Although Arlong didn't believe that a Logia Devil Fruit user in the East Blue could compare to the renowned officers of the Marines in the Grand Line, he was well aware of the power such abilities entailed. Without absolute confidence in defeating his opponent, and with his comrades captured, Arlong had no choice but to temporarily lower his head.
Arlong was a staunch racist who despised and hated humans. Yet, he also cared deeply for his fellow Fish-Men. Most importantly, it was this very banner of racial pride that allowed him to rise to prominence after the death of Fisher Tiger. Despite the Sun Pirates fracturing into splinters, Arlong managed to gather his own crew, even though Jinbe, far stronger in both power and reputation, had taken many crew members with him when he left—leaving Arlong beaten half to death in the process.
In White Pine Town, William had captured three of Arlong's key officers and nearly half of his crew. If Arlong ignored the plight of so many of his comrades, not only would the Arlong Pirates suffer a devastating blow, but he would also lose the trust and loyalty of the remaining Fish-Men under his command.
Thus, whether he liked it or not, Arlong had to meet with William and figure out a way to rescue his comrades.
Arlong's quarters were located near the shoreline. Though crudely constructed, the area boasted a small backyard with a pool directly connected to the sea. A few marine fish swam lazily in the pool.
Standing by the pool, William tossed breadcrumbs into the water, watching the fish with mild amusement.
The small backyard was already crowded with two distinct groups of people. Surrounding Arlong, who sat on a stone chair, was a group of grotesque-looking Fish-Men. In contrast, William's group was much smaller. Aside from himself, he had brought only Aramis, Yasopp, Selkirk, and about a dozen armed personnel.
"The house is decent, though a bit too rough for my taste," William said, brushing the breadcrumbs off his hands and glancing around.
Arlong ignored the comment and cut straight to the point. "How are my comrades?"
"Two are dead, but the rest are unharmed," William replied with a casual smile.
Crack!
The armrest of the stone chair shattered under Arlong's massive hand. His face twisted with fury as he growled, "You killed my comrades?"
"Robbing a bank doesn't usually end without casualties, does it?" William responded nonchalantly.
The hard stone armrest crumbled into rubble under the grinding pressure of Arlong's palm, scattering onto the ground. His voice was cold as he said, "And yet, you dare come here with so few people? Aren't you afraid you won't leave alive?"
William raised an eyebrow, casting a dismissive glance at Arlong's group. This expression of disdain finally provoked Arlong, who stood abruptly and strode toward William.
Though William stood nearly two meters tall, he was still dwarfed by Arlong, who towered at almost two and a half meters. With his blue-gray skin and iron-like muscles, Arlong's presence made William appear both shorter and thinner.
William exaggeratedly leaned back, feigning caution. Arlong's eye twitched in irritation. His right hand lifted slightly before dropping back down, his gaze fixed on William with a menacing glare.
Seeing that Arlong wasn't making a move, William smirked and said, "Do you think I'm as easy to intimidate as those unarmed villagers?"
As William stepped closer to Arlong, a faint mist of steam began to emanate from his body, drifting toward the pool at his feet.
In the blink of an eye, the pool water began to bubble and boil. The fish that had been eagerly eating William's breadcrumbs moments ago now floated belly-up, lifeless.
Arlong's pupils shifted slightly as he glanced at the pool and the dead fish, his jaw clenched tightly.
"You were driven out of the Grand Line in disgrace, and now you think you can rule the East Blue?" William sneered. "You don't even bother to understand your surroundings. You see a few breadcrumbs and rush to swallow them without a second thought. Aren't you worried about being boiled alive like those fish? Only two of your men died—you should consider yourself lucky."
"What do you want?" Arlong asked, his fists clenched tightly. His words were slow and deliberate, each syllable dripping with suppressed rage.
Standing nearby, Aramis and Selkirk exchanged a glance. They hadn't expected Arlong to show such restraint. Despite William's blatant provocations, Arlong managed to hold himself back.
"In light of the damage you've caused, the Flash Gold Bank has blacklisted you," William said as he walked back to a chair by the pool and sat down, crossing his legs. "The money you brought to the bank has been confiscated. If you want to be removed from the blacklist, you'll need to pay an additional four hundred million Beli, making it a total of five hundred million."
"What if I refuse to pay?" Arlong asked in a low voice.
Before William could respond, Aramis smiled and said, "Then we'll wipe you and your crew out of the East Blue!"
Arlong shot Aramis a sharp glare. "You're awfully bold."
"Three of your officers and nearly half your crew are in our custody. Do you really think we can't do it?" Aramis countered, his grin revealing two sharp canine teeth and dimples that, to Arlong, seemed to mock him.
"And another thing," William added, "if you want to ransom your comrades, it'll cost ten million Beli per crew member and one hundred million per officer."
Arlong finally snapped, roaring, "You damned humans! You're not even trying to negotiate in good faith. Over a billion Beli? I don't have that kind of money!"
"You pay when you can, and I'll release them when you do," William said indifferently. "Until you're off the blacklist, no ships in these waters will dare do business with you."
Noticing a flicker of emotion on Arlong's face, William smirked. "Oh, and by the way, those merchants you recently contacted? They're probably at the bottom of the sea by now. Since they were willing to trade with you, I thought they might enjoy spending more time with the fish."
Arlong's anger seemed to dissipate slightly. He lowered his gaze and said slowly, "You humans disgust me. You're cruel even to your own kind. You know I make my money by enslaving human villages, yet you still extort me without hesitation. Do you want me to enslave more humans? Or is that exactly what you're hoping for?"
William looked Arlong up and down, his smile growing even wider.
…
As William's ship left the island where Arlong's crew was based, he squinted at the figures of the Fish-Men standing silently on the shore. After a moment, he turned to Aramis and said, "That Fish-Man, Arlong, is a racist through and through. Yet, he showed remarkable restraint in the face of my provocations. Something's off. He's plotting something. Your people mentioned they're looking for a navigator? And that they've captured a human girl? Investigate. Find out what they're planning."
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