Fat Blue

"The Pirate's Void Throne!"

Arlong's heart trembled with fear on Fishman Street as he looked at Rox under his toothed knife, his face incredibly pale. 

"Don't worry, I don't intend to kill you. Just tell me honestly where Shempin is."

Rox glanced at Arlong, his tone indifferent. "But, damn it! Who would tell you, this monster, where Big Brother Shempin is? Go to hell!" 

Perhaps the fear in his heart was abandoned to protect his big brother, and Arlong roared, gathering all his strength to strike at Rox.

"Buzz!"

"What!"

Just as Arlong's toothed knife was about five centimetres away from Rox, it was directly clamped by Rox's two fingers. 

Rox effortlessly blocked the strike that had gathered all his strength, and Arlong's fear and shock could be imagined.

Rox applied a gentle force with his two fingers, easily breaking the blade of the toothed knife. "Good resolve; you're not bad at all." 

Casually tossing the broken blade between his fingers onto the ground, Rox praised as he looked at the pale-faced Arlong, who kept retreating.

Rox always held in high regard those foolish enough to sacrifice their lives to protect someone important to them. 

"That's enough for now. I came to find Shempin, not for anything else, but to invite him to join my pirate crew."

"After all, Fisher Tiger praised him so highly before me." Rox recalled how Tiger tirelessly promoted his younger brother to him, unconsciously showing a faint smile.

"T-Tiger, Big Brother! Human! Do you know Tiger, Big Brother? Have you seen him somewhere?" 

Hearing Rox mention Tiger, Arlong instantly discarded his fear, excitedly grabbing Rox's shoulder and shaking his body.

Annoyed by Arlong's shaking, Rox directly activated his ability. An invisible gravity wave instantly pressed down on Arlong's entire body. 

However, because Rox didn't intend to harm him, the gravity he applied to Arlong wasn't too strong, just enough to pin him down and immobilize him.

Nevertheless, although pinned down, Arlong remembered asking about Tiger's whereabouts. "Damn human, quickly tell me where Tiger Big Brother is!"

Watching Arlong struggle on the ground, Rox scratched his ear.

"Well, I don't know where Tiger is now. He might still be in the Sabaody Archipelago or have started a new journey on his own."

Rox squatted down, teasing Arlong. "Do you want to go find him?" Looking at Arlong, Rox suddenly smiled and asked. "Of course! 

If it weren't for Brother Shempin not letting me go out alone, I would've set sail to find Tiger Big Brother long ago!" Arlong, gritting his teeth, looked at Rox with an aggressive tone.

"Heh, do you want to join my crew and become a crew member, then go with me to find Tiger?"

"......" 

Arlong looked at Rox, who was smiling with a confused expression. 

"What kind of joke is this? How could I, the great Arlong, join a despicable human pirate crew? Even if it means death, there's no way I'd join your ship!"

After the initial confusion, Arlong responded with a roar directed at Rox. However, Rox didn't mind Arlong's refusal. He didn't believe Arlong wouldn't join once Shempin was on the ship.

The "True Aroma Law" isn't so easily broken. As for why he suddenly invited Arlong onto his ship, it was simply because Rox liked fools like Arlong.

Rox released the gravity restraining Arlong's body, stood up, and walked towards the depths of Fishman Street. Watching Rox's departing figure, Arlong was surprised.

Because Rox's direction was exactly where Shempin was. Arlong feared that Rox might harm Shempin and wanted to know where Tiger was. 

He quickly got up despite the pain and chased after them. "Hey! Human bastard! Tell me quickly, where is Tiger Big Brother? 

Otherwise, when Brother Shempin beats you up later, I won't help you beg for mercy!"

Rox glanced at the limping Arlong, who followed behind him, constantly muttering various threats. "Arlong, remember to call me Captain Rox or Rox Boss. 

Also, as a little brother, you should respect your big brother. And by the way, do you think Shempin can defeat me?"

Hearing Rox's words, Arlong gritted his teeth and forced a fierce expression. 

After all, the current Arlong might look mature and robust, but he was still just a teenager, protected by his big brother and hadn't seen much of the world.

Seeing Arlong's expression, Rox chuckled and didn't say much.

Half an hour later, Rox and Arlong finally arrived at a place deep within Fishman Street.

Seeing the vast orphanage in front of him, Rox was somewhat surprised. Arlong seemed a regular visitor, as a group of children immediately ran towards him upon his arrival.

"Hehehe, Arlong Big Brother is here!"

"Quick, everyone, Arlong Big Brother is here!"

"Big Brother Shempin, Arlong, Big Brother brought a human with him!" A blue chubby guy carrying goods was surprised upon hearing about Arlong's arrival.

He couldn't believe Arlong, who usually only caused trouble and was lazy, would come to the orphanage. Either he caused a problem again, or he was in trouble.

And when he heard from a certain octopus fishman that Arlong had brought a human, he became even more confident of his thoughts.

"Arlong! You bastard! Didn't I tell you a while ago? Stay at home and behave; don't wander around lately!" Angrily, Shempin walked out of the orphanage. However, the moment he saw Rox, his nerves tensed up completely. 

Although Rox was standing there without making any moves, his intuition told him that the other person was strong and vital to a frightening extent.

And when he saw the bruised and battered Arlong behind Rox, Shempin's anger surged. His little brother turned into a pig's head. How could he tolerate this?

Shempin stomped on the ground forcefully, flying towards Rox at high speed. "Human! You bastard! You dare to beat my little brother like this! I won't let you off!"

"Fishman Karate, Five Thousand Tile Straight Fist!" Shempin's fist quickly covered with a layer of black Haki, carrying a terrifying force, directly punched towards Rox's face.

Shempin's attack was a full force for Rox, with no room for holding back. Rox didn't expect that the young Shempin, whom he had known before, was so hot-tempered, immediately attacking without distinguishing friend from foe.

"Well, it's just as well; I'm curious to see how strong you are now!" Saying so, Rox drew the snow-white longsword from his waist, blocking Shempin's full-force punch.

"Boom!"

The collision of the fist and the sword sent a massive shockwave, blowing away the surrounding seawater and revealing a momentary vacuum zone. Ripples of welcome spread outward.

Arlong was blown away by the shockwaves the moment the two clashed. Box, with a smile on his face, observed the stern-faced Shempin.

"Not lousy strength; No wonder you're praised so highly by Tiger."