East Blue, Cocoyasi Village.
Arlong Park, inside the central tower.
Squeak—
A man in a Marine colonel's uniform, shifty-eyed with a sleazy little mustache, rubbed his hands and chuckled.
Colonel Nezumi of the Marine 16th Branch.
Opposite him lounged a massive, heavily muscled sawshark fish-man, Arlong.
On his bare chest over the left side was the Sun mark, and his serrated long nose was especially striking.
Sha ha ha ha—
Arlong spread his webbed hand and shoved a thick stack of Beli across the table to Nezumi. "Nezumi, this month's protection fee. Count it."
"Arlong, you are generous as always."
Nezumi's eyes gleamed. He wetted his fingertip and began riffling through the bills at speed.
He counted twice with care, and once the amount checked out, the wrinkles on his face bunched into a chrysanthemum grin as he handed the money to a crony behind him to stow.
"I've always been generous with friends. Sha ha ha ha."
Arlong bared his mouthful of fangs, picked up a goblet and swirled the liquid, then asked casually, "But Nezumi."
"I hear your 16th Branch has produced a pretty capable guy."
"They say he cleaned up a lot of small fry in the East Blue, and even a few pirate crews with bounties over ten million fell to him."
"Your subordinate is something, Nezumi."
Arlong's tone carried a playful edge, as if weighing whether this would affect their arrangement.
"You mean that punk Hawk?"
At that Nezumi's face showed a smug smile and he piped, "That kid. He owes everything to my guidance."
"Back then he was just a Seaman Third Class. It was me, the great Colonel Nezumi."
"I saw his talent and promoted him single-handedly."
"All those pirates he killed—if I hadn't handled things for him and filed the reports to Headquarters, how could he have climbed to lieutenant colonel."
Nezumi puffed out his chest, striking a pose that said there would be no Hawk without him.
"Oh? Is that so."
Arlong's smile didn't change. "Then what about their bounties."
"The bounties… squeak squeak."
Nezumi rubbed his hands and gave a lewd laugh. As for the bounties, they had of course gone into his private purse.
"Heh."
"Nezumi, keep a tight leash on your good dog."
Arlong's tone sank. "Don't let him bark at random, and don't let him bite those he shouldn't."
"Understood, Colonel Nezumi."
"Understood."
Nezumi flinched under Arlong's look and slapped his chest in guarantee. "Rest easy, Arlong. The entire 16th Branch is under my control."
"That kid Hawk is loyal to me to the bone."
"If I tell him to head east, he would never dare go west."
"Heh heh."
Watching him, Arlong gave a low laugh and raised his glass.
To him Nezumi was a good dog, greedy and obedient.
Thanks to that dog's cover, after leaving the Grand Line he had been able to lord it over Cocoyasi Village in the East Blue for so long without Headquarters noticing.
As for that so-called Blood Eagle…
If he truly dared get in the way, Arlong would not mind personally taking him out.
He would show him the insurmountable gap between fish-men and humans.
"Sha ha ha ha."
Arlong tipped back his head and drained his cup. "To our pleasant cooperation. Cheers."
"Cheers, cheers."
Nezumi hurriedly raised his cup as well, his face piled high with fawning smiles.
In his heart he was already plotting how to properly knock Hawk into line when he got back.
Make him understand who the boss was and stop causing trouble outside.
Just as the two traded fake smiles and were about to clink glasses again.
Boom.
A thunderous bang.
The heavy wooden doors of Arlong Park blew inward, splinters spraying.
The two fish-man sentries at the door had no time to react before the shockwave hurled them back into the wall where they fell lifeless.
Next, a squad of fully armed marines poured in.
In an instant they sealed off the entirety of Arlong Park.
"What's going on?"
"Marines? How did they get in?"
The officers of the Arlong Pirates in the tower all turned pale and snatched up their weapons.
"Where are the guards outside?"
Hachi cried out, "What about Momoo?"
How could this be. Not only were there many fish-man warriors patrolling the grounds, the channel was guarded by the great sea-beast brought from the Grand Line, Momoo.
How could there have been no disturbance at all and the marines reach the central tower directly.
"Nezumi."
"You sold me out?"
Arlong slowly turned his head. His cold eyes locked on Nezumi.
In them burned naked killing intent.
He was surrounded by marines.
The fish-man fighters outside, the carefully arranged posts, even Momoo had all been silently neutralized.
Only elite Headquarters forces could pull that off.
And it happened right at the time of his secret deal with Nezumi.
Could it be he traded with him just to gather evidence.
Suspicion surged through Arlong.
"No, not me."
Nezumi was scared out of his wits. His two little mustaches trembled wildly as he screeched, "I don't know anything."
Tap, tap.
Just then steady, clear footsteps came from beyond the door, unhurried.
The marines who had surged in parted to either side to open a path.
A young marine lieutenant colonel with a tall, straight bearing came into view.
He wore a crisp, well-fitted marine uniform.
His features were sharp and handsome, like carved with a blade.
His dark eyes were deep and piercing.
Behind him followed the expressionless Major Dane.
…
Hawk did not slow. His gaze swept the room and came to rest on Arlong and Nezumi.
The corner of his mouth curled into a cold arc.
All here. Good.
Excellent.
Today would be a haul.
"Hawk."
Nezumi froze when he saw who it was, then twisted with rage like a cat with its tail stomped.
Putting on his superior's airs, he shrieked, "Lieutenant Colonel Rayne Hawk."
"What are you doing here. Who allowed you to storm in with troops. Outrageous, utterly outrageous."
"This has nothing to do with you. Take your men and withdraw at once. Do you hear me."
Hawk seemed not to hear Nezumi's squawking at all and walked right past him.
Thump.
Hawk reached Arlong's former seat and sat without ceremony.
He leaned back slightly in the chair, lit a cigarette with unhurried motions, took a deep drag, and then spoke.
"Abandoned manor basement, 135,490,000 Beli."
Hawk raised his eyes to Nezumi. "Nezumi, you really can be greedy."
…
The color drained from Nezumi's face. Cold sweat broke in a sheet and he nearly collapsed. "You…"
"How did you…"