Chapter 17: Beastman Unleashed! Ash versus Arlong
Fishman Island became aware of the battle between the Arlong Pirates and the Straw Hats. After sometime, Arlong got tired of waiting and challenged the Vice Captain. Jimbei, Sharley, the royal family and the fishkids who befriended Ash and his Pokémon reached the battlefield. "I must say, I find it gutsy for a mere human boy to challenge a deadly fishman," Arlong scoffed. "By the way, my crew will make sure no one interferes." He snapped his fingers to which the fishmen snared Luffy, Robin, Brook and Chopper in harnesses. Quickly, they became incredibly weak and collapsed to their knees.
"Suddenly, I can't move," Luffy groaned.
"This must be Sea-Prism restraints!" a groggy Robin realized. Arlong sneered to the eldest woman on the Sunny.
"Consider it a loan from those pesky Marines," he pointed out. "They could've supplied them to us peacefully but they shot at us and we took their loot, including the prototype Sea-Prism restraints Straw Hat and those with Devil Fruit powers are now wearing." Fishmen who survived the initial attack restrained the other Straw Hats, swords near their necks and/or chests.
"If you sardines lay a hair on Nami-Swan!" threatened Sanji.
"Worry about your own life, Black Leg," a fishman warned. As if the situation couldn't get worse for those on Fishman Island…
"Boss!" one more fishman called out. Three of Arlong's men brought Hachi to the group, his arms tied up.
"Quite a reunion building," Arlong sneered. "First, Nami and now, Hachi." Seeing the mastermind, Hachi gasped.
"You're following Hordy's example, using the Energy Steroids!" he proclaimed. "Why?!"
"That's for me to know. I've heard you've become a small-time chef with your takoyaki. Going soft?" Hachi growled to the mock. "What I can do is end your weakness in one of two ways: come back to my crew or have a little less weight on your shoulders." Hachi had blades around his neck. He feigned to make a move. Other fishmen made quick work in tying Shirahoshi.
"Please, Mister Arlong!" she pleaded. "You're part of the Sun Pirates! From what my brothers told me, you showed care for humans! I know the Marines murdered Tiger, but they don't deserve the consequences!"
"Don't lecture me, princess. Besides, I've wanted to put a footnote on the Straw Hats ever since Cocoyashi Village." Nami rose an eyebrow to Arlong's claim.
"Ash just joined us a couple of weeks ago!" she corrected. "He's got nothing to do with your park!"
"Silence!" Nami growled to Arlong's warning. Ash wanted her calm.
"Nami, it's alright," he voiced. "I chose this fight. I'm not gonna back down." Nami's fear grew about Ash, showing no regret to his decision.
"So, that's it… Suddenly, I'd rather have you on my crew than Koala. Hell, she'd have you as a significant other…" Ash didn't budge. Arlong wasted a few more seconds. "…That is, if you live." He charged in, the fight beginning. He fired water from his webbed palms, but Ash's quick feet helped evade the onslaught. The water smashed the ground, divots forming. This startled Jimbei.
"I didn't think he was disciplined to know Fishman Karate," he gawked. Ash and Arlong stopped as the Vice Captain stared at the divot.
"You look surprised. I've spent sometime learning Fishman Karate from Kuroobi. Now you know what you're facing, Straw Hat boy!" Arlong charged again while Ash's Pokémon cheered for him. Ash evaded and countered with hooks and crosses against chops, kicks and water bullets from the fishman captain. One feint gave Ash a chance to score an uppercut, but he stepped in a divot. He stumbled and missed.
"Not good…" he muttered.
"So now you know how Fishman Karate has helped me. I've even come up with a few moves that Kuroobi wished he had." He connected his wrists before giving Ash a double-palm thrust to his chest. A splash of water followed, sending him upward. The boys of Team Rocket gawked to Arlong's power.
"How do you survive dat!?" shuttered Meowth.
"I don't know and I'm not sure I wanna find out!" gulped James. Jessie became marveled to Arlong's dominance.
"Once the twerp's done for, Pikachu will be open for the taking!" she cheered. The Straw Hats watched as well, not liking the possible outcome.
"Ash isn't looking super!" snarled Franky.
"I thought the big hurdle would be the Energy Steroids, but he's still strong!" gulped Zoro. Arlong charged in with water forming a blade to his wrist and pinkie finger. He chopped Ash in the chest, cutting it open with blood spurting out. Nami and Robin became horrified.
"ASH!" they cried out. "NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ash landed but reeled in agony. He felt the blood spilling out of his wound.
"That hurt," he winced. Before he could regain his wits, Arlong got in Ash's face.
"Now to give the Beastman an early shower!" he grinned as he punted Ash into the ocean.
"Ash!" cried Shirahoshi. Ash began to sink and those on the surface could only watch, thinking Ash's chances kept falling. Arlong dove in and found Ash floating and breathing despite no air underwater, blood from his wound rising to the surface. This bemused Arlong.
"What's this? You're a human that can breathe submerged?" He laughed while Ash struggled.
"Excuse me if the mermaids like me more than you, murderer," he retorted. This gave Arlong a hint.
"Ah… So, those of the Mermaid Cafe gave it to you. Makes sense. I guess your fellow pirates didn't tell you about what makes fishmen more superior than humans, but I'll let you take a guess. I doubt you're as dumb as Straw Hat." Ash glanced to Arlong and had a guess.
"It's your species. Fishmen have better movement in the water than humans do." Arlong sneered to Ash's guess.
"Like I said, not as dumb as that Straw Hat. Down here, we fishmen reign supreme… as you're about to find out." He swam at Ash with immense speed as he delivered several crossing shots, smashing him into underwater buildings with signs reading "Mermaid Dorms." Ash could barely move after all of the blows taken. "Now to make sure you're sinking like a rock! Shark Darts!" Like a torpedo, Arlong flung himself at Ash and slammed full force, propelling him to the depths. He fired a few shots and dislodged boulders. Those fell onto a crumpled Ash who lost consciousness. Arlong swam to Ash and plucked his bandanna that came off his head. Torn and bloody, Arlong's sneer said he claimed his opponent. He swam up and surfaced. All looked on in anxiety and fear. "So much for the Beastman." He tossed the bandanna toward the Straw Hats while cackling. The Straw Hats gasped at what happened to Ash. Arlong's fellow pirates cheered wildly to the end of the Beastman.
"You killed Ash?!" screamed Luffy. "HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND!"
"He was a brother to me!" wailed Nami. "Much more than you'd ever treat me while I was a part of your crew!"
"You heartless murderer!" teared Robin loudly. "You'd kill your own kids if you want!" Arlong simply brushed off the calls against him while Ash's Pokémon couldn't believe Ash would die. Team Rocket's boys began to feel sympathy to Pikachu and the rest.
"I lost my charm!" mewed Meowth sadly. "But dat's not fair to da twerp!"
"I know," gulped James. "He may have been our enemy, but he did treat us with some respect, especially around Shamouti Island." Jessie heard the boys and growled back.
"Who cares!" she snapped. "He's gone and Pikachu will belong to us!" James and Meowth were too preoccupied with Ash's apparent death to notice. None of the Fishman Island's citizens believed Ash fell against Arlong. One of Arlong's crew came to their captain.
"Hey, Captain Arlong!" he spoke up. "Since the Straw Hats are under our control, I suggest we have a… little fun with the mermaids." Arlong saw the terrified mermaids, helpless with Luffy and his crew held hostage and Ash dead underwater. A disturbing grin formed.
"A well earned victory lap," he smiled. "Go right to work." The fishmen cheered as they began their approach on the mermaids. Jessie came up to Arlong with an agenda of her own.
"Excuse me but what about the deal we made?" she pointed out. Arlong turned to Jessie and recalled a moment before.
"Of course. The five little mermaids and a few others will be yours. After all, 70 million Berries a pop will get you anywhere you need." Although satisfied, Meowth mulled to what money couldn't buy.
"Still, it's nothing to a Meowth without my charm," he whimpered. The fishmen's scary grin made the mermaids terrified out of their fins. Nami and Robin watched helplessly, biting their lower lips. The strength of fear cause them to bleed out of their mouths. Jimbei and Sharley arrived to confront Arlong.
"So, you've gone down the path that Hordy had fallen to, shipmate," Jimbei snarled. "It's not enough to destroy a life but ruin everyone's in the process. What if Koala saw this? Would you still do it?" Arlong scoffed to Jimbei's words, not bothered in the least.
"Time with Neptune's family has softened you, Jimbei," he shrugged. "Koala's long passed me. Besides, the humans are nothing more than ridicule. We've suffered long enough since Tiger's death and Otohime's beliefs are impossible to fulfill. It's only fitting that we eliminate these lowlife humans." Sharley seemed startled by Arlong's disconcerting statement.
"Neptune's wife was assassinated by the fishman you've tried to follow," she tried to reason. "Killing a human like Ash will eternally sever any reasoning with the humans in the surface! I'm trying to reason with you because we're family, even if I'm a mermaid and you're a fishman!"
"You're only a half-sister, Sharley, an illegitimate sibling. What you're saying has no bearing to what I've done!" Shirahoshi began to cry, the boy she fell for in the bottom of the ocean, bleeding and dead.
"Ash, don't go..." she whispered. "Don't go without me… without telling you…" With one tearful deep breath, she came out with a thunderous shout. "ASH! DON'T LEAVE ME! I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH! PLEASE, COME BACK! PLEASE!" Arlong scoffed once more to what he believed was useless banter as she bawled.
"Let it go, princess. He's dead, and I'll use Poseidon to drown the surface world. I know of your hidden ability. Soon, that will be-" Splashes ripped through the air as the boulders flew to the sky. The pirates, one having a hold on Mello's bra, looked up to find the boulders falling. They landed and crushed some of the pirates, saving Mello from losing her dignity. All couldn't believe the sudden turn.
"Can it be?" wondered Usopp. Another splash made the group turn to see someone flying through the air for a few seconds. His vest gone, his chest scarred and still bleeding, Ash emerged and stood, much to Arlong's chagrin, and Shirahoshi's awe.
"Ash?!" she gasped. Arlong saw the trainer and scoffed.
"Back for more?" he taunted. "You shouldn't bite off more than you can chew. Let me show you!" He charged with his jaws wide open and Ash didn't move a muscle.
"Ash, look out!" screamed Chopper. Arlong chomped on Ash's shoulder, the bite strong enough to break bones of adults. Time seemed to freeze. Arlong's eyes widen as he felt unsettling pain. He billowed a blood-curdling cry as he staggered back, covering his mouth while Ash remained stiff.
"My teef!" No one knew what occurred.
"Did Ash attack?" asked Franky.
"No, he didn't move a muscle," Zoro corrected. Arlong spat out white bone fragments, his shark teeth broken. Quickly, he removed his set of teeth, new ones growing in a flash. Looking again, Arlong saw Ash's body with hardened steel. The new black armor covered his chest, torso, arms and feet. Zoro gasped to the sight of Ash's new armor. "Armament Haki?! But how?!" Ash glared up, his eyes glowing bloody red. Neptune saw the glowing eyes, beginning to believe the name held truth.
"Those eyes- jamon!" he muttered.
"What about Ash's eyes, father?" wondered Fukaboshi.
"The eyes of rage are upon Ash. Those who've given him the nickname, 'Beastman,' must have felt the presence of a creature's spirit inside, one of mayhem. Arlong's health is of serious risk." In a flash, Ash vanished before appearing with an overhand smash to Arlong's crown. His face slammed the ground and bounced up but Ash connected a debilitating hook. Arlong's crew watched the devastating thrashing Ash began giving their captain.
"Hey, we gotta help our captain!" one fishman ordered.
"Good idea!" another agreed. They abandoned the mermaids and chased after Ash.
"I won't let you…" growled Luffy. With a small roar, a ripple waved through. A few seconds later, the fishmen and James fell to the ground, unconscious. The fishmen down, Sanji and Zoro freed the Devil Fruit users. Arlong resumed the attack with his speed. He circled around Ash but wound up in his path as the Vice Captain decked the fishman with a crushing cross to the kisser, breaking more teeth. Again, Arlong covered his mouth in pain. Ash had his back to Arlong as he pulled the broken teeth from his mouth, another set forming. He hurled the teeth to the back of Ash's head. Ash didn't look but he jerked his head away, allowing the teeth to pass. Usopp looked on in disbelief.
"He's got Armament and Observation Haki?!" he gawked. Arlong raced in once more but Ash grabbed something before spinning to his enemy and swinging as they passed by. Both landed but blood poured out of Arlong's nose… which severed from his face. The fishman screamed again, vainly trying to stop the flowing blood.
"My nose!" he cried out. He turned to Ash, rage overwhelming him. "You… insolent… SON OF A BITCH! I will kill you and eat you up as my banquet!" He charged at Ash who held one of his swords from his joint attack with Zoro. Ash slashed across his stomach, then diagonally to his chest before another diagonal swing which Arlong staggered back. The fishman's chest bled with a triangle symbol that matched Ash's Trainer's Cap logo being duplicated by Pappagu. Arlong growled more, rage continuing to mount. "How many lines must you fish food cross!?" He brought out a giant pole with several blades protruding in shapes of a shark fin.
"That can't be the Shark Saw!" gawked Nami.
"He upgraded it, there are about three times as many blades," Zoro noted. Arlong cocked the Shark Saw back. Ash didn't move.
"I'd like to see you take this!" snapped Arlong. Ash remained still as Arlong swung. In a flash, Ash stopped the swing with one hand in steel. Arlong freaked out. "No way!" To Zoro, the technique looked familiar.
"That's the bare-handed blade block… but he did it with one hand!" Ash jumped back before delivering a punch to the end of the pole. The punch destroyed the Shark Saw, splinters and steel scattered all over where Ash picked up a blade. He slashed with the broken blade, splitting Arlong's chest as the fishmen started to come around. Arlong doubled over in pain. Ash raced after Arlong to finish the ordeal, the glow of his eyes bright.
"This is for kidnapping my friends!" he roared as he scored a right hook to the cheek. "This is for killing Bellemere and the years of pain and suffering you gave to Nami!" Another punch landed, this one to the sternum and causing blood to spray from his missing nose. "And this is for attacking Shirahoshi!" The uppercut landed flush on his chin as it seemed to cut that body part open, blood squirting out. The punch launched Arlong in the sky for a few seconds before landing in a heap far from Ash. His pale body wasn't moving, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Those watching couldn't believe the outcome.
"He- He did it!" awed Brook. "He beat Arlong!" The citizens cheered for Ash but he never paid any attention.
"Ash..." hushed Shirahoshi. The pirates slowly began to stand, still wobbly from the ripple. Covered in blood and gashes, Ash approached the fishmen.
"What do we do?" another fishman shivered. "That human annihilated Arlong! We don't stand a chance!" Ash walked pass the fishmen, their Energy Steroids overcome by fear. Ash eyed the Shark Superb as he threw his balls up, releasing his Squirtle and Lapras. Bulbasaur, Charizard, Pikachu and Snorlax came to Ash.
"Charge up for Solar Beam, Bulbasaur," he whispered. When the rest of the Pokémon came by, Ash gave the orders. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Charizard, Flamethrower! Squirtle, Hydro Pump! Lapras, Ice Beam! Snorlax, use Hyper Beam! And Bulbasaur, use Solar Beam!" Squirtle retreated his head and limbs into his shell before releasing a heavy stream of water. Snorlax spat a yellow beam as Bulbasaur fired a rainbow beam from the bulb on his back to combine with the Ice Beam, Thunderbolt and Flamethrower. The attacks combined merged and formed a lion's head which roared before it crashed into the Shark Superb. The combined attacks tore the ship in half and the flames burned through the Arlong sail. The pirates gasped and stood in shock.
"Our ship!" they shouted. Ash picked up and threw Arlong's unconscious body to the pirates, blood still pouring out of the missing nose.
"Consider this a warning: you leave the citizens of Fishman Island alone, as well as Nami and the rest of my friends. I learned of Otohime's wishes for peace among human and merfolk, as well as fishmen. Now, do you want to end up like Arlong? If you ever harm anyone, even King Neptune, prepare to be on some human's meal! Other than that, you're no longer pirates so you can be with him and rot or live free." The fishmen bowed to Ash, surrendering their will to fight. Some of them ran off, not to endure Ash's wrath. Jessie found the surrender hard to watch.
"Kid's got balls," Zoro applauded. "Still see anger in his eyes." Jessie cut the path of the runaway fishmen, their weapons discarded.
"What's the matter with you?!" she scowled. "Turn around and pirate that twerp!"
"Are you out of your mind, ma'am?!" one of the runaways snapped. "Did you forget what he did to our captain a couple of minutes ago?"
"Taking the Straw Hats' Vice Captain is suicide!" another runaway claimed. Irritated, Jessie grabbed two swords from the fishmen.
"If you won't do something," she hissed. "I will… and get Pikachu at the same time!" She charged headlong at Ash but he sensed her coming. In a flash, he clasped her neck, forcing her to stop and the swords joining the pile. Eyes filled with glowing red once more, Ash seemed to have the beast reawakened within. "You're a little young to cop a feel." Armament Haki activated, Ash punched Jessie in the elbow, causing her arm to bend the wrong way as she tried to apply it to his head. She screamed in immense pain. Before she could react, Ash's fists acted like Luffy's Gum-Gum Gattling, rapidly punching Jessie's face in. The steel of the Armament Haki broke about every bone in Jessie's face, making it into fine powder. One more blow knocked Jessie cold to the ground. Team Rocket's boys grew horrified at Jessie's malformed face.
"Jessie!" they cried. Ash collapsed to his knees, heavily fatigued by the strain of the power surge. He turned to his crew, happy to see him alive, grateful that he defeated someone with bad intentions. The boys reached him with Chopper embracing him with a hug.
"I was so worried about you, Ash!" the reindeer whined. After the hug, Luffy helped Ash to his feet, proud of his Vice Captain and the fight he won. Sanji wasn't as pleased as he grabbed Ash by the collarbone.
"Listen to me… very… carefully," he snarled. "Don't you EVER do that again! YOU HEAR ME?! You nearly drove all of the women into DEPRESSION!" Ash wasn't sure of a response but Nami socked the cook with a hook to the jaw that sent him into a wall in the distance. Relieved, Nami hugged Ash tightly while the crowd watched on.
"Little brother!" she teared up. When Robin arrived, they gave Ash a flurry of kisses.
"My little baby!" the elder cried out. When one stopped, she gave Ash praise before kissing more.
"We were so worried!"
"We thought we lost you!"
"I don't wanna dream how we'd go on without you!" Shirahoshi watched on, believing they loved Ash more than she did. Nami turned to Shirahoshi, thinking back to before Arlong arrived. "Robin, let the princess have a chance." Robin allowed Ash to visit Shirahoshi, his face covered from the barrage of kisses.
"Ash!" the princess cried as she snagged him for a hug. Shirahoshi sniffled as she held the trainer. "You're… my knight in shining armor!" She gave Ash a huge kiss to his lips. "I've fallen so much for you, I want to make you my prince!" Ash gawked but not as much as Fishman Island's citizens.
"WHAT!?" they shouted in shock. "THE PRINCESS IS IN LOVE WITH THE BEASTMAN!?" Ash seemed surprised but soon found himself in enjoyment, as well as saliva from the kiss.
"I'm… honored," he humbly huffed. The quintuplets awed the announcement.
"Ash is lucky!" spoke Ichika.
"Ash is very lucky!" cheered Nika.
"No, Ash is skilled!" corrected Sonka.
"Was that really skill?" asked Yonka.
"Luck, skill," Yonka Two scoffed. "Ash is the hu-MAN!" Shirahoshi let Ash back down and reunite with his crew. The strain of his battle with Arlong took a toll as he began to fall. Robin had her arms ready and caught the boy who put his life on the line to save Fishman Island.
"Rest, my child," she cooed with a soothing voice. "You've done a lot." She laid Ash's head on her lap to rest. He soon fell fast asleep, tuckered but resting well. Sanji freed himself from the wall and found the exhausted warrior resting on Robin's legs.
"Robin dear, I've been clearly worried about you as well!" he tried to swoon. "Maybe you can spare room on your lap for me as well-" Nami zipped Sanji's lips with another punch, knocking him out.
"You did crap!" she snapped. Taking a deep breath, she found Ash asleep on Robin's lap. Her smile erased her anger. "I'm proud of you, Ash." Chopper studied Jessie as Brook joined in, standing by Team Rocket.
"How is she?" worried James. Chopper put the claws of his hooves together and focused.
"Scope!" he called. Chopper's eyes gave him an X-ray of Jessie's body, mainly the skull that showed several broken areas. "Seriously, it's a miracle that she's still alive. She's got her jaw and cheek bones broken in five places, her nose in four, the crown in eight, orbital bones in six… How she survived with her head destroyed in such a manner is astounding." He broke the focus by breaking the claws away. "I can treat some of the injuries but the rest, she'll have to live with."
"Dere permanent?!" shrieked Meowth.
"I'm afraid so… Not to mention that the elbow's tendons and cartilage have severed from the broken and hyper-extended part of her body." James realized that Jessie won't care about her injuries when she came around, she'll still show anger to her enemy that beat her to a pulp. Meowth began to wonder about Chopper's aid to Jessie.
"Hold on! Why are you helping Jessie?! Aren't we enemies like with da twerp?!" Chopper faced the Alley Cat Pokémon with a reason.
"I'm a doctor, and whether you're with or against me, I have a declaration to help those who need treatment for anything possible." James awed Chopper's vow.
"That's… quite the dedication," he admired. Meowth had a little bit of skepticism.
"If dat's true, how about reapply my charm back to my head!" he demanded. James thought about a moment prior to the brawl.
"Didn't you lose your charm before and another grew back?" Meowth jerked his head to his human cohort with the realization.
"I forgot about dat!" Brook knelt and stood up, holding a woman's black underwear with red "R" scattered all over.
"It's just like I imagined!" he cheered. "Panties as black as her heart. Though the Rocket emblem doesn't scream original." The Team Rocket boys and Chopper freaked out at Brook's strip.
"What are you doing?!" they shrieked. "Those aren't yours!" Brook seemed dumbfounded with their outrage.
"What's the problem?" As they argued, Neptune turned to his ministers.
"Counselors, make arrangements for the Straw Hats," he ordered. "They'll have the guest rooms tonight at Ryugu Palace. Tomorrow, we'll honor the Beastman and the Straw Hats."
"Yes, sir!" the ministers agreed. As the Ammo Knights brought Jessie and Arlong to receive medical treatment, those within the Ryugu Palace have arrangements to make for the Straw Hats, but mainly, the heroic Beastman.
TO BE CONTINUED...