Arlong's Death Star is Flickering

Just as Dunn left Shimotsuki Village, in the Grand Line, at Fish-Man Island, in the Fish-Man District.

"Arlong, are you really not coming back?"

Jinbe, the blue-skinned whale shark fish-man, looked at Arlong, the sawshark fish-man glaring at him from across the way, and spoke with a grave expression.

"You bastard, don't forget how our big brother died! And here you are, becoming a lackey for the Navy!"

Jinbe's words seemed to have completely enraged Arlong.

But he seemed to have forgotten that, as a Pirate, how he was able to leave Impel Down in the first place.

One had to know that, aside from Shiki back in the day, no Pirate who had entered that place had ever managed to get out.

Hearing the words "lackey for the Navy," Jinbe wanted to say something but stopped himself, then frowned and remained silent.

Arlong let out a cold snort, turned around, and walked away.

"Big brother!"

Seeing Arlong turn to leave, Shyarly, the mako shark mermaid, couldn't help but call out to him.

Arlong glanced back at his younger sister, Shyarly, his expression gloomy and silent, showing no signs of stopping.

It wasn't until long after Arlong had left that Shyarly withdrew her gaze in disappointment and looked toward Jinbe.

"He will come to his senses."

Jinbe sighed helplessly.

Jinbe knew full well that Arlong was filled with hatred toward humans and the Navy because of what happened to Fisher back then.

However, the disparity in strength between humans and Fish-Man Island was simply too vast.

Furthermore, in recent years, the number of Pirates heading out to sea to capture merfolk for sale had been increasing more and more.

Shyarly nodded, reached into her chest, and pulled out a bright crystal ball.

Seeing this action from Shyarly, Jinbe was not surprised.

Shyarly was an incredibly gifted fortune-teller.

But a moment later, Shyarly's face turned pale.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Shyarly's expression, Jinbe's face tightened, and he immediately asked.

"I saw my brother's death; his head was delivered to the Navy."

Shyarly said, her face drained of color.

Jinbe's eyes widened sharply, and he pushed off with his feet, rushing in the direction Arlong had just left.

But Shyarly, who had divined this result, did not move.

The results of her divination were one hundred percent accurate; whatever was divined was destined to happen.

Now, she no longer knew what to do.

Meanwhile, Jinbe arrived at the port where one leaves Fish-Man Island.

"Brother Jinbe, Brother Arlong has already departed."

Hearing Jinbe's urgent question, the fish-men at the port replied, but the answer made Jinbe's expression look terrible.

"Gather the crew, prepare to set sail."

East Blue.

Dunn had already switched to a different merchant ship.

The merchant ship that left Shimotsuki Village didn't handle long-distance trade, only making seven or eight-day voyages, so Dunn had switched ships at a transit island, and as for his destination—the Navy's 16th Branch Base.

Perhaps he might even get to see some old friends in the Navy.

Dunn sat on the deck, holding his sword as he rested.

The passengers and crew on the ship cast curious glances at Dunn from time to time.

Koshiro's actions had given Dunn an idea for a way to travel.

In this world ravaged by Pirates, merchant ships setting sail were in great danger; if they encountered Pirates and the crew couldn't resist, losing cargo was a minor issue, but the most terrifying thing was that the brutal Pirates might kill everyone on board.

Therefore, hiring guards had become a very common practice.

"Lord Dunn!"

A woman's voice rang out. Dunn turned his head to see a tall, middle-aged woman with rough skin, who was the captain of this merchant ship.

"The day after tomorrow, we will enter an area where Pirate activity is frequent. If we take a detour, it might take an extra month."

"No need!"

Upon hearing this, Dunn naturally understood what the captain meant, so he shook his head and spoke.

"Very well, I shall rely on your protection when the time comes."

Dunn's reply brought a smile to the captain's face, her muscles, more robust than those of most men, rippling slightly with her grin—a sight that made Dunn's eyelid twitch.

Seeing that Dunn had nothing more to say, the female captain stopped bothering him and turned to leave.

However, as soon as she walked away, a crew member immediately came over to ask about the situation.

"Captain, should we take a detour?"

In truth, a detour was the best course of action; although it would take more time, it would allow them to bypass the area where Pirates were more numerous.

"No need, we'll sail straight through. With Lord Dunn here, there's no need to worry about those Pirates."

The female captain waved her hand, looking completely confident.

"Can that gentleman really handle it?"

Some crew members wore expressions of disbelief.

Hearing this, the female captain immediately recalled the moment Dunn had found her and offered to serve as their guard.

At the time, she had harbored the same doubt, and then, she had witnessed the slash he unleashed with his drawn blade.

As a merchant ship captain who frequently sailed the seas, she naturally possessed a wealth of information.

The term Swordsman was one such piece of knowledge.

But she had only ever heard of them; she had never actually seen one.

Dunn was the first true Swordsman she had ever encountered.

If this big shot hadn't offered his services voluntarily, she wouldn't have been able to hire him even if she tried.

However, without Dunn's permission, she dared not speak of it casually. Besides, even if she did, these ignorant fellows probably wouldn't understand what a Swordsman represented.

"We sail straight through. Rest assured, we will definitely pass through safely this time."

After all, he was a powerhouse capable of rampaging even on the Grand Line.

Perhaps that was the extent of her understanding.

In the days that followed, Dunn finally understood what it meant for Pirates to be "more numerous."

During his last trip from the 16th Marine Base to Shimotsuki Village, he hadn't encountered a single Pirate in three full months.

But this time, they encountered two or three groups of Pirates every single day. Though, to call these people Pirates was a stretch; they were really just vicious thugs who hadn't been at sea for long.

Their so-called Pirate ships were nothing more than small boats that could hold a dozen people.

For these, Dunn would simply unleash a sword aura from afar, destroying their vessels.

These Pirates likely didn't even have a bounty on their heads.

Of course, it wasn't as if there weren't larger Pirate crews.

Dunn watched a Pirate ship approaching from the distance, hearing their shouts and cheers from afar.

The passengers on the merchant ship had long since returned to their cabins, while the crew gripped their weapons, watching the approaching Pirate ship with vigilance.

Naturally, many of them cast glances toward Dunn from time to time.

Dunn was their backbone.

"My lord."

The female captain stood slightly behind and to the side of Dunn, calling out to him.

"Let them get close. I want to ask them something."

"Understood!"

Hearing Dunn's words, the female captain finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Dunn's refusal to draw his blade had been making her nervous.

As the Pirate ship drew near, the cheers of the Pirates brandishing their blades on deck grew louder.

A merchant ship of this size meant their haul would surely be significant, and perhaps there would be plenty of women, too.

Thinking of this, the Pirates could hardly contain their impatience.

Once they neared the merchant ship, the Pirates prepared to board, but they were met with several crescent-shaped sword auras.

Swish! Swish!

Boom!

The two massive masts holding the sails snapped instantly, and the Pirates below who failed to dodge were struck directly. The shift in center of gravity caused the entire ship to tilt and capsize to one side.

With another slash of sword aura, the wooden Pirate ship split wide open.

"Grab a few of them once they fall into the water."

Dunn said, and just as he was about to turn away, his expression suddenly shifted.

A figure leaped from the tilting Pirate ship, lunging toward the merchant ship.

"You bastard!"

The Pirate lunged forward, his face twisted in fury.

"Another capable one."

Dunn was momentarily stunned, then his body flickered, reappearing exactly where his opponent was about to land.

The man had barely touched the deck, not even having the chance to speak, when he saw a scabbard slam into his face with terrifying force.

The intense pain and impact left him dizzy, half his teeth knocked out in an instant.

He dropped like a stone, out cold.

Looking at the unconscious Pirate, Dunn beckoned with his hand.

"Tie him up. Bring him to me when he wakes."

As his voice fell, a group of crew members swarmed forward, binding the unconscious Pirate tightly with thick ropes.

"Lord Dunn, what about those Pirates?"

The female captain pointed toward the outside of the ship.

The Pirate ship had completely capsized, water pouring into the massive gash Dunn had carved into its hull, while many Pirates were falling into the sea and swimming toward the merchant ship.

"Handle them yourselves."

Dunn waved his hand dismissively and headed straight back to his room.

Outside, the excited shouts of the merchant crew rang out incessantly, punctuated by the screams of the Pirates.

What a hellish world.

Dunn shook his head slightly.

Even ordinary people here felt no aversion to killing, especially these crew members.

However, what puzzled Dunn was why so many Pirates were gathering in the East Blue.

The East Blue, wasn't it supposed to be the safest sea in the world?

Even if there were Pirates, they shouldn't dare to gather like this, right?