One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

East Blue, Cocoyashi Village. 

This once-beautiful little village in East Blue is now desolate and rundown. Ever since Arlong and his crew took over, it has become a living hell.

Under Arlong's rule, villagers must pay a per capita tax—100,000 Beli for adults and 50,000 Beli for children. 

Can't pay? Then the Fishmen will unleash Sea King's manatee, Moo, to wreak havoc on the village.

Nami walked along the deserted streets, carrying her backpack and weather staff. As she passed, the villagers quickly averted their eyes, retreating into their homes with pained expressions. 

They didn't want Nami to carry the weight of their fate on her shoulders, trying to distance themselves from her. But to Nami, it felt like they all despised her for being part of Arlong's crew.

Clenching her fist, Nami dug hard into the tattoo of Arlong's emblem on her left arm, biting her lip as she made her way to her house.

Creak.

"Hm?"

A beautiful woman with dark skin and some tattoos turned toward the sound.

"Nami?!"

Seeing Nami's distressed expression, Nojiko quickly rushed over, shutting the door behind her.

"You're back! Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?" Nojiko asked gently, holding Nami's hand and trying to comfort her.

Nami shook her head firmly. 

"I'm going to buy back the village from Arlong."

"!!!"

Nojiko's eyes widened in shock.

——

Arlong Park.

This was the headquarters of Arlong's crew. Arlong sat back in his chair, with his lieutenants beside him—Kuroobi, the ray fishman, and Chew, the smooch fishman.

Across from him sat Marine Colonel Nezumi.

"Nami's back? She went straight home? It seems this haul was quite a success," Arlong laughed when his underlings gave their report. "With this, she should be nearing the 100 million Beli mark, right?"

Arlong chuckled wickedly, then turned to Colonel Nezumi. "I'll leave it to you, Colonel. Take care of the details."

Colonel Nezumi grinned greedily. "Of course. Stolen money like this always ends up confiscated by the government, keh keh keh."

——

"I've done it! I've saved up 100 million Beli! I can finally buy back the village from Arlong!" Nami declared, a smile of relief spreading across her face.

"Nami…" Nojiko's voice was filled with concern as she looked at her younger sister. How much suffering had Nami endured to collect that sum?

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps interrupted them. 

Nami quickly buried the chest of money and looked up to see Colonel Nezumi approaching with a group of Marines.

"Where's the police station in this village?" Colonel Nezumi demanded, his voice loud and overbearing.

A man covered in scars, patched together like a quilt, stepped forward. "I'm the officer."

"I've received reports that this village is full of thieves and hidden, dirty money. As such, the navy is here to confiscate it, keh keh keh," Nezumi sneered.

"Hey! You know me—I'm part of Arlong's crew. If you cause any trouble, Arlong won't let this slide!" Nami rushed forward, panicked.

"Keh keh keh… That's not for you to decide," Nezumi smirked, signaling his soldiers to start searching. 

"Move fast. We're talking about 100 million Beli here!" Nezumi shouted.

"!!!"

Nami, Nojiko, and Genzo were frozen in shock.

"You! How do you know the amount?! That's Nami's money to save the village!" Genzo roared.

"Keh keh keh… How would I know? Just a hunch—maybe it's around 100 million." Colonel Nezumi's smile widened, sinister and knowing.

"!!!"

Nami bit her lip, realization dawning on her. This was Arlong's doing. He had no intention of ever letting her buy back the village. He sent the Marines to take the money!

"The navy's in cohort with pirates! You're all scum!" Nojiko couldn't hold back her rage any longer, her voice trembling with anger. She had suffered so much—how could it end like this?

"Found it!"

The soldiers had uncovered Nami's buried treasure chest, its contents stained with blood.

"Keh keh keh," Colonel Nezumi grinned greedily. Arlong had promised him a cut—thirty percent.

"Put that money down!" Nami shouted, holding up her weather staff in defiance.

"Thunderstorm!"

With a crack of thunder, storm clouds formed around Nami, and lightning struck the Marines, knocking several of them out instantly.

"You—you dare defy the Marines?! If you resist, this village will be classified as a pirate base, and we'll send warships to wipe you out!" Nezumi yelled in fear, desperate to regain control.

"!!!"

Nami lowered her head, biting her lip hard. She couldn't risk the village.

In the end, Colonel Nezumi and his men took the treasure chest and walked away, leaving Nami standing in defeat. Without hesitation, she turned and sprinted toward Arlong Park.

"Nami!" Nojiko called after her, watching helplessly as her sister disappeared into the distance.

——

"I can't take this anymore!"

Boom!

Moments after Nami left, doors throughout the village flew open. The villagers stepped out, armed with shovels, sticks, and whatever makeshift weapons they could find.

"What do they think of Nami?! Let's fight! Even if we die, we won't be a burden on her any longer. She deserves a better life than this!" Genzo shouted, his voice filled with determination. The villagers answered his call, ready to fight.

"Kill Those Bastards!!!"

Nojiko covered her mouth, fighting back tears.

Thud!

At that moment, several charred Fishman corpses fell from the sky.

"!!!"

The villagers looked up in disbelief, only to see a young man squatting on the roof, wearing a straw hat and grinning. Beside him was a beautiful girl with long blonde hair.

"Seems like my stupid navigator's in a bit of trouble," the young man chuckled.

Everyone stared up at him in shock.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ace. I'm a pirate, and Nami's my navigator," Ace said with a smile.