"N-no, don't… don't kill me. Wind-Sword Knight, right. I'm a Marine captain—you can't kill me!!"
Staring at Arthur, who held an invisible sword, Captain Nezumi scrambled in terror and shouted with a face full of panic.
"Relax. Your filth will be uncovered soon. Whether you die means nothing to me." Arthur sneered, swung the Sword of Promised Victory, and without mercy sent Captain Nezumi's head rolling.
After killing Captain Nezumi, Arthur didn't spare the three Marines behind him—they were all rotten to the core.
He cut them down one by one, dumped the three Marines into the sea, then put Captain Nezumi's head and Arlong's head into a burlap sack.
Just as he had told Smoker before: if the Marines hadn't dealt with it by now, he would bring Captain Nezumi's head to him.
At that point, whether Smoker pursued a warrant or looked away, Arthur didn't care.
Bounty hunter or pirate—whatever.
His only goal was to hold victory in his hands.
"Come on. Sweep the village—there may be Fish-Men stragglers alive." Arthur hefted the sack and spoke to Nami.
"Mm, I'm coming." Nami smiled sweetly, joy and happiness beaming in her face, the heaviness and gloom gone.
Without Arlong's shackles, the girl finally returned to herself, lively again.
With a last glance at Arlong Park, Arthur saw Arlong's corpse, Hatchan's corpse, and the other officers' bodies.
The place had become a Fish-Men grave.
Back in the village, Arthur and Nami found everyone gathered together. Each person held a weapon—machetes, daggers, farm tools, even sticks—anything that could fight.
They hurried forward in a group, led by the village policeman Genzo and Nami's sister Nojiko.
"Everyone…." Nami asked blankly as she looked at the death-defying ranks.
"Nami, are you alright?!"
Seeing Nami, the villagers converged at once; Nojiko spoke, shaken with emotion.
"I'm fine…." Nami pointed at Nojiko, then at the villagers. "What's with this formation—what are you going to do?"
"I had someone see the man beside you kill a Fish-Man and head for Arlong Park. I feared something would happen, so I gathered everyone to go save you," Genzo said gravely. "Everyone knows what you've done for us. Kill a Fish-Man and Arlong will never spare the village. We're prepared—we've decided to resist. We've had enough of his rule. We'll fight to the death."
"Ah, Nami, eight years have been so hard," the villagers echoed loudly.
At their words, Nami's tears burst out again, a smile of happiness breaking through as she choked, "Thank you. Thank you, everyone…."
"I should be the one thanking you. You've suffered too much." Genzo patted Nami's shoulder, old eyes wet. "This time, let me fight."
"Let's go—fight them!" the villagers shouted, raising their weapons, murderous aura surging.
"Pfft… thank you all, but there's no need…." Moved by their fearlessness, Nami couldn't help but cry and laugh at once as she wiped her tears. "You can all go home. Arlong is dead."
"...."
Her words were a bucket of cold water on hot coals; the passion the villagers had stoked sputtered out at once.
As they fell abruptly silent, Nami flashed a cute smile, hugged Arthur's arm, and said to the villagers, "Let me introduce you—my captain. He defeated Arlong and wiped out the Arlong Pirates."
To prove Nami's words, Arthur cooperatively tossed the sack to the ground.
A head rolled out—Arlong's.
Staring at Arlong's unclosed eyes, the villagers looked at one another.
"—Oooh!!"
After a long beat, a cheer split the sky, as if it spread through all Cocoyasi Village.
Like Nami's, the cheering was full of release and freedom.
Clatter—
In the distance, it was as if the sound of 'shackles' hitting the ground could be heard.
Night.
Cocoyasi Village had built a giant bonfire. The villagers joined hands, circled, sang, and shouted, venting eight years of pent-up feeling.
Not far away, on a freshly felled tree trunk, two figures sat.
"This time, truly—thank you…."
Genzo clinked cups with Arthur, took a deep pull, and spoke calmly.
"No need. Nami is my partner." Arthur, not fond of beer, still drank red wine.
"I didn't expect it—so you're the famed Wind-Sword Knight. No wonder Nami asked you for help," Genzo murmured.
Arthur smiled faintly and said nothing.
"So, are you taking Nami with you next?" Genzo took another swig and glanced over.
"I'll invite her. I won't force her choice." Confidence shone deep in Arthur's eyes; he didn't believe Nami would choose to stay.
"In that case, congratulations." Genzo clearly knew Nami's nature. He smiled a little and stood. "Even if you are the famous Wind-Sword Knight—if I learn you've bullied Nami, I won't let it slide."
"Ah…." Arthur raised his glass toward Genzo's back and drained it.
"So you're the guy stealing Nami away?"
Not long after Genzo left, a graceful figure sat down beside Arthur, looking him over without disguise.
After a long look, she nodded, satisfied. "Looks good—worthy of my Nami."
"Arthur Pendragon." Arthur extended his right hand with a slight smile.
"Nojiko." Nojiko shook it.
"Where did Nami go?" Arthur poured half a glass of wine into a fresh stem and handed it to Nojiko.
"At the doctor's," Nojiko said, smiling.
Catching the pain behind her smile, Arthur asked no more.
Downing the drink in one bold gulp, Nojiko clapped Arthur on the shoulder and pointed. "Nami will likely be back over there soon. You can wait there."
Arthur nodded.
On a hillcrest, Arthur saw the graveyard—and the figure seated there.
He walked up behind Nami and saw her left shoulder bandaged in white. Her head was bowed; he didn't know what she was thinking.
Arthur said nothing and set a hand on her shoulder.
"Ah, Arthur…." Nami looked up; a gentle smile bloomed on her lovely face.
"What are you doing here?" Arthur sat down beside her.
"I'm thinking… if only Bell-mère were here, that would be nice…." Hugging her knees, chin on them, Nami gazed at the gravestone and whispered.
"Bell-mère—the person of this grave?"
"Mm. She raised me and Nojiko. Not by blood, but we always took her as our mother…." Nami said softly. "When Arlong first came, he demanded a tribute of a hundred thousand beli per person each month. Bell-mère didn't have enough money. She used a hundred thousand to buy my and Nojiko's lives—and chose to die under Arlong's gun."
"Truly an extraordinary person," Arthur said, nodding in admiration.
"Mm, she was…." Nami wiped at the tears at the corners of her eyes, then turned and smiled at Arthur. "Thank you, Arthur. I know—except for the ringleaders, you never kill the innocent. Because of me, you went against your knight's way, spoke such cutting words, chose such a bloody method to kill, and let me personally take down Arlong. Thank you… thank you…."
With that, Nami threw herself into Arthur's arms, repeating her thanks in a jumble.
"It's your fault, Nami—you've made me less upright than before," Arthur said with a light laugh as he held her. "As compensation, you're punished to be my navigator—for a lifetime. How about it?"
"Yours… I'll be your navigator, for life." Nami burrowed into his embrace, like a little girl acting spoiled.