Unlike the furious Kuroobi who roared in outrage, Arlong merely sat there—silent.
But from the way his eyes narrowed and the faint killing intent emanating from him…
It was clear his heart was far from calm.
The fishmen who had previously been sprawled out drunkenly all over the ground were now getting to their feet—albeit in confusion.
It wasn't until they noticed the heavy gate had been destroyed and a squad of marines pouring in that they realized something was wrong.
"Navy?!"
"Weren't they supposed to come tomorrow?!"
"You idiot, look at the gate! These guys aren't from the 16th Branch! They're here to pick a fight!"
"What? These lowly humans dare stir up trouble here? Courting death, aren't they?"
One by one, the fishmen turned to Arlong and his officers, waiting for the command.
All it would take was one word from Arlong, and they'd tear those marines to pieces.
But...
Arlong remained seated.
He gave no such order.
"Where are you marines from?" he asked, locking eyes with the man in the justice coat—clearly the leader.
Arlong was no fool. He'd seen enough of the world to recognize the signs. This man had to be in charge.
Yet the man, Luo Lan, simply looked back at him with mild interest, offering no response.
It made Arlong furious.
Then, among the crowd of fishmen standing between them, one couldn't hold back.
He stepped forward and pointed at Lorand.
"Hey, kid! The boss asked you a—urk…"
Bang.
The gunshot rang out before anyone could react.
A bullet pierced the fishman's forehead. He dropped dead on the spot.
Smoke still curled from the barrel of the white pistol in Luo Lan's right hand.
"You bastard!"
"Kill them all!!"
Fury erupted.
Dozens of fishmen roared and charged forward.
Arlong and his officers didn't stop them—they simply watched.
In their eyes, sixty-plus fishmen against twelve marines? Overwhelming odds. These humans were already dead.
Then came the gunfire.
A barrage of shots rang out.
And in an instant, the charging fishmen dropped like wheat before a scythe.
Their bodies piled up on the ground.
The others, stunned by the sudden massacre, halted in place and looked around at their fallen comrades.
But the marines weren't done.
Click.
They reloaded in unison and raised their rifles again.
Another volley.
More bodies fell.
Not a single marine hesitated. Each moved in perfect rhythm.
Click.
Rifles up again.
"Stop!!" Arlong finally roared, unable to sit still any longer.
But marines don't take orders from pirates.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The third volley sang its deadly chorus.
It was a slaughter. A one-sided execution.
By the end of the third volley, only ten fishmen remained alive.
Their faces no longer bore the pride of a "superior race"—only fear.
Terrified, they turned and ran toward Arlong.
But it was a hopeless wish.
Three seconds later.
The fourth volley fired.
And then there were none.
No more standing fishmen between the marines and Arlong's officers.
All twenty-four marines raised their rifles once again, waiting for their captain's command.
---
Outside Arlong Park.
High up in a tree, Nami watched the battle unfold.
Her body trembled—not from fear…
But from exhilaration.
In barely ten seconds, four waves of gunfire had wiped out dozens of powerful fishmen?
Were those really just guns?
She had seen muskets before. Used them, even.
She'd even seen a fishman take a shot. The bullet barely penetrated the skin—just a few millimeters deep before stopping.
Unless hit in a vital spot, a bullet wound was just a scratch to a fishman.
Plus, fishmen were fast. Ordinary muskets rarely hit their target.
So… what the hell had she just witnessed?
Nami couldn't understand.
But that didn't stop her from peering through the leaves, face flushed with excitement.
Maybe…
The demon that had tormented Cocoyasi Village for years…
Would finally fall—today.
---
Just like before, the ground was littered with fishmen.
But now...
They weren't drunk.
They were dead.
Blood flowed across the floor, pooling into a basin that connected to the sea.
"You little brat!!" Kuroobi snarled.
He crossed his arms to shield his head, then lunged straight at Lorand.
His muscle strength even surpassed Arlong's. Guns? They couldn't hurt him.
Or so he thought.
Still, the fact that he protected his head showed he wasn't underestimating these weapons anymore.
Then—
As expected, gunfire erupted once again.
Kuroobi, the so-called 40th dan of Fishman Karate, suddenly froze mid-charge.
From Arlong's side, it wasn't clear what had happened.
But from Luo Lan's perspective—
Kuroobi's entire body was riddled with bullet holes.
Head. Arms. Legs. Chest.
Not a single part was spared.
After all, as Seras had once said:
At under 100 meters, the Rhodes 1518 rifle can pierce even an "Iron Body" user with a power rating of 200.
And Kuroobi?
He was just a big, muscular fishman.
Blood exploded from 24 bullet wounds.
Boom! His massive body slammed into the ground like a felled beast.
Arlong's eyes turned bloodshot at the sight.
"KUROOBI!!!"