One Piece: Wind-Wind Fruit

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Arlong glanced over at Chew, who could only shrug helplessly.

"I don't know where he went!" Chew said, raising his fins in frustration. "He left yesterday and never came back. Chew."

"Hachi, go find him!" Arlong barked at the octopus Fishman beside him.

"On it, boss Arlong!" Hachi answered with a big grin, swaggering toward the gate, both arms extended to push open the massive doors of Arlong Park.

But just as he reached the entrance, a strange sound echoed from the other side of the wall—

"Bang!"

"Hmm? What was that noise?" Arlong narrowed his eyes, casting a sidelong glance toward the source of the sound.

"BOOM!"

The outer wall of Arlong Park exploded, a section collapsing inward. Rubble flew everywhere crushing Hachi beneath it as the gate came down.

"Who's there?!" Arlong stood up in a flash, eyes locked on the dust-choked breach in the wall.

The Fishmen pirates around him stared in stunned disbelief, following Arlong's gaze toward the smoke-filled wreckage.

From behind the swirling dust, figures emerged, stepping confidently through the destruction.

"This is the place? Arlong Park?" came a sharp voice, youthful and male.

"Looks like it. We didn't take a wrong turn, right, Old Man?" another voice replied with a chuckle.

A third voice, gravelly and calm, answered from further back. "No mistake. This is Arlong Park."

"Good. Let's go in."

Arlong's violet eyes flicked back and forth, silently counting the approaching figures. "One, two, three…"

Aero waved the smoke away from his face, coughing a bit as he stepped forward.

Arlong, still seated in his white throne-like chair, watched the intruders emerge as humans in dark cloaks, their hoods concealing their features.

Three had entered. Five more stood guard outside.

Leading the group was a black-haired teenager, his eyes sharp despite his youthful face. Behind him walked a red-haired man wearing sunglasses and a sharply dressed third figure.

Arlong's jaw clenched. He'd seen that face somewhere just moments ago…

The newspaper!

"Aero Aegis!" Arlong snarled internally. This kid had destroyed his front gate and flattened Hachi beneath the rubble!

"You're Arlong, I take it?" Aero stepped onto the rubble, eyes locked onto the hulking Fishman with a jagged saw-shaped nose and violet skin.

"Hahahaha! That's me!" Arlong roared with a toothy grin. "Aero Aegis, what business do you have here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Aero took a few more steps forward until several of Arlong's men moved to block his path.

"So you are here to challenge me? Hahahaha! How bold!"

"This human's got no clue who he's dealing with. Chew!" Chew mocked from the sidelines.

"Power isn't something you prove with words." Aero raised his hand from beneath his cloak and snapped his fingers.

"Boom!"

Something crashed down from above slamming straight into the Fishmen who had blocked Aero's way.

Dust rose. Arlong's stomach dropped. He had a bad feeling.

When the dust cleared, the truth was visible to all.

"Aero! I'll kill you!" Arlong roared, springing to his feet.

Because the object that had fallen?

Was Kuroobi, his trusted enforcer, beaten and bloodied, thrown from the sky like garbage?

Seeing Kuroobi's tattered clothes and bloodied body sent Arlong's fury boiling over. He stomped forward like a storm, but Chew rushed to intercept him.

"Boss! Don't lose your head! Let us handle them. We'll make these humans regret coming here!"

Chew stood firm, not out of fear, but to protect the symbol of their dominance Arlong Park. If Arlong fought here, the whole place might be destroyed.

"Kuroobi? Oh, right, this guy." Aero lifted his hand again, manipulating the air around him with his Devil Fruit powers. Wind currents swirled as he effortlessly tossed Kuroobi's limp body back toward Arlong. Kuroobi landed with a thud at Arlong's feet.

Arlong clenched his fists. His eyes burned with rage.

"I'LL KILL YOU, HUMAN!"

He lunged forward, feet digging into the ground his entire body launched like a torpedo.

His signature attack, Shark ON Darts, aimed his sharp, jagged nose like a spear, the momentum of Fishman's strength. A lethal move designed to pierce through any target in an instant.

But Aero didn't move. He didn't even blink.

He had already harmonized with the air around him. This was his domain. Within this space, his Wind-Wind Fruit made him untouchable.

Still, Aero had no intention of dodging. Behind him, villagers from Cocoyashi Village had gathered behind the wall, watching everything unfold.

He'd warned them to stay home, but they came anyway ready to fight for their home alongside him.

Aero clenched his right fist, channeling wind energy through his arm, preparing to meet Arlong's charge head-on.

Arlong scoffed. This human dared raise a hand against him?

"Sea Cow Moo Moo!" Chew suddenly shouted toward the ocean.

From the waves, a massive beast surfaced part fish, part bull. Its pale-blue scales shimmered, massive horns curling from its head. A gold ring pierced its nose.

The creature was Arlong's personal sea monster brought from the Grand Line.

The battlefield had officially shifted.

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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter

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