Chapter 10
Silas's ship groaned as it nudged against Cocoyasi Village's weathered dock. The East Blue lapped gently at the shore, but the silence was unnatural—too still, too heavy. Palm trees drooped like they'd given up. The buildings looked more like ruins than homes.
From a distant tower, Arlong's flag flew—a vicious saw-toothed grin. It didn't just mark territory. It mocked hope.
The Straw Hats stepped onto creaking planks that felt ready to collapse. The village sagged under years of neglect. Shutters hung crooked, signs demanding tribute payments were scrawled across every wall.
A child dropped his basket and ran. His mother pulled him inside, eyes darting to the pirates' weapons.
Luffy tilted his straw hat back, grin fading.
"This place feels… heavy. Where's the laughter?"
Zoro leaned against a fence post, ribs still aching.
"Feels like a battlefield after the war. All the fight's been beaten out of them."
Sanji lit a cigarette, flame briefly illuminating his face.
"This is no place for someone like Nami-san. What kind of monster turns paradise into purgatory?"
Usopp's legs shook.
"Everything here screams 'run away.' We should listen."
Silas felt his tattoos pulse. He'd seen this before—towns crushed under tyranny. His hand drifted to his flintlock. This place is bleeding.
Johnny and Yosaku led them deeper, their usual cheer replaced by grim purpose.
"This way, big brothers. The villagers need to hear what you know about Nami."
---
They were stopped by a grizzled man with scars and a rusted sword. His eyes were hard.
"Hold it," he said. "I'm Genzo. If you're here for Arlong, turn around. We've suffered enough."
Johnny raised his hands.
"Easy, big brother Genzo! We're not with Arlong. These are the Straw Hat Pirates—Nami's crew!"
Genzo's expression darkened.
"Nami's crew?" He spat.
"She chose her side. Arlong's navigator. His pet thief."
The words hit like a slap. Sanji's cigarette fell. Usopp's jaw dropped. Even Zoro's scowl deepened.
Only Luffy stood firm.
"You're wrong," he said, voice steady.
"Nami would never betray anyone. If she's with Arlong, there's a reason. We'll find out what it is."
A woman in a faded shawl stepped forward, eyes red.
"She was our sunshine once. Always drawing maps. Dreaming of the world. Now she steals for that monster."
Genzo's shoulders sagged.
"Arlong demands 100,000 berries per person. Every month. Adults, kids, elderly—doesn't matter. Can't pay, you disappear. And Nami… she helps him collect."
Silas felt something cold settle in his gut. That's not survival. That's slow death.
But looking at Luffy's unwavering faith, Sanji's clenched fists, Zoro's quiet fury—Silas knew they didn't believe it. Not really. There had to be more.
---
Genzo led them past broken boats and shuttered shops to a small clinic. Inside, a tired doctor tended to a girl's injured arm.
"Dr. Nako," Genzo said. "These pirates say they're Nami's friends."
The doctor looked up, eyes heavy.
"Friends of Nami?" He gestured to the girl.
"Arlong's men did this. She 'looked at them wrong.' Nami was there. Watching. Counting their take."
Sanji's fists trembled.
"Impossible. Nami-san wouldn't stand by while people were hurt."
"Wouldn't she?" Nako's voice was bitter.
"Then you don't know her."
He kept working, voice softening.
"Nami wasn't always like this. She was raised by Bell-mère—a former Marine with a heart bigger than the ocean. Took in Nami and Nojiko when they were babies. Loved them like her own."
The story unfolded like a blade to the heart.
Ten years ago, Arlong arrived. Demanded tribute from every soul. Bell-mère had barely enough to survive.
"She could've lied," Nako said.
"Could've said she only had two mouths to feed. But she looked Arlong in the eye and said, 'I have two daughters. I'll pay for all three of us, or none at all.'"
Silence fell. Everyone understood what that defiance had cost.
"Arlong killed her," Genzo added.
"Shot her in front of the girls. Then he made Nami an offer—work for him, steal for him, and maybe someday she could buy the village's freedom. 100 million berries. That's the price."
Luffy's fist clenched, knuckles white.
"So she's been trying to save everyone this whole time."
"For eight years," Nako confirmed.
"Stealing. Navigating. Building a reputation. All to buy freedom."
Sanji's eyes shimmered.
"She's been carrying that burden alone…"
Zoro's hand rested on his sword.
"No wonder she tried to steal from us. She was desperate."
Usopp had nothing to say. For once, silence spoke louder than fear.
Silas felt his tattoos burn. The story echoed his own past—his mother's sacrifice, her strength.
"She's been fighting a war none of us saw," he said quietly.
---
But questions remained. How close was she to her goal? Would Arlong keep his word? Or was it all a lie?
The sun dipped low, painting Cocoyasi in blood-red light. Arlong Park loomed in the distance—a fortress of cruelty.
The Straw Hats stood in the village square, surrounded by eight years of pain. And finally, they understood.
Nami hadn't betrayed them.
She'd been protecting an entire island.
One stolen berry at a time.