Pirates: Seeing My Proficiency, I Became a Legend

"Brat! I advise you not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong!"

Sensing the imposing presence of the newcomer, Arlong tightened his grip on the Kiribachi, his saw-toothed sword, and narrowed his sharp eyes.

"Arlong Pirates!"

"Heh… Interesting."

"Tell me, who gave you the audacity to wreak havoc in the East Blue like this? Is it your fallen comrade Fisher Tiger, or perhaps the Shichibukai Jinbei?"

"If Queen Otohime knew of your crimes, she'd claw her way out of the grave in fury!"

As Dongze revealed these long-buried secrets, the Fish-Men stiffened, exchanging uneasy glances. Even the usually rowdy cadre members—Chu, Kuroobi, and Hatchan—momentarily abandoned their hostages to surround the intruder.

Arlong's razor-sharp teeth clenched, his expression turning murderous. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Dongze. Perhaps you've heard of me."

"I came here for one reason… to send you to hell."

A chilling silence fell over the battlefield. The name Dongze was no secret among the pirates of the East Blue.

Several of Arlong's subordinates gasped. "Not a blade of grass will grow…!"

Seeing the fear creep into his crew, Arlong roared, "Listen up, you worthless guppies! We are superior beings! Born of the Grand Line! Do you really think a mere pirate hunter from the East Blue can defeat us?!"

His words reignited their arrogance. After all, the humans they had encountered—whether Marines or pirates—had never stood a chance against their brute strength. Their Fish-Man heritage alone made them vastly superior to ordinary men.

But Dongze remained unfazed. His gaze was steady as he continued, "If Whitebeard knew that the Fish-Men he protected were nothing more than slavers and tyrants, do you think his flag would still fly over Fish-Man Island?"

The words struck like a thunderclap. Every Fish-Man trembled. Without Whitebeard's protection, Fish-Man Island would have been torn apart by pirates long ago. Even the most simple-minded among them knew that King Neptune and Jinbei alone could not fend off every predator in the New World. A single Yonko commander could reduce their home to rubble.

Arlong's pupils shrank. This man knew too much. Far more than any ordinary East Blue native should. For the first time in his reign of terror, an unfamiliar emotion crept into his heart—fear.

From the sidelines, Nami watched in stunned silence. The once-invincible Arlong Pirates now stood frozen, their confidence shaken.

"Sister Robin… what's happening to them?"

Robin's expression darkened. She had read about Fish-Man Island's history in the archives of Ohara, but to hear it spoken so casually in the East Blue was another matter entirely.

"These Fish-Men hail from an island protected by Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors," she explained. "But if their crimes reach his ears, his wrath would be swift. That's what they're afraid of."

Her gaze flickered toward Dongze. How did this man—a supposed nobody from the East Blue—possess knowledge of such deep-seated secrets?

Arlong's paranoia erupted into blind rage. If word of this reached Jinbei, the Knight of the Sea would never forgive him.

"Kill him!!"

The air grew tense.

Dongze's eyes remained cold.

Nami's hands clenched into fists. "Robin… will he be alright?"

Robin smiled knowingly. "Nami, do you believe in miracles?"

A wind howled through the battlefield.

Without another word, Dongze took a step forward—and the world trembled.

A tidal wave of pressure crashed over the battlefield. The sky darkened, the ocean recoiled, and the very air seemed to vibrate under the sheer force of his presence.

Even the mighty Sea King Momoo, lurking nearby, collapsed unconscious.

Conqueror's Haki.

For the first time since setting sail, Dongze unleashed his full power. But he wielded it with precision, ensuring Nami, Robin, and the villagers remained untouched.

The Fish-Men, however, were not so lucky.

They dropped like flies. One by one, Arlong's soldiers lost consciousness, their bodies hitting the ground with heavy thuds.

Only Arlong remained standing, his legs trembling as he fought to resist the overwhelming force.

"This… this is… impossible!" His voice cracked. "How could a human in the East Blue… have Conqueror's Haki?!"

His desperation grew. "If you kill me, Jinbei will hunt you down!"

Dongze did not respond. His silence alone sent a shiver down Arlong's spine.

Onlookers stared in stunned disbelief.

The once-feared Fish-Men—who had terrorized Cocoyashi Village for years—now lay sprawled across the battlefield, defeated without a single blow being struck.

The villagers, who had lived in fear for so long, struggled to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

"H-he didn't even touch them…!"

"This can't be real…"

Even Nami, who had spent years under Arlong's torment, was left speechless.

Robin, however, understood exactly what had happened. Her fingers curled slightly as she muttered, "So he has the Haki of Kings… The power of a ruler born once in a million."

Arlong's vision blurred. His once unshakable confidence crumbled beneath the weight of this impossible reality.

"Nami."

Dongze's voice snapped her out of her daze.

"Come here."

Nami hesitated, then took cautious steps forward.

"Big meanie… how are you this strong?" she whispered.

Dongze knelt down, ruffling her hair. "Do you want to take revenge yourself?"

Nami flinched. "Are they… dead?"

"No," Dongze replied. "They're just unconscious. Despite their arrogance, they were careful not to draw too much attention to themselves. If they had killed too many people, even the Navy's higher-ups would have taken action. But thanks to their alliance with Captain Nezumi, they managed to keep things under wraps."

Nami let out a shaky breath, relief washing over her. But when she thought about killing Arlong herself… her hands trembled.

She hated him. Hated him more than anything.

But could she kill him?

Robin stepped forward. "If it's too much for you, I'll do it."

Dongze sighed inwardly. He had hoped Nami would choose to end this herself, to free herself from the chains of her past. But in the end, she wasn't ready.

After a long pause, he nodded.

"Alright. Step back."

With a flick of his wrist, Dongze sent Arlong crashing through the remnants of the Mermen's Paradise.

Only one remained.

Hatchan.

Unlike the others, Hatchan had never taken a human life. He was a fool, but not a murderer.

Dongze hesitated.

Finally, he let out a soft breath. "You… live."

With that, he hurled Hatchan into the sea, leaving his fate to the tides.

The battle was over.

As the sun set over the ruins of Arlong Park, Dongze raised his sword one final time.

A single slash split the sky.

The fortress that had been Nami's prison—the place where her nightmares began—was obliterated in an instant.

Tears welled in Nami's eyes as she whispered, "That sword… really did create a miracle."