The Straw Hat Pirates have arrived at Arlong Park, determined to bring down the tyrannical rule of Arlong and free Nami from his control. The crew now faces not only the challenge of taking down Arlong and his crew but also proving the strength of their Haki training, which has been steadily growing under the guidance of Garp.
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The Going Merry was docked at the edge of Arlong Park, its crew standing firm as they faced the battle ahead. Nami had been leading them, her heart heavy with the weight of her past, but there was hope now. Luffy and the rest of the crew would see this through.
"No more running, Nami," Luffy said, his voice calm but firm. "We'll finish this today. Arlong's reign is over."
Nami nodded silently, glancing at the towering structure of Arlong Park ahead. The past that had haunted her would finally be over, and the Straw Hat Pirates would be the ones to put an end to it.
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The Battle Begins
As the crew landed on the shores of Arlong Park, they were immediately met by Arlong's crew, a group of vicious fish-men ready to defend their master.
Zoro and Kuro took point, stepping forward to face their enemies. Zoro, although still not fully mastered in Armament Haki, had grown stronger with each battle. His focus was on enhancing his swordsmanship with Haki, improving his ability to cut through tough enemies.
Zoro met the first fish-man head-on, his swords enveloped in a faint black aura of Armament Haki. As the fish-man swung a trident at him, Zoro parried the blow, his sword meeting the trident with an explosive clash. He grinned as he felt the power of Armament Haki strengthening his strikes.
"Not bad," Zoro muttered as he cleaved through the trident and the fish-man, knocking him out cold with a single slash.
Meanwhile, Kuro used his quick reflexes to evade attacks, his sharp intellect and enhanced speed from Observation Haki making him a blur on the battlefield. Although his Armament Haki was still in the early stages, his ability to coat his fists with a faint aura allowed his punches to deal more damage than before.
"This is getting easier," Kuro said to himself as he landed a powerful punch, knocking a fish-man into the air. "I still need more control, but it's getting there."
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Sanji and Usopp - Grasping the Basics of Observation Haki
Sanji was in the thick of the action, his strong legs delivering powerful kicks. He had been training with Observation Haki, and though he wasn't yet able to perfectly predict his opponents' movements, his instincts were far sharper than before.
As a fish-man lunged at him with a spear, Sanji instinctively ducked, sensing the attack just before it came. He spun, delivering a spinning kick that sent the fish-man flying into a nearby wall.
"Gotcha," Sanji grinned, sweat dripping from his brow. "I can feel it, now. A little more and I'll have it down."
Usopp, though still struggling with his fear, was also beginning to understand the basics of Observation Haki. He couldn't sense attacks the way Sanji could yet, but he could feel a general sense of danger approaching. When a fish-man charged at him, Usopp sidestepped at the last second, narrowly avoiding the trident that aimed for his chest.
"Whoa!" Usopp gasped, his heart racing. "I actually saw that coming!"
His confidence was growing as he realized how much his Haki training had improved. He still couldn't control it as well as the others, but he was learning fast.
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Luffy vs. Arlong - The Clash
While the rest of the crew engaged Arlong's men, Luffy had his sights set on Arlong, the shark-faced fish-man. The two locked eyes as they faced off.
"You humans are all the same," Arlong sneered. "You think you can defeat me? I'm a fish-man!"
Luffy grinned, his eyes flashing with determination. "I don't need a Devil Fruit to take you down," he said, cracking his knuckles. "I've got something better—Haki."
Arlong laughed at him. "You really think that's enough?"
Luffy didn't answer. Instead, he focused his mind, activating his Observation Haki. It wasn't perfect yet, but he could sense Arlong's movements, the slightest shift in his stance, the twitch of his muscles before he attacked. Luffy was fast, but Haki made him faster—able to dodge most of Arlong's trident strikes, even when they were coming in fast.
Arlong lunged, thrusting his trident toward Luffy's chest, but Luffy sidestepped just in time, using the enhanced awareness from Observation Haki to feel the trajectory of the strike.
"Not bad, but you can't dodge forever," Arlong growled, swinging his trident in a wide arc.
Luffy, still using Observation Haki, darted forward with incredible speed, landing a powerful punch right into Arlong's face. The force of the punch caused the fish-man to stumble back, surprised by the power of a human's blow. Luffy's fist wasn't coated in Armament Haki, but the raw impact of his punch—combined with his immense physical strength—sent shockwaves through Arlong's body.
"You're strong, but you won't beat me," Arlong sneered, charging at Luffy again.
Luffy didn't back down. He used the force of his Haki-enhanced instincts to predict Arlong's next attack, dodging and countering with a quick punch to Arlong's side, pushing him off balance. Luffy felt his Armament Haki in his legs, though it was still underdeveloped, giving him the added strength to push Arlong back.
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The Final Moments of the Battle
With a final move, Luffy unleashed everything he had. His Haki gave him the precision to land devastating blows, his movements fluid and powerful. Arlong was taken by surprise—his own trident had no effect as Luffy used his enhanced agility to dodge every attack.
Luffy finally landed a decisive blow, a powerful punch wrapped in Armament Haki, sending Arlong crashing to the ground, unconscious.
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Victory and Freedom
The battle was over. With Arlong defeated, the crew stood victorious. The villagers, who had long been oppressed by the fish-man's reign, erupted in cheers. Nami, tears streaming down her face, finally felt free from the chains of her past.
"Thank you, Luffy," Nami whispered, stepping toward him.
Luffy smiled at her. "It's nothing. We're a crew. This is what we do."
---
The crew was growing stronger with each battle, their Haki abilities improving and becoming an integral part of their strength. Luffy, now more determined than ever, knew that they had a long journey ahead—but as a crew, they could overcome anything.
The crew set sail once again, their next adventure waiting just over the horizon.
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End of Chapter