Cocoyashi Village
Nami rowed a small boat toward the shore, a suitcase clutched tightly in her hands.
The treasure stolen from Gawain's ship had been sold off by her—not a single berry short. A full 120 million.
All of it was here.
This was her hope—her chance to redeem the village.
"As long as I have this money... I can definitely save everyone!"
"I..."
The faces of Gawain and the others flickered through her mind. Her steps faltered—but only for a moment. She pressed forward.
The village was as empty as she remembered.
The same silence, the same lifeless streets—only this time, even the vendors had vanished. What was once familiar now felt hollow.
More than that, the eyes that had always watched her from behind curtains and corners were gone too.
"Everyone..."
Nami understood. It wasn't just the eyes that were missing. It was the people themselves.
A cold unease settled in her chest. Without realizing it, she broke into a run toward the orange grove at the edge of the village.
Nojiko was already waiting there.
When she saw Nami approaching, her expression turned icy.
"Why did you come back?!"
Nami blinked, momentarily stunned. Then she offered a smile and raised the suitcase in her hands.
"Nojiko, I've done it! I've collected enough to redeem the village!"
Nojiko's lips tightened.
"You can't redeem it."
"That's impossible!" Nami's voice rose. "I've been with Arlong for years—he's never gone back on a deal involving money!"
She was radiant with hope—so much so that it made Nojiko's heart ache.
"So... he told you to bring the money to him, right?" Nojiko's voice was brittle. "But what if you never get the chance to hand it over?"
Nami's eyes widened.
She remembered the previous treasure—the one that had vanished.
She hadn't wanted to doubt Carina. How could Carina have known where her home was? How could she have found her hiding place?
But if it wasn't Carina... who else?
The truth was right in front of her.
Nojiko spoke for her:
"From the beginning, he never intended to let you redeem the village. This was all just a game to him."
"Watching you swing between hope and despair over and over—giving you hope, then crushing it again... it satisfied his twisted need for control!"
"They knew exactly where you hid every single coin!"
"There's no hope, Nami."
"I've prepared a boat for you near the grove. Take the money and leave. Start over somewhere else. There won't be villagers who mistreat you there... right?"
But Nami shook her head stubbornly.
"Where is everyone? Where's Genzo?"
Nojiko avoided her eyes.
That was all the answer Nami needed. The unease in her chest burst into full-blown panic.
"They went after Arlong?!" she cried. "They'll die!"
She spun around, but Nojiko grabbed her shoulder.
Smack!
A sharp red mark bloomed on Nami's cheek.
Nojiko's voice shook as she shouted:
"How long are you going to stay naive?!"
"This was everyone's decision! They didn't want to be your burden anymore. They'd rather die at Arlong's hands than live like this!"
She stopped abruptly.
Tears welled up in Nami's eyes. Her voice trembled like a child's.
"Then... now I really can't leave."
Before Nojiko could stop her again, Nami broke free and bolted toward Arlong's base, still clutching the suitcase—the symbol of her hope.
She believed it with all her heart:
As long as she could deliver the money to Arlong, no matter how cruel he was—he would honor his word.
At the same time — Arlong Park
At the gates.
Genzo stood at the front, inspecting an old, rusted flintlock rifle.
It had been hidden from Arlong long ago when he first arrived at Cocoyashi Village. Now it was worn, the metal corroded with time.
Behind him, a group of villagers gathered—armed with little more than farm tools and wooden sticks.
Together, they marched toward Arlong Park with grim determination.
"Damn it!"
"What kind of life did Nami have to live all these years? That girl carried all of our hopes—and in the end, it was all a lie."
"Arlong never meant to keep his promise!"
"I can accept him taking our lives—but trampling on Nami's hope like this?! That I can't forgive!"
"Maybe now, all her suffering will end. She'll be free of us... after all, we're just the ones who treated her like garbage."
"Damn fishmen!"
Their voices were low, but their fury seethed beneath each word.
Some trembled from fear, others faltered in their steps. Some scanned their surroundings anxiously, expecting death at any moment.
But no one turned back.
Genzo led them, his head bowed as he listened to their voices. His heart was heavy with guilt and resolve.
"If Nami could hear this... she'd be happy," he thought. "But she can't hear it. She'll never hear it."
A woman's image suddenly flashed in his mind—the one who used to tease him with crude jokes.
If the Arlong Pirates hadn't come... maybe I would've had a chance with her.
A flush rose to his cheeks, just like the old days.
"Bellemere... you raised a wonderful daughter."
A breeze swept through the air.
The windmill on his head creaked and spun, whistling.
The tangle of emotions in his heart slowly calmed. He looked up.
They had reached Arlong Park.
"ARLONG!"
At the gates, two fishmen guards looked up. Surprise flickered in their eyes—then shifted into mocking smiles.
"Well, well. These humans have a bit of backbone," one sneered. "But against real power, what's the point?"
"You know what this means, don't you?" the other added lazily. "You're all going to die~."
One of them—Shioyaki—rose to his feet.
Towering over two and a half meters, he looked like a giant to the ragtag group of civilians.
Fishmen were naturally far stronger than humans—many times over.
That strength became real terror when seen up close. With just one glance from Shioyaki, several villagers nearly collapsed.
But their comrades helped them back to their feet.
They hadn't come here expecting to survive.
When you've already let go of your life, what's left to fear?
Genzo raised his flintlock rifle, his face cold and resolute.
"I want to see Arlong!"
And without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"