The group followed Nami quickly into the orange grove.
There, they saw a short-haired, blue-haired girl in a heated standoff with a squad of Marines.
"Nojiko, are you alright?!"
Nami rushed forward to her sister's side, then immediately turned a furious gaze on the Marines.
Before she could speak, a shifty-eyed officer with three long whiskers on each cheek stepped out.
"Yeh-heh-heh-heh. I'm Captain Nezumi of Marine Branch 16," he sneered.
"We received intel that stolen money was hidden here."
"Therefore, all this treasure is to be confiscated."
Captain Nezumi's face was full of greed. He gestured, and his men dragged out a wooden chest filled with treasure.
Nami's expression darkened. She stood frozen, her mind racing.
How did the Marines find out? I've always been careful…
No one knows this hiding spot except Nojiko. And Nojiko would never betray me. A million percent impossible.
So that means…
Her teeth ground together as rage bubbled up. She hissed through clenched teeth: "You bastards!"
"Yeh-heh-heh-heh, what are you babbling about? This Captain doesn't understand."
"Was it Arlong who sent you here?!"
"Hey, hey, hey. Arlong and his men are a legitimate organization that pays taxes on time. They're no pirates."
"What kind of Marines are you?!"
Nami was shaking with fury. Nojiko quickly wrapped an arm around her, afraid she might snap and make things worse.
"Zzz-zz-zzzzz!"
Suddenly, the shriek of chainsaws split the air.
Every Marine turned their head.
Charging toward them was a hideous monster—an undead demon sprouting three massive chainsaws.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Shoot it! Stop it!"
Not only the Marines panicked—Nami turned, eyes wide, and shouted at Reiner's group:
"Wait! If you attack the Marines—"
"Since when do pirates care about that?!"
Luffy cut her off, his fury boiling over as he charged forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets rained down, but they bounced harmlessly off both the Chainsaw Devil and Luffy. Neither slowed in the slightest.
"Guns don't work on them!"
"Damn it, what are these monsters?!"
"You fools, protect me! Protect me!!"
Captain Nezumi shrieked, stumbling backward, trying to hide among his men.
But the Marines were powerless to hold them off.
"Gum-Gum Whip!"
Luffy's leg stretched and lashed out, sweeping the front line of Marines like bowling pins.
The Chainsaw Devil went straight for Nezumi.
"Zzz-zz-zzzzz!"
The shrill grinding sound rose behind him, like nails clawing across glass. Captain Nezumi's body prickled with terror.
"W-wait! Stop! Who are you people?!"
"I'm a Marine Captain! If you touch me—"
SCHRRRK!
Before he could finish, spinning chainsaws ripped across his chest.
Blood sprayed as a deep, ghastly wound split him open.
"AAAAH!!"
"Captain Nezumi!!"
The Marines stared in horror as their commanding officer collapsed, screaming in agony. Yet none dared to help him.
Nezumi's face twisted in fear. He scrambled backward on the ground, begging desperately:
"Don't kill me! I'll pay you! I'll give you mountains of money!"
The Chainsaw Devil said nothing. Step by step, it advanced.
"NO! PLEASE!!"
The whirring blades descended. In his final moments of pain and terror, Captain Nezumi was shredded apart.
"Captain Nezumi is dead!"
"Run! Run for your lives!"
"Devil! He's a devil!"
The Marines scattered in terror.
Reiner immediately recalled the Chainsaw Devil. He wasn't one to kill for fun.
"Let's go. Straight to Arlong. Nami, lead the way."
Luffy lowered his straw hat, his voice cold. His anger was plain.
"O-okay…" Nami stammered, still shaken by how fast it had all happened.
"You were careless."
Zoro walked out of the grove, dragging two fishmen by their collars.
"They must've been watching the Marines for Arlong, making sure Nezumi didn't pocket the loot."
He tossed the corpses down. Each had a deep sword wound. They were already dead.
"Not bad, Zoro. Sharp as ever," Reiner said with a smile.
Nojiko trembled as she looked at them. "Nami… who are these people?"
"It's alright, Nojiko. They're my crewmates. This time, we came back—"
Resolve flashed in Nami's eyes. "—to overthrow Arlong!"
"Wait, Nami—!"
"No more, Nojiko! I've made up my mind. I trust my friends."
"Luffy, Reiner, Zoro—let's go."
She released Nojiko's hand without looking back.
Leaving her sister standing frozen, stunned.
"…Nami."
Nojiko whispered as she watched them march toward Arlong Park, her expression heavy with worry.
At Arlong Park.
Beneath a towering structure, a pool was filled with fishmen laughing and splashing.
Under a long canopy, rows of lounge chairs sat in the shade.
There reclined a hulking, purple-skinned fishman. A sharp, saw-like nose jutted from his face, his jaw lined with jagged fangs, hair spilling out from beneath a straw hat.
"Fwahahahaha! I can't wait to see Nami's face when she finds all her years of savings gone."
Arlong laughed, his officers cackling with him.
"Brilliant move, boss. Though she might suspect we tipped off the Marines."
"So what if she does? What can she do to resist me? Hahahaha!"
"She'll just have to save up another hundred million. Then we'll take it again."
"As long as the village is under our control, she'll never be able to defy us! Fwahahaha!"
Arlong's cruel laughter echoed through the park.
"Speaking of which, Hachi should've returned with Captain Nezumi by now—"
BOOM!
A thunderous crash cut him off.
The park gates exploded inward, smashing several fishmen beneath the wreckage.
"What the hell?!"
"Are you okay?!"
"Who dares?!"
All eyes turned toward the source of the blast.
Arlong scowled, narrowing his eyes.
Through the smoke walked a familiar orange-haired figure, leading several others.
"Fwahahaha. Nami?"
Arlong sneered as he recognized her. Then his gaze slid mockingly over her companions.
"Looks like you didn't come in peace."
"You're Arlong, right?!" Luffy growled, striding straight toward him despite the fishmen surrounding him.
Reiner's eyes gleamed as he scanned the park. Fishmen filled the pool and the grounds, all staring at them.
"Two, four, eight… eighty-eight total. Tsk, tsk. Not bad at all."
He was practically grinning inside.
Fishmen were natural swimmers, and their strength was ten times that of humans.
As sailors, they'd be invaluable.
As undead soldiers, even better.