Chapter 17: The end of Arlong

Arlong Park...

"Boss, you are truly ruthless. You took all the money Nami saved over the years," a fishman said, looking at Arlong. His face showed no sympathy, only mockery.

"Cruel? No, I am merciful. As long as Nami helps me map the entire ocean, I will give her freedom," Arlong replied, his shark-like teeth gleaming with a ferocious smile.

"That will take decades!" another fishman exclaimed.

"No! It could take a hundred years!" Arlong's crew laughed heartily.

Suddenly, the laughter was interrupted by a deafening crash. The high wall of Arlong's empire collapsed under a tremendous force.

"Who?!" Arlong's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the figure emerging from the smoke.

"You are Arlong, right?" Ace stepped out of the smoke, with villagers from Cocosia Village behind him. Nami and Kaya stood nearby, looking at Ace with worry.

"Who are you?" Arlong asked coldly, still seated. He dismissed the villagers as insignificant humans easily killed by his fishmen, but this boy made him uneasy.

"My name is Ace. I am a pirate, and Nami is my navigator. You made my navigator cry, didn't you?" Ace said, his gaze fixed on Arlong.

"Oh? Nami is your navigator? How come I didn't know about this? Hey, Nami, is that so?" Arlong's bloodshot eyes intensified as he smiled ferociously.

"You brought a group of inferior humans to resist our Arlong Pirates. Do you know what will happen to you?!" Arlong's fishmen stepped forward to attack Ace.

"Buzz!" Ace's head lifted, and purple-black lightning roared out, sweeping through the fishmen except for Arlong. The murlocs, once smiling, fell unconscious in an instant under the terrifying impact.

The villagers, armed with crude weapons, stood in stunned silence. The murlocs, who had terrorized them for so long, were defeated with just a look from Ace.

"What happened?" Ajian murmured, swallowing hard as he looked at Ace.

"Ace..." Nami stared at Ace's back. The Arlong Park, which had seemed invincible, crumbled before her eyes. She felt an overwhelming sense of security. "Ace, it's great to be your navigator"... Tears sparkled in her eyes.

Arlong's eyes widened in disbelief. This power... the legendary Conqueror's Haki. Memories of the Sun Pirates on the Grand Line flashed through his mind. Trembling, he tried to dismiss it. "No! Impossible! Such power can't exist in East Blue! Kid, I'll chew your bones to pieces!"

Arlong lunged at Ace with a large saw blade. The blade slashed through Ace, who turned into flames. "Can't you keep up with the speed of a fishman? Go to hell!" Arlong laughed.

"Ace?!" Nami and Kaya gasped.

Ace's split body reformed into flames. "Such a powerless attack doesn't even warrant a dodge," Ace said, pointing a flame-covered finger at Arlong's heart.

"Have you ever eaten shark?" Ace asked, a sarcastic smile on his face.

Arlong tried to retreat, but Ace's "Sacred Fire - Shiranui" pierced his heart with a flaming spear, pinning him to the ground. The flames burned through Arlong, who screamed in agony. The physical pain was less than the overwhelming fear consuming him.

"Logia! You are a Logia ability user!" Arlong's ferocious eyes were now filled with deep fear.

Arlong Empire! ...

Arlong, who had always been arrogant and domineering in East Blue with a bounty of 20 million beli, was now pinned to the ground by a flaming spear piercing the right side of his heart. Harsh burning sounds filled the air, accompanied by the stench of roasted shark meat.

Arlong's eyes, once filled with ferocity and arrogance, now showed only fear as he looked at the man with short black hair before him.

"Logia! You have the power of a Logia Devil Fruit!" Arlong exclaimed, terror etched across his face. Memories of his encounter with Kizaru, then a Vice Admiral of the Naval Headquarters, and the devastating power of the Sparkling Fruit flashed in his mind.

Logia power was a force beyond human resistance. Why was such power in East Blue? And one of the most terrifying, the power of flame?

As the flames burned his body and evaporated the water within him, Arlong's consciousness began to blur. The Logia flame was a nightmare for fishmen.

"Logia's Devil Fruit, developed to this extent, means the power just now... really is..." Arlong's fear peaked. He looked up at the human he had always deemed inferior.

"Conqueror's Haki!!!" Arlong's voice trailed off as his dehydrated body lost consciousness. With a heavy thud, he collapsed to the ground.

The villagers of Cocosia stood in stunned silence. One strike. Just one strike. The devil who had tormented them for years was finished? Nami stared at Arlong's defeated form. She had known Ace was strong, but Arlong had been the most ferocious pirate in East Blue with a bounty of 20 million beli. And Ace had defeated him in moments?

"Nami," Ace called softly, turning to her with a smile. "Your captain is very strong, right?"

"Yes!" Nami nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll give you more advice from now on, Captain," she said, crying with joy.

Cocosia Village...

The once lifeless village was now bustling with activity. The terror of the Arlong Pirates was over. Those who had committed crimes were dealt with, while the innocent were released to preserve Nami's kind heart.

To celebrate, every household brought out hidden ingredients. Under the direction of the village's best chefs, special delicacies were prepared and served to their savior, Ace.

Ace, like a perpetual motion machine, stuffed food into his mouth, making his cheeks bulge. "Ace, can you eat less? The chefs can't keep up," Nami said, covering her forehead in exasperation. Kaya chuckled.

"Eat less? This is a banquet!" Ace replied, puffing his cheeks before continuing to eat.

"Boom!" Halfway through his meal, Ace suddenly collapsed onto the table.

"Hey! Ace!" Nami and Kaya cried out in panic. The villagers were equally alarmed until Ace's loud snores filled the room.

"Asleep?!" everyone gasped. Minutes later, Ace stretched, yawned, and resumed eating, prompting the villagers to collapse in relief.

"Don't scare us like that!" Nami scolded. "You nearly gave me a heart attack, Ace," Kaya added.

"Hahaha, sorry, sorry," Ace laughed insincerely. This was an improvement Ace had made to enhance his absorption efficiency—taking naps between meals allowed him to eat and absorb more.

"Hehehe," Nojiko watched Ace, Nami, and Kaya with amusement. "Sister, you found a good captain."

By the end of the banquet, the chefs had fainted from exhaustion, but with satisfied smiles, knowing they had pleased Cocosia Village's savior.

Night fell...

In Nami and Nojiko's home, Nojiko quietly opened the window and gazed at the starry sky. "You're leaving tomorrow, right? You're finally going to realize your dream, Nami," she murmured, smiling—a smile she hadn't worn since Bell-mère's death.

"Bell-mère, you can rest assured," Nojiko whispered to the stars, imagining Bell-mère's smiling face. Yet, a hint of loneliness lingered as she thought of Nami's departure and the uncertain time until her return.

"Nojiko, do you want to go to sea?" a soft voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see Ace smiling at her.