"No, that's wrong! Your eye color is wrong!"
"I %￥#￥@#"
╰(艹皿艹 )!
Are you freaking done yet?
Xia Chen appeared in front of Luffy in an instant with Soru, then brought his Armament Haki-coated fist down on him.
Clang!
"Ow, ow!"
Luffy clutched the swollen bump on his head and shouted.
"So... do you think I'm me now?" Xia Chen's sinister voice made Luffy look up despite himself.
The sight of Xia Chen's menacing face made him shrink back. He hurriedly answered:
"Yes, yes, you're Xia Chen!"
As he answered, he scrambled up and backed away.
Zoro looked at Xia Chen and asked, "What was that state you were in just now? Why were you giving off such powerful killing intent?"
"Oh, that!"
"My ability evolved, and a little problem came up. I was controlled by killing intent at the time, so I ran over here and slaughtered all these Fish-Men!"
"The color of my eyes right now is another change caused by my ability evolving."
"Huh?" Nami couldn't help exclaiming at that, then asked anxiously:
"Then could that killing intent still control you now? You were so scary just now!"
"Y-yeah, I thought so too!" Usopp said shakily after getting to his feet.
"You looked like you wanted to kill us all!" Zoro added flatly from the side.
"Relax, it's fine. This was just a little accident. I can control that killing intent now!"
"Didn't you see that I could talk to you normally even in that form just now?"
Hearing Xia Chen say that he could control the killing intent, everyone couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief.
The killing intent he had released for that brief instant had nearly made them think he was going to slaughter them!
That scared the life out of me!
Xia Chen glanced at the carnage around him and couldn't help rubbing his nose.
But he felt no guilt. Arlong had never been any good, and the humans he had killed were beyond counting.
Nami had also spent so many miserable years at his hands.
What Xia Chen had done was entirely a public service. He even thought he deserved a banner of commendation!
Then Xia Chen turned his gaze to Nami and said with a faint smile:
"Nami, you're free!"
"Yes, I'm free!" Nami replied with an equally happy smile.
Luffy had regained his courage too, and yelled at Xia Chen, "You're so sneaky, Xia Chen! I was all ready to send Arlong flying, but you stole the whole thing!"
"Exactly. You took out all the prey by yourself. Talk about selfish!" Zoro curled his lip from the side.
"True. I was hoping to study Fish-Man anatomy so I could handle ingredients better!" That was Sanji.
"I actually don't mind at all. I'm all for you beating my opponent for me!"
As for that cowardly remark, no one but Usopp could have said it.
Xia Chen said nothing in response. Instead, he raised his hand slightly and pointed at Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji in turn.
"You, you, and you!"
"You're all trash!"
"What? What did you say?" The three immediately lost their patience, their eyes blazing with anger as they looked at Xia Chen.
"What? Am I wrong?"
"An idiot captain, a half-dead third-rate swordsman, and a curly-browed pervert cook."
"What's wrong with calling you trash?"
"Or do you think comparing you to trash insults the word 'trash'? In that case, I apologize!"
"It really does seem a little insulting to trash!"
Xia Chen wanted to keep going, but the three had already reached their limit.
"Get him! Beat him up!"
As soon as those words fell, all three lunged at Xia Chen.
"Hey, hey, hey! Three against one? Where's your martial honor?"
Watching them, Nami felt especially happy and couldn't help bursting into laughter.
Being with them really is so much fun!
Two days later, evening, Cocoyasi Village.
"Hey, Luffy! I had my eye on that piece of meat first! What do you think you're doing taking it?"
Xia Chen shouted at Luffy with a piece of meat between his teeth.
"You hadn't taken it. Just because you say you had your eye on it doesn't make it yours!" Luffy said dismissively.
"You little...!"
Xia Chen couldn't help clenching his fists, but then he seemed to think of something, and a sinister smile tugged at his lips.
Mess with me, will you? I'll teach you a lesson in a minute!
Seizing an opening, Xia Chen put all the meat in front of Luffy straight into his System Space, then took off.
"Huh?"
Luffy was eating away when he suddenly saw the meat before him disappear, leaving him stunned for a moment. But when he saw Xia Chen running off into the distance, he immediately understood.
He shouted in frustration, "Xia Chen, you're cheating!"
Without looking back, Xia Chen replied, "I got this meat with my own skills! How is that cheating?"
Watching Xia Chen get farther and farther away, Luffy jumped up in anger.
Fortunately, everything throughout Cocoyasi Village was self-serve this time, so he could get more when he ran out. Otherwise, he really would have bitten Xia Chen to death.
In one of the little alleys, Sanji slowly walked toward Zoro with a bottle of red wine, then sat down opposite him.
"It's pretty nice not having to cook myself once in a while!"
"Anyway, how are your wounds healing?"
After taking a swig, Zoro said, "Ah, they're fine. A little drinking is all wounds like these need!" With that, he took another swig.
"You really are..."
Sanji felt a little helpless. This boozehound.
Zoro said, "But it's already the third day. Is it still this lively?"
"That's how banquets are. After all, Arlong oppressed them for so many years. Now that they're finally free, it's only natural for them to be happy!"
"That's true!"
Sanji tossed the bottle of red wine in his hand to Zoro, then slowly stood up, saying, "All right, time for me to get down to business!"
"Beautiful ladies, here I come! (♡▽♡)"
(￢_￢)!
That pervert cook!
Elsewhere, Usopp was also having a wonderful time up on a raised platform, telling tales of his "bravery."
"You have no idea! Back then, I beat Arlong to a pulp with a single punch and made him fall to his knees and beg for mercy..."
"Awesome! You're amazing..."
The whole village was immersed in a joyful atmosphere.
They enjoyed this free life without oppression!
Meanwhile, on a hillside on the island, a solitary grave stood quietly at the top.
An orange-haired girl was sitting before the grave, a happy smile on her face.