Slaying Arlong, Setting Sail

"HAHAHA! Are you done talking, human?"

"I'll kill you first to avenge my comrades, then kill every human here who dared to resist us fish-men!" Arlong raised his serrated sword and pointed it at Rody.

"Oh? With you?"

Rody stepped forward to the side of the fish-man Akun and reached out to touch him. Tiny grid-like wounds instantly appeared across the fish-man's body, and his flesh broke apart into small cubes that scattered everywhere.

"Comrade!"

"Devil Fruit... You're a Devil Fruit user!"

"His hands—so long as we make sure he doesn't touch us, his Devil Fruit power shouldn't work!"

"Die, human!"

With that, the enraged Arlong charged before Rody with his sword, swinging the serrated blade at him.

Watching the toothed blade slash toward him, Rody reached out and pinched its edge. No matter how hard Arlong tried, he could not move it even an inch.

Seeing that he could not budge his serrated sword no matter how much strength he used, Arlong clenched his other hand into a fist and punched at Rody's face. Rody caught the incoming fist and gave it a light twist, drawing a muffled groan of pain from Arlong.

"Get him! Everyone, hurry and help Boss Arlong!"

At the sight, the fish-man underlings rushed at Rody with swords and blades in hand. Yet before they had taken more than a few steps, they were all cut apart by slashes, split into several pieces.

"Ar... long... Boss..."

"Com... rades..."

Tears streamed down Arlong's face as he watched his fish-man underlings gradually lose their breath in pain and despair.

"How does it feel? Desperate?"

"Do you still think fish-men are noble now?" Rody said slowly.

"Kill you... Human, I'll definitely kill you!" Arlong roared hoarsely at Rody.

With that, Arlong opened his mouth full of sharp teeth and bit at Rody. But the instant he thrust his head forward, it fell from his neck. Rody released Arlong's fist and serrated sword, and Arlong's headless body toppled backward.

Rody glanced at Arlong's unwilling face, then kicked his head before the villagers of Cocoyasi Village.

"D-Dead... Arlong died just like that?"

"Y-Yeah!"

"The nightmare that hung over us... it's over just like that!"

The villagers tossed aside the farming tools they had been clutching and erupted into cheers.

Suddenly, a deafening BANG came from Evil Dragon Domain. A vicious giant beast dozens of meters tall, green and white in color, with what looked like two bull horns atop its head, emerged from the swimming pool within Evil Dragon Domain.

Nami walked over to Rody's side. "This sea beast is called Moo Moo. It's incredibly vicious. Arlong and his crew brought it from the Grand Line, and only Arlong could control it!"

At that moment, Moo Moo looked toward Rody and naturally saw the headless corpse at his feet. As a sea beast Arlong had brought from the Grand Line to the East Blue, Moo Moo recognized at once that it was Arlong's corpse. Its vicious gaze instantly turned fearful, and it turned its huge body to flee.

"A sea beast from the Grand Line... I wonder how it tastes."

Rody raised a hand and waved it. A massive net formed of slashes flew out, cutting both the enormous sea beast Moo Moo and Evil Dragon Domain into pieces.

"You really are strong!" Nami said with feeling.

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Come on. Take me to taste those oranges you said were the best."

News of the destruction of Arlong's crew soon spread through the villages and islands under Arlong's rule.

That night, the villagers held a banquet on the grass in the center of the village. Rody sat at the banquet table as the villagers continuously brought food and wine before him, only stopping once there was no room left for anything else.

Rody chewed big mouthfuls of Moo Moo's sea beast meat, then took a satisfied sip of orange juice from his cup. He felt his physical qualities increase by a trace, so slight it was almost imperceptible.

A sea beast like Moo Moo was nothing special in the Grand Line. Sea beasts larger than it were everywhere, and the New World even had an ancient giant beast like Zunesha, standing 35,000 meters tall. If one ate such powerful sea beasts every day and was nourished by the energy in their flesh and blood, their body would likely have surpassed ordinary humans long ago.

No wonder the strong in the pirate world could fight for days and nights at a time. Even if they were injured, as long as they had enough food, they could recover after resting for a few days.

Behind the village, on the mountain.

Nami sat before Bell-mère's grave, smiling. "Bell-mère, Arlong has been killed. The nightmare hanging over the village has ended too. Everyone can show their true smiles again. Everything will get better."

"Yes, everything will get better."

"Are you leaving again?"

"Nami, did you truly decide to leave on your own?" Nojiko slowly walked to Nami's side.

"Don't worry."

"This time, I'm sailing for my own dream."

"The money I buried in the orange grove—dig it up and distribute it among everyone." As she said this, a trace of reluctance appeared on Nami's face.

"Oh, but you saved that little by little over all these years. Arlong has already been defeated, and everyone's lives will gradually improve. Why don't you keep the money for yourself?"

"That money was stolen for the village in the first place. Now that Arlong has been defeated, it can be used to help everyone."

"Everyone has suffered too much these past years," Nami said firmly.

"Nami, do you want me to get Rody to help remove your tattoo?" Nami looked at Nojiko.

"So Rody was the one who removed your tattoo. That's amazing, but there's no need. This tattoo has been with me for so many years. It'd feel strange without it." Nojiko looked at Nami's smooth arm. The Evil Dragon Pirates emblem that had once been there had long since vanished.

"Nojiko, please look after Bell-mère more from now on. Once I set sail, I probably won't be able to come back for quite a while."

"Tch, you don't need to tell me that. I'm Bell-mère's daughter too."

At noon the next day, with the sun blazing overhead, Nami and Rody prepared to leave and continue their voyage.

"Make sure you protect Nami, Rody!"

"Nami! You have to be happy!"

"Nami! Don't forget to come back!"

The shore was packed with villagers seeing them off. Genzo and Nojiko stood at the front, waving at the ship alongside everyone else.

"Goodbye, everyone!"

The ship gradually sailed away from Cocoyasi Village. Nami continued excitedly waving toward the distant, blurring shore. With Arlong dead, all the pressure, restraints, and shackles had vanished, allowing the girl to finally let her lively nature shine through.

Rody slowly walked up behind Nami, wrapped one arm around her soft waist, and pulled her into his embrace. "Nami, from now on, you belong only to me."

Feeling the warmth from the arm around her waist and shoulders and the chest against her back, Nami's cheeks flushed. Her heart pounded, her breathing grew hurried, and she hastily broke free from Rody's arms. "Rody, my orange trees need watering."

Watching Nami flusteredly run to the second level of the deck to find a watering can and water the orange trees she had watered that very morning, Rody chuckled softly.