Ryuuto arrived at Arlong Park without any opposition. It was only when he kicked the main gate open that the members of the Arlong Pirates, who had been lounging on deck chairs and sunbathing, finally reacted.
"Who the hell are you?"
"You got a death wish, barging into the territory of the Arlong Pirates?"
Arlong and his officers glanced up with mild interest, but it was their underlings who couldn't wait to run their mouths.
"The Arlong Pirates, right? Captain Arlong, bounty of 20 million Beri. You're the ones I'm looking for!"
Ryuuto said, rubbing his chin with a playful look.
"You're asking to die!"
Seeing Ryuuto's insolence, several of the Fish-Man grunts grabbed their nearby swords and charged at him.
"Die, human brat!" the grunts roared, their faces contorted with malice.
"Oh? How interesting. A bunch of small fry," Ryuuto remarked, standing perfectly still. A smirk of contempt touched his lips.
"Boss, you don't think he's a bounty hunter, do you? He seems a little too confident," Kuroobi said, turning to Arlong on the adjacent lounge chair.
Chew and Hatchan seemed to agree, also turning their gazes toward Arlong.
Arlong, too, found Ryuuto's arrogance a bit much. But as the captain, this was the perfect time to let his subordinates test the waters.
"Some bounty hunter in the East Blue thinks he can mess with the Arlong Pirates? He must have a death wish!" Arlong sneered, adjusting his sunglasses.
Just as the grunts were about to reach him, Ryuuto let out a soft chuckle and lifted his right foot, which was clad in a simple slipper.
"Rankyaku!"
He swung his leg down, and a blade of pressurized air, pale blue and white, shot toward the Fish-Men. With a deafening boom, the vacuum wave sliced through the grunts, cutting them clean in half. Its momentum barely slowed as it slammed into the tall tower behind them, carving a deep gash into the structure and sending splinters flying.
The upper torsos of the grunts flew through the air, and several landed on Arlong and his officers.
Arlong and the others brushed the dismembered bodies off themselves, immediately grabbing their weapons and assuming combat stances.
"Who are you? I've never heard of anyone like you in the East Blue," Arlong asked, his face grim as he stared at Ryuuto from behind his officers.
"Boss, enough talking! He killed so many of our brothers!" Kuroobi snarled, his eyes filled with rage.
"Chew-chew-chew! Come on out, my giant battle beast!" Chew called, summoning the giant sea cow from the water.
"Pah-pah-pah! This guy's strength is no joke!" Hatchan said, his expression serious as he brandished his six swords.
Kuroobi also settled into his fighting stance.
Ryuuto paid the five Fish-Men no mind. Instead, his gaze drifted around, taking in the sights of Arlong Park. Beneath the tall tower was a massive swimming pool, surrounded by various buildings. Bathed in the sunlight, it almost had a tranquil, picturesque feeling—if one ignored the bloody carnage staining the ground. From the wide waterway beneath the towering gate he had just passed through, a giant sea cow was now emerging from the depths. Its enormous body, a fusion of a cow's head and a fish's tail, displaced a huge wave as it surfaced.
Taking it all in, Ryuuto mused to himself. Arlong Park truly was a world of its own—a paradise built by villains, enjoying the spoils of their plunder.
"Human brat! How dare you ignore us!" Seeing Ryuuto's casual demeanor, Arlong's four officers roared in fury. "Die!"
"You're the ones who just made my navigator cry," Ryuuto shot back, his voice turning sharp as he refocused on them. "As you wish! Rankyaku!"
He kicked out another blade of air. The moment the attack flew, Ryuuto vanished, reappearing at their flank in a flash. His right hand shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow, aimed to pierce them.
"Shigan!"
On the pirates' side, Arlong, who was standing at the rear, instantly leaped up onto the tower to evade the incoming vacuum wave. Kuroobi, Chew, and the third officer jumped back, leaving Hatchan to face the Rankyaku head-on with his six swords.
With a tremendous crash, Hatchan managed to block the attack, but the force of the impact sent him flying into the tower. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth; he had clearly suffered internal injuries.
Kuroobi, Chew, and their comrade had no time to be amazed. Ryuuto was already upon them.
As Ryuuto's shout echoed, a barrage of Shigan strikes rained down on them like a torrential storm. The three officers tried to counter with Fish-Man Karate, but it was too late. The Finger Pistols struck with lethal force, and blood bloomed from countless wounds on their bodies.
Thanks to the incredible durability of the Fish-Man race, the three of them, though bleeding profusely, were not dead. They lay on the ground, out of the fight but still alive.
In the blink of an eye, three officers were down and one was lightly injured. Only a few moments had passed.
Standing on the tower, Arlong grit his teeth, his eyes wide with fury.
"Bastard! How dare you do this to my family! You're dead!" Arlong roared. But despite his words, Ryuuto's overwhelming power had terrified him. He didn't dare to engage.
Arlong flipped backward, transforming into his half-Fish-Man form, his long, serrated nose pointing downward as he dove toward the swimming pool below. If he could just get into the water, Arlong felt he might have a fighting chance on his home turf.
Ryuuto glanced over, understanding Arlong's plan perfectly. But against true power, such tactics were as meaningless as trying to catch the moon's reflection in a well.
Ryuuto ignored Arlong. The giant sea beast that had just entered his field of vision was far more interesting.
"Soru!" With a soft grunt, Ryuuto vanished and reappeared instantly on top of Momoo's head.
"Sit down!"
He slammed a fist down on the massive sea cow. With a heavy thud, Momoo was driven face-first into the stone ground.
"Moo!~" Momoo let out a pathetic cry.
A giant lump was already swelling on its head. Even Momoo's thick, tough hide couldn't withstand Ryuuto's punch.
"Not bad, not bad at all," Ryuuto said, nodding in satisfaction as he looked at the huge sea cow. "You're Momoo, right? I'm sure you can understand me. Stay here and don't move," he warned, shaking a fist in front of Momoo's face.
"Moo..." Momoo was terrified. The man before it was simply too brutal. Hearing the command, it nodded its head frantically.
"Good boy," Ryuuto said, pleased. He gave Momoo's head a reassuring pat.