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Chapter 33: The Shark's Regret
Arlong's POV
There was once a man who ruled the Fish-Man District, the lawless zone of Fish-Man Island.
His name was Fisher Tiger.
To Fish-Man outcasts like us, Tiger was a true older brother figure.
Thirteen years ago, Big Bro Tiger infiltrated Mary Geoise—the home of the Celestial Dragons—completely alone, and achieved the impossible: single-handedly freeing thousands of slaves. I loved and respected him from the bottom of my heart.
After that, he formed the Sun Pirates. Naturally, Boss Jinbe, the Macro Pirates, myself, and plenty of other roughnecks from the district eagerly joined his crew.
Even though we were pirates, Big Bro lived by a strict code of "no killing." I can't say I never found his ideals soft, but... if Big Bro said it, I reluctantly obeyed.
But then, ten years ago on a certain day, he was killed by the treacherous schemes of ungrateful humans. Big Bro, who preached not to kill, was murdered by them! He was shot countless times, critically wounded, collapsed from blood loss, and died...!
"Stop messing with me!!!!"
Declaring it a battle of vengeance, I stormed off in a ship alone and attacked the island where his murderers lived. But I was swiftly and effortlessly defeated by Kizaru, who was still a Vice Admiral at the time. I was thrown straight into Impel Down.
"Damn it... damn you humans...!"
—————
One year later...
After Big Bro Tiger's death, Boss Jinbe took over as the new captain of the Sun Pirates and joined the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Because of that agreement, I was released from Impel Down.
I only got out thanks to him. I knew that if I just kept following Boss Jinbe, I'd be able to live safely. I understood that. My head understood it perfectly. But my heart violently rejected it. The government lapdogs who murdered Big Bro Tiger, and Boss Jinbe for becoming their pawn... I absolutely refused to accept it...
After taking a few punches from Boss Jinbe, I left the Sun Pirates. I resurrected the Arlong Pirates and fled the Grand Line with a few of my brethren. Boss Jinbe told me to stop living for hatred and anger, but how could I ever forget the grudge of Big Bro Tiger's murder?
I am... the very fury of the Fish-Man race!
"Nyu~, so what now, Arlong-san? Leaving the Sun Pirates is all well and good, but what exactly are we going to do?"
One of the brethren who followed me, an octopus Fish-Man named Hachi, asked.
"What are we going to do, you ask? Well... that's... well..."
I couldn't answer. I refused to serve under Boss Jinbe, who had submitted to humans. Yet my attempt to avenge Big Bro Tiger had already ended in complete failure. With our current fighting strength, picking a fight with the World Government was completely out of the question.
"..."
Humans were an inferior species, but I had to keep in mind that absurdly strong monsters like Kizaru existed among them.
...Damn it! Damn it! Kizaru's eyes...! The way he looked at me like I wasn't even a minor obstacle—those contemptuous eyes absolutely infuriate me! It pisses me off! It makes my blood boil!
His existence was particularly repulsive, even among humans... especially him! But right now, getting involved with him was suicide. It'd be one thing if it were just me, but I couldn't drag my brethren into a reckless charge with zero plan. I needed a way to demonstrate the power of the Fish-Man race to the human scum without Boss Jinbe or Kizaru getting in the way.
The only thing I could do at that moment was...
"Sha... haha... That's it...! That's right! I've thought of a great plan!"
Whether my reasoning at the time was sound or just downright pathetic is up for debate. But to exact my revenge on humans without putting my brethren in danger... that was the only method I could come up with.
"Shahaha! Listen up, boys! We're heading to the East Blue!"
"Nyu~? The East Blue? You mean the one they call the weakest of the four seas?"
"Exactly! We start there! We'll make the humans of that sea thoroughly understand the strength of the Fish-Man race! Our terror! Our absolute fury! Sha~hahaha!!"
We would dominate the weakest sea, the East Blue, where only fragile humans lived, and slowly expand our territory. Once we did that, we would eventually grasp all the world's oceans in our hands. As the race chosen by God, at the time, I truly believed we Fish-Men could make that ambition a reality.
No, maybe I just wanted to believe it...
—————
Having arrived in the East Blue with my brethren, I started by conquering Nami's hometown, Cocoyasi Village. I bribed the local Marines to ensure our atrocities wouldn't reach Marine Headquarters or Boss Jinbe, allowing us to sneakily expand our influence.
We, the superior Fish-Men, ruled over the fragile humans, treating them as slaves and extorting their money. To ensure they'd never even entertain the thought of rebelling, I confiscated all weapons and made bloody examples out of them. I was thorough, making absolutely sure we were never looked down upon. Fish-Men at the top! Humans at the bottom! This was the natural order of the world!
"Shahahaha! Shahahaha!"
...And yet, no matter how long I maintained that rule, the day my heart truly felt satisfied never came. Doing this wouldn't bring Big Bro Tiger back. If he saw me now, what the hell would he think? On top of that, the sheer terror of Kizaru occasionally flickered through my mind. Damn it...!
I suppressed those feelings. For the sake of the brethren who had followed me, I told myself there was no turning back, and I continued my iron-fisted rule over the village.
...It was on one of those days that I learned of the "Invisible Phantom Thief's" existence. I saw the incident he caused in the newspaper.
『 Recently, the true identity of the "Invisible Phantom Thief" making waves in the Sabaody Archipelago has been revealed!?
Shockingly, his true form is a tiny dwarf named Line, measuring only a few centimeters tall.
Just past noon yesterday, the Invisible Phantom Thief Line struck a Celestial Dragon, Saint Bomiol, and made off with his wife.
He defeated numerous Marines attempting to restrain him. Furthermore, he even managed to severely injure the Navy's greatest military power, "Admiral Kizaru," before successfully escaping.
The "Invisible Phantom Thief" remains at large. 』
"...!?"
When I read that newspaper article...
"...Sha, shaha... shahaha... sha~hahahahaha!!"
Before I knew it, I was roaring with laughter from the bottom of my belly.
"Wh-What the hell is with this guy!? He punched a Celestial Dragon? And he heavily injured that Kizaru...!? Shahahahaha! I've never heard anything so satisfying!"
I was a little annoyed that this Invisible Phantom Thief wasn't a Fish-Man, but... the fact that a non-human species had humiliated the Celestial Dragons and Kizaru was the absolute best.
"The Invisible Phantom Thief! He's completely insane! How amusing! He's really something! Color me impressed! Sha~hahaha!!"
"...A-Arlong-san?"
"Arlong-san is happy about someone other than a Fish-Man doing something amazing..."
"Nyu~? I don't really get it, but it's time for a takoyaki party!"
That terrifyingly strong Kizaru. The Kizaru I saw no path to defeating. A non-human had totally outsmarted him...! The corners of my mouth curled up into a smirk. For the first time in a long while, I felt genuinely refreshed.
Looking back, I think that was the exact moment... I began to idolize the "Invisible Phantom Thief."
—————
A few more years passed after that...
This happened just a few months ago.
The Arlong Pirates were completely annihilated by the Straw Hat Pirates.
My pride and joy, Arlong Park, was crushed, and all my brethren were defeated... Desperate for our lives, we fled into the sea.
"Guh... gh, gaha... D-Damn that rubber brat...! Damn it! Damn it all...!"
We had specifically come all the way to the weakest sea because we couldn't match the forces of Marine Headquarters... And yet, we still lost. I even lost the sea chart I'd spent eight years making Nami draw.
"Pant, pant...! Pant, pant...! ...Damn it... What the hell am I even doing...?"
With that, the Arlong Pirates disbanded. My pride as a Fish-Man shattered to pieces right alongside Arlong Park. My brethren were scattered to the winds, and I completely lost my place in the world.
"..."
About a month after losing to "Straw Hat" Luffy, I was living a meager, solitary life on a small island in the East Blue. That was when a certain Marine officer approached me—Captain Nezumi of the Marine Branch. The very same corrupt Marine I had been bribing back when I ruled Cocoyasi Village.
"Chi-chi-chi-chi! Good day, Mr. Arlong. How are your injuries healing?"
"..."
"It's quite a shame your rule over Cocoyasi Village failed, but... how about taking over a different island to rebuild Arlong Park?"
"..."
"With the strength of you Fish-Men, conquering another tiny village should be child's play, shouldn't it? You just had a stroke of bad luck at Cocoyasi. No matter what you do, I'll keep covering up any inconveniences, so let's continue making a handsome profit together...! Chi-chi-chi-chi-chi...!"
Captain Nezumi eagerly pushed his lucrative scheme on me, but... honestly, I had no energy left for any of that. Cocoyasi Village was a bust, so now I was supposed to go rule an even smaller, weaker village? What was the point? How would that change the future of the Fish-Man race?
It was just empty. Besides, my brethren were gone. It was over.
"...Ah, that reminds me, Mr. Arlong."
"..."
"That 'Invisible Phantom Thief' you were so interested in... it seems he's caused another massive incident."
"...What?"
"Believe it or not, this time he stormed into Mary Geoise completely alone, running rampant and freeing dozens of Fish-Man slaves. I hear a Celestial Dragon was even killed... Chi-chi-chi-chi! To allow a single dwarf to infiltrate, do whatever he pleased, and on top of that, escape without a scratch... Those Headquarters guys really aren't all they're cracked up to be... Chi-chi-chi!"
"..."
The Invisible Phantom Thief invaded Mary Geoise? He killed a Celestial Dragon and freed dozens of enslaved Fish-Men...!?
"Sha... haha... ha..."
It was happening again. My heart leapt. My chest pounded with excitement. Amazing... what a guy, this Invisible Phantom Thief...! Deep down, it was what I had always wanted to do... but I had completely given up on it, convinced it was an impossible feat! And he actually pulled it off! All of it! The Invisible Phantom Thief, Line!
"Chi-chi-chi-chi, well, setting that aside, Mr. Arlong. About our next business venture— Bugeh!?"
Overcome with sheer euphoria and unable to stand still for another second, I punched Captain Nezumi right in his rat face, kicked off the ground, and dove straight into the sea.
Riding that explosive momentum, I swam relentlessly until I reached my destination: the Red Line. I began scaling that massive, towering cliff with my bare hands.
Just like Big Bro Tiger and the Invisible Phantom Thief, I'm going to storm Mary Geoise...! I'm going to slaughter the Celestial Dragons and rescue my captive brethren...! It was a reckless, impulsive action fueled entirely by that burning resolve. However... the moment I finally crested the top of the Red Line's cliffs, my stamina gave out. I collapsed pathetically on the spot, unable to move a single muscle. A Marine patrol found my paralyzed body, arrested me, and shipped me off to Impel Down...
Which brings me to the present.
—————
"...So basically, I tried to copy you and Big Bro Tiger by storming Mary Geoise, but I didn't manage to kill a single person, nor did I manage to save a single soul... I'm just a pathetic idiot who got captured like a stray dog. That's who I am now... Shahaha..."
"..."
"Nothing has changed since the day Big Bro Tiger died... Rushing in alone with absolutely zero chance of winning, only to end up in this miserable state... I'm pathetic..."
"Hmm..."
Throughout my entire story—my venting, my deep-seated regrets—the Invisible Phantom Thief listened quietly, only chiming in with the occasional nod of acknowledgment.
"...And that is the pitiful story of my life as a Fish-Man."
"I see, I see..."
After hearing my tale, the Invisible Phantom Thief crossed his arms, hummed as if deep in thought, and then pointed a firm finger squarely at me.
"There's a lot I could critique here, but if I had to say just one thing about this 'Fish-Man life' of yours, Arlong... You really are..."
"...Yeah."
Honestly... no matter what kind of insults he threw at me, I figured I deserved them. Retaliating for Big Bro Tiger, ruling Cocoyasi Village, attacking Mary Geoise—everything I did ended in absolute failure. I fully expected him to call me a moron for charging in alone with no chance of winning. Or to tell me to stop living for revenge, just like Boss Jinbe did. Or perhaps he'd condemn me for ruthlessly subjugating a human village.
"You really are..."
"..."
"...an incredibly loyal guy who cares deeply about his crew."
"...Huh?"
The response came from so far out of left field that my jaw went slack, leaving me gaping at him like a complete fool.
"Loyal... to my crew?"
"Yeah. I mean... listening to your story, literally everything you did was for the sake of your fellow Fish-Men. Picking a fight with the Marines alone, ruthlessly taking over a village to secure funds, bribing officials, and even recklessly charging into Mary Geoise..."
"..."
"Sure, they all ended in failure, and I can't deny that you took things way too far... but personally, I think that level of drive and action is pretty damn impressive."
"...!!!"
Every single one of my actions had been a failure. Even Boss Jinbe had fiercely rejected my methods, beating me to a pulp and telling me I was wrong. But... he was right. He was right...!! This whole time, everything I did was for the Fish-Man race... for the brethren I loved so fiercely...!
"I mean, frankly, dominating Cocoyasi Village was... well, it was basically like an upperclassman taking out his frustration from being bullied on the younger kids. It's incredibly lame, uncool, and a totally unforgivable move..."
"Ugh..."
"But... the fact that you took action for the sake of your precious comrades? I think that part, at least, is worthy of praise."
"Y-You're right... I... I really tried my hardest... for my brethren... I did everything I could...!"
"...Yeah. So I'll be the one to say it. You did a good job, Arlong. You fought hard."
"U-Uuuh...! Uo... uoooooooohh...!!"
To the man I was now, those words pierced straight through to my soul.
Before I could stop them, tears began to overflow. They spilled out endlessly, refusing to stop... With the excruciating heat of Starvation Hell, I honestly thought the moisture in my body had dried up a long time ago... Yet here I was, bawling my eyes out for the first time in years.
"U-Ugh... Uuuuh... I'm sorry... for showing you such a pathetic sight... I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!"
"Fuhehe, it's fine. Whenever you want to cry, you should just cry."
"...!!!"
When was it...? I remembered the exact words Big Bro Tiger had once spoken to a young human girl who used to be a slave.
"If you want to cry, then just cry!!!"
"Ugh... Uwoooooooh...!! Uwooooonn!! Aaaaaaaahhh...!!!"
My tears spilled over even more fiercely...
—————
"You calmed down?"
"Hic... ugh... yeah, sorry about that."
Once my tears finally subsided, the Invisible Phantom Thief offered me a relaxed, carefree smile and held out his own drinking water. Ah... what a huge-hearted guy... I wanted nothing more than to call him my true Big Bro...
"...Ah. Also, Arlong."
"Yes..."
"I feel like I should probably mention this... well, it might actually come as a pretty big shock to you, but..."
"...Tell me anything. No matter what you say to me, I won't be shocked in the slightest..."
"Oh, really? Well, if you say so..."
The Invisible Phantom Thief beamed at me with a smile as bright as the sun itself. I felt like, coming from this man, no matter what truth he revealed, I could handle—
"Actually, I'm totally friends with the Straw Hat Pirates."
"...Huh?"
"And I'm also really good friends with your former subordinate, Hatchan the octopus."
"Hah!?"
"Yeah! Just the other day, me, the Straw Hat Pirates, and Hachi all hung out at Sabaody Park together. We all crammed into the Ferris wheel and had a great time."
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!?!?"
Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait! This was far beyond the realm of human comprehension...!! That rubber brat and Hachi were friends with the Invisible Phantom Thief!? And if the Straw Hat Pirates were there... did that mean Nami was too!? What the hell was going on!?
"And then... right in the middle of it, Hachi's girlfriend, Camie the mermaid, got kidnapped by slavers..."
"Hold it! That bastard Hachi got himself a woman!? This is the first I'm hearing of this!"
"Camie was literally seconds away from being sold as a Celestial Dragon's slave... but the Straw Hat Pirates, Hachi, and I all teamed up, sent the Celestial Dragon flying, and rescued her! Fuhehehe!"
"—!? ~~!!?!?"
...I honestly thought the last time I received a shock this massive was the day Big Bro Tiger died. I, Arlong, truly felt that in my bones.
"WHAT IN THE BLAZING HELL DOES ANY OF THAT MEANNNNNNN!!!??"
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