Chapter 108: Cocoyasi Village

The next day, early morning, the coast of Cocoyasi Village.

"Cocoyasi Village, this is it."

Smoker jumped off the ship impatiently, ready to find a few villagers to ask about the situation.

"Hey! Don't be in such a rush, Smoker."

Karl walked off the warship unhurriedly, taking an orange that Raven had brought from somewhere, and tasted it. It was a bit sour.

"Is it sweet?"

Karl straightened his expression and gave Ain a thumbs up: "The big oranges of Cocoyasi Village, sweet! Here, you try!"

After saying this, Karl stuffed the orange into Ain's mouth. The moment the orange juice dripped onto Ain's lips, she frowned.

"Get in there!"

"Ptooey! It's so sour! You lied to me!"

Karl laughed and turned to Nelson: "You don't need to come down. We don't need so many people. I'll leave the ship to you, Nelson."

"Don't worry, Rear Admiral Karl! Just leave it to me!"

Smoker, who was getting impatient, couldn't help but urge: "Hurry up!"

"What's the rush? Are you the officer or am I?"

Smoker stopped talking immediately. Fine, you're the boss!

To be honest, Cocoyasi Village was quite large. Although he couldn't see many people, there were large orange groves everywhere, heavy with fruit.

After walking for about ten minutes, they finally saw the village.

It was just that for some reason, the local residents looked at the three of them with a hint of disgust. Seeing them come, they didn't talk to them, just went about their own business.

"The atmosphere here is a bit strange. Do the residents seem to hate the Marines?"

Smoker said with a sneer: "This is Captain Nezumi's jurisdiction, but the residents hate the Marines. I think this guy is definitely a corrupt Marine!"

If he were guarding a base, such a situation would never happen, so Smoker concluded that Captain Nezumi definitely had a problem.

"Everything must be based on evidence. You feel, you think, you conclude—that won't work. We need to find solid evidence. Everything must be based on evidence."

"Understand?"

Smoker let out a long breath and nodded.

"Ain, Smoker, you two go find the villagers and ask why this is happening!"

"Okay!"

Smoker found a villager impatiently and showed a smile he thought was kind: "Hello, I am Marine Headquarters Major Smoker. I've come to Cocoyasi Village this time to investigate the conduct of Captain Nezumi of Branch 16."

"Do you know anything about this?"

As soon as the male villager heard the name Captain Nezumi, his eyes were filled with fear, and he shook his head hurriedly: "I, I don't know, don't ask me!"

Then he ran away in a panic. Smoker couldn't help but scratch his head.

"Damn, that stinking rat must have used some means, otherwise... forget it, let's ask again!"

"Hey! I am Marine Headquarters Major Smoker..."

He asked several people in a row, but they either kept silent or walked away quickly, giving Smoker and Ain no chance to investigate at all.

But Smoker wouldn't give up because of this. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he found a man in a corner with a face full of scars and a windmill on his head.

He was wearing clothes similar to a security guard, looking Move Move Like a town sheriff. Smoker walked over hurriedly.

Genzo's expression changed, and he turned to run. A puff of white smoke drifted by, and the man who looked even more fierce than him blocked his path.

"I am Marine Headquarters Major Smoker. You must be the local sheriff, right? I have a few questions I want to ask you. Please cooperate."

Genzo swallowed and looked up at Smoker: "I am Cocoyasi Village patrolman Genzo. You, what do you want to ask?"

Smoker saw there was a chance and immediately revealed a smile: "It's Move Move Like this, we suspect Captain Nezumi is a corrupt Marine, possibly involved in corruption and other issues."

"This is his jurisdiction, and we want to find the local residents to understand the situation in advance."

A look of surprise appeared in Genzo's eyes. Heaven finally opened its eyes!

"Is, is this true?"

Smoker nodded seriously: "Absolutely true, but I hope you can tell the truth, because anything you say will be evidence to accuse Captain Nezumi!"

Genzo said hurriedly: "Of course I won't lie. What does the officer want to know?"

"Um... why are you so afraid of the Marines? I asked many people just now, and they all seemed very afraid of us."

"Sigh~ you can't blame them, Arlong is just too powerful!"

Smoker frowned: "Arlong? Is he a pirate?"

Genzo said as if facing a great enemy: "That's right, they are a Fish-Man pirate crew from the Grand Line. Their power is incomparable, and we simply cannot resist."

"About a year... to be precise, it should be 1512, when they came here and forced us to buy our own lives with money every month. 100,000 Berries for adults, 50,000 for children. If you can't come up with the money, you'll be killed. People have no choice but to live under Arlong's rule."

Smoker clenched his fists and continued to ask: "What about the Marines? Don't they care?"

Genzo looked at Smoker and gritted his teeth: "Because the Marines are in cahoots with them. The Captain Nezumi you mentioned was bought off by Arlong long ago. Captain Nezumi allows Arlong and his crew to do whatever they want."

"What!!! That bastard!"

Smoker was suddenly furious. He originally thought Captain Nezumi was just greedy for money, but he didn't expect him to collude with pirates. Is this still a Marine?

Karl, who didn't know when he had appeared beside Smoker, said softly: "Calm down."

Smoker took several deep breaths in a row before suppressing the anger in his heart.

"This is my superior, Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral Karl."

Genzo looked at this tall, handsome, and upright Marine officer and bowed hurriedly: "Officer, please save our village! We really can't hold on much longer!"

Before Karl could speak, Smoker patted his chest and said: "Don't worry! A true Marine will never sit idly by!"

"Where is that Arlong? I'll go eliminate them right now!"

Karl nodded slightly. It should be done this way. Since Nezumi colluded with pirates, then eliminate the pirates first and get solid evidence from them.

"Bu, but Arlong and his crew are too strong. There are only a few of you, it's impossible to beat them."

Smoker sneered: "Pirates with bounties over 100 million aren't my match. How much ability can a pirate Move Move Like Arlong, who only dares to show off in the East Blue, have?"

Genzo just thought Smoker was bragging and scratched his head, thinking about how to persuade this arrogant Marine.

Whoosh~

Karl drew Raiu and slashed at Smoker. Of course, he didn't add Armament Haki, otherwise Smoker might have been done for.

"What are you... oh, hahahaha, Mr. Genzo, did you see that?"

"I, Smoker, am invincible!"