A small boat sped across the sea, occasionally releasing a burst of white energy from the rear cabin, the recoil propelling the vessel forward at high speed.
After several hours of sailing, Caelan was getting closer and closer to Cocoyasi Village.
A small island began to take shape about a thousand meters ahead.
"Very good. Looks like we're almost there."
Caelan smiled.
In order to intercept Luffy and secure Nami as his navigator, Caelan had set off immediately after turning in his last bounty.
He steered the boat toward the shore.
On the beach, Caelan spotted a familiar figure.
Nami, with her short orange hair and slender figure, sat sobbing softly on the sand.
"Why…? I already collected 100 million berries, so why won't they let the village go…"
Nami felt like all of her past efforts had been nothing but a cruel joke.
She had spent eight long years working to gather 100 million berries, drawing sea charts for the Arlong Pirates.
Eight years of hardship, all ending in Arlong's cruel betrayal.
And that damned rat of a Marine, Captain Nezumi, who was supposed to be the law, but was actually colluding with Arlong.
"So naive… Pirates don't keep promises. Hahaha!"
"I never planned to give the village back to you."
"From now on, every villager will keep paying me 100,000 berries every month. And you, Nami, will keep drawing sea charts for me. I'm not going anywhere!"
Arlong's ugly fishman face repeated over and over in Nami's mind, stabbing into her heart like a knife.
"I knew it all along…"
"Why was I so stupid… to believe the words of a pirate!"
Nami cried out, her teeth clenched in hatred. Her hatred for Arlong had reached its peak.
Eight years ago, her adoptive mother Bellemere had been killed by Arlong to protect her.
For eight years, the Arlong Pirates had squeezed the village dry. Anyone who failed to pay was killed without mercy.
"And the villagers… Everyone is doing their best to fight back, but how could they possibly defeat Arlong…"
Thinking of the villagers, armed only with hoes and kitchen knives, standing up against the Arlong Pirates, Nami's despair deepened.
"Everyone will die!"
Her tears continued to fall as hopelessness weighed on her heart.
Those kind and innocent villagers, her sister Nojiko… they would all be slaughtered by Arlong.
She hated him more than anything, yet felt completely powerless.
There was no warmth left under the bright sunlight. This pirate world was too cold, too cruel.
If only someone… anyone… would come to help.
Even if it was a devil, she was willing to give anything.
Nami prayed silently in her heart.
At that moment, a calm and magnetic voice reached her ears.
"Hey, how do I get to the Arlong Pirates' base?"
Nami looked up and saw a figure standing before her.
He had a handsome face, a tall, strong build radiating great power, and faint strands of black aura swirling around him. He looked like a demon incarnate.
"It's you… the strongest bounty hunter in the East Blue!"
Nami's dead heart suddenly came alive again. She had seen Caelan once before at the Baratie.
Back then, Krieg had confronted Caelan, and Nami had slipped away amidst the chaos.
The next day, she had seen the news. The infamous Admiral Krieg had been killed by Caelan, and the Krieg Pirates were annihilated.
Nami had even fantasized about how wonderful it would be if Caelan could come to Cocoyasi Village.
Before Krieg's defeat, she had already heard the rumors about Caelan.
Known as the strongest bounty hunter in the East Blue, countless ruthless pirate crews had been destroyed by his hand.
Unfortunately, he was known for wiping out all pirates in a region before moving on, so she hadn't dared to hope.
When she had briefly met Caelan at the Baratie, she had thought about asking for his help. But being forced to work for the Arlong Pirates, she had been too afraid that Arlong would kill her before she even had the chance.
At that time, she had still believed in Arlong's lie, clinging to the hope that 100 million berries would buy the village's freedom.
Now, all she felt was regret.
If only she had given that 100 million berries to Caelan back then, Cocoyasi Village might have been saved long ago.
"Mr. Caelan, please… help us eliminate the Arlong Pirates!"
"I'm willing to give anything… even my life!"
Nami wiped her tears away, her expression firm as she bowed deeply to Caelan.
For the sake of the villagers, for revenge against Arlong, she was prepared to sacrifice everything.
"Alright. Lead the way."
Caelan nodded calmly, without making any grand gestures or declarations.
He fully intended to make Nami his navigator, and the bounty and treasure from the Arlong Pirates were exactly what he needed.
"Thank you, Mr. Caelan!"
Nami's heart surged with hope. At that moment, the man before her, wrapped in black aura, looked like a shining hero in her eyes.
Nami walked ahead, leading the way and explaining the situation with the Arlong Pirates to Caelan as they went.
"Mr. Caelan, the Krieg Pirates you defeated before were called the overlords of the East Blue."
"But in reality, the Arlong Pirates are the strongest pirate force in the East Blue."
"Their leader, Arlong, is a big-name pirate who returned from the Grand Line with a bounty of 20 million berries."
Nami's expression was serious. She knew all too well how terrifying the Arlong Pirates were.
Back when Krieg led fifty pirate ships into the Grand Line, they were nearly wiped out in just seven days. Only one main ship returned.
Arlong and his crew had spent years surviving in the Grand Line. Their strength was definitely above that of the Krieg Pirates.
"Yeah."
Caelan responded with a nod, his expression indifferent.
"I know you can defeat Arlong… but he has several officers helping him."
"They're all fishmen. They're much stronger than humans!"
Nami's voice trembled slightly, anxious that Caelan might be underestimating them.
"Don't worry. They're no match for me."
Seeing Nami's concern, Caelan gave a soft reassurance.
To be honest, he had never taken the Arlong Pirates seriously.
They were nothing more than thugs who bullied the weak and cowered before the strong. After losing their backing in the Grand Line, they had come to the East Blue just to scrape by.
If it were Jinbei, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Caelan would have considered the fight seriously.
But Arlong was nothing more than a waste, just like Krieg, defeated with a single strike.
"Still, please be careful."
Nami, born and raised in the East Blue, had been oppressed by the Arlong Pirates since childhood.
"If you find you can't beat him, please run. Just escape."
Nami bit her lower lip as she forced the words out.
Her fear of Arlong was deeply rooted. Even though Caelan's reputation was terrifying, she couldn't help but worry.
She was prepared for the possibility of failure.
"Don't worry so much. To me, the Arlong Pirates are nothing but a small problem."
Caelan held up two fingers, leaving only a tiny gap between them.
"They're about this much of a challenge."
"That's… great, haha…"
Nami forced a smile, though her anxiety remained.
In her mind, Arlong and Caelan were probably evenly matched.
Arlong was the strongest pirate in the East Blue, and Caelan was the strongest bounty hunter. Even if there was some difference in strength, it couldn't be that big.
Plus, with Arlong's officers helping him, Nami thought Caelan's chances of winning weren't very high.
She had never left the East Blue, and her worldview was still too limited.
Though she had seen the newspaper photo of Caelan slicing apart a large ship with a single slash and knew he was powerful enough to dominate the East Blue, she had no idea that such strength was enough to establish a foothold in the Grand Line.
With that power alone, he could easily qualify as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The mighty Arlong, in her eyes a terrifying monster, was no more than an insect to Caelan.
(To be continued.)