Wood Style: Cutting Technique allows the user to grow long wooden spikes from their arm to pierce an enemy's body. The wooden spikes that enter the enemy's body can even continue to branch out and grow. It is a cruel and extremely lethal ninja technique.
Luo Chen's current strength was only equivalent to a Marine Branch Major, or a Headquarters Ensign. In terms of pirates, he could only handle small-time pirates with bounties in the millions. A fish-man's skin was tough, and the Cutting Technique alone might not be able to break through its defenses. However, with the wounds created by the bullets, the technique could penetrate the skin and drill into the fish-man's body.
Luo Chen pressed his right hand against one of the fish-man's gunshot wounds.
A wooden spike shot out from his palm in an instant, drilling into the red-skinned fish-man's body.
It cried out in pain and subconsciously loosened its grip on Luo Chen.
This time, it was Luo Chen who used the wooden spike to suspend himself in mid-air, consuming his stamina to activate the Cutting Technique.
Countless wooden spikes instantly burst from the red-skinned fish-man's body, as if a demonic tree were hatching from within him. It was a terrifying, bloody sight.
It let out a heart-wrenching, painful scream.
Its various organs were shattered, and its life force was rapidly fading.
At this point, it was already impossible for it to break free from Luo Chen. All it could do was howl in terror and pain.
In just a few breaths, the red-skinned fish-man had been turned into a "hedgehog." Dozens of long, sharp wooden spikes had broken through its skin from the inside, rooting it firmly to the ground like a wooden frame.
Its corpse was as if tied to a bloody wooden rack, dead while standing upright.
The wooden spike in Luo Chen's palm broke, and he landed lightly on the ground.
Nojiko stared blankly at the scene.
Hearing the sound of the fish-man's blood dripping onto the earth, she was suddenly jolted awake and dry-heaved twice.
Luo Chen didn't have much of a reaction. He eyed the two chests of Berries.
After the system deposit was successful, the Berries hadn't disappeared; they were still there.
"System, deposit another ten million."
"..."
"..."
The system gave no response.
Luo Chen clicked his tongue in regret.
It seemed the same money couldn't be deposited twice.
He looked at Nojiko, and an idea came to him. He spoke:
"You hate the Arlong Pirates, don't you?"
Nojiko nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"Those fish-man pirates have killed many villagers and extort protection money from us every month."
"Anyone who can't pay is killed."
"Many years ago, the woman who was a mother to me was killed by the fish-man Arlong himself!"
"And my little sister is being used as a tool by the fish-men, even forced to put on a smile for the man who murdered our mother..."
Nojiko's eyes were red, it was hard to tell if it was from sorrow or hatred.
Luo Chen knew who she was talking about.
The mother she referred to was her adoptive mother, Belle-mère.
The little sister was Nami.
"You saw it. I can kill fish-men."
Luo Chen said, "Give me one hundred million Berries, and I'll kill Arlong for you."
Nojiko was stunned, then a flash of anger crossed her face.
"You—you're a Marine! Isn't it your duty to kill pirates? How can you ask us for money!"
Luo Chen rubbed his chin. "Then let's call it payment for saving you just now. One hundred million Berries."
Nojiko said angrily, "Isn't protecting civilians also a Marine's duty?"
Luo Chen fell silent.
She seemed to have a point, but what he wanted right now was the one hundred million Berries that Nami had stolen from various pirates.
He didn't actually want to take it.
Rather, he wanted to establish ownership, deposit it successfully, and then return it to Nami.
Having killed a fish-man today, Luo Chen was bound to face retaliation from the Arlong Pirates.
The boss of the Arlong Pirates, the fish-man Arlong, was an extreme racist. He believed humans were inferior and fish-men were noble. Although he was cruel to humans, he cared deeply for his fellow fish-men.
With a deposit of only ten million Berries, it was still unknown if his strength could grow enough to defeat Arlong.
Only by depositing more could he be safe.
If he wasn't strong enough, he would definitely be killed by Arlong.
Luo Chen raised his rifle and pointed it at Nojiko. "Lead the way. I know you can get your hands on one hundred million Berries."
Nojiko's expression changed. It was a mixture of confusion at Luo Chen's bizarre actions, as well as anger and doubt.
She said angrily, "We don't have it! It's all been given to the Arlong Pirates! Forget one hundred million, we don't even have ten million!"
Nojiko was bewildered as to why Luo Chen was so certain she had one hundred million Berries.
Could it be that Luo Chen knew about Nami's deal with Arlong?
Luo Chen's tone was flat. "Doesn't your sister, Nami, have a deal with Arlong? Eight years have passed. Even if she hasn't saved up the full one hundred million, she must be close."
Nojiko's pupils shrank.
Luo Chen really knew.
How was that possible? Only she and the villagers of Cocoyasi Village knew about this.
Could someone have told Luo Chen?
Facing the gun, Nojiko bit her lip. "Since you know, then you should be able to imagine how much a girl who was only ten has suffered over eight years to scrape together one hundred million Berries."
"That money... Nami risked her life time and time again to earn that one hundred million Berries."
"Even if you kill me, I won't give it to you!"
Nojiko showed no intention of compromising.
Luo Chen sounded rather exasperated. "Nami wants to use one hundred million Berries to buy the village back from Arlong. You give it to me, and I'll take care of Arlong for you."
Nojiko turned her head away. "You have no idea how terrifying and powerful Arlong is. He's not on the same level as that red-skinned fish-man."
She didn't trust Luo Chen.
This strange Marine—if he got the one hundred million Berries, would he really risk his life to fight Arlong?
If he took the money and ran, Nojiko felt that even killing herself wouldn't be enough to apologize to Nami.
Besides, Arlong had a bounty of twenty million and ruled over nearly twenty villages. He was incredibly strong, definitely not someone a Branch Marine could handle.
Seeing that Nojiko wouldn't yield to persuasion or threats, Luo Chen tucked her under one arm, carried the two chests of Berries with the other, and walked toward Cocoyasi Village.
...
A short while later, in Cocoyasi Village.
Luo Chen walked alone into the dilapidated and desolate village.
On both sides of the road, the villagers—men and women, old and young—were all gaunt and shabbily dressed, the picture of extreme poverty.
He saw a middle-aged man in a dark brown sheriff's uniform sitting on a rock and walked toward him.
The man's exposed arms and legs were covered in scars, and a pinwheel was stuck in the hat on his head.
This was the sheriff of Cocoyasi Village, Genzo.
At the moment, he was looking over with a wary expression.
Luo Chen smiled.
"Excuse me, where is Nami and Nojiko's house?"
Genzo remained vigilant. "What business do the Marines have with them?"
"I've come about what happened to Belle-mère all those years ago. I need to speak with her two adoptive daughters about the specifics."
Luo Chen remembered that Belle-mère had once been a Marine, so he used that as an excuse.
Genzo looked at him hesitantly but still stood up to lead the way.
...
"Here we are. This is it."
Genzo led Luo Chen to a hillside.
A small wooden house stood there alone, next to a modest tangerine grove.
"Thank you," Luo Chen said, then, catching Genzo off guard, he struck him in the abdomen with the butt of his rifle.
Thanks to his original body's Marine training experience, he was able to control his strength.
Genzo was only lightly injured, spitting up stomach acid as he collapsed to the ground, temporarily unable to move.
Luo Chen walked into the tangerine grove, picked up a shovel used for daily gardening, and began to dig.
...
Meanwhile, not far from Cocoyasi Village.
A beautiful girl with orange hair was walking briskly toward home. She pulled a solid gold ingot from her deep cleavage, and her eyes instantly lit up, full of adoration.
"Another treasure stolen from pirates."
"I'm not far from saving up one hundred million Berries. Soon, I'll be able to buy the village back from Arlong!"