Chapter 146: Nami's Doubts
Along with the sound of crisp footsteps, a girl with short, slightly curly orange hair appeared at the doorway.
She wore a light green tank top that, though simple, still looked spectacular and eye-catching against her proud figure. Simple shorts accentuated her slender, straight legs.
She had fair skin and delicate features. Her orange eyes were bright and beautiful, brimming with vitality yet tinged with deep-seated sadness.
This person was none other than the thieving cat quite famous throughout the East Blue—the girl who sailed the seas with the goal of earning 100 million berries. The genius navigator from the original story: Nami!
At that moment,
Nami opened the door and walked inside. Seeing Nojiko looking somewhat disheveled, she froze.
But her mind worked incredibly quickly. She rapidly regained composure, abruptly stepped backward, slammed the door shut, and repeatedly called out: "Excuse me! Sorry to interrupt!"
"I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to! Please, carry on..."
After considerable commotion,
Nojiko finally explained the entire situation.
After listening, Nami questioned skeptically:
"Sure, this guy is famous as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but he's way too young—about my age!"
"Arlong has the highest bounty in the East Blue and he's a terrifying fishman from the Grand Line. How could someone like this possibly defeat him? This definitely isn't worth the risk!"
Nami's concept of "powerful" was clearly hazy and limited by her experience.
In her eyes, Rhodes might be strong according to rumors, but that was just hearsay. Arlong's might was something she'd witnessed firsthand—personally experienced—dominating a vast stretch of sea.
Nojiko scratched her head in embarrassment.
She'd acted impulsively earlier, thinking that since Rhodes was so handsome and young, offering herself wouldn't be so terrible.
Rhodes sat calmly, sipping his orange tea and watching the sisters' exchange with interest.
"This outfit, this timing... I must have arrived just as the Arlong Pirates storyline is unfolding."
A hint of emotion flickered in his eyes. He'd been deeply moved when first watching this arc.
"Hey! Even though you seem powerful, I still advise you not to..."
Nami had nearly gathered 100 million berries by this point. She was focused solely on buying the village's freedom and didn't want any complications.
But before she could finish speaking, a commotion erupted outside.
The villagers seemed to have all run out, and faint voices could be heard saying: "The Marines are coming!"
Nami and Nojiko were startled and quickly stood.
"That's... Officer Genzo!"
Among the Marines, Nojiko spotted Genzo leading the way.
If he was guiding them here, could these really be legitimate Marines?!
The Marines—whom they'd petitioned for help so many times without response—now came of their own accord?!
Nojiko frowned, sensing something wrong with this situation. However, as the elder sister, she headed outside first.
Nami remained relatively calm since she was technically a member of Arlong's crew.
Soon, the Marines arrived at the entrance to the orange grove.
"Shushshushshush... I'm Captain Nezumi of the 16th Marine Branch..."
Wrapped in a coat bearing the word "Justice," Captain Nezumi—whose face truly exemplified the term "rat-like"—slowly stepped forward with hands in his pockets, grinning wickedly.
"We've received a report that a criminal named Nami lives here. Hand her over, or we'll enter and arrest her ourselves. Shushshushshush..."
Nami?
Unease crept into Nojiko's heart as she demanded: "Aren't you here to arrest pirates?!"
"Pirates? I don't know anything about pirates."
Captain Nezumi waved dismissively, and the Marines behind him dispersed, surrounding the orange grove with loaded rifles.
"Don't resist the Marines... shushshush..."
"Let me handle this."
At that moment, Nami walked out of the house and said calmly:
"You must be mistaken. I'm an officer of Arlong's crew. If you dare arrest me, Arlong won't stand for it!"
"Shushshushshush..."
Captain Nezumi's lips curled into a disdainful smirk.
"Little girl, you think you can negotiate with me on equal terms like that?"
"Find her stolen goods!"
He shouted, and the Marine soldiers immediately sprang into action, rushing forward.
"Wait!"
"Don't go in there!"
Seeing this, Nami gritted her teeth, reached into her dimensional pocket, and pulled out a collapsible staff. She blocked everyone's path and shouted:
"Those are all my things! You're Marines—you clearly know about Arlong's crew! You know they murder and pillage, committing every kind of evil! Why don't you arrest them first?!"
"So what?"
Captain Nezumi shrugged matter-of-factly. "Just because we know about pirates doesn't mean we won't catch thieves. Both are crimes... shushshushshush..."
"That's all I have to say. Move aside! Bullets have no eyes!"
Nami was, after all, just a human girl. In this situation, though deeply unwilling, she felt powerless. She could only hope the Marines wouldn't find her hidden treasure.
Just then, a Marine spotted Rhodes—who appeared lost in thought—standing in the doorway. He shouted:
"Move it, brat!"
"Brat? Are you talking to me?"
Rhodes said with a half-smile, snapping out of his musings about Nami's remarkably spacious dimensional pockets that could even store a collapsible staff.
This Marine had clearly participated in Captain Nezumi's corrupt schemes. Faced with questioning, he grew impatient and didn't even bother speaking further to Rhodes, simply charging forward.
Seeing this, Rhodes's expression turned cold. He slowly extended a slender, pale hand and struck out gently.
Hasshoken!
A ripple of impact force instantly swept outward, spreading through the Marine's body.
Silently and without warning,
the Marine was pulverized by this devastating internal force almost instantly—reduced to scattered ash!
The orange grove fell deathly silent.
Everyone stared in shock at the young man in white as he slowly withdrew his hand.
He shook his head with mild annoyance, muttering:
"Tsk, didn't control my strength well. Should have been able to destroy him more completely."
The Hasshoken was a unique martial arts technique from the Kano Country.
It transformed a person's physical strength into devastating internal impact force.
Rhodes was only a beginner at this technique, his mastery far inferior to Don Chinjao's or Sai's.
But his base strength was immense. Even converting just one percent of his power into impact force was more than enough to completely obliterate an East Blue Marine.
It was only then that Captain Nezumi noticed the unassuming young man in white who'd been standing by the doorway. He frowned, feeling the face looked familiar—as if he'd seen it somewhere before.
"Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
"Dragon Slayer Rhodes!"
a Marine suddenly cried out.
Captain Nezumi jolted in shock, finally remembering where he'd seen that face. He swallowed hard, sweat streaming down his forehead.
He wasn't as isolated and ignorant as Nami and the East Blue villagers.
As a corrupt Marine who'd risen through bribery and collusion with pirates and bandits, he paid very close attention to information about the seas' powerful figures—precisely to avoid recklessly provoking them if encountered.
"Why is the Dragon Slayer swordsman here?!"
"Rumor says he's fond of beautiful women. Could it be because of these two?"
"Then what I just did..."
Captain Nezumi's pupils contracted sharply. He looked at Rhodes with the terror of a rabbit spotting a tiger. When he saw Rhodes begin approaching, he no longer cared about dignity. Terrified, he dropped to his knees, crawling and kowtowing repeatedly.
"Sir, please spare me! Please spare my life!"
"All of this was ordered by that bastard Arlong!"
(End of Chapter)
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