Chương 131: Chapter 131: I’m No Saint
"Mooo—" The sea cow let out a bellowing roar.
The deafening sound carried on the wind, strong enough to make the trees bend back with its force.
Luffy fixed his gaze on the sea cow, activating his glare technique.
If this creature had a keen enough sense, it should be able to feel his presence, right?
His eyes flashed with a scarlet glint as he extended a hand toward the towering beast.
"Stand down. Leave this place!"
It was a tiny human ordering a monstrous beast that blotted out the sky.
"Shahaha… Useless! This sea cow is our trained beast," Arlong sneered, his hand stealthily moving to the inside of his shirt where a small, charred, cylindrical device protruded.
The sea cow's head came closer, almost bowing, its enormous eyes locked on Luffy with a curious expression, as though sensing something. It didn't move.
Luffy nearly drew his sword.
Facing such a massive creature's head, each slight movement felt like a potential threat. Just the head alone was over fifty meters tall—enough to make even the Marine warships look like toys.
Luffy caught himself comparing its size to a warship's height in his mind.
His hand was already on his sword's hilt.
But then, hearing Arlong's voice, the sea cow seemed to recall some of Arlong's 'methods.' Its massive body shuddered, adopting a fierce expression as it glared menacingly at Luffy.
"Mooo—"
A terrifying sonic wave tore through the air.
"Lord Luffy!" Captain Pudding Pudding called out anxiously. Even Uta's face changed.
Behind him, Arlong had pulled out a pistol, the kind issued to Marine officers, and aimed it at Luffy, who was standing before the sea cow.
Having taken the sea cow's roar at close range, Luffy couldn't hear Pudding Pudding's shout.
He gripped his sword, shifting his weight, his heart pounding like a war drum as he focused on the giant beast, channeling the last of his Armament Haki into the blade.
At the same time, his eyes flashed crimson as a wave of Conqueror's Haki burst out, radiating from him in all directions.
Arlong, gun still aimed at Luffy, felt his mind go blank. His already severely injured body, weakened by sword slashes and fire burns, couldn't withstand the sudden mental impact. He collapsed, the pistol slipping from his grasp.
The Fish-Men who'd been fighting were struck dumb, their eyes rolling back as they dropped unconscious, while many Marines fell in a daze, experiencing the effects of Conqueror's Haki.
The sea cow, close enough to sense Luffy's full power, staggered back, trembling so hard the earth shook beneath it. Its once-ferocious expression softened, and its huge, round eyes filled with a mix of fear and helplessness. Its colorful, bulky body looked unexpectedly… pitiful.
Seeing Arlong and the others collapse, the sea cow took its cue and began to back away.
Luffy glanced back and saw only a few still standing—Pudding Pudding and a couple of Marines, who looked around in shock at their fallen comrades. Uta held a microphone to her lips, trying to process what had just happened.
Bellemere was still standing, though the two young girls had fainted.
Turning back to the Fish-Men, Luffy saw Arlong holding a gun, a dangerous glint in his eye.
Luffy knew that his 'Paper Drawing' technique wouldn't protect him from a bullet. If Arlong managed to fire, he might actually get hurt.
After confirming that his Conqueror's Haki hadn't affected his allies, Luffy focused on the retreating sea cow. Despite its terrifying size, it was still as timid as a grazing animal. If it went on a rampage, dealing with it would be no easy feat.
Mass brings with it weight.
"Hey—stop right there!"
Luffy sprinted after the sea cow.
If Fish-Men could tame it, why couldn't he? This sea beast would be his!
Noticing Luffy's relentless chase and the blade in his hand, the sea cow hastily picked up speed.
Luffy unleashed another wave of Conqueror's Haki.
The sea cow trembled, halting abruptly before turning back with a pitiful look.
Seeing the effect of his Haki, Luffy approached it, radiating his kingly aura.
"Come on, join me!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled as he leapt up, climbing onto the sea cow's head.
"How about being my steed? Help me tow my ship!"
He tapped its tough scales with the hilt of his sword, pondering if a stab would penetrate. While he could break its defense, for a creature of this size, it'd only amount to a scratch.
The sea cow let out a small whimper as though pleading.
"Don't think you can just run off. That's not happening!"
"You've done a lot of dirty work for these pirates, haven't you?" Luffy drew his sword with a sharp clang, pointing it at the sea cow's enormous eye.
Flames once again ignited along the blade.
"No getting off scot-free. Don't give me that innocent look. I'm no saint!"
His Haki continued to flow, enveloping the area around him in a massive, domed aura.
"Moo…"
The sea cow hesitated, eventually drooping its ears. It rolled over, breaking large branches under its massive body as it lay on its back, exposing its belly.
"Moo…" Its teary eyes looked up at Luffy, utterly defeated.
Had it fought back, it would've been hard for Luffy to deal with, but under the pressure of Conqueror's Haki, it seemed entirely docile.
Luffy pressed his hand against its scaly skin, and the crimson glow in his eyes gradually faded.
"From now on, you're my ride."
He jumped back to the ground as the sea cow scrambled to its feet, watching him attentively.
"Go back to the sea for now. I'll call you when I need you. Don't go scaring people."
With that, the massive sea cow dove back into the ocean, sending a huge wave crashing over Luffy.
"Alright, time to wrap this up."
Sword in hand, Luffy leapt aboard the Fish-Men's massive pirate ship.
A few Fish-Men who'd stayed to guard the ship stood huddled together, weapons raised as they stared at him in fear.
"What now? The boss… they were all beaten!"
They exchanged nervous glances.
"We should escape to the sea. No way a human can out-swim us!"
"Hey, talking about escaping in front of me? Isn't that a bit disrespectful?"
Luffy waved his sword, which was now almost out of Armament Haki. He'd used up much of his stamina too; activating Conqueror's Haki was tiring.
This would come down to raw strength and skill.
"You humans are too arrogant!" The towering Fish-Men adopted unusual stances, launching water bullets with enough force to pierce like bullets.
Luffy dodged easily, then swung his sword, severing an arm with minimal resistance.
"Strange… isn't this blade too sharp?"
He glanced at his weapon.
The Armament Haki had given it power, but even without it, the sword's edge seemed remarkably keen.
The next Fish-Man charged with a sword—his stance clumsy, just like the octopus swordsman's.
With a sudden burst of strength, Luffy shattered the Fish-Man's sword, then slashed his neck, piercing the Fish-Man's tough hide.
"Run!"
One of the Fish-Men knew he was doomed. He clamped his hands around Luffy's sword, shouting to his comrades, blood dripping down his arms.
"Incredible… loyalty among pirates."
Luffy pulled his sword free, the sharp edge now slick with blood.
"As a show of respect, I'll be thorough."
He turned, spraying blood across the deck.
"Monster! Even though we're defeated, you won't spare us?"
One Fish-Man on the ship's edge yelled at Luffy.
"You humans… always suppressing us Fish-Men…"
"Don't talk morals to me. I'm not interested."
Luffy swung his sword through the air, shaking off the blood.
The sunlight gleamed off the blade, casting a radiant reflection.
"I understand the situation of Fish-Men, and I'd likely feel satisfaction if I were one of you… but I'm human, so don't bother me with the Fish-Men's stance."
Luffy lunged, but the Fish-Man, prepared, leaned back and fell into the sea.
"Don't think you can escape—"
Luffy dove in after him.
Both plunged into the water.
"You thought I was running? After all the Fish-Men you've killed, revenge is my only choice!"
A powerful underwater current surged toward him.
In the ocean, the Fish-Man's strength multiplied as he shot toward Luffy like a torpedo.
Luffy shifted his stance, steadying himself and tilting his sword.
The current nudged him off-center, aligning his blade with the oncoming Fish-Man.
It was as if the Fish-Man impaled himself, the blade piercing his chest.
Luffy twisted the sword, then kicked him back and pulled his weapon free.
Disbelief lingered on the Fish-Man's face as he sank.
Luffy's body floated to the surface until he was standing on the water, only his ankles submerged.
The ocean current gently pushed him back toward shore.
Lifting his arm, he wiped his sword on his damp sleeve.
"Humans oppress even their own kind. Don't worry; I
view Fish-Men as people too. That should be enough, right?"
With that, Luffy sheathed his sword and headed back along the path he came.
Meanwhile, Uta helped the remaining Marines and villagers tie up the unconscious Fish-Men. She also revived their fellow soldiers who'd passed out due to Luffy's Conqueror's Haki.
"We've lost thirty Marines, with eight severely injured," Captain Pudding Pudding reported somberly after hearing the casualty report.
These Fish-Men had been far stronger than he'd anticipated. Many of them were virtually immune to bullets, which had cost the Marines dearly. Without Luffy's intervention, it's likely the entire Marine unit would have perished.
"We couldn't have made it without you, Lord Luffy. It's shameful for the Marines to admit, but we owe this victory to you…" Pudding Pudding saluted as Luffy returned.
At first, he'd respected Luffy simply because of his heritage. Now, he was in awe of his raw power.
Truly, the grandson of a hero!
"It's not your fault. You did all you could," Luffy replied, looking at his now waterlogged sword as he felt exhaustion setting in.
"No, I only have myself to blame. I delayed alerting the 16th Division for backup, too focused on claiming the credit. That led to this disaster!"
Captain Pudding Pudding's eyes filled with tears.
The 16th Division… that was Captain Nezumi's division.
"It wasn't your fault. They should have patrolled for pirate activity in this area anyway," Luffy said, patting the captain's shoulder.
"Even if you had called them, it wouldn't have made much difference. In this world, sheer numbers mean nothing; only strength matters."
He added with a smile, "Anyway, I'm not a Marine. Just follow your own protocols, and remember to send my bounty reward."
Luffy twirled his sword and glanced at the unconscious Arlong, who'd almost managed to shoot him in the back.
He considered finishing Arlong off, but seeing the nearby onlookers like Nami, he held back his murderous intent.
At that moment, a second Marine ship appeared on the horizon.
A seedy-looking Marine captain disembarked with a group of soldiers.
"Captain Pudding Pudding, I'm Captain Nezumi from the 16th Division, reporting in… looks like we're a bit late," he said with a slimy grin.
Nezumi wore a Marine uniform and cap, though notably lacking the "Justice" cape. He saluted Captain Pudding Pudding.
"The battle's over. Arlong and his crew have been apprehended, thanks largely to the intervention of Vice Admiral Garp's grandson here, Lord Luffy," Pudding Pudding introduced him.
"Is that so? I can't believe even elite Marines struggled against Arlong… Wait—Vice Admiral Garp has a grandson?"
Captain Nezumi's eyes widened as he looked at Luffy.
Instantly, his expression turned sycophantic: "Lord Luffy, as expected of Vice Admiral Garp's grandson! So young, yet so powerful…"
I'll make sure this guy loses his position, thought Luffy as he studied Nezumi.
In the original story, this rat of a man had colluded with Arlong, escaping unscathed simply because he wore the Marine uniform. Luffy had let him go back then.
But not this time. This Luffy wouldn't stand for him.
Even if the events he recalled hadn't happened yet, Nezumi's presence alone irritated him.
And so,
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