Chapter 17 - Arlong Pirates? What a Joke
"You two must be from out of town, right?"
The voice came from a tall Fishman with a long, pointed beak. He casually approached the bar and placed a firm, almost possessive hand on Nathan's shoulder—then the other on Douglas Bullet's. His tone was lazy, but the threat behind it was clear.
Nathan glanced sideways, raising an eyebrow in mild confusion. "Is there a problem?"
"Haha," the Fishman chuckled, tilting his head smugly. "Do you even know whose turf you're standing on right now?"
"Turf?" Nathan echoed. "And whose might that be?"
The Fishman puffed out his chest. "Ever heard of the Arlong Pirates? This town belongs to us!"
Nathan's eyes lit with recognition, his earlier confusion fading into amusement. "Ahh… so that's it. I thought that emblem outside the tavern looked familiar. Now I remember—it belongs to that pirate crew led by that third-rate Fishman."
At the mention of the Arlong Pirates, the pieces clicked into place in Nathan's mind.
Their infamous captain, Arlong, was a Fishman who had once served as an officer under the legendary Fisher Tiger in the Sun Pirates. After splitting off from the main crew, Arlong had formed his own band of marauders and returned from the Grand Line to East Blue, where he swiftly began conquering coastal villages one after another. His self-declared empire eventually spread across more than twenty settlements, including Cocoyasi Village—Nami's hometown—where he installed himself as a tyrannical ruler.
Douglas Bullet, on the other hand, remained stone-faced. After spending two decades imprisoned in Impel Down, he was practically a relic from another era. The rise and fall of rookies like Arlong were nothing but white noise to him.
"This Arlong Pirate crew…" Bullet asked slowly, "are they actually strong?"
Nathan gave a dry laugh. "They're rumored to be the strongest in East Blue, but the captain's bounty is only twenty million Berries. What do you think?"
Bullet almost spat out his drink. "Twenty million? That's not even worth one of my fingernails."
To a man who had once rivaled monsters like Silvers Rayleigh, that bounty might as well have been a child's pocket money. The so-called "strongest in East Blue" was laughably weak in comparison to the monsters of the Grand Line.
The sharp-beaked Fishman's expression soured. "Hey, what did you just say?" His voice sharpened like a dagger. "Did you just call Captain Arlong trash?! Looks like you're asking for a death wish!"
Other Fishmen seated around the bar perked up at the rising tension. One by one, they stood and began circling the two strangers, eyes full of menace.
Nathan didn't flinch. Instead, he turned to Bullet with a grin. "You know, I've never actually seen you fight—only heard the legends. Care to give me a little show?"
Sure, Nathan could've easily taken care of these small fries himself. He was more than capable. But doing so would cost him one attempt at using his possession ability—a system feature that required 1,000 Reputation Points per use.
And let's be honest—mopping the floor with a few no-name thugs like these wouldn't even net him close to that in return. Not worth it.
He'd earned over 400,000 Reputation Points back at Impel Down, but unlocking a high-tier character card like Hashirama Senju was still out of reach. Every point counted.
Besides, this was a golden opportunity to witness Douglas Bullet in action. The man once rivaled the Dark King himself. Nathan was itching to see just how much of that monstrous strength had survived the years.
"Hmph. You're underestimating me," Bullet scoffed.
Then he was gone.
Before the Fishman could react, Bullet had closed the gap in a single step. His fists glimmered with a metallic sheen as they turned jet black—a clear sign of Armament Haki.
CRACK!
A thunderous impact rocked the tavern. Bullet's fist connected with the Fishman's face, sending the sharp-beaked thug flying through the tavern doors and out into the street like a cannonball. He crashed into a nearby food stand with a resounding boom, splinters flying in every direction.
The other Fishmen roared in fury. "Kill them!"
But they didn't even make it two steps.
With terrifying speed, Bullet blitzed into their midst. A flurry of brutal punches and kicks followed—each one precise, efficient, and utterly devastating.
It was over in seconds.
When the dust settled, the bar floor was littered with the unconscious (or possibly dead) bodies of every Fishman who had dared to rise against them.
The bartender, who had just returned carrying two glasses of rum, froze mid-step. His eyes bulged in horror as he took in the battlefield that had once been his bar.
Bullet calmly stepped forward, took one of the drinks from the man's trembling hands, and returned to his seat. He slid the second glass toward Nathan without missing a beat.
Nathan took it, still smirking. "Bit much, don't you think? Using Armament Haki on a bunch of bottom-tier thugs?"
Armament Haki—one of the three advanced forms of Haki—allowed a user to strengthen their body like armor and strike Devil Fruit users by targeting their true physical form. The black coating on Bullet's skin was a dead giveaway.
Bullet shrugged and downed a mouthful of rum. "You asked for a show. I figured I'd give you a taste of what real power looks like—so you'll know the difference between legends and fairy tales."
Nathan raised his glass and took a sip—then immediately choked.
"Damn! This stuff burns!"
"Haha! Greenhorn!" Bullet slapped the table, laughing for the first time. "Back in the day, I could down entire flagons of rum when I was fifteen!"
Nathan grimaced but gave it another shot, managing two more sips before deciding that the Maotai liquor from his old world was superior. He slid the glass aside with a sigh.
At last, the bartender seemed to snap out of his frozen state and scrambled forward, panic etched across his face.
"Gentlemen, please… You need to leave—now! The Arlong Pirates will be here any minute, and when the officers arrive, not even you two will be able to escape alive!"