Cocoyasi Village

"Twenty million Berries..."

That was one hefty bounty. Lina couldn't help thinking about it.

Too bad they were pirates and couldn't claim the bounty. Still, Arlong had been hoarding wealth, so there were probably plenty of treasures to be found.

As for whether they could beat him, Arlong had certainly been impressive in the original story, but...

Lina could take him on with ease.

He was confident. Even in a head-on fight, one Wolverine would be enough.

Since Wolverine was undead, the concept of life didn't apply to him. No matter how badly he was damaged, he could repair himself.

Even if he got tied up, Lina only had to recall him and summon him again.

With his speed and attack power, as long as he could inflict damage, he could wear Arlong down until he was dead.

As Nami explained everything in detail, the others began to get an idea of how strong Arlong was.

"He can flip a house with his bare hands??"

Usopp collapsed onto the ground, clasping his hands tightly to his chest. "This is bad. I've come down with a strange disease that'll kill me the moment I leave the ship!"

"I'll leave Arlong to you guys."

"Are you okay, Usopp!"

Luffy turned around and saw Usopp suddenly sprawled on the ground. Panicking, he rushed around him, shaking him over and over.

Watching the two goofballs, Nami and Zoro both darkened their expressions and sighed, rubbing their temples. "These idiots..."

"Anyway, Arlong is strong."

Nami said anxiously, "I know you're all monsters too, but honestly, I'm not sure we can win. If we fail... we'll die!"

"Don't worry, Nami."

Lina smiled reassuringly. "They're strong, and besides, there's me... and my undead. We'll be fine."

This was a sure thing!

"Besides Arlong, there are a few of his officers you should watch out for: Hachi, Kuroobi, Chuu..."

Nami began introducing Arlong's officers.

Lina didn't remember any of the people Nami mentioned, except Hachi, who vaguely rang a bell.

Still, the enemy had quite a few of them.

Fish-men were born with ten times the arm strength of humans. They'd make decent foot soldiers if he could recruit them one by one.

And they were all excellent swimmers, an invaluable help at sea.

The thought made him feel good all over again.

Life at sea was boring, and Lina's undead had taken over all the chores.

The group didn't have much to do. Luffy and Usopp passed the time fishing.

Nami stayed in her room, drawing sea charts with some fine paper, pens, and ink she'd gotten from Kaya.

Lina, meanwhile, worked out with Zoro. He exercised regularly, since his ability couldn't collect targets that were far stronger than he was.

Garp, for instance.

Besides, building up his body was essential if he wanted to meet the requirements for learning both kinds of Haki someday.

"Speaking of which, Zoro, your strength is ridiculous."

Lina glanced at the enormous barbell in Zoro's hands and couldn't help exclaiming.

It must've weighed about two tons, yet Zoro had already done nearly a thousand squats with it!

That was absurd.

"Yeah, I've been training since I was little."

Zoro glanced at Lina. "But your stamina is ridiculous too."

The barbell Lina was holding weighed a ton, nowhere near as much as Zoro's, but he'd already done two thousand squats.

"My undead use my stamina when they move, so I've focused on training that."

"Of course, the main reason is that my Devil Fruit boosts my recovery. It's way beyond an ordinary person's."

"Really? Devil Fruits can do that?"

"Yeah. Zoan Devil Fruits greatly enhance the physical abilities of the people who eat them."

In the East Blue, Devil Fruits were still little more than legends to most people.

They knew even less about the different types.

Lina patiently explained it all to Zoro.

"Wait! If that's true, then Logias are invincible, aren't they?"

Zoro was surprised.

The idea of turning your body into an element sounded utterly fantastical.

"They're not invincible. There are ways to counter them."

Lina explained Seastone and Haki to Zoro, leaving him wide-eyed.

"Well, you'll see for yourself someday."

"I see. The sea really is full of wonders."

Zoro said with interest, "That man you mentioned probably has the kind of power you described too. I was planning to go to sea and challenge him, but now it seems I'm still a long way off."

"You mean the World's Greatest Swordsman? He could probably beat you without even using a sword, hahahaha."

"If he showed up in front of you right now, would you challenge him?"

Zoro looked at Lina and thought for a moment. "I don't know. Probably."

"I see... That's just like you, you hardheaded fool."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

Lina yawned, silently grumbling to himself.

Long ago, Zhao Zilong was brave from head to toe,

But you, my friend...

You're Zhao Zilong from head to toe!

Two days passed, and the Going Merry finally brought them to the waters near the Konomi Islands.

The archipelago was made up of more than twenty small islands, each with a village.

Without exception, they were all under Arlong's rule. Everyone was forced to pay a fee, and those who couldn't afford it were killed.

Several villages had even been completely wiped out.

"Let's go to Cocoyasi Village first. If we head straight for Arlong Park, they'll probably destroy the ship before we even get there."

Nami spoke quietly, her face dark.

Her feelings were written all over her face, and the others stayed quiet.

Lina summoned two undead to steer the ship. Following Nami's directions, the Going Merry slowly made its way toward Cocoyasi Village.

"Pirates! Pirates are here!"

"Go get Genzo!"

"Wait, look! Is that Nami up there?"

The villagers spotted the Going Merry and quickly grew restless. Before long, they noticed Nami standing at the bow.

"I'm back, everyone!"

"Nami's back!"

"Go tell Genzo and Genzo."

"No need. We can just go over there."

"Oh, right. Speaking of which, Nami, those pirates behind you..."

Several villagers at the harbor looked at the group, their eyes wary.

Nami smiled and waved them off. "Don't worry. They're not bad people. They're my friends."

"I see. Anyway, it's good that you're safe, Nami."

"Then I'll head back first. See you, everyone."

Nami led them into the village.

Every now and then, they passed houses that had been completely overturned.

Nami had told them about it, but seeing it in person still left them marveling at the fish-men's incredible strength.

"Hey... You've got to be kidding. We really have to fight monsters like that?"

Usopp was already trembling.

Nami led the way without looking back. "Arlong's crew doesn't know we're here yet. If you want to change your mind, you still can. I won't say anything if you leave now."

"You're looking down on me, you rude woman. I can do that much too."

Zoro was the only one aboard who called Nami a rude woman.

Lina had no doubt Zoro could flip a house. In terms of arm strength, even Luffy couldn't match him.

But in a fight, Luffy could use the tension created by stretching his rubber body to greatly increase the force of his attacks.

"You said you wanted us to be your navigator. We're not giving up."

Luffy wore a rare serious expression.

Lina lit a cigarette and followed behind at an unhurried pace. Soon, they arrived at Nami's Orange Garden.

As soon as they approached, they heard arguing inside.

"...Stop! Nami worked so hard to save that money!"

"What do you mean, saved? It was stolen! It's stolen money, and it should be confiscated!"

"You bastards! Are you even still Marines?"

"Damn it..." Hearing the commotion, Nami was startled. Gritting her teeth, she charged into the Orange Garden.

"Damn it!"