"You two came from outside?" A sharp-billed Fishman strolled up casually, placing one hand on Qin Chuan's shoulder and the other on Douglas Barrett's, speaking in a laid-back tone.
"What's the issue?" Qin Chuan turned, eyes calm but questioning.
"Haha, do you even know whose turf this is?" the Fishman laughed wildly, teeth sharp.
"Turf?"
"Ever heard of the Dragon Pirates? This is our domain," he said proudly, chest puffed out.
"Oh, them." Qin Chuan suddenly remembered. "That explains the familiar-looking flag outside. So it belongs to that piece of trash."
Hearing this, Douglas Barrett raised an eyebrow. Qin Chuan continued, recalling what he knew.
The Dragon Pirates were led by Arlong, a Fishman and former officer of the Sun Pirates. After leaving Fisher Tiger's crew, he formed his own band and returned from the Grand Line to conquer the East Blue. Arlong began systematically attacking villages, eventually taking over more than twenty, including Cocosia Village—Nami's hometown—where he built his so-called "Arlong Empire."
Douglas Barrett, having spent the last twenty years imprisoned, was oblivious to these developments.
"Are these Dragon Pirates strong?" he asked flatly.
"They're considered the top crew in the East Blue. Their captain's bounty is... twenty million berries."
Barrett nearly spat.
"Twenty million? That's the bounty for my finger. If this is the highest bounty out here, the East Blue is pathetically weak."
"Hey, punk!" The sharp-billed Fishman's face darkened. "Did you just call our boss trash? You got a death wish?"
The atmosphere in the tavern tensed. All the other Fishmen stood at once, staring at Qin Chuan with murderous intent.
Qin Chuan glanced over at Barrett.
"Douglas Barrett, I've heard you're a legend, but I haven't seen it with my own eyes. Why not stretch your legs a little?"
Qin Chuan had his reasons. Though he could easily defeat these small fries, doing so would waste one of his [Possession Use Times]—a rare and costly resource requiring 1000 reputation points per use. And considering the low-tier nature of these enemies, he wouldn't even earn enough to make it worthwhile. He had already earned over 40 points at Impel Down, but that wasn't enough to exchange for a Hashirama character card.
So rather than waste energy, he'd let Barrett handle it. He was curious to see the strength of the man rumored to rival "Dark King" Rayleigh.
Barrett snorted.
"Calling this a challenge is an insult."
Without waiting, he vanished from his spot and appeared before the sharp-billed Fishman in a flash. His fists turned jet black with Armament Haki. Before the Fishman could react, Barrett's punch landed square on his face.
Boom!
With a dull thud, the Fishman crashed through the tavern wall and was sent flying.
"Kill them!" the remaining Fishmen shouted, rushing forward.
But Barrett was already moving. He darted into the crowd like a demon, fists coated in Armament, striking with overwhelming precision and power. In mere seconds, every Fishman lay sprawled across the tavern floor—unmoving.
The bartender had just returned with two glasses of rum and froze, eyes wide in disbelief.
Barrett walked back slowly, took the rum from the stunned owner, and handed one glass to Qin Chuan.
"Seriously? You used Haki against those weaklings?" Qin Chuan said with a grin.
Armament Haki—one of the three fundamental types of Haki—enhances both offense and defense. It can hit even Logia-type Devil Fruit users, making it a fearsome power in battle. The moment Barrett's skin turned pitch-black, Qin Chuan recognized the unmistakable sign of Armament.
"Guess you do know your Haki," Barrett said with a smirk. "You wanted a taste of my power—just a sliver of it. That's what warriors from my era look like."
Qin Chuan sipped the rum, but immediately coughed.
"Damn, this stuff's strong."
"Haha! Still a pup! Rum's one of the world's strongest drinks. I was downing barrels of it when I was fifteen!" Barrett laughed heartily.
"Tch, not impressed."
Qin Chuan gave it another go but found it no match for Earth's Maotai. With a sigh, he set the glass down.
Just then, the tavern owner regained his senses and hurried over.
"You two… you better leave fast! When the Dragon Pirates' officers show up, you won't be able to escape!"