I Will Become Hokage in One Piece

Chapter 27: Arlong Pirates

Cocoyasi Village

Cocoyasi Village was a peaceful and tranquil place, home to a group of humble villagers. Aware that they had become a burden to Nami, they spoke ill and sarcastically to her, hoping that she would abandon them and seek her own freedom. They never wanted to burden a young girl like her.

Their deepest wish was for Nami to experience true freedom and be treated with kindness and care. They were a kind-hearted group of people who couldn't resist the oppression of the Arlong Pirates, but they also couldn't change Nami's stubbornness. This was their way of making her give up on them and find peace by escaping from this place.

Nami stepped onto the shore, carrying a small bag from her boat. Rodney didn't accompany her but chose a different route to infiltrate the area. The main reason was to avoid implicating the villagers, as he and Nami had agreed.

Rodney swiftly navigated through the water like a shell, with chakra agitating within him. With his Water Release: Underwater Breathing Technique, he could prolong his breath-holding time underwater significantly.

The shallow sea presented beautiful scenery, with sunlight piercing through the water, creating a pleasant sight. Schools of fish scattered as Rodney passed by, only to regroup and swim alongside him.

Rodney wondered if there was a predator behind him, and when he turned to look, he was startled. A Sea King with a cow's head stared at him with large eyes, a nose ring, and a massive body, much larger than ordinary Sea Kings, measuring close to 100 meters.

The cow Sea King looked at him in a cute manner. It doesn't seem threatening...

But just as he thought that, the cow Sea King opened its wide mouth, revealing a bloody set of fangs, and lunged at Rodney.

Rodney exclaimed, "..."

'What the hell! I take back what I said!'

He quickly increased his speed, realizing that his physical and ninjutsu abilities were significantly reduced in the water. Water Release was ineffective, so he propelled himself toward the sea surface.

Puff!

He burst out of the water like a dolphin, running across the surface with the agility of a ninja. The cow Sea King also emerged from the water, utilizing the buoyancy to stand upright. Its sharp teeth interlocked, and it charged toward Rodney.

"You think I'm defenseless like in the water? Take this!" Rodney raised his leg and kicked the cow Sea King.

Boom!

The cow Sea King crashed down, causing waves tens of meters high. This offshore area was immediately noticed by nearby Arlong Pirates due to the commotion.

Two merfolk, upon witnessing the Sea Kings' sudden activity and spotting Rodney on the water, took different actions. One reported to their boss, while the other swam towards Rodney.

The merfolk's speed was much faster than Rodney's as he rode the waves, but Rodney was unaware, sprinting towards the shore.

Whether or not the infiltration was successful didn't matter much. If he couldn't eliminate all the insiders, it would be considered a flawless infiltration. After all, no one would know.

Moving swiftly across the water's surface, Rodney suddenly encountered a merfolk with red skin racing towards him from the sea. He quickly dodged. The merfolk dove back into the sea, resurfaced, and asked, "Intruder, who are you? How can you walk on water?"

"Why do you care about me? Who are you?" Rodney retorted.

The merfolk's expression turned proud. "Listen up, I'm a crew member of the Arlong Pirates, Green! You still haven't answered my question."

"I've never heard of you. You must be a nobody," Rodney said.

"Humans, I am a member of the powerful Arlong Pirates. Haven't you heard of us? Ah, right! Our Arlong Park is still under construction. It's normal not to know. But since you've intruded into the Arlong Pirates' territory, have you paid the protection fee?" 

Boom!

Rodney's foot connected with Green's face, a powerful blow that caused him excruciating pain.

However, such a blow that could shatter an adult's skull only caused more pain to the sturdy merfolk. Green was kicked to the bottom of the sea, rubbing his face and exclaiming, "Ouch! That hurts! This human is so strong!"

Taking a breath of seawater through his gills, filtering the air within, Green suppressed the pain and swam towards Rodney on the surface again.

The two engaged in a race, speeding across the surface and diving into the sea. Green refused to believe that merfolk could be defeated by a human.

And then... they reached the shore. Leaving footprints in the soft sand, they ventured into the jungle. Chasing the footprints, Green followed and inadvertently triggered something along the way.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several kunai flew towards him, impaling him.

"Ah!" Green cried out in pain.

Rodney, perched on a tree, observed the situation and threw a handful of kunai with explosive tags attached, accurately hitting Green's mouth.

"Explode!"

The explosive tags could be controlled by humans. By injecting chakra into them, Rodney could determine the explosion time or trigger them like landmines, making them incredibly versatile.

With a loud bang, Green's head was obliterated, flesh and blood sprayed in all directions. The strong merfolk body collapsed, and bright red blood gushed out, staining the ground crimson.

Rodney used the Transformation Technique to assume Green's appearance. This way, he could infiltrate the Arlong Pirates without raising suspicion and causing trouble for Nami and the others.

As for the corpse, he paid it no mind.

Soon after, while walking, Rodney encountered an ordinary villager who was working on a farm. He was about to inquire about the whereabouts of the Arlong Pirates, but the villager fled in fear.

To humans, merfolk were like monsters, especially those who bullied them. It was natural for them to run away.

"Tsk, I forgot to use the Sharingan to ask for the exact location of the Arlong Pirates," Rodney muttered, disappointed. He was about to activate the Transformation Technique and interrogate the villager when he noticed a merfolk approaching from afar.

"Hey, Green, did you capture the human we found? Where is he?" the merfolk asked.

'Perfect! I'll give you a warm welcome!'

Imitating Green's voice, Rodney replied, "I caught that guy and drowned him in the sea. Humans are so feeble."

Hearing this, the merfolk smiled and said, "Yes, yes! We merfolk are superior to humans. How could that feeble race compare to us?"

Rodney pouted, realizing that this group of merfolk had been brainwashed by Arlong. He couldn't help but reflect on Arlong's past, considering who had brainwashed him. Kizaru had beaten him so badly that he cried. If it weren't for off-duty time, Arlong would have met his demise.

But on the bright side, Rodney still had to deal with Arlong. He smiled triumphantly and said, "That's not entirely true. Humans may be fragile, but they shouldn't be ruled by merfolk from birth. Those who believe in peaceful coexistence with humans are simply wishful thinkers!"

"Hmph, of course! Let's go. Boss Arlong is waiting for you to report the situation. Come on!" The merfolk patted Rodney on the shoulder and walked away.

…

Arlong's Paradise

The architectural style of Arlong's base resembled an amusement park in Sabaody Archipelago. It was evident that Arlong, despite his claims of despising humans, secretly longed for the living environment enjoyed by humans.

The entrance gate wasn't a road but a waterway connected to the sea, extending into the yard where three swimming pools were connected to facilitate the Arlong Pirates' swift movement into the sea. 

As pirates comprised entirely of merfolk, they had no need for land transportation. Unless they were too exhausted to swim, they could leave the base without a boat. With caution, they could even enter the Calm Belt area, making it incredibly convenient.

Rodney, accompanied by the merfolk, dived into the sea, holding his breath, passed through the gate, entered the pool, and leaped onto dry land.

Sitting directly opposite Rodney was a purple sawtoothed merfolk with a long sawtoothed nose. He wore a yellow floral shirt with an open chest, and on his left chest, a red sun symbol representing the "Sun Pirates" was tattooed, while the "Arlong Pirates" logo was inked on his left forearm.

Decked in gold and silver, he resembled a nouveau riche.

He was Arlong, the leader of the Arlong Pirates.