Arlong stared at the human before him, his anger reaching the point where he began to laugh.
“I will not kill you yet,” he said, his voice low and filled with malice.
“I will break your limbs, hang you at the port, and let the seagulls pick you clean.
Everyone will see what happens to those who dare oppose the Fish-Men.”
While Arlong spoke, Light paid him no attention.
His gaze swept across the gathered Fish-Men before settling on the only human present, Nami.
At the same time, Nami was carefully observing the two intruders.
Zoro did not stand out much to her.
Over the years, many bounty hunters had come to challenge Arlong, and most of them carried themselves with similar confidence.
Every single one had failed and ended up dead.
Because of that, she felt no excitement when she looked at Zoro.
She did not believe these two alone could change anything.
However, the moment her eyes met Light’s, everything changed.
She recognized him instantly.
The bounty hunter who had slain Thatch, the Fourth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, a man worth 360 million Berries.
Zoro was still unknown, just a swordsman with no reputation.
Light was different.
His name had already spread, tied to a feat that shocked even the Grand Line.
Arlong and his crew failed to recognize him, but Nami never forgot information tied to money or power.
Before meeting Luffy, she had despised pirates completely.
To her, they were nothing but greedy criminals who brought suffering to ordinary people.
The Whitebeard Pirates were no exception in her eyes.
So when she first heard that someone had killed a pirate worth 360 million Berries, she had been stunned.
Arlong, the strongest pirate in East Blue, only had a bounty of 20 million Berries.
The difference was overwhelming.
To Nami, someone with that kind of bounty had to be far more dangerous and far more ruthless than Arlong.
Yet that same man stood here now.
Months ago, she had once allowed herself a brief fantasy.
A powerful bounty hunter, someone wealthy and capable, would appear and free her from this nightmare.
But time passed, and she gave up on that hope.
A faint smile appeared on her face, one filled with relief after years of silent suffering.
Light noticed it.
His expression softened slightly, his usual sharp grin easing into something more natural.
“You,” he said, “are you the best navigator around here?”
Nami lifted her chin, a hint of pride returning to her voice.
“No.
I am the best navigator in East Blue.”
Light let out a short laugh.
“Even better.
Then I am inviting you to join my crew.”
“Okay, I accept,” Nami replied without hesitation.
Before anything else could be said, one of the Fish-Men stepped forward in rage.
“You worthless human, do you think you can take her?
Nami belongs to us, you…”
A deafening blast cut him off.
The hand cannon roared again.
The Fish-Man’s body exploded apart, flesh and blood scattering across the ground.
Light lowered the weapon, casually blowing away the smoke.
“Too noisy,” he muttered.
For a brief second, he thought the Fish-Man looked familiar, but he did not bother to dwell on it.
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Arlong lunged forward at incredible speed, his serrated nose glinting as he aimed straight for Light.
Light shifted slightly and avoided the strike with ease.
Zoro’s eyes sharpened, ready to step in, but Light spoke first.
“Zoro, stay with the navigator.
I will deal with him.”
Zoro did not argue.
In an instant, he moved to Nami’s side, drawing two swords and positioning himself in front of her.
“Stay behind me,” he said.
“This will be over soon.”
His expression twisted with fury.
“I will handle this one,” he growled.
“Kill that swordsman.”
He charged again, closing the distance in just a few steps before bringing his blade down with tremendous force.
The swing cut through the air with a heavy sound.
This time, Light did not dodge.
He drew the saber at his waist and raised it to meet the attack.
Steel clashed.
Arlong’s confident expression froze.
His full strength strike had been stopped.
Not only stopped, but held in place without the slightest sign of strain.
Light stood there, relaxed, as if the weight behind the attack meant nothing.
“This world is interesting,” Light said, almost to himself.
“My growth here is much faster than before.”
His physical ability had always been his foundation.
In his original world, it had only made him tougher and stronger than average, nothing remarkable.
But after arriving here, everything changed.
From the moment he began consuming the meat of powerful sea creatures, his body started to evolve.
Muscles, bones, even his internal organs, all improved rapidly.
Sea Beast meat strengthened him.
Sea King meat accelerated that growth even further.
It explained why so many monsters existed in this world.
Light’s thoughts were brief, but clear.
Then he acted.
With a sudden surge of strength, he knocked Kiribachi aside.
Before Arlong could react, Light stepped in and drove a heavy punch straight into his abdomen.
The impact was brutal.
Arlong’s body bent from the force, his muscles caving in as the blow landed cleanly.