"You bastard, how dare you hurt my fellow fishmen? Go to hell!"

Arlong, the fish-man, gritted his teeth, working to suppress his fear of lasers as he stood up and pointed at Arakawa Zenkichi with hatred in his eyes.

The moment his words left his mouth, Arlong lunged forward, his gaping maw open wide to bite down on Zenkichi.

Arlong was a shark fishman, his bite force infamous. In the original records, he'd shattered stone pillars and cannonballs alike with those teeth. Now, he poured all his strength into this attack.

Sharp teeth like jagged daggers rushed toward Zenkichi, capable of shredding even steel.

"Would you stop already? Honestly, it's disgusting."

Zenkichi spoke flatly, raising a hand as golden light radiated from his fingertip.

A narrow beam of light shot forward, piercing directly into Arlong's mouth, searing through his throat.

Arlong's eyes widened in disbelief, his body convulsing as strength rapidly drained from his limbs.

"Surprised? You didn't think you could die like this, did you?"

Zenkichi's voice was calm, cold, and indifferent. Another streak of light burst from his fingertip, punching through Arlong's chest.

A flurry of golden beams followed in rapid succession, riddling Arlong's body until it resembled a sieve. Tiny golden glimmers lingered within the wounds, a silent testament to the power that struck him down.

Thud!

Arlong's lifeless body collapsed to the ground, a dull final sound that struck the hearts of every remaining fishman pirate like a hammer blow.

"Screw this—run for it!"

Someone among the fishmen shouted in panic, and the rest immediately scrambled to flee.

Even their boss had been effortlessly killed. What point was there in staying to fight?

The pride they carried since arriving in the East Blue evaporated in an instant. Their confidence, built on bullying the weak, shattered completely under Zenkichi's overwhelming power.

"You think you can run?"

Zenkichi chuckled quietly, and in the next moment, an immense pressure radiated from his body.

It was an unmistakable surge of Conqueror's Haki — an invisible force that rolled out and precisely locked onto the fleeing fishmen.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

One by one, the fishman pirates collapsed, unconscious before they hit the ground.

"Unbelievable…"

Nami and the others stared at Zenkichi in awe. His abilities and presence were far beyond what they could comprehend.

Whether it was firing deadly golden beams or unleashing invisible power that crushed the will of those around him, the things Zenkichi wielded were well outside the world they knew.

Bellemere took a long drag from her cigarette, her sharp eyes narrowing as she thought.

"This is too similar to Admiral Kizaru's techniques…"

She murmured to herself, before a grin tugged at her lips.

"Zenkichi-san, thank you."

"If you hadn't been here today, who knows what would have happened to this village."

Her gratitude was genuine. Whatever reasons he had for coming here didn't matter. The fact remained — he had saved them.

"What about these fishman pirates?"

Bellemere gestured toward the unconscious bodies, a troubled look on her face.

"They're criminals wanted by the Navy. Send word to have them picked up. Might even be a bounty in it for you."

Zenkichi shrugged, clearly uninterested.

"Leave that to me!"

Genzo, the sheriff of Cocoyasi Village, stepped forward solemnly.

Soon after, Zenkichi returned to Bellemere's home.

Two wide-eyed little girls stood before him, their gazes fixed on him, sparkling with admiration.

"What are you two looking at me like that for?" Zenkichi asked casually, peeling an orange.

"Zenkichi-san, you're amazing!" Nami exclaimed, while Nojiko nodded eagerly in agreement.

"You two want to be strong like me?" Zenkichi smiled teasingly.

"Can we?" the two girls asked, eyes shining with hope.

"You won't reach my level, but I can teach you other ways to get stronger. Put in the effort, and you'll become strong in your own right."

Zenkichi's tone softened.

"Really? I want to learn!" Nami declared without hesitation, her desire for strength shining in her gaze.

"I want to learn too!" Nojiko quickly added, refusing to be left behind.

"You both want to learn, huh? But why should I teach you?"

Zenkichi chuckled, giving them a sly look, like an uncle teasing his nieces.

"Um… what do you want in return?"

Nami asked, sidling up to him with a mischievous grin, leaning in close.

"I can repay you," she whispered slyly. "Repay with my body."

The corner of Zenkichi's mouth twitched, a dark line appearing on his face.

If Nami had said that when she was older, he would've been very interested — and gladly accepted her reward, giving her a run for her money. But now, she was still just a cheeky little girl spouting lines she picked up from her delinquent foster mother.

"Cut it out."

"If you want to learn, then call me godfather."

Zenkichi grinned and wagged a finger at them.

"Godfather?" the girls blinked, then grinned mischievously.

"Do you like Bellemere-san?" they teased in unison.

"Where are you getting this nonsense?" Zenkichi snorted. Bellemere wasn't far and could definitely hear them, so he decided to sidestep the question.

"All right, enough talk. You want to learn, call me godfather now or it's too late."

The two girls exchanged glances and then, without hesitation, shouted together.

"Godfather!"

---

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