"Navy? You guys…?"
Nami was stunned, staring at the suddenly appearing marines. This was something she had never expected. Why were the marines here? And how did they just so happen to know the location of her hidden treasure? She was the only one who knew about this place!
"Take all this treasure back with us. Squeak, squeak, squeak…" The rat-like marine captain let out a series of rodent-like noises, his eyes gleaming as he pointed at the uncovered treasure and ordered his men.
"Get away from there! These things are mine! You have no right to touch them!" Nami's eyes were bloodshot, fury burning in her gaze.
"Cat Burglar Nami, you're part of the Arlong Pirates. You're a pirate, and we're the navy. If you don't want to be arrested, then back off quietly. Otherwise, I'll take you and your Cocoyasi Village comrades in too!" The rat-like captain sneered, pointing to the villagers who had gathered behind Nami, led by the village guard, Genzo.
"Captain, you've gone too far! These things were rightfully stolen back from the pirates by this child. You have no right to take them! Besides, if you know about the Arlong Pirates terrorizing these parts, why aren't you arresting them instead of coming after us?" Genzo shouted angrily.
"That's right! You're supposed to be the navy; you can't bully our Nami like this!" A dark-skinned woman stood in front of Nami, pointing at the marines with a stern look. She was Nami's sister, Nojiko.
"Get out of here, marines!"
"Protect Nami! She's already sacrificed too much for us!"
"Protect Nami!"
All the villagers stepped forward, forming a protective barrier in front of Nami.
"You… all of you…" Nami was utterly stunned. Weren't they supposed to hate her for joining the Arlong Pirates and becoming one of them? Why were they defending her now?
"Foolish girl, we've always known your true intentions," Nojiko said with a gentle smile, looking at Nami. Even though Nami had joined the Arlong Pirates, her real goal was to fulfill a deal with Arlong, tirelessly working to buy back the village with one hundred million Berries. The villagers had seen through this from the beginning. Nami, despite her careful nature, couldn't hide her true intentions from the experienced eyes of Genzo and Nojiko.
"You guys…" Nami's heart trembled with emotion.
"You dare defy the navy? You're courting death!" The rat-like captain sneered, giving his men an order. "All units, if any of these people make a move, shoot to kill!"
"Yes, sir!" Instantly, the marines raised their guns, pointing them at the villagers. One wrong move, and they would fire without hesitation.
Silence fell over the area, heavy and oppressive. Who wouldn't be afraid of death with gun barrels pointed at them?
Under the terrified gazes of the villagers, the rat-like captain and his men began to dig out all of Nami's hidden treasures—bundles of Berries, stacks of gold, and gleaming riches that dazzled the eyes.
"Hahaha! All of this is mine now!" The rat-like captain gloated triumphantly.
"Is that so? I don't think so." Suddenly, a cold voice rang out, and a young man dressed in black walked calmly out of the nearby forest, stepping into view. All eyes turned toward him.
"Who are you?" The rat-like captain's expression turned sour.
"Who's this guy?" The villagers were equally puzzled, staring at the stranger.
"Moonlight, it's you!" Nami immediately recognized him. It was Moonlight! After they had split up, Moonlight had followed the assigned direction and stumbled upon Nami's hiding spot, leading to this scene.
"Nami, so this is where you were. What's going on? Need some help?" Moonlight asked with a faint smile, glancing at the rat-like captain and his men.
"Moonlight, I… I…" Nami struggled to find the words. She had betrayed everyone by coming back on her own. She was no longer a part of the Straw Hat Pirates. She didn't know what to say in front of Moonlight now.
"Nami, do you know him?" Nojiko asked, confused.
"You're Nami's friend, right? Please, help her. Those marines are robbing her of her treasure!" pleaded the villagers.
"So, you're her accomplice? I'm in a good mood today, so you'd better step aside quietly. Otherwise, I won't mind tossing you in the navy prison for a good forty or fifty years," the rat-like captain sneered. He was a navy officer—who would dare to defy him? What could an accomplice do against him?
"These people are really noisy. Nami, I don't know why you left, but if you're planning to walk away, you need to give Luffy an explanation first. Otherwise, I won't acknowledge it." Moonlight said calmly, smiling slightly at Nami before turning to face the marines. "Scram."
"Buzz!" A wave of invisible killing intent washed over the rat-like captain and his men—Moonlight's Conqueror's Haki!
"Thud! Thud!" Every marine caught in the wave of Moonlight's Haki collapsed instantly, including the captain, who fell to the ground trembling. In an instant, the marines were incapacitated, lying sprawled on the ground.
At that moment, a voice echoed in Moonlight's mind: "Ding! Conqueror's Haki upgraded to LV2 1/100000!"
"It's finally level 2!" Moonlight thought, feeling a surge of excitement. "Alright, there's no one left to interfere. Nami, let's go see Luffy."
The villagers gasped, their eyes wide with shock.
"What… just happened?"
"What's going on? Why did the marines suddenly collapse?"
"It's over just like that?"
"He's so strong!" The scene left everyone stunned and bewildered.
"Are you Nami's enemy?" Nojiko stepped in front of Nami, trembling as she stared at Moonlight, sensing something extraordinary.
"No, he's not, Nojiko," Nami said, stepping forward, her body trembling and tears welling up in her eyes. "Moonlight, help me. Please, help me! I can't take it anymore!" she pleaded desperately.
Seeing Nami like this was a first for Moonlight.
"Alright, tell me everything," Moonlight nodded, determined to lend her a hand.
…
"What's this? How dare you trespass into the Arlong Pirates' territory!"
"Get him! That long-nosed guy—he's one of Nami's friends!"
"Go get him!"
Meanwhile, Usopp, who had the bad luck of stumbling upon Arlong Park, the headquarters of the Arlong Pirates, was immediately spotted by the sharp-eyed Fishmen. Recognizing him as one of Nami's companions, they shouted and charged at him.
Usopp panicked and quickly turned tail, running for his life!