Nami's Tears

"Marines, you..."

Nami froze as she looked at the Marines who had suddenly appeared. This was something she had never expected.

Why were the Marines here?

And why did they happen to know where she had hidden her treasure?

She was the only one who knew about this place!

"Take all these treasures back for me! Hee hee hee hee..."

Nezumi let out a string of rat-like laughter. His eyes gleamed as he pointed at the treasures dug up all around them and gave the order.

"Get away! Those things are mine! You have no right to touch them!"

At the sight, Nami's eyes nearly split with fury, rage about to burst from her gaze.

"Thief Cat Nami, you are a member of the Arlong Pirates. You are a pirate, and we are Marines. If you don't want to be arrested, then get lost obediently. Otherwise, I'll arrest you too, along with those people from Cocoyasi Village. They're your accomplices too, aren't they?"

Nezumi sneered and pointed behind Nami at the many villagers who had suddenly appeared. At their head stood Genzo, the village's marine guard.

"Colonel, you've gone too far! This child earned these things fair and square by taking them from pirates. You have no right to trample on them! And since you know about the Arlong Pirates and how they terrorize this region, why don't you arrest them instead of coming after us?"

Genzo could not help roaring in anger at the scene.

"That's right! You're Marines. You can't bully our Nami."

At that moment, a dark-skinned woman stepped in front of Nami and pointed at Nezumi and the other Marines, shouting coldly.

She was Nami's older sister, Nojiko.

"Get lost, Marines!"

"Protect Nami! She's already sacrificed too much for us!"

"Protect Nami!"

All the villagers stepped forward, standing in front of Nami.

"You... everyone..."

Nami was stunned once again. Didn't they hate her? She had joined the Arlong Pirates and become one of them.

Why were they doing this?

"Idiot, we knew your true feelings long ago."

Nojiko smiled brightly at Nami.

Though she had joined the Arlong Pirates, her real purpose had been to fulfill her agreement with Arlong, working herself to the bone in secret to buy back the village for one hundred million Beli.

The villagers had seen through it from the very beginning.

Nami might have been meticulous, but she could not hide it from the seasoned Genzo and Nojiko.

"You..."

Nami's heart trembled.

"Are you trying to oppose the Marines? You're courting death!"

Seeing the villagers gathering around him, Nezumi sneered and gave the order.

"Everyone, get ready! If any of these people make a move, kill them without mercy!"

"Yes!"

At once, the Marines bristled with killing intent, their gun barrels aimed at every villager.

If anyone dared make the slightest move, they would be killed without mercy.

"..."

The surroundings fell into dead silence!

Faced with the dense forest of Marine gun barrels, who would not fear death?

And so, under everyone's gaze, Nezumi led the Marines in digging up every treasure Nami had hidden.

Bundles of Beli and pieces of gold dazzled the eye, wealth enough to make anyone's head spin!

"Hahaha! Now all this is mine!"

Nezumi became even more smug.

"Is that so? I don't think so!"

Just then, a cold voice suddenly rang out. A young man in black slowly emerged from the nearby woods, appearing before everyone's eyes.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Who are you?"

Nezumi's expression immediately darkened.

"Who is he?"

The villagers were equally confused as they stared at the young man who had appeared.

"Moonlight, it's you!"

Nami recognized him at once. Who else could it be but Moonlight?

After the four had split up, Moonlight followed the agreed direction and somehow arrived at the place where Nami had hidden her treasure, leading to this scene.

"Nami, so you're here. What happened? Do you need help?"

Seeing Nami, Moonlight smiled faintly and glanced at Nezumi and the others.

"Moonlight, I... I..."

Nami could not speak. She had abandoned everyone and returned alone. She had broken faith with them and was no longer a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. Now that she faced Moonlight, she did not know what to say.

"Nami, do you know him?"

Nojiko asked in confusion.

"Are you Nami's friend? Please help her. Her treasure is being stolen."

The surrounding villagers hurriedly spoke up.

"So you're an accomplice too. I'm in a good mood today, so you'd better behave yourself. Otherwise, I don't mind throwing you into a Marine prison for forty or fifty years."

Nezumi first grinned smugly at Moonlight, then spoke coldly.

He was a Marine colonel. Who would dare provoke him?

So what if an accomplice had arrived? He would still obediently stand aside!

"These people are really noisy. Nami, I don't know why you left, but if you want to leave, you have to give Luffy a reason. Otherwise, I won't accept it."

Moonlight smiled faintly at Nami, then turned his gaze toward Nezumi and the others.

"Get lost!"

"Buzz!"

An invisible, baleful aura surged toward Nezumi and the others!

Conqueror's Haki!

"Thud! Thud!"

Every Marine the aura swept over collapsed, going limp and unconscious on the ground. Even Nezumi trembled all over before dropping onto the ground.

In an instant, every Marine had lost the ability to fight and lay sprawled on the ground!

At the same time, a voice sounded in Moonlight's mind!

"Ding! Conqueror's Haki has advanced to lv2: 1/100000!"

"It finally reached lv2!"

"Alright, no one will disturb us now. Nami, come with me to see Luffy."

Hearing the voice, Moonlight rejoiced inwardly. Then, standing amid the one hundred million Beli, he looked at Nami.

"Gasp!"

"What... what happened!"

"What's going on? What happened to those Marines?"

"They were taken care of just like that!"

"So strong!"

The people around them were dumbfounded by the sight.

The fierce, imposing Marines—what had happened to them? Why had they suddenly all fallen to the ground?

What had this man named Moonlight done?

Was this magic?

"Are you Nami's enemy?"

Nojiko trembled, yet she stepped in front of Nami.

She could sense that this was not so simple!

"He isn't, Nojiko."

Nami walked forward, her body shaking, her eyes filled with tears.

"Moonlight, help me. Help me... I can't hold on much longer!"

Nami looked at Moonlight, tears filling her eyes.

She had figured out why the Marines knew about this place, and why they had come at this very moment. Arlong had orchestrated all of it!

The thought plunged her into utter despair!

"Hm?"

Since meeting her, this was the first time Moonlight had seen Nami make such an expression.

"Alright. Tell me everything."

Moonlight nodded.

He had come here precisely to give Nami a hand!

"Who dares trespass into the territory of the Arlong Pirates!"

"Catch him! That long-nosed guy is the companion Nami mentioned!"

"Get him!"

At this moment, Usopp had incredibly good luck and arrived at the main base of the Arlong Pirates, Arlong Park.

Before he could even get close, the sharp-sensed fish-men noticed him and shouted.

Some of them even recognized Usopp!

Usopp was terrified and immediately fled for his life!