The road to Cocoyashi Village wove through orchards laden with ripe oranges, their vivid color contrasting with the dusty earth below.
The sun was high in the sky as Hiro rode his horse at a measured pace, gaze roving over the land.
This wasn't just any village – Cocoyashi was one of the largest settlements on the Conomi Islands, home to over 800 people and the commercial heart of the region.
It was here, amid these orchards and farms, that the island's primary source of income flourished: oranges and tangerines.
Citrus groves here provided vital Vitamin C for sailors at sea, preventing scurvy and thus drawing hefty profits – profits that, under different circumstances, would've allowed the people here to prosper.
But Arlong's rule cast a shadow on this prosperity, reducing the villagers to laborers, barely able to keep pace with his crushing taxes.
The conditions here were abysmal, with workers laboring harder than any plantation workers Hiro had seen back in his own world.
He could feel the anger simmering just beneath the surface – anger directed at Arlong, at the Marines who failed to protect them, and at him, a Marine in uniform who represented only another link in the chain of their oppression.
Hiro's entrance into the village drew stares.
His Marine uniform and intimidating frame immediately unsettled the villagers. Though many directed hateful glances his way, no one dared confront him openly. Life had taught them to be wary of authority, to look away and continue with the backbreaking work that never quite seemed to pay off.
For Hiro, that suited him fine. He preferred control over favor and knew that fear was often the quickest path to loyalty, at least until something better came along.
But then, as he scanned the village, his eyes caught a flash of vibrant orange amid the greens and yellows of the citrus trees.
He narrowed his gaze, and there, working in a small garden by the side of the road, was a girl. Her hair, a brilliant shade of orange, shimmered in the sunlight like a flame. She was young, probably in her early twenties, with striking features and an athletic, curvaceous figure accentuated by her tight blue jeans and the thin, cropped top she wore.
Hiro felt his interest piqued.
Hiro dismounted, gesturing for his escort to hang back as he approached her.
He signaled his escort to stay back as he dismounted, his eyes never leaving the orange-haired girl.
She was focused on tending to the plants in front of her, a pair of pruning shears and a small knife in her hands. He approached quietly, taking in the details – the way she moved, the precision in her work, and the sharp, calculating gleam in her eyes that gave away more than she perhaps intended.
Then, recognition struck him.
'Nami, the Cat Burglar,' he thought with a devious grin. Her face matched the wanted poster he'd seen back at the base.
Not a pirate, but still a notorious thief, and with a substantial ฿4,000,000 bounty on her head.
She was known for her skills, reportedly having stolen over ฿60 million from various targets.
Hiro could sense the potential in her, the craftiness that had kept her alive and successful in a world full of predators.
He walked up, offering a smile that he knew was both charming and disarming. "You're very meticulous with your work," he commented, eyeing the well-tended plants in her small garden. "It's rare to see such skill and care out here."
She looked up, her eyes appraising him with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. She flashed a charming, almost innocent smile.
"Thanks for the compliment," she replied. "I'm Nami. My sister and I run this little nursery." She extended her hand, and Hiro took it, noting the smoothness of her palm, the subtle strength in her grip.
"Hiro," he introduced himself with an easy smile. "I'm new around here."
As they shook hands, he felt the subtle pressure as her fingers brushed his wrist, a practiced, delicate touch.
When he released her hand, his wrist felt conspicuously lighter – she'd taken his watch. Smooth, almost seamless. It was the move of an expert thief.
"Oh, you're new here?" she asked, glancing back with interest. "Not every day a Marine comes wandering through these parts. What brings you all the way out here?"
Hiro played along, feigning obliviousness as he watched her tuck the watch into her pocket with a coy smile. "Just passing through, getting to know the people. You seem… interesting."
She arched a brow, crossing her arms in a way that "accidentally" emphasized her figure.
"Well, I'm just a humble gardener," she replied, her voice dripping with feigned innocence. "Nothing all that interesting about me."
"Oh really?" he murmured, his gaze lowering briefly, looking at her 'accentuated' figure before meeting her eyes again. "Because from where I'm standing, you look like someone who's seen her fair share of adventures."
Nami's smile turned briefly uneasy before she redirected the conversation. "Well, I hope you enjoy your time here. We may not have much, but the village has its charms."
"Oh, I can see that," Hiro said, allowing his eyes to linger on her for a beat too long. As he brought his hand up, the missing watch now in plain view, Nami's expression shifted.
His voice dropped, taking on a serious edge. "Though I have a feeling you're not showing me all the charms this place has to offer."
Before Nami could react, he pulled a wanted poster from his pocket, holding it up for her to see.
The image was a younger version of herself, a catlike grin frozen in ink above the bounty
[ WANTED
ONLY ALIVE
NAMI
฿ 4 000 000 ]
The blood drained from her face, and for the first time, Hiro saw her confidence falter.
"What, cat got your tongue?" Hiro's voice was low, dangerous, as he leaned in closer. "Or were you hoping you could charm your way out of this one?"
"Tell me," Hiro said smoothly, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone. "Did your sister teach you to steal? Or was that a talent all your own?"
Nami's face shifted into a mask of calm, but her muscles tensed as if ready to flee. Hiro saw her sizing up the distance between them and considering her options.
Without warning, she spun on her heel, her bare feet kicking up dirt as she bolted, sprinting away. But Hiro had anticipated this.
With a swift movement, he closed the distance, grabbing her arm and twisting her around, forcing her down to the ground. She kicked and writhed, screaming.
"Let go of me!" she shrieked, her voice rising in desperation. "Help! Someone help me! This man is kidnapping me!"
Hiro tightened his grip, using his strength to pin her arms behind her back as he pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt and snapped them onto her wrists. Her struggling slowed, and she glared up at him, fury in her eyes.
A crowd began to gather, drawn by her cries. But as soon as the villagers recognized Hiro's uniform, they hesitated, retreating back.
Hiro's voice rang out coldly, addressing them. "She has a warrant on her head and a bounty to match. Anyone interfering in this arrest will answer to me."
The villagers took a collective step back, their faces blank and defeated.
No one moved to help her. They understood that Arlong was trouble enough, and a Marine with Hiro's ruthlessness was no better ally.
With Nami still fighting against him, Hiro lifted her with surprising ease, slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
She kept struggling, her voice a fury of indignant shouts as she spat curses at him.
"Put me down, you brute!" she snarled. "You have no right to–"
Smack.
The sound of Hiro's palm hitting firmly against her soft butt silenced her for a brief second, a stunned disbelief washing over her face. "Did you just–?!"
Nobody had done something like this to her ever, and as a women with pride in her beauty, she was really offended that someone would spank her like this.
"You're the one who won't stop wriggling," he said calmly, landing another swat with a nonchalance that only seemed to infuriate her more.
Smack!!
"You... Motherfucker, I'm gonna take **** and put into ** then ************ and shove it up your ass, then I'm gonna ** in you ****....." She launched into a tirade, the insults spilling out in a torrent of completely uncensored colorful language that Hiro hadn't heard even in the grimiest places of his previous life.
"Sheesh," he muttered, shoving a handkerchief into her mouth to keep the tirade from continuing. "You're feistier than you look." Hiro said as he took his handkerchief out, balled it up and put it inside Nami's mouth to keep her from r*ping his ears.
Ignoring her muffled protests, he got back on his horse, holding her secure as he rode back to the Marine base, the villagers watching them in stunned silence.
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