Chapter 368: Assault on Arlong Park

Along the way, with Usopp’s colorful storytelling adding plenty of flair, Luffy and Sanji quickly learned the full story behind Nami’s situation.

With a confident wave, Luffy sent the Going Merry racing straight for Cocoyasi Village.

Guided by Nami, it took them only a day and a half before Cocoyasi Village finally came into view, looming just ahead.

This time, their goal couldn’t be clearer—they were after Arlong and his so-called paradise.

“Moo!”

A massive sea cow suddenly rose up right in front of them, making everyone pause.

“Whoa, impressive! That’s a huge water buffalo!”

Perched on the figurehead, Luffy’s eyes widened at the sight of the giant beast. Just like that, he was instantly hungry, drool trailing down his chin.

“Grilled beef is my specialty,” Sanji chimed in, now standing next to Luffy, a scarf around his neck and a kitchen knife twirling in his hand.

He looked ready, likely sizing up which part of the sea cow would be freshest for cooking.

“That’s Mohmoo, the sea cow,” Nami explained. “He counts as one of Arlong’s underlings, but he’s gentle. Besides, we’re here—our destination’s just ahead.”

Following Nami’s pointing finger, they all gazed at what looked just like a small navy base.

Behind a huge square sat a five-story tall, red building, with a pool in the courtyard.

This was Arlong Park.

As their ship drew closer, Nami started trembling uncontrollably. She couldn’t help but remember how Arlong once dragged her into that house, gave her a special room, and forced her to draw maps of the sea to further his rule.

“Don’t worry, Nami,” someone said gently. “Those things that haunted you end here today.”

“Alright! Let’s not let our guard down. Time to go!”

Before the ship had even docked, Luffy launched himself with a rocket jump, soaring straight into Arlong Park.

“Our captain just loves going off-script,” someone sighed.

“But that’s exactly who he is, isn’t it?” Zoro grinned, leaping after him. Sanji followed right behind, cigarette between his lips, fearless as ever.

Only Nami, Usopp, Ye Fan, and the others remained on deck.

“Boss, let’s get the ship docked first,” Johnny called.

Johnny and John might not have the strength of Zoro or Sanji, but they wanted in on the action. Lacking the ability to jump in directly, they set about docking the ship properly.

“Will they be okay? Arlong’s not your average pirate,” Nami fretted.

“Relax, Nami. For Luffy and the crew, this really is a piece of cake,” Ye Fan reassured, patting her gently on the shoulder.

In the original tale, Zoro fought while badly wounded, and Luffy was tossed into the sea, but in the end, they still defeated Arlong’s whole crew.

And now, their strength had grown far beyond before. Taking down Arlong Park would be a breeze.

Boom!

Sure enough, as soon as the three jumped in, loud crashes echoed from within.

“Gin, Johnny, Yosaku—hurry! The fight’s already started inside. We can’t miss it!”

Wanting to avoid any unexpected mishaps, Ye Fan decided to stick close to Nami.

“Oh!” came their replies.

The three trainee members quickly sped up docking. Once ashore, the whole group headed straight for Arlong Park’s front gate.

Through the bars at the entrance, they could clearly see Zoro clashing swords with an octopus fishman, Sanji sending other fishmen flying with his kicks, and Luffy locked in a fierce brawl with a shark-looking man!

“Creak!”

That iron gate had no chance against Ye Fan. With both hands gripping the bars, he pulled hard sideways and ripped open a passage several meters wide.

“Alright, our turn!”

Ye Fan charged in, leading the way. Behind him Johnny and Yosaku drew their longswords, Gin hefted a one-and-a-half meter metal staff, and Nami brought up the rear, Clima-Tact in hand, ready for battle.

“Who are you people? Don’t tell me you’re with them!”

Ye Fan was quickly blocked by two fishmen, both eyeing him warily.

“Crushing Fist!”

Ye Fan didn’t waste a breath; both fists flew out, sending the two fishmen smashing into a wall dozens of meters away.

“You guys are a disgrace to fishmen! With all the territory in the New World, and you choose to come to East Blue to bully the weak? Arlong, is this what the fishmen teach you?” Ye Fan taunted.

Arlong, who’d just traded a blow with Luffy, scowled at Ye Fan’s rebuke. “Who are you?” he demanded.

“How do you know all this?” another asked.

Ye Fan’s own expression hardened. The New World had already set aside plenty of territory for the fishmen.

As long as they moved there, they could live in peace, see sunlight anytime, no longer forced to hide in the depths. Wasn’t that a good life?

Yet even though he never meddled in the fishmen’s affairs and let them develop on their own, Arlong had still snuck off to East Blue.

“Doesn’t matter how I know. But you? You abandoned your people, came to East Blue—are you ignoring your own tribe’s policies?” Ye Fan shot back.

“Policy? All those nice-sounding policies,” Arlong sneered.

“They just herd us onto some marked-off land. How is that any better than being caged slaves?”

Ye Fan just scoffed. “Even so, it’s a lot better than living in the dark at the bottom of the sea, isn’t it?”

“Doesn’t matter where you came from or how you know all this. If you dare set foot in Arlong Park today, you’re not getting out alive!” Arlong roared.

Bang!

Before he could finish, Luffy’s fist sent him flying. “We’re not done yet!” Luffy shouted.

Arlong crashed straight into the red building.

“Luffy, that building—it’s the source of Nami the navigator’s nightmares. It’s yours now,” Ye Fan said.

Inside, not only did Arlong keep his treasures, but it also contained the room where Nami once spent endless days, shut in and forced to draw maps.

“Yeah!”

“Got it!” Luffy replied firmly.

Hearing this was Nami’s prison, Luffy’s face turned steely with resolve. He jumped in place, then rocketed through the hole Arlong had made in the wall.

And now, with Johnny, Yosaku, Usopp and the others joining in, the tide of battle quickly tipped in Luffy’s favor.

Johnny and Yosaku, after training for four or five days, weren’t massively stronger but still several times better than before. Fending off one or two fishmen apiece was no challenge.

Gin had only joined up a day and a half ago, but his natural strength made it easy to face down three or four fishmen at once without breaking a sweat.

Boom!

Crash! Crash!

Suddenly, a huge chunk of the fourth floor wall caved in, sending a rain of tables, chairs, and endless sheets of paper fluttering down.

Nami stared at the falling papers, tears streaming down her face.

In an instant, all those days trapped in that sunless little room—drawing maps just to keep everyone safe—came rushing back, nearly breaking her heart.

Meanwhile, Kensuke, who’d been patrolling the village, heard the explosions and hurried toward Arlong Park to check out the commotion.

Reaching the hillside, he arrived just in time to see a long leg shoot out from the five-story building and slam down, collapsing the whole structure in a cloud of dust.

With sharp eyes, he immediately spotted an orange-haired Nami and saw Sanji, Zoro, and the others locked in battle with the fishmen.