Belated "Justice"

"Th-the Captain was hit?!"

The surrounding Navy soldiers froze for a second before reacting, raising their spears and aiming the dark muzzles at Luffy.

"Y-you insolent cur! How dare you attack a Navy Captain!"

"Fire! Fire quickly!"

"I'd like to see anyone dare to move."

Just as the soldiers' fingers were about to pull the triggers, an icy voice rang in their ears like a phantom.

"Buzz--!!"

Ronan had appeared beside Luffy at some unknown time.

The Zhangba Iron Spear in his hand didn't thrust forward but instead swept out horizontally with a bang!

In this strike, Ronan controlled his strength, not sweeping towards the soldiers' bodies but precisely targeting their weapons.

"Crackling--!!"

A series of crisp metallic impacts and shattering sounds could be heard.

Under Ronan's terrifying brute force and the sweep of the iron spear, over a dozen spears were instantly knocked from their hands.

Some were even smashed into scrap metal parts in mid-air, scattering across the ground.

"Ah! My hand!"

The soldiers clutched their numb wrists, looking in terror at the man holding the large black spear before them.

Ronan held the spear with one hand, its tip pointing diagonally to the ground, emanating a palpable killing intent. It was the lingering scent of blood from slaughtering dozens of Fish-men.

"Don't move."

Ronan's gaze swept coldly over each soldier's face. "Anyone who moves, dies."

Under Ronan's Asura-like intimidation, these Navy scum, who only knew how to bully the weak and fear the strong.

Their legs trembled, and they exchanged glances, none daring to take another step forward.

After all, they only had one life.

This group before them were ruthless individuals who had even annihilated the monstrous Arlong Pirates; they were not someone they could afford to provoke.

With the soldiers no longer obstructing them, Luffy, still riding on Rat Captain, rained down punches like raindrops, each one eliciting a miserable yelp from Rat.

"Stop... stop hitting me! I'm a Navy Captain! You're committing a crime!" Rat Captain, his face bruised and swollen, begged and wailed.

"Move aside, Luffy."

Nami walked over.

She carried a sturdy wooden club she had picked up from Arlong Park, her eyes cold.

Luffy stopped his assault and silently moved aside.

Nami took a deep breath and then swung the wooden club with all her might!

"Smack! Smack! Smack!"

"Bastard, for colluding with Arlong!!"

"Everything you've eaten... spit it all out!!"

Nami yelled as she struck.

This was not just a physical assault but an outpouring of eight years of humiliation.

Each blow felt like it was shattering her helpless past.

A few minutes later, Rat Captain had become a pig's head, lying on the ground, barely alive, without even the strength to cry out.

"Hoo... hoo..." Nami threw down the broken wooden club, breathing heavily, feeling the long-suppressed anger in her heart finally dissipate.

"It's not over yet."

Ronan walked over. He looked at Rat Captain, who was like a pile of rotten meat on the ground, his eyes devoid of any pity.

"Nami, Luffy. For people like this, mere physical pain is not enough."

"These types of people don't learn from their mistakes. Once released, he'll use his authority to harm the village again, perhaps even seek revenge with greater ferocity."

Ronan crouched down, his tone chillingly calm:

"To prevent him from continuing to wreak havoc in the East Blue... I suggest we cripple him."

"Wh-what?" Rat Captain's swollen eyes widened in terror. "No... don't..."

"Crack!"

Ronan ignored his pleas, his fingers exerting sudden force on Rat's joints.

A crisp sound of bone cracking echoed.

"Ahhhhhh--!!!"

Rat Captain let out a pig-like scream.

Immediately after, another hand, then legs.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

Ronan's movements were precise and cold, like a skilled surgeon, except he wasn't saving lives, he was executing.

He shattered every joint in Rat Captain's limbs. In a world with limited medical capabilities, such injuries meant lifelong disability, rendering him incapable of causing further harm.

"Take him away."

Having finished, Ronan stood up and coldly addressed the group of terrified Navy soldiers.

"Y-yes!!"

The soldiers, as if granted a great pardon, hastily carried the moaning Rat Captain, who was like a puddle of mud, and scrambled back to the warship.

The warship fled the port in disarray, disappearing into the twilight.

The sea breeze blew through the ruins, carrying away the last of the clamor.

Nami stood on the shore, watching the direction the warship had vanished, and let out a long sigh.

"He got off easy."

Nami said softly, a smile of relief lifting the corners of her mouth:

"But... with the Arlong Pirates eliminated and that Rat Captain thoroughly dealt with, I'm sure Cocoyasi Village will never suffer any oppression again."

The dark clouds that had loomed over her heart for eight years finally dispersed completely.

She turned and looked at her companions behind her.

Looking at these people, Nami felt her eyes well up again.

Once, she fought alone, struggling in despair.

Now, she had support.

"Everyone..."

Nami flashed a genuine, incredibly brilliant smile, a smile more beautiful than the sunset:

"Let's... go home!"

"To our village! Let's have a feast!!"

"Whooo--!!!"

Cheers echoed through the sky.

Cocoyasi Village.

The afterglow of the setting sun, like molten gold, poured over this land that had seen so much hardship.

The gloom that had hung over the village for eight years completely dissipated with the collapse of Arlong Park.

"Everyone... knew?"

Nami stood beside Nojiko, looking at the familiar and kind faces before her, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Silly child."

The windmill on Village Officer Gen's head spun with a whirring sound. A broad smile spread across his scarred face.

"If we didn't play along with your act, you would have felt that everything you did was meaningless, and you might have even pushed yourself harder to protect us. How could we bear to see that?"

"Nami, you worked hard."

"Welcome home, Nami."

The villagers gathered around, not with blame, but with concern and acceptance.

At that moment, the last of Nami's hardened defenses crumbled.

She was no longer the "traitor" who bore the lives of the entire village alone, but Bellemere's beloved daughter, a child of Cocoyasi Village.

And in the center of the square, the once arrogant "Tyrant of the East Blue," Arlong.

He lay on the ground now like a dead dog, limbs twisted, every bone shattered, bound tightly with thick chains.

Behind him were the surviving Fish-man Pirates, heads hung low, their arrogance gone.

Ronan stood to the side, looking at these culprits who had brought endless nightmares to the villagers, his gaze sharp.

This was his promise to the villagers, and also a certain interpretation of justice on this sea – evil will be rewarded with evil.