Cocoyasi Village – Moments Later
Usopp and Mario moved quickly through the village outskirts, keeping low and sticking to the shadows between buildings. Mario kept his head on a swivel, already sensing something was off.
Too quiet...
He glanced toward the docks.
Luffy and Sanji should be arriving soon with the ship.
But for now, it was just the two of them—and something was happening up ahead.
Suddenly, raised voices and movement echoed from the village square.
"Quick—let's hide!" Usopp hissed, pulling Mario behind a half-collapsed wall.
They crouched, peering through a gap in the rubble.
Arlong.
Towering. Intimidating. Standing right in the center of town like he owned it—which, in a way, he did.
"That's Arlong…" Usopp whispered, eyes wide. "He's huge!"
Mario grit his teeth. "Damn it… He's harassing Genzo and the other villagers."
He clenched his fists, but he didn't move. Not yet.
I can't take him. Not alone. Not with Usopp. We're not ready...
Mario's eyes locked on Arlong. Seeing him in person was nothing like reading the manga.
A monstrous, humanoid shark—jagged teeth glinting in the sun, broad shoulders covered in tattoos, and a twisted grin that radiated cruelty. His gills flared as he spoke with slow, deliberate menace.
Mario felt a chill crawl down his spine.
This thing… isn't just a pirate. He's a monster.
Village Square
Arlong loomed over Genzou, the village sheriff. Despite his torn clothes, bloodied face, and the scarred skin across his arms, Genzou stood tall. His trademark pinwheel spun slowly atop his hat in the breeze, defiant as ever.
"You were found in possession of weapons, weren't you?" Arlong said, his deep, gravelly voice echoing through the square.
Genzou met his eyes, unfazed. "That's right. Can't a guy collect weapons as a hobby?"
Arlong chuckled—a low, guttural sound.
"I'm afraid not. Weapons," he said, spreading his arms theatrically, "are a threat to peace."
He leaned down, inches from Genzou's face.
"To the peace of my ARLONG EMPIRE."
The villagers around the square remained frozen in place—too scared to speak, too angry to run. Mothers held their children close. Shopkeepers watched from broken doorways. The fear was suffocating.
From the Shadows
Mario's blood boiled. His whole body was tense.
"Genzo's going to get himself killed," he muttered.
"We can't take him head-on," Usopp whispered. "I mean—look at him! That guy could punch through a brick wall and not even blink."
"I know," Mario replied, eyes narrowing. "That's why we wait. Just a little longer…"
Then, suddenly—THWACK!
One of Arlong's men backhanded Genzo across the face, sending him sprawling into the dirt. A cry went up from the villagers.
Arlong looked down at him, amused.
"Anyone else here collecting hobbies?"
Mario started to rise, fists clenched—but Usopp grabbed his arm.
"Don't. Not yet. If you rush in, he'll kill you."
Mario's jaw tightened. He hated it—feeling powerless. Watching injustice from the sidelines. But Usopp was right.
Back at the Square
Arlong straightened up.
"Let this be a reminder," he bellowed. "Rebellion against the Arlong Empire is not tolerated. I don't care how long you've lived here. You are all mine."
He turned, beginning to walk away, flanked by his henchmen.
As he passed a small girl clutching her mother, he stopped. The child didn't move—but she was holding a small wooden dagger.
Arlong crouched, smiling coldly.
"What's this?"
The mother instantly dropped to her knees. "Please! She's just a child—she didn't mean anything by it—!"
Arlong reached toward the girl.
Mario moved—but not before Usopp.
"GUNPOWDER STAR!"
A flash of light exploded across the square, the round slamming straight into Arlong's chest with a loud BOOM. Smoke burst into the air as Arlong stumbled back, his massive form crashing into a stone pillar.
The entire square fell into stunned silence.
The villagers froze.
The Fish-Men stared.
Even Genzo's jaw dropped.
Mario laughed, eyes wide with disbelief. "Heh… Right. Usopp can be brave when he wants to."
From the rooftop of a nearby house, Usopp stood tall—arms raised like a conquering hero, though his knees were clearly trembling.
"I AM THE BRAVE AND HEROIC WARRIOR OF THE SEA! CAPTAIN USOPP!" he bellowed.
"I COMMAND AN ARMY OF 8,000 MEN, READY TO STRIKE FROM THE SHADOWS! FLEE NOW, AND I MIGHT FORGIVE YOU!"
Mario grinned. "That dumb lovable idiot…"
Below, Arlong staggered to his feet. Smoke rose off his shoulders as he dusted himself off, but his face had changed—no longer amused.
His teeth gnashed together.
His eyes narrowed to glowing slits.
The rage rolled off him in waves.
"You LOWLY HUMAN SCUM…"
He took a step forward.
"DARE to ATTACK ME—?!"
"Screw it."
Mario didn't wait. He picked up the nearest thing he could find—a massive stone from a broken wall—and hurled it full force.
CRACK!
It hit Arlong right in the face, cutting his rant short and making his neck snap sideways.
Another stunned silence swept the village.
Even the Fish-Men looked shaken.
Mario raised an eyebrow. "What? He was monologuing."
Arlong straightened slowly—cracking his neck—and then something snapped.
"GRAAAAAAH!"
The monster of the East Blue roared in fury and walked straight to the side of a building—then lifted the entire house off its foundation. Like it weighed nothing.
"USOPP, GET DOWN!" Mario shouted, already moving.
"H-H-HIIIIIIIIIGH!" Usopp squealed in terror as he leapt from the rooftop.
Mario dove, catching him mid-fall like a sack of potatoes.
Then—
WHOOOOOOM!
The house came crashing down right behind them, splintering into a thousand pieces as the two bolted into the narrow back streets of Cocoyasi.
"GET THEM!!" Arlong screamed, veins bulging in his forehead. His entire crew snapped out of their shock and roared into action.
Mario and Usopp sprinted through the winding alleys, zigzagging between homes and broken carts, knocking over barrels and pushing aside laundry lines.
"I THOUGHT YOU HAD A PLAN!" Usopp wheezed, clutching his bag tightly.
"I DID!" Mario yelled over his shoulder. "Step One: Don't die. Step Two: Get to Luffy."
"WE SKIPPED LIKE TEN STEPS IN BETWEEN!"
„NO YOU DID!" screamed Mario
Behind them, several Fish-Men stormed through the streets like enraged bulls, smashing anything in their way. One of them leapt to a rooftop and spotted the pair.
"There they are! Cut them off!"
Mario glanced back. "We need to lose them—fast!"
Usopp fumbled in his pouch, pulled out another slingshot round. "Smoke Star?"
"NOW!"
PFFFT!
The pellet burst into a thick white cloud, covering the alley like a blanket. Shouts and coughing erupted behind them.
Mario yanked Usopp around a corner, ducking into a half-collapsed shed.
Both of them collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily.
"Okay…" Usopp panted. "Okay okay okay. New plan?"
Mario nodded. "Yeah."
He looked toward the edge of the village.
"Find Luffy. Find Sanji. Save Zoro. And when the time comes—"
He slammed his fist into his palm.
"We take Arlong down. Together." Mario's eyes locked with Usopp's.
"You head to the docks—find Luffy and Sanji. I'll go search for Zoro. I've got a feeling they can't keep him locked up for long. He's a tough bastard."
Usopp gave a shaky thumbs-up. "Fine by me—just so long as I stay as far away from those Fish-Men as humanly possible."
They split at the next corner—Usopp sprinting toward the shoreline while Mario veered deeper into the chaos of Cocoyasi Village.
Streets of Cocoyasi – Moments Later
Mario dashed through narrow alleys, broken fences, and smoldering debris. His lungs burned, and his legs were still sore from the days of training—but adrenaline pushed him forward.
"Zoro… Nami… Where the hell are you?"
He turned a corner, heading toward the direction of the last known holding cells near Arlong's influence zone.
"I need to find one of them. Either can lead us to a way in."
He cut through the ruins of what used to be a general store. Broken glass crunched beneath his boots.
"I need to—"
CRACK!
Something slammed against the side of his head.
A flash of white.
A sharp jolt of pain.
His vision spun.
***
Mario's senses returned slowly. First came the pain — a sharp ache in the back of his head. Then the feeling of his legs dragging over rough stone. Finally, the cold slap of water against his cheek.
His eyes fluttered open, the light blinding.
"Well... nice to meet you again… human."
The voice was gravel and venom.
As Mario's vision sharpened, the blurred shape before him solidified — into the towering, monstrous figure of Arlong.
Imposing. Brutal. Furious.
His gills flared with every breath, and his sharp teeth glinted with barely-contained rage. His long nose cast a jagged shadow across Mario's face.
Mario's eyes darted around.
He was in the center of Arlong Park — and it looked like a storm had hit it.
Cracked walls. Smashed pillars. Fish-Men groaning and unconscious across the courtyard. Blood, broken tiles, and shattered coral statues painted a picture of a massacre.
Mario let out a weak breath, lips curling.
"Zoro... really did a number on your boys, huh?"
Arlong's eye twitched. His fist clenched.