37: Chapter 37 Arlong's Taunt, Human Swordsman?

The gates of Arlong Park were even more ostentatious than Kuina had anticipated.

The massive archway was pieced together from red coral and broken seashells, and crooked characters were carved onto the lintel, spelling out the words "Arlong Park".

Flanking it were two thick coral pillars hung with several tattered Fishman flags that snapped loudly in the sea breeze, carrying a salty and fishy dampness.

The entire building occupied the best stretch of coastline in the village, standing out starkly next to the drab, dusty houses nearby.

Two Fishman guards were at the entrance.

One was a kissing gourami Fishman with thick, upturned lips and a ridiculously ugly appearance.

The other was an octopus Fishman with six tentacles drooping at his sides, holding a rusted iron rod in his hand with dried mud caked on the tip.

The two of them were leaning against the pillars chatting idly, and seeing Kuina walk over, they froze for a moment before exchanging glances and bursting into harsh laughter.

"Hahahaha, did I see that right? Where did this little brat come from?"

The kissing gourami Fishman clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he doubled over, and pointed at Kuina, shouting to his companion, "Look, she even has a sword. Is she here to chop us up?"

The octopus Fishman swept his gaze up and down her, licked his lips, and smiled lewdly, "She's quite pretty, too. Little sister, did you take a wrong turn?"

"This is Arlong Park, not a place you should be. But since you're here, don't leave—stay behind and be a wife to us brothers."

Several other Fishman individuals passing by joined in the jeering, their whistles mixed with foul language drifting far away.

Someone was dangling a wine bottle and shaking it, completely unaware as the liquor spilled out.

Hiding behind a tree in the distance, Nami's expression darkened instantly upon hearing those words.

She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging fiercely into her palms and leaving several white marks.

She had heard plenty of harsh words over the years, but every time she heard them, her stomach still churned.

Standing before the main gate, Kuina didn't show the slightest ripple of emotion on her face.

She only furrowed her brows slightly and slowly placed her right hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Step aside."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly cut through all the jeering and drilled into everyone's ears.

The Fishman laughter paused for a second, then grew even more rampant.

"Yo, you can talk back too? Asking us to step aside? Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Does this little brat know what kind of place this is? Arlong Park! This is our Fishman territory! In my eyes, you humans are nothing more than lowlifes."

"Hurry back home to drink your milk, and stop making a fool of yourself here."

Kuina didn't speak again.

Her wrist moved.

No one saw when the blade was drawn from its scabbard.

They only heard a sharp hum, the wind suddenly blowing so fiercely that it stung people's faces, and a cold flash swept across the ground, kicking up a trail of sand grains.

The next second, the two gate-guarding Fishman who were still laughing, along with the coral pillars behind them, went flying together.

The kissing gourami Fishman and the octopus Fishman were struck as if by a charging giant beast, their bodies flipping three or four times in the air before smashing heavily into the coral sculpture inside the courtyard.

The sculpture shattered into pieces on the spot, and gravel splattered all over the ground, bouncing near the feet of the nearby Fishman.

The two sank into the pile of stones, vomiting blood from their mouths, twitching a couple of times, and failed to get back up.

The two bowl-thick coral pillars snapped cleanly in the middle, and the upper halves crashed down with a roar, kicking up a sky full of gray dust.

Sand mixed with coral fragments pelted the faces of all the Fishman at the entrance.

The main entrance instantly fell frighteningly silent.

The Fishman who had been jeering just moments ago had their laughter stuck in their throats, their smiles freezing into terror.

Someone's wine bottle dropped to the ground with a clatter, shattering into pieces.

They stared straight at the young girl at the entrance, watching her slowly sheath her sword back into its scabbard, her expression flat to the point of being nearly cold.

Standing amidst the flying dust, Kuina swept her gaze over the remaining Fishman, her tone remaining calm, yet carrying a heavy sense of oppression.

"If you don't move aside, it won't be as simple as just being blown away."

Deathly silence.

Immediately after, that group of Fishman screeched like cats whose tails had been stepped on, fleeing in all directions and scrambling wildly toward the depths of the park while shouting, "Someone is crashing the place! Someone is crashing the place! Go notify Captain Arlong!"

Someone ran too hastily, fell to the ground, scrambled back up, and didn't even dare to turn back.

Kuina didn't stop them, simply standing quietly at the entrance to wait.

Her scabbard hung at her side, dusted with a bit of the flying coral ash.

She knew the real master of the place would come out soon.

Behind the tree, Nami was completely frozen.

Her mouth was slightly open, and she had even forgotten to breathe.

The knuckles of her fingers gripping the tree trunk turned white, and she didn't even notice the bark scraping her palms in pain.

What had she just seen?

That girl raised her hand, and then... two Fishman flew away?

She didn't even see clearly whether the blade touched anyone; she only heard a sharp sound, and the two guys who had been acting so arrogant moments before were now lying motionless in the pile of stones.

What kind of swordsmanship was this?

Nami swallowed hard, her heart beating heavily against her chest.

A thought suddenly popped into her head—perhaps this girl named Kuina was telling the truth.

Perhaps she could really defeat Arlong.

At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed from the depths of the park.

Step by step.

With every step that fell, the ground trembled slightly, accompanied by the harsh sound of metal rubbing against gravel and sand.

The surrounding clamor instantly subsided, and the flustered Fishman all quieted down, subconsciously retreating to the sides to clear a path, not even daring to breathe loudly.

A tall shadow slowly loomed over from the backlit side of the building.

The man was a full head taller than ordinary Fishman, with deep blue skin, the sharp serrated teeth characteristic of sharks around his mouth, and eyes as cold as deep-sea ice.

Most striking of all was his nose: long, sharp, and serrated, resembling a dagger stuck right into his face.

He was shirtless, his muscles sharply defined, with an old scar on his shoulder.

He wore loose cloth trousers on his lower body and carried a gigantic serrated sword at his waist.

The blade dragged along the ground, grinding out fine sparks all the way—it was precisely his weapon, Kiribachi.

Saw-tooth Arlong. Captain of the Arlong Pirates, a powerful Fishman with a bounty of twenty million Berries.

Arlong walked up to the main entrance, cast a condescending glance at the rubble and the two subordinates on the ground, and finally let his gaze fall on Kuina.

After sizing her up for a few seconds, he let out a snort of disdain.

"Human brat? Just by yourself, and you dare to come run amok in my territory?"

Kuina raised her head, meeting his gaze without the slightest evasion.

"You are Arlong."

"Obviously, who else would it be?"

Arlong crossed his arms, raising his chin high, his eyes looking as if he were gazing at an ant.

"What? Want to stick up for those inferior humans?"

He glanced again at the sword at Kuina's waist, the corners of his mouth curling even more disdainfully.

"Just based on you? A human girl? Don't make me laugh to death."

He took two steps forward, his voice suddenly rising as he shouted to the surrounding subordinates, "All of you, take a look! This is what humans are! Weak, stupid, and overestimating themselves! A teenage brat holding a broken sword dares to challenge the great Fishman! It's simply a huge joke!"

The surrounding Fishman joined in the jeering, and the atmosphere gradually grew rampant again, though their laughter carried a hint of insecurity.

Arlong turned his head back to look at Kuina, his eyes full of contempt.

"Humans are all trash. Especially human women, who are trash among trash. What else can they do besides crying and begging for mercy? I advise you to kneel down, kowtow a few times, and get the hell out of my territory before I get angry. Otherwise—"

His words weren't finished.

Because Kuina's gaze turned completely cold at that moment.

It wasn't the calm coldness from before.

It was like a frozen deep sea—without a shred of temperature, without a single ripple, leaving only a biting chill.

She grasped the hilt of her sword once more.

This time she didn't attack quickly, but slowly drew her blade from its scabbard.

The soft sound of the blade rubbing against the scabbard was exceptionally clear in the quiet area, like a thin string tightening people's hearts.

"Are you done talking?"

Kuina's voice was very soft, like the wind brushing past a blade.

"If you're done, it's my turn."

She pointed the tip of her sword at Arlong, her gaze cold and shining.

"Whether Fishman or humans, before my master, there is no difference."

"And you—"

She paused, a faint trace of coldness curling at the corners of her mouth.

"Are not worthy of my master taking action."