"Shut up."
"Or I'll kill you right now."
Adrian's voice was cold.
He had zero intention of listening to this rat's whining.
Nezumi's begging wasn't just annoying—it was noise. Pure, grating noise.
At those words—
Colonel Nezumi snapped his mouth shut instantly.
He was truly terrified.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been scared enough to wet himself earlier when Zabuza confronted him.
"Next, I ask, you answer.
If you say anything useless, I'll toss you into the sea to feed the fish.
Understand?"
Adrian looked down at him, voice low and threatening.
"I— I understand, I understand! I'll tell the truth, absolutely! Just… Boss, after I answer everything, can you spare my life? I have an eighty-year-old mother, children waiting for—"
"Quiet."
Adrian cut him off with irritation.
Nezumi hurried to nod, but couldn't resist rambling nonsense.
Eighty-year-old mother?
Starving children?
As if Adrian didn't know exactly what kind of man Colonel Nezumi was.
Everything coming out of his mouth was nothing but lies designed to win sympathy.
If Adrian actually believed him, wouldn't that make him look like a fool?
"How many years have you been cooperating with Arlong?"
Adrian asked plainly.
Nezumi's expression froze.
Of all questions… he didn't expect this one.
If news spread that he had been taking bribes from pirates, then even if he survived and returned to Marine HQ, his rank would be gone.
He'd be stripped of his position.
Dragged to Enies Lobby for trial.
Even with his "connections," he might not escape punishment.
So—
He chose silence.
Thirty seconds passed.
Still silent.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Not talking?"
In that case—
"Zabuza, cut off one of his hands and throw it into the sea."
Adrian said coldly.
Yes.
Zabuza responded without hesitation.
He reached back toward the massive Decapitating Great Blade on his back—
And that was enough to break Nezumi.
"Wait, wait!! Don't! Boss, I'll talk—I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
"Eight years! Eight whole years! I've been working with Arlong for eight years!"
"When they arrived near Cocoyasi Village and decided to settle, they came to me personally. They said they'd give me a share of the profits, so I agreed! I had no choice—they were too strong! I couldn't fight them!"
Terrified, Nezumi spat out everything without hiding a single detail.
He was terrified that if he spoke even a second too late, Zabuza would slice off his hand.
"How much of a cut did they give you?"
Adrian asked.
"O-one tenth…"
Nezumi answered nervously.
"Cut off a hand."
Adrian said lightly.
Nezumi went pale.
Before he could protest—
Zabuza moved.
With twin kunai, he severed Nezumi's hand in a single motion.
Plop.
The dismembered hand hit the deck.
"AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"
Nezumi shrieked, rolling on the ground in agony.
For someone who lived a pampered, corruption-filled life, the pain of losing a hand was unimaginable.
"This is a warning.
Lie to me again, and next time, I'll have all four of your limbs chopped off and tossed into the sea."
"Or, if you prefer, Zabuza can peel the flesh off your bones piece by piece, so you can taste what 'lingchi' really means."
Adrian said coolly.
Men like this needed to be taught fear.
If he didn't show cruelty now, Nezumi would absolutely try to deceive him.
Did he think Adrian was stupid?
Besides—
There were former members of Arlong's crew on board.
If Adrian wanted answers, he could extract them anytime.
And Nezumi, a man who loved money more than his own life…
Receiving only one-tenth of the profits?
Anyone would know that was a lie.
"T-three tenths! Three tenths, Boss! It was really three tenths! Arlong gave me thirty percent every month! I swear I'm not lying this time!"
Nezumi cried, face drained of color, sweat mixing with tears.
He endured the pain because Adrian's threats chilled him more than the loss of his hand.
"Three tenths, huh? That's a lot."
Where's the money?
"At the 16th Branch?"
Adrian asked.
The moment he heard that, Nezumi instantly understood why Adrian kept him alive.
Adrian wanted the money.
His money.
The money he had stolen and extorted over eight years.
To Nezumi, losing it felt like losing a piece of his soul.
But with Zabuza glaring at him—
He didn't dare hesitate.
"Yes! Yes, the money is all at the 16th Branch! Hidden in my office, Boss!"
"If you want it, I'll give it all to you—just please spare my life!"
Those funds were everything to him.
But if he didn't hand them over, he would die here—painfully.
Between money and life?
He chose life.
If he stayed alive, he could always find new ways to make money.
Dead men couldn't.
"You're a smart man."
"Since that's the case, take me to the Marine 16th Branch. We'll retrieve the money."
Adrian smiled calmly.
"Y-yes! Yes, yes!!"
Nezumi nodded rapidly, like a pecking bird.
Terrified that even a moment of delay would bring the blade back to his neck.
"Zabuza, watch him. Don't let him run."
Adrian ordered.
Even though Nezumi had no ability to escape, caution didn't hurt.
Yes.
Zabuza replied, tightening his watchful stare.
Nezumi felt his soul leaving his body from the pressure alone.
"Nami, change course. We're heading for the Marine 16th Branch."
Adrian said.
Nami immediately complied.
She knew exactly where it was.
After leaving Cocoyasi Village, she had once tried to seek help from the Marines—
And they had delivered her straight into Arlong's hands.
From that day on…
Her heart held nothing but contempt for the Marines.
Even after years of wandering the East Blue, she never once tried asking the Marines for help again.
Once a prejudice is rooted in the heart—
Even similar things will be judged the same way.
So to Nami—
The marines were disgusted.
Under her steady hands, Arlong's former pirate vessel began sailing toward the Marine 16th Branch.
…
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