"Huh?"
Bell-mère blinked her beautiful eyes, looking at Arashi in surprise.
At first, she had assumed Arashi and Mihawk were traveling together. After seeing how Arashi teased and messed with Mihawk, she had already concluded that the two of them were companions—after all, Mihawk was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!
But now, judging by Arashi's expression… it seemed like he didn't actually know much about Mihawk?
If that were true, then it was even more terrifying!
With that thought, Bell-mère avoided the issue and asked cautiously, "Mr. Kairo D. Arashi, aren't you traveling with Mr. Mihawk? You don't know what kind of person he is?"
"Haha… well, I really don't know. Is he very strong?"
"Very strong?"
Bell-mère felt her mind go blank.
So Arashi really didn't know?!
"Bang—!"
Suddenly, the tightly shut door burst open.
In the next instant, Nami and Nojiko rushed in, both panting heavily as they shouted in unison, "Bell-mère, something's wrong! Pirates are here!"
Before Arashi and the others could react, little Nami ran to his side and said anxiously, "Mr. Kairo D. Arashi, hurry—hide with Bell-mère!"
"Alright, alright!"
Arashi was only momentarily stunned before nodding repeatedly. "But don't be nervous, Nami. We've got someone very strong here!"
As he spoke, Arashi looked up at Mihawk, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Arashi's calm reaction only made Nami, Nojiko, and Bell-mère even more anxious!
"Mr. Kairo D. Arashi, please take Nami and Nojiko and hide first. I'll go out and check what's happening."
As she spoke, Bell-mère stood up and turned to Nami. "Nami, how did you and Nojiko get back?"
"It was Genzo."
Nojiko answered, "He brought us to the village entrance, then went to the seaside!"
"The seaside? What is he doing there?"
"He said he's going to hide Mr. Kairo D. Arashi's ship. Otherwise, if the pirates see it, it'll be gone."
Hearing this, Arashi suddenly stood up.
He hadn't paid attention to it before, but now he remembered—the Traveler was still docked at the port.
And inside the ship… there were three hundred million Beli.
Of course, the money wasn't the main concern. If the Traveler got destroyed, that would be a real problem!
"Let's go."
Before Arashi could act, Mihawk—who had remained silent until now—suddenly stood up and said calmly, "If those pirates dare damage your ship, I don't mind cutting them all down for you."
With that, he turned and walked out without hesitation.
Seeing Mihawk step forward, Bell-mère immediately let out a sigh of relief.
From what she knew, this world's greatest swordsman always acted on his own whims. Unless something directly offended him, he would never bother to intervene. That was why she hadn't asked for his help earlier.
"Mr. Kairo D. Arashi, I'll go with Mr. Mihawk to check things out. Could you please stay and look after Nami and Nojiko?"
Although Bell-mère had once been known as a delinquent in the village, she had always carried a strong sense of justice. That was why she later joined the Marines—and why, after that brutal battle, she brought Nami and Nojiko back and became their adoptive mother.
So even with Mihawk stepping in, she still felt she had to go out and see the situation for herself.
"That won't do."
Before she could finish, Arashi waved his hand. "I want to see just how strong Mihawk really is! And Nami probably wants to see those pirates driven away too, right?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Hearing this, Nami's eyes lit up instantly, nodding vigorously.
At this point, all of Nami's earlier fear had vanished. Especially after standing beside Arashi, she no longer showed even a trace of fear—as if there were no pirates at all. Her smile was as innocent as ever.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?"
Arashi smiled. "Let's go."
With that, he took Nami's hand and walked out, following Mihawk.
Seeing this, Nojiko quickly caught up, grabbing Arashi's other hand. She looked up at him with a bright smile and said obediently, "Mr. Kairo D. Arashi, I want to go too!"
"Of course."
As if strolling leisurely through his own backyard, Arashi walked toward the marketplace, holding one little girl in each hand.
Watching her two daughters show no fear at all—and instead trust Arashi so completely—Bell-mère stood frozen for a long moment before finally shaking her head with a silent smile.
She knew Mihawk was incredibly powerful. These East Blue pirates were nothing in front of him.
But compared to Arashi, he lacked something.
Something like… warmth.
And a sense of security.
Yes—not just Nami and Nojiko, even she herself was affected by Arashi's presence. Even a simple smile from him made her feel at ease.
…
Cocoyasi Village marketplace.
Since the Arlong Pirates' goal was money—and they had clearly set their prices—the villagers who had been terrified moments ago began to calm down slightly.
One by one, they hurried home, returning with the money to buy their lives.
Meanwhile, Arlong sat steadily on a chair in the marketplace, watching the villagers bring him money, his grin growing more arrogant by the second.
"Everyone, how much have we collected so far?"
At his question, a fish-man with two topknot-like tufts of hair stepped forward and replied seriously, "About twenty-five million Beli."
"Shahahahaha!"
Hearing how much they had already collected, Arlong threw his head back and laughed wildly. "Well done, Kuroobi!"
Kuroobi.
An officer of the Arlong Pirates. A ray fish-man. A master of Fish-Man Karate, reaching the level of 40 dan, and skilled with a blade.
Neither Kuroobi nor Arlong had expected Cocoyasi Village to bring them such massive profits.
Especially Arlong—watching the villagers obediently hand over their money, a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.
Such compliant humans…
They deserved to be ruled and exploited even further.
Extra chapters are already prepared… waiting to be unleashed.
Get early access on Patreon:
patreon.com/c/DreamWriterStudios
Want more chapters? You decide the pace:
✨ 10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
🔥 200 Power Stones = Another Release
Your support fuels the journey.
The stronger your backing… the faster the story unfolds.