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Fishmen were a powerful race, their natural physique more than ten times stronger than that of ordinary humans.
Yet, under the relentless force of Nami's Thunderbolt, Arlong's agonized howls echoed for nearly a full minute before finally dying down.
Then—
The scent of grilled fish filled the air.
Arlong's charred body collapsed forward, lifeless.
"Bell-mère… did you see that?"
"I… I did it!"
As she stared at Arlong's unmoving corpse, Nami's vision blurred.
For a moment, she couldn't tell if this was reality or just a dream.
It had only been a dozen days since she joined the Straw Hats.
And yet—
She had become so powerful that she could toy with Arlong effortlessly.
The once unscalable mountain that had overshadowed her life… was now nothing more than a small puddle in her path—one she could easily step over.
And it was all because of her friends.
Luffy and Zoro had sacrificed their precious game time to train her.
Red had given her access to an entire Pokémon world, a miracle beyond imagination.
Usopp had crafted the powerful Clima-Tact, a weapon beyond anything she could've ever dreamed of.
Even Sanji—who had only just joined—had cooked delicious meals for her every day, keeping her in peak condition.
Without her crewmates, she never could've defeated Arlong so easily.
'Thank you, everyone.'
Nami gently placed a hand over her chest, whispering her gratitude silently in her heart.
"Nami-swan!!!"
A familiar voice suddenly rang out in the distance.
Sanji.
He had already landed, sprinting toward her at full speed using his legs.
Behind him, the rest of the Straw Hats were disembarking one by one.
Leading the way, Sanji clutched a simple medical kit as he rushed to Nami's side.
"Nami! Let me bandage your wounds immediately!"
Nami nodded without hesitation, slowly rolling up her blood-stained short sleeves.
The moment she exposed her shoulder, the crew grimaced.
Several deep puncture wounds marred her once flawless skin, blood still trickling down in thin streams.
Even Zoro—normally unfazed by injuries—couldn't hide the flicker of concern in his eyes.
Usopp, who had more medical knowledge than Sanji, quickly stepped forward.
While deftly wrapping the gauze, he muttered:
"A wound this deep… it'll definitely leave a scar."
Then, glancing at Red, he suggested:
"Why don't you take her to the Pokémon Center, Red?"
By now, all the Straw Hats—except for Luffy, whose brain was often in sleep mode—had a solid understanding of Red's abilities.
They knew about the distance limitations of the Pokémon Center.
They knew about the rules for item transfers between the game world and reality.
Red had been almost completely transparent about his powers, hiding nothing from his crew.
And because of that, everyone had grown accustomed to using the mechanics of his world to make life easier.
But—
Nami shook her head.
"No need for now."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"Is it because of… that tattoo?"
Zoro's voice cut through the quiet.
He had seen it before—the mark of the Arlong Pirates burned into her skin.
And with his sharp combat instincts, he had already realized the truth.
Nami had deliberately let Arlong strike her shoulder.
Red, noticing Zoro's reaction, patted his back—a subtle signal not to bring it up.
But Nami saw everything.
Her sharp eyes caught Zoro's momentary discomfort.
And in response, she simply smiled.
A calm, almost relieved smile.
Then, with unwavering honesty, she admitted:
"Yes. It's because of that tattoo."
She placed a hand over the freshly wrapped wound.
"This is the mark Arlong's crew gave me when I was ten years old."
Her voice remained steady, but the weight of her words was undeniable.
"That's why… when Arlong's attack came at me—I hesitated."
"For just a moment, I froze… and in the end, I chose to take the hit head-on."
"Because at that moment, the last symbol of the Arlong Pirates in this world will be destroyed—by Arlong himself!"
Nami took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with emotion.
"It might sound a little childish, but… just this once, let me be selfish."
She slowly spread her arms, a bright and genuine smile gracing her face.
The ruins around her were littered with the corpses of fishmen, yet in that moment—standing victorious—Nami had never looked happier.
Then—
A baseball cap was suddenly placed on her head.
Pat.
Red gently patted her head.
His voice was calm but filled with warmth.
"It's over now, Nami."
"All the suffering has ended."
"And your future… has only just begun."
A small smirk tugged at his lips as he added:
"Besides, with all of us here, if anyone dares to mess with you again…"
His eyes gleamed mischievously.
"Let's see if their head is hard enough to handle it."
"That's right, Nami!!!"
Luffy grinned wide, slapping his chest with his fist.
"If anyone bullies you again, I'll send 'em flying!!!"
Then—
"Speaking of which…"
Red suddenly rubbed his chin, his tone taking on a casual curiosity.
"There's actually someone around here who needs a good beating, isn't there?"
"Huh!?"
Luffy blinked, caught off guard.
"Wait—really?! Who!?"
Red's expression darkened as he uttered the name:
"The commander of the 16th Marine Branch—Captain Nezumi."
Luffy's grin vanished.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Red continued:
"For years, he worked hand-in-hand with Arlong, protecting and covering up his crimes."
"Because of him, places like Cocoyasi Village suffered under Arlong's tyranny."
Then, he crossed his arms.
"Now that Arlong is dead… it's time to deal with the rat that sheltered him."
His gaze locked onto Luffy.
"What do you say, Captain?"
Snap!
Luffy clenched his fist, his grin returning—this time, far more menacing.
"Hmph! If he bullied Nami, then we're definitely not letting him off easy!!!"
Zoro smirked, resting his hand on the hilt of Wado Ichimonji.
"Sounds like we've got our next target."
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
After all… there were always good weapons in a Marine base.
"Nami!"
A familiar voice rang out from the distance.
Nami turned her head—her eyes widening.
Standing at the outskirts of the destroyed Arlong Park was a young woman with short blue hair and sun-kissed skin.
Beside her stood a middle-aged man, a small windmill spinning on his hat.
It was Nojiko—Nami's older sister.
And next to her, Genzo—the sheriff of Cocoyasi Village.
"Nojiko!? Genzo!?"
Nami's lips curled into a bright, relieved smile.
Later—Cocoyasi Village Medical Center
Inside the village's small medical clinic, Nojiko sat beside Nami's bed, staring at her in absolute shock.
She had just listened to everything—how Nami had stormed Arlong Park, obliterated the fishmen, and killed Arlong herself.
After a long moment of silence…
She reached out.
And placed her hand on Nami's forehead.
"…No fever."
Her voice was blank.
Nami's eyebrow twitched.
"Hey, Nojiko!!!"
Nojiko raised her hands in mock surrender.
"Alright, alright!" she laughed.
Then, her expression turned more serious.
"So… you're really going to sea with them? To become a pirate?"
Nami nodded.
A small, confident smile formed on her lips.
"Yeah."
Her voice was steady.
"I promised them I'd be their navigator."
Nojiko hesitated for a moment—then sighed.
"You've really grown up, huh?"
Though there was sadness in her eyes, there was also pride.
She didn't want to let Nami go.
But at the same time—
Nami had finally found her own path.
So what right did she have to stop her?
She lifted her gaze to the window, watching as seabirds soared freely across the sky.
As if seeing her little sister about to take flight.
Then, she spoke—her voice filled with warmth.
"Before you leave, go see Bell-mère."
She smiled softly.
"I think she'd want to hear it—hear everything you just said."
For a moment, Nami was silent.
Then, she nodded.
But—
"We'll do that after we come back."
Her voice was firm.
Because there was one last thing to take care of.
Her eyes darkened, sparks of lightning flickering within them.
The memory of Red's words burned in her mind.
Nezumi.
The corrupt Marine who had let Arlong run wild.
The man who had been the real shield behind Arlong's reign.
A cold smile played on her lips.
"This time… I'm going to completely erase the shield that protected Arlong all these years."
Because sometimes—
The corrupt men who allow evil to fester are even more infuriating than the evil itself.