Arlong's Death Star is Twinkling

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

"Arlong, are you really not coming back?"

Jinbe, a 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, acting as a lackey for the Navy!"

Jinbe's words seemed to thoroughly enrage Arlong.

Yet, he seemed to have forgotten how, as a pirate, he had managed to leave Impel Down.

One had to realize that, apart from Golden Lion back in the day, no pirate who had entered that place had ever made it out.

Hearing the term "Navy lackey," Jinbe started to speak 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.

Arlong glanced back at his sister, Shyarly, his expression dark and silent, showing no intention of stopping.

It was only long after Arlong had departed that Shyarly withdrew her gaze, looking lost, and turned toward Jinbe.

"He will come to his senses."

Jinbe sighed helplessly.

Jinbe knew well that Arlong was filled with hatred for humans and the Navy because of what had happened to their big brother, Fisher.

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

Furthermore, in recent years, the number of pirates setting sail to capture merfolk for sale had been increasing steadily.

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

Seeing this action, Jinbe was not surprised.

Shyarly was an incredibly gifted fortune-teller.

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

"What is it?"

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

"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 with a sudden burst of power from his legs, he bolted in the direction Arlong had just left.

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

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

Now, she no longer knew what to do.

Meanwhile, Jinbe reached the port where one would depart from Fish-Man Island.

"Big Brother Jinbe, Big Brother Arlong has already left."

Hearing Jinbe's urgent inquiry, a fish-man at the port replied, but the answer made Jinbe's expression turn grim.

"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 a seven or eight-day voyage, so Dunn had switched ships at a transit island. As for his destination—the Navy's 16th Branch Base.

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

Dunn sat on the deck, resting with his sword in his arms.

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

Koushiro'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; the most terrifying outcome was that the brutal pirates might slaughter everyone on board.

Thus, hiring guards had become a very common practice.

"Lord Dunn!"

A woman's voice rang out. Dunn turned to see a middle-aged woman with rough skin and a tall, sturdy build—the captain of this merchant ship.

"We will be entering an area with frequent pirate activity the day after tomorrow. If we take a detour, it might add another month to our journey."

"No need!"

Upon hearing this, Dunn understood the captain's intent and shook his head.

"Very well. We shall rely on your protection when the time comes, my lord."

Dunn's response brought a smile to the captain's face, her muscles, more robust than any man's, rippling with the expression. The sight 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, are we going to 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 prevalent.

"No need. We're going straight through. With Lord Dunn here, there's no need to worry about those pirates."

The female captain waved her hand, looking entirely confident.

"Can that lord really handle them?"

Some crew members looked skeptical.

Hearing this, the female captain's mind immediately flashed back to when 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 this lord unleashed with his blade.

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

And the term "master swordsman" was among it.

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

Dunn was the first true master swordsman she had ever encountered.

Had this great figure not 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, this bunch of ignorant fools probably wouldn't understand what a master swordsman represented.

"We're going straight through. Rest assured, we will definitely pass through safely this time."

After all, he was a powerhouse capable of running rampant 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 there to be "a lot of pirates."

Last time, traveling from the 16th Marine Base to Shimotsuki Village, he hadn't encountered a single pirate in three full months.

But this time, they were running into two or three pirate crews a day. Though, these people were pirates in name only; in reality, they were 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 beam from afar to destroy their vessels.

These pirates likely didn't even have bounties 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 stood ready, gripping their weapons and 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 closer, the cheers of the pirates brandishing their swords grew louder.

A merchant ship of this size meant their haul would surely be significant, and there might even be plenty of women on board.

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 beams.

Swish! Swish!

Boom!

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

With another slashing sword beam, the wooden pirate ship split right open.

"Grab a few of them once they fall into the water," Dunn said. Just as he was about to turn away, his expression shifted.

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

"You bastard!"

The face of the lunging pirate was filled with rage.

"Another capable one."

Dunn froze for a moment, then flickered, appearing exactly where the man was about to land.

The man had barely touched down, not even having the chance to speak, when a scabbard slammed into his face with terrifying force.

The intense pain and impact left him dizzy, half his teeth knocked clean out of his mouth.

He collapsed, out cold.

Watching the unconscious pirate, Dunn beckoned.

"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 vessel had completely capsized, the massive gash Dunn had carved into it letting water pour inside. Many pirates had fallen into the sea and were swimming toward the merchant ship.

"Handle them yourselves."

Dunn waved his hand and headed straight back to his cabin.

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 had 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 congregate like this, right?