Cocoyasi Village — Arlong Pirates' Headquarters
Arlong, captain of the Arlong Pirates, lounged in his chair, staring at Nami across the table with thinly veiled malice.
"Hey, Nami. With a goal of 100 million Berries… how much have you saved?"
"…More than 80 million…" Nami answered quietly, her right hand brushing over the dragon tattoo as she lowered her head.
"Hahaha! You'll be free soon, won't you? Cheer up, Nami."
"Yeah! Aren't you excited to buy back your freedom?" Kuroobi chimed in from the sofa with a smirk.
"You'd better keep your word! I'll gather the remaining money soon. Then you'll leave Cocoyasi Village—just as promised!" Nami glared straight at Arlong.
Arlong's expression briefly darkened, but a moment later he forced a smile, baring his sharp teeth.
"Of course. I'm Arlong the Saw—twenty million Berries on my head! I always keep my promises."
"Nami, you know I'm only collecting funds. I don't want to kill anyone… but I'm a pirate. Plundering is what I do—"
Thump!
Before Arlong could finish, a panicked fishman burst through the door. Spotting Arlong, he rushed forward like he had found his lifeline.
"Boss! A crazy woman showed up outside! She's insanely strong! She even captured Brother Pisaro! Please check it out, boss!"
Arlong, already irritated at the interruption, grew even more furious at the report.
"Huh?! Who dares mess with the Arlong Pirates? They've got guts. Let's go!"
He stormed outside first, eager to see which woman was bold enough to cause trouble.
"What? What did you say?"
"I asked where your treasure is. Don't pretend you didn't hear me."
"I'll give you one more chance—are you going to talk?"
"No? Then you can die."
The sight that greeted Arlong as he stepped outside was—
Rowan, clad in jet-black armor, sword in her right hand, holding Pisaro by the throat with her left, lifting him effortlessly into the air.
Her eyes were flat and emotionless. She fully intended to kill him.
"STOP!"
"Huh?" Rowan paused, glancing at Arlong with mild confusion. "What's wrong?"
屮!
Arlong's veins bulged, rage surging through him.
"Why are you attacking my men?! What do you want?!"
Rowan carried an extraordinary air about her—anyone could tell she wasn't an ordinary human. Although Arlong was furious, he still preferred to earn money without unnecessary trouble.
But if this human didn't know what was good for her, Arlong didn't mind letting her taste the power of his serrated teeth.
"He… is he one of your men?"
"Yes! That's right."
"Are you a pirate?"
"That's right! I'm the legendary pirate with a bounty of 20 million Berries—Arlong the Sawtooth!"
"Twenty million Berries?" Rowan's eyes instantly lit up. She stared directly at Arlong's head as though she were appraising a rare treasure.
A chill ran down Arlong's spine for no apparent reason.
"Yes! Human, if you know what's good for you, release my men, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened."
But Rowan didn't hear a single word. She was lost in thought.
Arlong Pirates… Fishmen… East Blue… Isn't this Nami's hometown?
Nami?
Rowan swept her gaze to the side and spotted Nami standing to Arlong's right, staring at her with wide eyes.
No mistake about it—this really was Nami's hometown.
Which meant she could take the Arlong Pirates' treasure… Arlong's head worth 20 million Berries… and the money from a certain little thief cat.
At that thought, Rowan couldn't help bursting into laughter.
"Hahahahaha! Hahahahaha!"
From Arlong's perspective, the scene was horrifying: a strange woman dressed entirely in black, gripping Pisaro by the neck with one hand and holding a black longsword with the other, laughing like a lunatic.
Yet beneath that madness, Arlong felt something was wrong.
The laughter drilled into his ears, making his panic grow with every passing second.
"Stop laughing, you crazy woman! What do you want?!"
"What do I want?" Rowan tilted her head. "I want to kill someone… oh no—kill fish, of course."
With that, she lifted her black sword—Excalibur Morgan—and drove it straight into Pisaro's chest.
Shunk!
The blade pierced through him cleanly.
Splurt!
Blood gushed out, splashing across Rowan's face. Somehow, it only made her look more unsettlingly beautiful.
"You insane woman… Attack her! Kill her!" Arlong roared.
"Wait!"
The moment Rowan spoke, Arlong and his pirates halted mid-charge.
"What? Regretting it already, woman?"
"No. I just want to ask a question."
She turned her eyes toward Nami.
"Hey, Nami, if I get rid of the Arlong Pirates for you… can you give me all your money? (slurp~)" As she spoke, it was as if she could already see piles of Berries, and she nearly drooled.
"Huh?" Nami froze on the spot.
Arlong narrowed his eyes dangerously. "So that's why you've been so quiet these past few days. You've found accomplices and you're planning a rebellion, Nami."
"Wait! I'll deal with you after I kill this madwoman!"