Nami's Betrayal

"Let me make this clear first: I still haven't forgiven you for what happened last time. The only reason I helped you was because that man over there seemed like he could really deal with the Fish-Men. Don't get the wrong idea."

Nami spoke without turning around, her back facing Carina.

"More importantly, the octopus Fish-Man's sword from earlier should have fallen somewhere nearby, right? Pick it up quickly. This is a battlefield now. If you don't want to die, take up a weapon and protect yourself."

After instructing Carina, Nami did not even have a moment to react. Her gaze did not dare leave the Fish-Men for even an instant.

Attacking the Fish-Men in this situation not only put herself in danger, but also meant giving up her chance to buy back Cocoyasi Village. In the past, she never could have done something like this no matter what. Yet just now, after seeing Li Mingyuan fight Arlong, she had ultimately failed to hold herself back and saved Carina.

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Never before had she felt as she did now, as if she could truly see hope of defeating Arlong.

Until now, countless assassination and poisoning attempts had failed to kill Arlong. This was the first time she had seen someone force him into such a state.

"Hey! Nami, what do you think you're doing!?"

The Fish-Men, who had still been stunned moments ago, finally came back to their senses. They glared at Nami furiously. "Have you lost your mind, doing something like this!?"

"What am I doing? I should be the one asking you that."

"Why would you think that, when the Arlong Pirates could be destroyed at any moment, I would still stand on your side?"

Nami retorted, "Is it really strange that I am your enemy now?"

"Nami!!"

"That's how it is."

"From this moment on, I am officially an enemy of the Arlong Pirates."

Nami's eyes were clear as she raised the corners of her lips. "Please take care of me."

Nami clenched the staff in her hand, its tip pointed toward the Fish-Men. Both hands were incredibly steady, without the slightest tremble.

Seeing Nami like this, the Fish-Men were instantly enraged.

Though they had persecuted Nami countless times, forcing her to draw nautical charts for the Arlong Pirates who had killed her mother, Nami was, in the end, still a member of the Arlong Pirates. The tattoo deeply etched into her left arm was proof of that.

Yet now, with a great enemy before them, Nami, who had always obeyed them unquestioningly, had actually turned against them.

"This is betrayal!"

"Nami, you're standing with that bunch of nobodies now. If they lose, have you considered the consequences? Every villager in Cocoyasi Village—we'll drag them out and kill them even if they flee to the ends of the earth!"

A Fish-Man stepped forward and said to Nami darkly, "It's not too late yet! Kill the one beside you as an apology, and we can still treat this as a joke."

"...Even now, you still don't want to kill me?"

Nami could not help sneering. "Unfortunately, since I chose to step forward today, I have no intention of going back."

"There may never be another chance in my life to wipe all of you out in one stroke like this."

At that moment, Nami glanced from the corner of her eye toward Li Mingyuan in the distance. He was still standing where he was, seemingly watching the situation inside the huge hole in Arlong Park's main building. A faint ripple appeared in her eyes as she recalled the scene from the battle just now.

How powerful.

She could vaguely tell that the mysterious man might not even have been going all out. Facing every attack from the Fish-Men, he had maintained an air of complete ease, as though every development had been within his expectations.

If he was not a fool, then he most likely had the confidence to control the situation.

Nami could not help wondering whether, even if she had not saved Carina just now, he might have been confident that he could protect her. But she did not dare gamble. Carina only had one life.

"That man is still very calm, but in contrast, the Arlong Pirates are already beginning to show signs of faltering."

"If what they said earlier was true, then the three officers of the Arlong Pirates should already have been taken down. All that remains are these Fish-Men in front of me, some Fish-Men elsewhere—and Arlong himself."

Nami took a deep breath and barely managed to calm her trembling heart before focusing on the enemies before her once more.

Victory was within reach.

"Damn it! We have no choice..."

"We can't kill Nami. Everyone, attack together and restrain her quickly!"

Seeing Nami's determined expression, the leading Fish-Man could no longer hold back. He hurriedly said to the others beside him, "If Brother Arlong gets serious next, Arlong Park itself will collapse. He'll definitely deal with that man soon! But we can't let Nami die here. Brother Arlong will be furious."

"That's right! Everyone, get her!"

As Brother Arlong's name was repeatedly mentioned, the Fish-Men's expressions immediately became savage. When they looked ahead again, they no longer hesitated and charged toward Carina and Nami.

Carina gripped the sword she had picked up, while Nami's expression was equally tense.

Against the strength of Fish-Men, two humans could not possibly hold out for long. Both of them knew this all too well, but they had no time to worry about it now.

"Ha!"

Nami shouted and fiercely swung her wooden staff down at the head of the Fish-Man charging in front.

Carina gripped her sword with both hands and slashed at a Fish-Man as well, only to stagger backward again and again.

Before long.

Under the Fish-Men's combined assault, both women were surrounded.

On the other side, Li Mingyuan watched the changing situation without the slightest trace of tension on his face.

At this moment, his attention was especially focused on Carina. He was somewhat surprised. He had not expected that, encouraged by Nami, someone who had barely had any combat scenes in the animated movie would actually dare to raise a sword against the Fish-Men. Should he say the two of them had a very close bond, or that Nami's emotions had infected Carina?

But Carina seemed to have completely forgotten his earlier promise that he would protect her.

"Forget it..."

"Though it is a pity that I once again failed to find a suitable chance to make my formal appearance in this world."

"Still, being able to save one use this early is quite a good thing."

At some unknown point, three curved blade-like tomoe had begun revolving around the pupils in Li Mingyuan's eyes.

As he watched the Fish-Men's siege, the change in his eyes receded, and they quickly returned to the normal Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Just like that.

Without anyone noticing, a deadly hidden killing move quietly dissipated.