Upon hearing the report, Ash remembered that the Marine base closest to Cocoyasi Village belonged to the 16th Marine Branch. If his memory was correct, the current commander there should be Colonel Nezumi, the same man responsible for ordering the attack that injured Nojiko.
The moment Ash recalled that rat-like Marine, irritation flickered in his eyes.
He turned to Nami and asked calmly, "Nami, do you know who the colonel of Marine Branch 16 is?"
Nami thought for a moment before answering.
"I think it's someone named Nezumi. I've heard about him, but I've never actually met him."
Ash clicked his tongue inwardly.
So it really is that bastard.
He glanced toward Youki and gave an order.
"Go get the sea charts for this area and bring back the newest bounty posters they have. And if that Colonel Nezumi happens to be on that ship, give him a proper beating."
Nami's eyes widened in shock.
"Aren't you Pirate Hunters? Is it really okay for you to attack Marines so openly?"
Tsuki burst out laughing beside her.
"We aren't ordinary bounty hunters. Bro Ash is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"Shichibukai?!"
Nami stared in disbelief.
Tsuki tilted his head slightly.
"Oh? You know about the Shichibukai?"
Nami crossed her arms and replied with some annoyance.
"It's not like this place is completely cut off from the world. We read the World Economic Journal regularly. It's just that we've been dealing with the Trejack Pirates lately, so we haven't had time to check the recent papers."
Hearing this, Tsuki quickly found an old newspaper from earlier that year. The headline clearly reported Ash's appointment as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
He handed it to Nami.
"Then read this. In short, Bro Ash is extremely powerful."
About the time it took to drink a cup of tea later, Youki returned.
He tossed a sea chart and a stack of bounty posters into Tsuki's hands.
"That guy really lives up to his name. He actually looks like a rat. But he has good instincts. The moment he saw me, he recognized who I was. Even after I slapped him a few times, he kept smiling and told me to have a safe trip."
Ash chuckled softly.
"If we hadn't already caused trouble at the Sabaody Archipelago, someone like him should have been thrown straight into the sea."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Forget it. We'll lie low for a while. Opportunities like that will come again."
Looking toward the island that was now clearly visible ahead, Ash also noticed the Marine warship that had already fled far into the distance.
"Let's go ashore first," he said. "We should settle the Little Thief Cat's problem."
Nami blinked in confusion.
"My problem? What problem?"
---
Because of the direction they approached from, the Dawn crew's arrival did not alert either the villagers of Cocoyasi Village or the Arlong Pirates who ruled the region.
The only person aware of their arrival was Colonel Nezumi.
The moment he recognized Youki, he had immediately retreated to Marine Branch 16 with his tail practically tucked between his legs.
Since Nezumi had only recently taken over command of the branch, he had not yet fully established contact with Arlong. Naturally, he had no chance to warn the fishmen that disaster was about to arrive.
Of course, Ash neither knew nor cared about any of this.
---
Belle-Mere's Orange Grove
Outside Cocoyasi Village stood the quiet orange grove left behind by Belle-Mere.
Inside the modest home belonging to Nojiko and Nami, Ash sat calmly across from the two sisters.
Both girls were holding a copy of the World Economic Journal that reported Ash's appointment as a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Although their eyes remained on the newspaper, their minds were clearly elsewhere.
Ash's earlier words continued to echo in their thoughts.
"I can help you avenge Belle-Mere."
"I will destroy the Arlong Pirates."
"But the condition is simple. The two of you will join my ship and become members of my Pirate Hunter crew."
"And the orange grove can also be transplanted onto my ship."
The room fell silent.
Ash did not rush them.
Instead, he quietly observed the blue-haired girl sitting before him.
Nojiko.
Nami's adoptive older sister.
Despite her delinquent-like appearance and short blue hair, Nojiko carried herself with surprising maturity and intelligence.
By calculation, Nojiko was two years older than Nami, making her fourteen years old. Coincidentally, she was the same age as Ash.
Eleven years ago, when Nojiko was only three years old, she had discovered Belle-Mere lying in the ruins of a battlefield. The former Marine was severely injured and surrounded by blood.
In Nojiko's small arms was an infant, Nami.
If that tiny child had not appeared before Belle-Mere that day, the Marine might have quietly closed her eyes and died.
Instead, Belle-Mere chose to survive.
From that moment on, the three of them became a family.
Although the original story rarely focused on Nojiko, the few details that existed revealed the girl's remarkable character.
She was brave and intelligent.
As a child, she wandered through the aftermath of war carrying a crying baby. When she found Belle-Mere, she did not run away in fear.
Instead, her presence gave the dying Marine a reason to keep living.
She was grateful and selfless.
When the Arlong Pirates occupied Cocoyasi Village and demanded 100,000 Berries per person for survival, Belle-Mere could not afford the money for both girls.
While Nami cried desperately and refused to leave her mother, young Nojiko had already decided she would take Nami away so Belle-Mere could live.
She was strong and gentle.
When Belle-Mere died before her eyes, Nojiko suppressed her grief and focused on protecting her younger sister.
Later, when Nami was forced to join the Arlong Pirates and received the hated fishman tattoo, Nojiko tattooed her own shoulders and arms so Nami would not feel alone.
She was tolerant and devoted.
When Nami declared her dream of sailing the sea, many villagers opposed the idea.
Nojiko was the first person to support her.
While Nami chased freedom across the ocean, Nojiko remained behind, quietly protecting the orange grove their mother left behind.
Ash studied her thoughtfully.
In his mind, Nojiko could only be described with one phrase.
A woman of extraordinary virtue.
And according to the events two years after the Paramount War, the future twenty-two-year-old Nojiko would grow into a beautiful woman whose charm rivaled even Nami's.
Ash liked that very much.
Unlike Carina, who had been an unexpected encounter, Nojiko had always been one of Ash's intended recruits.
At that moment, the sisters finally snapped out of their daze.
"Huh?"
Nami had personally seen Ash and his crew flying through the sky and effortlessly destroying the Trejack Pirates. She had also witnessed Ash scare away a Marine warship with his presence alone.
Because of that, she did not doubt his ability to destroy the Arlong Pirates.
The only problem was that the proposal had arrived too suddenly.
Nojiko, however, looked directly at Ash.
"I understand why you want Nami. Her navigation skills are incredible. But why do you want me on your ship too? I only know how to take care of orange trees."
Ash suddenly slapped his palm with his fist as if realizing something important.
"Exactly."
He grinned.
"I'm planning to grow a peach forest and an orange grove on my ship. I'll need someone with your experience."
The two sisters were stunned.
At this moment, they were only fourteen and twelve years old. They were far from the clever, confident women they would become six years later.
"Ah… is that so?" Nojiko asked uncertainly.
"Of course."
Ash stood up immediately.
"Then it's settled."
Before the sisters could even respond, he had already made the decision.
He then turned toward Nami.
"Do you want to come watch how the Arlong Pirates are destroyed?"
Nami snapped back to reality instantly.
Her eyes lit up with excitement.
"Of course! Please take us!"
Nojiko opened her mouth, intending to say that she did not need to go.
But when she saw the hopeful excitement on Nami's face, she swallowed her words.
Truthfully, she was also curious.
She wanted to see just how powerful the man standing before her truly was.
---
"Ahhh!"
Startled screams echoed through the air.
Using the wind to carry them, Ash and his group transported the two sisters across the sky. The trip to Arlong Park took no longer than the time needed to eat an orange.
When they landed, Nojiko's legs were still trembling.
She leaned slightly against the wall and asked Nami,
"Did he take you flying like this before?"
Nami nodded weakly.
"But it wasn't this fast before."
Tsuki noticed their pale expressions and explained with a grin.
"It's almost dinner time. The faster we finish this, the sooner we can go back and eat. You'll get used to it later."
Nojiko and Nami exchanged looks.
Neither of them knew how to respond.
===
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