This blow carried tremendous force. It knocked Arlong's feet off the ground, sent his insides churning, and drew blood from the corner of his mouth. Just as his massive body was about to be blasted away, dense Darkness Element suddenly spread from Bane's fist, clamping Arlong firmly in place like a magnet.
"Are you a Devil Fruit user!?" Arlong ignored the pain and stared at him in shock.
But Bane had no intention of explaining or wasting words. With a burst of strength, surging Darkness Element instantly enveloped Arlong, binding him in midair like a cocoon.
After restraining Arlong, a cruel gleam flashed in Bane's eyes. He took two steps back, widening the distance between himself and the floating Arlong, then sheathed his sword. Darkness Power drifted like smoke around the fingers of his other hand, eerily sinister.
Before Arlong could speak again, Bane suddenly clenched that hand into a fist and shouted, "Black Annihilation: Coffin of Darkness."
The Darkness Element wrapped around Arlong instantly collapsed inward and tightened along with Bane's clenched fist. The crushing pressure destroyed Arlong's body in an instant. Yet only his head remained exposed, so it was like squeezing a tube of toothpaste—blood gushed from his mouth and splattered in the space between him and Bane.
When the darkness faded, Arlong fell to the ground. His body was twisted into a grotesque shape, like a flattened sponge that had not yet bounced back.
That meant most of the bones in his body had been shattered. He had completely lost the ability to resist.
"What an ugly sight." Bane stepped on Arlong's head and muttered.
The battle had practically been an instant kill. The moment they clashed, the victor had already been decided, while Zoro's fight had not even ended yet.
The moment several burly fish-men saw their boss defeated, they charged at Bane, intending to rescue Arlong.
Seeing this, Zoro did not bother to chase after them. He calmly sheathed his two swords and said, "It's over."
"You're not going to help?" Nami asked in confusion.
"No need." Zoro looked as though he had already seen the future.
Then, before Nami could say anything else, Zoro opened his mouth and imitated, "Black Annihilation: Tidal Surge."
It was as if he were the Dark-Dark Fruit user himself. The moment his words fell, endless darkness erupted from Bane with a whoosh, like towering waves on the sea. Centered on him, it spread in every direction and, in an instant, engulfed all of Arlong Park.
At that moment, Nami felt her vision go dark. She could see nothing and hear nothing, and panic surged through her heart. Just as she was about to move, the all-consuming darkness receded like an ebbing tide, rapidly flowing back into Bane's body.
When Nami could see the surroundings again, the fish-men from before, the scattered debris on the ground, the corpses Zoro had cut down, even the blood on the ground—all of it had vanished!
Only Arlong remained, still pinned beneath Bane's foot.
Zoro, standing nearby, said calmly, "See? I told you it was over."
"What was that just now!?" Nami finally came back to her senses and cried out.
For one brief moment, she had thought she was going to die!
"That's Bane's power. You've heard of Devil Fruits, right? He's a Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit user who controls Darkness Power," Zoro explained casually.
Before Nami could ask anything else, Bane looked over at them from a distance. "Navigator, do you want to take revenge yourself?"
Nami looked down at Arlong. Seeing his miserable state, a flash of satisfaction crossed her eyes. Then she walked several steps forward and stopped beside Bane.
"Give me the sword!" Nami held out her hand.
Bane directly handed her the sword at his waist.
Nami drew the blade, swallowed hard, and aimed it at Arlong's throat. Arlong had already completely passed out. All she had to do was drive the blade in, and she could end his sinful life. Of course, with injuries like his, he would die even if left alone.
But Nami had never taken a life with her own hands. Even though the person before her was the enemy she had hated for so long, her arm still began to tremble uncontrollably.
It was as though she simply could not bring herself to drive the blade down.
Seemingly noticing her difficulty, Bane sighed softly and slowly walked behind Nami. He bent down, wrapped his arms around her from behind, and placed his hands over the back of her sword hand.
Without any unnecessary words, Bane slowly exerted force, guiding Nami as he drove the blade into Arlong's throat. Blood poured out, and the life of this evil fish-man came to an end.
Once the blade pierced Arlong's throat, Bane released Nami's hand.
Almost the instant he stepped away from behind her, Nami could no longer hold the sword. She dropped to her knees beside Arlong's corpse and burst into wrenching sobs, her cries so heartbroken they seemed as if they could pierce the clouds.
"Bellemere... Bellemere..." Nami cried as she called out a name, as though she were venting all the grievances and hatred that had built up over the past eight years.
At last, she had taken her revenge. Her nightmare, Cocoyasi Village's nightmare, was over.
Bellemere could finally rest in peace. So could the villagers who had been killed by Arlong and his men over the years.
While Nami wept her heart out, the villagers rushed into Arlong Park carrying all kinds of farming tools, led by a beautiful young girl with short indigo hair.
She was Nami's sister, Nojiko.
"Nami, are you okay!?" The first thing Nojiko saw upon entering was Arlong's corpse and Nami crying beside it.
The villagers all stared at the scene in shock as well. What was going on? Had Nami killed Arlong?
"Nojiko... Nojiko..." Like a wronged little child, Nami cried and held out her arms, asking for a hug.
Nojiko hurried forward and embraced Nami. She patted her back as she comforted her. "It's okay now. It's okay now, Nami..."
"I... I finally avenged Bellemere," Nami sobbed.
Bane and Zoro were both leaning in the shade by the wall. Zoro untied the sake gourd at his waist, took a drink, and said, "So you knew the reason behind all this from the start?"
Bane had a freshly lit cigar clenched between his teeth. At Zoro's words, he grinned, smoke curling from his mouth. "I told you, don't go asking about things you shouldn't."
After saying that, he seemed to remember something. He took out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket and called Smoker.
Before long, Zoro heard Bane talking to Smoker about something called Colonel Nezumi. It sounded like he was reporting someone again.
But Zoro did not pay attention to Bane. Instead, he turned his gaze back toward Nami and the villagers.
Watching them cheer, cry, and laugh freely, a warmth inexplicably welled up inside Zoro's heart. A journey like this seemed pretty interesting too.
Before you continue