The scene of Gunko suddenly reaching out with bandages to pull Nami over caused all the Fish-Man pirates present, including Arlong, to narrow their pupils.
"Devil Fruit user?"
After a brief two-second shock, Arlong suddenly looked up, re-examining Gunko, who had been standing quietly beside Ian.
As a pirate who had once ventured into the Grand Line, Arlong was far more experienced than many pirates in the East Blue, especially the concept of a Devil Fruit user; almost no pirates in the East Blue knew or had even heard of it.
It was precisely because of this that Arlong had risen so powerfully in the East Blue in just a few years, not only occupying more than twenty villages, including Cocoyasi Village, but also becoming the pirate with the highest bounty in the East Blue.
The reason he hadn't immediately killed Ian before was, firstly, he wanted to obtain more money from Ian, and secondly, he was being cautious, preventing Ian from being a member of the human trafficking group from the Grand Line, a group that even pirates deeply detested.
Even with his strong confidence, he dared not easily offend the human trafficking group. Because these human trafficking groups not only captured various races to sell in the human trafficking market, but they also didn't spare many pirate Captains sailing the seas!
Most importantly, human trafficking groups conducted their business more viciously and unscrupulously than straightforward pirates. Once provoked, he could easily fall into the hands of human traffickers in his sleep and become a slave!
Now that Gunko had displayed her Devil Fruit ability, he could basically confirm that Ian was from a human trafficking group.
While Arlong was secretly weighing his options, the members of the Arlong Pirates also put away their underestimation and watched Gunko and Ian as if facing a formidable enemy.
Nami was clearly also stunned by Gunko's aura and strength, and coupled with her neck being constricted by the bandage, she stiffened, trying to speak but finding herself unable to make a sound.
Seeing Nami's reaction, Ian bent down, hooked Nami's chin with his hand, and said in a gentle tone, "Gunko is right, you are the woman This Young Master has taken a fancy to. If you dare to ask others for help, This Young Master will snap your neck and throw you into the sea to feed the fish, even without these Fish-Men needing to act."
"Furthermore, if you offend these Fish-Men, you might still have a glimmer of hope! But if This Young Master is displeased, let alone Cocoyasi Village, even this island will disappear from the map forever!"
"You... you... let me go!"
Nami finally made a sound, sweeping away her previous look of terror, as if she had made some major decision, and fiercely met Ian's gaze, saying, "Is begging you useful? If it is, I beg you to help me kill Arlong! As long as you help me kill Arlong's Gang, I will willingly go with you. Otherwise, even if you buy me, I will try everything to escape. If I can't escape, I'll kill myself!"
"Are you negotiating with This Young Master?" Ian's expression slightly changed, and his voice instantly turned cold, "The people in this world who can negotiate with This Young Master are few and far between. Do you think you have that qualification?"
Before he finished speaking, Ian suddenly turned his head to look at Gunko.
"Gunko, pay up!"
"Eh?"
Gunko blinked and blurted out, "Really paying?"
Ian smiled slightly and said, "As an honest merchant, of course, I can't engage in shady dealings!"
"Yes!"
Gunko stopped talking nonsense and threw two boxes of Berries in front of Arlong with a flick of her hand.
"Happy cooperation!"
Before Arlong could check if the amount was correct, Ian immediately said, "This is one billion Berries. As for the one hundred million Berries deposit you mentioned, This Young Master doesn't have that much right now. But you don't have to worry, since we're going to cooperate long-term, this deposit will definitely be paid!"
As he spoke, Ian suddenly turned around and reached into Gunko's arms, pulling out a den den mushi under Gunko's startled, wide-eyed gaze.
"Wait a moment!"
Holding out the den den mushi and shaking it in front of Arlong, Ian's smile remained, and he said in a gentle tone, "This Young Master will contact someone now to prepare the deposit."
"What do you mean?"
Arlong's eyes instantly turned gloomy, "Is this what you meant by not lacking money?"
Ian smiled and said, "Indeed, I don't lack money, but the Berries I have with me are almost gone! Do you see those women on the ship? They were all bought by This Young Master at a high price. So far, this trip to the East Blue has already cost almost ten billion Berries!"
"But you don't have to worry, This Young Master's main principle is fair dealing!"
"While we wait for the deposit to be delivered, we can hold a banquet to lay a more solid foundation for our long-term partnership!"
"Before entering this sea area, This Young Master learned that your Arlong's Gang are not only all strong, but also keep a pet sea cow named 'Moomoo'. I wonder if you would be willing to part with it and slaughter it for some entertainment? Of course, This Young Master never treats his partners unfairly, nor will he eat and drink for free!"
"What?"
Arlong suddenly looked up, and the other Fish-Men also showed fierce glares.
This damned human trafficker actually had designs on their pet; he was simply tired of living.
"What? Unwilling?"
Before Arlong and the other Fish-Man pirates could erupt in anger, Ian suddenly bared his teeth and smiled, "No problem, no problem, This Young Master was just saying."
Before he finished speaking, Ian immediately picked up the den den mushi and dialed it.
"Moshi moshi~"
As soon as the den den mushi connected, a lazy voice came from it, "I'm Kizaru, who are you? You can connect to my den den mushi, that's a bit scary~"
"!!!!!"
As soon as the name Kizaru came from the den den mushi, Arlong, as well as Hachi and the other Fish-Man pirate Kuroobi behind him, all widened their eyes!
Especially Arlong, he was not only familiar with the owner of this voice but had also almost died at the hands of the owner of this voice.
That year, in order to seek revenge, he wanted to slaughter all the humans on an island but encountered Kizaru, who was then only a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, and was pierced through the body by a simple Razer Beam from him.
Under the powerful aura and oppressive strength of Kizaru, he was so scared at the time that tears streamed down his face.
Although more than ten years had passed, the shadow Kizaru cast over him still remained.
Now, suddenly hearing that familiar lazy voice, the fear sealed in his heart surged out, causing his body to tremble slightly.
"This voice is—"
Just as Arlong stiffened upon hearing Kizaru's voice, Kuroobi, standing behind him, also couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "This voice is... it's Marine Headquarters Admiral Borsalino!"
"Damn it, who exactly are you!"
"Why can you directly contact a Marine Headquarters Admiral!"
Seeing the reactions of Arlong and the others, Ian blinked in confusion and said in surprise, "Huh? You know Kizaru? That's not simple, to actually know a Marine Headquarters Admiral!"
After a slight pause, Ian suddenly changed the subject, facing the den den mushi and shouting in a voice that sounded frightened, "Borsalino, quick... quick, come save me! I am Nelona Ian, and I encountered a group of Fish-Man pirates attacking me on my way back to the Holy Land!"
"Those damned Fish-Men stole the tenryūbito tribute This Young Master painstakingly brought back from Goa Kingdom!"
——
Today's second update ends. The extra chapter will be updated after I wake up from sleep!
Good night, Makka Pakka~
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