"Where is Arlong? Where is he now?"
Scanning the lavishly decorated Arlong Park ahead, Jinbe's brow furrowed. He didn't even bother to look back at the two lower-ranking fish-men as he questioned them in a frigid tone.
"Arlong-san is currently..." The two fish-men hesitated.
Though they had certainly grumbled about Jinbe in front of Arlong, Jinbe's prestige had been built brick by brick over decades. It wasn't something that could be toppled by a few years of separation.
"Forget it. I already know where he is."
Jinbe closed his eyes for a second, and when he reopened them, his expression had turned grim. He marched directly toward the large villa at the heart of Arlong Park. The two fish-men exchanged a look, gritted their teeth, and followed after his intimidating silhouette.
Meanwhile. Inside the cottage at Bell-mère's orchard.
The moment the words "Arlong Pirates" left Luffy's mouth, a wave of pure loathing washed over Nojiko's face. Her deep blue eyes flashed with a mix of intense wariness and rage.
In that heartbeat, Rowan and Luffy had transformed from weary travelers into her mortal enemies. She snatched a long kitchen knife from the counter and leveled it at them, her voice icy.
"Who exactly are you people?!"
Seeing Nojiko's extreme reaction, Rowan rapped his pipe against Luffy's head. "You brat! If you don't know how to speak, keep your mouth shut! Didn't I tell you before we got here? Say nothing, do nothing, just put your head down and eat. See? Now you've gone and terrified her."
"Great-Grandpa, you're the one who said we were coming here to find the Arlong Pirates after we ate... I wasn't talking nonsense..." Luffy complained, nursing the growing bump on his head with a pained expression.
"I didn't tell you to announce it to the room!" Rowan shook his head helplessly. He tossed his remaining half-piece of bread to Luffy. "Go back to your food."
After scolding the boy, Rowan turned his attention back to Nojiko. He gave her a gentle smile. "Girl, there's no need to be so worked up. Do my great-grandson and I really look like villains to you?"
"Besides, we only said we were looking for them. We didn't say why. Put the knife down and just... take a breath, alright?"
"Hmph. Villains don't exactly walk around with 'bad guy' written on their foreheads, do they?" Despite Rowan's calm explanation, Nojiko remained on guard. The tip of her knife didn't waver. She looked ready to stake her life against the pair if they made a single wrong move.
Rowan sighed, rubbing his temple. He understood her reaction perfectly. Cocoyasi Village had been tormented by Arlong for years. Her sister had even been forced to betray her own conscience and join them as an officer just to protect the village. Nojiko's hatred for that crew ran deep into her marrow.
Luffy's sudden bluntness had been the worst possible way to bring it up. At this point, no amount of words would convince her.
He reached into his robes and pulled out that gleaming Marine insignia once more, holding it out toward her. "Girl, truth be told, I am a Marine. I heard news that the Arlong Pirates were causing chaos in these waters. I've come here specifically to rid Cocoyasi Village of this plague."
Rowan had laid his cards on the table. Whether she believed him was now entirely up to her.
Looking at the shining medal in Rowan's hand, Nojiko froze. Her grip loosened, and the kitchen knife slipped from her fingers. Rowan reacted instantly, batting the falling blade aside with his pipe before it could hit the floor.
Nojiko stared at the insignia for what felt like an eternity. Suddenly, without warning, she collapsed to the floor, sobbing like a helpless child.
"Why?! Why did you only come now?!"
"Where were you when the Arlong Pirates were crushing us?!"
"If you had been here then, Mother wouldn't have died! My sister wouldn't have had to suffer so much!"
"If you had come sooner, she wouldn't have had to carry the weight of this entire village on her shoulders for six years! She... she's still just a child!"
Nojiko looked up at Rowan, her face streaked with tears and snot. The bitterness and grief of six years had finally breached the dam, and the flood was impossible to stop.
Poor child...
Rowan let out a long sigh. He stepped forward and gently patted her shoulder. "It's alright now. I'm here. I was late, and for that, I am sorry. But I promise you, girl—I will personally see to it that the Arlong Pirates are finished."
"It's your fault! It's all your fault! Waaaah..."
Rowan's comfort only seemed to make her cry harder. She began to beat her fists against his chest. Knowing that mere words couldn't soothe a heart this broken, Rowan simply pulled her into a firm, grounding hug and let her cry it out.
"Old hag! Stop stalling and hand over the money, or things are going to get much worse than just a collection!"
Suddenly, a harsh, brutal roar erupted from outside, followed by the sound of desperate pleading.
"Fish-man-sama, please! Just a few more days! I'll have the goods sold soon, and I'll have the full amount for you! Please, have mercy..."
"Mercy? I'll give you a fist to the head! Pay up or die—I'm done listening to your whining!"
Hearing the exchange, Nojiko jerked awake and pulled away from Rowan. Her face was pale with panic. "Oh no... it's the start of the month... Arlong's collection day..."
But before she could finish, a steady, warm hand brushed the stray hair from her forehead. Rowan looked at her with a confident smile. "Girl, didn't I just say? I'm here now. Everything is going to be fine."
Rowan stood up and casually snatched the last long loaf of bread from the wall hook. He took a bite and gestured to Luffy.
"Luffy. Food's done. Time to work!"
You eat a man's food, you do a man's work. Luffy understood the principle well. He hopped off his chair. Though a few loaves of bread weren't a full meal, they had restored enough of his strength to be dangerous.
Luffy followed Rowan out the door, chest puffed out with resolve.
Nojiko stood dazed, watching the pair walk away. As they reached the gate, she suddenly cried out, "Marine-jichan! Is it just the two of you? Arlong's crew... they're—"
Rowan raised a hand, cutting her off with a carefree laugh. "Gahahaha! It's just a few dozen fish-man pirates. The two of us are more than enough!"
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