With Captain Nezumi and his Marines subdued, Nami finally let out a sigh of relief. Turning to face the Cocoyasi villagers, still clutching their farm tools, she felt a mix of emotions swell within her.
Through their words and unwavering expressions, Nami realized that everyone in the village had always known why she had joined the Arlong Pirates. They knew about the unbearable burden she carried for their sake.
As tears streamed down her face, Nami wiped them away and stood tall, resolute. She made up her mind—she would confront Arlong directly.
But before she could take another step, the villagers stepped forward, armed and ready. They were determined to resist Arlong's rule together.
"We've relied on you long enough, Nami," Genzo said firmly, the windmill on his hat spinning slightly in the breeze. "It's time we fight for ourselves."
Nami tried to stop them, shaking her head. "No! This is my fight!"
But the villagers, their faces hardened with resolve, wouldn't back down. For years, they had bottled up their anger and grief, trusting in Nami to save them. Now, after the incident with Captain Nezumi, they understood the truth: Arlong had never intended to honor his promise.
Betrayal fueled their desperation. They refused to let Nami carry the weight of their freedom alone any longer.
As the villagers marched away, Nami dropped to her knees, her strength leaving her. Her trembling hand brushed the tattoo of the Arlong Pirates on her shoulder, and her eyes burned with a mix of shame, anger, and hatred.
"Arlong…" she hissed through gritted teeth, her voice low and filled with venom. "Arlong!"
Her rage boiled over. With shaking hands, she grabbed a knife and began stabbing at the tattoo on her shoulder.
"Get off of me!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face as she tore at the symbol of her torment.
Behind her, Fullbody, having secured Captain Nezumi and his men, approached cautiously. Seeing her self-destructive actions, he stepped forward and stopped her, gently holding her arm to prevent further harm.
"Your name is Nami, right?" he said softly. "There's no need to hurt yourself like this."
Nami looked at him with tear-streaked eyes, her breathing ragged.
"Listen," Fullbody continued, his voice steady. "Try to trust your crewmates. Believe in them. They came here to fight the Arlong Pirates because of you. They believe in you."
His words were spoken with conviction—not just for Nami, but as a reminder to himself. Fullbody had been using self-deception to bolster his confidence, convincing himself to trust in the strength of the private Marines rather than running away.
Nami's trembling slowed. Fullbody signaled for one of the medics to bandage her wounds, and she let them, her energy spent.
Once her bandages were secured, Nami sprang to her feet and dashed toward Arlong Park. Her determination reignited, she raced as fast as she could, her only thought to confront Arlong.
But as she approached the ruins of the once-mighty Arlong Park, she spotted a villager running toward her. He held the broken pirate flag of the Arlong Pirates high in the air, his voice ringing with joy.
"They're defeated! The Arlong Pirates have been defeated!"
Behind him, a crowd of villagers followed, crying tears of joy and shouting the same news.
Nami froze in place, her heart pounding. Images of Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Ikki flashed through her mind.
Her lips trembled as she whispered, "Luffy... everyone…"
She picked up her pace, running faster toward Arlong Park.
When she arrived, she saw the ruins of the Arlong Park. The once-imposing structure was now rubble. At the center of the wreckage, Luffy was being tossed into the air by the cheering villagers, his grin as wide as the sky.
Ikki noticed Nami immediately and walked over with his usual smile. "Well, well! Has our runaway navigator finally decided to come back to the family?"
With a playful flourish, he held out the private Marine appointment letter and a pen.
This time, Nami didn't argue or hesitate. She took the letter and signed her name with firm resolve.
It was an unspoken rule—only those who signed the private Marine appointment letter could officially join the Straw Hat Pirates. By signing, Nami was finally declaring her place as a true member of the crew.
The others quickly noticed her arrival. Sanji was the first to reach her, his devotion written all over his face.
He dropped to one knee, taking her hand like a knight before a queen. "Ah, my dear Miss Nami! Allow me to introduce myself—I am your loyal Flower Knight, Sanji."
Nami blinked at him, momentarily stunned by his dramatic gesture.
Ikki smiled as he gestured toward Sanji. "Sanji is our crew's chef. Whatever you want to eat, just ask him. He'll take care of it."
Sanji nodded enthusiastically. "That's right, Miss Nami! Whatever your heart desires, I'll make it for you. It's an honor to cook for such a beautiful lady!"
Zoro, standing nearby with his arms crossed, chuckled lightly. "Hah! You're such a dog of a cook."
Sanji's eyebrow twitched as he turned to face Zoro. "What was that, you green-haired mosshead?"
"You heard me, dog-licking cook."
Sanji smirked, puffing out his chest. "If being Miss Nami's loyal knight makes me a 'dog,' then I'll gladly accept! What do you know about loyalty, you sword-swinging seaweed?"
Their bickering escalated as usual, but Luffy paid it no mind. He understood their dynamic well—sometimes, the louder the argument, the closer the bond.
Walking over to Nami, he gave her his trademark grin. "Ikki told me that if we defeated the Arlong Pirates, you'd come back to us—"
Before he could finish, Nami wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Thank you, Luffy."
With the defeat of the Arlong Pirates, Cocoyasi Village—and the surrounding villages—were free at last. Celebrations erupted across the island, with every village contributing food and drinks for a multi-day banquet.
The surviving fishmen from the Arlong Pirates were rounded up and handed over to Fullbody and his Marines. Surprisingly, Fullbody chose to stay and join the festivities with Luffy and the others, laughing and drinking alongside them.
The only blemish on the event was the escape of Captain Nezumi.
Once Nezumi learned of Arlong's defeat, he scurried back to his warship as fast as his legs could carry him. For all his incompetence in battle, Nezumi had a talent for survival.
Upon returning to his base, he wasted no time filing a report with Marine Headquarters. In his report, Nezumi described the Straw Hat Pirates as an exceptionally dangerous group, far worse than Arlong.
He specifically highlighted their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, as a growing threat in the East Blue. Furthermore, he accused Captain Fullbody of colluding with the pirates, claiming that Fullbody had struck underhanded deals with them. Nezumi even recommended that Fullbody's rank and privileges be revoked.
Marine Headquarters
At Marine HQ, Nezumi's report about the Straw Hat Pirates was processed quickly.
It didn't take long for the decision to be made: Luffy was a pirate flying the Jolly Roger, and the actions of a small East Blue crew didn't warrant a second thought. A wanted poster for Monkey D. Luffy was approved without delay.
Back in Cocoyasi Village, the multi-day banquet finally came to an end. The villagers, now free from Arlong's tyranny, bid farewell to Luffy and his crew with tears of gratitude and joy.
As the festivities wound down, Ikki began tallying up the justice points he'd earned during the mission.
Cocoyasi Island was significantly larger than Syrup Village, with several villages under its domain. Rescuing the residents of Syrup Village had earned him 1,000 justice points, but saving Cocoyasi Island and its surrounding villages brought in a whopping 5,000 justice points.
The high reward came not only from the island's size but also from the years of suffering its people endured under the Arlong Pirates.
Defeating Arlong himself also brought in a considerable bonus. The cruel and powerful fishman was worth over 100 justice points alone. Combined with the defeat of the other fishmen in his crew, Ikki earned more than 1,000 additional points.
"A tyrant like Arlong sure pays well in justice points," Ikki muttered to himself, smiling at the haul.
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