"You did this?"
When Kaito walked out, Nami's bright eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly in shock. She clearly hadn't expected the person inside to be the one she had just met outside.
Then her pupils shrank as she noticed the blood-stained bundle in Kaito's hand. She raised her trembling finger toward it, her tone filled with both fear and excitement.
"This… this is—!"
The surrounding villagers also looked at him with hopeful expressions, their breath caught in anticipation.
Kaito's voice was calm and steady. "That's right. It's the head of a fish."
His words froze the crowd in silence for a heartbeat. Then, like sparks igniting a powder keg, cheers erupted across the square.
"Arlong is dead?!"
"I heard him right! Arlong's dead! Somebody hit me!"
The villagers shouted, cried, and laughed all at once. Some even fell to their knees, tears streaming down their cheeks. For more than a decade, the shadow of the tyrannical fish-man had weighed on their hearts like a curse. To hear that he was finally slain was like seeing the chains of fate shatter before their eyes.
"Thank you! Thank you for killing Arlong and saving our Village!" Nami bowed deeply, tears falling freely.
"No." Kaito shook his head, his voice detached. "I had my own grudge with him. That's why I killed him."
"Even so, thank you!" Nami insisted, bowing again.
"Then live well, after this." With those words, Kaito stepped past her. The crowd instinctively parted, opening a clear path for him as though guided by some invisible force.
"Benefactor, please!" Genzo called out from behind. "You rid us of that monster, at least stay for a meal!"
But Kaito continued walking without turning his head.
Suddenly, his stride slowed. Several familiar figures appeared in front of him.
It was Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat crew.
"That's the guy who knocked Luffy out in one blow…" Sanji muttered around his cigarette, a serious look on his face. His gaze flicked toward the package in Kaito's hand. "And it looks like he's the one who took out Arlong too."
Unlike him, Zoro's eyes gleamed with battle hunger, his hand already resting on the hilt of his sword.
Usopp, on the other hand, trembled so hard his knees nearly buckled, fear plain in his wide eyes.
"Hey!" Luffy suddenly grinned, flashing his teeth despite his bandaged body. "You hit me, but I'll forgive you. Join my crew!"
Sanji and Usopp nearly fell over at their captain's words, both stunned by his reckless boldness.
Nami, who was nearby, froze for a second at the scene. She quickly hurried toward them, her heart pounding.
Facing Luffy's invitation, Kaito shook his head without hesitation. "No. A group of ants can't command an elephant."
Then his tone sharpened, cold and cutting. "And besides… do you even realize the weight of your choice, both yours and your brother?"
The sudden shift stunned everyone.
Kaito's gaze locked on Luffy. "Do you know why your grandfather , Garp stayed in the Marines? Do you understand how he faced the comrades who once fought beside him? Have you ever thought about the ridicule he suffers because of the path you chose?"
Luffy froze, the smile slipping off his face. His eyes widened like he'd seen a ghost. "You—how do you know my grandpa?!"
Usopp's jaw dropped. Sanji's cigarette almost fell from his lips. This revelation was even more shocking than Arlong's death.
Marine Hero Garp. Everyone in East Blue knew the name. And now, they knew their eccentric captain was his grandson.
Zoro, as usual, only smirked, completely unfazed, his fighting spirit burning stronger.
Kaito shook his head in disappointment. "Forget it. You don't understand."
Turning away, he began walking toward his next destination—Colonel Nezumi of the Marine Sixteenth Branch.
From the moment he had stepped into Cocoyasi Village, Kaito had regarded its people as his own. That meant any threat against them would be eliminated at the root.
He glanced briefly at Nami scolding Luffy in the distance, then stepped into the air as though the sky itself were solid ground. Gasps erupted as he ascended higher and higher, then vanished in a streak of light.
By the time the others recovered, he was long gone.
"He just flew away! Out of thin air!" Usopp cried out, his head tilting back as if he could still catch sight of him.
"Luffy, there's no way we could fight someone like that," Sanji said grimly. "If he had wanted, we wouldn't have stood a chance."
Zoro crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "Strong guy… next time we meet, I'll test myself against him."
Nami clasped her hands together. "I forgot to ask his name."
But Kaito had no care for their thoughts. His figure was already soaring across the horizon, heading for the Marines' Sixteenth Branch.
The base itself sat on a small island, a so-called fortress meant to protect the nearby villages—including Cocoyasi. In truth, its commander, Colonel Nezumi, had long abandoned justice. Instead, he schemed with Arlong, draining the life from the people he was sworn to protect.
Compared to Loguetown's Marine base, this one looked pathetic, more like an old barracks than a fortress. Its single heavy cannon was rusted over, and even the Marine flag drooped, faded and torn.
Kaito descended at the front gate. The two Marines on guard gawked at him in shock.
"I'm a bounty hunter," Kaito said plainly. "Here to cash in."
One of the guards quickly straightened. "Y-yes sir! Please, come with me."
With the rise of the pirate era, bounty hunters had become common—ordinary men and women who hunted criminals for reward money. Each Marine base kept a redemption point specifically for them.
Before long, Kaito was led into a dim room where Colonel Nezumi sat, his eyes narrowed with lazy arrogance.
"Colonel, this man is here to exchange a bounty!" the Marine guard reported.
"Got it. Leave us," Nezumi waved, his expression sly as he turned toward Kaito.
_____
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