The sun hung lazily over Arlong Park, throwing shimmering reflections across the blue stone walls and shark-fin statues that looked far too proud for their own good. Inside, Arlong lounged on his ridiculous coral-encrusted throne — a piece of furniture that screamed, "I'm compensating for something." His laughter boomed through the hall, deep and gurgly, like someone gargling gravel in saltwater.
Around him, his fishmen were in their usual routine: bragging, drinking, and occasionally insulting humans to keep their intimidation skills fresh.
That was when the great iron gates creaked open with a slow, echoing grooooooan.
Every fishman turned.
Nami stepped in first — her orange hair glinting in the light — carrying a large sack slung over her shoulder. Behind her walked Ben, dusting off his black coat with a wand flick that sent a couple of glittering sparks into the air. The sparkles fizzled out near one fishman's nose, making him sneeze violently.
"Oops," Ben muttered, pretending innocence. "Allergies?"
Arlong tilted his head, grin stretching wide enough to make a shark jealous. "Nami… what's that sack you're carrying?"
Nami didn't answer. She walked right into the center of the hall, her sandals clicking against the damp stone, and threw the heavy sack down with a solid thud.
"All yours," she said, voice sharp but trembling. "One hundred million beli. Every last coin you asked for."
The words echoed through the room.
The laughter stopped. The mugs stopped clinking. Even the fishmen who usually mocked her fell silent, staring at the mountain of cash as if it had just materialized from thin air.
Ben, arms crossed, leaned casually on the doorframe and whispered to himself, "Ah yes, the universal language of silence — also known as 'we-can't-believe-she-actually-did-it'."
Every eye turned toward Arlong. He blinked once. The muscles in his jaw twitched. He had already told Captain Nezumi to confiscate all that money earlier in the day. So… how was it here?
"You promised freedom for Cocoyashi Village for one hundred million beli," Nami said, her voice cracking only a little. "Take it and honor your word."
Arlong stared at her for a long moment. His lips curled back into that sinister grin again.
Ben, however, stepped forward, casually twirling his wand like it was a conductor's baton. "A man who breaks a promise to a lady isn't worth a damn," he said cheerfully. "So I suggest you think your actions through very carefully before we all start calling you Sharkface the Liar."
The fishmen erupted into angry mutters. A few even pulled out weapons, which, unfortunately for them, immediately turned into rubber ducks with a flick of Ben's wand.
"Quack, quack," Ben said with a straight face. "Oh look, they're armed to the beak."
Arlong growled low, baring rows of jagged teeth. "You've got quite the mouth for a human."
Ben smiled pleasantly. "I get that a lot."
Then Arlong laughed — a booming, rumbling laugh that made the water in the nearby pool tremble. "I'm a pirate! You can't seriously think a pirate would keep his word. Humans! You think that pathetic deal means something? I own you — your land, your money, your lives. Cocoyashi Village belongs to me!"
The words hit the room like thunder.
Nami froze. Her eyes went wide. "You… you lied."
Her voice cracked, and she fell to her knees, clutching her arms as tears streamed down her face.
Ben's joking demeanor faded instantly. He stepped closer, crouched beside her, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey," he said softly, "don't cry. He's not worth the tears. His brain's about as large as his nose — which is saying something."
But Nami didn't respond. She was breaking, all those years of pain and hope crumbling at once.
Ben looked up, his wand tightening in his grip, and his eyes flared a dangerous shade of blue. For a brief second, faint sparks of magic danced along the floor like lightning. The air itself felt heavier. He was about to speak — to say something, when—
BOOM!
The main gate exploded off its hinges in a burst of smoke and shattered wood.
Every fishman in the hall froze.
Standing at the entrance, silhouettes framed by sunlight, were four very familiar figures.
Luffy.
Zoro.
Sanji.
Usopp.
Behind them, Johnny and Yosaku were struggling to hold back the angry villagers who'd followed them there to fight wth the Arlong pirates.
Ben blinked, lowering his wand. "Ah," he said. "The cavalry. And they have better timing than I expected."
Luffy stepped forward, eyes locked on Nami, who was still crying on the ground. His usual grin was gone — replaced by a rare look of fury.
He strode across the broken gate, his straw hat's shadow falling across the floor. The air seemed to hum with quiet rage.
He stopped in front of a blue-skinned fishman with a ridiculous hairdo. "Are you Arlong?" he asked flatly.
The fishman, Chew, blinked. "No?"
Luffy turned to another, Kuroobi. "Are you Arlong?"
Kuroobi folded his arms, frowning. "What? No!"
Luffy looked around again, expression blank.
Ben cleared his throat politely and raised his wand like a teacher giving directions. "Excuse me, yes — that one. The big angry fish with the nose you could hang laundry on. That's your guy."
For a heartbeat, the whole room just… stared at him. Even Arlong seemed momentarily thrown off.
Then Luffy nodded solemnly, as if Ben had just given him the world's most profound wisdom. "Oh. Got it."
He clenched his fist. "So you're Arlong."
Arlong barely had time to sneer before—
"Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"
Luffy's punch rocketed forward, his arm stretching like rubber lightning, and slammed into Arlong's face with a thunderous CRACK!
The entire building shuddered. Coral cracked. Water splashed. Arlong flew backward, crashing through his own throne and landing in a heap of broken coral and ego.
The fishmen gasped.
Ben let out a low whistle. "Now that's what I call a punchline."
Nami blinked up, shocked, tears still glistening on her cheeks. Luffy walked past the scattered debris, calm as ever, until he reached her.
He stopped, reached up, and slowly took off his straw hat — the same hat that he had promised to give to a certain red-haired pirate in grand line.
He leaned down and gently placed it on Nami's head.
"No one hurts my nakama," he said quietly.
The world seemed to stop. Even the sea outside went still, like it was listening.
Ben smiled faintly, resting his wand against his shoulder. "Well," he murmured, "looks like the main act's started."