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[TIOP] Chapter : 27
🕑 Added 2025-02-09 13:06:01 +0000 UTCNami stared at the bag at her feet, momentarily dazed.
"What is this…?" She murmured, her voice laced with confusion.
"Isn't it obvious? It's the treasure you lost," Jack replied matter-of-factly. "I took it straight from that rat. Didn’t touch a single berry, so don’t even think about hiking up the price." His expression darkened slightly as he spoke, already anticipating Nami’s usual antics.
For a moment, Nami simply looked at him in disbelief. Then, anger surged through her. She shot to her feet, grabbed Jack by the collar, and yelled, "Why?! Why didn’t you come sooner? Now that things have already spiraled out of control, what good is returning this to me? Why aren’t you fighting Arlong? Aren’t you a Marine? Don’t you represent justice?"
One of the navy soldiers behind Jack instinctively moved forward, but Jack held up a hand, silently stopping him. He remained still, allowing Nami to vent her fury, her grip on his collar tightening.
With a heavy sigh, Jack finally spoke. "You’re right—it’s the Navy’s failure." His voice was quieter now, laced with something almost regretful. "But, little Nami, you need to understand something. The world is full of people suffering just like you. At least you’re still alive. There are countless others struggling just to survive. The Navy isn’t omnipotent. We’re just ordinary people trying to uphold justice the best we can."
As Jack spoke, the Marines standing behind him remained silent. Their usual pride seemed to have dimmed, weighed down by the grim reality of what they had witnessed in Cocoyasi Village.
"What now? Are you just going to stand here? Go capture Arlong already!" Nami shouted, her voice laced with frustration and desperation.
Jack, however, remained calm. "Relax. Your villagers will be fine, and Arlong will never trouble you again. If you don’t believe me, why don’t we go see for ourselves?" He flashed a confident smile before leading Nami and his unit toward Arlong’s stronghold.
As they approached, they found a crowd of villagers gathered at the entrance, watching an intense battle unfold. The Straw Hat Pirates had already engaged Arlong’s officers in combat.
"The Navy?! What are you doing here?" One of the villagers spotted the Marines and immediately pulled Nami behind them, their distrust evident in their wary expressions.
Meanwhile, inside the stronghold, Zoro was locked in combat with Hachi, the octopus swordsman, while Sanji faced off against a fishman skilled in fishman karate. However, Luffy was nowhere in sight, nor were Genzo or Nojiko.
Noticing Nami's confusion, a villager whispered an explanation. As it turned out, Luffy—true to his unpredictable nature—had somehow managed to get his foot stuck in a rock. Taking advantage of the situation, Arlong had hurled him into the sea. Seeing this, Genzo and Nojiko had immediately dived in to help.
Jack couldn't help but chuckle. "Only that troublemaker could turn a battle into something this absurd. Anyone else would’ve died ten times over by now."
Then, his expression turned serious. "Surround the area. No fishman escapes." He turned to his Marines and gave a firm order. "Signal the warship to move in."
"Yes, Captain!" The signalman snapped a salute before quickly relaying orders to the warship. Meanwhile, the rest of the Marines spread out, encircling Arlong’s stronghold with precision and discipline.
The villagers, still wary of the Navy’s intentions, divided their attention between the ongoing battle and the movements of the uniformed soldiers. As they noticed the Marines taking position, unease spread among them.
"What is he planning?" the village doctor whispered to Nami, his tone laced with suspicion.
"If the Navy dares to side with Arlong, we’ll fight them to the death!" Another villager declared, his expression hardened with resolve.
With the Straw Hat Pirates locked in combat against the Fish-Man crew, a sudden intervention from the Marines could turn the tide of battle—either in their favor or to their detriment.
Nami hesitated, her gaze flickering toward Jack. "Don't worry," she reassured the villagers, though uncertainty lingered in her voice. "I don’t think he’s a bad guy."
Jack, overhearing the exchange, let out a soft chuckle. "Ah, how ironic... The Navy, the so-called guardians of justice, are seen as the villains here." He stretched lazily before stepping forward. "I suppose it’s time we change that perception."
As he strode into Arlong’s stronghold, the fighting ground to a halt.
Both sides—Straw Hats and Fish-Men alike—turned to face the newcomer.
Sanji, recognizing Jack, remained composed, knowing the Marine had no reason to side against them. On the other hand, Arlong, who had long exploited his corrupt ties with the Navy, assumed Jack had arrived to negotiate—or worse, to take advantage of the chaos.
Tension filled the air as they waited for his next move.
"The Navy? What business do you have here at this moment?" Arlong narrowed his eyes at Jack, his voice laced with suspicion.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Sanji discreetly grabbed Zoro’s arm, signaling him not to provoke Jack unnecessarily.
Jack clicked his tongue and smirked. "Tsk, tsk. You Fish-Men abandoned Fish-Man Island just to come to the East Blue and act like kings. Should I call that a lack of ambition? Or maybe you're just smart enough to pick on the weak?" He spoke with an air of amusement, his gaze locked onto Arlong.
Arlong's expression darkened. The fact that Jack knew about Fish-Man Island meant he wasn’t just some low-ranking officer from the East Blue.
"Who are you?" Arlong demanded, his tone growing serious.
One of the Marines behind Jack stepped forward with pride. "This is Captain Jack of the Navy Headquarters!"
Jack gave a satisfied nod. Every time he introduced himself, it never felt imposing enough—but hearing someone else say it with confidence? Now that had some weight!
Arlong let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "The Navy Headquarters? I didn’t think I'd made enough waves to warrant a visit from a headquarters Captain!" His sharp teeth gleamed as he grinned.
Jack chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, don’t flatter yourself. I’m not here for you." Then, turning to Sanji, he asked, "Where’s Luffy?"
Sanji jabbed a thumb toward the nearby pool, which connected directly to the open sea. "That bastard sank him to the bottom." His eyes flicked toward Arlong, full of disdain.
Jack sighed, rubbing his temples as if dealing with a headache. He turned to Sanji and said, "Could you do me a favor and fish him out?"
Sanji gave a brief nod before diving straight into the water.
The karate-trained Fish-Man beside him instinctively moved to follow, but before he could take a step, Jack’s sharp gaze pinned him in place. "I wouldn’t do that if I were you," Jack warned, his tone calm yet deadly. "Unless you want to die right here."
The Fish-Man hesitated, glancing at Arlong for instructions.
Arlong’s expression twisted as he sized up Jack. "You’re really going to stand against me… over some inferior humans?"
Jack let out a laugh—mocking and sharp. "Inferior? Hah! Are you trying to make me laugh myself to death so you can escape?" His voice dropped, turning cold. "You’re a Fish-Man—once part of the infamous Sun Pirates, no less—yet you call humans ‘inferior’? Then tell me, what about the Fish-Men enslaved by humans in the New World? Are they ‘inferior’ too? Are they slaves… or just food?"
The weight of his words settled heavily over the crowd.
The villagers outside the gate gasped in shock. "What? Even creatures as strong as them are nothing more than slaves?"
Zoro, however, simply scoffed, uninterested in racial debates. What mattered to him was strength—and this Marine, Jack, seemed strong.
Arlong’s face contorted with fury. "You dare compare us to them?! We Fish-Men are the chosen race! Unlike you pathetic humans, we don’t rely on sheer numbers!" His rage boiled over, and with a guttural roar, he lunged forward, baring his razor-sharp teeth as he snapped his massive jaws toward Jack.
"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Jack’s arm darkened with Haki as he swung his fist straight into Arlong’s jaws.
BOOM
The impact shattered Arlong’s razor-sharp teeth, sending him hurtling backward and crashing through debris.
The sheer brutality of the punch left everyone stunned. "Unbelievable!" Gasps echoed from the crowd as they watched in shock. It was raw, overwhelming power.
But outside the gates, the villagers erupted into cheers. For the first time, they saw hope—the hope of victory.
"SPLASH—"
Just then, Sanji surfaced from the water, dragging a sputtering Luffy up with him.
"Where’s that damn shark?! I’m going to beat him to a pulp!" Luffy shouted the moment he got his bearings, eyes scanning for Arlong.
"Hey, Luffy! Long time no see!" Jack greeted him with a grin.
Luffy blinked at him. "Huh? Joke? Like... a Poke?" He scratched his head in confusion before breaking into a wide smile. "Well, nice to meet ya, Jake!"
Jack’s forehead twitched. A vein nearly popped. "It’s Jack! as in... oh, never mind!"
"Cough— Damn it, that hurts like hell!"
From the wreckage, Arlong pulled himself up, groaning in pain. His glare locked onto Jack, rage burning in his eyes.
"Ah! There you are!" Luffy’s stance tensed the moment he spotted him. "Get ready, you oversized fish—I'm sending you flying!" He paid no mind to Jack and charged straight for Arlong, fists clenched and ready for battle.
"Hehehe… shahaha! You pathetic weaklings! Watch as I rip you apart!"
Arlong bared his fangs, his shattered teeth regenerating in an instant. He fixed a murderous glare on Jack.
Jack smirked, unfazed. "Really? With your level of skill, you're not even good enough to serve as my warm-up."
He stepped forward, preparing to finish Arlong off when—
"Wait! He's mine!"
Luffy’s voice rang out, firm and resolute.
Jack paused, then shrugged with indifference. "Fine. But after you beat him, I get to take him in."
With that, Jack backed off, leaving Luffy and Arlong to face each other once more. Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Zoro clashed fiercely with Hachi, their blades ringing through the air, while Sanji and the karate-skilled fishman engaged in their own deadly duel.
From the sidelines, Nami watched anxiously. "Do you think Luffy will be okay?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Jack chuckled, standing beside her with his arms crossed. "He's just an ordinary fishman. If Luffy can't handle this, he has no business being a pirate. He should just quit and come back with me to join the Navy. At least then, I could protect him."
"It's you?"
A familiar voice interrupted them.
Nojiko and Genzo had just arrived, both catching their breath. They had managed to pull Luffy’s head above water just in time, preventing him from drowning.
"Yes! Look, this time I'm even wearing a Navy uniform!" Jack grinned, striking a playful pose as he proudly displayed his attire to Nojiko.
Genzo, however, remained wary. "The Navy? What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone cautious.
Jack’s expression soured slightly. "You explain it," he said, glancing at Nami. "I don’t like repeating myself."
Without hesitation, Nami quickly recounted everything to Nojiko and Genzo. When she finished, Genzo exhaled and offered Jack a sheepish nod. "Apologies, Captain. We misunderstood your intentions."
Jack waved it off casually. "No worries. Besides, the fight is about to be decided soon." He gestured toward Zoro and Sanji, who had already defeated their opponents.
Nami’s gaze shifted to Luffy, who was still locked in combat with Arlong. Her brow furrowed in concern. "What about Luffy? Is he going to be okay?"
Jack chuckled. "Relax. I don’t know his full strength, but against someone like Arlong? He’s got this."
