Boom!
Arlong's pirate ship crashed down from the mountain waterway into the sea below.
"Big Brother Arlong, Big Brother Jinbe contacted us again. He wants us to go back."
A Fish-Man came running over, clutching a Den Den Mushi.
Arlong had been wearing an excited expression, but at those words, his face immediately darkened.
"Big Brother Arlong, Big Brother Jinbe said your life would be in danger this time."
Seeing Arlong's expression, the octopus Fish-Man who had rushed over said timidly.
"Damn it! Jinbe's just a coward. Instead of thinking about avenging Big Brother Fisher Tiger, he actually joined the Marines."
Arlong gritted his teeth and roared furiously.
The other Fish-Men, who had been excited just moments ago, fell quiet.
The ship beneath them had also steadied after its earlier rocking.
Big Brother Fisher Tiger!
The former captain of the Sun Pirates, and the idol of all these Fish-Men who had gone out to sea.
Under Big Brother Fisher Tiger's leadership, these Fish-Men had hoped to change the relationship between Fish-Men and humans. But what had happened in the end?
They'd saved a human and tried to send him home, only to be betrayed. Even Big Brother Fisher Tiger had died.
"Humans can't be trusted! We Fish-Men are the superior race. Those humans are nothing but weaklings to us, an inferior race!"
Arlong turned to face the crowd of Fish-Men and roared.
"Only if we show our strength will those humans fear us. Jinbe's a coward, but I, Arlong, will lead you to rise up in the East Blue and turn the world upside down. We'll start by becoming the rulers of the East Blue!"
Most humans in this world were simple-minded brutes.
Of course, that had a lot to do with the education and environment of this world. Most humans couldn't even read, let alone these Fish-Men.
Arlong's words had practically no power to inspire, yet they still got the Fish-Men excited.
They all cheered.
"Hatchan, cut off contact with that bastard Jinbe right now."
"Yes, Big Brother Arlong!"
Hatchan, the octopus Fish-Man, snapped to attention.
"Men, let's get started! We're going to conquer the East Blue!" Arlong nodded with satisfaction, then turned and drew his Kiribachi, pointing it ahead.
Amid their cheers, the ship headed straight forward.
Grand Line.
Jinbe put down the Den Den Mushi in his hand.
"Big Brother Jinbe, will Shyarly's prophecy really come true?"
Arlong was extreme, but he had once been a member of the Sun Pirates, after all.
The Fish-Men aboard this ship knew why Jinbe had agreed to become one of the Shichibukai. They also knew he'd faced tremendous criticism for it.
"Shyarly's prophecies are very accurate."
Jinbe shook his head, then looked ahead of the ship, his expression grave.
That bastard had actually gone to the East Blue to carry out some plan to rule it. Never mind whether Arlong had the strength to do it—just causing trouble would make humans hate Fish-Men even more.
And when that happened, the Fish-Men's situation would become even worse.
"Pick up the pace. We have to reach the East Blue before something happens to Arlong."
Jinbe gave the order.
The good thing was that although Arlong had ordered Hatchan not to contact him anymore, Hatchan had agreed to keep reporting their location.
East Blue, Cocoyasi Village.
"Sir, are you sure you want all of them?"
Bell-mère, with her unusual hairstyle and a cigarette between her lips, looked at Dunn in delighted surprise.
"Yeah, I'll take them all. Your oranges are really fresh, and I'll be out at sea for a while, so I can't go without fruit."
Dunn nodded.
He had actually been in these waters for quite a few days. He'd originally planned to find Arlong and collect the bounty.
But after looking around, he'd concluded that Arlong probably hadn't arrived yet.
Still, judging by the timing, it would happen sometime this year.
Dunn didn't plan to waste the time he had in the meantime. He intended to sweep the nearby pirates and save up for his expenses once he reached the Grand Line.
Today was his first time visiting Cocoyasi Village.
"Huh? Aren't you a merchant?"
Bell-mère asked, startled by what Dunn had said.
"Do I look like a merchant?"
Dunn looked down at himself. He was wearing an ordinary white shirt and white trousers.
"If that's the case, I can't sell you that many!"
Bell-mère shook her head firmly.
"Why not?"
Dunn was curious.
He remembered that after returning to her hometown, Bell-mère hadn't seemed to live very well. She'd often gone hungry and could only make a living growing oranges, while taking care of her two adopted daughters.
Sometimes all she had to eat were oranges. When Nami and the others asked about it, she'd even claimed that eating oranges was good for their complexion.
"Because fresh oranges won't keep for that long. If you want something that'll last, you should buy some rum, sir."
Bell-mère explained earnestly.
"Oh, I see!"
Dunn nodded.
Seeing that he understood, Bell-mère smiled.
"But I still want them all. I've got a big appetite, so I'll finish these oranges in a few days."
As he spoke, Dunn set down a stack of Belly.
"But you'll have to help me bring them to my ship by the shore."
Bell-mère stared at the Belly Dunn had left behind, then watched him turn and walk away.
He'd finish them all in a few days?
Was he planning to eat nothing but oranges?
Fresh fruit was important at sea, but surely he couldn't live on fruit alone?
Bell-mère was a little bewildered.
"What's wrong? Did that bastard give you trouble?"
A middle-aged man wearing a windmill hat approached. Seeing Bell-mère standing there in a daze, he asked with concern.
"No, nothing! You came at just the right time. Help me take the oranges to the ship by the shore."
Bell-mère came to her senses. Seeing that it was Genzo, she spoke at once.
"All of them?" Genzo's eyes widened. There were a lot of oranges here.
"All of them! If you help me, you can come to my place for dinner tonight."
Bell-mère smiled.
"No problem!"
At the sight of Bell-mère's smile and the sound of her offer, Genzo perked up. After saluting, he immediately got to work.
Meanwhile, Dunn wandered around the village.
Most of the households sold fruit, especially oranges. That was also why they seemed so hard to sell.
After all, fresh fruit really didn't keep for long.
Only the 16th Marine Branch nearby bought large quantities, but even they couldn't use this much.
The villages on the surrounding islands were in much the same situation.
After all, the climate here was pleasant and well suited to growing fruit trees.
As for meat, there was only fish.
Dunn bought some basic supplies and paid people to deliver them to his ship by the shore.
He couldn't change the situation. And this wasn't just a problem here. Such a great undertaking was better left to the Revolutionary Army.
That was what they did.
Thinking this, Dunn stopped and lifted his eyes toward the road ahead.
Two girls of about the same height were walking side by side toward him. Each carried a basket of oranges on her back.
One had blue hair and the other orange hair. They looked to be around ten years old and rather thin.
Nojiko and Nami.
Dunn watched them for a moment, then looked away and passed them by.
Well, if I take down Arlong, Bell-mère won't die. Then Nami won't need to go to sea as the Cat Burglar to raise the ransom, and she won't meet Monkey D. Luffy. So does that mean Monkey D. Luffy won't have a navigator?
Dunn rubbed his chin as he thought.
And that guy Zoro would probably have a different experience from then on, too.
The future would become unpredictable.
Oh, and if Ace didn't get the Mera Mera no Mi, maybe he'd focus on developing his Haki instead. He might even become a swordsman or a hand-to-hand fighter.
That made Dunn look forward to seeing how the future unfolded.
But it was too early to think about that now. There was still plenty of time.
Maybe his involvement in this world would bring about even greater changes.
It was called the butterfly effect, right?
Still, Dunn wasn't too worried. He'd do what he wanted, and as for everything else, who cared?
Thinking this, Dunn finished buying supplies and returned to the small ship by the shore.
He set sail and went off to look around.
Just as Dunn set sail and left Cocoyasi Village, Nami and Nojiko returned home and saw a meal on the table that was more plentiful than usual.
Before you continue