"Chee-chee-chee!"
Colonel Nezumi strode off the warship with a smug look on his face, expecting villagers to line the road in welcome. Yet the moment he stepped onto the dock, he found his surroundings eerily quiet.
Forget a welcoming crowd-there wasn't a soul in sight.
"What's going on? Where are those peasants?" Colonel Nezumi turned and barked at the Marine messenger beside him.
The soldier hurried forward and saluted. "Reporting, Colonel! We previously notified Genzo, the police officer of Cocoyasi Village, to meet us here, but he hasn't shown up. We don't know why yet."
Colonel Nezumi frowned, suddenly recalling something Arlong had mentioned-some villagers apparently had blades hidden away.
Had Genzo already been dealt with by those Fish-Men?
He soon lost interest in speculating and raised a hand. "Forget it. Grab any villager and ask for directions. We just need to find the Orange Grove. We're here for the treasure. As for that witch of Cocoyasi Village, surely everyone knows where she is."
He laughed at his own words.
But as soon as the Marines entered Cocoyasi Village, they all froze.
Nearly all the villagers from across the islands had gathered in one place, and a banquet was in full swing. People slumped drunkenly around the tables, their faces flushed red. They showed no sign of having been exploited to the point of desperation.
Colonel Nezumi's expression darkened as he stared at the drunken villagers.
"Didn't Arlong say he'd squeezed them dry, right down to their bones? Where did they get the money for a banquet like this?"
A moment later, he sneered.
Looks like I can raise the tribute I collect from Arlong.
"Someone stop this banquet!"
"Yes, sir!"
A Marine walked up to the crowd and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Quiet, all of you!