The Fall Of Arlong Park

"How dare you…." Arlong hissed, gazing down at his own chest.

Normally, a meager weapon would in no way be capable of cutting the skin of a large fishman with impressive height and muscle. Most fishmen were known to have more resilient skin than that of the average human. It would take the precision and strength of a powerful swordsman to cut through such strong skin with a blade. In fact, it was to be expected that even the average sword would shatter on impact when used to pierce a fishman's flesh.

Ryuza's sword did not shatter, nor did it fragmentate. It had left its mark, exactly how the young samurai intended.

Across Arlong's torso was a huge gash, crimson blood contrasting with the fishman's purplish skin. The cut was deep, and its contents had already begun to trickle down his torso. It was clear that Ryuza's surprise strike was having an effect on him. Sweat trickled down his face—his body trembled, as he eyed the cut made at his chest, as if part of him could not believe that he had been damaged in some way.

Serves you right… Ryuza thought to himself.

He didn't bother attempting to regain his footing after his attack. Instead he could only land on his stomach. Only a few meters behind Arlong. His body no longer had the energy to move. His muscles ached, and his lungs burned as if a fire had churned them. Despite not having the energy to stand, or even turn over, his hand maintained a secure grip on the hilt of his sword.

Arlong's rage grew to its peak, his eyes bloodshot as if entering an animalistic frenzy. "You….how dare you! How dare a miserable wretched human like you leave a mark on me!?"

The bleeding cut Ryuza left on Arlong seemed to have the right effect. Arlong clenched at the wound with his hand, moving toward the motionless samurai. There was a look of uncertainty on his face. Nami clearly saw it. It was a look she never thought she'd see herself. Arlong genuinely looked worried, and was moving with purpose, most likely to dispose of the samurai as quickly as he could.

Just a few feet away, Yamato, who was surprised at the action her friend took, quickly jumped to her feet. She could not allow Arlong to further injure her closest comrade. Grasping her mace, she struggled to her feet, trying desperately to force the air back into her lungs and allow her energy to return. But she was too far. The possibility of her reaching Arlong before he stomped on Ryuza's spine was low.

Zoro attempted to intervene as well, though he was in no better shape than Ryuza. The wound left behind by Hawk eyes Mihawk re-opened. He had already lost a large quantity of his blood, deterring from being able to move at his quickest pace. The situation worsened as he had been lying on his stomach ever since Arlong had dropped him. His swords were too far away, preventing him from grabbing them and making it to Arlong in time before he could enact his vengeance.

However, just before Arlong could finish the job, a scream pierced the heavens.

"I'm back!"

Well, not so much to pierce the heavens, more like someone that had been shouting loudly at a high altitude. The scream was loud enough in volume that it forced Arlong to stop what he was about to do and snap his gaze up to the sky above.

The source of the loud scream came from none other than Luffy, who must have yelled in satisfaction after finally being released from his confines. Ryuza could hear the sound from his vantage point on the ground. He was starting to wonder if the strange boy with the straw hat always yelled like that. But it mattered not to him. If he was free, then that means Sanji, Nojiko, and Genzo succeeded. And that made him smile despite his stinging sensation in his eye from his own blood.

"It's about time…." Zoro mumbled, a small trace of a smile on his face. "Damn moron…"

Yamato was elated, her fists outstretched into the air. "Luffy-san! You're free!"

"Gomu Gomu no…." Luffy reeled his head back, grinning excitedly. "Bell!"

His head suddenly snapped forward, his neck stretching to incredible length. His head shot toward Arlong–moving at the speed of a projectile released from a rifle–and collided with Arlong's chest. It was unknown whether or not Luffy's target was intentional, but the strike was aimed directly at the wound that Ryuza left behind. Arlong shouted as he was sent flying back, colliding with a pile of heavy debris left behind by the fortress that was now a battleground.

Luffy landed, cracking his knuckles with a delighted grin. "Finally! It's my turn!" Ryuza saw that same smile on Luffy's face again. He wore the exact same one when preparing to engage in combat against Don Krieg. Ryuza was beginning to wonder if that was a grin of a determined fighter, or the look of a madman who seeks to throw his life away at any given opportunity.

"Hey, thanks for loosening him up for me Ryuza!" Luffy said, throwing him a quick bright smile. "I'll probably only need a few attacks to take him down now!"

Ryuza was taken aback for a moment. Luffy had never used his actual name before. It was always samurai guy or some other ridiculous title. He didn't know what brought about this change, but it didn't make him any less annoyed by Luffy's statement.

"No! You only need to hold him off!" Ryuza said, managing to turn over so that he could stare at the boy with the straw hat. "I will be the one to take him down! I just need…I just need a few minutes to rest!"

"I'll only need a few minutes to kick this guy's ass!" Luffy snickered. "So you just sit there and let me have my go!"

No! You aren't stealing the glory again. Ryuza thought to himself, debating with his body to stand and engage Arlong in a duel to decide the fate of the entire island. His body refused to give anymore than it already had. Perhaps it was best.

"You should be less worried about your friends, and more worried about me you rubber brat." Arlong snarled. "You would have been better off dying at the bottom of that pool."

"I'm glad they rescued me." Luffy replied, stretching in a carefree manner. "That just means I get the chance to knock all of your teeth out."

Ryuza watched from the ground as Luffy stepped toward the fishman captain. Should he have been glad that Luffy was here to fight, or should he have been irritated that he would not be the one to defeat Arlong? The young samurai decided to submit to both options. There was no guarantee that Luffy would defeat him. But his chances were higher, as he had little to no injuries.

While the two prepared to engage, Yamato made her way around the fortress, occasionally eying Luffy with anticipation. It was most likely she had a strong desire to watch the fight to the fullest, spectating Luffy in battle as she never got to watch back on the Baratie.

But instead of sitting by to watch, Ryuza noticed her rushing over to him. He could only stare up at her in silence. He disliked the fact that she was seeing him in such a weakened state. And yet, a slight smile forced its way onto his face upon seeing her expression. Despite the scratches and bruises that marked her face, she still could manage a smile of her own.

"Ryuza-San. We should get clear and allow Luffy-San to handle the remainder of this battle." Yamato said. She bent down and raised him into her arms, cradling him as if he were a child.

Ryuza rolled his eyes. When they were younger due to her superior height, Yamato frequently had a tendency of carrying Ryuza—either due to him being fatigued from training or if she had a desire to go on a venture or two. Before, Ryuza would attempt to fight her every step of the way, shoving at her face with his hand or foot and claiming that her carrying him in such a way was shameful for a samurai and that it damaged his pride. Her reaction often switched between dropping him immediately or being just as stubborn as he was in return and carrying him regardless of his protests. Eventually, he had gotten used to allowing her to essentially cradle him into her arms. Especially when she grew to full height as they both grew older.

This time, Ryuza did feel a small blow to his pride. Even though he had a great desire to finish the battle himself, it would have been foolish to damage his body even further.

"Fine…." Ryuza mumbled stubbornly. "I'll allow him to finish this battle. But if he loses, then I will be the one to claim victory."

Yamato giggled which prompted Ryuza to throw her an indignant glare. Much to his dismay, his look was much less effective when he was the one in her arms. She carried him to the fortress wall, slowly setting him down and then taking a seat next to him to watch the battle with her own eyes.

The fortress wall was sturdy enough to support his head, so Ryuza allowed himself to lean back to take a breather. It felt like he hadn't been able to breathe for some time now. He could just see Sanji a few feet away—taking a draw from a cigarette that he somehow kept intact during the entire battle. Genzo and Nojiko sat next to him, watching the battle with eyes of anticipation and hope.

Zoro had also been resting, his body laid out against a piece of debris. Ryuza figured it best to allow him to rest instead of disturbing him.

The silence of a well deserved rest was disturbed by the impactful sound of Luffy's fist clashing with the side of Arlong's jaw. Arlong's retort was swift, coming in forms of wild attempts of biting Luffy with his razor sharp teeth.

The battle was brutal, both stubborn opponents refusing to give each other any headway. At one point Arlong even managed to pin Luffy against one of the long pillars of the large tower at the center of the fortress. If it had not been for Luffy's unnatural way of stretching his neck at great length as a way to avoid Arlong's teeth, he might not have survived. Arlong's jaws appeared powerful enough to even shatter the entire pillar, causing the tower to rumble unsteadily.

"He just bit into a stone pillar!"

Ryuza glanced over at the individual who made such a loud decoration. To his surprise, it had been Usopp. His face was marked with a few bruises and dried up blood. His shirt and bandanna was wrinkled and tattered as well—showing clear signs of a struggle. Nevertheless, he was alive, which meant he must have defeated that fishman who had been pursuing him at the beginning of the fight.

Ryuza expected no less from an individual that had managed to defeat an entire pirate crew and their captain by himself.

The fight continued on with Luffy's beginning to gain the upperhand. With powerful and extended strikes from his rubber ability, he managed to land powerful blows on Arlong. To Ryuza's surprise, he even managed to shatter the fishman's sharp teeth.

Despite lying on the ground, Arlong goaded Luffy, claiming that he hadn't even the slightest clue of his abilities and that he'd be dead if it were not for the two humans saving him from drowning in that pool of water. Luffy however acknowledged this, replying that he gets help from a lot of people and with a determined grin, exclaimed that he will beat him.

That seemed to spark a fire underneath the crowd of villagers, as they broke out into a jubilant rallying cry—cheering Luffy on as they watched. Ryuza made note of even Nami having a hopeful smile on her face.

"Go get him Luffy-San!" Yamato yelled, cheering Luffy on as well.

Ryuza could not explain it, but he could not deny that there was something almost inspiring about the way Luffy refused to back down against Arlong. Whatever it was, it was almost infectious as Ryuza could not fight the urge to smile himself. Although he decided to remain silent with a desire to keep some pride for himself intact.

You had just better not lose. He thought.

Angered by his defiance, Arlong stood back to his feet. With a sneer, he opened his jaw and somehow replaced his broken teeth with another pair of sharp ones that shot out of his gums. The fishmen were truly an interesting race. Ryuza would have wanted to learn more about them, if not for them trying to kill him.

To make the battle even more bizarre than it already had been, Arlong even removed his teeth, replacing them with new ones and holding the exchanged ones in his hands like a pair of steel traps. He had not just one, but two of these in each hand—using them to slash and cut at Luffy, who dodged those attacks in return, and even used some of Arlong's unconscious men as shields.

One thing that Ryuza did notice during the fight is that once and awhile, Arlong would clutch at the sword wound on his chest, oftentimes showing signs of duress or pain. The young samurai could not help but feel proud to know that even though he was out of the fight, he is still managing to leave an impression.

As the fight spurred on, Arlong utilized another technique. He bounded around like an uncontrollable projectile, shooting toward Luffy with his nose extended, trying to pierce him like a hunter would an animal. Luffy, unsuspecting of the new attack, was struck on the side, but intercepted the attack with a blow of his own.

Arlong eventually bounded into the water, using it to increase his mobility and even power, and lunged at Luffy frequently. It was almost impossible to know whenever Arlong would spring out of the water to attack. Despite this, Luffy maintained his position, standing his ground until Arlong would burst from the water to attack again.

In the deep blue pool, small inklings of crimson red could be noticed if one were to look closely. Like a painter who had mistakenly used a wrong color on a flat canvas. Ryuza concluded that it must be from the wound he left on Arlong. Due to the wound, the blood must have been spreading amongst the water—which would allow someone to know where he was, even if he were submerged.

Ryuza pondered if Luffy noticed this, and that is why he was standing his ground—or perhaps he was simply too stubborn to move.

Regardless of the reason, Luffy managed to anticipate Arlong's attack. The moment the fishman shot from the water and toward him, Luffy tied his arms around him, his rubber ability being utilized like a lasso.

The force of the battle eventually led into the central tower of the fortress itself, the two opponents disappearing from view for a moment. Though they could not be seen, the sounds of brutal combat and angry yells and statements could be heard by outside spectators.

The sounds of battle eventually lead to the summit of the tower, and moments after, wooden tables, chairs, and paper maps were being tossed out of the breaches in the tower walls made by Luffy's fists.

Ryuza could not fully understand what was occurring up there, but whatever it was, he did notice that it had a strong effect on Nami. The orange haired "witch" appeared to be teary eyed at the sight of it.

Suddenly, as if the battle had reached its climax, Luffy leg shot out the roof of the tower, extending into the air like a flare in the sky. The limb then shot down like an axe preparing to collide with a piece of wood. Ryuza swore he could feel the gust of wind formed by the power of the attack from his position.

The moment Luffy's foot shot down, the tower began to rumble. The structure teetered as if were split down the middle as if cut by a giant cleaver. The fortress grounds began to tumble as the tower showed signs of preparing to crumble.

The villagers shouted in a panic, yelling for each other to get clear of the collapsing building. Ryuza himself attempted to stand, but Yamato had already tugged him into her arms and ran, gaining distance from the radius of the falling structure.

As the symphony of destruction ceased, and the smoke began to clear, those that had been spectating the battle from the very beginning, watched in silence. In the midst of rubble and pile of debris—standing on top of it all, was Luffy, battered and bleeding. And beneath him—buried another the stone debris was defeated and disgraced Arlong, his teeth shattered, and his body motionless.

The battle had finally been decided.

Now, there was always something strange about the aftermath of a battle. From Ryuza's experience, there is always a long stream of absolute silence. At times, it even felt like the birds themselves would not utter a sound, and even the waves coming from the sea itself would come to a halt.

But then, there was always that one individual who took it upon themselves to break the silence.

In this case, it started off as one cheer. One cheer transformed into two, and two, transformed into a hundred. The villagers of Cocoyashi erupted into a grand overture—their voices washing over the entire island like a tsunami.

"Arlong park has fallen!" A village said, shouting jubilantly.

Another villager joined him, her voice raised in a joyful yell. "Arlong's been defeated!"

And suddenly, just like that, the pain and fatigue Ryuza felt began to subside. Yamato—who was seated next to him, suddenly jumped up with a loud cry of celebration, her fists lifted into the air.

Ryuza wanted to say he was stunned to see Arlong defeated in such a way, but another part of him forced himself to admit that he was not at all surprised to see Luffy be the victor. After all, he had been the one to defeat Don Krieg back at the Baratie.

"Luffy-San did it!" Yamato said, laughing out loud. "He beat Arlong! I knew he could do it!"

"Hm…" Ryuza hummed, narrowing his eyes, but not without a small smile on his face. "Next time it will be me who is the victor…."

With a quiet grunt of effort, he managed to stand on his own two feet, taking a deep breath of fresh air. The pain remained, but the sheer sensation of relief that came with the conclusion of battle allowed him to deal with it. He could see the villagers celebrating and shouting. Nami was amongst them, weeping, a wide thankful smile on her face. Usopp was dancing, Sanji took a draw of his cigarette with a smile and shake of his head, and Zoro had finally risen to his feet.

Luffy, of course, was shouting something to Nami from the summit of the debris. Ryuza could not hear him very well over the cheering, but whatever he said, made Nami's smile grow in size.

That guy really loves to shout. Ryuza thought.

Yamato rushed in to join the celebration. She and Ussop danced together to an invisible jig, their arms locked together. On occasion Yamato would forget her strength and lift Usopp off the ground while they danced. Usopp merely laughed, allowing himself to lose his footing. Ryuza shook his head at the sight. He was a bit tempted to join in on their dance, but he could only frown as he saw a group approaching from the distance. They wore the familiar uniform of the Marine Navy. Most likely the same ones that had stormed the village earlier to claim the loot that Nami had taken possession of.

His worries were confirmed when he spotted the marine leading them into the fortress. It was Captain Nezumi. The same marine that had used the villagers as hostages in order to force Ryuza to surrender.

"Hold everything!" He said. The celebration halted, and the villagers turned to face him. "I saw the whole thing and allow me to congratulate you all for a job well done for defeating the fishmen."

His voice was absent of any sincerity. Ryuza knew that the captain's next words would anger him greatly.

"Now, thanks to you, the gold that I was supposed to give to Arlong is now all mine!" He said, his voice raised boastfully. "And all of the treasure in Arlong Park belongs to me! Now throw down your weapons and remove yourselves!"

Scum. Such dishonor. Ryuza thought to himself.

His hand donned the hilt of his sword once again. This time, nothing would stop him from cutting down the corrupt marine. He would continue to exploit the poor villagers if he was not dealt with, or at the very least, taught a strong lesson.

Before Ryuza could make his move however, the Marine Captain suddenly shouted in terror. The marines behind him recoiled back as well. Zoro—with a deadly look of irritation etched on his face, had Nezumi gripped tightly by the back of his collar.

Nezumi squirmed. "You! Take your hands off of me! Do you know who I am? I could have you executed for putting your hands on me!"

"We're celebrating a victory here." Zoro said, grinning menacingly. "Don't be a wet blanket."

A marine raised his sword against Zoro. "Take your hands off of the captain right now!"

"What are you lot waiting for?!" Nezumi shouted. "Get this filthy scum away from me!"

"What did I just say?" Zoro said, his fists tightening.

The next few moments was filled with the swiftest wave of brutality that Ryuza had ever witnessed with his own eyes. Under normal circumstances, he would have felt pity for the Marines being beaten within an inch of their lives by an angry Zoro, but he felt anything but. The beating grew even worse when Luffy joined in—assisting Zoro in the one sided assault. The villagers did not intervene nor protest in the beating of the corrupt marines. They had no reason to anyway. If the marines had their way, the entire island would have remained under Arlong's rule. A few of them smiled at the sight of the marines getting their comeuppance.

After the swift and yet brutal display of vengeance on the Marines, Ryuza had decided to make his way over to them. He knew there was no need to do anything to the other marines, as they had already suffered. Captain Nezumi however, needed to be made an example of. To Ryuza, he was the worst type of villain. One that he would often dream of defeating in his fantasies of battling thugs, criminals, pirates, and more.

It seemed that Nami had similar intentions of making the corrupt Marine captain pay—indicated by the sound of her wooden Bo staff slamming across his cheek.

"That was for trying to shoot Nojiko." Nami said. "And for wrecking Bellmere's tangerine grove."

Tangerines… Ryuza thought to himself. I'm still hungry.

Ryuza said nothing as he sauntered past the group, his eyes locked onto the Marine captain who groaned audibly on the floor.

"Didn't notice you regained consciousness." Zoro said, noticing his presence. "You planning on getting a shot in too?"

"Something like that." Ryuza said, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

His sword had experienced so much already today. One more use of it wouldn't hurt.

Nezumi's senses seemed to return just enough for him to recognize Ryuza by sight. "You!"

Ryuza's eyes narrowed as the sound of his blade being released from its scabbard filled the air. The sound that came next was the fearful cry of the corrupt Marine captain. Nezumi starred in wide eyed horror and shook vigorously as the tip of Ryuza's sword was merely a few inches from his face. Just close enough to where if Ryuza decided to end his life, it would be in the blink of an eye.

"You….you wouldn't dare!" Nezumi shouted, his voice quivering. "I am a Marine Captain! You aren't allowed to lay a finger on me! None of you are! If you kill me you…" he hesitated, as if trying to form a scenario threatening enough to save his life. "You'll rot in prison for the rest of your days!"

"You know, I always thought the Marines were an honorable group until I met you." Ryuza said, thrusting his blade toward Nezumi's face to make him flinch—the steel merely inches from his eyes. "But I see now that those with no honor can come from anywhere. You prey on the innocent, and lead your men down the same path of disgrace. You truly are scum."

"You aren't going to kill me…" Nezumi stammered, as if trying to convince himself. "You aren't! Men! Get him away from me!"

None of the other marines moved an inch. The fear was evident on their faces—cold sweat pouring down their brows. Each of them most likely recalled Ryuza cutting their rifles into pieces on their first encounter. Either that, or they were afraid of being beaten even further by the spectators.

The silence in the air was palpable as Ryuza gave no reply. The grip on his sword tightened even further. He noticed that Nami gave no protest, but she did have a look of concern on her face. Zoro was silent as well, his arms crossed as if he were studying Ryuza's expression. And Luffy, who was unusually quiet, his head tilted to the side.

"Ryuza-San…" Yamato muttered to herself, standing to the side next to Usopp.

Her face held the same concerned expression. She had never seen him in such a mood before. She took a step forward, as if contemplating a decision to stop Ryuza from killing the defenseless marine. It did seem uncharacteristic for Ryuza to have such a deadly look. But he had never experienced such anger toward a single individual in his life.

Though it would have been justice to have slain the corrupt Marine, Ryuza decided to instead make sure that he would leave a mark instead. Something that would make the Marine captain think twice before attempting to use his authority to commit evil deeds once again.

There was a quick swish. The sound of Ryuza's sword sweeping through the air forced Nezumi to flinch. But it wasn't his flesh that had been cut. Nezumi opened his eyes and sputtered when he saw three whiskers slowly floating toward the ground. Once the realization had kicked in, he screamed.

"My whiskers!" He bellowed. "You cut off my whiskers!"

Luffy didn't hold back in howling with laughter. "Hahaha! He looks so stupid! It looks like he's got a mustache on only one side!"

It took Ryuza a bit of manpower to not laugh as well. It was supposed to be a lesson for the marine after all. The villagers who watched snickered and then soon laughed as well at the ridiculous sight. Usoop clenched his knees and pointed with laughter while saying something about the marine captain will no longer be able to balance himself, in which Yamato joined him in his tittering.

"You," Nezumi visibly shook in rage. "This isn't funny! My whiskers will never grow back! How dare—"

"Listen and listen well!" Ryuza interrupted, grasping the Marine tightly by the front of his collar. "If you do not return the money you've stolen to the villagers I will cut off the other side."

"Money?! I—" Nezumi paused, before nodding rapidly. "Okay! Okay! Whatever you say! Just let me go!"

Nami appeared stunned at Ryuza's demands, as if not expecting it. But then she smirked mischievously.

"You know, we could also use some help rebuilding some of the towns and villages the fishman destroyed." She said "Once the marines clean the island of Arlong and his crew of course."

"Huh? Oh, right." Ryuza said, cursing under his breath for not thinking of the idea. "You heard the orange haired witch. You will also help the villagers rebuild and take Arlong and what's left of his crew away!"

Nami's eye twitched in agitation at the not so subtle title Ryuza had given her. Though not even that could erase the wide smile on her face.

"Orange haired witch?" Nojiko said, giggling as she watched from the side along with Genzo. "I've never heard anyone call Nami that before."

"It's somehow oddly fitting." Genzo said stunned at the name.

"Okay okay!" Nezumi nodded again. "Just let me go already!"

"One last thing," Ryuza said, his face turning stern. He wanted to make sure that the marine remembered this. "This island is under my protection. If I see you or any other marines try to export or abuse their power even further, on my samurai honor I will cut you down. Understand?"

"Alright already! You've made your point! Now unhand me!"

Once Ryuza let him go, Luffy walked over to Yamato and whispered something in her ear, which forced her to bend over of ocourse. Whatever it was, it caused her eyes to shimmer with excitement with a grin plastered on her face. It was then she walked over and grasped the Marine captain by the back of his collar and effortlessly lifted him into the air with one hand.

"What are you doing?!" Nezumi screamed, squirming like a child being held by an adult. "Put me down right now!"

"Captain!" The marines called out, helpless as they were too fearful to intervene.

Yamato carried the marine toward the large gaping pool that ran through the middle of Arlong park, and led to the outskirts of the island and into the ocean itself. Once she reached the edge, she gripped the marine tightly by his leg—using her other hand and with a loud yell, threw him a great distance into the air. The marines screamed as their captain had just been launched like a javelin into the salty waters, the splash audible from even their position.

Luffy clenched his stomach with laughter and Ryuza blinked, flabbergasted at the sight.

Yamato looked at them with an unnerving and wide smile. "Would any of you like a turn as well?" She asked.

The marines screamed again, but this time they took off running and leapt into the water themselves—swimming as far from Yamato as they could and toward their captain. Nezumi gasped and sputtered as he broke through the surface of the water, his hat removed from his head as he struggled to stay afloat.

"You…I'll get you for this! I'll pay you back in spades!" Nezumi howled. "I already know some of your names! I'll make sure that you'll be hunted down for the rest of your lives! Mark my words!"

"Nice throw." Zoro said, standing next to Yamato with his arms crossed. "Could have tossed him a little farther though. I can still hear his annoying voice."

Yamato laughed and scratched her head sheepishly. "Apologies Zoro-San. Maybe I could have put a little more power behind the throw."

"Don't listen to him, Yamato-chan!" Sanji exclaimed, his voice swooning. "That throw was stunningly beautiful just like you!"

Ryuza decided to take a seat down next to Yamato, his eyes trained on the pool of water just a few meters away from him. He suddenly felt very tired, but decided to force himself to stay awake.

"The throw could have been better." Ryuza admitted.

"Then maybe next time I should make you throw the next enemy that comes our way!" Yamato said, grinning down at Ryuza.

"Hey, you don't think he was serious about us being hunted down for the rest of our lives, right?" Usopp asked anxiously, watching as the marines swam away.

"I hope so." Luffy grinned, holding his hands behind his head in a relaxed position. "I wouldn't mind if he mentioned our names to others."

Ryuza narrowed his eyes as he pondered something. Then the realization hit him like a lightning bolt. He suddenly screamed, forcing the others around him to jump.

"Crap!" Ryuza roared, rubbing his hair in agitation.

"What?! What is it Ryuza-San?!" Yamato asked anxiously, looking around frantically.

"More fishmen?!" Usopp asked, taking a step back.

"I forgot to tell him my name!" Ryuza yelled. "Or that I was planning on becoming the next Sword God!"

There was a pause of silence. The group stared at Ryuza before Luffy exploded in laughter. The rest of the group however did not find it so humorous.

"What's the big idea?!" Yamato snapped, grabbing Ryuza in an attempt to place him in a tight headlock. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Why did you have to scream!" Usopp shouted, joining in to assist Yamato in Ryuza's thrashing. "I thought Arlong regained consciousness or something!"

"Put me down! This is serious!" Ryuza yelled, managing to grab Yamato by her horn in one hand and Usopp by his shoulder in the other. "How can I spread my name as the sword god if people don't know my name!?"

"Those three…." Sanji muttered, shaking his head before jumping into the fray. "Oi! Ryuza! Let go of Yamato's beautiful horns! It's rude to grab a woman like that! Ow! Long nose! Watch who you're hitting!"

Luffy laughed even louder, his hands wrapped tightly around his torso. Of course, nothing stopped him from jumping into the scuffle as well. Zoro merely shook his head—taking a seat on the floor, but not without a hint of a smirk on his face.

As the playfully violent fight intensified, the villagers watched on with elated smiles on their faces. Some of them ran off, yelling that they needed to spread the word around the island of Arlong's defeat.

Nami watched as those that helped free her island bickered and argued. Another smile crept on her face, a tear slowly falling down her cheek. She had never allowed anyone to see her cry. But this time, it didn't seem so bad—especially when those tears were tears of joy.