Defeating Chew

As the morning sun barely crested the horizon, Chew, one of Arlong's lieutenants, strode confidently into the heart of Cocoyashi Village. Beside him walked his companion, Kaneshiro—a goldfish fishman with large blue fins on either side of his head and a gold tattoo emblazoned on his forehead. They exude an aura of intimidation, the same oppressive force that had weighed down the villagers for years.

Chew's mere presence sent the villagers scurrying indoors, doors slamming shut amid hurried whispers. Mothers clutched their children tightly, silencing their cries with trembling hands.

The bravest among them could only watch from a distance, too powerless to act but too proud to hide.

"Come on out!" Kaneshiro's voice boomed, his straight teeth gleaming in the early morning light. "You know what time it is—tribute time!"

With an air of cold indifference, Chew casually kicked over a cart filled with fruit, sending apples and oranges tumbling across the dirt road. The older woman who owned the cart scrambled to gather them, each piece representing a month's worth of tribute and food for her grandson.

Chew sneered down at the frail woman, his expression twisted with disgust. Without hesitation, he crushed more fruit beneath his foot, watching her contemptuously.

"Please, no more, Your Highness!" she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "This is all I have."

"Don't talk back, human!" Kaneshiro snarled, pressing his foot down on the older woman's hands. "If you dare defy us fishmen, Arlong won't be pleased. And you don't want that, do you?"

Chew, seemingly bored, glanced around, his cold eyes sweeping over the deserted streets. "Where are the rest of you cowards, chew? Come out and pay what you owe us, chew!"

A young boy, barely ten, stepped hesitantly out of one of the houses, clutching a small pouch of coins in his trembling hands. He held it out to Chew, his voice barely a whisper. "This is all we have left."

Chew sneered as he snatched the pouch, casually counting the coins. "You think this measly amount will satisfy Arlong, chew? Maybe we should take something else from your family to compensate for this insult, chew."

The boy's mother cried out from the doorway, pulling her son back into her arms, but she didn't dare speak. The entire village was suffocating under the weight of Arlong's tyranny, each moment a painful reminder of their helplessness.

***

I watched from the shadows atop a rooftop, my heart pounding with fury. These fishmen were monsters, plain and simple. I couldn't stand by and let them continue tormenting the villagers. It was time to show them the meaning of vengeance.

Pulling my featureless mask over my face, I became the Ghost—the faceless one. Silently, I loaded a fire bolt into my crossbow and aimed.

The bolt whistled through the air, striking Chew square in the back of the head. He stumbled forward, clutching his skull in shock.

"Who dares chew?!" he roared, spinning around in a rage.

I moved swiftly, leaping silently from roof to roof, observing the singed patch of hair on Chew's head. Despite the impact, he still stood, albeit shakily; he was more challenging than the fishmen I had dealt with two days ago.

Kaneshiro's eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a snarl. "Who dares to attack the Arlong Pirates? Don't hide like a coward! Show yourself!"

I silently loaded another fire bolt, carefully aiming my crossbow at Chew's smoldering head. If I could take him down, dealing with Kaneshiro would be much easier.

Chew stood tense, his eyes darting left and right, his right hand pressed firmly against his smoking, bleeding head.

Kaneshiro continued to roar in fury, his voice echoing through the village. I steadied my aim on Chew again, ready to pull the trigger. But before I could fire, I caught sight of Carmen. She walked toward the two stunned fishmen with an elegant, almost casual grace, utterly unfazed by their rage.

"And now, stronzos," Carmen purred with a menacing grin, her amber eyes glowing brightly, "it's time for a firestorm."

"Carmen! No!" Kaya shouted as she ran out from behind one of the houses.

"That showy cook," Sham muttered, stepping into view in her skin-tight Catwoman outfit. "Master told you not to step in unless he desperately needed it."

With a dramatic flourish, Carmen removed her condensed seawater bracelet, unleashing a torrent of flames from her hands. The fire roared to life, engulfing Chew. His screams echoed through the village as he thrashed, desperately trying to extinguish the unrelenting blaze.

"Tempesta di Fuoco!" Carmen shouted as she unleashed another wave of fire, this time aimed directly at Kaneshiro's stunned face.

The blaze caught Kaneahiro, his body engulfed in flames as he fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Carmen's fiery wrath reduced the two fishmen to charred wrecks of their former selves.

I watched as Carmen hastily slipped her bracelet back on, the flames around her hands fading and absorbing into her skin. Her glowing amber eyes softened, returning to their usual pink hue.

"Nice work, Carmen! But remember, I told you to wait until I needed the help. Still, you did a great job," I said with a grin, glancing at the pinkette. She beamed back at me, her smile radiant.

"Does that mean more love for me later, husband?" she teased, her voice playful.

I sighed inwardly. I might have created a monster—but at least Carmen wasn't depressed anymore.

I tied the two burnt fishmen to posts erected in the center of the village, their bodies still smoking from Carmen's attack. The villagers began to emerge from their homes, cautiously approaching the scene with wide eyes and hushed whispers.

Chew, damned to his rigid body, was still alive, though he was in no condition to fight. I could barely hear labored breath coming from his burnt mouth.

Kaneshiro was dead on the spot; the poor fishman was burnt to a crisp by Carmen's fire. Please remind me to never mess with her. 

"You… you think you've won?" Chew rasped, his voice hoarse from the pain. "Arlong… will make you pay for this."

I crossed my arms, meeting the fishman's gaze with unwavering confidence. "Let him come. We'll take him down like we did you, mighty fishman."

Behind me, Carmen was already reaching to remove her bracelet, flames flickering ominously around her delicate hands. With an annoyed smirk, she muttered, "Ai putata. Perhaps I should've turned up the heat on that firestorm."

"Carmen, you've done enough," I put my hands on her breast and kneaded it a little, "I'll touch you more If you'd let me do the talking."

Carmen could only nod numbly, her breath hitching as her skin glowed softly, the temperature around her rising slightly.

Beside me, Kaya knelt beside the frail older woman, her eyes reflecting relief and sorrow. With the practiced grace of a medic, she gently examined the woman's injured hands. Opening her medical bag, Kaya retrieved a bottle of alcohol, carefully cleaning the blood from the older woman's wounds with tender precision.

The villagers around began to approach the two burnt fishmen slowly. 

Nojiko stepped forward, her face a mask of disbelief. She glanced at the two charred fishmen, then at Carmen.

Carmen was in her own world. Her cheeks flushed red, her eyes and entire body glowed amber, and she hugged herself.

"This crazy cook is beyond saving," Sham muttered from the side.

"You did it," she added quietly, shaking her head in disbelief. "You took down two of Arlong's men—one of them was an officer."

Dr. Nako, the village's elderly doctor, approached, his face etched with exhaustion and renewed hope. "You… you've given these people something they haven't felt in years," he said softly.

Deep down, I grinned beneath my mask, knowing this was just the beginning. Arlong was still out there, and he wouldn't take this lightly. I had to hold onto the element of surprise.

Nojiko, still looking at the charred fishmen on the pole, glanced at me, her expression softening just a little. "Maybe you're not as full of it as I thought, Faceless One."

I smirked, adjusting my mask. "So, what do you think of my custom-made rifles?"

"I haven't tried it yet. Why?" Nojiko asked, her brows furrowing.

"You'll see soon enough," I replied with a confident grin.