Colonel Nezumi

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"Arlong Park collapsed?" Watching the Arlong Park building rapidly crack apart before caving in, everyone froze. From outside, they had no idea what had happened between Luffy and Arlong inside. Filled with nervousness and worry, they prayed for Luffy. Even after witnessing Arlong's true strength, William did not dare guarantee that Luffy could win. Having experienced it firsthand, William knew Arlong was not merely a little stronger than Luffy.

"So who won?" Hearing Genzo's question, none of the Straw Hat Pirates answered. They had already prepared themselves. If the person who stood up was not Luffy, William, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp would attack without hesitation.

"It's Luffy!" Once they saw that the person standing atop the ruins was Luffy, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, it looked like Luffy had become the Straw Hat Pirates' third critically injured patient.

"Nami, you're our companion!" Luffy, barely able to stand, loudly declared that Nami was a companion of the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Mm!" That soft reply affirmed all the Straw Hat Pirates' efforts. Everyone revealed joyful smiles, with only one exception. The moment Zoro learned that Luffy had won, he immediately fell asleep.

Everyone knew his condition was terrible and that he needed rest and a doctor's care. No one was dissatisfied with him. On the contrary, they admired Zoro's willpower, because he was the only one who had joined the battle at the risk of his life. Although William had also suffered serious injuries, they only affected how much of his strength he could use and were not life-threatening.

As the strategist, William felt it was necessary to find a doctor to join them as soon as possible. Otherwise, whenever they were injured, there would be no professional to care for them.

"Arlong Park has collapsed! We won!" When the villagers learned that Arlong, the last Fish-Man in Arlong Park, had been defeated, they shouted in joy.

"We have to tell the other villages!" After a full eight years, they had finally escaped the Arlong Pirates' cruel rule today.

Seeing the villagers' joy, William felt somewhat moved as well. The Celestial Dragons had long classified him as a slave who had to be captured. As long as the Celestial Dragons' rule existed, he could not be discovered.

"You're done fighting, right?" A rat-faced man approached with several Marine soldiers. "Today is truly a lucky day. That battle just now was spectacular. I never expected you to defeat the Arlong Pirates."

This man was Colonel Nezumi of Marine 16th Branch, the Marine bastard who had pocketed Nami's 970,000 Beli under the pretext of confiscating ill-gotten wealth.

Who knew how someone like this had climbed to the position of Marine colonel? In terms of strength, even in the weakest East Blue, he would at most be a captain. Reaching major would already have required burning incense in gratitude.

Still, regardless of everything else, Nezumi was a Marine colonel. William instinctively lowered the brim of his cap. He could not let the Marines discover him yet, or he would become the sinner who dragged down the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Why would the Marines appear at a time like this?" The moment Usopp spoke, everyone realized the problem, though they quickly guessed the reason.

"That bastard colonel!"

Marine 16th Branch was not close to this place, and the battle between the Straw Hat Pirates and the Arlong Pirates had only lasted a few dozen minutes. Even if Colonel Nezumi had come to stop the villagers, there was no way he could have learned what happened here earlier than the Arlong Pirates, right? Moreover, the troops Nezumi had brought revealed the problem. Last time, he had brought an entire squad just to confiscate Nami's treasure, but this time he had appeared at Arlong Park with only two subordinates. If he had come to arrest people, not even an idiot would believe it.

Anyone with a functioning brain could see that Colonel Nezumi was definitely in cahoots with the Arlong Pirates. After discovering that the Arlong Pirates and Straw Hat Pirates were fighting, he had come to reap the benefits while they fought each other.

"But thanks to you, Arlong's treasure now belongs to me. Even the credit for your achievements will be claimed by Colonel Nezumi of Marine 16th Branch!" Colonel Nezumi said shamelessly. There was probably no second person in the world besides Colonel Nezumi who could say such things so grandly and openly.

"Don't spoil the mood while everyone's celebrating!" William suddenly appeared behind Colonel Nezumi and grabbed the back of his neck. Then, without giving him a chance to see William's face clearly, he gave Colonel Nezumi a vicious beating.

If not for Colonel Nezumi's status, William would have killed him on the spot. But he did not do so. At the very least, this could not be tied to the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Wait, do you know who I am?" However, Colonel Nezumi's warning brought him no benefit. He continued threatening them anyway. "Remember this: if you dare lay hands on me, I won't let you off!"

"Now it's time to settle the score for hitting Nojiko and wrecking Bellemere's Tangerine Grove!" Nami fiercely swung the staff in her hand at the battered Colonel Nezumi. "Remember, the treasure Arlong left behind belongs to this village. And give mine back! Give it back!"

"You wicked pirates, remember this! That guy wearing the Straw Hat is your captain, right? I know your name is Luffy. I'll show you the consequences of angering me! Just wait and see!" After leaving behind that threat, Colonel Nezumi fled Arlong Park, covered in injuries.

"How did he know I'm going to become the Pirate King?" Luffy asked smugly, mistaking Colonel Nezumi's words for praise.

"Idiot, that's not what he meant!" Sanji could not understand how Luffy had taken a Marine's warning as praise. It had obviously been a warning.

"This is bad. The Marines are going to have their eyes on us!" After hearing what Colonel Nezumi had done, Usopp immediately panicked. However, he seemed to have forgotten that from the moment he called himself a pirate, he had become one of the Marines' targets.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later. You're pirates, after all!" Nojiko felt that this group calling themselves pirates did not resemble pirates at all. They seemed more like adventurers.

"Where did William go?" After teaching Colonel Nezumi a lesson, Nami discovered that William had vanished without anyone noticing.

Marine 16th Branch.

"Hello, this is Marine Headquarters!" the Marine Headquarters operator said after connecting the Den Den Mushi.

"Hello, hello. Is this Headquarters? I'm Colonel Nezumi from Marine 16th Branch, Marine ID number 7." Colonel Nezumi shouted into the Den Den Mushi, "I want to make a request to Headquarters!"

"You don't have to shout so loudly. I can hear you!" The Headquarters operator was clearly annoyed by Nezumi's yelling. If Colonel Nezumi's identification number had not checked out, the operator would have thought someone was impersonating a Marine.

"Listen carefully. There's a pirate wearing a Straw Hat named Luffy! He has five accomplices under him. Considering that they possess the strength to eliminate the Arlong Pirates, they are highly threatening and dangerous. I request that their captain be put on the wanted list! This brat is an utterly vicious pirate. Put him on the bounty list, dead or alive!" The excited Colonel Nezumi continued shouting into the Den Den Mushi. "Please verify the facts as soon as possible and approve my request!"

"Don't you have a more serious photo?" After seeing the photograph Colonel Nezumi had sent over, the Headquarters operator asked helplessly.

"No, that's the only one!" Colonel Nezumi was equally speechless, but that was the only photograph he had.

"Colonel Nezumi, could you return my navigator's treasure?" William finally appeared after Colonel Nezumi ended the Den Den Mushi call.

He had entered Colonel Nezumi's office long ago, but Nezumi had been communicating with Headquarters at the time, so William could only wait. He did not want to immediately attract nearby Marines to investigate.

"You?" Although Colonel Nezumi had not seen William's face clearly, he recognized from William's clothing that he was the pirate who had beaten him earlier.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is William, former Marine Colonel William!"

"You're the missing Colonel William?" Although William's "disappearance" had happened several months ago, as the central figure in an incident that had shaken every Marine base throughout East Blue, Colonel Nezumi still had some impression of William's name.

"Oh dear! You know my secret. What should I do?" William asked with an expression of panic and fear.

"Didn't you just tell me yourself?" Colonel Nezumi had not climbed to this position by being stupid. He deeply regretted going to Arlong Park today!

[515 is almost here. I hope we can keep pushing for the 515 Red Packet rankings. When the red packet rain comes on May 15, it can give back to readers and promote the work. Even one yuan is love—I'll definitely update well!]