"That's absolutely right, I will Jinbe call Jinbe 'big brother'!"
"Let's call him Jinbe!"
Jinbe!
Jinbe!
Just as this group of Fish-Man were loudly proclaiming that they would never call Jinbe their boss again...
When they all shouted Jinbe's name in unison, expressing their dissatisfaction...
A deep, resonant voice suddenly emanated from below, sounding somewhat muffled and weak.
Why is everyone calling me?
As soon as the sound came out, the large group of Fish-Man were stunned. They looked at each other in disbelief.
Who is answering?
"That sound?"
"Why?"
"What's behind... what's behind?!?"
The group turned around and glanced behind them, Jinbe's massive whale shark body immediately came into view.
Then...
A huge swarm of Merfolk rolled their Byakugan everywhere...
Looking at the large group of wide-open, white eyes opposite him, Jinbe opened his mouth wide and took a long breath.
After swallowing his anger, Jinbe gritted his teeth and said to the group of Fish-Man.
"Although I don't know why you're calling me by my name, those of you who chose to follow Arlong back then definitely don't like me!"
In short, gentlemen, all of you, lie down now. I am no longer able to decide your fate!
If you're planning to run away, there's no need. Dark King Rayleigh, is waiting outside your stronghold.
If you intend to beg for mercy, then don't bother with me. My captain will decide your fate himself!
So, my fellow countrymen..."
At this point, Jinbe raised his right foot high and then slammed it down.
Boom!
The moment his clogs touched the ground, a violent shockwave exploded, then traveled directly from the shattered earth to all the nearby Fish-Man.
That single kick, brimming with Armament Haki, knocked almost every Fish-Man present unconscious.
Two Fish-Man were still able to move, lying on the ground and looking up at Jinbe.
Their eyes were filled with... why?
Looking into their eyes, Jinbe shook his head sadly.
"Are you two asking questions? Ugh..."
I know you're angry, ever since Brother Tai died.
But no matter what, Brother Tai never led us to do anything evil!
Fighting the Navy is a pirate's duty, but becoming a pirate was Tai's choice.
If you continue to fight the Navy in the East Blue, then given your status as pirates, even if the Lord himself decides to kill you, I will risk my life to give you a chance to live and atone for your sins!
But look at what you've done, humph!!!
You have vented your power on the poorest, weakest, and most powerless people at the bottom of society!
In adult terms, when you make the poor even more poor, you people don't deserve any pity!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, Jinbe took Jinbe breath, then looked up at the tallest shark-shaped building in the distance.
That was clearly the location of the Arlong Pirates' officers, because at this very moment, several Jinbe figures to Jinbe were peering out of the windows.
Not long ago, this was where Arlong was located.
Arlong sat arrogantly in his seat, sneering at the fifteen-year-old girl in front of him.
However, despite being described as a fifteen-year-old girl, what Arlong saw in front of him was actually a beautiful girl with short orange hair who was 1.7 meters tall and looked no different from an eighteen or nineteen-year-old.
Looking at Arlong's sneer, Nami pursed her lips and said.
"I need to go home, I absolutely must go home!"
"Heh, Nami, you don't actually think that just because we're moving our base, you'll have a chance to escape, do you?"
Arlong responded with a cold laugh, then grinned, revealing his enormous shark mouth and letting his teeth gleam in the sunlight streaming in from the window.
He continued speaking.
"You must understand, the Celestial Dragon will not stay here forever, but I will always be your master!"
So, Nami, do you still want to leave when there are less than ten hours left before the evacuation?
At this point, Arlong's gaze toward Nami grew even more ferocious!
Despite Arlong's fierce gaze, Nami felt no fear. After five years of interaction, Nami knew her importance within the Arlong Pirates!
Although these Fish-Man are very adept at swimming, they have no knowledge of the weather and are completely helpless. Their ships are easily damaged by storms and shipwrecks.
She was the world's best navigator; unless she truly betrayed Arlong wouldn't do anything to her!
With that thought in mind, Nami nodded firmly.
"I've already said I need to go home!"
Have you forgotten what you said? For just 100 million Beli, I can buy back my village!
I've been saving up for this for a long time, don't you want it?
Although I don't understand why you're afraid of the Celestial Dragon, aren't you Fish-Man? Aren't you stronger than humans?
Even the King of the East Blue isn't afraid, so why are you afraid of the Celestial Dragon?
But compared to you, I'm more afraid of their arrival!
Although I don't know what they do, I'm afraid they'll discover the hidden treasure!
In short, I need to go back to get the money. You can't even stop me from doing that, can you?
As soon as she finished speaking, Nami raised her head and waited for Arlong's reply. As for Arlong...
He was so angry he didn't want to say anything!
What do you mean we Fish-Man aren't nobler than humans?
What do you mean we still have to be afraid of a Celestial Dragon?
What does it mean...?
Damn it!
Arlong gritted his teeth and forced out two words.
"Get out!"
Nami then walked away in her high heels, and as soon as she left, the executives beside Arlong immediately gathered around.
Most people didn't want to talk at this moment. Unlike their concealment in front of outsiders, these cadres knew Arlong too well. Everyone knew that Arlong was furious and almost went crazy.
But one cadre was different from the others; a kind-looking Fish-Man came to stand opposite Arlong.
"New~!!!"
Brother Arlong, didn't you explain the meaning of Celestial Dragon to Nami? Why doesn't she understand what we're doing?
At a time like this, to still be looking for money is incredibly audacious!
If the Celestial Dragon find out, it won't just be a matter of money; it'll be a matter of becoming their Celestial Dragon!
Just from saying that, the entire Hatchan had already turned into a limp, lifeless mess.
He hunched over, cautiously looking left and right, completely forgetting that he was in Arlong's house, not in Mary Geoise, which he considered a nightmare.
He looked as if he could be captured by the Celestial Dragon at any moment and cooked into takoyaki.
Seeing Hatchan's timid appearance, Arlong let out a heavy sigh and then waved his hand unhappily.
"Damn it, he's scared this much just from hearing some news!"
Hatchan, your courage is truly beneath your swordsmanship!
And you guys, damn it, you're all scared, all of you are scared!
"Get lost! Go somewhere else and cower away. Leave me alone for a while!!!"
And so, accompanied by Arlong's roar, Hatchan and the others slunk out of Arlong's room. They huddled together in a nearby house, discussing the Celestial Dragon with great concern.
And Arlong...
After all his subordinates had left, he remained silent for a long time before finally collapsing onto the sofa in despair.
He's so tired...
So many years have passed in the blink of an eye; it's been twelve years since my eldest brother passed away!
And I have been in this damned East Blue for a full five years!
Only Arlong himself knew the extent of his confidence, despite the way he presented himself to his subordinates.
He still displayed the same cruel demeanor towards the people of East Blue.
That was all a facade on his part!
Who can know he's faking it? Since no one knows, who can know his exhaustion?
Ultimately, the question remains: who knows what he's afraid of?
Lying on the sofa, Arlong sighed dejectedly. At this moment, he really wanted to have a good cry!
I've already left Fish-Man Island, and even left the Grand Line!
Even so, I still can't escape the shadow of the Celestial Dragon!!!
For a moment, Arlong couldn't help but recall those days...
Back then, his longtime follower, Fisher Tiger, whom he called Big Brother, died a painful death.
The eldest brother did not die peacefully.
Big Brother, he absolutely refused to accept human blood transfusions; he bled to death!
Big Brother died in such a painful way, yet Jinbe scoundrel who inherited his manhood, is unwilling to even avenge him!
Yes, Big Brother died because he refused to receive human blood.
But can we blame the eldest brother for this?
Who caused Big Brother to suffer such injuries?
It's all because of those damned humans!!!
Because of this, Arlong finally turned against Jinbe. Jinbe, that coward, only wanted to settle things peacefully, but Arlong only wanted revenge for his elder brother!!!
And so, Arlong resolutely attacked a small naval fleet, hoping to alleviate the hatred in his heart.
But... things didn't go as planned.
His own small fleet was carried by an incredibly lazy bastard of a navy who was too lazy to even change to a larger flagship!
On that very day, Arlong suffered the most brutal beating of his life.
Or rather, he thought it was a beating, but in reality, his opponent only flicked his finger...
Hearing this, many people probably know who that person is.
That's right, Arlong accidentally attacked Borsalino's ship.
Borsalino, who was only a regular Vice Admiral at the time, knocked Arlong unconscious with a single move and then imprisoned him in Impel Down.
To be honest, even now, Arlong has never told his people about his time in Impel Down.
He endured countless hardships in there!!!
Three years after he was imprisoned, and six years before Gawain's arrival, Jinbe accepted an invitation from the World Government and the Five Elders to become a Shichibukai.
During this process, Jinbe's condition to the World Government was the release of all the Fish-Man and Merfolk imprisoned in Impel Down.
Thus, Arlong escaped Impel Down and returned to his hometown.
But... he couldn't find happiness in his hometown!
Jinbe's visit humiliated him; he felt the man's skin and eyes screamed, "It's all because I saved you, you bastard, that you had the chance to escape Impel Down..."
At the same time, the expectations his clan had for him almost crushed him completely!
How did his fellow villagers view him during the years he was imprisoned?
The residents of Fish-Man District, led by radical young men like Hody Jones, and the Sun Pirates elders who Jinbe, all regarded Arlong as their idol and guiding light!!!
The Fish-Man all felt that after Jinbe, that fat, big-eared guy, decided to appease and not resist, and incidentally join the Shichibukai to become the World Government's lackey.
Among the Fish-Man, only Arlong, a powerful figure who was once personally arrested by Marine Admiral Kizaru, remains worthy of their loyalty.
That's right, when Arlong was released from prison, Borsalino had already become Admiral, which is one of the reasons why Arlong's value was inflated.
As for Arlong's mere 20 million bounty in the original storyline?
Isn't that ridiculous? After Arlong became a member of the Sun Pirates, his net worth was almost 50 million. The reason it decreased later was because his prison sentence and pardon erased his past bounty.
He later earned that 20 million again by rebuilding his life in that small place in East Blue.
In short, Arlong, who had long been tormented beyond recognition by Fish-Man Impel Down and demoralized by Borsalino, was forced into the role of the new radical leader by the Fish-Man of Fish-Man District.
No one knows how panicked Arlong was on the day he became the leader!
Who knows the strength of Marine Admiral better than him?
These Fish-Man on Fish-Man District know absolutely nothing, yet they actually suggested that Arlong lead the Fish-Man to attack Mary Geoise?!
Does Arlong have that ability?!
And so, just a year after returning to Fish-Man Island, Arlong quickly found a reason to take away all the radicals who had supported him the most at the time.
In the meantime, Arlong also spent money to hire a few brainless but reasonably strong Fish-Man like Hatchan.
In short, the rational Arlong directly formed the Arlong Pirates, and then, as the captain of the pirate crew, he led his crew to escape to the weakest island in the East Blue!
Moreover, after arriving in the East Blue, he did not immediately occupy any islands.
Having lost his warrior's spirit, he immediately approached several branch commanders in the East Blue and began to cultivate a close relationship with them.
Through this method, his evil rule over Cocoyasi Village and a series of other villages gained covert support from the World Government.
Don't forget the Five Elders 'Five Elders true intentions. They are constantly weakening the power of various countries around the world, and they would love for more pirates like Arlong!
Imagine, the money Arlong collects from the common people doesn't affect the Heavenly Tribute that the common people originally had to pay.
Arlong demanded even more than the Heavenly Tribute that ordinary people should have paid.
This money is to be shared with the East Blue Navy, and those naval personnel who receive the money will also have to bribe their superiors and subordinates.
In the end, wouldn't this money legitimately end up in the pocket of the World Government...?
And that's why a bastard like Arlong could survive all the way through the East Blue, which Garp frequently passed through, until Luffy sail.
Because the World Government's Cipher Pol and the nearby Marine Branch are all blocking news about Arlong!
That's why Garp was unaware of the problems in Cocoyasi Village.
There are so many small islands in the East Blue Cocoyasi Village that the kind-hearted Ace never even passed through this area.
In short, it's one thing for outsiders not to know, but Arlong himself knows all too well!
Do you really think he enjoys throwing his weight around in this small place East Blue?
He's just trying to survive!
Only in a place like the East Blue, where pirates are extremely weak, the navy is not strong, and the civilians are even weaker, could Arlong and his radical Fish-Man have the right to act so arrogantly!!!
Thinking about this, Arlong felt like he was about to collapse. Why?
Why, even when he's humbled himself to this extent, does he still have to face pressure from the Celestial Dragon?
Why would the Celestial Dragon, out of thousands of islands and dozens of countries in the East Blue, choose to pass through such a small place as Cocoyasi Village?!
Most importantly, why did Jinbe join the Celestial Dragon and then they all pass through this godforsaken little village?!
For a moment, Arlong seemed to see his future. As long as the Celestial Dragon passed by, Jinbe could easily find out about him.
Immediately afterward, I'll definitely be chased and beaten up by that Jinbe; that guy can't stand anyone being wrong!
He didn't even dare to massacre the Cocoyasi Village, because if a massacre were to occur, even the navy he was on good terms with wouldn't be able to cover it up.
Even if the Celestial Dragon and Jinbe don't kill him then, his skyrocketing bounty will surely make his death painless.
But all he wanted was to live well with the group of people who believed in him.
Of course, it would be wonderful if, while surviving in the East Blue, one could also leave behind a seed for the Fish-Man to enslave humans.
If I could leave behind a flame for the Fish-Man that would burn brightly in the future, unlike the appeasement policies of King Neptune and Jinbe, as much as possible!
Arlong rubbed his face hard. He felt so miserable, so miserable!
But just then, misfortune struck again.
Arlong suddenly heard a deafening explosion!
He could also smell Jinbe's scent in his long, jagged nose!