25: Chapter 25 Helpless Nami Destroys the Cage"Luffy, help me!"
Not long after setting sail, Luffy's personal Den Den Mushi rang, and Nami's helpless sobs came through.A cold glint flashed in Luffy's eyes.Sanji, upon hearing Nami's cries, was even more impatient, wishing he could sprout wings and fly to Nami's side so she could cry freely in his warm embrace."Mission issued: Slay Arlong, destroy Fishman Paradise.Mission reward: Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit (no side effects)."
After Luffy briefly told Sanji Nami's story, Sanji roared, his body blazing with fury, "Those damn fish-men dare to bully my Miss Nami!I'll make them into sashimi, braised fish, steamed fish, and spicy fish head!"
Luffy was also shocked by the sight of him engulfed in flames.It seemed this was love!If he weren't in such a hurry, he'd love to try lighting a cigarette with the fire.Luffy quickly shook his head, dismissing the unrealistic thought, and crushed a teleportation stone, rapidly transporting everyone to the center of Cocoyasi Village.Nami slumped helplessly to the ground.Just moments before, she had been preparing to use the 100 million Berries she'd collected to buy back the village from Arlong, but a Marine captain calling himself "Rat" and his men had barged into her house and ransacked it, claiming they'd received a report that ill-gotten gains were hidden there.Seeing Rat steal all her hard-earned wealth, Nami realized that the Marines were in cahoots with Arlong.Arlong had never intended to fulfill their agreement.Undeterred, Nami confronted Arlong, but the shameless Arlong not only admitted to the crime but also demanded that Nami be his navigator for life.When Nami returned home, her eyes vacant.Back in the village, Nami saw all the villagers armed and ready to fight Arlong."Wait, everyone!Don't be impulsive!I'll keep trying, I'll save up the money again.This time it'll be much easier, I'm used to it!" Nami forced a smile, trying to stop them.Arlong's gentle yet resolute words before leaving the village only made Nami feel more helpless.She had never felt so helpless before.Because of her own powerlessness, the villagers who loved her so much were going to challenge Arlong to avenge her.Looking at the tattoo on her arm and thinking of Arlong's triumphant laughter, Nami angrily picked up the dagger on the ground and stabbed at the tattoo on her arm again and again.Even though the blood wouldn't stop flowing, Nami seemed oblivious to the pain and continued stabbing, just to remove this hateful tattoo.Just as Nami was about to stab again, a pair of warm hands grabbed her wrists.Nami looked up and saw Luffy smiling gently at her."Luffy!"
Nami seemed to have found her pillar of support and threw herself into Luffy's arms, bursting into tears.Luffy embraced her, and his gentle wood power helped heal Nami's wounds.After Nami calmed down and finished telling what had happened, everyone unleashed a powerful killing intent.Luffy slammed his straw hat on Nami's head and, with a grim expression, led the Straw Hat Pirates to Fishman Paradise.
At the entrance of Arlong Park, villagers who were preparing to fight Arlong were stopped by two wounded men.These two men were Joseph and Johnny, who had secretly followed Nami because they were worried about her.No matter what the villagers said, they stood firm at the gate and wouldn't let them in.Joseph and Johnny firmly believed that Luffy and his crew would definitely come back to defeat these damned fishmen."They're here!"
Johnny jumped up excitedly, and everyone looked in the direction Luffy and his crew were walking towards them, bathed in sunlight.A-Jian saw the young man leading the group nod to him, and for some reason, he genuinely believed this boy could save Nami from her predicament.When Luffy reached the gate, looking at the place where Nami had been imprisoned for eight years, Luffy's anger was completely ignited!"Kuruki Kuruki Fall!Thunder God Cannon!"
Luffy's furious fist, imbued with the power of a new element, slammed into the door.In an instant, the seemingly indestructible door shattered, sending up thick smoke.The fish-men who were frolicking inside were startled.As the smoke cleared, they saw the culprit and gritted their teeth, ready to tear this arrogant boy apart."So you're called Arlong, huh?I'm Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates!Did you make my navigator Nami cry?"
Luffy stared coldly at the purple-skinned fish-man sitting in the center of the courtyard.Arlong, his face unfriendly, glared at Luffy and said, "I am Arlong.What do you want with me, you lowly human?Oh, it's about Nami.When did Nami become your navigator?She can only be the navigator of my Arlong Pirates!Hahahaha!"
Seeing Arlong still incessantly babbling on, oblivious to his impending doom, Luffy's veins bulged on his face.Clenching his fist, he flashed to Arlong's side and delivered a powerful punch to that disgusting face.Arlong, still laughing, was sent flying by the blow."Just admit it.I don't need your nonsense.Just know that I'm here to kill you," Luffy said coldly, twisting his neck.The fishmen, realizing their captain had been knocked away, rushed to avenge him, but Zoro and the others stopped them.They couldn't let these bastards disturb their captain.Arlong, leaning against the wall, stood up from the ruins, straightening his crooked nose and roaring angrily at Luffy, "You lowly human, how dare you hit a noble fishman!Kid, I don't care who you are, you're dead today!"
At this moment, Arlong hadn't realized the difference in strength between himself and Luffy.He simply believed he had been knocked away due to a momentary lapse in concentration.Enraged, Arlong opened his mouth wide and charged at Luffy, intending to bite him to death with his prized sharp teeth.Luffy easily shattered Arlong's teeth with a single punch, followed by a punch that twisted Arlong's nose.Luffy didn't continue attacking but waited for Arlong to recover.He intended to shatter Arlong's ridiculous pride with each punch before finally obliterating him completely.
After easily dealing with the grunts, Zoro and his crew faced their respective opponents.With Luffy's enhancement, the Straw Hat crew's overall strength allowed them to easily resolve the battles.The group then watched as Luffy relentlessly beat Arlong with punch after punch.Arlong would recover, only to be knocked down again by Luffy's punch.This went on for many times until Arlong finally broke down.He couldn't stand up, he simply couldn't stand up.His sharp teeth and long nose had been regenerated countless times, only to be shattered and bent by the boy in front of him each time."Straw Hat kid, land battles aren't my forte.Do you dare to fight me in the sea?That's my home turf!" the devastated Arlong shouted.Luffy didn't reply, but simply dragged him into the sea and jumped in after him.Since Arlong said so, then he would defeat him on his home turf.
Back in the sea, Arlong immediately felt his back pain and leg soreness disappear.Feeling refreshed, he laughed triumphantly at Luffy: "You humans are truly foolish creatures!I was just saying, and you actually put me in the sea and jumped in after me!Hahahaha!"
Arlong charged at Luffy with a maniacal laugh, but Luffy still sent him flying with a single punch.Undeterred, Arlong sped up, attacking Luffy from all sides.However, the next second, Luffy's body crackled with electricity, a violent surge of current erupting, instantly blasting Arlong from the sea onto the shore.Arlong lay charred and convulsing on the ground.The villagers cheered at the sight.From the moment Luffy brutally beat Arlong until Arlong was powerless to retaliate, everyone knew who the ultimate winner of this battle was.Luffy dragged the lifeless Arlong to the room where Nami had been imprisoned for eight years.Looking at the room filled with piles of manuscripts, Luffy, who had remained silent until now, spoke: "Do you know why I brought you to this room?Because this is where Nami suffered the most, and I will make you die here, suffering the same pain as Nami, thus completely freeing her." With that, ignoring Arlong's pleading eyes, Luffy gathered lightning in his hands, unleashing "Thunder Strike!"
The overwhelming power of lightning destroyed everything around it.Arlong was blasted into dust before he could even scream.The iconic building representing Fishman Paradise also collapsed completely under the immense power of the attack.Seeing the cage that had imprisoned her for eight years destroyed, Nami hugged her straw hat and shed tears of joy and emotion.Luffy came to Nami and softly asked, "Nami, are you willing to become my navigator now?"
Looking at the boy's gentle smile, Nami placed her straw hat on his head and revealed the happiest smile she had had in years: "I've been willing for a long time, Captain!"