Chapter 71: The Name of Nezumi Shakes the Seas!
A few days later, on the nameless deserted island.
The rebels of Candied Fruit Island were having lunch.
Lunch was a generous term. It was a gruel made from the cheapest ingredients they could buy on nearby islands. It tasted terrible.
Especially lately, their anxiety and anticipation made it even harder to swallow.
"Brother Abel, do you think Lord Nezumi can really kill that bastard?"
Turner asked in a low voice.
"..."
Abel swallowed his mouthful of gruel. He wanted to say something encouraging, but the words stuck in his throat.
Only after Nezumi left did Abel realize he had overlooked a critical issue.
This was the time of year when Candied Fruit Island paid its tribute to BIG MOM.
"One of BIG MOM's terrifying 'Sweet Commanders' will be on the island. If Lord Nezumi runs into him..."
Abel was extremely worried.
"If you're talking about Snack, I already ran into him."
A sudden voice rang out.
Everyone turned to look. Nezumi was standing at the door, as if he had been there all along.
"L-Lord Nezumi!?"
Even though he'd seen Nezumi's ghostly movements before, Abel still jumped in surprise.
But he recovered quickly.
"My lord, you're back? Wait, what did you just say!?"
"You... you ran into Snack?"
Realizing what Nezumi had said, Abel's tone changed instantly.
Seeing Nezumi nod, Abel's face drained of blood.
"Does that mean... you... f-failed?"
He knew about the Sweet Commanders. He knew how strong Snack was.
So he naturally assumed the mission had failed.
And he knew that after a failed assassination attempt, killing Caramelo III again would be infinitely harder.
Just as Abel was falling into despair...
"Failed?"
Nezumi seemed to smile. "No. The commission is complete."
He reached into the air, pulled out a bundle, and tossed it in front of them.
The bundle wasn't sealed tightly. Everyone could see a bloodstained crown inside.
"..."
Silence. Like a volcano about to erupt.
Abel opened the bundle with trembling hands.
"It's him!"
The first scream broke the silence, and a wave of ecstasy swept through the village.
"That bastard! He's finally dead!"
"It's the tyrant's head!"
"He did it!?"
"Waaaaah! My daughter..."
Screams and sobs filled the air, but this time, they were cries of joy, not despair.
Nezumi stood quietly, not interrupting their celebration.
After a long time...
"Lord Nezumi, thank you... We have waited too long for this day."
Wiping tears with his left hand and clutching his pendant with his right, Abel walked up to Nezumi, his voice filled with gratitude.
But he was also confused.
"Didn't you say Snack was on the island? How did you..."
Abel asked.
Judging by his expression, he had almost guessed the answer, but didn't dare believe it.
"He's dead too, of course."
Nezumi calmly stated the fact that was destined to shake the seas.
Silence fell again.
The rebels stared at Nezumi in disbelief.
Dead?
A 'Sweet Commander'? Charlotte Snack!?
"You..."
Especially seeing Nezumi standing there without a scratch on him.
Abel finally grasped the true extent of Nezumi's power.
To easily kill a Sweet Commander and remain unharmed...
This 'Nezumi' was undoubtedly one of the top powerhouses on the sea.
While Abel was stunned into silence...
"You have confirmed the target's identity. As per the rules, I will now collect my fee."
Nezumi's words woke Abel from his stupor.
"Right! The commission! You're right... Turner—Quick! Bring the chests out!"
He shouted to the crowd.
Turner led a few men to a hidden cellar in the village.
Soon, they carried out several large chests.
The chests were dusty, but inside were stacks of Berries.
They were neatly arranged, bills of all denominations, some old and some new.
Just as Abel had said—the rebels had saved almost every Berry they earned over the past seven years.
They lived only for 'revenge.'
"My lord, this is the fee—a total of 201,030,000 Berries."
Abel pointed to the chests without hesitation. "Please, take it all. It cannot express even a fraction of our gratitude, but it is all we have."
"We will notify the Major Undertaker in a few days that the commission is complete."
"..."
Nezumi didn't hesitate.
He snapped his fingers, and the chests vanished into thin air, pulled into the pocket dimension.
The rebels showed no reluctance.
Even though this was their hard-earned savings from seven years of labor.
As Abel said—without Nezumi, they might never have had a chance for revenge.
But just then...
"I'll take the fee I deserve."
They heard Nezumi's voice again.
"But... you are lucky."
"According to your intel, I found the metals I needed in Caramelo III's vault. Not just two, but three types."
"According to my rules—anyone who provides one of the nineteen metals gets a 30 million Berry deduction."
"So..."
As Nezumi spoke, jars glowing with rainbow light appeared in front of Abel and the others.
It was...
"Rainbow Candied Fruit!?"
They recognized the specialty of their homeland, the source of their nightmare.
"Caramelo III had these stored in his vault. Disposing of them is a hassle... but I assume you have channels to sell them?"
Hearing this, Abel trembled.
"We do know some black market merchants... You... you mean..."
He understood Nezumi's meaning but couldn't believe it.
Rainbow Candied Fruit, being a specialty favored by BIG MOM, was extremely valuable in the Underworld.
This pile was worth at least tens of millions of Berries. Enough for them and the remaining survivors of Candied Fruit Island to start a new life.
"They're yours. As payment for the metals."
Nezumi said simply.
"But I warn you—be careful when selling them. Don't sell too much at once, or you'll attract attention."
Abel understood.
He looked at Nezumi with concern. "My lord... about BIG MOM..."
Yes—Nezumi killed Charlotte Snack. BIG MOM would be furious.
An Emperor's wrath was a calamity for anyone.
But to Abel's surprise, Nezumi answered calmly. "Yeah. I guess BIG MOM is pretty angry. It's probably going to be a big deal."
"But..."
His tone was flat. "I am 'The Zodiac'."
Snack answering the snail before dying was a surprise, but ultimately... Nezumi was just a clone. What was there to fear?
But to Abel, it sounded different.
"The Zodiac..."
He was awestruck. Yes, The Zodiac.
An organization that dared to confront the World Government directly.
Why would a top executive of such an organization fear a mere Emperor?
Before Abel could continue his hero-worship, Nezumi raised his hand again.
"Also, I found this in the vault..."
He tossed something to Abel.
Abel caught it, looked at it, and froze.
It was a blue sapphire pendant.
It wasn't exquisite, and the gem quality was average.
But Abel would never forget it.
"Mother..."
His voice was hoarse.
It was his mother's memento.
He remembered clearly. She died by the furnace near the sweet spring, and a Homie took this pendant.
That was the biggest reason he had resolved to get revenge on Caramelo III at any cost.
And now...
The hatred ended today, and she had returned to him.
Abel looked up in disbelief.
But he saw the figure that changed everything already turning away.
"You overpaid me by over a million Berries—consider that pendant the change."
With that, he vanished.
"..."
Abel gripped the sapphire pendant tightly.
He stared at the spot where the figure vanished, his knuckles turning white.
Change?
No. This debt... wasn't something that could be settled with just words.
"The Zodiac... Lord Nezumi."
He whispered, carving the names into his soul.
...
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Grand Line, an unknown island.
On the highest peak in the center of the island, a burly man lay on a deck chair, listening to a subordinate's report.
He wore a grotesque clown mask on the upper half of his face. His hair was wild, framing his head like a lion's mane or the flames of the sun.
Beside him lay a long scythe and numerous jars containing human organs.
Sunlight fell on him, but seemed to be swallowed by him, making the sunny peak feel inexplicably cold and sinister.
He was the 'Major Undertaker', Drug Peclo.
"Killing Charlotte Snack... Nezumi... are those Zodiac guys insane!?"
He ground his teeth as if he wanted to eat someone alive.
Interestingly, even in his rage, he remained reclining, turning slightly with the sun.
"Lord Peclo, what should we do? BIG MOM has ordered us to hand over any clues about The Zodiac."
The one reporting was none other than Miss Spider from Coffin Island.
She sounded anxious. "It's said that Charlotte Katakuri has already left Totto Land and is coming to demand intel from you."
Hearing this, Peclo's rage spiked.
"Bring me that!"
He roared, suppressing an urge.
Miss Spider paled, quickly selecting a jar containing a heart and handing it to him.
CRUSH!
Peclo crushed the jar, glass piercing his glove, blood dripping.
But he didn't seem to notice, just enjoying the sensation of squeezing the heart.
SQUELCH!
The heart burst. His angry expression relaxed.
He lay back down, basking in the sun again.
"No intel for BIG MOM. The rules of the assassin world cannot be broken."
His voice was calm but utterly cold.
"Otherwise—a world without order cannot have a 'King'."
Just as Nezumi predicted.
To maintain his status as an Emperor of the Underworld, even facing BIG MOM's pressure, Peclo had to hide the intel.
Even knowing the losses he would suffer from her wrath.
But then...
"But my lord..."
Miss Spider hesitated.
"Speak!"
Peclo said coldly.
"About Nezumi... there's one more thing... he..."
"Hm?"
Peclo had a bad feeling.
"What about him? He's gone into hiding, right?"
He asked quickly.
He expected Nezumi to lie low after doing something so huge.
But...
"No... he didn't hide. He... he took another contract..."
Miss Spider sounded like she was about to cry. "Another king assassination. This time, it's a country protected by the 'Deep Current'..."
CRASH!
Miss Spider couldn't finish.
With a crisp sound, almost every jar around them shattered.
Peclo roared through gritted teeth.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"
...
Clearly.
It wasn't just Drug Peclo.
In the Underground World, shocking news traveled instantly.
Soon, the entire Underworld was in an uproar.
Whether it was the factions of the Six Emperors, the Marines, the World Government, or smaller organizations.
Anyone with ears had heard the intel about BIG MOM and Nezumi.
[The Zodiac's third executive, 'Nezumi', accepted an assassination contract and successfully killed 'Caramelo III' and Sweet Commander 'Charlotte Snack'.]
[BIG MOM has ordered a search for The Zodiac in the Underworld and on the seas, threatening to send them a 'special invitation' to her Tea Party.]
[Charlotte Katakuri reportedly confronted the 'Major Undertaker' for intel on Nezumi. A battle ensued after refusal; outcome unknown.]
[Sources say the Caramelo Palace was leveled. Analysis of battle traces suggests one combatant was likely a massive Giant, possibly even an 'Ancient Giant'.]
Explosive news appeared almost daily.
Rumors about Nezumi spread like wildfire.
Some thought he was a Giant, maybe an Ancient Giant hiding his identity.
Some thought he was a human using a Devil Fruit to achieve Giant-like effects.
But one thing was confirmed.
The members of 'The Zodiac' were insane.
"First robbing the Celestial Tribute, then killing a Warlord, and now this—openly putting a price on kings was crazy enough, but killing a Sweet Commander!?"
And even more jaw-dropping...
Even under BIG MOM's frantic hunt, Nezumi didn't stop.
Just a week later, he appeared in another Grand Line kingdom, killing a king famous for torturing civilians.
Three days after that, he appeared in the West Blue, killing a Duke of the Ilusia Kingdom—a World Government member nation!
Countless kings and nobles placed bounties on Nezumi.
Starting bids were 500 million, reaching up to 1 billion Berries.
But shockingly... no one could catch him.
Even when traces were found and the sea area locked down, he escaped.
Like a ghost, coming and going without a trace, as if hiding in another world.
Especially after he killed a king surrounded by a thousand guards in broad daylight...
Nezumi's fame surpassed Yuji and Ryuji, truly echoing across the seas.
Compared to the other two who had gone quiet...
An unstoppable assassin who only hunted rulers was far more terrifying to those in power.
It was rumored that some kings were already calling for a special agenda on 'The Zodiac' at the next Levely.
Soon, people realized another problem—Nezumi was taking contracts more frequently.
Once he proved he could kill a Sweet Commander and had the resolve to kill kings...
The clients who were watching from the shadows began to place orders.
But...
"After so many missions... how many of those nineteen metals does he still need?"
Many remembered Nezumi was collecting metals.
Clearly, no one knew the answer.
Just as no one knew the answer to the next question.
"After collecting these metals... what will The Zodiac do next?"
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