Chapter 4

Everyone gaped in fear, as the thirteen-year-old boy—Rowan—was now under Arlong's foot, drenched in blood. Judging by the boy's whitened eyes, he was knocked out without a doubt; Nojiko and Nami shivered, learning that not even them, the children, were safe from the Arlong pirates.

And then,

"Any last words?"

Arlong, once again, aimed his pistol at Bell-mere's forehead.

"...A-ah." Nami, overwhelmed by the wave of despair, whimpered.

Bell-mere, ignoring the blood that dripped down from her head, smiled softly; this was the end, she could tell.

"Thank you, Rowan." Bell-mere muttered, "And Nojiko, Nami…

…I love you."

BANG.

A gunshot, followed by the blood that sprayed over the ground. The pink-haired woman, Bell-mere, fell to the ground, dead.

BELL-MERE!!!!!

Nojiko and Nami screamed with their eyes full of tears. Their mother was brutally murdered in front of their own eyes, and they just couldn't bear it; they screamed and thrashed within the arms of Nako, who was exhibiting a dark expression of his own.

Nako gazed at the unconscious boy, Rowan, whose body was being stepped on by Arlong's right foot, '...Bell-mere's gone, and now, Rowan...'

"SHAHAHAHA!!!" Arlong laughed without control, "Under my rule, those without money shall die!!! Is that clear, you pathetic humans?!!"

Nako gritted his teeth with a cold sweat, 'I don't need a careful inspection to know just how that boy's injured! If he isn't treated as quickly as possible—'

PUK. Then, Arlong kicked the unconscious Rowan toward Nako and ordered,

"You. You are a doctor, aren't you?"

Nako glared at Arlong while moving Rowan to his side, protectively.

"Heal him. Now." Arlong glared at Rowan with contempt, "Just barely enough so that he doesn't die. Understood?"

Nako didn't respond. Instead, he took out a small medical kit he always carried with him, to which Arlong exhibited satisfaction before turning away.

Just then, one of the fish-men, who resembled an octopus in terms of appearance, came out from now-deceased Bell-mere's house with multiple papers in his hands,

"Arlong, look!" Said the fish-man, "I found some sea charts in this house! Hahah, will you look at this—nyu?!"

Nami, immediately running her way, grabbed those sea charts and yanked, "Give them back!!! I drew those maps!!!" Then, she teared up once more as her hands lost their strength, "I... I'm going to... sniff... set sail with those m-maps..."

"NAMI!!!" Nojiko shouted urgently, "NO!!! GET AWAY FROM THEM!!!"

However, Nojiko's words were spoken far too late. Arlong, taking over the sea charts, read through them with amazement written in his eyes. Grinning and revealing his sharp teeth, he commented, "...Shahaha, colour me impressed. A little girl was able to draw these excellent maps...?"

Arlong, turning away from Nami, then moved toward Nako and snatched the unconscious Rowan—who was now wrapped around by bandages—from the notably enraged Nako. Then, he began to walk out of the scene, and while doing so, he stated,

"She's a valuable talent. Bring her along, Hachi!"

The octopus-like fish-man named Hatchan, nicknamed 'Hachi,' nodded, "Sure thing!" He, without any delay, lifted Nami up by the back of her shirt.

"NO!!! LET ME GO!!!"

Nojiko ran up to Hatchan and began kicking the fish-man, "LET GO OF NAMI, YOU OCTOPUS!!!"

"Stop... huff... right there...!"

Arlong came to a stop as Genzo, though beyond his limit, managed to stand back up and draw his sword. Genzo breathed rapidly in exhaustion, but shouted nonetheless,

"Didn't you say you wouldn't harm anyone, huff, as long as we made the payment?!!"

"Ah, don't worry. We won't harm this girl in anyway; am borrowing only," Replied Arlong, before gazing at Rowan, "But on the other hand, this boy hasn't paid yet."

<I am a human being, a... a race that eats fish for a living.>

The veins popped out of Arlong's forehead as he reminisced of what Rowan said prior to his knockout.

<Go back to the water, you damn fish.>

"...Tch," Arlong scowled, "We will wait three days. If no one pays for him until then," he gazed back at Genzo with bloodshot eyes, "consider him dead."

"GENZO-SAN!!" Nami thrashed in Hatchan's grip, "HELP!!!"

Genzo, exploding in anger, shouted as he charged forth, "UNHAND THOSE CHILDREN AT THIS MOMENT!!!"

Arlong simply turned back and pointed his thumb toward the approaching Genzo,

"Kuroobi."

The muscular fish-man—the same one that slashed Genzo just a little ago—effortlessly snatched Genzo's sword from the sheriff's grasp and slashed him several times.

"U...gh..." Multiple gashes were formed on Genzo's appearance, drawing a substantial amount of blood. Genzo helplessly fell on one knee, however, he willed himself to stay awake,

"I'm... huff... I'm coming... huff... to save you... Nami...!"

The other villagers, who were injured by the assaults of the fish-men pirates, also stood back up,

"We won't let you through...!!!" Said one villager, "If you wish to do so... leave Nami and... Rowan also... here...!!"

Nami paled up. The adults—the fellow villagers who were always nice to her—were on verge of dying.

"It's fine!!! Don't worry about us!!! You don't have to come and help us!!!" Out of fear, she cried, "So please!! I don't want anyone to die anymore!!!"

Arlong stood still for a moment, before snorting. He then ordered, "Go lightly on them. They are our first source of income, after all."

Then began, the festival of blood. The villagers were mercilessly attacked and damaged. The fish-men, laughing wretchedly, walked away—with the entire village in havoc.

__________

"...What happened while I was away?" Muttered Yanric as he came across the village with an empty wine bottle in his right hand, "ROWAN!! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE AND QUIT HIDING, KID!!!"

However, much to his confusion, there was no sight of his son. Frowning, Yanric then shouted, "Oi, Genzo!! Come out and explain why the village is in ruin, you good-for-nothing sheriff!!!"

"Shut up!!" One villager, triggered by Yanric's shout, came out with his body wrapped around by bandages, "Who's the useless one here, not even being present as his own son got kidnapped?!!"

"...What?" Yanric, wrinkling his face up in rage, immediately turned to the villager, "Say that again."

The villager took a step back from the unseen pressure, and stuttered, "S-shut up! Who's t-t-the useless—"

"THE OTHER PART, IDIOT!!!" Barked Yanric, to which the villager responded with a terrified yelp.

"H-his own son got kidnapped...?"

"Who." Yanric immediately closed in to the villager and grabbed the latter by the collar of his shirt, "Who did it."

"...The Arlong pirates, Yanric."

Yanric turned his head upon the entry of another voice, and came to sight Nako, also injured in multiple areas. Nako, leaning his body on a wall out of fatigue, said, "100 thousand Beli for an adult, and 50 thousand Beli for a child. If we can't pay up the amount, we were to lose our lives. Bell-mere... she was killed due to the lack of money, and Rowan... he was similarly taken because he hasn't paid yet."

"...Bell-mere's dead?" Yanric, letting go of villager's collar and massaging his forehead, asked in a shaky tone, "...And Arlong pirates, you say... fuck."

"150 thousand, Yanric," Nako said seriously, "Do you have it?"

"...150 thousand?" Yanric raised up the empty bottle and formed a frown, "150 thousand Beli. Money..." He then snorted, "...Yes. Who do you think I am?"

Yanric turned away. Ignoring two men who stood at the back, he walked out of the village—

"…Are you running away yet again?"

Yanric stopped as Nako spoke coldly,

"When you were a child, you ran away from this village, saying that you don't want to become a fisherman like your parents. They passed away while you were away. Next, you said that you became a royal guard in the Oykot kingdom, only to run when adversity arrived. Then... you let your own wife and crewmates die—running away with that son of yours, Rowan, only."

Yanric's face twitched in fury, but Nako continued,

"Are you going to throw away your only son, and let your loved ones die once more?"

"…Don't lecture me on what to do." Said Yanric with his back facing Nako, while lifting up his middle finger, "I may've been a failure who wasn't able to protect anyone. But… I too am a father."

"If you are genuine this time around," Nako's eyes lost a cold gleam. Forming a determined expression, Nako then stated, "take me with you. Your words aren't trustworthy." He, then adjusting his sunglasses with, pointed his finger at a particular direction, "...South-west, that's where they are. They said that they'll keep Rowan for three days, so he should be fine for now—"

PUK.

The villager watched with widened eyes as Yanric, at the next moment, slammed his fist onto the doctor's exposed face—effectively knocking the latter out.

"No, you aren't," Said Yanric, while rolling his shoulder, "You'll be nothing but a deadweight. If you're a doctor, then behave like one." Then, he gazed at villager, "And you also, ensure that no one follows me. I'm better off alone than with weaklings like you."

Ignoring the trembling villager, Yanric moved out of the village, all by himself. His back looked large, and at the same time, lonely.

"...Will he be fine?" The villager, in the end, couldn't help but whisper, "The Arlong pirates... they are far too strong."

__________

"Cough… cough, cough…"

Upon regaining consciousness, Rowan was met with the sight of Nami, whose expression was pale, trembling while surrounded by the multitudes of fish-men.

"Cough, cough... huff... huff..." From Rowan's mouth exited the crimson blood as he coughed. Breathing heavily, he looked at the scene in front of him once more.

"Nami. Shahaha, not bad of a name, I suppose," Said Arlong as he leaned toward Nami, "Humans tend to be useless, but you... you may have some use for us." Arlong held his hand out to Nami and grinned,

"Join our crew, Nami."

Nami, gulping with her terrified eyes locked onto Arlong, frighteningly shook her head. Rowan, gritting his bloody teeth, wriggled his body around but to no avail. Forget the pain that he was feeling all over; he was currently tied up behind a tree, by thick ropes.

"Huff... huff... ugh..." It hurt. Rowan, watching as the blood dripped from his body to the ground, then glared at Arlong with his exhaustion-filled eyes.

Arlong, not noticing Rowan's glare, frowned momentarily upon sighting Nami's refusal, before letting out a snort, "...Then how about this?" Standing back up, he raised his arms up, "100 million Beli. If you get it, we'll allow you to buy this village from us. But in return, you have to join our crew and serve as our cartographer! Shahaha, aren't I being generous?"

"...Shut... up..."

Then, a weak voice came. Arlong turned around with an annoyed face, and finally came to see Rowan.

"Multiple of... fish shits... picking on a little girl... how laughable."

Nami looked at Rowan with widened eyes, but with fear that fish-men may do something to him.

Arlong made a grin on his face. However, judging by the popped-out veins on his forehead, he wasn't amused but furious instead.

Arlong took a step. Away from Nami, he walked toward the vulnerable Rowan, with his eyes flashing murderously.

"And?" Asked Arlong, "What can you do about it, boy?"

He now stood right in front of Rowan, and Rowan, raising his head up with difficulty, spat blood at the fish-man without any hesitation.

"Lower… your grade." Rowan grinned, "Congratulations… you filthy… fish. You are officially… huff… inedible."

Arlong's eyes widened in rage, and he opened his mouth—revealing his sharp teeth—about to bite onto Rowan's neck and behead the boy.

'...What hideous teeth, heh,'

Rowan, though shaking in fear of death, forced a grin.

Today, he learned—that a 'peaceful life' wasn't what he desired for. The death of Bell-mere, his helplessness against power—no, the thoughts of 'peaceful life' were nothing but delusions that he built around himself, for the sake of coping.

What he truly wanted was to gain strength. He didn't want to be someone who gets taken, but rather, someone who takes from the others. From this wish that subconsciously existed within himself, he relentlessly trained day after day—even though his body was that of an average human, even though he had no idea how to get strong.

'To whoever gave me the second chance, my apologies,' Rowan chuckled as Arlong got closer and closer, 'you've chosen the wrong one, it seems—'

BOOM.

Everyone within the area froze. Arlong raised his eyebrow while turning around. And he sighted,

"FIRE!!!"

BOOM.

Five marine ships, commanded by a Marine Officer whose justice coat fluttered on his back.

"Marine...!" Nami whispered in delight.

"...Puny humans," Arlong saw Nami's antic and snickered, before ordering to his crew, "Deal with them."

The fish-men, excluding Arlong, Kuroobi, Hatchan, and one fish-man with thick lips named Chew, simultaneously dove into the water and rapidly swam toward the marine ships.

Arlong inched away from Rowan, and Rowan released a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

"Huff... huff..."

Just then,

BOOM! One cannonball struck Arlong. A smoke arose, covering the form of the fish-man.

Nami, using this as the chance, ran next to Rowan and began yanking the ropes around him,

"Ugaaah...!!"

However, her strength wasn't enough.

"...Arlong, she's doing something," Said Kuroobi, as the smoke cleared and revealed the unharmed Arlong.

"Shahaha... let her try," Replied Arlong as he focused on the five marine ships, which were helplessly sinking as the fish-men punctured their bottoms.

"T-the... marine ships..." Nami seemed unable to believe the sight. The marines, who were known as the 'force of justice' who condemns all the pirates—were helplessly falling by the hands of fish-men.

"...Ah."

Nami fell to her knees, next to the still tied-up Rowan. Rowan too watched the scene in silence, but still thinking of a way out.

"...I told you that the Marines are useless, didn't I?"

Then, a familiar voice came from their back; Rowan and Nami perked up in disbelief.

"Old... man..." / "Rowan's dad?!"

The thick ropes were then cut, releasing Rowan from the tree. Nami quickly tried to support Rowan's weight, but the latter was far too heavy; both of them flopped to the ground, hard.

"Ugh..." Rowan groaned in pain. He tried to stand back up, but couldn't move his body at all.

Tap.

And then, a huge foot was found in front of Rowan's face. It was Yanric, who stepped in front of two children, holding onto a fine-looking knife.

Arlong and his three other crewmates already knew what was going on. Currently, the four of them already had Yanric, Rowan, and Nami surrounded. Yanric, hiding his cold sweat, said with a smirk,

"How can this be, kid? You, as fisherman's son, let yourself be beaten by fish of all possibilities?"

Arlong frowned, "...Now I see where he learned from." He cracked his knuckles, unbothered as Yanric raised his knife up and lowered his form. Taking in a deep breath, he stated,

"100 thousand for an adult, and 50 thousand for a child. Pay if you wish to live."

"Pay?" Yanric bickered, "I never knew fish eat money for a living."

Arlong was unable to hold it any longer, and charged toward Yanric.

CLANG—.

A knife then clashed with a gigantic saw-like sword—signaling the start of a fight.