The Corrupt Marines

"What is this thing?"

The fish-men still fighting wore terrified expressions. An immense suction force rose from beneath their feet, as though countless hands were dragging them into the black mist.

Arlong gritted his steel-like teeth as excruciating pain shot through every part of his body. If he had not desperately held on, he would have already passed out from the pain. But with so much blood lost from his wounds, it was only a matter of time before he collapsed without prompt treatment.

The black mist in Noki's palm became a vortex. With a pull of his right hand, he seized Arlong by the throat, and dense darkness spread from Arlong's neck across his entire body.

"Let me go, lowly human..."

Arlong's fish eyes bulged wide, bloodshot as he struggled frantically. Yet Dark Water's suction was too powerful, and everything he did was futile.

He could only let the black mist envelop his entire body as darkness slowly swallowed him.

When the darkness faded, the fish-men were horrified to discover that the enormous Arlong had vanished without a trace, as if he had never existed in this world at all.

Genzo stood nearby, dumbfounded. Arlong, whom he had once believed invincible and unbeatable, had actually been defeated in such a simple manner...

"Boss Arlong!"

The fish-men ground their teeth in hatred and charged desperately at Noki with cleavers in hand. But their feet were deeply trapped in the darkness. Taking even a single step was as difficult as climbing to the heavens, let alone killing anyone.

The buildings, trees, and everything else in Arlong Park gradually collapsed beneath the pressure of that infinite gravity, then slowly corroded into nothingness within the darkness.

It was also the first time the Marines had seen their rear admiral use his ability. They had only known that Noki's swordsmanship was exceptional. They had never expected him to be such a powerful Devil Fruit user as well.

Noki's stunning face was cold and aloof. His long, silky black hair fluttered in the wind, his slender white legs drew every eye, and the wisps of black smoke around him made him seem like an imposing queen.

Even knowing he was a man, everyone present still felt their hearts stir.

Noki had a sturdy build, though not the burly sort. So, aside from the flaw that the parts that should have been large were not, and the parts that should have been flat were... entirely flat, he truly was a peerless "beauty."

The Marines only dared think such things in their hearts. If Noki caught them, ten lives would not be enough to save them.

The vast Arlong Park crumbled helplessly before the darkness. The once-luxurious estate was reduced to a barren stretch of open ground.

All the fish-men's corpses had also been cleared away by Noki.

Arlong and several of his officers were all wanted criminals. Taking them to Dadi for the bounties would surely bring in a handsome fortune.

Genzo felt as if he were living in a dream. The Fish-Man Pirates, who had occupied the island for five full years, were just gone? It was far too easy, far too unbelievable.

Dezaya ran excitedly up to Noki and cried, "Master, did you see that? I learned two of the Six Powers! Praise me, hurry and praise me!"

"Not bad."

Noki gave only those two words of evaluation, sounding rather perfunctory.

Even so, Dezaya was still delighted. What had just happened made her realize that Noki was even stronger than she had imagined, and her admiration for him grew deeper.

What young girl did not dream of a hero?

Noki was beautiful, powerful, and nearly perfect in every way.

Even Dezaya, who had never cared much for men, began to feel her heart flutter.

"Fall in."

With Arlong dealt with,

Noki planned to return to Loguetown as soon as possible.

But Genzo stopped him, bowed deeply, and solemnly thanked him. "Rear Admiral, please come to Cocoyasi Village. Our village may not be wealthy, but we would still like to hold a feast to thank our benefactor. Please give us this chance."

Noki shook his head. "Eliminating pirates is the Marines' duty. We came five years too late to save you, which is nothing to be proud of. If we accepted the villagers' gratitude on top of that, would we not be utterly ashamed?"

"You are right, but I still want to repay your kindness. Please accept!"

Noki fell silent for a while before saying, "All right. Tashigi, bring over the spoils we seized and give them to the villagers. Those things belonged to them in the first place."

"Yes, Rear Admiral."

After receiving the order, Tashigi hurried back toward the warship.

Genzo led the way, bringing Noki and the others to Cocoyasi Village.

It was clear that the village was not prosperous, though everything was orderly. Here and there, traces of destruction left by the fish-men could be seen.

The villagers had long heard that Marines had landed on the island, and they gathered around them.

"Genzo, has Arlong been defeated?"

A beautiful young woman with short blue hair and dark skin was the first to step forward and ask. Her gaze lingered on Noki. What a lovely... man.

Genzo nodded excitedly and shouted, "Everyone, I saw it with my own eyes! The entire Fish-Man Pirates crew has been defeated by these Marine officers. No more fish-men will come to the village and cause trouble!"

"Really?"

"That's wonderful!"

"Long live the Marines!"

"Our five-year nightmare is finally over!"

The villagers erupted in jubilant cheers.

"Everyone, celebrate Cocoyasi Village's return to peace and tranquility!"

"Let's hold a feast! For something this wonderful, we should celebrate for at least a whole week!"

"That's right!"

The blue-haired girl pulled Genzo aside, wanting to learn the details. When she heard that Noki had made all of Arlong Park disappear into thin air by himself, her red lips opened wide enough to fit an egg.

"Can someone really be that strong?"

Genzo said seriously, "I saw it with my own eyes."

"Oh~"

Nojiko quietly watched the most beautiful man in the crowd with her lovely eyes.

From Genzo's description, she could roughly picture Noki's heroic figure as he crushed the pirates.

The more she thought about it, the redder her pretty face became. Her heart pounded wildly, and she felt something strange stirring within her.

Could I have fallen for him?

How could that be possible!

Nojiko was deeply startled. They had only met for the first time today and had not even exchanged a word. Could this be love at first sight, like in the stories?

Hehe...

Nojiko laughed at herself. So what if it was love at first sight? He was a dignified rear admiral from Marine Headquarters. Would he ever take an interest in a country village girl like her?

That evening, the Marines and villagers celebrated all night.

Noki sat alone in a corner, drinking fruit juice.

Dezaya tried to pull Noki into dancing with the villagers, only to be ruthlessly refused.

Nojiko sat across from Noki, her beautiful eyes never leaving the stunning man. Now that Noki was alone, it was clearly the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation.

Yet she still had her reservations. Their statuses were worlds apart, and they simply did not seem like a suitable match.

"Sigh..."

Nojiko steeled herself. If she missed this chance, she might never get another one in her life. At worst, he would reject her. It was not as though she would die from it.

So she walked up to Noki's table and sat beside him as gracefully as she could. "Sir, may I sit here?"

"Mm."

Noki glanced at her.

He remembered this woman.

Sitting beside the man she liked, Nojiko's cheeks were flushed red. She did not know what to say, afraid that one wrong word would make him dislike her.

Noki spoke first instead. "Living under pirates' oppression for five years must have been quite unbearable, right?"

"Yes. Everything that happened today still feels like a dream. After the Marines were defeated by Arlong so many times, I never imagined that one day we could escape the fish-men's control. That racial advantage was truly despairing."

"The fish-men I know are completely different from that. On the Grand Line, most fish-men are slaves."

"Slaves?" Nojiko could hardly believe her ears.

"Mm. Fish-men are naturally stronger than humans, but this world is ultimately ruled by humans. Whether in numbers or overall strength, fish-men are inferior to humans. When one race is far stronger than another, racial discrimination naturally emerges. Having experienced Arlong's rule, you should be able to understand that."

"You mean that on the Grand Line, fish-men are the oppressed ones?"

"Yes. The reason Arlong always spoke of humans as a lowly race was ultimately to satisfy the longing in his own heart.

Many fish-men suffered inhuman abuse from childhood. Their status and position were not even as high as a beggar's. The moment they appeared before humans, they would be met with endless scorn. Under such unfair treatment, it was only natural for them to retaliate by oppressing others like Arlong did. It would have been stranger if they had not."

"So there was such a hidden side to it. I thought Arlong was telling the truth. I never expected reality to be the complete opposite." Nojiko sighed with emotion.

Noki asked again, "Do you have any other family?"

"Yes, I have a younger sister. She... technically belongs to the Arlong Pirates, but please do not think she is a bad person. There is a reason for it..."

Nojiko told Noki about what had happened to Nami when she was young.

"In that case, your sister is quite capable. If she is willing, how about having her come to Loguetown to find me? I can take her to see a broader world."

"Really?"

Nojiko was overjoyed. She had always felt guilty toward Nami, because Nami had made far too many sacrifices for the village and for her.

If Nami could follow someone like Noki, grow stronger, adventure, and fulfill her dreams, perhaps that would be a good future for her.

"I always keep my word." Noki nodded. "But your sister may not necessarily want to join the Marines."

Nojiko promised confidently, "Do not worry. Even if she does not want to go, I will convince her."

"You want her to join the Marines that badly?"

"Of course. What is bad about being a Marine?" Nojiko asked curiously.

"The pay is especially low." Noki sounded rather resentful.

"That... really is a problem. My sister is obsessed with money, after all." Nojiko's tone became hesitant.

Noki did not hold out much hope. "If she wants to come, she will always be welcome. If she truly does not want to, there is no need to force her. Everyone has their own aspirations."

"Mm."

Nojiko answered softly.

The two gradually fell silent again.

By the time Noki left with the Marines, Nojiko still had not taken that final step forward. The difference in their statuses remained a knot in her heart.

It was too late, so Noki ordered everyone to rest and set out for Loguetown the next day.

Early the following morning.

Tashigi reported to Noki, "Rear Admiral, a warship from the Third Marine Branch has docked. Base Commander Colonel Nezumi came in person. Would you like to meet him?"

"Colonel Nezumi?"

Noki remembered that, in the original story, Nezumi seemed to have secretly colluded with Arlong.

Thinking about it carefully, the answer was obvious.

Apart from the Marines in Loguetown, Noki had only notified the Third Marine Branch about his mission to eliminate Arlong.

Yesterday, Arlong's group had clearly known in advance that he was coming. Otherwise, they would not have sent people to wait in the nearby waters.

Since no one in Loguetown could have leaked the information, the news could only have come from the Third Marine Branch.

Influenced by Akainu, Noki despised deserters and corrupt Marines more than anything. In his eyes, Marines like that were even worse than pirates!

"You remain on the warship and await orders. I'll go take a look."

After saying that, Noki stepped on the air and used Moonwalk to race toward Cocoyasi Village.

When Genzo and the villagers saw another group of Marines arrive, they assumed they had also come to eliminate Arlong and were about to explain the situation.

Colonel Nezumi, who led them, took the initiative to state his purpose. "I have already heard that pirate Arlong was defeated by Rear Admiral Noki. I came here primarily to eliminate the remaining remnants of Arlong's crew!"

Genzo smiled. "Sir, every member of the Fish-Man Pirates has already been put to death. What remnants could there be?"

Nojiko suddenly felt that something was wrong.

Colonel Nezumi stroked his long whiskers and snorted. "The pirate thief Nami. I heard that she was also a member of the Arlong Pirates."

"Nami!?"

Everyone was shocked.

Genzo hurriedly explained, "You misunderstand. Nami joined the Arlong Pirates for a reason."

"I do not care what reason she had. A pirate is a pirate and should be punished. Where is she? Hand her over immediately!"

Nojiko said, "Nami left some time ago. She is not on the island."

"Is that so? Then take me to her home. I heard she has acquired quite a bit of stolen property over the years. Those things should naturally be confiscated for the state."

Nojiko snapped, "Do you people have any sense of reason? She earned that money through her own abilities. Why should it be confiscated? She stole from pirates! From bad people!"

Colonel Nezumi said, "She is a pirate herself. Should the Marines tolerate criminals robbing criminals? Keep talking nonsense, and I will arrest all of you for harboring a criminal."

"You!"

Nojiko gritted her teeth in fury.

Genzo let out a long sigh. If only the rear admiral were still here. "I will take you to Nami's residence."

"That is more like it."

Colonel Nezumi secretly rejoiced. Arlong had previously told him about Nami saving money to buy back the village. They had agreed that when Nami was close to gathering one hundred million Beli, Nezumi would bring people to seize all of her money under the Marines' name, then split it evenly with Arlong.

Now that Arlong had fallen, if he did not seize the money now, when would he?

The rear admiral from Headquarters had already left anyway, and his collusion with pirates had somehow gone undiscovered.

It seemed even heaven was on his side. Hahahaha...

Colonel Nezumi dreamed of getting his hands on treasure worth tens of millions of Beli, then heading to a big city to indulge himself. He did not notice someone descending from the sky right in front of him.

"Colonel!"

Nezumi's adjutant turned pale with fright.

"What is it?" Nezumi asked unhappily.

The adjutant pointed ahead.

Nezumi turned his head to look. At first glance, he thought it was an exquisitely beautiful woman, and his lecherous expression had only just begun to form when he noticed the rank insignia on the other person's shoulder. He immediately collapsed to the ground in terror. "R-R-R-Rear Admiral!"