Conomi Island, Southern seaside.
After hearing Sanji's recount of the chaos that took place before his arrival, Zino nodded thoughtfully. He then turned and began walking toward someone seated quietly by the rocks near the shoreline.
Gin.
The former Pirate Commander sat with arms resting on his knees, silently staring at the waves. He noticed Zino approaching and instinctively tensed. Though visibly wounded and weary, Gin's posture showed he was still ready for a fight if one came his way.
Zino stopped a few paces away, hands in his pockets. He studied Gin for a moment before speaking.
"You're Gin, right? Krieg's right-hand man."
Gin remained silent, only narrowing his eyes slightly.
Zino smiled faintly. "I heard you fought Sanji because you want to release Don Krieg. And that you defied Krieg because you don't want to kill Sanii."
"...What do you want?" Gin asked cautiously.
"To offer you a job," Zino said casually. "Join my crew."
Gin's eyes widened, and not far behind them, Sanji nearly choked. "Huh?! You want *him* on the crew?"
Usopp's jaw dropped. "Wait, the guy who just fought Sanji? The guy who followed Krieg?!"
Zino ignored their reactions. He kept his eyes on Gin. "You don't strike me as the loyal dog type. I think you're just looking for a place to belong. A captain you can actually respect."
Gin clenched his fists, unsure what to say.
But before he could speak, Zino's voice grew sharper. "Of course, if you're not interested, I could always turn you over to the Marines. I'm sure they'd love to meet a former officer of Krieg's fleet."
Gin's face stiffened.
Zino lifted one finger. "That's one."
He raised a second. "Or maybe I hand over your Captain, Don Krieg instead. The Marines might be able to fix that little breathing problem he's got—with a noose. What do you say?"
Gin hearing this didn't have much reaction. Instead, he sighed as if that's the best outcome for Don Krieg. Zino saw his unbothered look.
Then Zino raised a third finger, grinning slightly.
"Or maybe... I just castrate you right here, right now." a glint of dangerous light flashed in his eyes.
Gin instantly paled. "...You're joking."
Sanji broke into a cold sweat. "Please tell me he's joking..."
Usopp hid behind Sanji, subconsciously covering his crotch. "Is he serious!?"
Zino crouched slightly to meet Gin's eye level. His tone lightened again. "All jokes aside—think about it. You've already shown you're not a mindless follower. You've got skill, resolve, and you saved someone else's life at your own risk. That's the kind of crew I want. People who stand for something."
Gin looked at him for a long time. Conflicted. He had spent so long chasing Krieg's ambitions, only to watch them collapse. Could he really start over again?
"I… I'll think about it," he said.
Zino stood up, stretching. "Good. Think fast. We leave soon."
Gin lowered his head, thoughtful.
Then, Zino asked again. "Have you made up your mind?"
"...I'm still thinking."
"Come on, why think for too long?"
"Are not you being too impatient?"
"Nope. I'm being really really patient." Replied Zino.
"..." Gin was speechless.
"Why are you looking at me as if I'm annoying?" Asked Zino. He muttered, "Maybe I should really use the castrating option from now on to recruit crews...
His voice trailing. Once again, Sanji and Ussop sweated at his remarks.
Gin on the other hand subconsciously shivered. "Alright, alright. I'll join you."
" Oh really?" Zino glanced at Gin, and smiled harmlessly. "Welcome aboard."
"..." The three turned speechless for a moment.
Sanji then said. "You're seriously recruiting people like this left and right, huh?"
Zino chuckled. "You were even harder to convince."
Usopp sighed. "Next thing I know, you'll try to recruit marine captain."
"Not a bad idea," Zino muttered half-seriously.
He then clapped his hands together. "Alright, now that we've got that settled. Ussop, tie up Krieg and that octopus guy. Can't have them causing more trouble while we're gone."
Gin heard Zino, but didn't comment on Krieg. That captain of his already discarded him. So, he will no longer interfere in whatever situation Krieg would end up with. Besides, he just joined the Orca group.
Usopp on the other hand cried in frustration."What? Why me!?"
"Because you're the only one who isn't bleeding," Zino replied flatly. "I want to heal Sanji and Gin first.
'He knows healing?' Sanji was internally surprised. However, he didn't dwell much on it. He wiped the dry blood from the corner of his mouth. "I'm fine. I don't need healing."
"You're limping," Zino said bluntly. "Shut up and let me fix you."
Before Sanji could argue further, Zino's hands began to glow faintly, energy pulsing between his palms. In a few moments, the worst of Sanji's bruises and cuts had already begun to fade. Sanji blinked in surprise, mouth half-open in protest, but no words came out.
Zino moved to Gin next, silently applying the same technique. Gin said nothing, but the tension in his shoulders eased as the pain dulled.
Meanwhile, Usopp begrudgingly began tying up the unconscious Krieg and Hatchan with whatever rope he could find. "Ugh… why do the big guys always end up with me…"
A while later, Zino was done with healing his new crews, and Ussop also finished tying both Krieg and Hatchan. As Zino dragged Krieg back toward the ship, a pair of groggy voices called out.
"Ugh… my head…"
"Where are we…?"
It was Johnny and Yosaku, slowly waking up aboard the ship. They blinked in confusion as they saw Krieg being hauled aboard, his face swollen and bruised.
"W-What the—Zino-aniki!? That's Don Krieg!"
"Yeah," Zino said casually. He then remarked sarcastically. "Seems like he somehow able to escape, under your watch."
"We are very sorry, aniki!" Johnny and Yosaku bowed down, feeling guilty that Krieg actually escaped under their watch. Johnny then said "It's like this, we-"
"Alright, alright." Zino waved his hand. "Sanji already told me what happened. So, you don't need to apologize."
Hearing this, Johnny and Yosaku visibly become relieved.
With things more or less under control, Zino dusted off his coat and glanced toward the village. "I'll check back in with the others. Sanji, Usopp—you two stay here and keep an eye on the ship."
"Got it," said Sanji, lighting a cigarette.
Usopp flopped down next to a barrel. "Yeah, I'm done running for today."
Zino turned to Gin. "You coming?"
Gin looked back toward the ship, then toward Zino, and gave a single nod. "Yeah."
And together, the two made their way back toward Cocoyashi Village.
...
Inside Cocoyashi Village.
On the western edge of Cocoyashi Village, the air crackled with tension as a fierce clash erupted between two unlikely opponents—Alvida, the infamous iron mace-wielding pirate, and Chew, the water-gunning Fishman officer from Arlong's crew.
The terrain bore the marks of their ongoing duel—broken fences, shattered stone, and puddles where high-pressure blasts had torn through the earth.
"Mizudeppo (Water Gun)!"
Chew bellowed, his gills flaring as he unleashed a compressed jet of water from his mouth.
Fwoooosh!
The attack screamed through the air like a bullet. Alvida twisted her body mid-step, the blast grazing her shoulder and slamming into the ground behind her with a loud crack, sending dirt flying.
She landed in a crouch, heels skidding through the dust. "Tch... just a split-second off again," she muttered. Her grip tightened on her iron mace. "If I could just get the timing right…"
Chew chuckled mockingly. "You're quick for a human, but running around won't save you forever. You look tired."
Alvida flipped her hair back, her smirk defiant. "Tired? I'm just getting warmed up."
With a sudden burst of motion, she charged forward, swinging her iron mace with brutal force toward Chew's torso.
Wham!
The attack whooshed through the air, but the Fishman ducked with agile grace. His webbed feet skidded across the ground as he slid under her strike. "Too slow!"
He retaliated in an instant.
"Mizudeppō: Rensha (Water Gun: Rapid Fire)!"
A rapid-fire burst of water bullets fired from his mouth in succession—each one sharp, fast, and deadly. Alvida's eyes widened as she leapt backward, narrowly dodging each projectile. One blast grazed her leg, but it slipped by as her Smooth Smooth ability worked its wonders.
"Tch…" she snorted, feeling annoyed that she was forced to use her devil fruit ability to defend.
"What!?" Chew was momentarily surprised that his attacks still missed. He didn't quite see how Alvida abilities worked, and only thought that she was so lucky to avoid all his shots.
Chew then grinned, while saying, "You are quite lucky, able to dodge all of my attacks. However, don't think that you can't handle the power of a Fishman. Why don't you just surrender and save me the effort?"
But Alvida's mind wasn't on his words. Her eyes narrowed, watching the rhythm of his breathing, the telegraph of his attacks. Her thoughts spun around one singular goal—*Soru*.
The ability to move faster than the eye could follow. She'd been trying to replicate it ever since witnessing the technique from Zino, and now—mid-battle—felt like the only chance she had.
*Seven steps in a blink... plant the heel... build tension... release...*
Alvida grounded herself, feet planted firmly in the dirt. Her breath was steady, but her heart raced with anticipation. *I've tried this a dozen times… one more shot.*
She stomped hard, trying to trigger the explosive momentum of Soru, the high-speed movement technique she'd been training. But instead of a blur of speed, she launched into an awkward dash, stumbling over her own momentum.
Chew's sharp eyes caught the misstep instantly. "You're wide open! *
Suijaho (Water Serpent Cannon)!"
A twisting, snake-like stream of pressurized water shot out from his mouth, cutting through the air with a sharp whip sound. Alvida ducked just in time, the watery projectile grazing her hair and slamming into a wooden post behind her, shattering it like driftwood.
"You fight like a clown," Chew sneered. "You'll regret ever stepping into Arlong's territory!"
His gills flared, water building in his lungs. "Let me finish this—
Shiogatotsu (Tide Fang Thrust)!"
With a roar, he launched a spear-shaped blast of water, denser and sharper than before, aimed directly at Alvida's chest.
She gritted her teeth. No choice! Now or never!
She stomped again—this time, planting her heel just right.
CRACK!!
The ground beneath her shattered with the force, dust bursting outward as her figure blurred from view.
Chew's eyes widened. "What—?!"
Alvida disappeared from his line of sight, moving faster than the eye could follow. A heartbeat later, she reappeared down the path, skidding to a rough stop near a pile of crates. She tumbled forward and nearly lost her balance, but caught herself, panting.
Her eyes blinked in shock, then lit up with excitement. "That… that was it. I actually did it. That was Soru!"
She stood slowly, dusting off her coat with a grin spreading across her face.
Chew, now facing an empty battlefield, whipped around. "Where the hell did you go?!"
Behind him, Alvida stretched her arms, her mace resting casually on her shoulder. "Thanks for the motivation, Fish-for-brains," she said with a smirk. "Guess your mouth is good for something after all."
Chew snarled while turning back. "You think one trick makes you strong? You're still just a weak human."
Alvida's eyes narrowed, and in a blink—boom!
She vanished again.
"Velvet Crush!"
WHAM!
Her iron mace, powered with her high-speed movement, slammed into Chew's ribs from the side with devastating force. His body twisted violently from the impact, saliva flying from his mouth as he was launched across the field.
He crashed into a wall with a thunderous crack and slumped to the ground, eyes rolling back, completely unconscious.
Alvida stood in the dust cloud, wind tugging at her coat, her weapon still raised. She exhaled slowly, letting the rush of adrenaline fade.
"Well," she muttered to herself with a grin, "I guess I'm not just running anymore."
As she moved and sat down, She leaned against a broken wall, trying to rest her body, and to let the soreness disperse from her leg. At the same time, she glanced toward the sky, then toward the center of the village.
One down. How many more to go?