章節 276: Chapter 276: Are You even Human?
(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)
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"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?!"
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