[66] Before A Supreme King
Chapter 66: Before A Supreme King
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As the terrible feeling of dread filled with the eventual feeling of being misunderstood by many, further mixed with the feeling of guilt knowing their savior would die soon after—Nami and Nojiko bit their lips to stop their tears from creating a mess.
“Oh god, what are you punishing those girls for…”
“Fucking fish bastards… if only we were stronger.”
“Hey, shh, careful! What if they heard you?”
The crowd whispered from around the fishmen who were keeping Nami and Nojiko captivated. Those two girls were the most adorable ones this island had to offer, and everyone liked them. To see them in this state, hurt all of the islanders deeply—but they could do nothing but curse under their breaths.
The seven fishmen took the opposite side of the crowd, standing under the palm tree. While the humans made a crowd before them, all wearing dreadful expressions.
The 8-foot-tall fishman that was Arlong seemed delighted now that all islanders were gathered. His tall head looked around, in search of the foolish man who had come to this island, but he couldn’t notice him amidst the crowd.
Arlong sat down on the concrete platform that was circling around the root of the palm tree. He threw the two girls forward, causing them to fall to their faces—earning a nasty bruise on their shoulders.
“Ahg-”
Both girls grunted at the same time, and the islanders looked visibly pained at that. Arlong didn’t even flinch and waved his hand at the crowd.
“I am not going to tie them up. I am sure they won’t run. They know the consequences if they do, shahaha.”
“Now, where do I start? I knew humans were lowly and trash, and I knew they stab each other on their backs—unlike we great fishmen. It always amuses me to see the betrayals. This feels sweet on my tongue, actually. Reminds me of the old days…”
The old days when the Sun Pirates were backstabbed by the family of the human child they saved. The old days when Vice-Admiral Borsalino washed the floor with them. That incident had killed the little bit of faith Arlong had in humans.
“To go to the point from the get-go,”
Arlong grabbed a piece of paper from one of his comrades and raised it above his head, allowing all to see what was the content of the paper. A series of gasps left the people at once.
“A bounty poster. The young human Nami brought this time around, has a bounty. It’s a big number, too. Thing is, he is a weakling. All that bounty is because he kidnapped a princess. He is not that strong.”
“Do you humans know the goal I gave Nami? Eight years ago, I told her to give me a hundred million berries. If she did, she would have bought off all of your lives. I would have left the island and left you, humans, alone. That was the goal, that was my promise to her.”
Not that he was ever going to live up to that promise. But he wasn’t going to mention that.
Arlong put the bounty post down and continued his words while wearing a grin.
“Finally, she got the chance to pay the bounty to me. She just had to sell that boy to the marines and pay me. However, did she do that?”
The islanders slowly exchanged glances. They knew the hard life Nami was leading for them, so they didn’t believe the implication Arlong was doing, but it did confuse them. Why did she not sell a criminal? Why not take the easier route?
The two girls who were on their knees looked down at the ground, their expression was dark and concerned. They were filled with guilt.
“Shaha. In Nami’s defense, she didn’t know. I am sure she would have sold him if she knew his status as a bad criminal. Right, Nami? You hate bad guys.”
Arlong teased Nami, earning a glare from her when she turned her head back. Arlong just grinned. Both of them knew where he was going with this. He was going to keep Nami out of it and just blame Nojiko.
Blaming both sisters would actually make it easier for the sisters to cope. But for only Nojiko to receive the blame, it would leave Nami just as devastated too. Why did she bring that man here?
Nami turned to look at the crowd and began to speak. Trying to change the course of the incoming hate, before Arlong could set it in stone.
"He is lying. It's all my fault. That guy save-"
Nami was about to explain how her life was saved. It would give her a more selfish visage to the islanders, proving that she would choose her single savior over the hundreds of people living in the village.
However, Arlong was having none of it. He interrupted her with a loud growl, and that hit on Nami’s PTSD to make her shut.
“I didn’t allow you to speak, Nami! Be grateful your sister has not died yet by my hands.” Arlong gripped the stone platform he was sitting on as it cracked. “It’s your sister. She is at fault here. Don’t try to take the blame.”
“Nojiko knew who the human was, but she didn’t report to you or me—instead she proposed the idea that the human fight me and end my rule. Hey, hey, hey, Nojiko- am I not a benevolent ruler? How can you think of putting me down from my throne? No, how did you think a brat like that could defeat a proud fishman like me?”
Nojiko had a noble goal. But to the gathered villagers, it appeared to be a foolish pipe dream. Was she stupid? How dare she plot against Arlong like that? Had she forgotten how her adopted mother had died? Arlong was not somebody a mere human could defeat—why did she seal all their fates for such a silly reason?
The gathered villagers felt betrayed. They knew the underlying reason why she did what she did, but they couldn’t deny how stupid it was. It hurt their souls thinking how they lost the precious chance to be freed. Just because that girl was stupid and ambitious.
It was at that moment that two more fishmen joined the gathering. But they didn’t come from the side where Arlong was, they walked from the side where the human crowd was.
The first thing they did was yell while huffing, as she pointed their fingers at one spot within the crowd.
“H-hey! Isn’t that the duck? We have been looking for it all over the island!”
Immediately, the crowd’s attention focused on the duck. The duck and the young man stood beside it. They stared silently for a moment before all gasped and jumped back. A clearing was made for the eyes of Arlong to focus on the young man and widen.
“Ah. You were hiding within the crowd? A devil-fruit user.”
The young man, whose name was Hashirama Senju as described by the poster, was sipping booze from a large cup. As he did that, his blonde hair and casual clothes turned into the smoke to reveal his black hair and exquisite cowboy outfit.
“Crazy bad luck, innit?”
“Innit?”
“It’s nothing.”
* * *
Arlong shot Hashirama an amused glare as he poured the contents of the glass down his throat. Finishing the drink, he threw the glass to the side and wiped his lips.
“I have to say one thing though,”
Hashirama looked at Arlong with serious eyes.
“That woman looks so hot, bruised and anxious like that. Though I will admit, it’s not fun seeing someone else do that to her. I wished to have done it myself if given the chance.”
Arlong wore an indifferent expression as he stared at Hashirama who appeared to be a clown in his eyes. A second later, he waved his hand at the two fishmen who were near the duck and Hashirama.
“Comrades, beat him up and tie him.”
“Yes, Arlong.”
The two fishmen nodded aggressively and grinned. Then, they kicked the ground and rushed at Hashirama who had his back facing them.
“Let’s see… Close your nostrils and try to release a breath. Uh, can I use Observation Haki to focus on only those whom I want out?”
Hashirama muttered and gently turned his head back. His eyes focused on the two rushing fishman—and they fell to their faces right away—the wave of green overwhelmed them to knock out. Everyone else was safe and awake.
The crowd stayed silent and still. Confused, for the most part. It was true for most of the fishmen too, as they wore confused frowns. The only ones who weren’t confused though were Nami and Arlong.
Nami looked hopeful. A distant hope in the deepest part of her soul. So his weird knocking-out power worked on fishmen too? Then maybe he could use it on Arlong?
The man in question, Arlong, was the only one who wore a horrified expression.
“C-Conqueror’s Haki?!”
“Tada.”
Arlong shot up to stand, his body stiff and his expression one that none had seen before.
The expression of pure dread, of pure pitifulness, as he stood before a beast he knew he was too weak to go up against.
“I like the Color of the Supreme King name more, though. Has that grand feeling to it, don’t you agree?”
For the first time in nearly a decade, Arlong was scared shitless.
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