"It doesn't matter if you don't understand the power of my Devil Fruit. All you need to know is that I am a god—and wiping out these fish-men is as easy as breathing."
Nojiko nodded, her mind racing. She realized she had reached a critical turning point in her life.
The man before her was shrouded in mystery, yet she had no choice but to believe him. If she refused, Nami would fall into despair after handing Arlong 100 million berries, only to see her hopes crushed.
With that thought, she looked at the man sharply and said,
"I'm sorry… I can't decide for Nami. All I can do is try my best to persuade her. If you accept that, then… I will become your consort."
The words left her lips, bringing a wave of shame over her.
"Good enough," the man said with a chuckle before pulling her into his arms. Nojiko gasped in surprise, but before she could react, a flash of lightning engulfed them. In an instant, they arrived at Arlong Park.
Still reeling from the sudden teleportation, Nojiko barely had time to process his incredible power before his commanding voice echoed around her.
"Now, watch as these filthy fish-men meet their end."
Without hesitation, he unleashed his wrath.
"Who the hell are you!?"
"Damn human!"
"AGH!!!"
"Nojiko!? That's Nami's sister—I recognize her!"
"..."
The fish-men barely had time to react before being reduced to ashes by the relentless storm of lightning. Some didn't even get a chance to scream before they were obliterated.
"This… Am I dreaming?" Nojiko whispered in disbelief.
She had once prayed for the Marines to come to their aid, believing them to be their only hope—after all, her adoptive mother had been one. Yet now, here stood a being so powerful that even the Marines seemed insignificant.
No… this wasn't just a man.
He was a god.
Her god—the one who had come to save her and Nami.
"Six-Sword Style Secret Technique: Six-Sword Waltz!"
Hatchan, enraged by the massacre of his comrades, unleashed his strongest sword technique in a desperate attempt to fight back.
But his attack never landed.
A streak of lightning, as thick as a baby's arm, struck him down before he could take another step.
"Why…?"
It was futile. He was too weak. Hikaru hadn't even needed to focus on him—the lightning naturally sought out its target, wiping him from existence.
At that moment, Arlong, disturbed by the chaos outside, stormed out of his quarters. His sharp teeth clenched as his blood-red eyes took in the devastation.
His subordinates lay dead, charred corpses scattered across the ground.
"You… lowly human! Where the hell did you come from!?" he roared in fury.
Hikaru sneered.
What a pathetic, ignorant fish-man—completely unlike his half-sister, Madame Shyarly.
"The ignorant truly know no fear."
Raising his hand, he formed a ball of crackling electricity and flicked it forward.
[Thunderball!]
"Oh no—!"
Arlong convulsed violently as the electricity surged through his body, forcing him to his knees. His massive saw-like sword, Kiribachi, slipped from his grasp and clattered onto the ground. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, the pain suddenly faded.
Panting, he looked up at Hikaru with gritted teeth and spat out a threat.
"Human… My big brother is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—the Sea Knight, Jinbei! If you lay a hand on me, you'd better be ready to face the consequences!"
Hikaru only laughed.
"Foolish Arlong… Just die without worry. As for your sister, Madame Shyarly, I'll be sure to take good care of her. She'll happily sink into my arms and spend the rest of her days under my watchful eye."
"You—!"
Arlong's eyes widened in shock.
How did this man know about his sister!?
But he didn't have time to process it. His breath hitched as he saw Hikaru raise his hand, forming his fingers into the shape of a pistol.
Desperate, furious, and helpless, Arlong roared:
"Fish-men are superior to humans!!!"
[Thunder Gun!]
In the next instant, a blinding bolt of electricity shot from Hikaru's fingertips, piercing straight through Arlong's skull. The fish-man's body stiffened before he collapsed lifelessly, his soul drifting off to meet Fisher Tiger in the afterlife.
The battlefield was silent.
The fish-men had either perished or fled.
Some of the smarter ones had taken advantage of the chaos, diving into the ocean while Hikaru was focused on Arlong. However, they failed to realize one fatal mistake—water conducts electricity far better than air.
[Thunder Method: Water Walk!]
A surge of lightning spread across the surface, crackling through the water with devastating force. Within moments, the fleeing fish-men twitched violently before floating lifelessly to the surface, their bellies turned up.
Even the massive sea beast, Momoo, was not spared. The once-feared creature, often used by Arlong's crew, was now just another victim of the storm. Perhaps, when the villagers of Cocoyasi discovered it, they would turn it into a grand feast.
Hikaru turned to look at Nojiko, only to find tears streaming down her face.
Of course.
The one responsible for her adoptive mother's death had been tortured and killed before her very eyes. Anyone would be overwhelmed by emotions.
Yet, she remained silent.
Not because she didn't want to cry—but because she was afraid of displeasing him.
Realizing this, Hikaru reached out and gently stroked her sky-blue hair, his voice unusually soft.
"Cry if you need to. Don't hold it in for my sake."
At those words, Nojiko's teary eyes widened slightly before gratitude filled them. And then—she let it all out.
"Bell-mère!! Did you see that!? Arlong is finally dead!!!"
She sobbed uncontrollably, her voice raw with emotion.
"Nami! You don't have to suffer anymore! No more stealing, no more humiliation! We're free!"
Hikaru allowed her to grieve, but as her cries started to settle, he suddenly remembered—there was still one more matter to deal with.
"That's not enough," he reminded her. "There's someone else behind all this."
"Huh?" Nojiko froze, her tear-streaked face lifting toward him. "Who?"
"Colonel Nezumi from the 16th Marine Branch," Hikaru said coldly. "He's the one who secretly colluded with Arlong, covering up his crimes and preventing news from spreading."
Nojiko's fists clenched. "That bastard…"
"Don't worry. I've already found him."
Without another word, Hikaru raised his hand in the direction of the 16th Marine Branch. His Observation Haki locked onto Nezumi's presence instantly.
A bolt of lightning as thick as a pillar erupted from his fingertips, splitting the sky as it tore through the distance.
[God's Judgment!]
A deafening explosion shook the land. Even in Cocoyasi Village, the distant rumble could be heard.
There was no need to confirm it.
Nezumi was dead.
The entire Marine base had been reduced to rubble, leaving behind nothing but a massive crater. Only a few lucky marines outside the blast zone managed to survive.
(Hikaru's Observation Haki could cover vast distances, and Cocoyasi Village was relatively small. Given how fast Nezumi arrived to steal Nami's treasure after her return from One Piece, it was clear that the 16th Marine Branch wasn't far from here.)
With the matter settled, Hikaru turned back to Nojiko and extended his hand.
"Come. I'll take you home."
Nojiko blinked, still processing everything, then nodded reflexively. But just as she was about to take his hand, she suddenly remembered something.
"Wait—I need to tell the villagers! They don't know yet that the fish-men are gone!"
"There's no need for that," Hikaru said flatly. "Wouldn't it be more exciting for them to discover it on their own?"
Nojiko hesitated. That… actually made sense. If they saw Arlong Park destroyed and the fish-men wiped out, the joy and shock would be even greater.
"R-Right…"
She didn't dare to argue. Instead, she hesitated for a second before quickly placing her hand in his.
Hikaru smirked in satisfaction.
In the next moment, a flash of lightning enveloped them, and they disappeared.
—
Cocoyasi Village – Nami's Home
Upon arrival, Hikaru glanced at Nojiko and smiled.
"Nojiko, now… can you tell me where Nami went~?"
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