"Arlong valued my talent for navigation and used me as a tool to draw charts of the East Blue for him."
"This was the room where I drew charts for Arlong for eight years."
The room was not large, and cardboard boxes were filled with rolled-up blank nautical charts.
Nami showed a smile of relief. "From now on, I finally don't have to come back here again."
"Every day I spent here, I would think of that bastard Arlong, and I would think of Belle-mère, who was killed by him."
Nami's eyes grew moist, and she whispered her thanks, "Thank you, Luo Chen, for avenging Belle-mère. She was my mother. Without you, I might never have been able to get revenge in my lifetime."
Luo Chen shook his head but said nothing.
Without him, Luffy and the others would have avenged Nami. He had simply arrived a little earlier than Luffy.
"Do you need my help to destroy this place?" Luo Chen asked.
Nami's body trembled, and she nodded emphatically. "If you can, I'd appreciate it."
"Let's go. We'll head outside first."
Luo Chen led Nami away, all the way outside of Arlong Park.
He placed the treasure, worth over seven hundred million Berries, on the ground.
Walking up to Arlong, he found that the fish-man was still faintly breathing.
"Not dead yet? Good. You can witness the disappearance of Arlong Park with your own eyes," Luo Chen said flatly.
Arlong managed to open his eyes. His breath was as faint as a thread, and he no longer had the strength to speak.
The next moment, the area where Arlong Park was located began to shake violently, as if an earthquake was occurring.
A great number of trees shot up into the sky, their branches whipping about wildly, leveling the buildings within the park one by one.
Rubble flew through the air, and dust filled the sky.
In a matter of seconds, Arlong Park was reduced to complete ruins.
A low, hoarse roar escaped Arlong's mouth. His body trembled violently, and the wooden spikes tore at his flesh, causing more blood to flow out.
His hateful, ferocious eyes stared fixedly at Luo Chen, then slowly grew dim.
The moment Arlong Park disappeared, Arlong's life also ended, his head slumping forward lifelessly.
Nami covered her mouth and began to cry softly, collapsing into Nojiko's arms.
"It's okay now. It's all over," Nojiko comforted her gently.
She knew that the suffering and grievances Nami had endured over the years surpassed everyone else's. And at this moment, the gratitude in Nami's heart also surpassed everyone else's.
Arlong was dead, the Arlong Pirates were annihilated, and Arlong Park was in ruins.
All the darkness and gloom had finally been swept away today, parting the clouds to reveal the light. The dark cloud that had hung over the twenty villages, including Cocoyasi, and over the heads of thousands of villagers, had finally dispersed.
Tears had also welled up in the eyes of Nojiko and many of the villagers at some point.
Genzo took off the hat on his head, wiped the corners of his eyes, and threw his head back, laughing endlessly.
The sounds of laughter and weeping echoed in the air.
Luo Chen watched silently, a smile also appearing on his face.
No matter which world it was, when you helped people, you couldn't help but smile yourself.
...
They returned to Cocoyasi Village.
That night, the villagers threw the most enthusiastic and passionate party to express their gratitude to Luo Chen.
A bonfire burned, illuminating the night sky.
The sound of joyful laughter echoed in their ears.
The aroma of roasted meat filled the air.
Even though the people were dressed in rags, their faces sallow and thin, they wore the happiest smiles they had in eight years.
"Everyone! The most difficult and darkest days are over! From now on, every day will be better and happier!"
Genzo raised his cup, standing before the bonfire, a bright smile on his scarred face.
He raised his cup toward Luo Chen and said loudly, "We have one person to thank for today's party! Let's thank Luo Chen!"
"It was he who annihilated the Arlong Pirates, and he even returned all the money Arlong stole, and all of Nami's money, back to us!"
"Never before! Never before have we met such a kind, just, and powerful Marine! This is Cocoyasi Village's good fortune!"
"Cheers!"
The villagers cheered and laughed, their thanks unending, as they raised their cups and shouted, "Cheers!!!"
"Cheers!" Nami and Nojiko also shouted excitedly, their faces beaming with smiles.
The two women's smiles looked exceptionally beautiful in the firelight.
Luo Chen smiled, raised his cup, and drained it in one gulp.
The drinks tonight were satisfying!
He didn't refuse anyone, and with his extraordinary physical constitution, he ended up drinking many tough guys under the table, leaving them lying on the ground spouting nonsense.
Luo Chen also lay down where he was, gazing at the bright, star-filled purple night sky, and closed his eyes contentedly.
Nami, carrying a wine bottle, staggered over and collapsed beside him.
Her cheeks were flushed, her large brown eyes hazy with drunkenness, and her smile was charming. "Luo Chen... thank you..."
Luo Chen chuckled. "You've already thanked me many times today."
Nami stared at him, her expression serious. "That's because I don't know what other words to use to express my gratitude to you."
"Today, I was so desperate I almost killed myself."
"If you hadn't appeared, the villagers and I would have definitely died at Arlong Park."
"You saved me, and you saved everyone."
Luo Chen grunted in acknowledgment and smiled. "You are all lucky people. Even without me, your fate wouldn't have been too bad."
"Someone else would have saved you."
Nami shook her head. "I don't believe that. If we were lucky, how could we have been oppressed by Arlong and his crew for eight whole years?"
Luo Chen pondered for a moment and agreed. "That makes sense. Well then, from this day on, you will continue to be lucky."
In his memory, after the incident with Arlong, the lives of the Cocoyasi villagers became peaceful and serene.
Nami swayed the wine bottle and said with a giggle, "Thanks to your good omen. I also believe that life will get better and better from now on."
She continued to pour wine for herself, overjoyed. But it wasn't long before she became even more drunk.
As if suddenly remembering something important, Nami rolled over, pinched Luo Chen's face with her hand, and slurred, "Luo... Luo Chen... give me back my one hundred million Berries."
"Tha-that's what I... I stole back... from pirates... several times... I was almost... almost caught and fed to the fish..."
Luo Chen helplessly flicked her hand away, speechless. "Didn't I already give it back to you? Asking again would be a scam."
"Y-you did?" Nami looked at him with hazy eyes. "I'll... I'll tell you... I love... love money the most."
"If I find out... you stole my money... I'll bite... bite you to death."
Luo Chen looked at her pouting, delicate lips and smiled. "I put the money under the bed in your house. Go back and find it yourself."
Nami shot up and immediately got to her feet, running toward her house.
Luo Chen looked at Nojiko, who was sitting in a chair and smiling. "Aren't you going to check on her?"
Nojiko smiled. "Alright. I was just saying I was worried you'd drink too much and fall asleep on the street, so I was keeping an eye on you. It seems I'm not needed."
She chased after Nami.
Luo Chen continued to gaze at the night sky, planning his next steps.
'I've transmigrated here, and I don't really know what to do, but I think I'll stick to being a Marine.'
'Pirates are the kind of thing everyone curses and attacks on sight. Not even a dog would want to be one.'
'After depositing seven hundred million Berries, my strength should at least reach the level of a Headquarters Captain after I finish training, right?'
'Tomorrow, I'll call Marine Headquarters. I killed the Marine scumbag Nezumi and the fish-man Arlong. Those are all merits.'
'But how to make money... killing pirates is still the most profitable way, especially the big-name ones.'
'I have Wood Clones. Perhaps I can forge a fake identity as a bounty hunter.'
'It would be best if I could get transferred to Marine Headquarters, use the Marines' intelligence system to find the locations of major pirates, and then kill them for their bounties.'
As he thought about it, drowsiness washed over him. Luo Chen casually created a wooden house and fell into a comfortable sleep.
...
The next morning, Luo Chen left alone and returned to the 16th Branch Marine base.
He used a Den Den Mushi to contact Marine Headquarters.
He reported everything that had happened in Cocoyasi Village.
"Major Luo Chen, we will dispatch a warship from Headquarters as soon as possible to investigate the situation at the 16th Branch. It is expected to arrive in fifteen days."
After saying that, the operator hung up.
Luo Chen looked helpless. Fifteen days? Why so long?
'Well, a long wait is a long wait. It's a good opportunity to use up those seventy thousand Cultivation Points.'
Luo Chen returned to his dormitory at the Marine base.
He held the rank of a Marine Branch Major and had his own private quarters, so he didn't have to worry about being disturbed while training.
'Luckily, the original owner of this body hadn't thrown his lot in with Captain Nezumi before. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have dared to contact Marine Headquarters.'
Luo Chen returned to his dorm, sighed with emotion, and sank his mind into the training space.
This time, he chose the [Skill Training Space].
He hadn't used it since the function was unlocked. Luo Chen was very curious about what kind of skills he could train.