The battle was completely one-sided. Or rather, it could not even be called a battle, it was a massacre.
"Is this the strength of the strongest bounty hunter in the East Blue?"
Nami was deeply shaken by Caelan's strength, her mind blank with disbelief.
"That's amazing!"
Coming back to her senses, Nami shouted excitedly.
Caelan's godlike and devilish figure was firmly etched into the hearts of everyone present.
To them, he was a hero.
None of the villagers feared Caelan's killing.
Because the ones he had killed were the pirates who had oppressed them for so long, and it was Caelan who had pulled them back from the edge of death.
What they felt was only gratitude for Caelan and awe of his strength.
As the villagers cheered loudly for Caelan's feat…
Inside Arlong Park, Arlong stood on the balcony, on the verge of madness.
"It's over… it's all over!"
"My brothers… my crew… my pirate group… everything is finished!"
Arlong crushed the wine glass in his hand, not caring as shards of glass cut into his palm.
He had dreamed of building the Arlong Empire in the East Blue, enslaving humans alongside his brothers.
Now, that dream had been shattered.
Arlong's bloodshot eyes glared fiercely, his sharp teeth grinding together.
The moment Kuroobi had been crippled by Caelan's punch, Arlong had been ready to step in himself.
But Caelan's movements had been too fast, and his strength too overwhelming.
In less than half a minute, every single fishman present had been wiped out.
Before Arlong could even make a move, his pirate crew had ceased to exist.
Just moments earlier, he had been bragging confidently to Captain Nezumi, convinced that his men alone would be enough to deal with Caelan.
Now, his men were all dead, and Arlong stood alone—a captain without a crew.
The terror that Caelan brought to him felt exactly like the nightmare of the Grand Line all over again.
The Caelan he now faced was not some rookie bounty hunter from the East Blue. He was like a terrifying Warlord of the Sea.
"I'll kill him… I'll kill him! I'll kill him!!"
Arlong shouted incoherently, consumed by rage and madness.
Those fishmen were not just his subordinates. They were his friends, his family.
They had once sailed together as members of the Sun Pirates, sharing life and death for more than a decade. Their bond ran deep.
Now, all of them were gone.
No matter how strong Caelan was, Arlong would make him pay.
Beside him, Captain Nezumi trembled uncontrollably.
At this moment, he fully understood why the Navy had placed so much importance on recruiting Caelan.
Nezumi had encountered monsters like this before.
During his time reporting at Marine Headquarters, he had come across Admirals Akainu and Aokiji.
The overwhelming pressure from just brushing past their presence had made him feel the terror of death.
Right now, Nezumi viewed Caelan the same way—as a seed destined for the position of admiral, a rare powerhouse even among vice admirals.
Nezumi wouldn't even dare dream of standing against such a monster.
He signaled to the two marines at his side, quietly planning to slip away through the back.
"Where do you think you're going?"
A voice, filled with rage and madness, echoed behind him. Nezumi froze immediately.
Arlong's red eyes locked onto him.
Already driven into desperation, there was no way Arlong would allow Nezumi to escape so easily.
"I was just… leaving first, planning to find another chance to retaliate later…"
Nezumi stammered, trying to talk his way out.
Of course, he had no intention of retaliating against Caelan. He was only trying to pacify Arlong for the moment.
"Is that so?"
"No need to wait. Let's kill him right now!"
Arlong, mad with grief and rage, did not believe Nezumi's excuses. He wanted revenge, now.
He knew full well that he could not defeat Caelan.
But he could still use Nezumi as leverage.
It didn't matter how famous Caelan was, or how corrupt Nezumi had been. If Caelan killed a Marine officer in public, his relationship with the Navy would immediately freeze.
Arlong was sure that once word spread, the Navy would abandon any plans of recruiting Caelan. They might even place a bounty on him.
Not to mention, Arlong was a former member of the Sun Pirates and had ties with Jinbei, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
If Jinbei learned that Caelan had wiped out the Arlong Pirates and killed one of his old crewmates, there was a high chance Jinbei would personally go after him.
The thought of Caelan being hunted down made Arlong let out a low, sinister laugh.
He threw the two marines off the balcony, then jumped down himself, carrying Nezumi under one arm.
With his enhanced instincts and battle sense, Caelan immediately detected the movement overhead.
Looking up, he saw four figures falling toward him from the sky.
Caelan instantly understood Arlong's plan.
But if Arlong thought such a cheap trick could trap him, he was severely underestimating him.
Without hesitation, Caelan swung his greatsword, releasing two powerful air slashes at the descending group.
One slash struck the two marines, turning them into a mist of blood.
The other slash hit Nezumi and sliced off half of Arlong's body along with him.
The remains of Nezumi and the marines merged into the bloody mist drifting through the air, while Arlong, barely alive, continued to fall.
Arlong's scheme had been crushed before it could even begin.
The surrounding villagers had been wondering why Caelan had suddenly swung his sword into the sky.
But then they saw the thick cloud of blood mist above.
As Arlong crashed into the ground, he kicked up a cloud of dust.
Half of his body was gone, only his head remaining intact.
Blood spilled from Arlong's mouth as he stared wide-eyed.
"Heh…"
Caelan walked up to Arlong, his tone full of mocking disdain.
Staring into Caelan's eyes, Arlong let out one final breath. He died with his eyes open, filled with regret and fear.
In the end, Arlong finally recognized the true horror of Caelan.
Not only was he unbelievably strong, but he was also dangerously intelligent.
Arlong could not understand why such a monster existed in the East Blue.
This was the kind of being that should only appear in the New World.
"This is Arlong…"
"Thank goodness! Arlong is dead too!"
Even with half of his body missing and his face covered in blood and dust, the villagers immediately recognized Arlong.
The crowd erupted.
The Arlong Pirates, who had terrorized Cocoyashi Village for eight long years, were completely wiped out.
Arlong, the once invincible tyrant who had enslaved them, was now just a corpse lying broken on the ground.
Two air slashes had ended him before he could even properly appear on the battlefield.
Such overwhelming strength was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the villagers burst into loud cheers.
"Long live the strongest bounty hunter in the East Blue!"
"Long live Caelan!"
The shouts of the villagers echoed through Arlong Park like thunder.
Although the sight of the blood mist overhead was unsettling, Nami could only chalk it up to the fishmen's unique physique and heavy bleeding.
She looked at Arlong's lifeless body, tears welling up in her eyes.
The hatred she had carried for so many years, the grief for her adoptive mother Belle-Mère, and all the pain she had endured were finally released.
"Thank you… Caelan."
Nami threw her arms around Caelan, holding him tightly.
She was willing to give everything to the man who had saved her and her people.
Caelan remained silent, simply reaching out to gently soothe Nami's emotions.
(To be continued.)