The air inside Arlong Park changed.
Not from wind.
From pressure.
The sea cow's massive body lay half-buried in shattered stone, unmoving, its enormous chest rising once… then not again. Water trickled from its fur, pooling into cracks across the courtyard floor.
Fishmen stared.
Some took a step back.
Others clenched their weapons tighter.
Arlong did not move.
He stared at Momoo for several long seconds, yellow eyes unreadable. Then he exhaled through his nose, a slow, disappointed breath.
"…Tch."
He stood.
The white beach chair scraped against stone as he pushed it aside and stepped forward, towering over the battlefield. At close range, his presence was overwhelming—thick muscle layered over denser muscle, skin scarred and weathered by salt and battle. His saw-like nose cast a sharp shadow over his mouth as he grinned.
"So," Arlong said slowly, "you can hurt pets."
Luffy didn't respond.
He watched Arlong the same way he'd watched Don Krieg.
Not as an enemy.
As a problem.
Arlong cracked his neck to one side.
Then the other.
"You humans are always the same," he continued, pacing slowly across the courtyard. "You see strength and think it's earned. You see fear and think it's victory."
His eyes flicked briefly—just briefly—toward the outer wall.
Toward the villagers.
Toward Nami.
She stood frozen beyond the broken gate, straw hat pulled low over her face. Her hands trembled at her sides, fingernails digging into her palms. She didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
"Fishmen," Arlong continued, voice rising, "are born superior. Our bones are denser. Our muscles stronger. The sea itself bends to us."
He stopped walking.
"And you?"
His gaze snapped back to Luffy.
"You are standing on borrowed ground."
The water in the central pond began to ripple.
Zoro shifted his stance slightly, hand tightening on his sword.
Sanji's cigarette burned down to ash unnoticed.
Usopp swallowed hard.
"H-hey, Captain," Usopp muttered, "the water's doing that thing again…"
The pond churned.
Not violently.
Deliberately.
Arlong spread his arms.
"This island," he said, "is mine because I claimed it. These humans obey because they fear. And fear is proof of hierarchy."
He stepped closer to the pond.
"Fishmen rule the sea," he said coldly. "And the sea will crush anyone who forgets their place."
The surface of the water bulged.
Then split.
A massive shadow rose beneath it—larger than before, broader, angrier. The water displaced outward in a violent surge, flooding the courtyard and soaking the feet of every Fishman standing near the edge.
Something enormous moved below.
A low, resonant bellow echoed up from the depths.
Momoo wasn't alone.
Sanji cursed under his breath. "You've got to be kidding me."
Zoro took a step forward. "Captain."
Usopp raised his slingshot, hands shaking. "I am emotionally unprepared for Sea Cow Part Two."
Arlong smiled wide, sharp teeth gleaming.
"You broke my gate," he said to Luffy. "You humiliated my men."
The water surged higher.
"So now," Arlong said, voice dropping, "I'll let the ocean remind you what happens when humans trespass."
Fishmen began to move.
Not charging yet.
Encircling.
Weapons raised.
The pond exploded upward as a massive horn broke the surface, followed by a broad skull and furious eyes.
Momoo's body stirred.
Not unconscious.
Angry.
The sea cow roared, the sound vibrating through bone and stone alike.
Zoro drew a blade halfway from its sheath.
Sanji shifted his footing, legs coiling like springs.
Usopp sucked in a sharp breath.
"Captain," Sanji said quietly, "orders?"
Luffy stepped forward.
Just one step.
Then he raised his hand.
"Stop."
The word wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
Zoro froze instantly.
Sanji halted mid-motion.
Even Usopp shut up.
Luffy stood at the front alone, coat fluttering as the water surged around his boots. His gaze was locked on Arlong, calm and utterly uninterested in intimidation.
"I'll handle this," he said.
Behind him, thunder rumbled low across the sky.
The storm finally answered.