New Skill About to Be Unlocked

"...Huh?" Aaron had not expected that to be an option. His brain shut down for a few seconds.

"As long as I kill your captain, won't you be free? Then you can work for me, right? Sha-hahahahaha!" Arlong laughed wildly.

"Ah, no, no!" Aaron's face turned a little panicked when he heard Arlong's words. He waved his hands. "Don't fight. Fighting is bad. It's no good if anyone gets hurt!"

"Oh?" Arlong leaned back in his lounge chair again and gave Aaron a lazy look. "So, you think your captain can fight me evenly... or perhaps even beat me? Sha-hahahahaha!"

Arlong burst into laughter again. Then he stared at Aaron and said slowly in a low voice, "How could any human possibly stand on equal footing with the supreme race, the Fish-Men?" As though it were an undeniable truth of the world.

"No, no, that's not what I meant..." Aaron waved his hands again, speaking in a fluster.

Why am I making this worse the more I explain?

Arlong ignored Aaron's explanation. Bracing his hands on the armrests, he stood up, his towering body completely enveloping Aaron. "Words alone are too hollow. Come with me. I'll show you the great power of the Fish-Man race!"

Then Arlong said to a Fish-Man beside him, "Keep an eye on the pirate hunter. Don't let him run."

"Yes, Boss Arlong!"

Nami followed Arlong out as well. Taking advantage of his inattention, she quietly said to Zoro, "Run. While Arlong is out."

"You..." Zoro stared blankly at Nami's retreating figure.

"This is Cocoyasi Village." Arlong introduced it to Aaron. "It is one of the dozen or so towns ruled by the Arlong Pirates, and also the starting point of my Arlong Empire!" As he spoke, Arlong threw his arms wide. "I will dominate the entire East Blue and build a kingdom for Fish-Men here! The Arlong Empire!"

He did not hide his ambitions in the slightest. Seeing the villagers' frightened, hateful, yet helpless expressions filled Arlong with immense satisfaction.

Arlong lowered his head and looked at the dazed Aaron. Suddenly, he spoke in a loud, enticing voice, "Well, Aaron! You've felt my power now, haven't you? As long as you join us, you can share in this power!"

He looked like the leader of some fanatical cult.

"Uh... sir, I don't think I know your name yet." Unfortunately, Arlong's words were far too profound for Aaron. He had not understood them at all. Scratching his head, he looked at Arlong awkwardly and asked.

"..." Arlong's face went as foul as if he had eaten shit. He stared at the innocent-looking Aaron, blood vessels slowly spreading through his eyes. He looked ready to tear Aaron apart.

"Hey, brat! You don't even know Boss Arlong's name? Boss Arlong is the undisputed overlord of the East Blue! That so-called pirate admiral isn't even worthy of carrying Boss Arlong's shoes!" At that moment, a Fish-Man spoke up at just the right time, easing Arlong's embarrassment. Arlong's expression softened slightly as well.

"Sorry..." Aaron scratched his head and said awkwardly, "I've been at sea for less than a month, so I don't know much about some things..."

"Sha-hahaha!" Arlong interrupted Aaron with a laugh. "No matter, no matter. You'll understand soon enough, right, Nami?"

He looked at Nami, who stood nearby with a slightly uneasy expression.

"Ah, ah, right, yes..." Nami answered absentmindedly.

"Heh heh heh heh..." Seeing Nami's expression, Arlong said nothing and strode ahead.

Aaron lagged behind and walked alongside Nami. He asked softly, "Hey, Nami, what's going on? Why did you become Mr. Arlong's navigator? Aren't you the navigator of our pirate crew?"

"I was only deceiving you," Nami answered flatly, without a trace of expression on her face.

"Ah?! You were deceiving us? How could you?" Aaron's face immediately crumpled, his eyes filling with tears that looked ready to fall at any moment.

"What's wrong, Aaron? Nami, hurry up and catch up!" Arlong suddenly shouted from afar.

"Okay, Mr. Arlong!" Aaron wiped his eyes and looked at Nami. "Nami... even though you deceived us, I still think of you as a companion." With that, he ran off.

"..." Nami watched Aaron's retreating figure, biting her lip as her entire body tensed.

That was the only way to keep her tears from falling.

"What were you talking about with Nami, Aaron?" Arlong asked casually.

"Nami deceived us..." Aaron's voice was full of grievance.

"Sha-hahahahaha! That's only how she treats outsiders. She's our good companion! As long as you join us, Nami won't deceive you anymore!" Arlong continued trying to recruit Aaron, though his patience was nearly exhausted.

People with healing abilities were rare even throughout the Grand Line, but if Aaron refused to appreciate the favor being shown to him, then Arlong would have no choice but to get rid of him.

Arlong stared at Aaron, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.

"Well, well! Isn't this the rebel Genzo?" As they walked, Arlong suddenly spoke. Hearing him, Aaron looked up.

A man sat brazenly atop a wine barrel. His face was covered in frightening stitch marks, and he wore a police cap with a windmill stuck into it, making for an absurd sight.

Hearing Arlong call out, he raised his head slightly and stared at him. "What are you doing here, Arlong?"

"Sha-hahaha! As the ruler of this village, isn't it only natural that I inspect my territory? But you..." He picked up the hunting rifle beside Genzo. "What do you intend to do with this contraband?"

"It's just a collector's hobby. Are you going to control that too?" Genzo said without even looking up.

"Oh? Is that so? Sha-hahahahaha..." Arlong gave a strange laugh, then suddenly grabbed Genzo by the head and lifted him straight into the air. "Then it should be fine if I kill you, right?"

"What?!" "You bastard!"

Seeing Arlong's actions, the nearby villagers all picked up kitchen knives and fish spears, watching him warily.

"Mr. Arlong, what are you doing?! Let him go! You're going to crush that man to death!" Aaron spun around in panic.

"This is the fate of rebels!" Arlong ignored Aaron. He raised his other hand high, sharp claws gleaming coldly beneath the sunlight.

Then he brought it down viciously!

Bang!

Just as Arlong was about to split Genzo's skull open, a Justice Drop suddenly flew in from afar and smashed Arlong right in the head.

An explosion erupted atop Arlong's head, and the swirling smoke obscured everyone's view of him.

"I am Usopp, pirate captain of eight thousand men! If you know what's good for you, put down your weapons and surrender immediately!" Usopp shakily stood up atop a house, hands on his hips as he shouted down at the Fish-Men.

"Usopp?!" Nami and Aaron cried out in unison.

"You dared to harm our great Fish-Men." As the smoke cleared, Arlong was completely unscathed. Not even his skin had been scratched.

But Usopp's shot had still had some effect.

Arlong had gone berserk.

He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around one of the house's supporting pillars, and flexed every muscle in his body. "A mere human!" He forcibly ripped the entire house out of its foundation.

"What?!" Usopp stared at Arlong in disbelief. "Is he a monster?!"

Arlong hurled it violently to the side.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, aaahhh!" Usopp hurriedly grabbed onto the roof tiles to keep from being flung off.

"Catch him!" After showing off his strength, Arlong panted heavily. Seeing Usopp still jumping around alive and well, he waved his hand.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Aaron ran forward and blocked Arlong. "Can't you let him go? He didn't do it on purpose..."

"Let him go? What a joke! He just harmed a great Fish-Man!"

"But didn't you almost kill that gentleman just now? That makes you even," Aaron said, pointing at Genzo, who was coughing nearby.

"..." Arlong looked at Genzo, then turned back to Aaron and stared at him without speaking. He simply waved his hand. His men understood and went around Aaron to chase Usopp.

"Hey, hey! Stop chasing him!" Aaron tried frantically to stop them.

"Aaron..." Arlong suddenly said. "How can Fish-Men possibly be the same as humans? Fish-Men are strong, intelligent, and highly evolved creatures! How could mere humans compare to Fish-Men?"

His voice grew louder and louder, but rather than trying to convince Aaron, it seemed more like he was trying to convince himself.

"Why divide everyone into higher and lower? We're all people. Wouldn't it be better to happily be friends?" Aaron truly could not understand Arlong's way of thinking.

At those words, Arlong's eyes suddenly filled with blood. He remembered his past: his days as a slave, his days as a member of the Sun Pirates, his days as a prisoner in Impel Down, and so much more...

"Fish-Men and humans can coexist peacefully!" That had been the ideal proposed by Otohime, queen of Fish-Man Island.

"Impossible!" Arlong remembered Fisher Tiger, who had helped humans only to be betrayed by them and die.

"Humans and Fish-Men can never coexist! Fish-Men are destined to rule over humans!" he roared.

"But..." Startled by Arlong's sudden roar, Aaron opened his mouth, wanting to say more.

"Shut up! You don't understand anything!" Arlong roared. Seeing Aaron's frightened expression, he snorted and turned away. "Kuroobi, kill this brat for me!"

"Understood." Kuroobi approached with a solemn expression.

At some point, he had returned to his usual self.

Kuroobi stared at Aaron and sighed. He did not particularly dislike this innocent boy, but he had no choice but to carry out Arlong's order.

"Blame it on the fact that you're human!" As he spoke, Kuroobi stepped back with his right foot, lowered his stance slightly, and drew his right fist to his waist.

"..." Aaron, who had still wanted to call Arlong back, was drawn in by Kuroobi's stance. He stared at Kuroobi without blinking.

Why does that stance... feel so familiar? Aaron wondered.

Fish-Man Karate, Thousand Brick Fist!

The force behind the punch was so violent that the air before his fist exploded apart, scattering in every direction. The deafening blast sent fear into everyone's hearts.

Whoosh!

Aaron, taking the blow head-on, was naturally sent flying.

He tore through tree after tree like a cannonball.

Yet Aaron still looked dazed, his lips continuing to murmur,

"Why does it feel like... I know karate too?"