Chapter 69: Busted
When Ian's ship appeared in the waters near Cocoyasi Village, they had already been spotted by the Arlong Pirates.
Soon enough, a ship from the Arlong Pirates emerged on the sea surface and sailed toward Ian's crew.
"Are you sure it's okay not to fire?" Tashigi asked nervously, lowering her binoculars after spotting the pirate ship. "I should also tell you that this sea area falls under the jurisdiction of Branch 16. If our Marine ship encounters pirates at sea, attacking them is fine, but if we directly land and engage, it'll be seen as stealing Branch 16's credit."
Each Marine branch had its own designated sea zones. Normally, branch Marines only handled matters within their own territory. Ian bringing the Loguetown branch Marines into Branch 16's turf to catch pirates was clearly overstepping boundaries.
However, Ian had his own plans. He still refused to order the Marines to open fire, continuing to sail toward Arlong Park.
Arlong Park was located just below Cocoyasi Village. The Arlong Pirates' ship, which had appeared on the sea, had been sailing arrogantly toward Ian's vessel. But as they got closer and noticed the Marines weren't attacking, they found it strange. They pulled up alongside and shouted, "Damn it, which Marine branch are you from? What are you doing here!?"
"Th-those are fish-men? They look terrifying!" The Marine soldiers on board stared fearfully at the fierce-looking fish-men pirates, swallowing hard.
Ian also observed these fish-men, noting their bizarre appearances. Their skin was mostly bluish and damp, covered in a layer of slime. Even from a distance, the wind carried the fishy stench of their bodies.
Hearing their challenge, Ian walked to the ship's railing and shouted back, "Where's Arlong!? Take us to him!"
Tashigi was stunned. She couldn't understand Ian's intention. They had come ready to fight, yet he was asking the pirates to see their leader? Fish-men weren't stupid—why would they listen to him?
But then, to Tashigi's astonishment, the fish-men on the other ship muttered among themselves for a moment, then turned their vessel and said to Ian, "Follow us!"
"Wh-what's going on?" Tashigi asked Ian in confusion.
Ian's expression darkened. His shout had been a test. He knew full well this was Branch 16's territory, but he had still brought the Marines along, deliberately playing a trick to guard against the Branch 16 commander, Captain Mouse!
During his time at the Loguetown Marine base, Ian had picked up gossip from the Marines. When he heard that the attack on Shells Town by the Buggy Pirates had led to the demotion of Branch 16's former captain and the promotion of Lieutenant Commander Mouse to captain, he was surprised and recalled who this person was.
Now, a month later, Ian didn't know if Captain Mouse had already hooked up with Arlong. Since Ian had decided to capture Arlong for the bounty, he couldn't let Captain Mouse interfere.
Ian could have come alone—he could have had Tashigi and the others drop him off at Arlong Park and then leave. But Captain Mouse was a variable. If he had already colluded with Arlong, even if Ian defeated Arlong, Mouse might frame him. After all, Arlong was his cash cow; he wouldn't let him be captured easily.
Ian needed money, but if he got wanted due to Captain Mouse's interference, the path of hunting pirates for bounties would be blocked. It was unheard of for a pirate to catch another pirate and then claim the bounty from the Marines.
That's why Ian had brought the Loguetown Marines. He was using them as a shield against the potential interference of Captain Mouse.
With so many Marines present as witnesses, Ian didn't believe Mouse could twist the truth.
Of course, Mouse had only recently taken office, and Ian didn't know if he had already contacted Arlong. So his earlier shout was a test, and the result was bad. The fish-men of the Arlong Pirates had agreed to take Ian to see Arlong, showing they had little wariness of Marines who didn't attack them.
Tashigi might not understand what this meant, but Ian knew it well. Mouse probably hadn't just started colluding with Arlong after becoming captain; he might have already been in cahoots with him as a lieutenant commander. This lack of wariness couldn't have developed in just a month.
No wonder the Arlong Pirates had roamed the East Blue for so long. Besides their strength, Mouse might have been tipping them off to avoid Marine crackdowns.
But Ian couldn't explain all this to Tashigi. He simply said, "When we get ashore, don't say anything stupid, don't show hostility, and watch my lead."
The pirates' behavior was suspicious, and Tashigi and the other Marines sensed something was off. They nodded in agreement.
Guided by the fish-men, Ian's ship slowly docked at Arlong Park's pier. Meanwhile, Arlong, who was in the park, received the news.
Sitting by the pool, Arlong was a large, imposing figure. He listened to his subordinate's report and said grimly, "A Marine patrol ship? Didn't Mouse come by a few days ago? Haven't we already paid him this month's money?"
Behind Arlong stood one of his crew's officers, a fish-man named "Chuu" with a long beak-like mouth. Chuu explained, "It doesn't seem to be Mouse's ship. The Marines on board are unfamiliar."
"From another branch?" Arlong rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Bring them to me! And contact Mouse to find out what's going on. Why are Marines from another branch here? Also, find an excuse to send Nami away. She can't know about our connection with the Marines."
The fish-men pirates carried out his orders, and Arlong waited.
Soon, Chuu led Ian and his group into view.
Arlong observed from a distance. The Marines who came ashore were numerous and armed, but they hadn't drawn their weapons. He seemed to understand something and a smug smile spread across his face.
"Hahaha, what a rare guest!" he laughed as Ian and Tashigi approached. "Marines actually visiting a pirate's turf?"
Ian looked at Arlong, the fierce fish-man with a saw-like long nose, and showed no fear. He plopped down in a chair across from Arlong, slapped the table, and said, "Whether it's a visit or not depends on how you see it, Chief Arlong."
"Oh?" Arlong looked at Ian with interest. "What should I call you?"
Ian was wearing civilian clothes, not a Marine uniform, so Arlong couldn't tell his rank. Seeing the large group of Marines behind Ian, Arlong never suspected Ian wasn't a Marine—he completely misunderstood.
"Just call me Ian," Ian said vaguely, then got straight to the point. "Let's be clear. Whether this is a friendly visit depends on your sincerity, Chief Arlong!"
As he spoke, Ian made a counting-money gesture with his fingers, looking quite sleazy.
He hadn't attacked immediately because he wanted to see if he could squeeze some money out of Arlong. If Arlong could bribe Mouse, why wouldn't he try to buy off other Marines?
But unfortunately, Arlong was more cunning than Ian expected. He didn't fall for it. Instead, he sneered, "Forgive me for saying so, but you look unfamiliar. You're not from these waters, are you? Coming here like this—aren't you afraid of overstepping?"
Tashigi was glaring at Ian angrily. She couldn't believe he was using the Marines to extort the Arlong Pirates.
Ian slammed the table. "Who cares which branch I'm from! Just tell me—are you paying or not!?"
Seeing Ian's anger, Arlong's pupils narrowed, making his expression even more terrifying. He said darkly, "And if I don't? Do you think any random nobody can come to my turf and extort me!?"
"Then there's nothing to talk about!" Ian stood up abruptly. "Men, draw your weapons!"
"Clang! Clang!" The Marine soldiers, already tense under the watchful eyes of the surrounding fish-men pirates, were on edge. They didn't have Ian's nerve. Today's events were too intense for them. At Ian's command, they drew their weapons—some brandishing swords, others raising rifles at the fish-men.
The fish-men responded in kind, aiming their weapons at the Marines. The scene was tense, on the verge of a fight.
Tashigi was frantic. This wasn't what they had agreed on! What was Ian playing at?
But just as she was about to speak, Arlong burst into loud laughter. His fierce expression suddenly softened, and he spread his hands. "Young man, don't be so impulsive!"
He slapped a stack of bills onto the table. "I have money, and I can give it to you! But if you don't name your terms, how can we negotiate?"
Ian grabbed the money and quickly counted it—20,000 Berries. He frowned. "That's all? I can promise not to hunt your Arlong Pirates in the future, but this little sincerity isn't enough!"
Tashigi nearly fainted. What did he mean by "promise not to hunt the Arlong Pirates"? He wasn't even a Marine!
But she realized Ian was just messing with Arlong. His promises meant nothing since he couldn't speak for the Marines.
Indeed, Ian planned to extort some money and then turn hostile. He was just bluffing.
Arlong wasn't stupid. He sensed something was off. After a moment, he slapped another stack of bills on the table but held it down, preventing Ian from taking it. "That's a nice promise, but first, tell me—which branch are you from?"
"Oh, we're from Branch 110!" Ian lied without blinking.
Arlong stood up with a crash, smashing his chair to pieces with his monstrous strength. He roared, "Bullshit! There's no Branch 110 in the East Blue! You're messing with me!?"
Before Ian could answer, Chuu, whom Arlong had sent to contact Mouse, came running up, panting. He shouted, "Chief! We've been tricked! He's not a Marine! He's a bounty hunter—'Burning Blade' Ian!"
Hearing this, Arlong's eyes widened as he stared at Ian. Ian scratched his head irritably and said, "Ah, busted already, huh?"