By the time Nami reached Arlong Park, the battle had long since ended.
The gates stood wide open.
At a glance, she could see Arlong sitting in the center of the park.
Chew, Kuroobi, Hachi, the three top officers, and dozens of fish-men had all gathered inside the gates, watching Nami outside with great interest.
At the entrance lay countless villagers wailing in agony. Crimson blood had almost completely dyed the ground red.
Everyone had suffered severe injuries and lost the strength to resist, yet they still clung to their last breaths.
Nami raised her head, and her pupils suddenly contracted.
The unconscious Akin had been nailed to the gates by a spear, blood slowly trickling from the wounds in his abdomen and left shoulder.
Drip!
Drip!
Drip!
"Nami!"
Arlong's vicious laughter snapped Nami back to her senses. She looked up at him, forcing a relaxed smile onto her face, but the fury and hatred in her eyes could not be concealed.
"I got the money back. As agreed, 100 million Berries to buy back the village!"
"Of course."
Arlong nodded, the mockery in his eyes deepening.
"Then as agreed, bring that money into Arlong Park and hand it to me."
Nami pressed her lips tightly together and took a step forward, about to cross into Arlong Park, when a gunshot abruptly froze her in place...
Bang!
Nami turned her head numbly.
The fish-man Salt Burn, standing guard at the entrance, held a rusty flintlock pistol.
White smoke rose from the barrel.
In the distance, a civilian's head had been pierced by a bullet. Blood flowed from the wound, spreading scarlet across the ground.
"Oh?"
"That guy called Akin had quite a fine gun. Even after going unmaintained for years, it was surprisingly reliable."
Click!
A new bullet was