made him a nightmare, Thatch's 360 million made him a demon. And Bane had killed him.
She had fantasized—only once, secretly—that someone like Bane would show up one day, storm Arlong Park, and free her.
Then months passed, and Bane disappeared from the headlines. She assumed he'd left the East Blue.
But now… he was here.
And when their eyes locked, that fantasy—once so hopeless—became real. Her lips curled into a smile of relief. After eight years in her personal hell… someone had finally come.
Bane smiled back, and for the first time, his usual dangerous grin softened into something warm.
"You wouldn't happen to be the most talented navigator in this village, would you?" he asked playfully.
Nami lifted her chin, trying to hide her smile. "Not just the village. I'm the best navigator in the entire East Blue."
"Even better," Bane laughed. "East Blue's best navigator, I hereby invite you to join my crew!"
Nami's voice was soft, but firm: "I'd be honored."
Before their exchange could continue, one of the fish-men snapped.
"You damn humans are way too full of yourselves!" he roared. "Nami's our slave! You think—"
BOOM!
Another loud blast. Another fish-man reduced to blood and shrapnel. Bane lowered his hand cannon, blowing smoke off the barrel.
Huh. That one looked kind of familiar. Wasn't he the one with the big lips? Didn't matter.
But just as Bane lowered his gun, Arlong launched himself forward like a missile, his serrated nose glinting in the sunlight as he aimed for Bane's throat.
Bane sidestepped with ease.
Zoro, seeing this, tensed up and was ready to engage, but Bane held up a hand. "Zoro, protect our navigator. I'll scale this overgrown fish myself."
Arlong, being a shark fish-man, was stronger and more savage than the average fish-man. If this had been months ago, Bane might've been concerned. But now?
Now he felt confident.
Arlong didn't attack blindly. He used the momentum to swing around one of the stone columns, grabbing a massive serrated sword hidden behind it—his weapon of choice.
"I'll deal with this bastard," Arlong barked. "The rest of you—kill the green-haired one!"
But Zoro was already in position.
With a Soru-style flash step, he appeared at Nami's side. Two swords drawn, he stood ready, calm and composed.
"Don't worry," he said coolly. "This'll all be over soon, navigator."
Meanwhile, Arlong lunged forward in massive strides, bringing his cleaver-like sword down in a brutal arc toward Bane.
This time, Bane didn't dodge.
He reached to his side, drew his blade, and raised it casually to meet the attack.
Arlong grinned wickedly. Foolish human. Didn't he know that fish-men had ten times the strength of a normal man? As a shark fish-man, Arlong was even stronger.
This single blow would decide the fight!
Clang!
The moment of impact came—only, the blow stopped cold. Arlong's eyes widened in shock.
Bane hadn't flinched. He held his sword with ease, like the attack had no weight behind it at all.
"Yup," Bane muttered to himself, grinning. "This world's special alright. My body's evolving way faster than it did back in the Empire."
Bane, back in his original world, had been registered as an E-Rank Ability User—his power being enhanced physique. In practice, it just made him tough, strong, with good endurance and recovery. Nothing flashy. Nothing that grew fast.
But here in the world of One Piece, everything changed.
The first time he ate meat from a sea beast in Shimotsuki Village, he noticed a shift—his body became denser, more resilient. His muscles, organs, bones—everything was absorbing nutrients and growing stronger.
Since then, Bane had made it a mission to devour all the high-protein meat he could. Sea kings, sea beasts, predator-class island fauna—if it was tough and dangerous, he was eating it.
Thanks to Koshiro's wealth and hospitality, he had the resources to gorge himself. Otherwise, his appetite might've bankrupted the dojo.
But it was worth it. His E-rank ability was rapidly leveling up.
He now understood why this world produced so many monstrous physical specimens. It wasn't just talent—it was the environment. The food. The resources.
Once he learned Life Return, he'd be able to extract even more out of every meal. The thought alone made him grin.
But now wasn't the time to daydream.
While Arlong stared in disbelief, Bane shifted his weight—and with a grunt, knocked the giant cleaver aside. In the same instant, his free hand clenched into a fist.
Boom!
A full-force punch slammed into Arlong's stomach, so powerful it dented his abs. The shark fish-man staggered backward, eyes bulging as the breath was knocked from his lungs.