One Piece: sign-in to Ryujin Jakka

The room Nami and Nojiko lived in was quite barren, barely a place to call home.

Only a few scattered nautical charts lay limply across the floor.

Roman stepped inside, his gaze calm.

"You like sailing?" he asked casually.

Nami nodded with passion blazing in her eyes.

"I love it! My dream is to draw a complete map of the world with my own hands!"

Looking at the bright-eyed girl in front of him, Roman's heart stirred.

So even at this age... she had already begun to have her dream.

He smiled. "Then work hard, Nami. For your dream. But don't forget… in a world ruled by the strong, power is just as important."

"Mm! I'll remember that, Roman~!" she beamed.

But just as their conversation grew warm, a series of heavy footsteps echoed from outside.

Bang.

The door rattled.

Outside, two shadowy figures approached.

Arlong and Captain Nezumi stood before the small house, wearing grim, twisted grins.

"Nami, Nojiko... You two sure have some nerve! Daring to expose me to that White Dove bastard!" Nezumi's furious voice rang out before the door even opened.

Inside the room, Nami and Nojiko instinctively moved closer to Roman.

"It will be okay," Roman said gently, picking up a pen from the table.

He walked calmly to the entrance.

Outside, Arlong's voice snarled:

"Why waste time talking? Just kick the damn door down!"

Boom!!

The wooden door exploded inward—launched straight toward Roman.

Roman stood silently, pen in hand, lips curled in a faint smile.

"Is that how you knock and greet people?"

Boom!

A terrifying pressure erupted from him.

The aura of a peak-level Swordsmanship Master swept through the room like a storm.

He gently flicked his wrist.

Shing!

With a single motion of the pen, a shimmering crescent of sword energy sliced through the air—razor-sharp and blindingly fast!

The wooden door was sliced in half midair, the pieces clattering to the ground. But the force didn't stop there.

In a blink, the arc of energy passed between Arlong and Nezumi, slicing across their faces.

Blood beaded in a thin line along their cheeks.

They froze in shock.

Neither had expected... that Roman would be behind the door.

"Impossible...!" Nezumi's lips trembled. He'd seen Roman leave with his own eyes!

Fear rooted both men in place, dread flooding through them like a dive into an endless abyss.

It felt like they'd fallen into a pit of eternal frost—cold and suffocating.

Gulp.

Arlong clenched his fists, veins bulging.

He turned on Nezumi, rage boiling.

"You set me up?! Didn't you say the White Dove was already gone!"

But Nezumi was too terrified to respond—his eyes fixed on the man in front of him.

He stammered:

"A-A-Admiral Roman... Didn't you already leave the harbor? H-How are you suddenly here?"

"If I didn't pretend to leave, how else was I supposed to bait out a shark like you?"

With those words, Roman's eyes narrowed slightly.

Thud!

He dropped to his knees.

"I-It was him!" he cried, pointing at Arlong. "He made me do it! I wanted to be a good man—I swear! I'm a good man, Admiral Roman!"

"A good man?"

A cold, trembling voice echoed behind Roman.

Nami stepped forward, her eyes burning with fury.

"Is a good man someone who extorts us and kills innocent people?!"

Nezumi's eyes flashed with panic.

If he could just grab Nami as a bargaining chip—maybe he'd survive!

With a sudden push off the ground, he lunged forward—aiming to take her hostage.

He never made it.

He saw his body standing still at the door … and then everything turned black.

Roman had long anticipated it.

The moment Nezumi took a step, Roman moved.

With a smooth motion of the pen infused with the intent of a master swordsman, he severed Nezumi's head from his shoulders.

Blood sprayed—but Roman remained calm.

He turned to the two girls.

"Scared?" he asked softly.

"Not one bit!" Nami squeezed Nojiko's hand tightly.

Even if she was trembling inside, she forced herself to be brave.

If she wanted to pursue her dream in this world, she had to face this cruel reality head-on.

Roman nodded with quiet approval.

Then, his gaze shifted toward the fishman standing not far away.

"Arlong... I've always been curious. From what I know, you were once a slave who escaped from Mary Geoise, right? Why didn't you follow Fisher Tiger? Why come to the East Blue?"

Arlong's body tensed at the name.

His bloodshot eyes flared with killing intent as he snarled,

"Fisher Tiger?! I'll never acknowledge him! He wanted peace with humans—what a joke! We fishmen are of superior blood! Born already stronger than humans! We should rule over them—not coexist in peace like weaklings!"

Roman's smile was faint, but cold.

"Stronger, huh? Can you beat me then?"

Arlong bared his teeth.

"White Dove! Don't think just because you're an Admiral, you can do whatever as you please! Today I'll kill you—and eat the two behind you!"

"Shark·On·Darts!!"

Arlong's calves bulged, his muscles exploding with power as he shot forward like a torpedo—aiming his jagged saw-nose straight at Roman's heart.

He'll die without a heart—even if he's an Admiral!

But reality shattered that illusion.

Roman's arm moved faster than thought, cloaked in Armament Haki.

He grabbed Arlong's nose—

CRACK!

—and crushed the jagged saw nose like brittle twigs.

Then with one effortless motion—he hurled Arlong into the sky.

The fishman soared—his body helpless against the force.

Though it was a fight, Roman's actions flowed like a dance—effortless and graceful but terrifying.

"AAAAHHHH!!!"

Arlong screamed as pain exploded in his skull and the wind howled past his ears.

"Impossible! How can a human be this strong?! This isn't right!"

"Aren't humans weaklings who rely on Devil Fruits?! Aren't we supposed to be the superior race?! Even Fisher Tiger wasn't this terrifying!"

"DAMN IIIITTT!!!!"