(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
****************
The next day, the sky was clear.
It was a perfect day to set sail.
Early in the morning, after confirming that the weather was suitable for sailing, Nami quickly prepared the boat.
With a few minor adjustments, she hoisted the sails and set course for the village of Cocoyasi.
The thought of finally being freed from Arlong's grip filled her with excitement.
Yes, along the course of the night, she had somehow started to believe in Colt, mainly due to the weird abilities he showed; she had never seen a fishmen do that…
She could barely sleep the night before, eager to return to her village and end the oppression.
Although, she was still a bit skeptical, now her hope was ignited.
'What if? Just what if he could really do it?'
Colt, on the other hand, leisurely made his way to the deck, dragging a sun lounger behind him.
He casually set it down and sat on it, basking in the sunlight with his eyes closed, looking as relaxed as a retired old man.
Yet, despite his calm appearance, his mind was busy, calculating the next steps.
He knew that the current group was far too small to make a significant impact in this vast world.
Sasuke and the others were merely the beginning.
'Watching an anime, and now experiencing it is altogether different'
In terms of size alone, this world dwarfed the ninja world.
The Grand Line was a completely different league, a far greater ocean compared to the small seas of the ninja world, where a single Tailed Beast Bomb could reach the opposite shore. In the past, a Kage-level shinobi could significantly alter the situation.
But here? Kage-level strength was equivalent to an elite Vice Admiral or a low-tier Shichibukai in terms of attack power.
Colt had observed during his time here that ninjas, despite their powerful abilities, would struggle against the endurance of figures like Vice Admirals or Shichibukai.
Most ninjas lacked the sheer stamina for long battles, and they'd likely be worn down.
However, ninjas had their advantages. If their physical capabilities improved, that gap could close rapidly.
And in terms of energy manipulation, ninjas might even have the upper hand.
He needed to gather more people, quickly and carefully.
While Nami controlled the ship, she stole glances at Colt, curious about him.
He didn't seem like a fighter, and yet, the display of power he showed the previous day was nothing short of brutal.
It wasn't just a fight; it was simply a massacre.
That gave Nami a certain level of confidence in him, but he was still an enigma to her.
The journey was peaceful, with calm seas and no encounters with pirates or Sea Kings.
Thanks to Nami's excellent sailing skills, they reached the waters near Cocoyasi Village in just a few days.
As they neared their destination, Nami's confidence wavered.
'Is this really a good idea?' she couldn't help it, because she was inexperienced in the matters of true strength, and her village was at stake.
"Are you really going to face Arlong? He's a Fishman who returned from the Grand Line. He's incredibly strong," she said, her voice betraying her nerves.
Despite their time together, Nami had realized that Colt wasn't like the pirates she had encountered before.
Aside from making her steer the ship, he hadn't done anything malicious.
In fact, he was almost… pleasant with the way he talked with her.
It was strange to her, but she had mentally decided he was, at least, tolerable.
"You don't want to be my navigator?" Colt asked, stretching as he stood up from the deck chair.
Nami hesitated.
"It's not that..."
"Then what are you hesitating for? Let's take care of that trash already. I've got more important things to do," Colt cut her off, gesturing for her to steer the boat towards shore.
"Fine, but don't blame me if you get killed. I won't take responsibility," Nami muttered, turning the rudder sharply.
At Arlong Park, the Fishman crew was in the middle of a party.
"Boss, Nami hasn't been around for days. You think she ran off?" one of the Fishmen asked Arlong.
"Ran off?" Arlong scoffed, taking a large gulp of his drink.
"That human won't run. I promised her that if she brought me 100 million berries, I'd set Cocoyasi Village free."
The Fishmen around him laughed.
"Don't worry, she's probably out there stealing more treasure as we speak!"
"Really?" an octopus-shaped Fishman asked, sounding unsure.
"Hahahaha!" Arlong roared with laughter, clutching his stomach.
"These pathetic humans… If she ever does bring me that much money, I'll just take it and make her keep working for me!"
The group of Fishmen burst into laughter again, oblivious to any sense of wrong.
To them, humans were an inferior race.
They saw themselves as superior and treated killing the innocent villagers as a sport.
Only the octopus Fishman lowered his head, looking uncomfortable.
Suddenly, a loud crash interrupted the banquet.
The wall of Arlong Park shattered, and two figures emerged through the dust, stepping onto the scene.
"Did you hear that, Nami? They never intended to keep their promise. Your so-called deal was just an illusion," Colt said, his voice calm yet commanding.
"In this world, only strength will give you the right to speak on equal terms with others."
He smiled as he turned to the silent Nami.
Her eyes had tears in the corner, and she glared ahead at Arlong.
"Don't worry, I'll deal with him for you" Colt reassured her.
"Who the hell are you?" Arlong yelled in anger, standing up, with his subordinates rallying around him.
Colt waved his hand, dispersing the dust.
"Ugh, so ugly... ugly in character, and ugly in reality… of course, I'm not talking about all fishmen, just you… there's Shyarly too, she's surprisingly decent-looking."
At the mention of Shyarly, Arlong's eyes widened in shock.
He didn't even care about the insult as he heard that… if this guy had been to Fishmen Island and back then he wasn't to be underestimated.
"How do you know that name? Have you been to Fishman Island?"
"Not yet," Colt shrugged.
"But I plan to go someday. Now, Nami, are you sure all the members of this little gang are here?"
Tears still streaked Nami's face from hearing Arlong's earlier confession.
Her hard work had just been a joke to him…
She really was foolish believing in the words of the killer of her own mother.
"Yes, everyone's here," she confirmed, her voice shaking.
"Including the one you killed earlier, all the members of the Arlong Pirates are accounted for."
"Good. Saves us the trouble of hunting them down," Colt replied casually.
Arlong, now fully enraged, glared at Nami with fury.
"You dare betray me, Nami? Once I'm done with you two, I'll make sure the entire village of Cocoyasi suffers for it!"
"And you lowly human, you actually dared to kill a noble fishman?"
(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
****************
"Noble fishman?"
Colt glanced at the mark on Arlong's chest, his expression playful.
"I don't have anything personal against fishmen, but I do believe respect comes from strength."
He paused, his voice becoming sharper.
"But I've yet to see anything that proves your kind is strong."
"It's a cruel reality that I don't like, but in the Grand Line, fishmen are treated as slaves. The rarest of you are the mermaids who are sought after and sold for a high price."
Colt laughed mockingly.
"Now that I think about it, I wonder why those inferior yet noble humans you keep talking about all want to own a mermaid?"
His words cut through the pride Arlong had built up within his crew.
For so long, Arlong had preached that fishmen were superior to humans and that they were destined to dominate them.
But Colt's words challenged that notion brutally.
Strength wasn't determined by species, and in the harsh world of the Grand Line, even the fishmen weren't spared from oppression.
Arlong? He was just someone who couldn't survive the Grand Line's brutality and fled to the East Blue to act powerful.
Nami watched in shock as all the fishmen rushed at Colt in fury, their loyalty to Arlong pushing them to fight but their main drive was their shame and humiliation.
But Colt stood his ground, calm and unshaken.
The first Fishman who charged at him was instantly turned into a blood mist by a single punch.
This only enraged the others even more, and they continued to throw themselves at him, regardless of the consequences.
"[Shinra Tensei]."
Colt raised his palm and whispered.
A powerful repulsive force exploded from him, and the fishmen were torn apart, their bodies flung violently, blood spraying everywhere.
The scene was horrifically brutal.
Nami, however, felt no fear—only a quiet sense of relief rising within her.
None of these fishmen were innocent.
Seeing the massacre, Arlong knew he'd messed with the wrong person.
Without hesitation, he turned to flee.
If he could reach the water, this guy who seemed to have a Devil Fruit ability wouldn't be able to follow him!
"Don't worry, 'Noble Fishman.' [Banshō Ten'in]."
Arlong had barely taken two steps before Colt's power pulled him back.
With a sickening squelch, Colt drew his sword and pierced Arlong's heart.
He was killed instantly.
"Just... like that?"
Nami collapsed to the ground, weak with relief.
The 15-year-old girl had endured too much pressure, and now that her nightmare had ended, her body felt completely drained.
Colt didn't rush her; he simply stood there, watching her silently.
He patted her head and felt sorry for her.
After a long while, when she could stand, Nami threw herself into Colt's arms, crying uncontrollably.
"Thank you! It's finally over!"
She laid her head on his chest.
Seeing that, Colt wanted to lighten the mood.
"It's okay to cry, but try not to get snot on me. You'll owe me new clothes."
"You jerk!"
She punched him on the chest, as he laughed.
She then took the news of Arlong's death back to the village.
At first, no one believed her.
But when they saw the dead bodies in the park, the celebrations began.
In the pirate world, if something happened, they threw a party.
If they won? A party.
If they lost? A party to console themselves.
But this was a particularly joyous occasion, so a bonfire celebration was in order.
The village's sheriff, Genzo, and Nami's sister, Nojiko, both thanked Colt profusely.
Genzo had watched Nami grow up and knew why she'd joined the Arlong Pirates.
Thankfully, that nightmare was now over.
For his part, Colt accepted their thanks without much fuss.
If he hadn't shown up, they'd have been exploited for many more years. So, they were truly grateful.
After the party, instead of heading home, Nami led Colt and Nojiko back to the Arlong park.
She had one more mission: treasure.
"We'll find it!"
Even without the Arlong Pirates' threat, Nami's greedy nature hadn't changed.
During the entire banquet, she'd been thinking about the treasure Arlong had accumulated over the years.
As soon as the festivities ended, she dragged Colt and Nojiko back to search for it.
They soon found the secret room where the treasure was stored.
Nami deftly picked the lock with a few quick flicks of a needle.
Inside, Berries and gold and silver jewelry were scattered haphazardly on the floor.
"It's mine!"
Nami's eyes lit up, and she threw herself at the treasure with a gleeful scream.
Half an hour later, the pile of money was neatly divided.
Each pile contained nearly 200 million Berries, not a small sum by any means.
"These are the Berries Arlong stole from the villagers over the years. They should be returned."
"As for this pile—it's mine!"
Nami's eyes sparkled with joy.
Nojiko watched her sister helplessly.
Since childhood, Nami had always been obsessed with wealth.
Colt laughed quietly.
Then he snapped his fingers.
A black hole appeared above, sucking up that pile.
"You... you...!" Nami stammered in shock.
"Bastard! That's my money!"
"Nami…"
Colt smiled even wider.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I'm the one who defeated Arlong, right?"
Nami nodded without thinking.
Colt patted her on the shoulder.
"So, it's only fair that I take his treasure, right?"
Nami couldn't argue.
But still… why did it hurt so much?
"But… I led the way!" Nami desperately pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.
Watching so much money slip away hurt worse than any physical blow.
Colt cruelly shook his head, leaning close to Nami's ear, hugging her gently, and whispered:
"Over the past few days, you've called me a slacker 35 times, tried to drug my food five times, and poured water on my bed twice."
With each word, Nami's face stiffened.
Colt smiled even more brightly.
"I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I bet losing this much treasure hurts, doesn't it?"
'It hurt. It hurt more than anything.'
Nami was speechless and depressed.
Nojiko looked at the two of them, her expression just as bewildered.
Colt patted Nami's shoulder encouragingly.
"Don't worry. This is just the beginning."
"Oh, and I also took the 563,280 Berries you had on you."
"I'll keep a tab on how much you owe me, even if you pay me back one Berry at a time."
With that, he stood up straight, smiling at Nojiko.
"Let's go. After a long day, it's time to rest."
Only Nami was left there staring in shock.
After a while…
"Ahhhhh! Are you even human, Colt?!"
Comentário de parágrafo
O comentário de parágrafo agora está disponível na Web! Passe o mouse sobre qualquer parágrafo e clique no ícone para adicionar seu comentário.
Além disso, você sempre pode desativá-lo/ativá-lo em Configurações.
Entendi