"Tsk. Broken already?" Rody muttered.
He walked to where Kuroobi's head lay, kicked it with one boot, and sent it tumbling into the arms of the hammerhead shark fish-man, Aku.
"Hold it tight. If you drop it, I'll kill you."
Shuddering, the fish-man clutched the severed head to his chest as if it were his own lifeline.
"Nami. Go take the helm, guide Kuro, steer us around that cape," Rody ordered.
Snapped from her daze, Nami's eyes lit with excitement. "Yes! Right away!" She rushed to the helm room to command the black hound, steering it as Rody directed.
Rody reclined once more against the white hound's back, eyes half-lidded. In his mind he summoned the system prompt: Host has slain Kuroobi.
[Slaughter Value +1]
Slaughter Value: 2.
"As expected," Rody thought. "The weak don't count. No matter how many of them you cut down, the system won't reward it."
…
By dusk the sun sank low, touching the line of the sea. Cocoyasi Village sat beneath a false peace, the quiet twilight masking the shadow of tyranny. Rody's arrival shattered that illusion.
He stopped before Aku, still cradling Kuroobi's head. "Let's go. Take me to your leader, Arlong."
Blank-eyed, Aku rose, clutching the grisly trophy, and led them off the ship toward Arlong Park. Rody gave his white and black hounds the order to clean the deck, then followed with Nami at his side.
"Hey, hey, look at that fish-man," a villager whispered as they passed. "He's carrying a fish-man's head!"
"I know! That's Kuroobi, a nine-million-Berry officer of the Arlong Pirates, second only to Arlong himself!"
"He's dead? Truly dead?"
"Yes! Incredible!"
Whispers of joy swept down the roadside where villagers peeked out, their voices trembling with hope. Nami's lips curved upward. She could not help but smile.
Seeing her smile, Rody too felt a flicker of warmth cross his face.
"Oi, Nami, what's going on?"
"Who's the young man with you?"
"Did he kill the fish-men?"
The villagers pressed questions on her. Nami answered clearly, her voice firm: "His name is Rody. He's my comrade. He killed them. His strength is overwhelming. Everyone, don't be afraid. Our nightmare is ending soon."
They came before the gates of Arlong Park. Two fish-men guarded the entrance.
"Oi, what are these humans gathering for? Do they mean to resist us noble fish-men?"
"Wait…look! Isn't that Kuroobi's head in Aku's arms?"
"Quick, quick, tell Lord Arlong!"
The guards darted inside. On his stone throne, Arlong lounged with his eyes half-closed. They shouted to him: "Lord Arlong! The humans are rising up! Kuroobi's been killed...his head cut clean off!"
"What? Kuroobi, slain by humans?" Arlong's grip shattered the arm of his stone chair as he surged to his feet. Fury twisted his face. "Damnable humans. Bring me my saw-tooth blade. I will kill them all!"
The weapon was brought, and Arlong strode out at the head of his crew. His eyes landed immediately on Aku holding Kuroobi's head. Tears burned in his eyes as rage spilled out.
"My kin! Humans! I will slaughter you all!" he roared.
"That's Kuroobi's head!" the fish-men behind him shouted. "Kill these humans!"
"They murdered Kuroobi! Slaughter them all!"
"Arlong, kill them, avenge Kuroobi!"
The fish-men raged. The villagers who had followed Rody shrank back. Joy fled from their faces, replaced by fear...but still their eyes turned forward, toward Rody and Nami.
Aku, clutching the head, came alive once more. His dull eyes gleamed with sudden vigor. He pointed a trembling hand at Nami and Rody. "Lord Arlong! It was this human Nami brought back! He butchered Kuroobi and all the others who patrolled with us. Lord Arlong, avenge us!"
Arlong's gaze locked on Nami. "To bring this human here… So, Nami, you have abandoned the deal to buy Cocoyasi back. I had planned to wait until you scraped together the full hundred million. Then I'd send word of your theft to that greedy Colonel Nezumi of the Marines' 16th Branch. He'd seize everything you've stolen. All your years of toil wasted. Can you imagine the despair on your face? Even the thought delights me! Hahahaha! But it's too late now. All of you are going to die!"
"You damn fish-man! To trick Nami like this...we'll never forgive you!"
"Yes! Nami, we've known all along why you joined him!"
"Don't be afraid for us anymore, Nami. We were ready to fight Arlong from the start!"
Tears brimmed in Nami's eyes. She turned, trembling. "Everyone…"
From the crowd stepped Nojiko and Genzo. Genzo's face was stern but his arms were gentle as he embraced Nami like a father. She choked back a sob. "Genzo… you… when did you find out?"
"From the very beginning," Genzo said softly. "The day you joined Arlong, all of Cocoyasi knew. We knew it was for us. That you bore this alone for our sakes. We pretended ignorance so we wouldn't become chains around your heart, should you ever try to escape him."
He pressed his hands on her shoulders, staring at her tear-streaked face, and made his vow. "Nami, this time, no matter what, we will not let ourselves be your chains again. We will stand with you, even if it means death."
"Yes, Nami." Nojiko's eyes shone with steel. "You see it now...Arlong deceived you. So face him with us this time."
Around them, villagers clenched farm tools and kitchen knives. Their eyes burned with grim resolve.
"Everyone…" Nami whispered, no longer weeping. She turned to Rody. "Rody, help me."
"Of course."