Chapter 157: Arlong Is One-Shotted
The first floor of the towering black spire—
The tightly shut gate suddenly swung open.
A gale of wind laced with eerie yin energy blasted outward, raising waves hundreds of meters tall, almost turning the sea into a massive trench.
Fortunately, an invisible barrier blocked the spreading winds.
Otherwise, every ship present would have been sucked into the depths, torn apart into drifting debris.
Staring at the swirling portal like a vortex,
Everyone went mad, steering their vessels straight for the base of the spire.
"It's Mihawk!"
Two pirate ships drifting with the current nearly collided—
Only for a coffin boat, its mast shaped like a cross, to sail up behind them. Mihawk sat aboard, eyes sharp as ever.
"Move! Don't provoke the world's greatest swordsman!"
Pirates cried out in panic, quickly shifting aside to let Mihawk pass.
But someone noticed something odd—
A translucent screen had popped up, displaying their stat panels and skill lists.
The two pirate captains locked eyes, expressions startled.
"You too? Your sword swing feels weaker?"
The black spire seemed to have a suppressive effect.
Any player approaching the Trial Tower had their strength reduced to an equal level.
Only powers granted by their contract remained usable.
Looking around,
They saw everyone else in the same state and immediately relaxed,
Their gazes toward Mihawk shifting from fear… to malice.
"So what if you're the world's greatest swordsman?"
"With everyone equal now, you think you can just barge through our ships like we're not even here?"
Their coffin boat drew closer—
And the two pirate captains had the same idea: eliminate the competition.
"Mihawk, huh?"
"Let's see if you're still so smug now!"
"Mountain-Cleaving Slash!"
"Bone-Shatter Blade!"
Two weakly glowing skills streaked toward Mihawk.
Mihawk, too, noticed his trial body had changed.
Even his beloved black blade, Yoru, was unusable.
He drew his starter weapon from his inventory: the [Iron Sword].
[Emerald Flame Sword Technique]
From the [Emerald Sword Manual] he had purchased from the Game Merchant, the skill unleashed ghostly green flames with every swing—
Blades of soul-burning sword aura.
His strike was swift and deadly.
A streak of burning emerald energy flew at an angle, slicing clean through the two pirates, setting them aflame with agonizing screams.
Their attacks, meanwhile, missed entirely as Mihawk gracefully sidestepped.
Atop the tower, Fang Yi shook his head.
"Mihawk's Emerald Flame Sword Technique is a purple-grade skill, stronger than their blue-grade ones,
But at this stage, the difference isn't enough for a true one-hit kill. Not without experience and skill."
Indeed—
Below level 5, the differences in raw stats and damage weren't dramatic.
The reason they were defeated so soundly wasn't the skill tiers,
But the vast gulf in combat mastery.
This was the world's strongest swordsman—
His combat experience wasn't something East Blue's low-tier pirates could even dream of touching.
Half a minute later,
A white glow engulfed the two pirates.
They clutched their wounded areas instinctively—
Only to realize their trial bodies were intact.
"There's no death in the tower, but resurrection costs… millions of Berries?!"
They trembled, devastated by the price in reward points.
It wasn't just near Mihawk.
Across the entire trial zone, chaos erupted as everyone scrambled to eliminate rivals early.
Once players realized kills didn't lead to permanent death—
The madness paused.
All at once, they rushed through the gates and landed on the massive island that was the first floor.
"Isn't that Nami?"
Fishman Arlong spotted her, flashing a disgusting grin as he opened his slimy purple arms.
"Come back where you belong. The Arlong Pirates could really use a capable officer like you to help us claim the lottery prize!"
A tiny ship approached.
At the helm was a beautiful, orange-haired girl.
At the back were Luffy and Zoro.
"Arlong?!"
Nami's pupils contracted—her heartbeat skipping.
Every time she saw that loathsome face,
The years of pain and oppression came flooding back—
Her forced allegiance to the Arlong Pirates, her murdered mother, her terrified villagers…
A crushing weight that suffocated her.
Arlong laughed cruelly,
"I thought my loyal officer might've forgotten her dear captain's face."
He turned to size up the clueless Luffy and dumb-looking Zoro.
"These two losers are your new targets? They don't look rich."
"Wow! A talking fish!"
Luffy held his straw hat down against the sea breeze, eyes fixed on Arlong's saw-shaped nose.
Crunch.
Arlong's expression darkened.
His massive webbed hand crushed the ship's railing to splinters.
"I said, Nami—kill them."
He was used to ruling East Blue and didn't take kindly to being gawked at like some freak.
"I refuse."
Nami finally snapped out of her daze. Her voice was cold.
She was no longer that helpless girl who could only cry in the map room.
She didn't need to save up Berries or cling to a laughable promise.
She had her own strength now.
Thanks to the Reincarnation Game,
She'd already defeated a bounty-level pirate like Buggy.
"Oh? A betrayal, then?"
Arlong's grin turned cruel.
"Then I suppose your little village might suffer for it."
He clapped mockingly.
"Just remembered—Captain Nezumi was recently sent to your village. Something about investigating stolen goods…"
He lived for moments like this—
The look of despair on human faces when everything they fought for was stolen away.
Nami didn't flinch.
Expressionless, she raised her hand.
[Magitech Creature: Electric Eel]
A glowing star-shaped magic projectile burst forth, wrapped in crackling energy from her enchanted creature.
It streaked straight into Arlong.
Zzzzzzt—
He didn't even have time to react.
Lightning engulfed him, body convulsing violently.
Instant kill.
In the Trial Tower, where Fishmen had no physical advantage,
Nami crushed Arlong in a single hit.
"I was never part of the Arlong Pirates."
"The only place you belong—"
"Is in hell."
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