Genzo's face turned pale after hearing what Colonel Nezumi said, and he asked aloud, "How do you know the amount?"
This Colonel Nezumi had only been here a few times, so it was impossible for him to know such details.
Colonel Nezumi smiled. "I just figured it would be about this much."
Not only was Genzo's face livid, but Nojiko's was as well. Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists, she realized something was wrong. Someone must have tipped him off.
The villagers on the island were extremely united, so the only ones who could have leaked the information were the Arlong Pirates. The consequences of that were horrific—it meant that the Arlong Pirates not only wanted to steal Nami's treasure but also wanted to make sure her ten years of hard work had been for nothing.
At that moment, Nami was completely stunned, despair and fear welling up in her heart. But then, it turned into anger. She shouted, "Did Arlong send you here?"
Colonel Nezumi didn't respond. Instead, his smile grew even stronger, almost mocking. "Who knows? We're just government officials dealing with thieves accordingly."
Genzo shouted angrily, "You really are a bunch of corrupt scum!"
Nojiko was also furious. "The Marines are actually colluding with pirates!"
Nami's eyes widened, her lips pressed together as she furrowed her brows and shook her head in anger. This was an expression of pure rage.
Just then, a Marine spoke up in surprise. "Found it! The stolen money is here!"
Colonel Nezumi eyes lit up. He immediately rushed to the orange grove, where a box had been uncovered from the soil. With eager hands, he opened it, revealing a fortune in banknotes, coins, gold jewelry, and other valuables. His face was filled with joy. "I never thought a little girl could make so much money."
Thirty percent of these treasures would belong to him.
Nami, her heart seething with rage, grabbed a wooden stick and marched toward the Marines.
"Don't touch it! Don't touch it!"
Genzo and Nojiko saw Nami losing control and hurriedly tried to stop her. No matter how furious they were, it was undeniably reckless to fight the Marines.
Colonel Nezumi, seeing Nami's reaction, slowly pulled a pistol from his left pocket, aimed it at her, and pulled the trigger. Killing a civilian meant nothing to him.
At that moment, Genzo grabbed Nami's arm, while Nojiko stepped in front of her. Just as the bullet was about to hit Nojiko, a golden figure suddenly appeared behind her, blocking the shot with a Kunai. With a loud bang, the bullet was deflected.
Nojiko felt a chill down her spine. She had been certain she was about to be shot, yet there was no pain. Turning around, she was stunned to see a child holding a short-bladed weapon behind her. Wisps of white smoke still curled from the weapon, the residue of the gunpowder explosion—proof that Mina had deflected the bullet.
Nojiko stood there in shock. Could Mina really block bullets? But what infuriated her even more was the shamelessness of the Marines. Not only were they robbing people, but they were also trying to kill innocent girls.
Nami was even more furious. The bullet had almost hit Nojiko, just like how Captain Arlong had murdered her mother with a gun. Damn it. These Marines were worse than pirates.
But Mina had blocked the bullet, which both surprised and reassured her. It turned out that Mina was truly strong—strong enough to deflect bullets with her short sword, something only powerful pirates could do. And she looked so calm, as if it were nothing. This time, they owed her.
Seeing that Nami was no longer acting recklessly, Genzo released his arm and turned to look at the little girl, dazed. This child was no ordinary person. Ordinary people couldn't block bullets with a mere short sword.
The most shocked person, however, was Colonel Nezumi. He knew the power of his shot—ordinary pirates, even Fish-Men, wouldn't be able to block it. Only those with bounties of tens of millions of Berries or higher could pull off such a feat. Could it be that this little girl was already a master? And she was standing up for Nami? If she were allowed to grow stronger, she would become a problem. People like her needed to be eliminated early.
With an arrogant smirk, he sneered, "You dare to protect a criminal who attacked a Marine? That makes you a criminal, too. You deserve to die."
Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger and fired several bullets in rapid succession. But Mina's expression didn't change at all. She could see the bullets moving—after all, she had often sparred with her brother. Compared to his attacks, these bullets felt like nothing. With a swift movement of her kunai, she deflected them all, sending them flying into the trees and wooden houses nearby.
She could have easily dodged with her speed, but behind her stood Nami and Nojiko. There was no way she would leave them unprotected. She had to block the bullets.
Colonel Nezumi was stunned. The smirk on his face vanished, replaced by sheer disbelief.
"How is this possible?"
How could a little girl, barely half his height, block bullets? And not just once—she was doing it repeatedly. This was no fluke.
At that moment, Mina fixed him with an icy stare.
"You dared to try to kill me. Worse, you dared to harm Sister Nami. You deserve to die. I'll kill you here."
As a member of her family, she had always been taught that anyone who became an enemy of the family must be eliminated. Her older brothers, who had gone to sea, had once told her:
"Against the evil pirates out there, don't show mercy. If you hesitate, you'll be the one who dies."
And this man was worse than a pirate. She had overheard his conversation with Nami—he was utterly shameless. A Marine colluding with pirates to steal from Nami and then attempting to murder her?
Mina had already decided. This man was dead. One less scumbag in the world meant nothing. Her father had always taught her that family came first. No one else mattered.
Just as she was about to strike, Nojiko grabbed her arm and held her back.
"You can't kill a Marine."
Mina scowled. "Why not? He tried to steal Sister Nami's treasure, he's despicable and shameless, and he almost killed you. Doesn't someone like that deserve to die?"