Four days ter.

  The Cocoyashi Vilge coastline was only a few hundred meters away.

  Bai Yu was hard at work on the deck, exercising relentlessly. Thanks to the Restoration Fruit, his stamina and fatigue were constantly replenished, allowing him to train without stopping.

  Kaya was also working on basic workouts to build her strength, while Nami, now soaring through the air, had completely freed Bai Yu from his temporary helmsman duties.

  Why?

  "Airpne mode."

  Nami had created a small Shima Cloud to tow the Going Merry, lifting the ship into the air and turning it into a flying vessel.

  A pirate crew that could fly—truly, Sky Pirates.

  Nami wasn't strong enough yet to sustain this mode for long, as controlling the Shima Cloud consumed a significant amount of her stamina. She could only manage a few hours at a time.

  However, with both Bai Yu and Kaya able to restore her stamina, it was theoretically possible for Nami to fly the ship around the world.

  "Nami, you're doing great," Bai Yu praised.

  "Humph!" Nami puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. "Why don't you use the Cloud-Cloud Fruit to drag the ship yourself?! You have it too, and I'm exhausted!"

  Although Nami and Kaya didn't fully understand why Bai Yu shared their Devil Fruit abilities, they didn't question it too much.

  Bai Yu, still mid-workout, replied casually: "Of course I'm making you practice. Remember, you're the one who will defeat Arlong."

  Hearing the name Arlong, Nami's expression turned serious.

  A week of relentless training had significantly enhanced her abilities with the Cloud-Cloud Fruit. While her basic combat power hadn't improved much, her fruit mastery had skyrocketed.

  Nami knew she could now destroy Arlong without hesitation. The fruit's versatility suited her perfectly, and with her newfound strength, her fear of Arlong had evaporated. All that remained was pure hatred.

  "And remember," Bai Yu continued, "don't hold back against your enemies. Don't act like an idiot and throw a party afterward—"

  "Got it, got it, stop nagging!" Nami cut him off, pouting.

  Defeating just Arlong?

  "No way," Nami thought to herself.

  Her mother, Bell-mère, had been killed by the Arlong Pirates. If she didn't wipe out the entire crew, she'd never find peace.

  Bai Yu turned to Kaya. "You're going too."

  "Understood." Kaya nodded, clenching her fists, her eyes filled with determination.

  Bai Yu smiled. "Just sit on the cloud and watch. You're not strong enough to take on the fish-men, but this is a chance to see what a real fight looks like."

  "Let's go!"

  Bai Yu took control of the Shima Cloud, lifting the Going Merry into the air over Cocoyashi Vilge.

  Nami took a deep breath, creating additional clouds in the sky. She made a small Flight Cloud for Kaya to sit on and began her descent toward Arlong Park.

  Cocoyashi Vilge.

  In front of an ordinary house, Nojiko was watering the orange trees. As she gnced up at the sky, her eyes widened in shock.

  "Wait… is that… a ship?"

  The ship wasn't flying very high. From directly below, it looked like a rge cloud passing overhead, but from Nojiko's position, she could clearly see the Going Merry perched atop the cloud.

  Nojiko also spotted a familiar orange-haired figure descending from the sky.

  "Nami?!" she excimed in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

  Nojiko ran toward the orange grove but froze in pce as another figure suddenly appeared before her.

  Bai Yu casually waved a hand. "You're Nami's sister, right? Nice to meet you. I'm taking you somewhere safe. No one will see or hear you, so don't bother calling for help."

  Inside Arlong Park.

  Dozens of fish-men were enjoying a lively banquet.

  "The takoyaki's ready! Eat up, everyone!" shouted Hatchan, the six-armed octopus fish-man, as he carried trays of food to the others.

  Seated at the head of the table, Arlong took a takoyaki and ughed, stroking his jagged saw-like nose. "Haha! By my calcutions, Nami should be back soon. I wonder if that lowly human managed to collect the money."

  "Of course she did," Croobi sneered. "She's just a weak human. She'll believe anything we tell her."

  "Boss Arlong, what if we steal Nami's 100 million berries? What if she kills herself? She's such a useful navigator." Another fish-man chuckled, clearly amused.

  "Suicide?" Arlong grinned cruelly. "Then we'll give her a grand funeral—by sughtering the entire vilge!"

  "Enough!"

  A cold, sharp voice suddenly cut through the air, silencing the fish-men.

  Looking up, they saw Nami standing on a cloud, gring down at them with unprecedented determination. Her fists were clenched tightly, and her eyes burned with fury.

  "You… are you Nami?" Arlong asked, stunned.

  Where had she found this courage?

  "Wait, Brother Arlong!" Hatchan excimed, his sharp eyes noticing something unusual. "Look at her hand—it's turning into a cloud!"

  "Shut up, I can see it!" Arlong snapped, his voice filled with a mix of anger, envy, and hatred.

  He stared at Nami's hand, which had transformed into a cloud that stretched toward the sky.

  "I see now! You ate a Devil Fruit! No wonder you've grown so bold!"

  Arlong's jealousy burned red-hot. He knew all too well how powerful a Logia Fruit could be. The memory of Kizaru chasing the Sun Pirates was seared into his mind—just the aftermath of Kizaru's attacks had been enough to render him helpless.

  And now, he couldn't even imagine standing against Nami.

  "Everyone, attack her together!" Arlong roared. "Spsh the seawater! Drown her!"

  The fish-men obeyed, unching water droplets, streams, and columns into the air.

  Nami's expression remained icy as she waved her hand. A cloud wall materialized in front of her, effortlessly blocking the water attacks.

  "Listen to me, Arlong!" Nami shouted. "For eight years, you've inflicted pain and misery on this vilge. Now, it's your turn to feel that pain!"

  Her voice dropped, cold and resolute. "I'll give you a funeral worthy of the monster you are."

  With that, Nami activated her final attack:

  "Isnd Cloud: Descent!"

  A massive Isnd Cloud, compressed and thickened over the past few days, loomed above Arlong Park. Measuring dozens of meters in diameter, it fell like a mountain, casting a massive shadow over the fish-men below.

  As the atmosphere hissed with the pressure of the falling cloud, the fish-men froze in terror.

  They knew.

  They didn't have the strength to stop it.

  "No! Stop!" Arlong screamed, his voice cracking with fear.

  But it was too te.

  The Isnd Cloud crashed down, obliterating everything in its path.