"Th-the captain was beaten?!"
The surrounding Navy soldiers froze for a second, then snapped out of it and raised their spears, their dark muzzles aimed at Luffy.
"Y-you insolent criminal! How dare you attack a Navy captain!"
"Fire! Fire now!"
"I'd like to see who dares move."
Just as the soldiers' fingers were about to pull the trigger, an icy voice rang out beside their ears like a ghost.
"Buzz—!!"
Before anyone knew it, Ronan had appeared beside Luffy.
The Zhangba Iron Spear in his hand did not thrust forward. Instead, he swung it fiercely sideways!
Ronan controlled his strength in this strike. Rather than sweeping at the soldiers' bodies, he precisely targeted the weapons in their hands.
"Clang! Crash—!!"
A series of crisp Metal Impact Sounds and cracking noises rang out.
More than a dozen spears were instantly knocked from their hands by Ronan's monstrous strength and the sweeping iron spear.
Some were even smashed into scrap metal parts in midair and scattered across the ground.
"Ah! My hand!"
The soldiers clutched their numbed wrists and stared in terror at the man wielding the Black Great Spear.
Holding the spear one-handed, Ronan pointed its tip diagonally at the ground. A nearly tangible killing intent radiated from him—the bloody smell that had yet to fade after slaughtering dozens of Fish-Men.
"Don't move."
Ronan's cold gaze swept across every Soldier's face. "Whoever moves dies."
Under Ronan's Shura-like intimidation, these Navy scum, who normally only knew how to bully the weak and fear the strong—
All trembled with fright and looked at one another. Not one of them dared take another step forward.
After all, they only had one life.
The people before them had wiped out even monsters like the Arlong Pirates. They were not people the soldiers could afford to provoke.
With no soldiers blocking him, Luffy straddled Rat Captain and rained down punches, every blow drawing a scream from Rat Captain.
"St-stop hitting me! I'm a Navy captain! This is a crime!" Rat Captain, bruised and swollen, begged pitifully for mercy.
"Move aside, Luffy."
Nami walked over.
She held a sturdy wooden club she had picked up from Arlong Park, her eyes cold.
Luffy stopped and silently stepped aside.
Nami took a deep breath, then swung the club with all her strength!
"Smack! Smack! Smack!"
"Asshole, for colluding with Arlong Pirates!!"
"Spit out... everything you took from us!!"
Nami roared as she struck him.
This was not merely a physical beating, but an outlet for the humiliation she had endured for the past eight years.
Every swing seemed to shatter that helpless past.
A few minutes later, Rat Captain had been beaten into a pig-headed mess. He lay on the ground, barely alive, without even the strength to scream.
"Huff... huff..." Nami tossed aside the broken club and panted heavily, feeling the resentment that had been pent up in her heart for years finally dissipate.
"It's not over yet."
Ronan walked over and looked at Rat Captain, who lay on the ground like a pile of rotten flesh. There was not a shred of pity in his eyes.
"Nami, Luffy. For someone like him, physical pain alone isn't enough."
"People like him never learn. Once he is let go, he will use his authority to harm the village again. He might even retaliate even more viciously."
Ronan crouched down, his tone horrifyingly calm.
"To keep him from continuing to commit evil in the East Blue... I suggest we cripple him."
"W-what?" Rat Captain's swollen eyes widened in terror. "N-no..."
"Crack!"
Ignoring his pleas, Ronan suddenly exerted force against Rat Captain's joint with his fingers.
A crisp sound of shattering bones rang out.
"Aaaahhh—!!!"
Rat Captain let out a shriek like a slaughtered pig.
Then came his other hand, followed by both legs.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
Ronan's movements were precise and merciless, like those of a skilled surgeon—except he was not saving a life, but carrying out an execution.
He crushed every joint in Rat Captain's limbs. In a world with such limited medical care, injuries like these essentially meant lifelong disability. He would never be able to do evil again.
"Carry him away."
After finishing, Ronan stood and coldly spoke to the Navy soldiers, who had long since been scared senseless.
"Y-yes!!"
As though granted a pardon, the soldiers hurriedly lifted Rat Captain, who wailed like a lump of mud, and scrambled back to the Warship.
The Warship fled the harbor in disgrace, disappearing into the dusk.
The sea breeze blew through the ruins, carrying away the last of the commotion.
Standing by the shore, Nami watched the Warship vanish and let out a long breath.
"He got off easy."
Nami spoke softly, though a relieved smile curled at the corner of the mouth.
"But... we destroyed Arlong Pirates and dealt with that Rat Captain for good. I suppose Cocoyasi Village will never suffer oppression again."
The dark clouds that had shrouded her heart for eight years had finally dispersed completely.
She turned around and looked at her companions behind her.
Looking at them, Nami felt her eyes begin to well up again.
Once, she had fought alone and struggled amid despair.
But now, she had people to rely on.
"Everyone..."
Nami revealed a dazzling smile from the bottom of her heart, more beautiful than the evening glow.
"Come... come home with me!"
"To our village! Let's have a feast!!"
"Yeah—!!!"
Cheers rang through the sky.
Cocoyasi Village.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over this weathered land like molten gold.
The gloom that had covered the village for eight years had completely vanished with the collapse of Arlong Park.
"Everyone... knew?"
Standing beside Nojiko, Nami looked at the familiar, kind faces before her, tears glistening in her eyes.
"Silly child."
The windmill atop village sheriff Gen's head spun with a rattling whir. A broad and thick smile appeared on his scarred face.
"If we hadn't played along with you, you would have felt that everything you did was meaningless. You might even have pushed yourself harder to protect us, right? How could we bear to expose you?"
"Nami, you've worked hard."
"Welcome home, Nami."
The villagers gathered around her. There was no blame in their eyes, only heartache and acceptance.
At that moment, the last hard line of defense in Nami's heart completely crumbled.
She was no longer the "traitor" who had carried the lives of an entire village alone. She was Bellemere's beloved daughter, a child of Cocoyasi Village.
At the center of the square stood Arlong, once the untouchable "Overlord of the East Blue."
Now, he lay like a dead dog, his limbs twisted and every bone in his body shattered. Thick iron chains bound him tightly as he sprawled on the ground.
Behind him stood the surviving Fish-man Pirates, all hanging their heads in dejection, none retaining their arrogance of the past days.
Ronan stood nearby, his gaze icy as he looked at the culprits who had brought the villagers endless nightmares.
This was his answer to the villagers, and also his interpretation of Justice upon this Great Sea—evil would inevitably be repaid with evil.
Before you continue