Watching Arlong's terrified expression as he desperately begged the Den Den Mushi for help, Naruto couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He held Nami's hand and pointed at Arlong, laughing loudly:
"Nami, look at this guy—where's that terrifying face now, huh?"
"I thought he'd fight to the death, and instead? He's begging for help. Hahahaha…"
"Doesn't he look like a dog? A pathetic, cornered dog. And this was the guy going on and on about being a superior species?"
Nami stared blankly at Arlong, then slowly, a glint of excitent surfaced in her young eyes.
"Yeah… he's just a rotten fish."
The fear Arlong once instilled in her slowly lted away. The young girl now looked up at Naruto with pure admiration.
"Naruto-dono… you're amazing!"
She no longer noticed the bloody corpses scattered everywhere, nor the dying cries of fishn.
In her eyes, there was only the golden-haired boy who stood tall before her.
Not far away, the octopus fishman Hachi stared at the carnage in horror, despair etched across his face as he looked at the collapsed Arlong.
His world had crumbled in seconds.
Frantic, he fumbled across his body with his six arms and finally pulled out a Den Den Mushi, dialing as fast as he could.
Naruto had already lost interest in watching the performance.
With another Rasengan forming in his hand, he took Nami's small hand and began walking slowly toward Arlong.
Every step caused Arlong to collapse further into panic. His voice rose in desperation as he scread:
"Jinbei!! I was wrong! Save , please! You're one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—weren't we comrades once?!"
"If you just say the word, he won't dare touch ! Please, don't let us die here!"
"We were both part of the Sun Pirates! If Tiger were still alive, he'd never let be killed like this!"
At last, his pleading moved the person on the other end.
A fat Den Den Mushi, marked with the Sun Pirates' symbol and a serious expression, sighed deeply.
"…Put him on. I'll talk to him."
Arlong's eyes lit up with hope. As Naruto approached, he shouted:
"Wait! This is Jinbei, one of the Seven Warlords! If you don't want to be hunted by the Marines, you'd better back off!"
Nami's eyes widened.
The young girl couldn't comprehend—why would a pirate be hunted for attacking another pirate?
Aren't the Marines supposed to be the good guys?
Naruto wasn't surprised.
Marine HQ was part of the World Governnt. And the World Governnt? Trash.
The Marines weren't justice—they were just a slightly more organized version of pirates.
Ignoring Arlong's fear-stricken face, Naruto took the Den Den Mushi:
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. You must be Jinbei, the Fishman Karate Master, and one of the Warlords of the Sea."
On the other end, deep within Fishman Island's royal palace, Jinbei sighed and replied solemnly,
"Yes. I am. I deeply apologize for what happened—"
"No need." Naruto cut him off coldly. "I'm not the one you should apologize to. It's every single human village on this island that deserves your apology."
Then Naruto handed the Den Den Mushi to Nami.
The little girl hesitated, then held it gently.
"I'm Nami…"
Jinbei's voice ca through, calm and sincere:
"I'm sorry. My kin may have done many terrible things. I apologize for them. I hope… you can forgive us."
Nami bit her lip.
She thought of her murdered mother, of the innocent villagers, of the hos destroyed.
Then, encouraged by Naruto's warm gaze, she found her courage.
"I won't forgive them," she said. "They killed so many people in my ho. My mom was one of them. They all deserve to die."
Naruto smiled and gently ruffled her hair.
Taking the Den Den Mushi back, he heard Jinbei's voice again:
"I understand… I'll have them apologize and pay compensation—"
"That won't work," Naruto said flatly. "They murdered people. You think money can fix that?"
There was a pause. Jinbei replied:
"Then what do you want? Money? Treasure?"
"I want their lives."
Jinbei's tone stiffened. "Can't you just hand them over to the Marines, for my sake?"
"No."
Jinbei frowned deeply.
He didn't understand—if Naruto was so unwilling, why take the call?
At that mont, another figure—Prince Fukaboshi of Fishman Island—grabbed the receiver and said:
"If you let Arlong go, and hand him to the Marines, Fishman Island will consider you a friend."
Naruto finally reacted. He spoke coldly:
"So what you're saying is—if I kill them all, you'll choose to beco my enemy?"
On the other end, Jinbei's eyes widened sharply.
Now he understood.
Naruto hadn't taken the call to negotiate.
He took it to provoke them—
To justify his next move.
To declare Fishman Island… his enemy.
He wanted a reason—an outlet for his fury.
Arlong was just the beginning.
This boy—who was he, really? Jinbei's heart pounded.
To openly declare war on Fishman Island—a powerful force in the world—
Was he under a Yonko?
Red-Haired Shanks?
Marine HQ? Garp's disciple?
As Jinbei fell into thought, another prince—Whale Star—spoke up:
"If you kill Arlong and his crew, we won't be your enemy. But we won't welco you either."
"I see."
Naruto chuckled, then turned to face Arlong, who was charging in with his massive serrated blade raised.
"I understand now."
His right index finger, cloaked in Armant Haki, jabbed forward.
CRACK!
The massive blade shattered.
In the next instant, Naruto's finger pierced straight through Arlong's heart.
As Arlong shrieked in his death throes, Naruto said to the Den Den Mushi:
"Then I choose to beco your enemy."
"Prepare yourselves. When I arrive at Fishman Island… I'll make you experience everything that happened here."
"To you so-called superior fishn… I look forward to the mont you taste despair."
Jinbei's expression twisted in panic. He grabbed the Den Den Mushi, shouting:
"Wait! That's not what we ant—Arlong's actions were—"
click
The Den Den Mushi slowly lowered its head.
(End of Chapter)
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