"Arlong? That lowly rotten fish dared lay a hand on someone I've taken a liking to?"
Lei En hung up the Den Den Mushi.
A flash of chillingly benevolent coldness flickered through his deep black eyes.
A terrifying killing intent, though he tried his utmost to restrain it, still spread uncontrollably from him, suffocating everyone around him.
Kuina and Kuro, standing beside him, both shuddered.
Kuro especially had personally seen his boss stomp a great pirate of Don Krieg's caliber like a dog.
Now that he saw Lei En's expression, he knew that fish-man named Arlong was truly in for a disaster this time.
"Set sail."
Lei En's voice was not loud, but his tone carried an unquestionable dominance.
"Destination: Cocoyasi Village."
"I want to see just what that worthless fish is made of, daring to snatch someone from Heavenly Court!"
"Yes, sir!"
Dadi immediately turned the helm. The massive, luxurious Heavenly Court Thunder God instantly carved a graceful white arc across the sea as it sped toward Cocoyasi Village at full speed.
Meanwhile.
At the border of Goa Kingdom, Cocoyasi Village.
The beautiful village, once peaceful and tranquil and filled with orange trees, was now shrouded beneath an unfathomable cloud of despair.
A light drizzle fell from the sky, as if even heaven itself was weeping for the village.
The village square was a complete mess.
"Why... why did this happen..."
A young girl with beautiful short orange hair and a lovely figure knelt helplessly on the muddy street.
Her eyes were red, and tears mixed with rainwater streamed down her face.
Nami.
This strong girl had been enslaved by the Arlong Pirates for eight full years, misunderstood by the villagers, yet still desperately saved money in secret, all to buy back the village's freedom.
At this moment, her world had completely fallen apart.
Just a few hours ago.
The one hundred million Beli she had painstakingly gathered, resorting to deceit and trickery and even risking her life to earn.
Had all been seized by Colonel Nezumi, the extraordinarily greedy and despicable Marine officer who had colluded with Arlong, under the pretense of "confiscating stolen goods"!
Eight years of humiliation!
Eight years of enduring disgrace!
Eight years of hard work!
All of it had become an utterly laughable illusion through Arlong's collusion with the Marines!
"Arlong... you liar!!!"
Nami recalled the piercing, mocking, taunting laughter of the fish-men when she had rushed into Arlong Park to confront him.
She felt as though her heart were bleeding.
From the very beginning, Arlong had never intended to honor their agreement to "buy back the village for one hundred million Beli."
He had merely treated her as a tool that could endlessly provide exquisite sea charts while making money for them for free!
"It's useless... it's all over..."
Nami's hands clawed desperately into the mud, her fingernails digging deeply into the earth.
Once the villagers learned the truth, they could no longer endure this inhuman torment.
Led by Genzo, the village sheriff, all the able-bodied adults, and even the elderly, picked up hoes, sickles, and kitchen knives.
Resolved to die, they marched in a mighty procession toward Arlong Park.
"Everyone... don't go! You'll die!"
Nami tried to stop them, but the villagers only gave her tragically resolute yet relieved smiles.
"That's enough, Nami. You've done more than enough for us."
Uncle Genzo patted her shoulder.
"From here on, it's the battle of us adults. Even if we die, we'll die like men of Cocoyasi Village!"
The villagers' figures gradually disappeared into the curtain of rain.
Nami knelt alone in the empty street, feeling an absolute despair as though she had fallen into an abyss.
She knew that once the villagers went, they would have no chance of survival.
The strength of fish-men was simply not something ordinary humans could contend with.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
Nami let out a shrill scream filled with grief and fury.
She suddenly pulled out the dagger strapped to her leg.
She looked at the black tattoo on her left arm, the mark of the Arlong Pirates that filled her with disgust and humiliation.
"Die! Die! Die!"
Like a madwoman, she stabbed the tattoo over and over with her dagger!
Blood mixed with rainwater and flowed down, staining her arm red.
Yet she seemed unable to feel any pain, mechanically repeating this act of self-harm.
"Someone... someone save us..."
Nami's voice had gone hoarse, and tears blurred her vision.
She had thought she could face everything with strength, but now, she truly could not hold on any longer.
"Luffy... Zoro..."
The idiots who had once invited her aboard their ship, only for her to cruelly reject them, flashed through her mind.
"If... if it were you..."
Nami's movements gradually slowed, and the dagger slipped weakly into the muddy water.
She raised her head, allowing the cold rain to strike her face.
"Help me... can someone come help me..."
Just as Nami's will was about to collapse completely and she was ready to give up on everything.
"Rumble—!"
An exceptionally deep, oppressive peal of thunder suddenly rang out from the sky!
The gray sky, which had only been drizzling moments ago.
Without warning, was engulfed at a terrifying speed visible to the naked eye by an enormous mass of thick, ink-black thunderclouds!
The thunderclouds covered all of Cocoyasi Village, completely blocking out even the sunlight.
A terrifying pressure, like Heavenly Might itself, descended in an instant!
"Th-this... what is happening?"
Nami stared blankly at the sky, forgetting to cry.
Even the villagers advancing toward Arlong Park stopped in terror.
Before they could react.
"Crackle—!!!"
A gigantic blue pillar of lightning, more than ten meters across and blindingly bright, shot down like a spear of punishment hurled by a god!
Carrying berserk power capable of destroying heaven and earth, it tore through the black clouds!
It struck with perfect accuracy, smashing fiercely into the central tower of Arlong Park, the towering symbol of fish-man rule in the distance!
"Boom—!!!"
A deafening explosion resounded through the heavens!
The tower, which had seemed indestructible to the villagers, was blasted into flying rubble and dust by the raging lightning the instant it was struck, like a fragile house of cards!
The terrifying shockwave whipped up a fierce gale, making the orange trees of Cocoyasi Village rustle violently.
Nami's mouth fell open at the sudden turn of events.
She stared blankly at the collapsing tower of Arlong Park.
A lazy voice, carrying hints of mockery and unquestionable dominance, suddenly drifted down from above her head.
"When you run into trouble, instead of calling for help, what kind of skill is hurting yourself?"
Before you continue