One Piece: Wind-Wind Fruit

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Facing the open sea, Aero felt the ocean breeze sweep across the deck. The wind carried with it the faint, salty scent of evaporating seawater.

Beneath the ship, fish swam freely some even leapt from the waves in brief, showy arcs. Of course, many of those "lucky" ones ended up as dinner.

The people of Cocoyashi Village had prepared Aero and his crew with fresh supplies, plenty of food, and drinking water.

They only stayed one night before setting sail again.

The celebration was brief. After taking so many resources, Aero felt it would be wrong to linger and burden a village that had already suffered so much. That night, the Hurricane Pirates quietly slipped away.

Of the 20+ villages liberated from Arlong's rule, only Cocoyashi knew the truth that it was pirates who saved them.

The rest were left with a different version of the story, delivered by the press.

The newspaper reported that Arlong, after fighting Aero, had escaped to sea…

Only to be "heroically apprehended" by Navy Captain Nezumi, who was "on a mission to capture him." He was now being transferred to Marine Headquarters for judgment.

The Navy further declared that any pirate who dared to rule over civilians would face swift and merciless justice.

It was, unsurprisingly, a massive exaggeration.

The Navy claimed all the credit minimizing Aero's role and boosting their own public image.

And so, the people of those other villages praised the Navy, not the pirates who had actually freed them.

As always normal people are fooled easily.

Only a few critical thinkers could piece together the truth, but most people trusted the world's "justice."

---

Below deck, in a barred cell aboard a Marine ship, Arlong, Kuroobi, and Chew lay in shackles arms and legs bound tightly.

They couldn't move.

The only mercy was that the Navy had sent a ship doctor to treat their injuries keeping them alive but humiliated.

"Gya-hahaha… Aero…" Arlong opened his eyes and laughed, staring at the metal ceiling. His mind replayed the image of the man who defeated him.

A Marine guard rushed over. CLANG! He slammed the bars with his baton. "Shut up in there! No laughing!"

Kuroobi was still unconscious. Chew sat silently, staring at the bars, lost in thought.

Outside, Marines took shifts around the clock. After all, they were transporting one of the East Blue's most violent and high-profile pirates.

"Clear out. All of you."

"Yes, sir! Captain!"

Arlong recognized the voice immediately.

"Gya-haha… Old friend. You finally showed up?"

It was Captain Nezumi bandaged head, ratlike whiskers twitching.

The same man Aero had pummeled days ago.

When Nezumi woke up, he found several tied-up Arlong Pirates beside him and a village full of people insisting he'd been the one to defeat Arlong.

So naturally, he accepted all the praise, painting himself as the hero of East Blue. It might even get him promoted.

"Tch tch tch. Arlong," Nezumi sneered, standing tall before the imprisoned Fishman. "I can't help you this time. You'll rot in that cell."

"This is how you treat a friend, Nezumi?" Arlong chuckled, unfazed. "Gya-haha… I expected nothing less."

He'd woken up in the prison hold. He still didn't know it was Nezumi who'd handed him over.

"Our 'partnership' is over," Nezumi said. "I'm a Marine Captain now soon to be a Rear Admiral. You? Just a pirate. Tch tch tch..."

His laughter echoed cruelly in the chamber.

Suddenly, Chew raised his head—

Ptooey!

A stream of spit shot from his mouth like a bullet, striking Nezumi square in the eye.

Chew wasn't just any pirate he had a 5.5 million berry bounty for a reason.

"GUARDS! GUARDS!" Nezumi screamed, clutching his eye as blood trickled through his fingers. "Drag that Fishman out here!"

"Gya-haha! Nezumi, you've got some nerve!" Arlong barked from behind the bars.

"Curses! That hurt like hell! Guard them better!" Nezumi snapped, retreating in shame.

The guards exchanged confused looks, unsure whether to follow him or laugh.

---

Back on the open sea…

Aero once believed life at sea would be thrilling and adventurous every day.

Now, he understood the truth: long stretches of boredom were the norm.

Only the occasional spark of adventure made it all worthwhile.

"Captain! Pirate ship spotted, dead ahead!" shouted Wes, perched atop the mast of the Pigeon with a spyglass in hand.

Aero sat on the deck, listening absentmindedly to Eddie rant again.

Ever since Eddie saw that his bounty was lower than Dylan's, he hadn't stopped complaining.

Aero could only shrug helplessly.

But the moment he heard Wes's alert, he perked up.

Finally action.

He stood up and clapped Eddie on the shoulder. The complaints stopped immediately. Both made their way to the bow.

Off the ship's front was a medium-sized pirate ship drawing closer. Even from a distance, Aero could hear their excited shouting.

They were likely preparing to "visit" the Pigeon.

Aero smirked.

He figured they hadn't read the day's paper yet.

If they had…

They'd have seen the Hurricane Jolly Roger flying from the mast…

…and turned tail long before now.

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