OPTC Chapter 334 - Jumeida Island: Cocoyasi
A pirate crew with two ships had a bit of a reputation in these waters. They weren't particularly strong, but they had bounties in the millions—still, to the Amber Travel Group, they were nothing but easy pickings.
The unlucky pirates had barely spotted the Amber before a swarm of tiny ghosts scared them half to death. The captain had just started reassuring his men that ghosts couldn't actually hurt anyone when one of the tiny ghosts exploded right in his face.
"Fufufufufu~!" Perona let out a delighted, wicked laugh, controlling the small ghosts as they chased the pirates around in panic. She loved messing with people like this—especially when they were pirates and no one would scold her afterward.
The Amber turned and approached the pirate ship. Zhang Da Ye rubbed Tom's head, deciding that these miserable guys didn't even deserve to face Tom first.
After a bit of chaos, Perona lost interest. Ye Yan and Wendy each picked a ship to deal with and used them for training. The result could only be described as complete annihilation.
While waiting for the Marines to arrive, Zhang Da Ye briefly interrogated the pirates—whether they happened to pass by or came specifically looking for trouble.
"We heard that the great pirate Wunan's treasure was found by you guys, so…"
"No wonder we've been running into more pirates lately. So the rumor finally started spreading," Zhang Da Ye muttered. "You heard about the treasure but not our record? With your level, you still dared to pick a fight?"
"Of course we heard!" one pirate blurted. "They say you've wiped out several pirate crews, even defeated Krieg. But that's Wunan's treasure! A mountain of gold! What if we got lucky and managed to take it?"
"So you're that desperate for money, huh?" Zhang Da Ye finally understood what it meant when people said "men die for wealth like birds for food." "Besides, our ship's so small—where do you think we'd even fit a mountain of gold?"
The pirate looked at him like he was an idiot. "Obviously you only took a small part and hid the rest! If we kill you and get the treasure map—"
"Oh, I see your logic," Zhang Da Ye said with mock seriousness. Turns out, the lure of Wunan's treasure was even greater than he thought. Some fools would rather risk certain death for even the smallest chance at a jackpot. Guess he wouldn't need to worry about travel funds while they were still in the East Blue.
The Marine ship that came to collect the pirates belonged to the 77th Branch. They explained that this sea was at the border between the 77th and 16th Branch jurisdictions, so it got a bit confusing sometimes.
"Colonel Bling-Bling asked me to send his regards and thank you for your contributions to the peace of East Blue," said the Marine major in charge, speaking with visible respect. He'd heard that this group was the most hardworking bounty-hunting team in the East Blue—constantly wiping out pirate crews, and they weren't even doing it full-time. Truly incredible.
"No need to be so formal. We're just law-abiding citizens doing our duty," Zhang Da Ye said with a smile as he accepted the payment. "How's Colonel Bling-Bling doing? He treated us well last time. I should visit him sometime."
The Marine major's face paled instantly, and his words came out in a stutter. "T-time's running late. We need to escort these pirates back quickly, so we'll be on our way."
He hurriedly led his men off, terrified Zhang Da Ye would invite them to stay for lunch.
Zhang Da Ye tilted his head up at the sun. "It's not even noon yet. What does he mean by 'late'?"
"Thank goodness…" the major sighed in relief once they were far from the Amber.
A lieutenant asked, "Sir, wasn't that kind of rude? Didn't headquarters say we should keep good relations with the Amber Travel Group? We should've at least invited them for—"
"Stop!" The major nearly jumped out of his seat. "Listen carefully. On our ships, there is *one* absolute rule: never, ever invite the Amber crew to a meal."
He recalled a past mission and winced in agony. "Whoever invites them has to apologize to the entire crew afterward!"
The lieutenant looked utterly confused.
Three days later, Zhang Da Ye and the crew continued their voyage, casually wiping out a few more small pirate crews along the way.
"These weaklings are getting annoying," Ye Yan grumbled. "They're so useless yet still dare to start trouble. Small ships, small bounties—where do they get the courage?"
"True," Zhang Da Ye said thoughtfully. "Maybe our flag looks too friendly. People probably think our past record's fake. Should I print Shark Chili's face on it to make it look scarier?"
Tom immediately protested, baring his teeth to show how fierce he could be—he'd even sunk a small pirate boat two days ago for no reason!
Shark Chili also protested. He thought he looked quite friendly. Just yesterday, when fighting, he had held back, using only 500-tile power in his Fishman Karate strikes.
Zhang Da Ye sighed and dropped the idea. "Forget it. Let's just put up with it. Think of it as cleaning up a bit more garbage for the East Blue before we leave."
"According to the plan, we'll reach Jumeida Island today," Shark Chili said. "It's a big island with a Marine base. Pirates shouldn't dare cause trouble there. We can rest for a few days."
Zhang Da Ye nodded. "Jumeida Island… why does that sound familiar?"
…
Meanwhile, in a small village on the island.
"Pirates! Pirates are coming!" someone shouted in panic.
"What a terrifying ship—there's a monster pulling it!"
"Ah Jian! What do we do?"
The villagers near the coast froze at the sight of the bizarre vessel. The local sheriff, Ah Jian, forced himself to stay calm. "I'll contact the Marines right away. Everyone, find somewhere to hide! If they want money, give it to them—just stay alive. Hurry!"
That was the only rational thing to do when facing pirates—hide and hope not to be found. If discovered, pay up and pray the Marines arrived in time.
But this time, the pirates were much faster than expected.
Their ship was still far from shore, yet the creature pulling it suddenly lunged forward like an arrow. "Moo—roooaaar!"
The sea cow Moo Moo, who looked pitifully weak under Arlong's command, now revealed its true nature—jaws open wide, full of sharp teeth, as it leapt from the sea and crashed into the houses along the coast.
Boom—crash!
The ground trembled underfoot. A row of homes was flattened instantly. When the dust cleared, Moo Moo was glaring ferociously at the terrified villagers.
"My house!" a dozen people cried, falling to their knees, thankful to be alive but heartbroken over their losses.
Then came other shouts—"Biqi's still inside!" "Kinopio!" "Luigi!"
People screamed their loved ones' names—wives, children, siblings—all trapped beneath the wreckage. Seeing their homes crushed by that massive beast, they felt their world collapse.
"Damn monster!" a few villagers shouted and charged forward, punching and kicking uselessly at Moo Moo's massive legs.
"Don't be stupid! That thing—" Ah Jian wanted to say they were smaller than one of its eyes, but he knew if he were in their place, he'd do the same. His fists clenched tightly. What kind of monsters were they dealing with, to command such a creature?
The punches meant nothing to Moo Moo—it didn't hurt, but it was annoying. With one lazy sweep of its tail, the villagers were flung like rag dolls into nearby buildings.
"Mari!" "Koopa!"
The survivors shouted their names but dared not move. Ah Jian's face turned grim as he touched the pistol at his waist. The old model probably couldn't even pierce that beast's skin. What could they possibly do now?
Before he could think further, the Arlong Pirates' ship finally docked. Arlong led the way ashore, followed by Kuroobi, Chew, Hachi, and a swarm of grinning fishmen.
"What on earth…" The villagers stood frozen in disbelief.
"These are fishmen! Just like that new Warlord of the Sea, Jinbe!" cried the old village doctor. "Why are fishmen from the Grand Line here?!"
"What?!" Everyone, including Ah Jian, looked horrified.
Arlong strode forward, arms spread wide, and announced loudly, "Ignorant, insignificant humans! From this moment, this village—no, this entire island—belongs to us!"
"Ohhh!" the fishmen roared in unison.
The villagers looked grim but not hopeless. Ah Jian had already sent a call for help to the Marines. Surely, they'd be rescued soon.
Arlong didn't care what they thought. "Round up everyone in the village!" he ordered.
"Yes, Arlong-brother!" The fishmen obeyed, going house to house, dragging everyone out.
The injured villagers were dumped before the old doctor. From his expression, it was clear—most wouldn't survive.
"Listen up! Ten thousand Berries per adult, five thousand per child. Anyone who can't pay—" Arlong grinned cruelly, "—dies."
The fishmen took notes diligently. They'd even found the village's census records, listing every family, marital status, and number of children. Conveniently efficient.
When they found some couldn't pay, Arlong glanced toward Moo Moo's path of destruction. "The ones whose homes were crushed, huh? Guess they're dead. Shame—I only planned to kill those who couldn't pay."
The villagers murmured anxiously.
"If we have to pay this every month, how are we supposed to live?" someone whispered.
"Just hold on for now," Ah Jian said quietly. "At least we're alive. The Marines will come soon. We'll be fine."
He thought of Bell-mère's house—far on the outskirts. At least she might be safe. She could never afford twenty thousand Berries for herself and two kids.
But then—"Arlong-brother! There's another house far from the village—smoke's coming from the chimney!"
Ah Jian's face drained of color. 'No!'
Arlong looked over. "Almost missed one. Who lives there?"
Chew checked the record. "A woman named Bell-mère. Lives alone. I'll handle it."
"Let's all go," Arlong said. "Might as well look around our new territory—find a nice place to build a fishman paradise."
"Leave a few behind to watch the ship," he added, though his glance toward the villagers made it clear he wasn't worried. With Moo Moo nearby and a few fishmen left, escape was impossible.
Ah Jian panicked. The record listed Bell-mère as single, but he knew Nami and Nojiko would be home for lunch. If Arlong saw them, they'd be counted too—doomed to die. And with Bell-mère's temper, she might attack them before they even asked for money!
"What do we do?" a villager asked. "She can't possibly pay that much!"
"Let's pool what we have," another suggested. "At least to help her survive this time."
"But none of us have that kind of money…"
"Alright," Ah Jian said, trying to steady his voice. "Those with spare money, gather it. A few of you, clear the debris—someone might still be alive under there. And Doctor, please look after the wounded."
"Ah Jian, what are you going to do?" the doctor asked.
"I'll go save them. Arlong's walking, not rushing. If I take a shortcut, I can get to Bell-mère's place first. I'll hide Nami and Nojiko—then Bell-mère only needs to pay ten thousand. She might manage that much."
"Please, everyone," Ah Jian said as he left, "don't mention the girls' names."
He pretended to head home, then once out of sight, started sprinting through the woods, praying desperately. "Bell-mère, please, don't do anything rash!"
…
Minutes later, another ship appeared on the horizon. The cat-faced flag fluttered proudly at its mast.
In the lookout post, a little blue-haired girl poked her head out and shouted, "Land ahead!"
She squinted, then yelled again, "There's a big ship on the coast—it's a pirate ship!"
Hearing that, Artoria shoved Zhang Da Ye aside at the helm, gripped the wheel with both hands, and instantly sped the Amber toward the island.
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