Cocoyasi Village, the marketplace.
Among the bustling crowd were women out shopping, children playing in the streets, and vendors loudly calling out to attract customers.
Compared to the peaceful, almost secluded Syrup Village, Cocoyasi Village was lively and vibrant! Though it didn't reach the scale of Shells Town, it was far more bustling than an ordinary village.
Little Nami followed behind Nojiko, her mood absolutely radiant!
First, Bell-mère's tangerine grove had been contracted by Arashi, meaning Bell-mère no longer had to starve herself to save food for them.
Second, Arashi had promised to teach her navigation in the coming days.
With both combined, for Nami at her age, this was undoubtedly the happiest she had ever been!
"Something's wrong! Something's wrong!"
Suddenly, from the other end of the marketplace, several villagers came running in panic, shouting as they ran, "Everyone hide! Pirates are coming!!!"
"Pirates?"
"Damn it! Where did they come from?!"
Hearing this, the previously relaxed crowd instantly fell into chaos, scattering in all directions in panic.
Watching the sudden commotion around her, Nami blinked in confusion before looking up at Nojiko.
"Nami, we need to go—now!"
Without waiting for a response, Nojiko grabbed Nami's hand and ran.
But after just a few steps, both of them tripped and fell to the ground.
"Nami! Nojiko!"
At that moment, a figure rushed over and quickly picked them up. "Why are you two here? Hurry—find somewhere to hide!"
Hearing the familiar voice, both girls froze for a moment before shouting in unison, "Genzo!"
Genzo—the local officer of Cocoyasi Village—treated Nami and Nojiko like his own daughters and cared deeply for them.
"Why are you out here?"
Carrying them as he ran, Genzo asked urgently, "Where's Bell-mère?"
"S-She's with Mr. Kairo D. Arashi…"
The moment Nami finished speaking, Genzo abruptly stopped. He crouched down and placed the two girls on the ground.
"You two go home immediately. Tell Bell-mère and Mr. Kairo D. Arashi—whatever happens, do not come outside!"
"Th-Then what about you, Genzo?"
"I'm going to move Mr. Kairo D. Arashi's ship somewhere safe. If those pirates spot it, it'll be gone for sure. Hurry, go! Mr. Kairo D. Arashi helped us so much—I absolutely can't let his ship be taken!"
Though young, Nami and Nojiko were very sensible.
So after hearing his words, they didn't hesitate and immediately ran off.
Watching the two disappear into the distance, Genzo took a deep breath, then turned and sprinted toward the dock where the Traveler was anchored.
Meanwhile—
At another dock in Cocoyasi Village, a massive pirate ship slammed ashore. Moments later, a group of bizarre-looking figures leapt down and rushed toward the village.
Soon, they arrived at the marketplace.
"Damn it… it's the Arlong Pirates!!"
"Arlong?!"
"How is that possible? Why are fish-men from the Grand Line here?!"
"So the rumors about the Fish-Man Pirates splitting apart are true!"
Despair. Shock.
The villagers in the marketplace froze in place—it was already too late to run.
"Shahahahaha…"
At the front stood a man with a long, saw-like nose, his laughter chilling to the bone. "What a wonderful place this is!!!"
Arlong.
Captain of the Arlong Pirates. A sawshark fish-man. A blatant racist who believed that fish-men were inherently superior to humans, and that any human resistance was a violation of natural law. He had come from the Grand Line to the East Blue with ambitions of ruling it entirely.
Behind him, the members of the Arlong Pirates stood coldly, staring at the villagers.
"Pathetic humans."
Arlong swept his gaze across the crowd and declared domineeringly, "From this moment on, this village—no, this entire island—belongs to us!"
"Shahahaha…"
"Listen well! On this memorable day, you will buy your lives from me!"
At those words, every villager trembled. Rage burned within them, but none dared to speak.
After all, though the Arlong Pirates hadn't been in the East Blue for long, their reputation was already infamous. More importantly, many villagers had heard of the legendary Fish-Man Pirates from the Grand Line—and these were the very demons who had split from that crew.
Arlong paid no attention to their fear. Taking a step forward, he declared coldly, "Adults: 100,000 Beli each. Children: 50,000 Beli each!"
"Anyone who can't pay… will be killed!"
"Shahahahaha—!"
Meanwhile—
Inside Bell-mère's house, Arashi's constant witty remarks gradually eased the tension, and Bell-mère began to relax. She was naturally bold and free-spirited—the earlier restraint had only been due to Mihawk's sudden appearance.
After a few drinks, she completely loosened up.
More importantly, she realized that Mihawk wasn't as terrifying as she had thought. Especially when he got flustered by Arashi's antics—she couldn't help but laugh along!
"Bell-mère."
After several rounds of drinks, Arashi turned to her with a smile. "Earlier, I noticed you seemed quite wary of this guy. Do you know him?"
"Ah, well…"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Bell-mère hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I've heard of Mr. Mihawk's name."
"This guy's that famous?"
Arashi looked as if he had just discovered something new, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Come on, tell me—what kind of person is Mihawk?"
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