Chapter 24: Arlong Pirates (Part 2)
Ryu had consumed at least 15 units of blood from that single fish-man, leaving him feeling fuller than he had in ages.
"Let's keep moving," Ryu said casually as he pulled out a lighter, flicked it open, and tossed it onto the fish-man's corpse. Watching the flames consume the body, he couldn't help but feel like he was becoming more ruthless by the day. Was this really okay? He absentmindedly touched his left chest as he walked, pondering.
He'd noticed long ago that, like most vampires, he lacked a heartbeat. And despite eating regularly, he'd never once needed to use the restroom. Where did all that food go? Was it being absorbed entirely? That was impressive—if not slightly unsettling.
Sometimes, he even considered dissecting himself to understand his own biology. With his regenerative abilities, as long as he had enough blood, even limb regeneration seemed possible. Should he try it one day? Just to see what made him tick?
Unaware of the dark thoughts swirling in Ryu's mind, Buggy and his crew were now utterly terrified. Fear paralyzed them, rooting their feet to the ground.
The Arlong Pirates' base wasn't far from Cocoyasi Village, but it still took an hour to reach. Despite his fear, Buggy managed to retain a sliver of rationality.
Pointing toward the distant compound, he asked nervously, "Captain, how should we infiltrate?"
"Infiltration? I've already planned everything. Your job is simple—create a distraction at the entrance. You don't need to fight; just draw their attention and run."
"Yes!"
Buggy, Mohji, and Kabaji nodded eagerly. If all they had to do was distract and flee, they could handle that much. A direct confrontation with the Arlong Pirates was the last thing they wanted.
"Good. Let's see how you perform."
With that, Ryu slipped away to the rear entrance while keeping an eye on Buggy's group. Their earlier reaction told him they were thoroughly intimidated.
Now, it was time to see whether they'd follow his orders or attempt to escape. Either way, Ryu wasn't worried. Before disembarking, he'd secretly smeared a drop of his own blood on each of them. His heightened sense of smell ensured he could track them down easily unless they jumped into the sea—and since Buggy was a Devil Fruit user, swimming wasn't an option. Besides, only Buggy held any real value for Ryu.
Escape attempts were futile.
Not long after, Buggy and his crew reached the main gate. The two fish-men guarding the entrance stared in confusion. Humans rarely dared approach their stronghold, let alone act so brazenly.
"Hey! Scumbags!" Buggy shouted without warning.
The fish-men froze, bewildered by the sudden insult. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Buggy produced a lump of something that looked suspiciously like feces—but smelled different. Still, its appearance alone was enough to evoke revulsion.
Without hesitation, he hurled it at the guards.
Splat!
One of the fish-men tried to dodge but failed miserably. Covered in the disgusting substance, he screamed in outrage. Though it was merely mud, its resemblance to excrement achieved the desired effect.
The commotion drew several fish-men from inside the base, who poured out en masse to investigate. Meanwhile, Buggy and his crew taunted them by slapping their backsides before sprinted away, further enraging the mob.
Perfect. With the majority of the fish-men chasing Buggy, the base was practically deserted. Ryu strolled through the front entrance, blending seamlessly into the chaos.
True to his expectations, there were barely any guards left. Those few who spotted him merely glanced curiously before dismissing him.
This guy looks calm, they thought. He must be here to deliver tribute from one of the villages.
Ryu soon encountered Hacchan, the octopus fish-man.
Approaching casually, he asked, "Excuse me, is Nami here?"
"Oh, you mean Nami? She's in her room drawing maps," Hacchan replied innocently.
"Thanks. By the way, where is Nami's room?"
"Aren't you from Cocoyasi Village? Don't you know where Nami's room is?" Hacchan frowned, suspicion creeping into his voice. "Wait… I don't recognize you. Who are you? Were you involved in that ruckus earlier?"
"I'm not from Cocoyasi Village," Ryu admitted with a smirk.
"Then who are you?! How did you infiltrate us?! What's your purpose?!" Hacchan demanded, unsheathing his sword threateningly.
"How scary. You, Arlong Pirate's sure love pulling out swords. Allow me to introduce myself—Ikano D. Ryu. I walked in through the front door, and my goal is to rescue Nami."
Before Hacchan could react, Ryu kicked him squarely in the chest. Within three steps, speed favored legs over blades—but Hacchan, lacking tactical awareness, foolishly stepped within range.
In an instant, he was sent flying backward.
The disturbance quickly drew the attention of other fish-men, who rushed toward the scene. Ryu noted that Arlong himself wasn't among them—he must have been elsewhere.
"Why does everyone insist on fighting? So terrifying," Ryu mused aloud.
In the next moment, he unsheathed Abyss, coating its blade with Busoshoku Haki.
"Abyssal Slash! "
A crimson arc of energy sliced through the air, carving a deep trench into the ground. Every fish-man caught in its path was cleaved in two. What might have been a battle devolved into a massacre.
Without wasting time, Ryu deployed a blood pouch to collect the spilled blood before resuming his search for Nami.
Inside her room, Nami paused briefly upon hearing the commotion outside. But she quickly returned to her map-drawing, resigned to the futility of resistance. After witnessing the Marines' crushing defeat during their last attempt to take down Arlong, she'd given up hope. Accumulating 100 million Beri seemed far more realistic than relying on others to save her.
However, the next second, her door creaked open.
"Leave the food on the table. I'll eat later—I'm still working on my map," she said dismissively.
"Are you Nami?" a stranger's voice asked.
Startled, Nami spun around to face the intruder.