As the words fell, countless trees burst from the earth, rising higher and higher, interlocking with each other at a visible pace.
In just a few short minutes, rows of well-arranged wooden houses sprang up from the ground, forming a brand-new small town.
"Is... is this a miracle?" an elderly villager exclaimed through tears of joy.
The other villagers knelt before Ivan, thanking him for his efforts.
As night fell, the atmosphere of the feast grew even livelier.
After several rounds of drinks, Nami, holding a glass of fruit wine, her delicate face flushed with an intoxicating rosy hue, gently sat down beside Ivan. Her voice was as soft as the evening breeze:
"Thank you, Ivan. Shall we... set off soon?"
Ivan raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't it be too rude to leave without saying goodbye?"
Hearing this, Nami lightly punched his shoulder, her eyes swirling with complex emotions:
"Before, I lived entirely for the village. From now on, I want to live for myself.
I'm afraid that if I really say goodbye in person, I won't be able to bear leaving. And you... you wouldn't force me to go, would you?"
Ivan looked at her reddened eyes and simply smiled without answering.
Late into the night, while the drunken villagers slept soundly, Ivan used Wood Release to plant several orange trees on the warship.
After finishing this, he left Cocoyashi Village with Nami.
However, as they departed, they were astonished to find the shore brightly lit, with villagers waving torches and shouting loudly:
"Nami, have a safe journey!"
"Take good care of yourself from now on, and remember to come back often!"
"Major Ivan, please look after our Nami!"
Sincere shouts drifted into their ears with the sea breeze.
Nami could no longer hold back. She abruptly turned and threw herself into Ivan's arms. The tears she had held back for so long finally overflowed, and she wept openly.
...
The next day, the sky was clear, and the sea breeze carried a faint salty scent as it gently brushed over the ocean's surface.
Such fine weather was perfect for basking comfortably in the sun.
On the uppermost deck of the warship, Ivan lay on a sun lounger, soaking up the sun.
In the past, only Tashigi had been by his side, but now Nami had joined them.
As the cold cola went down, all three of them simultaneously let out a burp. "Wow, that's refreshing!"
Nami smacked her lips and turned to Ivan, a hint of doubt in her eyes. "Ivan, can drinking cola really make you stronger?"
Not long before, Nami had asked Ivan why he was so strong, and he told her that drinking cola could make her stronger. However, Nami still had her doubts.
How could drinking cola make someone stronger?
Ivan replied lazily:
"Don't worry, why would I lie to you? Drinking cola really can make you stronger.
Don't underestimate this stuff—it contains a surprising amount of energy.
The power generated by a few barrels of cola can even propel a large ship across the sea at high speed.
As long as you keep drinking cola, absorb its energy, and combine it with training, you'll become stronger."
Ivan wasn't lying to Nami. In the original story, the Sunny's power source was cola, which could even serve as an energy source for mechas.
Later, Ivan had also tested it. The energy contained in cola was even higher in calories than the meat of some Sea King Species. Drinking cola and continuously training could indeed make you stronger!
"Alright, then I'll have another bottle!" Even though Nami's belly was already somewhat swollen, as if she were five months pregnant, she still forced herself to down a bottle.
If drinking cola could make her stronger, then she had to drink it!
Looking up at the dense leaves of the orange tree, Ivan asked curiously, "Nami, I remember you had an agreement with Arlong. Did you bring the money you saved over the years?"
"Burp, no. I left that money for Nojiko and the villagers. They need it more than I do."
Ivan understood.
Indeed, only the villagers and Nojiko could make the money-loving Nami give up the Berries she had earned.
Even though she knew Ivan's theory about cola making one stronger, Tashigi still wasn't used to drinking it.
After finishing a bottle, she switched to juice. She stretched, her body forming an elegant curve, and lazily asked:
"Major Ivan, why aren't we returning to Loguetown? Why are we staying here?"
After leaving Cocoyashi Village, Ivan and the others hadn't returned to Loguetown. Instead, they stopped not far from the village.
This puzzled Tashigi.
Nami was also curious and looked at Ivan questioningly.
Ivan smiled and explained, "Killing Arlong didn't completely solve Cocoyashi Village's problems. We still need to deal with one last hidden threat."
...
At the East Blue's 16th Branch, a warship slowly sailed toward Cocoyashi Village.
On the bow deck, the sharp-faced Captain Rat stood with a gloomy expression, his fingers tightly clutching a report, his knuckles white from the force.
"Damn White Dove, he actually killed Arlong!"
He gritted his teeth and growled, filled with frustration.
Over the past seven years, Arlong had sent him tens of millions of Berries in annual shares. With this dirty money, he had lived a carefree and comfortable life.
Now that Arlong was dead, he had lost such a huge source of income. Where else could he find such a lucrative business?
Captain Rat paced irritably for a few steps before suddenly stopping, a sinister smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
It seemed the situation wasn't hopeless.
Since Arlong was dead, this territory naturally needed a new person to take over.
He could easily replace Arlong and continue collecting protection money from the villages in the Conomi Islands.
This way, not only would his lost income be restored, but without Arlong taking a cut, he might even profit more than before!
As for those lowly villagers daring to resist?
Captain Rat sneered, his face full of disdain.
A bunch of unarmed commoners—how could they possibly stand against the Marines?
He slowly glanced around at his subordinates, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes.
These men were absolutely loyal to him, each one a link in the chain of interests. They rose and fell together.
They would never betray him and were his sharpest weapons!
The East Blue's 16th Branch wasn't far from Cocoyashi Village. As the sun hung almost directly overhead, the warship was about to arrive at the village.
The closer they got to Cocoyashi Village, the more excited Rat became.
Wealth and women were just ahead!
But things clearly weren't going as smoothly as Rat had imagined. Suddenly, one of his subordinates reported:
"Captain, there's a ship ahead. It looks like another warship!"
"Oh, a warship?" Nezumi immediately thought of White Dove—that damned guy who kept interfering with his money-making, and now had even killed Arlong.
That damned guy still hadn't left. Perfect—now he could catch evidence of White Dove leaving Loguetown and conducting illegal operations at other branches.
Perhaps with this evidence, he could force White Dove to hand over the heads of Arlong and his men.
That way, he wouldn't just get credit for wiping out the Arlong Pirates—he could also claim the massive bounty!
Thinking this, Nezumi excitedly gave the order: "Full speed ahead! Pull alongside that warship. I want to meet their commanding officer!"