While they were resting, in the tangerine fields Nami was waking up, feeling much better than minutes ago.
"Only one more trip left," Nami said as she looked at her goal nearby.
At that moment, some people were approaching.
'Gen-san with the marines?' Nami thought as she saw them.
"Chichichi... I am Captain Nezumi of Marine Division 66, and you must be Nami, the criminal," Nezumi said.
"The criminal? That's right, I'm a pirate, that makes me a criminal. Even so, I am an officer of Arlong. I'm sure a captain like you knows very well that Arlong won't just stand by if you try to arrest me. So, do you have a problem with me?" Nami said confidently.
"Chichichi... What are you talking about? I don't understand. A pirate? I've never received that kind of information, and I'm not interested. Though I have heard that you're a thief," Nezumi said, looking at her with a smile that put Nami on alert.
"And from what I've heard, you steal treasures from pirates, and since you're stealing from pirates, I don't have much to object to. But a theft is a theft, and a crime is a crime. Do you understand? If the things you've stolen belong to criminals, then the most logical thing is for the government to confiscate them," Nezumi said.
"What are you talking about?" Nami said, frightened.
"I am ordering you to take everything you've stolen and bring it here in front of us!" Nezumi ordered.
"Search for the stolen goods!"
The marines were about to enter Nami's house, so she attacked them from behind.
"Why?! Is this really your top priority right now?! Don't you have anything better to do here?! Arlong's crew kills people and destroys entire villages! It's impossible that you haven't noticed that!"
"Under their control, everyone on this island lives like slaves! Is the government really going to ignore that enormous problem right in front of their eyes and only deal with a simple case of pirate theft?!" Nami said angrily and in frustration.
"Chichichi... You have no right to question me, thief. Ignore her and continue searching!"
"Captain! This ground is suspicious," a marine reported, pointing at the tangerine trees.
"Dig there!"
The marines were about to dig, so Nami struck them again to drive them away.
"Keep your filthy hands off Bellemere-san's tangerine trees! I will never hand over the money! That money is...!"
Before Nami could say anything else...
"Nami's money is to save Cocoyashi Village! What gives you the right to take it from her?!" Genzo shouted, unable to keep watching.
"Is a mere villager talking to me, a Marine captain?" Nezumi said.
"Gen-san, how did you...?" Nami said, unable to understand how he had found out.
"For a long time now. We simply couldn't believe what you had done that day, so we pressured Nojiko and she told us the truth. But we thought that if you knew that we knew, our hopes would trap you with us in case you couldn't endure the situation anymore and decided to run away. So we always pretended not to know," Genzo confessed, leaving Nami stunned.
"What are you people saying? That everyone in this village is an accomplice to theft and you want me to arrest you all?" Nezumi said, threatening them.
"What they're saying is that everyone in this village is fighting to survive!" shouted Nojiko, who had just arrived. "Because we can't trust government workers like you to come and help us! If you're not here to save this village, then get out of here! You'd better think twice before Arlong finds out that you're here!"
"And what's the problem with that Arlong? Are you sure he'll come?" Nezumi said, drawing Nami's attention. "Are you still searching?! We're not talking about a few grains of rice! It's 100 million Belly! It's impossible that you can't find them!"
"How do you know how much money it is?!" Genzo shouted.
"Hmmm? Let's just say it's a hunch. Chichichi," Nezumi said mockingly.
When Nami heard that, it felt to her like she heard Arlong's laughter.
"Don't tell me Arlong sent you here!" Nami shouted.
"I wouldn't say things like that. We're just simple government workers searching for thieves. It's what our job dictates," Nezumi said in a sinister way.
"Corrupt bastards!" Genzo said.
"How can the marines sink so low as to become dogs of pirates?!" Nojiko shouted at them.
"Deal with them. They're interfering with the investigation," Nezumi ordered the marines.
The marines aimed their weapons and fired at them, but at the moment the shots should have hit, none of them were struck.
"I don't understand... how you could believe that the bastard who murdered your mother and enslaved your island would keep his promise."
Nami looked ahead and saw Oliver, who had protected them from all the bullets.
"O-Oliver, what are you doing here?" Nami asked, unable to understand.
"I'm pretty sure I told you..." Oliver looked at Nami. "...if anything happens, tell me and I'll help you. We're nakamas after all."
Oliver gave Nami a smile and then looked seriously at the marines.
"You're really unlucky. I just needed something to take my anger out on," Oliver said as a spear appeared in his hand.
"What are you waiting for? Shoot him..." Nezumi ordered.
Before they could fire, Oliver moved in an instant, standing in front of the marines, attacking them all with a sweep of his spear, then immediately lunging at Nezumi and grabbing him by the neck.
"Captain!"
The marines aimed at Oliver, intending to shoot him.
"Drop your weapons or I'll rip his neck off right now," Oliver threatened, tightening his grip on Nezumi's neck.
"D-Do what he says!" Nezumi said, struggling to breathe.
Because of the threat, the marines had no choice but to drop their weapons.
"Wow, you're easy to convince, don't you think?" Oliver said, loosening his grip on Nezumi a bit.
"Who is he?" Genzo asked.
"He's just... an idiot," Nami said, remembering Oliver's words.
"Tell me, rat, how did you know about Nami's money?" Oliver asked.
"W-We were just informed about a thief," Nezumi said, grabbing Oliver's hand, trying to free himself.
Oliver grabbed him by his front teeth and began to apply pressure.
"How did you know about Nami's money?! Tell me, or I promise I'll pull your teeth out and then put them back in, but backwards," he threatened, starting to tear them out.
"S-Stop! I'll tell you! I'll tell you! It was Arlong! He offered to let me keep all the thief's money if I stole it from her!" Nezumi shouted desperately.
Everyone present was stunned, with the marines and Nami being the most affected.
"I see. Then you're no longer useful."
Oliver released Nezumi and then delivered a downward punch straight to his face, slamming him into the ground.
"The captain made a deal with a pirate?" one of the marines said in disbelief.
"So you didn't know?" Oliver asked.
"Of course not. For a marine to do that is unforgivable, but we can't do anything. He's still the captain," the marine said.
"Get out of here and take the rat with you. Or I'll do the same to you."
The marines grabbed Nezumi and dragged him away, leaving them alone.
"Phew... That actually felt really good," Oliver said, more relaxed.
"Arlong, that lying bastard," Nami said angrily after discovering the truth.
"And to think we've endured all this time," Nojiko said.
Furious, Nami started to run, but Oliver grabbed her arm, stopping her instantly.
"What are you doing?" Nami said angrily.
"That's what I should be asking you. You're not planning to go confront Arlong, are you?" Oliver said, not letting go.
"And what do you care what I do?"
"You're my nakama. Of course I care if I see you about to throw yourself at a bastard who would do anything for his own benefit. What do you think will happen if you go and confront him about this? Especially when he finds out the marines failed," Oliver said.
"Then what do you want me to do?"
"Let us help you. We're your nakamas after all," Oliver said.
"We're nothing! I tricked you, I lied to you, I stole your ship, your treasures! It's impossible for us to be nakamas!" Nami said, trembling slightly.
"And yet we're all here for you," Oliver said, taking her hand and trying to calm her. "Let us help you."
"Why?"
"Because that's what nakamas do. We help each other, and there's no one who won't help you. You left trying to protect us, didn't you? So let us protect you too," Oliver said with a smile.
"You'll all die if you fight them," Nami said fearfully.
"We won't. Have a little faith in us," Oliver said.
"You're idiots."
"Yeah, we're a very stupid pirate crew. That's why we need our nakama and navigator, who helps us with her intelligence so we don't die out at sea. So... will you let us help you?"
Nami looked at her family and then nodded with her head lowered.
"Then let's go get the rest," Oliver said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
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