240 Easy Karma

"So, this Arlong is a fish man?" 

"Yes, are you familiar with it?" 

"I do. It's rather common on the Grand Line." 

"Then, you should understand the terror of this creature, right?" 

As the two were on the Going Merry, Masa couldn't help but ask Nami about Arlong, trying to understand Arlong from her lips. As expected, after he asked such a question, she quickly told him about everything, especially the might of the fish man who had terrorized her village. 

"Not only do they have the power of ten men, they can even swim underwater! They are simply invincible! More importantly, their captain, Arlong, is on a different level! So, you should understand how crazy your decision is, right?" 

Masa wasn't a pirate; he was just a king and a pervert. 

Chewing an orange that was given by Nami out of nowhere, it was kind of sweet, yet also sour, nice balance, Masa thought as he listened to her words. 

"Did you listen to me?!" 

"Sorry, the orange is delicious." 

"Right?" Nami was happy when her orange was praised. "It's the best product of our hometown—" Only, she fell silent all of a sudden and said, "Wait, this isn't a time to talk about an orange!" 

"You know what? I think that you are under a wrong impression of the fish man." 

"...what do you mean?" 

"It's true that in your place, this creature is known as the most fearsome creature, but this is because all of the people in East Blue are weak." 

"....." 

While Nami wanted to argue, she couldn't, so she asked with a bit of curiosity, but tried to mask it with annoyance, "So, how is the fish man on the Grand Line?" All of her life was on the East Blue, so she didn't know about the Grand Line, yet this was normal since it was hard for one to travel to the Grand Line, and the majority of people would live and die on their land where they originated from, considering the harsh environment and difficulties of traveling. 

"They are slaves." 

"S-Slave?!" Nami was dumbfounded and quickly refuted, "You are lying!" 

"It is." Masa nodded. "They are powerful, right? They are stronger than a normal human, which is a good laborer."

"...." 

Nami somehow felt dizzy, but she couldn't refute him, especially when Masa had no reason to lie. More importantly, his tone, the way he talked, and his expression as if it were common sense made her fall into a strong doubt. 

"By the way, all of them have tattoos, right?" 

"Yes." Nami nodded and affirmed his words as she pointed to her body, showing which parts those fish-men had their tattoos on. "All of them have sun-like tattoos on various parts of their bodies." 

"Then, they are really a slave." 

"...." Nami. 

"You are lying! They are so powerful! How can they be a slave?!" 

If the fish-men who killed her mother and haunted her village were slaves, then what were they? 

"They are." Masa nodded calmly and said, "Their tattoos are used to hide the slave tattoos on their bodies." 

"Slave tattoos?" 

"It's the ugly hobby of the lord of this world." 

"The lord of this world?" 

"World Noble. Have you heard of it?" 

"...I do." 

"Everything, whether it is the land, sea, and sky, all of them are theirs. They are the master of this world, and those fish men are running away from their master to the East Blue so they can live comfortably as this is the weakest sea." 

Nami couldn't say anything. She wished that it was a lie, yet she knew well that it was the truth. 

"Did you feel sorry for them?" Masa asked curiously. 

"No." Even hearing all of that, Nami shook her head and said, "Even if they are hurt, it doesn't give them a right to hurt others!" Even if she was a thief, she only went after the pirates and other criminals and probably those with wealth, depending on the situation. 

"Well, a heart is something that we can't control, so there is no need to think too much." 

"Then... what do you think I do?" 

"I am not sure."

"If it was you, what would you do?" 

"I kill them. Hurting the people that I love, taking the place that I am dear, and taking away my everything. Even if I lose everything, I will take away their everything."

When Nami saw him, he kept his calm expression after he said those cruel words. It made her chill, yet also... reassurance and dependability, but the terror that she had felt for many years was impossible to be erased so easily. 

"Don't get ahead of yourselves! You are not much older than me, yet you say something so crazy! Just be quiet later, I will take care of everything!" 

Regardless, as Masa had lent her money, Nami didn't want him to be hurt. 

Yes, this was her duty as a debtor, and she thought to protect her creditor. 

After all, even if she was a thief, she still had some bottom lines, yet Masa only smiled even when she tried to knock his head and thought that she was cute, but then again, if Luffy appeared, who would she choose? 

Somehow, Masa was curious. 

As he thought so, it didn't take much time for them to arrive at her home, the Cocoyasi Village, which was located among the Conami Islands. Still, Nami didn't intend to go back to her hometown but went to the headquarters of the Arlong Pirates, Arlong Park. 

However, Masa chuckled when he saw Arlong Park for the first time since this place was like the Saobody Park that he just destroyed in the past. It seemed that, like a human that made all of those fish-men into slaves, Arlong Pirates also wanted to do the same with the people of the Conami Islands by mimicking that hideous place. 

"What's so funny?" Nami asked with confusion. 

"Nothing. It isn't good fun, so it's better that you don't know." 

"...you make me curious." 

"Anyway, someone is coming. And there's Marines over there." 

"Hmm?" 

Nami quickly saw a Marine ship on the side of Arlong Park, which confused her, but then a few fishermen quickly came toward her. 

"Oh? It's you, Nami."

"I wonder who you were before." 

"Eh? Who is this?" 

When all of those fish-men saw Nami, they quickly became familiar, but when they saw Masa for the first time, their bodies tensed subconsciously since even if a long time had passed, the trauma of their childhood still remained and they saw the dignified aura around Masa, all of them couldn't help but feel nervous as if they returned to the hell-like experience during their lives as a slave in the past. 

All of them suddenly lost their voices as they faced Masa, who looked at them boredly. 

Say something! Say something! Say something! 

Move! 

They felt humiliated, yet they were frozen in fear, but Nami couldn't see that and just said, "...he is just someone that I found and saved." 

"So... he is just a civilian?" 

"He is." 

"...." 

Everyone sighed in relief, and then one of them quickly wanted to mock Masa to regain their small pride, but Nami said, "Anyway, where is Arlong? I have collected all the money! Now, you need to keep your promise!" 

"...what? You did?!" 

Everyone was surprised. 

"100 million bellies! I have collected them!" 

Somehow, all of them turned their gaze to Masa, who appeared regal despite his common clothes. It was just when they thought of letting Nami meet Arlong since they wanted their captain to determine everything—

"Oh? Someone has collected 100 million bellies? That's impossible, right? I think that you must have robbed the nearby town to do that! As a Marine, I can't let you go! Everyone catch her!" 

All of a sudden, the atmosphere started to change when a Marine with a mouse-like appearance came up with a sinister and evil laugh. 

However, what was so strange was the fact that this Marine was accompanied by a saw-shark fish-man, walking side by side as if they had known each other. 

"Arlong!" 

"Oh, Nami, stealing isn't good. You should know that, right?" Arlong then looked at Nezumi and said, "Then, she is in your care, Nezumi." 

"Leave it to me, Arlong. I can't let go of such an extreme and evil thief to haunt and terrorize East Blue! As a Marine, this is my duty!" 

As Nezumi said so, he also looked at Nami with a bit of lust, licking his lower lips before he laughed together with Arlong. 

"No way..." 

Who could Nami trust? 

The Marine, who everyone trusted, had been working with Arlong, the pirate whom Nami hated the most. 

Moreover, the promise that Arlong had given to her by telling her that he would sell her village to her for 100 million bellies so they would leave had all been a lie! 

How could she even stand this?!

"Shahahaha!" 

"Hey, Arlong, can I have—" 

As the two had fun destroying Nami's hope by working together, all of a sudden, they felt tense, especially when they noticed that Nami wasn't alone and by her side, a young man appeared. 

Who?

Subconsciously, in their minds, Masa had exuded this special aura that made them tense as if they met a superior being, but the two of them quickly soon realized how troublesome their situation was since the pirate and the Marines had worked together to squeeze the value of all the residents of the Conami Islands. 

"Masa?" 

Nami, who was in her deepest despair as she cried, felt a gentle hug, but soon, that hug became tighter as she suddenly saw everything change as if they had teleported to another place instantly. 

Yet, as Masa left, Arlong and Nezumi also quickly escaped from the terror of Masa and quickly thought to kill Masa, but—

Tear! 

All of a sudden, a powerful pressure swept everyone, and a gigantic air blade cut through the water, then cut Nezumi in half and Arlong's nose and hand, causing Nezumi to die and Arlong to scream in pain. 

"AAARGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!" 

Yet, even so, the air blade didn't stop and cut down Arlong Park along with the land before disappearing into the distance after causing so much destruction. 

"Arlong!" 

"Captain!" 

As the Arlong Pirates members and the Marines were in a panic, they quickly saw a lone man on the small boat with a gigantic sword that was even bigger than himself, yet when all of them saw him, what they felt was nothing but terror and fear. 

Nami was also dumbfounded, but Masa was speechless since he had never thought that his visit to the East Blue would bring him so much trouble.

The Strongest Swordsman in the World. 

Dracule Mihawk appeared before them.