"I've always known. Not just me, but everyone in the entire village has known for a long time."
Genzo slowly closed his eyes and said softly,
"We were afraid that if the day came when you couldn't bear it anymore and wanted to leave, you would force yourself to stay just so you wouldn't let us down. That's why we chose to pretend we didn't know."
"For countless days and nights, we've wanted to risk our lives fighting Arlong. It was only because of your strength that everyone managed to endure the humiliation and survive until now."
"But today, when Arlong revealed his ambitions, I knew he would absolutely never let you go free. So..."
With a hoarse voice, Genzo pleaded with difficulty, "Please, Nami. We don't want to see you suffer the same despair you went through eight years ago."
"Shut up! This is my own decision, and it has nothing to do with any of you!"
Nami suddenly snapped. Her expression darkened as she slammed the door and stormed out in a huff.
...
"Nami? Where are you going, Nami!"
"Leave me alone!"
Passing through the living room, Nami ignored Nojiko's worried calls and walked out the door with a gloomy face.
She left behind Nojiko, whose hand was still frozen mid-reach, and Allen's completely bewildered crew.
"She's got quite the temper."
"Boss, are we really going to recruit this woman onto our ship?"
The Nyaban Brothers felt a bit intimidated.
Allen patted his head, feeling a slight headache coming on. Nami's temper was explosive, sure, but her navigation skills were genuinely outstanding.
At the very least, Allen didn't know any other navigator who could rival her.
Until he could fly or cross the ocean using his own physical strength, a navigator was absolutely essential for sailing the Grand Line.
Recruiting Nami now was definitely much safer than taking the risk of slowly searching for someone else later.
Meanwhile, after hearing Nojiko's story, Sanji was absolutely furious. He wanted to kill Arlong and strongly demanded that Allen recruit Nami into the crew.
"Forget it."
Allen sighed. He turned to look at Nojiko and said,
"According to what you said, Nami only joined Arlong's crew and endured everything until now just to gather one hundred million Berries to buy back the village, right?"
"That's right."
Nojiko hugged one of her arms and said dejectedly,
"We hate seeing her suffer more than anyone else, but Nami is strong and incredibly stubborn. No matter how much I tried to persuade her, I couldn't shake her resolve."
"Furthermore, since that day, she stopped asking others for help. She made up her mind to struggle and survive on her own strength because she didn't want to see anyone else sacrifice themselves for her."
"If she were to leave this place completely, Arlong would very likely vent all his anger on the villagers."
Nojiko rested a hand against her forehead, slowly closed her eyes, and finally added,
"Nami has always endured this pain just to save everyone."
"I understand. I'll cover the money she's missing, but I hope she's mentally prepared for despair."
Allen's gaze was resolute; he had already made up his mind. He turned back to his subordinates and ordered,
"Karl's squad, head back and tell Gin to gather the men."
"Yes, Boss!"
Soon, Karl took a few men and left the tangerine orchard, running toward where their ship was docked.
"Wait! What are you planning to do?"
Nojiko hurriedly blocked Allen's path, worried that he was going to do something foolish.
However, Allen merely curled his lips into a grin and chuckled.
"Nothing much. I just want to eat some fish."
With that said, Allen prepared to leave with Sanji and the others.
But right at that moment, an angry scream suddenly echoed from the orchard.
"Ah!! What are you doing! Put down my treasure right now!!"
"That voice... is it Miss Nami?!"
Sanji's expression shifted to alarm, and he immediately dashed out the door.
Allen instantly sprang into action and chased after him, cursing angrily,
"Hey! Get back here, you bastard! You're not allowed to run ahead of your captain!"
"Boss!"
"Wait for us!"
The Nyaban Brothers and their subordinates hurriedly followed.
...
The group didn't have to run far before they arrived at a clearing in the tangerine grove.
In the clearing, Nami stood gripping a wooden staff with both hands, confronting a group of Marines. Her face was practically overflowing with anger and hatred.
Opposite her, dozens of gun barrels were neatly lined up, ready to fire.
Off to the side, several Marines had dug a massive hole in the ground.
Buried within the pit was a wooden chest. Its lid had already been pried open, revealing a hoard of dirt-smudged treasures and a massive pile of loose, crumpled Berries.
"Zhihahaha! So much money! You're quite the capable thief, hiding this much stolen cash!"
Captain Nezumi's eyes gleamed with golden light, making no effort to hide his greed as he reached out and grabbed a handful of gold coins.
Seeing this, veins bulged on Nami's forehead. Unable to hold back, she lunged forward furiously, gripping her staff.
"That's my money! Put it all down, you bastards!"
"Hmph! Stop her at once!"
Nezumi ordered coldly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out, and bullets tore through the air.
Faced with this dense net of crossfire, Nami had no choice but to retreat.
"Zhizhizhi! What do you mean 'your money'? These are stolen funds. Since it's stolen money, it naturally belongs in the custody of the Marines."
Captain Nezumi flashed a smug, cunning smile.
"You'd better know what's good for you, woman. If you dare interfere with the Marines carrying out their official duties again, don't blame our guns for being blind! Zhihahaha!"
"You bastard...!"
Nami bit her lower lip hard, fighting back the moisture welling in her eyes and the overwhelming sense of angry, helpless frustration in her heart.
Witnessing this scene, Allen and his crew, who had just arrived, quickly grasped the situation.
Sanji could no longer contain his fury and shouted at Allen,
"Hey! What are you waiting for? Let me slaughter these bastards right now!"
"Didn't Nojiko just say it? Nami made up her mind long ago to never seek help from anyone. She hasn't asked us for help, has she?"
Despite Sanji's urging, Allen remained completely calm.
The Marines had clearly noticed the newcomers. Captain Nezumi scolded them with a displeased expression,
"Who are you people! You don't look like villagers. Don't tell me you're in cahoots with this thief."
"C-Captain...! They look like the Demon Lion Pirates!"
A second later, one of the subordinates behind Captain Nezumi recognized Allen. He stepped forward with a panicked expression and said,
"They attacked a warship led by a Headquarters Captain just a day ago. Rumor has it they're incredibly powerful and ruthless pirates."
"What did you say?"
Hearing this, Captain Nezumi's face visibly paled in panic. He stared at Allen with wary eyes and shouted,
"Quick! Aim all your guns at them!"
"Wait!"
Nami hurriedly stepped in between them, turning back to yell angrily at Allen's group,
"What are you guys trying to do now! This has nothing to do with you, so get the hell out of here!"
"See? I told you she didn't want us to interfere."
Allen ignored Nami and looked smugly at Sanji.
"Unless you bring her Arlong's fish head on a platter, she'll just keep rejecting any help to prevent others from sacrificing themselves for her."
"Tch, you'd better have a better plan."
Sanji scoffed and turned his face away, his eyes still showing a hint of defiance.
Hearing that they had no intention of making a move, Captain Nezumi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he was a Captain, only he knew how much money he had spent to buy this rank. In reality, he was far inferior to a Headquarters Captain.
When dealing with such vicious pirates who dared to attack a warship, any avoidable battle absolutely had to be avoided.
Just then, accompanied by a bustling commotion, two more groups of people rushed into the orchard from outside.
"Nami!"
"What happened!"
"Are you okay, Nami!"
Nojiko, supporting Genzo, rushed forward alongside a large crowd of villagers armed with hoes and pitchforks. They surrounded Nami, their faces filled with worry.
On the other side, Gin arrived with a massive group of pirates, wielding swords and guns, looking incredibly menacing.
"Captain."
Gin stepped up to Allen, holding a pair of tonfas, before casting a cold glare at Captain Nezumi.
"G-Gin the Demon Man!"
Captain Nezumi's face contorted in terror. This time, he instantly recognized that ferocious face. He stumbled back in panic until he bumped into the soldiers behind him.
"W-What's going on! Is Don Krieg's armada here?"
"Damn that Arlong! This isn't what we agreed upon!!"
Seemingly thinking of a certain possibility, Captain Nezumi's panicked expression was tinged with a bit of fury.
"Arlong...?!!"
Hearing that name, Nami's pupils instantly dilated. As if realizing something, her face immediately turned pale.
*Arlong was the one who sent the Marines here...!*
*No wonder. No wonder the Marines knew there was treasure hidden here.*
*No wonder they ignored Arlong's blatant atrocities and managed to find this exact spot with such precision.*
*So... this was all a conspiracy from the very beginning!*
Genzo instantly understood everything as well, gnashing his teeth in fury.
"I knew it...! That animal, Arlong!"
For a moment, Nami's mind went completely blank, her gaze turning vacant.
Heartache, helplessness, grievance, anger, and hatred—all the emotions she had suppressed for years surged up from the bottom of her heart all at once.
*She had worked so hard, so why... why did it still end up like this!*
"What more do I have to do..."
Nami bit her lower lip, the tears she couldn't hold back spilling from the corners of her eyes, fully revealing her sense of grievance.
Seeing this, the villagers burned with even greater fury, glaring at the opposing Marines with absolute hatred.
"Enough, Nami!"
"Let's end everything today!"
"We can't let you keep going on like this!"
One by one, the villagers assumed fighting stances, their expressions turning fierce.
Looking at these villagers whose hateful glares were enough to swallow a person whole, Captain Nezumi couldn't help but feel a bit more panicked.
"W-What are you trying to do! You bunch of savages, do you know what happens when you raise a hand against the Marines!"
"Wait!! Genzo, everyone, don't do anything rash!"
Nami hurriedly cried out in a pleading voice.
Never mind the future consequences; if a fight broke out now, the immediate casualties alone would be more than the villagers could bear.
"Gin, take some men to the coast and take care of their warship. Sham, Buchi, take the boys and surround these Marines."
Allen finally made a move, raising his hand and speaking calmly.
Although things had deviated slightly from his plan, it worked out perfectly. Nezumi exposing Arlong's true colors actually saved him a step.
*It's about time to go chop off a fish head.*
The Nyaban Brothers curled their lips into sinister grins, a gleam of excitement flashing in their eyes.
"Yes! Boss."
"Get ready to move, boys!"
"Yeah!!"
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