Chapter 16: Cocoyasi Village and the Shadow of Arlong
[SYSTEM MISSION: UNDERSTAND NAMI'S PREDICAMENT. RECOMMENDED ACTION: ENGINEER DEATH. ACQUISITION: BASIC PERCEPTION (UPGRADE) / FISH-MAN BIOLOGY (MINOR). SECONDARY GOAL: GATHER INTELLIGENCE ON ARLONG PIRATES.]
"Cocoyasi Village. Nami's past. This is where her story truly takes shape, and where Arlong steps onto the stage. My compass is buzzing with a different kind of urgency now – less about raw power, more about understanding. I need to get a deeper grasp of what these Fish-Men are capable of, perhaps through a more subtle death. 'Basic Perception' upgrade, or even 'Fish-Man Biology' if I can get close enough. Time to do some recon, and then get intentionally ambushed by a random Fish-Man grunt. Just enough to gain insight without causing a full-blown war yet."
After the chaotic encounter with Buggy, the Straw Hats sailed on, their destination increasingly clear on Nami's reluctant charts. A small cluster of islands, known as the Conomi Islands, and specifically, Cocoyasi Village. As they drew closer, a subtle shift in Nami's demeanor became apparent. She grew withdrawn, her usual cheerfulness replaced by a palpable tension and an almost desperate attempt to deter the crew from approaching the island.
"Look, guys, this island isn't worth it," Nami insisted, her voice tighter than usual. "It's small, there's nothing interesting there. We should just bypass it and head towards Loguetown instead."
Luffy, however, sensed Nami's unusual distress, and his captain's intuition (or perhaps just his desire for adventure) overruled her protests. "But Nami, you look worried! And Usopp said there might be treasure there! We have to check it out!"
My own compass, which usually pulsed in reaction to my personal quest for Robin, now vibrated with a unique intensity, pointing squarely at Cocoyasi Village. The energy wasn't about a specific killer, but a pervasive, oppressive aura of injustice and unspoken torment. A new system prompt, more narrative-driven than before, flashed into my mind.
[SYSTEM MISSION: UNDERSTAND NAMI'S PREDICAMENT. RECOMMENDED ACTION: ENGINEER DEATH. ACQUISITION: BASIC PERCEPTION (UPGRADE) / FISH-MAN BIOLOGY (MINOR). SECONDARY GOAL: GATHER INTELLIGENCE ON ARLONG PIRATES.]
"This is it. The Nami arc. The system wants me to understand, not just power up. That means a death that offers insight, not just raw power. 'Basic Perception' upgrade would let me truly read situations. 'Fish-Man Biology' would be invaluable for fighting them later. I need to get close to the core of the problem, and then take a hit from a generic Fish-Man. Something that tells me about their physiology, their fighting style, their raw strength, without alarming Arlong just yet."
"Nami, what's wrong?" I asked gently, noticing her tightly clenched fists and the shadows under her eyes. "You don't usually try to avoid islands. Is there something... or someone... you're afraid of?"
Nami stiffened, then turned away. "It's nothing. Just a bad feeling."
But her 'bad feeling' was evident everywhere. As the Merry docked, the village seemed eerily quiet, its inhabitants moving with a subdued fear. Strange, shark-like figures patrolled the streets – Fish-Men. And the most prominent landmark was a large, foreboding structure with a saw-shark fin on top: Arlong Park.
Adam knew he needed to gather information. While the others explored, or tried to, I subtly separated myself. Using my Pussyfoot Maneuver, I moved through the alleys, observing. I saw villagers paying protection money, their faces etched with despair. I saw the arrogance of the patrolling Fish-Men. And I saw the symbol of a saw-shark tattooed on many of them.
My eyes fell upon a lone Fish-Man grunt, larger than an average human, with gill slits on his neck and a sneering face. He was casually bullying a local villager. This was my chance.
"A grunt. Perfect. Not too powerful, but enough to give me a taste of Fish-Man physiology and basic combat. I need to get him to hit me with his bare hands, to feel their raw, dense strength. A clean, blunt, overpowering strike should do it. Something that gives me the 'biology' insight."
I deliberately stepped out from the shadows, tripping over an imaginary stone and bumping into the Fish-Man. "Oh, my apologies, big fella!" I said with a disarming grin. "Didn't see you there. You're so... robust. Are all Fish-Men this... finely sculpted?"
The Fish-Man snarled, his eyes narrowing. "Watch where you're going, human! Or do you want to end up like this trash?" He kicked the cowering villager.
"Now, now, no need for that," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Violence is rarely the answer. Unless, of course, you're trying to prove a point. Are you trying to prove a point? Because if so, you're doing a remarkably poor job of it. You look more like a overgrown goldfish trying to look tough."
The Fish-Man's face twisted in rage. "Goldfish?! I'll show you a goldfish!" He roared, his fist clenching. It was denser, heavier than a human's, packed with aquatic muscle. He wound up and delivered a powerful, full-body punch directly to my chest. My Gum-Gum body absorbed some of the impact, stretching far, but the sheer, dense force of the blow, combined with his unique Fish-Man physiology, was designed to rupture internal organs, not just bounce off. It was a punch meant to kill a human with a single blow. I felt my ribs splintering beneath the rubber, felt my lungs compress, and a sharp, blinding pain shot through my chest. My vision tunneled. The last thing I heard was the grunt of the Fish-Man, satisfied with his work.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: DEATH RECORDED. KILLER: FISH-MAN GRUNT. ABILITY ACQUIRED: FISH-MAN BIOLOGY (MINOR). REVIVAL INITIATING. PLEASE WAIT.]
"Fish-Man Biology (Minor)! Yes! This is perfect. I can feel it – an intuitive understanding of their denser bones, their powerful muscles, their gill structures. This will make fighting them so much easier. And it didn't even alert Arlong. Excellent. Time to pop back up and completely freak out this grunt."
I gasped, sitting upright, my lungs suddenly filling with air. My chest felt perfectly fine, not a single broken bone, yet the phantom memory of the crushing blow lingered. The Fish-Man grunt was staring at my crumpled body, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. He bent down, presumably to loot my (non-existent) pockets.
"Boo!" I said, sitting bolt upright.
The Fish-Man shrieked, scrambling back, tripping over himself. His eyes were wide with terror. "Y-you're alive?! But I… I killed you! I felt your bones break!"
"Oh, you certainly did, old chum," I said, stretching leisurely, feeling the faint, new understanding of Fish-Man anatomy in my mind. "A very impressive punch, I must say. Excellent form. Good use of core strength. I give it an 8 out of 10 for raw impact. Needed a little more follow-through, though."
The Fish-Man stammered, pointing a shaking finger. "You… you're a monster! A demon! What are you?!"
"Just a really stubborn human, I suppose," I chuckled, standing up and dusting myself off. "Thanks for the lesson, though. I feel like I learned so much about… Fish-Man punching techniques. Truly insightful. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a navigator to check on. And I think I just figured out her problem."
I left the gibbering Fish-Man grunt in the alley, his confidence utterly shattered. I returned to the Merry, where the others were still trying to make sense of the village. I found Nami talking to a young girl, her face etched with a familiar pain. The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, aided by my newfound intuitive understanding of the Fish-Men.
"Nami," I said, stepping forward, my voice firm. "We need to talk. And then, we need to deal with Arlong."
Nami's head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of dread. The long-hidden truth was finally bubbling to the surface, and I, Adam D. Vane, was ready for it. The conclusion of Arc 1 was at hand.