I Can Copy Any Talent in the World of One Piece

Two years were enough for Luffy to go from a foolish kid to the "Fifth Emperor" of the New World. They were enough for Zoro to become a master swordsman with few rivals, and for Nami and Robin to grow into beautiful women.

Everything changed with the passage of time.

Over those two years, vicious pirates kept emerging in the East Blue, the so-called "Weakest Sea."

Most of them would have been cannon fodder on the Grand Line, but in the East Blue, they could still do as they pleased.

The World Government's Marines enforced justice here, but they could not keep up with the rate at which pirates appeared.

From that perspective alone, Roger, who had ushered in the Great Pirate Era, was no saint.

With a single sentence, he had stirred greed in countless people, sending them after an elusive treasure and to their deaths at sea.

Countless others had seen their homes trampled by pirates and their families torn apart.

Whatever Roger's true purpose had been, he deserved his share of the blame for that suffering.

Some pirates were not after the so-called One Piece at all. They simply preyed on others to live in luxury.

But the world laid their crimes at Roger's feet too, because he had given them an excuse.

An excuse to ride the tide of a new era.

In the original story, the Marines stood against the protagonists, but that did not make them villains.

On the contrary, without the Marines who fought for justice, there was no telling how chaotic the East Blue would have become.

But in this world, causing harm was far easier than doing good.

Ending this turbulent Great Pirate Era would be no simple task.

And not every Marine stood for peace and justice.

On one island stood a G-16 Marine Branch base under the direct command of Marine Headquarters. It was only one of the branch's bases.

After all, the Marines had a presence across all four seas. They were very good at establishing outposts.

The officer in charge of this base was a captain, and he was receiving a special guest.

Inside the office, copper chests were opened one after another, revealing gold and silver treasures that gleamed within!

There was a staggering amount. The captain's eyes were drawn to it at once.

The captain wore a mouse-eared cap and had a long, thin face, a pointed nose, and three repulsive whiskers sticking out from each cheek. Greed shone in his narrow eyes.

"Captain Nezumi, are you pleased with my gift?"

A rough voice rang out. The guest sitting across from Captain Nezumi bared his sharp teeth in a grin.

He had sea-blue skin, a long sawtooth nose, a shark's face, and webbed hands. Dressed in shorts and an open short-sleeved shirt, he sat before Captain Nezumi with one leg propped up.

He was a Fish-Man—Arlong, the one Noil had feared all this time!

"Pleased? Of course I am!" As though bewitched, Captain Nezumi pressed his face against the treasure in a chest.

Then he picked up a gemstone, kissed it several times, and asked, "You've already attacked more than a dozen villages. Isn't that enough?"

Arlong threw back his head and laughed. "How could it be? My Arlong Empire will be far bigger than that!"

"Don't worry. As long as you keep these things quiet, there'll be plenty of money!"

Captain Nezumi grinned slyly. "Of course, of course."

Contempt flashed through Arlong's eyes. He rose to his full, imposing height and said:

"I'll be going, then. May fortune favor us both!"

"Haha! Safe travels!"

After leaving the Marine Branch base, Arlong went down to the shore, where his pirate ship was moored.

A red sawtooth shark and two skulls stood out against its black pirate flag. This was the Shark Superb, the ship that had carried Arlong and his crew on their rampages.

When Arlong returned to the Shark Superb, the Fish-Men aboard crowded around him. "Is it done?"

"Of course!" Arlong replied.

He's just a greedy little human. If I weren't worried about alerting the Marines above him, I'd never hand over money to a disgusting human!

Arlong thought with contempt. Ever since a Marine Vice Admiral with a sleazy look had defeated him with ease on the Grand Line years ago, he had grown even more cunning and cautious.

Otherwise, Arlong could have crushed ten men like Captain Nezumi with one hand!

After mourning the money he had spent, Arlong looked at the sea chart spread across the table.

He slapped his huge webbed hand onto the chart. His savage face hidden in shadow, he sneered:

"My Arlong Empire starts here!"

He lifted his hand. The place marked on the chart was Noil's hometown—Cocoyasi Village!

The Return

BOOM!!

In Cocoyasi Village, the usually peaceful streets lay in ruins. Terrified villagers fled in every direction.

Another house collapsed with a crash. Beside it, a Fish-Man casually withdrew his hand.

"Hahahaha!!"

A group of burly Fish-Men watched the humans scatter and laughed wildly.

"Just as I thought. An inferior species can't even fight back!" Arlong, leader of the Arlong Pirates, glared at the villagers and mocked them without restraint.

"Shut up!! You damn pirates!" Genzo, the village policeman, stepped forward and shouted at them.

Behind him stood a group of villagers holding weapons. Fear showed on every face, but they still stood before the Fish-Men.

They were afraid, but they had to stand up!

Two years ago, a child had protected their village. None of them had shown it, but they still felt ashamed.

They had to defend their own home!

Genzo mustered his courage, grabbed an iron rod, and led the others in a charge!

But ordinary people like them could not bridge the gap in strength between their races.

Arlong looked at the humans trying to resist with disdain. "Chew! Show them what you can do!"

A tall, thin kissing gourami Fish-Man stepped out from beside Arlong. His long mouth resembled that of an archerfish, and he wore lipstick.

The Fish-Man called Chew stared at them with dull, lifeless eyes. Then he lowered his head and fired several jets of water from his long mouth!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The rapid impacts rang out. The water jets struck Genzo and the villagers charging with him, sending them down one after another like dominoes.

The villagers clutched their wounds and groaned in pain. Genzo's face twisted with frustration!

Why?!

Were all Fish-Men this strong?!

They hadn't even tried, and they'd taken every one of us down!

Bellemere stood with the villagers, fury in her eyes, holding Nami's hand in one hand and Nojiko's in the other.

The two little girls huddled fearfully behind Bellemere's legs. Nojiko thought anxiously, Big brother, where are you...?

Seeing fear on every face, Arlong felt even better and burst into triumphant laughter.

"Fish-Men are born a superior race! A filthy species like humanity shouldn't even exist!"

"For mere humans to defy Fish-Man rule is to defy the laws of nature!"

The helplessness of the humans he hated filled Arlong with delight. He spread five fingers. "If you want to live, you'll have to pay for it!"

"Fifty thousand Beli for a child, a hundred thousand for an adult. Fair, isn't it?"

"Living in my Arlong Empire will be the greatest honor of your lives!"

The villagers lowered their heads in humiliation. Genzo roared in anger, "Damn Fish-Men! We'll never agree to that!"

Arlong's thick brows drew together. Kuroobi, the cartilaginous Fish-Man beside him, shot forward.

He threw a vicious punch that sent Genzo flying, blood spurting uncontrollably from his mouth.

Barely clinging to life, Genzo collapsed to his knees. Kuroobi stared at him without expression. "Do not resist the Fish-Men!"

Seeing Genzo fall, someone finally broke under the crushing pressure.

"We're no match for them... We should just pay."

"You! What are you saying?!"

"None of us can fight back. Refusing to pay will only get us killed..."

"No one can beat them..."

Arlong watched the crowd's resistance crumble, and a smile spread across his face.

"That's not true!"

A young voice rang out. Arlong's smile froze.

At some point, Nami had slipped out from behind Bellemere. "My big brother Noil is the strongest!"

"You stinking Fish-Men! Noil won't let you get away with this!"

Noil. They all knew that name.

The villagers suddenly remembered the ten-year-old boy who had taken up a sword, defeated a pirate with a fifteen-million-Beli bounty, and sunk a pirate ship.

A spark of hope lit Genzo's eyes. He struggled to his feet, murmuring, "That's right. Noil's still out there..."

"If that little brat comes back and finds things like this, he'll laugh at me!"

It was as though the villagers' fighting spirit had been rekindled. Arlong fixed his eyes on Nami, puzzled.

Who was Noil? Some strong fighter from this village?

How strong could anyone from a tiny village be?

Bellemere hurriedly pulled Nami back and shielded her from Arlong's murderous glare.

Arlong turned to Kuroobi and ordered, "Kill that man. Let them see some blood!"

"Yes!"

Kuroobi picked up a sword lying nearby. His face cold, he raised it and swung!

"Genzo!"

"Genzo!"

The villagers shouted in fury, but the descending blade did not slow.

At the last possible instant, a fierce gust swept in, and a figure flashed into view!

Clang!!

No blood appeared. Instead, a crisp clash of metal rang out.

Kuroobi stared in shock at the hand that had caught his blade. It was black as ink!

Haki? How?!

He looked up. The newcomer was wrapped in a heavy cloak, but beneath the hood was a face impossibly young!

What?!

Arlong's eyes widened at the sight of him.

"Genzo, I only just got back. How did so much trash get into the village?"

"You haven't been looking after the place, have you?"

Genzo stared at the cloaked man in delight. He would have recognized that voice anywhere!

When this little terror had been a child, Genzo had lost more leg hair to him than he cared to remember!

The man slowly pulled back his hood, revealing a handsome, carefree face.

He had short, soft black hair, sharp brows, and deep eyes that seemed to hold black holes—mysterious and dangerously captivating!