Fish-Man Island.
The shadowy streets of the Fish-Man District.
Arlong, the one Ajin often grumbled about.
Right now, he was gleefully rubbing his palms together alongside his underlings, eyes gleaming at the array of weapons and enhancement drugs laid out before them.
The Fish-Men were a unique species, with ancestral traces of all sea creatures running through their blood.
These enhancement drugs could awaken even more powerful potential.
Kuro didn't pay any mind to Arlong's excitement.
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a matte, palm-sized shell.
"This is called a Laser Shell. It's a gift—part of the offerings this time. A symbol of the BOSS's goodwill toward the Fish-Man District."
It was Judge's latest creation—an alloy-based Laser Shell made from Wapometal.
Originally, it was supposed to be sold. But giving it to Arlong was simply a tactic to ignite his ambition.
"Laser Shell?"
Arlong's eyes snapped to Kuro's hand.
Fish-Man Island had plenty of special-function shells, but he'd never heard of one like this.
"Observe."
Noticing Arlong's confusion, Kuro flipped the shell over and pressed it toward the ground.
Before the gathered Fish-Men could react—
A searing laser burst through the ground, sending smoke curling upward.
"?!!"
The power. The concealability.
Everyone, Arlong included, was utterly stunned.
This thing was far more useful than Fish-Man Karate.
Kuro retracted the shell and handed it to Arlong.
"Yours."
Arlong fumbled, both hands gripping Kuro's and the shell tightly, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You're seriously giving this to me?!"
"Of course," Kuro nodded calmly.
"Will this weapon... be available for purchase in the future?" Arlong asked, steadying himself.
The thought of every one of his people carrying a Laser Shell lit a fire in his mind.
Kuro smirked and slowly pried Arlong's eager fingers from his own.
"Naturally. The current price is three hundred million. Do you have the funds?"
...
A while later.
Only Arlong and his underlings remained in the Fish-Man District.
Hody Jones held up a rifle and excitedly leaned in toward Arlong.
"Arlong! Are we finally attacking Ryugu Palace?!"
"No. We're not strong enough yet," Arlong replied coolly, raising a hand to stop him.
Then he lifted the Laser Shell high for everyone to see.
"What we need... is more weapons! Stronger ones!!"
Neptune's Jujutsu was no joke, and Ryugu Palace's waters would reduce the effectiveness of most weapons.
If they ended up in a mutually destructive battle with the palace, wouldn't his reign end before it even began?
"But..."
A twin-bun shark Fish-Man stepped up hesitantly.
"Arlong... we're nearly out of money."
The Fish-Man District was already lacking compared to the mermaid zones, and their limited supply of valuable shell species had nearly all been traded away to the Donquixote Family.
"No!"
Arlong turned, eyes fixed on the massive abyss deep within the Fish-Man District, pupils gleaming with greed.
"We have plenty of money."
"No way!" Hatchan cried out in shock, all eight arms grabbing Arlong's hands tightly.
"Arlong, you're not thinking of selling Noah, are you? You can't! That ship belongs to all the people of Fish-Man Island! It's our ticket to the surface!"
"Hah↓ Hah↑ Hahaha~ Hatchan, once I become the new king of Fish-Man Island, we won't need to go to the surface."
Arlong yanked Hatchan's hands off, one finger at a time, then snapped his head sideways.
His razor-sharp nose slashed across Hatchan's chest in an instant.
"Ugh! Ah! Arlong..." Hatchan collapsed, clutching his bleeding chest, eyes full of disbelief.
Arlong had changed. He never used to hurt his own people.
But now, corrupted by power and desire, Arlong didn't even glance at Hatchan lying there. He bared his teeth in a wicked grin, sweeping his gaze over every face around him.
"Noah? It's useless now! It should become Fish-Man District's stepping stone!!!"
"Stepping stone! Stepping stone!!!"
...
Coral Hill. A luxury hotel.
"Señor Pink-san, are we still waiting?" Kuro asked, glancing toward the man above.
"Once the next batch of weapons is delivered, both sides will be evenly matched. If Arlong still doesn't move... we'll give him a push," Señor Pink said, blowing a smoke ring and swiveling in his chair.
"Is Arlong's copy ready?"
"Absolutely flawless." This time, the voice coming from Kuro's throat was Arlong's.
His body subtly morphed into a Fish-Man's form.
"Perfect. You may go."
Señor Pink gave him a satisfied once-over, then leaned over the desk and began organizing the photos he'd be showing to Neptune and the people of Fish-Man Island.
After all, he was now the Donquixote Family's official ambassador to Fish-Man Island.
He needed to maintain a positive public image for both Fish-Men and Merfolk.
So that, when war inevitably broke out, the innocent masses would know exactly where paradise was.
...
New World, second half.
After learning the exact location of Egghead Island from Stussy...
A delighted Doflamingo called Smoothie into the control room.
He was in such high spirits, he decided to teach her a few techniques.
A way to make up for the wedding that had been ruined.
"Are you sure it's okay?" Smoothie asked nervously.
Not that she didn't want to. But knowing how long Doflamingo had schemed to get to Egghead...
And now he was setting aside time to teach her?
If anything went wrong, how could she ever make it up to him?
"It's fine!"
Doflamingo brushed a hand through Smoothie's silvery hair, gripping the slender, elegant neck beneath it.
His clothing unraveled into threads, vanishing bit by bit, a sly grin curling his lips.
"Egghead's not going anywhere. Even if the World Government catches on now, there's nothing they can do to stop me. Besides, those five geezers in Pangaea Castle... their rotten brains can't comprehend any of this. Still no response. Fufufufufu~"
Watching his bold, radiant figure, Smoothie's eyes sparkled with admiration.
She activated her Float Fruit powers, ready to spar against the vibrations Doflamingo unleashed.
From the moment they clashed, Doflamingo sensed how much she'd improved.
Her mastery of the Float Fruit had reached an impressive level.
Just using Tekkai and raw physique from the Rokushiki arts was no longer enough to counter her.
He activated his Demon Form.
His weapon slithered free from Smoothie's grasp like a snake, striking straight for her weak spots.
At the same time, both his arms split into tendril-like shapes, curving past her defenses.
Target: the massive weak point on her upper body.
Body technique was all about precise strikes.
Through Doflamingo's personal guidance, Smoothie grasped that principle deeply.
Her legs twisted, launching a counterattack at his weapon, enhanced by the power of the Float Fruit.
She floated mid-air, weaving through the air with unpredictable, ghost-like movements—striking like a leaping antelope, impossible to pin down.
Even Doflamingo began to feel the pressure.
Their all-out battle left pink marks rising on their skin—signs of utter exhaustion.
But they weren't done yet.
Through the narrow slits in the curtains, the faintest sliver of dawn crept into the sky.
In the end, Doflamingo, a true Emperor of the Sea, still held the upper hand.
With a soft, breathless cry of pain, Smoothie's legs trembled violently.
And she collapsed, thoroughly defeated.
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg