Sea Calendar 1512.
East Blue.
Gellome Islands, Cocoyashi Village.
The sun shone brightly, and the sea breeze blew gently. Seagulls occasionally soared across the sky, while the village was filled with a peaceful, tranquil atmosphere.
A ship with a red hull, a pointed shark-shaped prow, and a black sail bearing the image of a red shark suddenly rammed into the dock and came to a stop.
"Pirates are here! Everyone, hide..."
"Pirates have docked! Everyone, run!"
"That's... the Arlong Pirates!?
Could the rumors about the Fish-Man Pirates splitting up be true?"
On the village's dirt road, a young man ran wildly while shouting at the top of his lungs, shattering the village's peaceful atmosphere and sending the villagers into a panic. People hurried into their homes, preparing to gather their money and flee.
"Shahahahaha!"
Accompanied by an outrageously arrogant laugh, a purple-skinned sawshark fish-man in a black hood led a group of fish-men into the village.
"Hello there!
Useless humans, from this moment on, this village...
No! From now on, this entire island will be under my control!" Arlong spread his arms and laughed toward the sky.
"Listen carefully. On this memorable day, you will buy your own lives from me with money!
One hundred thousand Belly for adults, fifty thousand Belly for children... Anyone who can't pay dies!
And from now on, you'll have to offer up that much money every month. Otherwise, you'll still die... Do you understand?"
After saying that, Arlong waved his hand, ordering the twenty underlings behind him to begin collecting protection money from each household.
With the Arlong Pirates looking so menacing, the villagers could only swallow their anger and obediently hand over their money. They planned to find a chance later to report the matter to the Marines...
Before long, with the villagers'