"Nami, quickly take your friends and leave! The Fish-men are here!!!"
Roland, the only police officer in Cocoyasi Village, shouted anxiously to warn them.
As early as yesterday, when Nami brought Roland and his two companions home.
Nojiko had made a backup plan, contacting Genzo to help her keep an eye on the Fish-men's movements.
She never expected the Fish-men to act faster than imagined, as if with some purpose.
"How could this happen? How did we get exposed?"
Nami staggered, her originally rosy face suddenly turning pale.
"What's wrong? Nami, what's with the Fish-men? Are there Fish-men on this island?"
Kuina asked.
"Fish-men? Fish that look like people? How do they taste?"
Thor's eyes lit up.
Duang ~
Roland lightly tapped Thor's head.
"Don't think about it. I won't eat Fish-men or your tail meat, and you can't eat them either!"
As a human, Roland naturally couldn't accept the meat of any humanoid creatures.
As for Thor's tail meat, Thor was already his woman.
Roland could accept her bodily fluids, and even her feet were barely acceptable, but tail meat was out.
"Alright!"
Thor responded obediently.
Nojiko on the side: "???"
Wh-… what's going on?
What kind of friends did Nami bring back?
Why would they want to eat Fish-men!
Those were terrifying Fish-men!
"No problem, there's still time! It's not too late!"
Nami, regaining her composure, bit her lip and turned to Roland, who was still explaining Fish-man knowledge to Thor.
"No time to explain, Roland, it's still not too late to leave now. I'll explain the details after we leave this island!"
Nami said, trying to pull Kuina away.
"Hahahahaha"
Just then, a series of harsh laughs came from both ends of the road.
On both the left and right sides of the road, several Fish-men appeared, surrounding the group in the middle.
"It's too late to think about leaving now, Nami!"
The Fish-man officer Kuroobi said with a mocking laugh.
"This is our Arlong crew's territory. It's a bit wishful thinking to want to leave without paying a price!"
The Fish-man officer Chew sneered.
"Nami…"
Kuina wanted to do something, but Roland stopped her with a raised hand.
"These guys…"
Thor's eyes narrowed into dangerous arcs, her pupils gradually turning into vertical slits.
However, without Roland's instruction, she wouldn't act rashly.
"Arlong"
Nami took a deep breath, suppressing the unease and agitation in her heart.
She ignored the other Fish-men, her gaze fixed on the leader, Arlong.
"They are my friends, just temporary guests for one night. Give me some face and let them leave!"
Nami said, feigning composure.
"Nami, you are my partner, so I will give you some face, but…"
The Fish-man Arlong grinned.
"Rules are rules. You know, on this island, it's 100,000 Berries for adults and 50,000 for children. This has been the iron rule since seven years ago, and it's the same even if they only stay for one day!"
"Okay! 250,000 Berries, I'll pay!"
Nami, who usually valued money more than her life, agreed without hesitation.
Before she could go back to the house to get the money.
"Whoa oh oh oh"
"Boss Arlong!!!"
"We're rich! We're rich!"
"Some idiot buried a huge sum of money in the ground!"
"Now that we've found it, it's ours!"
The ecstatic voices of the Fish-men came from the orange grove.
Hearing their words, Nami's face instantly turned pale.
She prayed that it wouldn't be what she was thinking.
However…
Things did not go as wished.
When she saw the box the Fish-men were carrying.
Nami's legs went weak, and she fell to the ground.
Because that was the fruit of her seven years of hard work.
80 million Berries she had saved by adventuring at sea and trying every possible way to earn money, all to buy back the village.
If she worked a little harder, in another year or so, she would have saved 100 million Berries.
Now, everything was over.
"Bastard, put it down quickly! That's Nami's hard work from the past seven years!"
Genzo shouted, his emotions running high.
He could no longer bear it.
Not only he, but everyone in the entire village knew about Nami's efforts.
The next second.
With a bang.
Genzo was kicked flying by a Fish-Man.
"You don't get a say here!"
The Fish-Man officer Kuroobi said coldly.
"Arlong, that's the money my sister saved to buy the village. There should be over eighty million in there, and we'll gather the rest and give it to you today!"
Nojiko spoke calmly, trying to salvage the situation as much as possible.
However, Arlong and his crew were here for this money today, and to torment Nami, so how could they grant her wish?
"No, no, no. If this were before today, and Nami brought this money to me, perhaps I could have made a note of it. But now it's too late. Regardless of whether this is Nami's or not, if it's found by my people on our territory now, then it's mine. Don't you agree, Nami?"
Arlong looked at Nami.
"Arlong, you never intended to keep your promise. Even if I gathered one hundred million Berries, you wouldn't return the village to me! That was just a dream you wove for me!"
Nami looked at Arlong coldly, having understood everything.
"No, no, no, how could you think of me that way, Nami? Our agreement is still valid. As long as you can gather one hundred million Berries, I will return the village to you!"
Arlong said, looking perfectly at ease.
"Don't be discouraged by one failure. You are a very talented woman. Even without this money, it's just a matter of a few more years. Keep going, I will always wait for you to redeem the village!"
Arlong 'encouraged' her, looking as if he had Nami completely figured out.
He was certain Nami wouldn't turn against him here, not just for the village.
But also for her friends, who were visiting the village for the first time in seven years.
For the sake of her so-called friends' safety, she had to continue to endure humiliation and suffering.
Thinking of this, the joyful curve of Arlong's mouth widened even further.
Just then.
"So that's how it is. I generally understand!"
Finally, Roland no longer remained silent.
"So, as long as Nami can gather one hundred million Berries, you guys will get out of this island, right? If that's the case, I'll pay for this one hundred million Berries!"
…