"Our guns! They were destroyed by that weapon he threw!"
"Did you see that? The straw hat guy, he bounced the bullets back! And he stretched his leg so far! Another monster has appeared!"
"It's true, a monster's companions are also monsters. One guy with a weird weapon was hard enough to deal with, and now this straw hat! Captain, we're no match for them!"
The Marines panicked as Tom and Luffy resolved the hostage crisis in the blink of an eye.
This time, Morgan didn't rebuke his men. His swollen, pig-like face was shadowed as he looked at Luffy. "That brat isn't normal. He must have eaten a legendary Devil Fruit!" He then turned his gaze to Tom. "Your ability to recover from a near-fatal state earlier... that was also because of a Devil Fruit, wasn't it?"
Tom didn't respond to Morgan's words, only thinking to himself: He looks like a fool, but he's not a complete idiot.
"The legendary treasure of the sea?"
"So the power that bounced the bullets was also a demon's power..."
"No wonder that wounded guy is so tough to deal with. He's a Devil Fruit user too."
"How can we face two people with Devil Fruit powers at once?"
The Marines around them, hearing Morgan, looked at Luffy and Tom with deep apprehension.
"What are you panicking for?! If guns are useless, then cut them down with your swords!" Morgan waved his hand grandly, ordering the Marines to charge at Tom and Luffy.
"Hold them off for me! I'm going to rescue the others!" Luffy glanced at the charging Marines and spoke to Tom while simultaneously running toward Zoro with the three swords.
Damn it, I'm the wounded one here. You should give me Zoro's swords and let me go rescue him!
Tom was utterly speechless. Before he could even complain, he heard Nami's voice. "You idiot! What are you standing around for? Come and save me!"
It turned out the Marines on Nami's side, though their rifles were destroyed by Tom's thrown nunchaku, still had their sabers. A dozen Marines with sabers would be a laughingstock if they couldn't handle one unarmed woman.
Facing the fierce, sword-wielding Marines charging at her, Nami decisively called for Tom's help.
Good grief! I can't split myself in two! You think I'm a god?!
Tom punched a Marine charging toward Luffy's side and shouted back to Nami, "Try to move closer to me! Hold on for a bit!"
"You're asking a woman with empty hands, being chased by over a dozen fierce and menacing men, to hold on by herself?!" Nami said, her mouth soon forming a snarl as she yelled at Tom, "Are you even a man?!"
Good grief! You're less than twenty meters from me. Is it so hard to run over? Do you have to call me over? What's with that attitude?
Tom had no idea about Nami's current state of mind. Not long ago, she thought Tom was about to be gunned down. She had felt her heart shatter, an indescribable pain accumulating in her chest that she couldn't shake.
Now, seeing Tom alive and well, for some reason, she just wanted him by her side. Only then could she truly feel that Tom was really alive, still living in her world.
Unfortunately, Tom wasn't a mind reader, and he was currently being swarmed. What mood did he have to guess a woman's thoughts?
"Captain! The straw hat is untying Zoro's ropes!" The Marines noticed Luffy's actions and hurriedly reported to Morgan.
"Stop him!" Morgan also knew of Zoro's prowess. If Zoro were freed, even with his arrogance, he didn't think he could handle Luffy, Zoro, and Tom simultaneously. He was genuinely anxious.
But with Tom blocking the way, Morgan, though burning with impatience, couldn't lead the Marines to Luffy's side in a short time.
While intercepting the Marines, Tom also kept a covert eye on Nami's situation. He saw her run to a spot about seven meters away from him when something fell from her hand. She actually turned around to pick it up, seemingly unaware of the Marines closing in behind her.
Just as Nami bent down to pick up the fallen object, the Marines caught up, raising their sabers to cut her down.
"You foolish woman! What are you doing?!"
Seeing Nami about to be struck, Tom's heart leaped with anxiety. He shot forward like a released rabbit, moving at his fastest speed to reach Nami, pull her into his embrace, and deliver a spinning kick that sent the saber-wielding Marines tumbling.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
Tom genuinely felt Nami was acting very strange today, completely lacking her usual cleverness and instead seeming a bit foolish.
"Listen to me! If you're tired of living, don't dangle yourself in front of me! If you want to die, go die somewhere far away!" Seeing Nami treat her own life so carelessly, willing to risk death just to pick something up, a wave of anger rose in Tom. He berated her rudely, with no grace whatsoever.
While Tom was chewing Nami out, Zoro, tied to the post, was also urgently urging Luffy. "Hey, hurry up!"
Luffy, however, was pursing his lips, complaining loudly. "Whew, it's so hard to untie. Damn, these ropes are really tight."
"Huh? I fainted earlier. What exactly..." Koby, who had fainted earlier upon seeing Luffy get shot, had just woken up. Before he could finish, he saw a large group of Marines charging with sabers. His eyes nearly popped out as he yelled, "Lu-Luffy-san! Zoro-san! Danger!"
"Just wait a minute. You're so noisy." Luffy seemed completely unaware of the large contingent of Marines charging with swords, still leisurely untying Zoro's ropes.
"Is there still time for me to wait?!" The poor Zoro was nearly driven mad by Luffy's unbearable "slowness."
"Don't worry. With Tom here, we're safe. No one will bother us," Luffy said calmly to Zoro, completely failing to notice the Marines getting closer and closer from his flank.
"Tom... is that his name?" Zoro asked Luffy. "Don't you know he's injured? You asked him to hold off the Marines. How could he possibly hold them all?"
Blocked from view by the Marines, Zoro didn't know Tom had left his post to save Nami. He thought Tom, injured, was simply reaching his limit.
"What? He's injured? What happened? Who hurt him?" Luffy, in his red vest, was immediately shocked. Then he said something that nearly made Zoro lose it. "I saw the back of his shirt was all red. I thought he liked wearing red clothes like me, so he dyed the back red."
"You idiot! That's blood on his back! Blood stained his shirt red! Now hurry up and untie my ropes!" After a brief conversation with Luffy, Zoro decisively lost his cool.
"Okay, I get it. We need to help him quickly! But of the three swords I found, which one is yours?" Luffy finally sped up untying the ropes, his expression turning serious.
"All three are mine. I use three swords," Zoro said, glancing at the three swords on Luffy's back.
"So you've decided? To join us, fight the Marines, become an enemy of the government?" Luffy grinned at Zoro. "If you don't join us, then I won't untie you. You can fend for yourself. I need to hurry and help Tom."
"Are you a demon?" Zoro's eyes were as sharp as blades as he stared at Luffy, enunciating each word. "Forget it. Rather than die here, I might as well give it a try. See what it's like to be a pirate with you."
"Great! You finally agreed to join us!" Luffy's face broke into a radiant smile.
Zoro, however, was so anxious it was painful. "Since you know, then untie me! Those Marines are almost here!"
"You're a lot like Tom, both so impatient. Look, I've already freed one of your hands." As Luffy said this, the Marines were almost upon them. Zoro truly couldn't stand Luffy's abnormally calm demeanor anymore. He stretched out his newly freed left hand and shouted urgently, "You fool! Give me a sword!"
As Zoro shouted, the large group of Marines swung their sabers down at them.
"Anyone who defies me shall die!" Morgan, walking slowly toward them, saw his men about to cut down Luffy and Zoro. Believing them doomed, he shouted with great force.
Morgan, having been brutally beaten by Tom just minutes ago and rendered unrecognizable, didn't dare cause trouble for Tom now. He planned to pick on these two "easy targets," Luffy and Zoro, first to regain some confidence, then deal with Tom.
Most importantly, Tom, now furious because of Nami, radiated such a murderous aura that Morgan, having already suffered greatly at his hands, was terrified and even more unwilling to seek Tom out.
It must be said, Morgan made a fatal error. Luffy and Zoro were currently far more terrifying existences than Tom.
Koby watched, mouth agape and speechless, as Zoro and Luffy were about to be struck by the Marines.
The group of Marines swung their sabers fiercely at Zoro and Luffy, but their blades were all blocked by Zoro.
Clang!
Zoro stood in a firm horse stance, two swords crossed in his hands, a third clenched tightly between his teeth—the standard Three Sword Style stance—blocking the dozen or so blades coming at him.
"R-Roronoa Zoro!" Morgan, his face terribly swollen, broke out in a cold sweat seeing Zoro easily block the attacks.
"Whoa! That's so cool!" Luffy's eyes immediately lit up with excitement upon seeing Zoro's Three Sword Style pose.
"You'd better not move. Whoever moves loses their life!" The terrifying, Asura-like aura emanating from Zoro made the attacking Marines tremble, tears streaming down their faces. They all thought: So scary!
"Before we go help our other companion, there's something I must make clear to you!" Maintaining his Three Sword Style pose with the sword in his mouth, Zoro spoke very seriously to Luffy. "I agree to join you, to become a pirate! Since I'm opposing the Marines, I'm a bad guy now!"
"But listen well. I have my own ambition!" Zoro continued. "I will become the world's greatest swordsman! Given that, it doesn't matter if my reputation is foul. Even if I'm notorious, I'll make my name known throughout the world!"
"You were the one who invited me. If you prevent me from achieving my dream, you'll have to commit seppuku to apologize to me!" Zoro's expression was extremely serious as he said this to Luffy. Coincidentally, a cloud passed overhead, blocking the sun and casting Zoro and Luffy in shadow.
"World's greatest swordsman... Sounds great. A companion of the future Pirate King should have a title like that," Luffy said, looking at Zoro. His face was full of a confidence that seemed embedded in his bones, not the least bit awkward.
"Hmph, you've got nerve saying that. So, the first companion you found must be quite something too, right?" Zoro suddenly thought of Tom. If someone with an ambition as grand as becoming the world's greatest swordsman was only deemed "qualified" by Luffy, then Tom must have some lofty aspiration of his own.
"If you mean Tom, he's really good at fishing. We won't have to worry about fish to eat from now on." Luffy said this while swallowing, clearly thinking of something delicious. His words left Zoro stunned. He hadn't expected that fiercely combative Tom was just... a fisherman.
Right then, both Luffy and Zoro heard Tom's furious roar. "HAVE YOU TWO FINISHED TALKING YET?! GET OVER HERE AND HELP ME!"
It turned out that while Luffy was untying Zoro, Tom had been berating Nami, spraying the woman with his spit.
Contrary to Tom's expectations, Nami just lay in his arms, seemingly not hearing him, showing no reaction. But he cursed her out thoroughly, feeling like he'd never been so satisfied in his life.
With this, Nami probably won't dare use her powerful iron fist on me on the ship anymore. I cursed her out like that, and she didn't even talk back. She must be thoroughly intimidated.
Thinking of a future on the Straw Hat ship free from Nami's bullying, Tom felt the future was bright, and even the sunlight seemed more brilliant.
However, Tom soon couldn't curse anymore because Nami just held him and started crying, pounding his chest with her fists as she sobbed, "I'll let you die! I'll let you die!"
What the hell? Die? I'm perfectly alive!
Tom stared in astonishment at Nami's sudden outburst, feeling utterly frustrated. I only cursed you out a few more times. Is that worth constantly wishing death upon me?
This is his warmth. This is his heartbeat. They're real. I can feel them.
Remembering the scene of Tom being shot by the Marines, Nami felt another wave of fear and held Tom even tighter. Her shoulders trembled slightly, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes.
Huh? What's wrong with this woman?
Tom was now completely baffled. He had no idea what was going on in Nami's mind.
In Tom's impression, Nami wasn't a crybaby. Why had he seen her cry more than once just today? When did the "Cat Burglar" become a "Crybaby Cat"? It didn't make sense!
In truth, Tom had saved Nami several times today. Unconsciously, Nami's trust and dependence on him had skyrocketed.
Initially, Nami had felt some aversion toward Tom. After all, on their first meeting, he had shamelessly attacked her chest.
But during the journey to Shells Town on the small boat, sharing the vessel with Tom, Nami saw another side of him—the Tom who trained relentlessly day and night whenever he had a moment. That drive, far exceeding ordinary people, not only shocked her but also made her curious. What gave Tom such terrifying determination?
Tom would never know that during their boat trip, when he was so exhausted from training he couldn't lift a finger, Nami had more than once contemplated simply tossing him overboard.
After all, Tom was in such a state then that if Nami had thrown him into the sea, he would have been ten times dead.
But in the end, Nami didn't do it. She even spent some effort taking care of Tom. With a woman's sharp intuition, she faintly sensed that Tom seemed to trust her. Where this trust came from, Nami didn't know, but it did feel comfortable. The thick wall of ice frozen in her heart developed a slight crack.
Nami, who had drifted alone at sea for years, often risking her life to steal treasure from pirates, would never easily trust a stranger. She didn't dare; she even somewhat resisted trusting others. This stemmed from the traumatic experiences of her childhood, which gave her a strong distaste toward the word "comrade."
Landing at Shells Town with Tom, Nami hadn't had time to understand him deeply before she was nearly crushed by Morgan's falling stone bust, saved just in time by Tom.
This was the first major shift in Nami's view of Tom. Then she saw Tom, injured, still drawing the Marines' attention to save Zoro.
Nami, who always believed comrades only used each other, watched Tom fight the Marines to the death, nearly dying without a trace of regret. For some reason, she rushed out to help him, almost getting herself killed in the process.
Fortunately, Tom ended up beating the Marines here soundly and saving her.
It wasn't until Tom was about to be executed that Nami understood Tom had already occupied an extremely important place in her heart. Otherwise, for the sake of her hometown, she would never have rushed out to help him.
When Tom was beating Morgan and frightening the Marines into inaction, Nami had countless opportunities to calmly leave this Marine base. But she didn't. Because she wanted to see with her own eyes that Tom was safe in the end.
Smelling the faint, unique scent from Nami, feeling her arms holding him tightly—so tight he could clearly feel the softness of her chest against him—Tom's thoughts scattered.
Uh... The enemy isn't even dealt with yet. What am I doing?
Tom forced himself to calm down and was about to say something when he saw the Marines he had kicked earlier stand up and charge at him again.
"Let go of me! They're attacking!" Tom, held so tightly by Nami, couldn't free his limbs to fight and had to remind her.
"I won't! I just won't!" Nami remembered that soon she would have to leave this place alone to steal the Grand Line map from that "immortal" Buggy. She might never have another chance to see Tom again. That's why she was being willful without regard for anything else.
Sis, you're really my big sister now. Aren't you screwing me over?
Tom felt incredibly pathetic inside. He tried to force his way out of Nami's grip but found her current strength terrifyingly strong. He couldn't break free immediately and had to hold Nami while dodging left and right to avoid the Marines' attacks.
Held too tightly, Tom found it exceptionally hard to dodge the Marines' attacks. Wanting to counterattack, his limbs couldn't extend properly.
Seeing Nami seemingly having lost all reason, acting like a madwoman, Tom, even if he wanted to curse her out, now lacked the energy. Trying to reason with an unreasonable woman would just make me the fool, wouldn't it?
Because of Nami, Tom could only passively endure hits, basically unable to fight back. He initially intended to call Luffy for help but heard Zoro speaking to Luffy in a very serious, solemn tone. He figured he'd wait until they finished talking.
But he waited and waited. He had even chivalrously taken several hits for Nami, suffering quite a few punches himself, and those two guys still hadn't finished their conversation. Tom decisively couldn't take it anymore and immediately yelled, "HAVE YOU TWO FINISHED TALKING YET?! GET OVER HERE AND HELP ME!"
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T/N :
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