[145] Nami's Tyranny
[2700 Words]
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Vander Decken looked at the intruders with anger, but his expression quickly shifted to shock, then fear, upon seeing Ren's face—it seemed he recognized him.
"This… this is me… I wonder what you wants from me…" Unlike his usual arrogance, Vander Decken appeared humble, especially since the intruders had killed his crew, leaving his subordinate in the captain's room deeply shaken.
However, Vander Decken's thoughts differed from those of his foolish subordinate. He naturally recognized Ren's face. Despite his usual lack of interest in surface affairs, the recent news about the Summit War and the death of Whitebeard, which was tied to Fish-Man Island, caught his attention, prompting him to request a news report from his subordinates.
So, naturally, he knew who Ren was—the new Warlord and a fearsome fighter who had not hesitated to battle Whitebeard and even contributed to his death.
Vander Decken was arrogant, but he was no fool. He knew that the other side had already wiped out his crew, yet he kept his composure. His priority now was to escape with his ship; he could always recruit new subordinates from Fish-Man territory.
All these thoughts passed through his mind in mere seconds. As for Ren, he continued to gaze at Vander Decken, seeming to be contemplating something.
After a few more moments of tense silence, Ren spoke: "Vander Decken IX, how about becoming my follower?"
"!?"
Vander Decken was surprised by Ren's request, yet he showed no exaggerated reaction. Instead, he appeared slightly calm, thinking to himself, 'Damn you! Are you asking me to be your dog? But wait… if I refuse, will he kill me?'
Vander Decken didn't even consider fighting; he knew he wasn't on the same level as the man before him, and his Devil Fruit ability didn't offer any advantage. Even the advantage of being underwater, typical for a Fish-Man, was useless, as he had eaten a Devil Fruit.
Seeing no way out through force, Vander Decken decided to rely on his wits.
"Are there… any consequences if I refuse?" he asked with a voice that was both anxious and highly cautious. His subordinate, utterly bewildered by the unfolding events, thought, 'First, this frail-looking human shows up, kills the entire crew, and now asks Captain Vander Decken to be his follower? And the captain hasn't even screamed or attacked him from the start? What's going on?!'
Putting aside the Fish-Man's confusion, Ren smiled internally at Vander Decken's question, though his face remained calm as he replied, "Of course, there are no consequences. I don't force anyone to follow me."
"I see…" Vander Decken sighed in relief, though his subordinate looked at him strangely, thinking, 'Seriously? You believed him that easily?' But he didn't dare say it out loud for fear of Vander Decken's anger.
"Haha…" Kalifa suddenly chuckled upon hearing Ren's "promise" to Vander Decken, thinking to herself, "The captain is truly wicked~."
She knew Ren was giving Vander Decken false hope, but what puzzled her was how readily Vander Decken seemed to believe it. Was he insane?
What Kalifa didn't know was that he truly was insane. His mind was grasping at any chance of survival, so he didn't hesitate to believe Ren's words.
If Vander Decken hadn't been this terrified and anxious, he wouldn't have found himself in this pitiful state.
"W-well, then… I'll take my leave now… Feel free to do as you wish with that fool over there; I'll be… taking my vacation…" Vander Decken grinned foolishly, pointing to his subordinate.
"C-Captain! You can't do this to me!" the other Fish-Man cried, falling to his knees and begging Vander Decken not to abandon him.
"Shut up! Warlord, do whatever you want with him, but please don't harm the ship—"
"!!!"
Vander Decken was about to plead for the safety of the ship, intending to return to it later, but he couldn't finish his sentence due to what happened next.
"Alright, enough of your nonsense. You must either be a fool or insane, right?" Ren, who suddenly appeared right in front of Vander Decken, grinned and reached into the air bubble on the pirate captain's head, grabbing his throat firmly.
Kalifa was already laughing, adjusting her glasses on her beautiful face. She then glanced at the other Fish-Man, who was kneeling, and swiftly appeared before him using Shave.
"W-wha—what!" The Fish-Man screamed when he saw someone appear in front of him, but his expression froze when he saw it was just a weak-looking human woman.
He was already furious after Vander Decken had abandoned him, so seeing someone dare to attack him only fueled his rage. He would have been afraid if the attacker had been the one who made his former captain tremble like a scared kitten… but it was just a human woman?
*Roar!*
The Fish-Man roared, quickly standing up and charging at Kalifa, throwing a punch in an attempt to rip her apart.
Kalifa, however, remained unfazed. Calmly, she extended her slim, white hand from within the bubble around her body, blocking the Fish-Man's punch.
"!!!"
The Fish-Man's eyes widened in shock and utter horror as he felt his hand's bone snap.
*Crack~!*
"Aaaargh!!"
Kalifa didn't care about his screams. With a swift movement, she released his broken arm and said coldly:
"Finger Gun."
*Pew~!*
Her haki-coated finger pierced the Fish-Man's skull, silencing his screams and his breathing altogether as he collapsed dead on the floor.
"Heh…" Kalifa paid no mind to the fallen body in front of her. She walked over to Ren, who was still gripping Vander Decken's throat, and calmly stood by his side.
Vander Decken was terrified at that moment, feeling as though the hand around his neck might crush it at any moment.
"Next time, try escaping more intelligently." As Ren's words reached Vander Decken's ears, a wave of fear surged through him, and he tried to break free, but his body was held down by the insane strength emanating from Ren's hand.
Without wasting any time, Ren activated his Devil Fruit ability.
*Crack~!*
Vander Decken's head snapped and separated from his body as Ren tore it off mercilessly. The seismic force continued to crush the bones and flesh of Vander Decken's head.
Within seconds, his head was reduced to a misshapen mess of blood and flesh.
Fortunately, Ren's clothes had a "cleaning" function, so his blood-stained gloves quickly returned to their pristine state, and Ren withdrew his hand back into the bubble.
"Let's go back." He smiled at the blonde girl and took her hand. Kalifa didn't resist; a subtle smile formed on her face as they left the Flying Pirates' ship—or rather, what used to be the Flying Pirates. Now that they were gone, there was no point in leaving the ship behind, right?
So, Ren stored the ship in The Infinity Space and returned to his own ship with Kalifa.
Kalifa had always wondered about her captain's storage ability and its limits, but she knew some things were better left unasked, so she never inquired, despite her curiosity.
"And with that, our little trip is over… Hmm, I wonder how Nami's doing over there?" Ren muttered as Elsama set sail toward Fish-Man Island once more.
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Fish-Man District was a place steeped in darkness and chaos—a notorious part of Fish-Man Island where the law of the jungle reigned supreme, and the rule of law retreated into the shadows.
Originally, it was a massive orphanage for children, but over time, it became unstable and turned into an outlaw zone where the rejects of Fish-Man Island gathered.
This area, hidden from the gaze of the rulers and the security of the gleaming residential cities, became a den for criminals, pirates, and rebels against all forms of order.
In the dark alleys and winding, snake-like passageways, lifeless bodies could be seen scattered on the ground—mostly the corpses of human pirates.
This area symbolized absolute rejection of any restriction. In this hostile place, tens of thousands of violent and racist Fish-Men gathered under the command of one man:
Hody Jones!
"Damn that human woman! Kill her, men!" shouted a strong-looking Fish-Man, trying to stir up the fighting spirit of his followers.
"T-This…"
"We'll die if we go forward… She's a monster!"
"I don't want to die!"
"What's happening here… Are humans really this terrifying?!"
"Help me!"
Numerous reactions came from the crowd of thousands of Fish-Men. There were so many of them, yet they hesitated to attack a single person—and she was just a weak human! This only made Hody Jones angrier.
"Let's finish this quickly." Nami smiled lightly. Her sword was drenched in blood, and hundreds of bodies lay not far from her, mutilated and dismembered, evidence of the massacre she had carried out alone.
Previously, Ren had instructed her to go to a place called Fish-Man District and subdue the criminals there. He had also requested that she capture one of them alive.
After being given all the information she needed about her opponent, Nami didn't hesitate to head there.
Upon arrival, she was met with hateful, racist glares, and it didn't take long for her to be attacked.
Now, here she was after causing a massacre, staring at the tens of thousands of hesitant Fish-Men and their enraged leader.
"Damn you, worthless fools!" Hody Jones cursed internally.
He had only recently begun forming his pirate crew to achieve his extreme ambitions.
Their numbers weren't as high as in the original tale—there were only about 30,000, if you included the 10,000 human pirate slaves they had captured.
'Even though this human woman is strong, I have a trump card…!' Hody Jones smirked as he thought of the energy steroids.
Beside him were his trusted followers: Zeo, Daruma, Hyozo, Icaros Mohi, and Dosun.
"Kill her, guys!" He signaled to Nami, who looked like she was preparing to attack again.
"Ooosh!"
One of the Fish-Men beside Hody Jones, a swordsman named Hyozo, let out a shout.
Nami stood confidently, her gaze fierce and intimidating as she faced her opponent. An electrifying aura surrounded her, with her long orange hair blowing in the wind, charged with sparks of lightning, and her sword gleaming with a powerful blue glow. It was clear she was merging her swordsmanship with the power of the Thunder Fruit, making her appear as a goddess of lightning to the terrified Fish-Men.
[Image Here]
But Hyouzou was not afraid. He drank from his flask, releasing a mocking laugh as he advanced toward her, wielding six poisoned swords with his tentacles, in addition to the two swords in his hands. Despite his drunken appearance, his gaze was deadly serious.
"Strong..." The assassin sensed the danger emanating from Nami. As the strongest swordsman on Fish-Man Island, he couldn't back down from another swordsman.
"This lightning... is this the power of a Devil Fruit?" he asked with a rough voice, then laughed, "Is that what makes you so confident?"
Nami only responded with a cold smile. With confidence, she aimed her sword at him and said calmly but with strength, "You talk too much."
"Tch!"
Hyouzou charged at full speed, turning his eight swords into waves of deadly, coordinated blades. His movements were fast, each blade dripping with a dark green poison.
*Whoosh!*
*Whoosh!*
*Whoosh!*
*Whoosh!*
Nami remained calm and steady. With a swift leap, she evaded the assault, then gracefully swung her sword, releasing bursts of concentrated lightning that circled her. When Hyouzou approached again, she raised her sword and activated her Devil Fruit powers once more.
"Die!" she murmured, lightning coiling around her sword and coating it in a blue that mingled with the black of Armament Haki. She delivered a powerful blow towards Hyouzou.
"!!!"
Sensing danger, Hyouzou attempted to retreat, trying to dodge the lightning-infused slash. But it was too fast—even his Observation Haki couldn't help him react in time.
"Arrgh!" he cried in agony as the lightning blade struck, leaving a bloody wound that sent the swordsman crashing to the ground, unconscious.
Suddenly, her Observation Haki detected an attack from behind, but Nami remained unfazed.
"Babara Hammer!"
Dosun appeared behind her, wielding a massive hammer, his face twisted with fury and hatred, as though he intended to tear apart the human before him.
He raised his giant hammer and spun with surprising speed, aiming to land a blow that could crush entire buildings.
"You're too slow."
Nami's mocking tone reached his ears, aggravating him even more.
*BOOM!*
Nami effortlessly retreated at the last moment, leaving a trail of lightning in her wake, while the hammer smashed into the ground, leaving a deep crater.
She raised her hand to the sky and looked coldly at Dosun, whose gaze was full of hatred. "Enough fooling around!"
*Crackle!*
*BOOM!*
The sky above her darkened with clouds, and a massive bolt of lightning struck down from above toward Dosun. He attempted to block it with his large arms, but he felt the electric surge course through his body, nearly knocking him off balance.
"Arrgh! Curse you, human!"
Dosun growled in anger, ignoring the pain, and grabbed his hammer again to attack. He quickly closed the gap, aiming a powerful horizontal swing with his massive strength.
"T-Shot!"
But with a swift motion, Nami sidestepped the strike, moving smoothly behind him.
*Whoosh!*
In the next moment, she drew her sword, which materialized as a radiant glow in her hand, and delivered a direct slash to Dosun's chest. A powerful flash followed, electrifying Dosun's body, freezing him in place for a few seconds, unable to move.
His body collapsed to the ground, leaving his fate uncertain.
Everyone stared at Nami in terror, even Hody Jones, who was previously filled with rage, now bore an expression laced with fear.
She had taken down two of his strongest officers within minutes! And it seemed she wasn't even being serious!
"Camouflage Carpet!"
His thoughts were interrupted by a mysterious voice that echoed across the battlefield.
"Hmph!" Nami scoffed, dodging the chain that was about to bind her, then glared at her opponent, who was now starting to reveal himself.
"If you're planning a sneak attack, don't announce your move, you fool!"
She swung her sword at him, unleashing an aggressive lightning blade that sent the assailant, named Zeo, crashing to the ground beside the other officers.
Immediately afterward, she felt the ground beneath her begin to crumble, but she remained calm, showing no sign of surprise.
"I've seen you planning something from the beginning… but this is disappointing, truly." Nami sighed, intentionally provoking her opponent.
Her Observation Haki had noticed someone digging underground from the moment she defeated the swordsman and started dispatching the rest of the officers, but she had let him proceed with his plan.
"How dare you insult me, you filthy human!"
The ground collapsed, and a small-sized Fish-Man emerged, glaring at Nami, who was hovering in the air using Moonwalk. He attacked furiously.
"Hi-Daruma Cutter!"
Daruma's body ignited as he charged at Nami with his powerful jaw, attempting to bite her. But she didn't even bother to draw her sword.
*Boom!*
Nami's fist, imbued with Armament Haki, collided with Daruma's burning body, sending him flying tens of meters before he crashed into the ground, forming a large crater.
But Nami didn't stop there. She was still in the air and used Moonwalk to move toward where he'd fallen, then launched a downward kick at him!
*Boom!*
"Aaaah!!" Daruma screamed in pain before multiple bones in his body shattered, and he lost consciousness.
"...."
There was complete silence in Fish-Man District.
The ordinary soldiers were terrified; even the powerful officers had been defeated—what could they possibly do now?
Hody Jones, the leader responsible for all these troops, glared at Nami with intense hatred and rage.
He reached into his pockets, pulling out several red pills, and looked at them.
"Zeo hasn't produced many of them yet, but this should be enough to kill this human..." he said decisively, preparing to swallow the steroids.
"I wouldn't advise doing that."
"!!!!"
Hody Jones' eyes widened when he heard a voice behind him!
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To be continued....
500PS= Bonus chapter.
-How much does Bonney know about the World Government? I mean, she should know about the existence of the Holy Knights, right?