The once-tranquil beach was once again met with unexpected visitors.
A small boat slid into the sand, coming to a slow halt.
Two figures jumped down from the vessel.
One of them, wearing a straw hat, raised his hand to his forehead, curiously scanning the surroundings.
The other, sporting a head of green hair, rested his left hand on the three swords at his waist, scratching his cheek in confusion.
Apart from the occasional birds taking flight from the forest ahead, the entire island seemed eerily peaceful.
Seeing no one around, Luffy instantly grew bored. He shoved a finger into his nose, twisting it absentmindedly, his expression dull.
"Oi, Zoro, didn't you say you knew where to find a town around here?"
"Where the heck did you bring me? I don't see a single person."
Zoro, still puzzled by their surroundings, frowned upon hearing Luffy's complaint. His tone turned slightly impatient.
"Quit whining, Luffy. Just follow me—you won't go wrong."
After another glance around, he stroked his chin, mumbling to himself,
"Weird... I could've sworn there was a town nearby."
"How did we end up in this godforsaken place...?"
Luffy blinked, not dwelling too much on it. Placing his hands on his hips, he cheerfully looked toward the dense forest ahead, grinning.
"Hehe, whatever! Since we're already here, let's go check it out!"
Without waiting for a response, he took off running toward the jungle.
"Oi! Luffy! Wait up!"
"Don't go running off alone!"
Fearing that Luffy would get lost on his own, Zoro quickly adjusted the swords at his waist and hurried after him.
As the two disappeared into the forest, the beach returned to silence once more.
The next morning, at dawn.
Will sat eating breakfast with Nami and Karina.
Having given up hope of finding any noteworthy pirate opponents in the East Blue, he suddenly looked up at the two women and stated,
"We won't be stopping by any other towns for supplies. We're heading straight for Arlong Park."
"Mhm." Nami initially nodded indifferently.
A beat later, she processed what he had just said. Her head snapped up, her face filled with shock.
"What did you say? You're going to Arlong Park?!"
For a moment, she thought she must have misheard him.
Will wasn't surprised by her reaction. He nodded slightly.
"I want to see for myself if these so-called Fishmen are really stronger than humans."
After effortlessly dealing with Buggy and his crew, he had completely lost interest in the rest of the East Blue's pirates.
The only one who still piqued his curiosity was the one recognized as the strongest pirate in the East Blue—Arlong, the Fishman.
On one hand, he wanted to test the purity of the Fishman race's strength.
On the other, he intended to free Nami from the burden she had been carrying all these years.
After all, Will had no intention of allowing his navigator to be haunted by unresolved troubles during their future voyages.
Karina, on the other hand, didn't seem concerned at all. She rested her chin on one hand, speaking in a casual tone.
"Speaking of Arlong Park, I actually did some digging on that group of Fishmen."
"The strongest among them is definitely their leader—Arlong."
"But in my opinion, those Fishmen are only good at bullying ordinary people."
"When it comes to facing a true powerhouse like our captain, they wouldn't stand a chance."
Though she had never seen a Fishman's strength firsthand, she was convinced that no matter how powerful they were, they couldn't possibly surpass Will.
Not only had Will effortlessly defeated two Devil Fruit users, but she had also personally tested his physical strength—his body was practically as tough as steel.
Karina couldn't even imagine anyone breaking through Will's defenses.
On top of that, he had an uncanny ability to sense danger. Attacks from enemies would rarely even land, let alone break his guard.
However, Nami was uncharacteristically serious. Her expression was grim as she tried to dissuade him.
"Arlong and his Fishmen crew aren't as simple as you think."
"His bounty reached 20 million Berries a long time ago. Many have tried to take him down."
"But not a single one has ever made it out alive."
"On top of that, his Fishmen subordinates are all terrifyingly strong. Their natural strength is several times, even over ten times, that of an average human."
"Even if you're strong, charging in recklessly could still get you killed."
Having spent time with Will, Nami knew full well how strong he was.
But the psychological shadow left by the Fishmen since her childhood made her believe that they were even more terrifying.
When she was a child—
Hatchan had accidentally exposed the fact that her family had three people, which indirectly led to her mother's brutal death...
Arlong had mercilessly shot and killed her mother right in front of her...
Her talent for navigation was discovered by Hatchan, prompting Arlong to order her capture...
Hatchan had strangled her by the throat, lifting her tiny, powerless self off the ground and taking her away...
Though the villagers were spared from slaughter because of her, they still had to endure the Fishmen's constant oppression and humiliation...
These memories were burned into her soul.
And as time passed, they only became clearer and more deeply ingrained.
That's why she believed that even if Will could defeat Arlong, he would likely be gravely injured in the process.
At that point, the remaining Fishmen could easily gang up on him and kill him.
That was a scenario she absolutely couldn't accept.
During her time with Will, Nami had realized that he was different from the ruthless pirates that plagued the seas.
He was one of the rare good ones.
She didn't want anything to happen to him.
Nor did she want to risk Arlong taking revenge on the surrounding villages if she led an attack against him.
Just a little more money, and she could fulfill her deal with Arlong and free her village.
Just a little more...
She couldn't afford to gamble it all away.
Karina, noticing the turmoil in Nami's expression, asked curiously,
"Nami, what's wrong?"
"Have you... met those Fishmen before?"
Will remained silent, merely watching Nami, as if waiting for something.
Sitting in her chair, Nami bit her lip, her eyes wavering with hesitation.
After a moment of silence—
She suddenly raised her hand and pulled her left sleeve up to her shoulder, revealing a tattoo that had been hidden beneath the fabric.
"This is..." Karina leaned in, eyes widening in shock.
"This is the Arlong Pirates' symbol!"
"Nami... you... you're a member of the Arlong Pirates?!"
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