With Sanji's help, dish after dish of delicious food was brought to everyone's table.
Especially with two beautiful women nearby, Sanji's cooking speed reached an unprecedented limit.
Even his kitchen knife left afterimages.
An hour later, over a hundred people began a lively banquet to welcome Nami home.
Can Yue, Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Usopp, Johnny, Joseph, Nojiko, and Gen sat at one table.
After a simple toast,
Can Yue began thinking about something.
Back in Orange Town, Nami had witnessed Can Yue's strength for the first time. That power had shaken her fear of Arlong.
That was why Nami had tried every possible way to hire Can Yue to deal with Arlong and save the village.
When Nami had recounted her past experiences, she hadn't mentioned what had happened between her and Belmermere.
And now that Can Yue had arrived in Orange Town,
dealing with Arlong was merely the surface of the matter. The real priority was helping Nami untie the knot in her heart, so the future Straw Hat Crew could truly become whole.
And to untie that knot, she naturally had to face her pain.
Though it was somewhat cruel to Nami,
Can Yue still voiced his thoughts.
He looked at Nami. His eyes beneath the mask revealed a trace of struggle before he finally asked her,
"Nami, I want to know your entire past."
At his words, Nami's pupils trembled, and her delicate body shivered slightly.
Did Can Yue find out?
In truth, during this journey, Nami had considered confessing everything about her past to her companions.
But every time she tried to speak, she felt as if she couldn't breathe.
What had happened to Belmermere was like a thorn lodged in her heart. The moment it was touched, it brought piercing pain.
But how long can I keep running away?
Taking a deep breath, Nami gathered her courage and looked at everyone. In the end, her gaze settled on Nojiko.
"Nojiko, please tell them everything. They have the right to know."
The moment Luffy and the others heard that, they stopped eating and listened intently.
Nojiko looked at Nami and revealed a relieved smile.
"It seems you truly trust them. Then I'll begin..."
"Nami and I were orphans taken in by our adoptive mother, Belmermere.
"When we were little, Nami was quite the troublemaker..."
As Nojiko spoke,
the memories of the past began surfacing in Can Yue's mind as well.
He was an orphan too, but he had never met a foster mother like Belmermere.
Nami had been fortunate to meet a "mother" who treated her like her own child.
But Nami had also been unfortunate. The family she had finally gained was so easily destroyed by evil people.
Perhaps because they were both orphans, or perhaps because he too had longed for a mother's love as a child,
Can Yue hated Arlong beyond measure for killing Belmermere.
Nojiko recounted everything, word by word.
She spoke of how Belmermere had given up her chance to survive in order to protect Nami and Nojiko, only to be killed by Arlong.
She spoke of how Nami had shouldered the burden alone. Even after enduring humiliation and suffering injuries all over her body, she had still found the courage to move among vicious pirates, all to steal enough money to buy freedom for the entire village.
She spoke of how the whole village had known of Nami's sacrifices, yet pretended to know nothing, afraid of placing an even heavier burden on her.
The story came to an end.
Nami's body trembled as tears she could no longer control streamed from the corners of her eyes.
Everyone present showed furious expressions.
Sanji, especially, was so enraged that he nearly went over to kick Arlong's head clean off.
Luffy's breathing grew heavy, and even the meat in his mouth no longer seemed appetizing.
Even Chouchou stopped gnawing on his bone, as if he too had become angry.
Even though Can Yue already knew this story, hearing it again still made it hard for him to suppress his displeasure.
He looked at Nami. "Wait a little longer. I'll make Arlong kneel at your feet."
Upon hearing Can Yue's words, Nojiko and Gen both raised their heads to look at him.
Nojiko looked deeply worried. "Thank you for helping Nami, but Arlong is truly terrifying."
Gen took a deep drag from his pipe and spoke cautiously as well.
"Don't underestimate them. Eight years ago, the Marines came to our village twice, and both times they were completely wiped out by the Arlong Pirates.
"Otherwise... otherwise, Nami wouldn't have suffered the humiliation of joining the Arlong Pirates."
By now, Nami had slowly emerged from her pain.
She wiped away her tears and smiled at the two "family members" worrying over her.
"Don't worry. I know Arlong's strength. He's very strong—so strong that I once gave up resisting.
"But before my companions, he's truly nothing."
As she said that, Nami looked at Can Yue with complete confidence.
Seeing Nami's movements and expression, Nojiko became certain that most of Nami's confidence came from this mysterious, handsome white-haired man wearing a half-mask.
Gen frowned tightly, apparently still unconvinced, and continued to emphasize,
"Don't force yourselves. If you want to set sail with them, Nami, everyone in the village will risk their lives to help you stop Arlong."
The other villagers immediately echoed him.
"That's right, Nami. You've given too much."
"You should go and explore a life that belongs to you."
"It's our turn to do something for you, Nami."
Seeing the entire village's reaction, Nami's eyes grew moist again.
Can Yue felt somewhat uncomfortable. For some reason, whenever he thought of Nami and these kind villagers being oppressed by Arlong,
that suffocating feeling rose within his chest on its own.
Though he couldn't figure out why, there was one thing Can Yue knew clearly.
If I don't kill someone, I'll feel awful all over.
Speak of the devil, and the devil arrived.
A voice so grating it sounded like a dead horse came from afar, drawing nearer.
"Sha~hahahaha! Nami, I thought you'd merely been kidnapped by other pirates. Who would've thought..."
Fish-Man Arlong arrived at Nami's home surrounded by three Fish-Man Pirates officers: Hachi, Kuroobi, and Chuu.
When he saw Nami eating with several unfamiliar pirates and had even invited the entire village,
Arlong understood that Nami had betrayed him.
Kuroobi, the whale shark fish-man, merely snorted coldly.
"What a stupid woman. You should know what happens to traitors."
Chuu, the kissing gourami fish-man, let out a lewd, creepy laugh.
"You'll wish for death and still be unable to get it. Are you sisters ready to become tools for satisfying our desires? Sha."
The moment the Fish-Man Pirates' insulting words came out, every resident of Cocoyasi Village became enraged.
"You bastards! Today, we'll fight you to the death!"
"Whoever backs down is a coward! Today, either you die or we do!"
All the villagers stood up, clearly intending to risk their lives against the Fish-Man Pirates.
Just as the villagers were about to rush forward, Can Yue's icy voice rang out.
"Shut up, all of you! Let Nami handle this."
Demonic Aura surged around Can Yue, carrying bone-chilling cold.
That calmed the enraged crowd.
After a moment, Can Yue looked at Nami, who was somewhat nervous at the sight of Arlong and the others. The corner of his lips lifted slightly as he said slowly,
"Nami, face them yourself. Don't worry, we're by your side."
At those words, Nami's nervousness gradually settled, and her gaze became increasingly resolute.
Then Nami pulled out her foldable metal Extendable Staff, rested it on her shoulder, gathered her courage, and walked toward Arlong and the others.
As Nami moved forward, Can Yue looked at Luffy.
"Captain, how about letting Nami declare war today?"
The moment Luffy heard that, he understood what Can Yue meant.
Then he grinned and replied,
"No problem! This battle belongs to Nami!"
Luffy walked to Nami's side and placed his straw hat over her head with one hand.
"Nami, declare war on them!"
At that moment, the voices of her companions seemed to possess magic in Nami's mind, completely eroding her fear of Arlong.
At the same time, Can Yue, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Chouchou all stepped in front of Nami, staring coldly at Arlong's group.
The warmth of her companions completely encouraged Nami.
Her beautiful eyes beneath the straw hat became sharp. Raising one hand, she pointed the head of her Extendable Staff directly at Arlong.
"Today, I'll settle this with your Arlong Pirates.
"Arlong, prepare to die!"
Before you continue