Simultaneously, as the news of Lancelot's actions spread, he felt an urgent, pressing need to enhance his own strength.
He could unreservedly reveal his current power level to his father, Burns, precisely because he knew his strength would soon see another substantial increase—once he acquired Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu in Loguetown.
But now, it seemed the situation, fueled by his father's ambitious political maneuvering and the leak about the three billion Berries, was rapidly spiraling somewhat out of his direct control.
He would have to seize every opportunity to grow stronger, faster.
At this moment, Nami pressed further, her voice regaining its sharp edge.
"Then I now formally report that Marine Branch 16's Commander, Captain Nezumi, colludes directly with the Arlong Pirate Crew. Together, they tyrannically rule over the Conomi Islands, committing every evil imaginable... They extort, they brutalize, and they have caused countless deaths."
Lancelot met her determined gaze. "Do you have concrete evidence of this collusion?"
Nami's hands clenched into fists.
"Marine Branch 16 is responsible for maintaining order in the Conomi Islands! Protecting the islands from pirate invasions is their fundamental duty, isn't it? The fact that the Arlong Pirate Crew is openly stationed on Konomi Island, right next to Cocoyashi Village, operating with impunity... isn't that the best evidence?!"
Hearing this, Lancelot looked at Nami, his expression unreadable.
"You're very clever, Miss Nami. But that is merely your speculation, your deduction. It is not concrete, verifiable evidence that would hold up in a Marine court-martial..."
Upon hearing Lancelot's seemingly dismissive words, Nami lightly bit her lower lip.
A wave of despair washed over her.
Tears, held back for years by sheer willpower, welled up in her eyes.
She thought of Bell-mère, of Genzo, of Nojiko, of all the suffering and injustice she and her village had endured for eight long years.
Finally, her carefully constructed facade broke down.
"Please," she choked out, her voice thick with tears as she bowed deeply, "I beg you... save our Cocoyashi Village! Save the entire Conomi Islands!"
Lancelot's eyes flickered slightly. He stepped forward and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Stand up," he said, his voice now carrying a different tone, one of official pronouncement.
"You are… an intelligence officer of our East Blue Inspectorate Headquarters. Welcome back to duty. I will report your contributions truthfully to Headquarters."
"Huh?"
Nami froze in place, her tears still glistening on her cheeks, her mind utterly blank.
'Intelligence officer? What is he talking about?'
Seeing Nami's current state of confusion and despair, Lina couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy.
She understood that this young woman must have suffered tremendous grievances.
Stepping forward, Lina explained gently, "Without solid evidence against Captain Nezumi himself, at most, Captain Lancelot can only eliminate the Arlong Pirate Crew for you. But... if you are an intelligence officer operating undercover within our Inspectorate Headquarters, then even without concrete proof yet, we have the full authority to launch an official investigation into Captain Nezumi and the 16th Branch."
Lina continued, her voice practical. "If Captain Nezumi is truly colluding with Arlong as you say, the 16th Branch must be hoarding considerable illicit wealth. If Nezumi cannot account for the origins of that wealth... the lightest punishment would be dismissal from military service and a court-martial. He would be finished."
Nami, always quick-witted, understood immediately.
Eliminating Arlong was only half the battle.
Only by dealing with the corrupt Marine, Nezumi, as well, could this matter be truly resolved, and her hometown finally restored to its former peace and tranquility.
At this realization, she quickly wiped her tears, stood straight, and performed a crisp, if slightly shaky, Marine salute.
Lancelot nodded with satisfaction. "From now on, address me as Captain. This 'Inspector General' title means nothing outside the East Blue. It would only invite ridicule on the Grand Line."
"Outside the East Blue? The Grand Line?" Nami keenly caught the key point, her eyes widening.
Lancelot nodded. "I have important business and must travel to the Grand Line soon. Therefore, we need to settle this matter here... quickly."
Gin stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "I'll pilot the ship. You give the directions, Nami. We'll head straight to Arlong's territory!"
"Yes!" Nami replied, her voice now filled with a fierce, burning excitement.
She fully believed that Lancelot and his monstrous crew could certainly eliminate the Arlong Pirate Crew.
After all, he was the strong warrior who had destroyed the entirety of Blackthorn Island.
What was Arlong compared to that?
.....
Under Nami's precise guidance, Lancelot and his group didn't bother with subtlety.
They sailed the Going Merry directly into the waters controlled by Arlong Park, crashing through the flimsy gate and storming into the main harbor.
"Marines?"
Arlong, Hatchi the octopus fish-man, Kuroobi the ray fish-man, and Chew the smelt-whiting fish-man, who were lounging by the central pool, all turned to look.
They noticed the Marine flag flying defiantly on the small, sheep-headed ship that had just forced its way in.
They immediately realized the identity of the intruders.
Arlong frowned, his sharp teeth grinding slightly.
He muttered, mostly to himself, "It seems we've grown careless. We should assign someone to monitor the surrounding waters from underwater."
It had to be said that after eight years of absolute, tyrannical rule here, he had developed a sense of untouchable supremacy.
In the East Blue, as long as that damned Logia user from Loguetown didn't come, he was truly invincible.
And if Smoker ever left, he had measures in place—someone would notify him immediately.
But he never expected there would still be other navy personnel in the East Blue foolish enough to have a death wish.
"Huh..."
Soon, Arlong noticed that this group of navy members was pitifully small—only four or five people standing on the deck.
Most crucially, one of them... was Nami.
The other fish-men noticed this as well.
Chew stepped forward, his long, protruding mouth twisting into a mocking, contemptuous sneer.
"Well, well! So it's our runaway cartographer, Nami! You don't actually think bringing a bunch of human trash with you can possibly defeat us, do you?"
On Lancelot's side, he merely glanced at Chew, who had stepped forward, noting his distinctive features.
He then turned to Gin.
"This trash," Lancelot stated dismissively, "has a mere 5.5 million Berry bounty. He's yours to handle."
"Soru!"
Without a single word, Gin instantly vanished from the deck of the Merry.
He reappeared a fraction of a second later, standing directly in front of Chew on the stone pathway of Arlong Park.
"Damn it!" Chew's face paled drastically. He hadn't even seen him move!
Still, as an executive officer of the Arlong Pirate Crew, he had some skill.
Reacting swiftly, he inhaled deeply and spat a powerful, high-pressure stream of water—his signature Water Gun—from his mouth, aiming directly at Gin's chest.
Gin's strength, even before joining Lancelot, had always ranked among the top three fighters among East Blue pirates.
Now, with his rapidly enhanced abilities and his nascent mastery of Soru, even if he wasn't quite a match for Arlong himself—arguably the strongest individual pirate in the East Blue—he was leagues beyond Chew's level.
With a simple, contemptuous sidestep using Soru again, Gin easily evaded Chew's attack.
He then swung his heavy steel tonfa, landing a brutal, crushing blow squarely on Chew's abdomen.
CRUNCH!
Under the immense, focused force, Chew was sent flying backward like a ragdoll, smashing through a stone pillar before crashing into the pool.
"Gah…"
A mouthful of blood sprayed from Chew's lips, misting into a crimson cloud before he sank beneath the water, unconscious or dead.
The other fish-men pirates froze in shock, Arlong included.
Chew wasn't weak; he was one of their core officers. And he had been taken down... in one hit.
"You're asking for death…" Arlong snarled, his previously indifferent, almost bored expression twisting into a mask of pure, murderous rage.
His powerful fish-man legs pushed off, launching his massive frame forward like a cannonball.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance, crossing nearly fifty meters to arrive within ten meters of Gin.
Gin's pupils contracted to pinpricks, stunned by Arlong's explosive speed.
This was far faster than anyone he had fought on Blackthorn Island.
Had he not begun mastering Soru, he knew he would never have been able to keep up, let alone react.
Fortunately, he was no stranger to formidable foes.
He was a man who never flinched before strength.
He tightened his grip on his tonfa, bracing himself, ready to counterattack.
"Your opponent… is me."
But just then, a towering figure materialized between the two.
Lancelot had used Soru to intercept.
He threw a single, straightforward punch, imbued with his Fishman-enhanced strength, aiming straight for Arlong's face.
Arlong, reacting instantly, responded in kind, his own fist—ten times stronger than a human's—colliding with Lancelot's.
BOOM!
The impact was like two cannonballs colliding.
The shockwave rippled outwards, cracking the stone beneath their feet.
Both Lancelot and Arlong were sent staggering back three or four meters before they regained their footing, their arms trembling slightly from the sheer force.
Arlong's eyes widened in genuine shock.
For the first time, he took these Marines seriously.
Whether it was the subordinate, Gin, who had taken down Chew in one strike, or this towering guy, Lancelot, who had just matched him, blow for blow, in raw strength—both left him utterly astonished.
Humans weren't supposed to be this strong.
Lancelot, however, merely flexed his hand, his expression cold.
He swept a dismissive gaze over Arlong, Hatchan, Kuroobi, and the other gathered fish-men.
"They all have blood on their hands," he declared, his voice ringing with authority. "Show no mercy. Kill them all."
"Yes, Sir!"
Gin immediately turned, ignoring Arlong, and charged toward Kuroobi, the master of Fish-Man Karate.
Simultaneously, Zoro leaped down from the ship, drawing his three swords, and rushed the remaining group of fish-men warriors.
"Ahhh…!" Kuroobi, with a bounty of 9,000,000 Berries and a lifetime mastery of Fish-Man Karate, managed to hold his own for a few frantic moves against Gin, blocking and parrying the tonfa strikes with his hardened limbs.
He was clearly outmatched in speed and power, but his skill allowed him to survive... for now.
But the others... the other fish-men, strong as they were compared to normal humans, were like ants before Zoro.
His three swords became a whirlwind of death.
None could withstand even a single strike.
One by one, the fish-men fell beneath his blades.
Wherever Zoro passed, another body dropped, their unique blue and green blood soon staining the ground crimson.