"Nojiko! Everyone! I'm back!"
Renji Kuro stepped off the ship as well, walking behind at an unhurried pace.
Before long, he saw a tall young woman with short dark-blue hair step out from behind a house. She wore a sleeveless top and long pants, with a dagger at her waist—
Nojiko.
When she saw Nami, surprise appeared on her face.
"Nami? Why are you back so soon? Didn't you just leave not long ago?"
"Nojiko! The money! The money is enough!"
Nami rushed up to her, panting, her eyes shining brightly.
"What?"
Nojiko didn't react at first.
Nami took a few breaths, calming herself slightly, then quickly and clearly explained everything—how she met Renji Kuro, traded a strange fruit for cans, and opened them to obtain gold.
Of course, she left out the details of the Eight Extremes Art inheritance and the gene serum.
She only emphasized one thing—
She had obtained fifty million Beli worth of gold.
Combined with her previous savings—
It made exactly one hundred million Beli.
As Nojiko listened, her expression shifted from shock—
To disbelief—
And finally to overwhelming joy.
She grabbed Nami's shoulders, her voice trembling.
"Really? Nami… is it true? One hundred million Beli… you've gathered it?"
"Yes! I have!"
Nami nodded vigorously, tears welling up again—this time from happiness.
"That's wonderful… that's wonderful!"
Nojiko's eyes reddened as well.
She hugged Nami tightly, then turned toward the village and shouted at the top of her lungs:
"Everyone! Come out quickly! Nami's back!"
"She's gathered the money! The village is saved!"
Her voice was like a stone thrown into a still lake—
Instantly stirring waves.
Doors flew open one after another.
Villagers rushed out—old people, children, men, women.
At first, their faces were filled with confusion—
But as they saw Nami and Nojiko's overwhelming joy, they began to understand.
"Miss Nami… gathered one hundred million Beli?"
"Really? Oh my God!"
"Are… are we finally going to be free?"
After a brief silence—
A massive cheer erupted!
The villagers' faces lit up with genuine, almost unbelievable joy.
Many embraced each other, crying openly.
Five years.
After five long years—
They finally saw hope.
Without needing any instruction, the villagers began moving on their own.
They brought out handcarts normally used for transporting oranges and followed Nami and Nojiko to the dock.
Carefully, they loaded the gold bars, ingots, coins, and ore from Renji Kuro's ship onto the carts until they were piled high.
Then—
With excitement, anticipation, and a trace of disbelief—
They pushed the carts through Cocoyasi Village.
Toward that place.
That structure that had loomed like a nightmare over them for five years—
Arlong Park.
The atmosphere of the group was vibrant, filled with hope.
It didn't feel like they were going to pay a heavy ransom—
But like they were walking toward long-awaited light.
Renji Kuro walked at the edge of the crowd.
His gaze swept over the simple yet tidy houses, passed over the lush orange groves in the distance—
And finally settled on the structure ahead.
A "paradise" that clashed starkly with its surroundings.
Tall, brightly colored walls.
Exaggerated spired buildings modeled after amusement structures.
Even a ridiculous gate shaped like the head of a giant sea beast.
Under the sunlight, it reflected a dazzling glow—
Yet somehow felt cold and rigid.
As if beneath its cheerful facade—
Lurked something deeply unsettling.
How ironic, Renji Kuro thought.
To call a place of tyranny and oppression a "park"—
Was itself a cruel mockery.
The leader of the Arlong Pirates—
The fish-man Arlong—
Had once been a subordinate of the former Warlord of the Sea, "Knight of the Sea," Jinbe.
Due to ideological differences, he left the Grand Line and came to East Blue—the so-called weakest of the seas.
Eight years ago, he began his plan to dominate East Blue, forming the Arlong Pirates.
With strength brought from the Grand Line and the natural physical superiority of fish-men—
They were nearly unstoppable.
In a short time, they seized control of over twenty villages, choosing Cocoyasi Village as their base.
From there, Arlong built what he called the "Arlong Empire," a reign of terror over surrounding villages.
Under the guise of "protection," he imposed heavy per-head taxes—
So-called "survival fees."
Any resistance—
Was met with the threat of total annihilation.
Worse still—
He had bribed Captain Nezumi of the nearby Marine 16th Branch.
With Marine protection—
He became an untouchable tyrant in East Blue.
As the villagers approached Arlong Park—
The fish-man guards on the watchtowers quickly spotted them.
And the carts filled with gleaming gold.
The news spread quickly inside.
A burly, deep-blue-skinned fish-man with strange twin buns on the back of his head hurried into the main hall.
He reported to the massive figure seated on a large chair.
"Boss Arlong, those human villagers have arrived. They're pushing several carts… looks like gold."
"Gold?"
At the center of the hall—
The towering, imposing figure turned around.