Arlong's face was grim as he looked at his fallen crewmates, then at the two panting women across from him who still hadn't retreated.
"Yahahahaha, I didn't expect to run into two Devil Fruit users in this poor and weak East Blue. What a surprise.
But this is the end. You can't hurt me. I'm a proud fish-man; we are born with bodies ten times stronger than you humans.
I may not be able to deal with you right now, but I'll kill everyone here."
"How dare you!" both women shouted.
"How about this? If you join my pirate crew, I'll let them go," Arlong said, tempted by the two women's abilities.
"Peh! In your dreams!" Nami spat, full of disgust.
"Fine then. You want punishment instead of mercy? Then everyone dies—" Arlong raised his weapon, ready to unleash carnage—when suddenly, a series of sharp, crackling sounds pierced the air.
He turned his head and saw a shocking sight: a tall, golden-haired young man slowly walking toward him, surrounded by a maelstrom of thunder.
The young man was encircled by blue-green lightning. The endless bolts of electricity connected the sky and the ground, and the crackling sounds were incessant. The young man, bathed in the lightning, looked like a "god" walking in the world.
The young man's eyes turned into lightning, and with a face full of killing intent, he walked closer.
"Arlong~, right? It seems you didn't listen to the advice Fisher Tiger gave you!"
"You!? You... you're the Thunder God?!" Arlong's pupils contracted sharply.
'Arlong, I don't know how the Thunder God knows you, but I must still relay his message to you. Don't go to the East Blue every in your life...
He is our fish-men's great benefactor. Do not provoke him, do you understand?' Big Brother Tiger's words still echoed in his ears.
"Thunder God, please forgive me this once! I won't dare again—I'll leave the East Blue immediately!" Arlong dropped to his knees, bowing low.
Leno glanced at the wounded villagers, then around at the burning wreckage.
"Forgive you? How can someone like you change? There's only one answer—you must die."
With those words, the sky's thunder transformed into countless spears of lightning—impaling Arlong and every pirate around him in an instant.
The fish-men convulsed briefly on the ground… then fell still.
As the lightning faded, silence swallowed the village. Only the corpses of pirates remained.
It was as if the grand, terrifying spectacle had been a fleeting illusion.
"Leno! You're amazing!" Nami was the first to react—leaping straight into Leno's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and squealing with excitement.
Leno held the ecstatic Nami close, then pulled Nojiko into the embrace too.
"You both did a great job. Are you hurt?!"
"Mmm~ We're fine!" The girls shook their heads.
"Alright, come down now. Uncle Genzo—go find a doctor for the injured villagers.
We'll handle the pirate bodies… and deal with their ship," Leno instructed as Genzo approached.
—
After disposing of Arlong's crew, Leno led Nami and Nojiko aboard the pirate ship to loot it.
"Hmm… one survivor left? Come out!"
"P-please, don't kill me! I didn't kill anyone!" A spiky-haired octopus fish-man crawled out from below deck.
Leno took one look at the terrified creature and understood—he was lucky he hadn't set foot on land. Otherwise, he'd be dead too.
"You're Hatchan, right? For Rayleigh's sake, you may go. Go back and tell Jinbe—if he wants revenge, he can come find me." Leno waved dismissively.
"N-no, I wouldn't dare! Thank you, great sir, for sparing my life!" With that, Hatchan dove straight into the sea and vanished.
"Sigh… So poor. Guess being a pirate isn't easy either," Nojiko muttered, gazing at the pitifully small pile of Berries they'd scavenged.
"Pirates? All they do is murder, burn, and rob. What else can you expect? They're nothing but parasites," Leno sneered.
"Let's go home. Later, we'll take down their Jolly Roger—this ship can still fetch a good price."
—
Back home, Belle-Mère was pacing anxiously.
"You're all safe? What took you so long?"
"We're fine. Nami and Nojiko performed brilliantly today!" Leno praised them.
Nami puffed up proudly. "Of course! You should've seen us—those pirates were nothing!"
"Oh? If you performed so well… then from now on, your training doubles!" Leno said with a sly grin.
"Huh?!" Nami froze. "Stupid Leno, I'll kill you!"
"Hahahaha…"
—
Just as they were playfully bickering, a crowd of villagers arrived at the door.
"Nami, Nojiko—and Leno! Thank you for saving all of us!"
"Yes, yes—if not for you, we'd be finished!"
"These are small tokens of our gratitude—please accept them!"
The girls stood flustered, overwhelmed by the flood of villagers.
In the end, Belle-Mère stepped forward.
"Alright, alright—everyone, we're all from the same village. Helping each other is only natural.
We'll accept your gifts. Now, please, everyone go home and rest."
—
After dinner, Leno placed two Devil Fruits on the table and addressed Belle-Mère and Genzo.
"These two Devil Fruits—one is the Zoan-type Ox-Ox Fruit. I suggest Uncle Genzo eats it.
Zoan fruits enhance physical strength and recovery. The other is a Paramecia-type—Shatter-Shatter Fruit. Belle-Mère, this one's for you. Shatter ability is quite powerful."
In the end, Genzo ate the Ox-Ox Fruit. Belle-Mère did not eat hers. After several attempts to persuade her failed, they gave up.
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