Arlong Park

Chapter 69 titled “ARLONG PARK”. The colored version of the splash page depicts Monkey D. Luffy in a bright red Santa suit laughing joyfully while riding a pink sleigh marked “MERRY CHRISTMAS” through a snowy village at night. A reindeer pulls the sleigh as a bearded crewmate in a Santa hat rides along. Bubbles float in the air under a full moon.

The Going Merry sails across calm seas under a clear sky with seagulls overhead. Narration states: AFTER SANJI, THE SORELY-NEEDED “SEA COOK” FROM BARATIE, JOINS THE CREW. THEY NOW SET SAIL ONCE MORE. THE WEATHER IS NICE AND CLEAR. Luffy leans forward and says, “CHEER UP ALREADY.” Sanji, tears streaming down his face, replies, “B-BUT I'M SO TOUCHED!” Zoro sits nearby and asks, “YOU ARE KEEPING A CHECK ON OUR BOAT'S DIRECTION, RIGHTI” Luffy adds, “IT WAS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL GOOD-BYE, BROTHER COOK!” as a large crying face of Sanji dominates the panel with the sound effect ぐしっ!! Someone calls out, “HEY, HOW LONG ARE YOU GONNA CRY FORI”

Luffy hangs upside down from the ship’s rigging with arms raised, shouting, “AHHH! I WANNA BRING BACK NAMI SO WE CAN GO TO GRAND LINE ALREADY!” Zoro and Sanji sit on deck as Luffy continues, “YOU'RE AWFULLY HAPPY, BUT EVEN WITH NAMI, DON'T YOU STILL ONLY HAVE 5 PEOPLEI” and “ARE YOU SERIOUSLY PLANNING TO GO TO GRAND LINE WITH ONLY 5 PEOPLEI” Sanji answers, “AFTER ALL, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A PARADISE!” Luffy counters, “PARADISEI DON'T MEAN A PIRATE'S GRAVEYARD!I” while a crewmate works on the deck below. Luffy grins widely and declares, “THAT SOME PEOPLE CALL GRAND LINE A PARADISE!” with a cheerful “HEE HEE!” as he recalls, “BEFORE I LEFT THE RESTAURANT, OWNER ZEFF TOLD ME…”

Luffy sits in stunned silence, eyes wide and mouth drawn tight in a worried frown. Sweat drips down his face beneath the brim of his straw hat as he processes the danger ahead.

A fish-man officer snarls with fury, "YOU'RE ALL BEING MUCH TOO NAIVE!" Sanji smirks while holding his chin, replying, "WELL, AS LONG AS NAMI WILL BE THERE, I WON'T MIND EVEN IF IT'S JUST THE TWO OF US ALONE... THAT GEEZER SAID THAT...I" Luffy stands with his back to the viewer, addressing the crew inside the ship cabin: "NOT TO MENTION OUR DESTINATION AS WELL! IF BROTHER ZORO HAD SOME BASIC KNOWLEDGE, THEN HE'D HAVE COME ALONG WITH ME! YOU REALLY KNOW TOO LITTLE ABOUT GRAND LINE!" The fish-man officer leans forward aggressively, declaring, "THE MAN AT THE PLACE SISTER NAMI WENT TO IS! AND HE DEFINITELY WOULD'VE REALIZED JUST HOW TERRIFYING," as a loud "バン!!" impact shakes the panel.

The fish-man officer points emphatically, "THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE PLACE WE'RE GOING TO THAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT!" Usopp cheers with arms raised, "HECK YEAH! SO, SHOULD WE EATI" while the fish-man continues, "THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" In the next panel the fish-man looms over the crew, "AND ONE OF THEM," with dramatic motion lines "びしっ!!" Sanji and Usopp listen as he explains, "THE REASON WHY THE GRAND LINE IS CALLED THE 'PIRATES' GRAVEYARD,' IS BECAUSE OF THE 3 GREAT POWERS THAT RULE OVER IT." The scene shifts to a dramatic reveal of seven silhouetted figures standing in a stormy landscape. The fish-man declares, "IS THE OUKA SHICHIBUKAI" as Luffy reacts with shock, "SHICHI-BUKAII"

Luffy leans forward with a question mark above his head, asking, "WHY WOULD THE GOVERNMENT PERMIT PIRATESI WHATI" The fish-man explains calmly, "SIMPLY PUT, THEY'RE SEVEN PIRATES THAT ARE OFFICIALLY AUTHORIZED BY THE WORLD GOVERNMENT." Sanji adds, "OTHER PIRATES MIGHT LOOK DOWN ON THEM BY CALLING THEM 'GOVERNMENT DOGS' OR WHATNOT, BUT THEY'RE EXTREMELY STRONG!" while the fish-man continues, "AS LONG AS THE SHICHIBUKAI GIVE A PORTION OF THEIR LOOT, OBTAINED FROM PILLAGING AND UNCIVILIZED LANDS, TO THE WORLD GOVERNMENT, THEIR PIRATING ACTIVITIES ARE OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED." In the final panel the fish-man looms close, stating, "IN FACT, THE HAWK-EYED MIHAWK WHO DEFEATED BROTHER ZORO, IS ONE OF THE OUKA SHICHIBUKAI!" Luffy and Sanji react with visible shock.

On the deck of the Going Merry, Luffy stares in shock at the sky as a massive fish-man looms nearby. "THE PROBLEM IS WITH ANOTHER ONE OF THE SHICHIBUKAI," the fish-man states. Luffy yells, "WOAH! THERE'S 7 OF THESE GUYS!I THOSE SHICHIBUKAI GUYS ARE AMAZING!" Sanji sits calmly with a cigarette, listening. In the next panels, Sanji smirks and asks about mermaids while Luffy sits cross-legged. "I'VE HEARD THAT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MERMAIDS ARE THERE," Sanji says with a grin. Luffy replies, "FISHMANI NEVER MET ONE BEFORE!" The fish-man glares intensely and declares, "THE LEADER OF THE FISHMAN PIRATES, 'JINBE!'" In a close-up, the fish-man continues, "JINBE LET A TERRIFYING MONSTER LOOSE IN EAST BLUE. IN RETURN FOR JOINING THE SHICHIBUKAI,"

Luffy waves off the story. "WHATEVER, I'LL SKIP YOUR COMPLICATED HISTORY LECTURE FOR NOW." The fish-man Arlong points at Luffy's drawing of a fish-man and laughs, "IS IT PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO PAY ATTENTION!I THAT'S ONE UGLY FISH, HAHA! LIKE THISI" Sanji watches with a sweat drop. A wide shot shows the Going Merry sailing across the sea as narration states, "IT'S AN AREA RULED BY ARLONG, THE PLACE WE'RE HEADED TO IS 'ARLONG PARK'!!!" Arlong's face fills the final panel as he roars, "IN TERMS OF INDIVIDUAL STRENGTH, HE'S FAR STRONGER THAN EVEN DON KRIEG! A FISHMAN PIRATE THAT ONCE FOUGHT ALONGSIDE JINBE, A MEMBER OF THE SHICHIBUKAI!"

Johnny and Yosaku discuss Nami's path. "ME AND JOHNNY HAVE A STRONG FEELING ABOUT THIS," Johnny says. "ISN'T IT POSSIBLE THAT HER DESTINATION HAPPENED TO BE IN THAT SAME DIRECTIONI BUT... YOU CAME BACK TO BARATIE BEFORE CATCHING UP WITH HER, RIGHTI SO HOW DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE WHERE NAMI HEADED TOI" Sanji stands nearby. Nami sits on the deck, crumpling a paper while staring at wanted posters. Johnny exclaims, "IT'S THE WANTED POSTERS. JOHNNY, WHAT'S THISI" Sanji notes, "BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER...!" The crew reacts as someone teases, "OH, EYEING THE HIGH-BOUNTY, ARE YOU NOWI" Nami replies, "IT'S NOTHING. NO," while another warns, "BUT IT'S BEST NOT TO GO FOR THAT ONE. WHAT'S WRONG, SISI YOU'VE BEEN JUST STARING AT THOSE WANTED POSTERS."

Nami holds up a wanted poster showing a 20,000,000 bounty. Narration reads, "AND RIGHT AFTER WE SAID ARLONG'S CREW WAS WREAKING HAVOC AGAIN RECENTLY, SISTER NAMI WAS DEFINITELY STARING INTENTLY AT ARLONG'S WANTED POSTER." Luffy excitedly shows his fish-man drawing to Sanji. "ALL YOU DID WAS YOUR PREVIOUS FISH STANDING LIPPRINT. HOW ABOUT THISI" Sanji questions, "THIS IS TOO MUCH TO BE A COINCIDENCE. I'M SURE THERE'S SOME CONNE..." Arlong sweats, thinking, "SHE TOOK OFF WITH THE TREASURE." Luffy yells, "YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!" while holding the drawing. Sanji wonders, "COULD IT BE THAT SHE'S A MERMAIDI THAT WOULD EXPLAIN HER BEAUTY... BUT I WONDER JUST WHAT NAMI HAS TO DO WITH THOSE FISHMENI" Nami stares at the poster as a small sound effect appears near her hand.

On a small boat sailing across the sea, Yosaku and another crewmate argue about an approaching threat. "YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. DON'T SWEAT IT, YOSAKU." "WELL, I'LL SEE WHEN WE GET THERE." "NO, YOU DON'T! YOU CAN'T IMAGINE JUST HOW POWERFUL HE IS!" "YEAH, THERE'S A STRONG FISHMAN DUDE, GOT IT." "DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY HERE!I" A voice snaps, "GOD, TALKING TO YOU TWO IS JUST USELESS!" Below deck, Sanji prepares food while Luffy excitedly points and declares, "STIR-FRIED BEAN SPROUTS!" "MEAT ON A BONE!" "WHAT DO YOU WANTI" "IN ANY CASE, LET'S EAT." Sanji replies, "ALRIGHT, JUST LEAVE IT TO ME!" On the open sea the boat continues forward as someone says, "I WISH I COULD HURRY UP AND COOK FOR NAMI INSTEAD OF YOU DOOFUSES." "STIR-FRIED BEAN SPROUTS! BIG HELPING!" "CAN." "AHH, SURE IS NICE HAVING A COOK AROUND."

A wide view of the Northwest Region of East Blue shows palm trees and distant mountains. A black flag bearing a skull and crossbones flaps in the wind with loud "FLAP" sounds. A hand slams a thick stack of money onto a table. "TAKE IT." "HERE'S THE PAY FOR THIS MONTH." Marine Captain Nezumi, wearing his cap labeled "MARINE 16TH BRANCH CAPTAIN NEZUMI," grins and laughs "CHI CHI CHI CHI... YOU SURE DO KNOW HOW TO GET BY IN THIS WORLD..." while accepting the bribe. "AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH."

Arlong the Saw lounges with his massive frame, laughing uproariously "SHAHAHAHA!" as large impact lettering "ドドド" and "ハッハッハッハッハッハッハッハッハッ" erupts around him. He declares, "AS THEY SAY, MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND!" Two fish-men stand nearby, one with arms crossed and the other covering his mouth. A sign identifies him: "CAPTAIN OF THE ARLONG PIRATES 'ARLONG THE SAW' (SAWSHARK-TYPE FISHMAN)". Arlong continues, "WHAT'RE YOU BEING SO RESERVED NOW FOR!I"

Arlong leans forward with a wide grin, stating, "THERE'S NOTHING MORE RELIABLE THAN MONEY! AIN'T THAT RIGHTI" and "MONEY'S GOOD!" In a spacious open-air pavilion he reclines in a chair while a fish-man attendant laughs "SHAHAHAHA!" and another replies "CERTAINLY." Arlong continues, "I DESPISE HUMANS BUT MEN AND WOMEN LIKE YOU WHO GET HOW THIS WORLD WORKS ARE A DIFFERENT MATTER." He leans toward a fish-man in a cap and tells him, "YOU SHOULD STAY AWHILE AND DRINK WITH ME EVERY NOW AND THEN! LIVE A LITTLE! IF ANYONE RATS YOU OUT TO HEADQUARTERS, I'LL KILL HIM FOR YA." The fish-man answers, "YOU'RE ALWAYS IN A HURRY, AREN'T YOUI" "I'D BE BAD TO HAVE MY SHIP DOCKED IN A PLACE LIKE THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF ITS PATROL..." "...WELL IF BUSINESS IS OVER, I'LL HAVE TO GET GOING NOW."

At the dockside plaza, officers shout orders as a mouse-like man in a Marine coat is escorted away. "ESCORT HIM OUT TO HIS SHIP!" "HEY, THE CAPTAIN'S ON HIS WAY BACK!" "NO, IT'S FINE... EXCUSE ME THEN." "YESSIR!" A massive octopus fishman suddenly drops from above on a bubbling octopus-pot vehicle, labeled "ARLONG PIRATES' CREW OFFICER HACCHAN (OCTOPUS-TYPE FISHMAN)". Nezumi stares up and remarks, "YOU SURE DO HAVE A FUNNY-LOOKING FACE, NOT TO MENTION EVEN YOUR NAME IS NEZUMI. (mouse)" Hatchan replies, "YES... THANK YOU." and offers, "GET ON THE OCTOPUS POT, I'LL GIVE YOU A LIFT!" Laughing uproariously with his mouth wide open, Hatchan adds, "C'MON! YOUR FACE ALONE IS ENOUGH OF A JOKE ALREADY! AHAHAHA!"

Fishmen on a docked ship grumble, "...BUT THEIR FISHMEN GIVE ME THE CREEPS..." Hatchan waves back, "MY BAD, CAPTAIN! THAT ONE'S GOT A MOUTH ON HIM!" "OH, RIGHT. SORRY 'BOUT THAT. WELL, GET ON THEN!" "HACHI! WATCH THAT MOUTH OF YOURS! THE CAPTAIN IS OUR VALUED CLIENT." "N-NO... IT'S FINE, CHI CHI CHI!" Elsewhere, a girl with short hair races toward the ornate gates of Arlong Park, shouting, "I'M GOING TO KILL ARLONG! HE KILLED MY DAD!" A voice calls out, "HEY, YOU! STOP RIGHT THERE!" She turns with fierce eyes, declaring, "I'M SERIOUS!" The swordsman blocks her path and warns, "SO IF YOU DON'T GET OUTTA MY WAY, I'LL KILL YOU TOO!"

The swordsman and the girl clash violently, blades ringing with impact lines and "バキッ!! ビキッ!!" "OOF!" "AGHH!" "UGH!" The man is hurled backward. A hand extends a staff toward the fallen figure, saying, "...SO IF YOU UNDERSTAND, GO HOME. ON LITTLE BRATS LIKE YOU!" "ARLONG DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME TO WASTE," while another panel shows the swordsman groaning. The defeated man lies amid scattered stacks of money and barrels, muttering, "...DAMMIT...!" A voice states, "USE IT FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION." "HERE'S A LITTLE MONEY."

Inside the grand hall of Arlong Park, a high-heeled foot descends the stairs with "STEP..." as a voice exclaims, "OHHH! SO YOU'RE BACK, THAT WAS QUITE A LONG TRIP...!" In the courtyard by a mermaid fountain, a woman speaks into a conch-like device, "HOW MUCH DID YOU RAKE IN THIS TIMEI" "HA... AS IF ANYONE WOULD KNOWINGLY DARE TO RAID MY ESTATE...!" "THIS MANSION IS AS LAX AS ALWAYS..." The orange-haired girl, Nami, stands with a bright yet conflicted smile, hands clasped, replying, "QUITE A LOT!" Her narration adds, "...BUT IT WAS STRANGELY QUITE HEART-BREAKING THIS TIME."

Nami smiles faintly and replies, "OH, IS THAT SOI" Arlong bursts into wild laughter, "SHAHA HAHA!" while mocking her, "BETRAYING PEOPLE IS YOUR SPECIALTY, ISN'T ITI SINCE WHEN DID YOU GET SO SENTIMENTAL!I" Below, the Arlong Park plaza erupts in celebration as fishmen cheer and raise their arms. "MY FISHMAN BROTHERS, OUR COMRADE HAS RETURNED! LET US PREPARE A FEAST!" Massive sound effects shake the scene: "オオオオオオ" "オオオオ" "WOOHOO!" and a huge "バリバリバリバリバリバリ". In the final panels Nami stands with her back to the reader, the Arlong Pirates flag waving beside her; the tattoo across her shoulder reads "ARLONG PIRATES CREW OFFICER NAMI".

The grand gates of Arlong Park loom over the flooded plaza, its shark-toothed towers and banners clearly labeled "ARLONG PARK". In the lower panel, Usopp peeks over the railing and asks, "ARE YOU SURE NAMI'S REALLY IN THEREI" Zoro grips his swords tightly while a crewmate beside him stammers, "W...! W-WE'RE HERE...!" Tension fills the air as the Straw Hats reach the enemy stronghold.

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