Shiki sat inside the shop, a bottle of wine in one hand and a huge piece of meat in the other.
He ate like he owned the place.
Around him, the villagers kept stealing glances, whispering among themselves while desperately trying not to make it obvious.
"What… what are we supposed to do now?
That man killed Arlong's men. Once the others notice they're missing, they'll definitely come here."
"Yeah… if Arlong gets angry, we're finished."
No one could deny it.
Watching those fish-men die had felt satisfying.
For a moment, it was as if the heavy weight pressing down on Cocoyasi Village had loosened.
But satisfaction and survival were two different things.
They were happy Arlong's men were gone.
That did not mean they wanted to provoke Arlong himself.
Nami stood in front of the shop where Shiki was eating, hesitating in place.
She did not know whether she should go up and talk to him. After all, he was eating right now, and Nami had no idea what kind of temper this man had. If she disturbed him at the wrong moment and angered him, there was no telling what he might do.
This man had killed members of the Arlong Pirates without even blinking.
He was clearly dangerous but if she did nothing, Arlong would come sooner or later and when that happened, the entire village would be dragged into it.
Nami gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and finally walked forward stiffly.
"Hey."
Her awkward posture and deliberately shy expression seemed to carry other intentions.
"Mind if I sit here?"
Of course, Shiki knew Nami was trying to seduce him.
Naturally, Shiki would not be fooled by something like that however he did not mind.
After all, he had been waiting for this moment.
Still, Shiki did not answer. He only continued eating in silence, which made Nami, who was pretending to blush, grow even more nervous.
"Ah… right." She laughed awkwardly, trying her best to keep her voice steady. "I don't even know your name yet."
She looked like an actress who could not act.
Anyone could tell Nami was lying.
Even Nami herself wanted to slap her own face for making such an immature mistake.
Because of the scene earlier, when he had killed those fish-men so easily, and because of his silence now, her fear had reached its peak. In the end, she had actually asked such a stupid question.
Damn it… is this going to be it?
Nami practically prepared herself for the worst.
But nothing happened.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
Shiki was not anxious at all. Only after a while did he finally raise his head and look at her, as if calmly admiring her from top to bottom.
Nami, on the other hand, was becoming more and more anxious.
She hesitated in her heart, then finally gritted her teeth and decided to speak. Even so, she chose a more subtle approach.
"Lord…" Nami asked timidly.
"Just call me Shiki."
Shiki lowered his head slightly, the corner of his mouth lifting faintly.
That smile made Nami's heart relax a little, and she was about to say what was truly on her mind.
Then, all at once, a massive wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body and crashed down on Nami alone.
Outside, no one felt anything.
He had concentrated it entirely on her.
In Nami's eyes, Shiki suddenly became a gigantic lion, towering like a mountain, its glowing eyes staring down at her.
Her legs went weak, and she almost fainted from fear but some invisible force kept her in place.
It was the power of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi.
When Shiki had killed Hachi earlier, he had felt nothing.
Although Hatchan was Rayleigh's friend, Shiki was not afraid of Rayleigh. People like Hatchan had done plenty of terrible things under Arlong, and in Shiki's eyes, it was only natural that he should die.
What Shiki could not understand was why Nami had forgiven Hatchan in the anime.
Should she not have wished for him to die more than anyone else?
The pain Hatchan had helped cause to her and this village was not something that could be forgiven with one simple apology. Yet she had even insisted on helping him.
In Shiki's eyes, that was honestly quite messed up.
"Now blink if you can still hear me."
Hearing those cold words, Nami swallowed down her fear and blinked.
"Good. That means you can still answer me."
Shiki slowly wiped his lips with a handkerchief, finished eating, and turned toward her.
"First. Why did you suddenly approach me? I'm actually curious."
His voice lowered slightly.
"Second. You'd better tell me everything about this island, and don't even think about lying. I can tell when someone does."
Then, in a final tone, he said,
"Whether everyone here survives depends on how much truth there is in your words."
Outside, Genzo's face twisted.
"Damn it… what is he doing to Nami? She's in danger!"
He tried to rush forward, but Nojiko grabbed his arm and held him back.
"Calm down, Genzo-san!"
"How am I supposed to calm down?!"
"Genzo-san, if you rush in now, things might become even more uncertain. Nami-chan is smart. She wouldn't act without a plan."
Nojiko herself felt uneasy. Her chest was tight, and she was just as worried as he was.
But even she could tell that interfering now could be fatal.
"What are you thinking about?" Shiki deliberately teased Nami, even though he had already scared her out of her wits. "Are you thinking about how to get yourself free?"
"No, no, no! Of course not!"
Nami's frightened face turned pale, and she quickly shook her head.
"Actually…"
Nami hesitated again but for some reason, feeling that terrifying aura pressing down on her and remembering the words he had spoken, she finally decided to tell the truth.
It doesn't matter anyway…
This man had already killed members of the Arlong Pirates. Arlong would definitely come for revenge later.
Maybe, if she told him everything, there really might be a chance to kill that bastard Arlong.
Nami's heart changed at that moment.
At first, she had still held some doubts. But after experiencing this sudden burst of Conqueror's Haki, she understood that this was not something ordinary people could contend against.
In her eyes, Arlong had always been the strongest.
But that was only until she met this blond man.
Thinking that her revenge might finally end soon, and that her mother could finally rest in peace, Nami no longer cared about anything.
Years of frustration.
Years of oppression.
However before Nami could say a word, tears flowed first.
"Uhh…"
She tried to wipe them away, but realized she still could not move.
So she cried even harder.
"…"
Shiki suddenly felt awkward.
For a moment, he felt like one of those bastards who bullied the young and weak.
So he released the power of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi and suppressed his aura.
The instant she could move again, Nami suddenly threw herself forward and hugged Shiki tightly.
Shiki narrowed his eyes slightly.
He could not tell whether this cunning girl had done it on purpose.
"Woooooo…"
Nami stiffened at first, but seeing that he did not say anything, and only feeling the sound of his heartbeat and the warmth coming from him, she cried even harder.
Then, between broken sobs, she told him everything from beginning to end.
How Arlong had come to Cocoyasi Village.
How Belle-mère had died.
How she had been forced to join the Arlong Pirates.
How she had spent years stealing, lying, and scraping together money for the sake of the village.
And finally...
"Arlong said… as long as I saved one hundred million berries, he would let my village go."
"I see."
Shiki leaned back slightly, his golden eyes fixed on her.
"So you approached me because you wanted to use me?"
Nami's face instantly turned pale.
She hurriedly pulled away from his arms and lowered her head.
"S-Sorry!"
Her voice trembled.
"I know it's selfish, but I didn't know what else to do..."
Before she could continue apologizing, a large hand gently landed on top of her head.
Nami froze.
"Don't worry."
Shiki's voice was calm.
"I'll help you."
His hand lightly ruffled her orange hair.
Looking at the state she was in, even Shiki had to admit it was a little pitiful.
She has been carrying everything alone for years... It was no wonder she had finally broken down.
Nami's eyes widened, her tears briefly forgotten as she stared at him, stunned that he had agreed so easily.
Of course, this was part of Shiki's plan from the beginning.
If he wanted Nami to willingly follow him in the future, then forcing her into a corner and making her reveal everything herself was far more effective than simply offering help from the start.
People always trusted what they chose to reveal more than what was freely given.
"R-Really?"
Nami looked up at him suspiciously.
Then another thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
Wait...
He isn't going to promise me now and then throw me into the sea to feed the fish a second later, is he?
Looking at her doubtful expression, Shiki almost laughed.
"Really."
He nodded seriously.
"I don't make promises I can't keep."
After all, Shiki thought that since he needed to build a reputation, he might as well use Arlong as the first stepping stone.
Once Arlong fell, that rat Marine would inevitably come sniffing around as well.
At that point, a bounty would be issued naturally and with a bounty came fame.
As for Nami...
Using her gratitude after he dealt with Arlong, having her serve as the navigator of his future ship would not be difficult.
As for her strength, that was even simpler.
All he had to do was find her a powerful Devil Fruit.
...
The villagers, who had been hiding and watching from a distance, finally began to emerge after seeing Shiki and Nami walk out of the shop together.
Even then, they approached cautiously, their faces filled with uncertainty and anxiety.
Among them, Genzo could no longer hold himself back.
Pushing through the crowd, he hurried forward, his expression tense as he rushed toward them.
"Nami! Are you alright?!"
"Haha, of course I'm fine. In fact, things are much, much better than before."
A bright smile spread across Nami's face.
Unlike the smiles she usually forced herself to wear, this one was completely genuine.
For the first time in a long while, she felt an incredible sense of freedom.
Seeing the concern still lingering on everyone's faces, Nami let out a small sigh before explaining everything she and Shiki had discussed, including his promise to help them deal with Arlong.
"Nami, thank you for thinking about saving our village, but Arlong is too strong. You're no match for him."
One of the villagers stepped forward and tried to persuade her.
"We'll be fine. Just run away."
"That's right."
Another villager nodded and looked toward Shiki.
"This lord looks very strong. As long as you stay by his side, you should be safe. Don't worry about us."
The others quickly voiced their agreement.
After all, they had already resigned themselves to their fate long ago.
Compared to their own lives, they would much rather see Nami escape this hell and finally find happiness.
"Uncles, aunties… thank you."
Nami looked at them and spoke firmly.
"But we'll be fine!"
After saying that, she turned and looked back at Shiki standing behind her.
"And Shiki will never lose!"
Shiki met Nami's gaze, and he could see that she truly meant those words.
Did she really believe in him that much?
Even Shiki was a little surprised.
"Nami..."
Genzo stepped forward as well, trying to persuade her.
But before he could say anything else, Nojiko grabbed his arm and shook her head.
Then she looked at Nami and smiled.
"Go ahead, Nami."
"We'll believe in you too."
Nami blinked at her, then broke into a bright smile.
"...Yeah!"
After that, she followed Shiki without any further hesitation.
The two of them headed straight toward Arlong Park.
Watching their backs disappear into the distance, Genzo finally turned toward Nojiko.
"Nojiko, how can you be so reckless?"
Nojiko simply smiled.
"Reckless?"
She looked toward the direction of Arlong Park.
"Maybe... but since it's already come to this, shouldn't we fight until the very end?"
Her words caused everyone around her to fall silent.
Slowly, the fear in their eyes began to fade.
In its place came determination.
They looked at one another.
One after another, the villagers picked up whatever weapons they could find.
Farming tools.
Fishing spears.
Old rifles.
Rusted blades.
Their hands trembled... but this time, they did not back away.
If Nami was willing to bet everything on this chance...
Then they would bet everything alongside her.
Silently, the people of Cocoyasi Village began moving.
Step by step.
Following the same road leading toward Arlong Park.
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