Chapter 47: The Evil Dragon (Please Follow for Updates! Tuesday PK Recommendation Slot!)

"How is that possible? Do you intend to break your word?!"

Nami's anger burned, yet she instinctively looked down at her treasure chest.

There was nothing inside.

"This is impossible!"

"I just checked, it was right in here!"

Nami looked utterly bewildered, followed immediately by overwhelming panic.

The treasure chest was supposed to hold treasure worth over one hundred million, the one hundred million Berries she had spent countless years of effort and nearly died several times to gather.

With that money, she could have redeemed the village from Arlong's hands, and everyone would not have to live so hard.

But now.

Everything was gone.

"Nami~"

Arlong grabbed Nami's hair, lifting her up; watching her struggle in intense pain, he felt nothing but immense satisfaction in his heart.

Once upon a time.

On Fish-Man Island, those humans did the same to their own kind, dragging them away to be sold all over the world, ignoring their cries and tears.

Some became specimens on an operating table, others slaves in dark, sunless caves, or even had their hands and feet cut off to become... artworks for people to admire.

Truly perfect artworks!

Arlong sighed inwardly, then lowered his voice and spoke into Nami's ear:

"This time I can let you go, but if there is a next time, the price to redeem your village will double!"

"It was you!"

Nami pressed her lips together, looking at Arlong with fury:

"You stole my treasure!"

"Are your brains addled?!"

Arlong said mockingly:

"I have been by your side the whole time, and I was also meeting with the rat earlier; where would I have had time to steal your things!"

"Better think hard about who it really was!"

Nami froze, and in the next instant she gritted her teeth and spat out a name she herself did not wish to believe:

"It was Carina!"

"It was her!"

Seeing this, Arlong's smile grew even wider; he gently patted Nami's cheek and said:

"I give you half a month. If you cannot find it, the price to redeem your village next time will be..."

Arlong held up two fingers.

"Two hundred million Berries!"

"How is that possible!"

Nami froze, instinctively raising her voice, only to see Arlong sneer and hold up a third finger:

"I've changed my mind. If you do not find that money within half a month, the price for Cocoyasi Village will triple!"

"That is three hundred million Berries!"

"I..."

"Four—"

"I will definitely get it back!"

Nami pressed her lips tightly together; she even ignored the pain on her head and agreed at once.

It was only because she did not know how despairing a price Arlong would quote if this continued, but did she have any choice?

This was an unfair transaction to begin with!

But as long as she did not want to see the people of Cocoyasi die, she had no choice.

"Shark hahahaha~"

Arlong let out his signature sneering laugh, then grabbed Nami and threw her into the dirt pit, slowly turning and walking away.

A few minutes later, as Arlong gradually walked farther away, Nami's heart-wrenching wails gradually came from the edge of the tangerine grove.

"Arlong!"

"Arlong!"

"Arlong!"

Nojiko rushed over at the sound, but the moment she saw Nami's figure, she stopped in her tracks; even without knowing what had happened, she could feel Nami's despair.

Half an hour later.

Nami stumbled, gritting her teeth as she climbed out of the dirt pit.

Nojiko said nothing; she simply, amidst Nami's surprised gaze, grabbed her and pulled her into her embrace, gritting her teeth as she said, "Nami~"

"If you are tired, then run away; after all, you have only lost a bunch of people who dislike you."

"We..."

"Are not worth it."

Nami did not reply, she only held Nojiko very tightly.

Nojiko patted Nami's back, but her body trembled imperceptibly, for she felt the wetness on her own chest.

"Cry."

"Crying will make it better."

The next day.

When Nojiko woke up, Nami's figure was already gone from her side, and a letter sealed with a smiling face and an orange remained on the bedside table.

!

"I will definitely retrieve those treasures, even if it means breaking with my best friend."

Nojiko looked at the contents of the letter and for a moment felt unable to breathe.

She slowly put away the letter, went out, walked to the Magistrate's Patrol Hall, and raised her hand to knock on the main door.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

A few seconds later.

A thin middle-aged man with a windmill on his head and a face covered in scars pushed the door open.

The man was none other than Genzo, the magistrate of Cocoyasi Village.

However, with the arrival of Arlong's gang and the collusion between the Marines and the Arlong Pirates, the position of magistrate had directly become a joke.

But this man still did not give up; even risking his life, he wanted to protect the people in the village, to protect the two daughters who were like his own.

"Genzo, Nami hasn't given up yet. I don't know what happened to her, but it seems she lost everything overnight..."

"You say that even if she meets Arlong's conditions, will Arlong really hand Cocoyasi Village over to her?"

Genzo shook his head:

"How is that possible? How much credibility do pirates' words have?"

"I'll go check what actually happened!"

"Be careful."

Nojiko nodded, but still couldn't help asking:

"I don't understand. Why does everyone know what Nami is doing, yet still speak harshly to her? I even saw children insulting her."

Genzo's steps paused:

"Nojiko, every bit of kindness we show her only adds to the village's place in her heart."

"If one day she really gets tired and wants to leave, how can she overcome the guilt in her heart?"

Having said that.

Genzo hurried away, leaving Nojiko standing stunned at the doorway.

At the same time.

On the top floor of Arlong Park, a pile of treasure stained with mud was placed on the table before Arlong.

He picked up a handkerchief and wiped each of these treasures clean one by one.

With each item he set down, Nami's expression from last night inevitably surfaced in Arlong's mind, and a strange sense of pleasure rose from the bottom of his heart:

"Nami~"

"My navigator, my doll."

"If one day you discover this is nothing but a scam, that you can never buy back your own village, what expression will you have then?"

"Will it be like those of my compatriots, making one unable to help but feel pity?"

"But why don't humans have such emotions?"

Bang!

Arlong crushed the gem in his hand, his expression twisted to the extreme:

"Emotionless humans should be the lowest! The most inferior creatures in this world!"

Just then, a knocking sound came from the doorway. Arlong, expressionless, spoke:

"Come in!"

Xiang Keluo pushed the door open and entered, saying:

"Arlong, the rat sent word, telling us to keep an eye on a pirate crew active in the East Blue recently."

"Who?"

"The Gao Wen Pirates. The captain, Gao Wen, has a bounty of eighty-five million Berries. That number isn't low even on the Grand Line."

"Shahaha hahaha~"

(End of this chapter)