A CRIME IS A CRIME

In a forest clearing, Nojiko continues her story to Sanji, Usopp, and Zoro. She explains, "Ever since that day 8 years ago, that girl decided to not show her tears to anyone, and never ask for help!" A profile shot of Nojiko shows her somber expression as she adds, "All because she doesn't want to see anyone to be killed by Arlong, just like our mother was..." A wide shot shows the group standing among the trees. Nojiko asks them, "Do you have any idea how painful it was for her, to make that decision to fight alone and continue to live on, when she was barely 10 years old?"

Usopp is moved to tears, wiping his nose as he realizes, "So in order to save her village, she forced herself to join the very pirates who killed her mother..." Sanji becomes enraged, blowing smoke from his nose and yelling, "How dare they cause pain to my beloved Nami! I'll kill those pirates!" Suddenly, Nojiko strikes Sanji on the head with a loud "BONK", leaving him clutching his head and asking, "W-what was that for, sis!?" Nojiko scolds him, "That's exactly what I've come to tell you not to do! Because of you going around calling Nami your friend and causing trouble, those pirates are starting to doubt her, putting her 8 years of hard work in jeopardy!" Looking down with a pained expression, Nojiko pleads, "So please... don't make her suffer anymore! For her, who had to fight alone her entire life, there's nothing more painful than having others call her a friend...!"

A flashback shows a young Nami burying a chest in an orange orchard. She thinks, "No one will be able to find it if I hide it here. I'll save up bit by bit in this treasure box and by the time it's full, I'll have 100 million beli!" Young Nojiko looks shocked, exclaiming, "A thief!? You're going to rob pirates!?" Young Nami, sporting a bruised face but a determined smile, replies, "That's right! I'll get back at those stupid pirates for starting this age of pirates!" Nojiko notices her injuries, "Nami! What's with those wounds!?" Nami brushes it off, "I messed up a little... but look! With this, I now have 1 million beli!" Nojiko insists, "Enough about that, we have to treat your wounds!" In the present, Nami sits at a desk in her room, drawing a map. She reflects, "But there's still long ways to go... I still need 99 million beli more... It's been a long while, but I now only need 7 million more... With my experience, I should be able to get that much by setting sail just one more time!"

Nami rests her head on her hands at her desk, looking exhausted but relieved. She thinks, "Just one more trip and everything will be back the way it was... All my troubles will have been worth it...! I'll finally be freed from Arlong...!" A gentle smile crosses her face as she adds, "And at last... I'll be able to smile from the bottom of my heart, Bellemere...!" The scene shifts to the village streets, where Luffy is walking casually. The villagers around him are murmuring and looking in one direction. Luffy stops, noticing something unusual.

A group of Marines marches into the village. Leading them is a Marine Captain with a mouse-like face and ears, accompanied by Genzo, who has a pinwheel on his hat. Genzo asks, "What business do the Marines have with Nami?" The Marine Captain, Nezumi, replies with a sly laugh, "Chichichi... That's none of your concerns. Just lead the way." Luffy watches them pass by, looking completely bewildered. He stares at Genzo and wonders, "....Why does that man, have a pinwheel on his head!?" A small thought bubble adds, "So cool."

Outside her house, Nami stretches her arms, looking refreshed and ready. "Alright! Time to set out for my last haul!" she says cheerfully. Suddenly, she hears footsteps approaching. Captain Nezumi and his squad of Marines arrive at her doorstep. Nezumi points dramatically at her and introduces himself, "Chichichi... I'm Cpt. Nezumi of the Marines' 16th Branch." Nami looks surprised, noticing Genzo with them, "And the Marines...!? Gen...?" Nezumi glares at her and declares, "You must be Nami, the criminal."

Nami crosses her arms and responds calmly, "Criminal?...Well, I guess that's true considering how I am a pirate. But I'll have you know that I'm a crew officer for the Arlong Pirates." She smiles confidently, leaning forward, "I'm sure a Marine Captain such as yourself should be well aware, that Arlong won't sit still if you happened to harm me. So tell me, what do you want from me?" Nezumi smirks, adjusting his gloves, "Chichichi... I have no idea what you're talking about. You're a pirate...? The information I received mentioned no such thing." He leans in closer, "Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you but... I have received reports of your thievery..."

Nezumi continues his explanation, "From what I've heard, you steal treasure from pirates. Since your victims were pirates, we have no intention of laying any strong charges against you." He then raises a finger, "However, a thief is a thief and a crime is a crime." Nezumi gestures broadly, "Do you understand what I'm getting at? It's only natural that stolen goods of criminals, should be given to the government so they can be returned to their rightful owners." Nami's eyes widen in shock as she stammers, "!!? What did you say!?" Nezumi glares at her menacingly, "I'm saying that you need to hand over all your stolen goods to us, this instant!"

Nezumi orders his men, "Search her house!" The Marines immediately march towards Nami's door, replying, "Yessir!" Nami panics and tries to block them, "W-wait! You can't just enter other people's homes without permission!" One of the Marines shoves her hard with the butt of his rifle. Nami cries out, "I said stop! Aghhh!" and falls to the ground. From the dirt, she glares up at them, "What's the meaning of this...!? Is this what Marines should be doing!? Don't you all have something more important to take care of!?" She points angrily, "The Arlong Pirates are going around killing people and destroying villages on this island! You know that, don't you!?"

Nami screams at the Marines, tears forming in her eyes, "All the people on this island are slaves under their rule! Yet you ignore that crisis and instead decide to confiscate the stolen goods of one petty thief!? Is that how the government prioritizes things!?" Nezumi scoffs, "Chichichi...! Criminals shouldn't speak so high-handedly, little girl! Ignore her and continue on with the search!" The Marines begin searching the property. Nami watches in disbelief, "Even though the people of this island have been waiting for years for the Marines to help... You pass them by without even so much as a glance and come right for me!?" A Marine calls out from the orchard, "Captain, these orange fields seem rather suspicious..." Nezumi orders, "Dig up the fields then!"

Seeing the Marine about to dig up the orchard, Nami grabs her staff and strikes him hard on the head. "Don't you dare touch Bellemere's oranges with your filthy hands!" she yells as the Marine grunts in pain. Nami stands defensively, "I'll never hand over my money to the likes of you! That money is..." Nezumi glares at her, "Hmm? Is that the way a mere villager should be addressing a Marine Captain...?" Suddenly, Genzo steps forward, shouting, "That money is for the sake of every resident here in Cocoyasi Village! Do you still believe you have the right to take that money away!?" Nami turns to him, stunned, "Gen...? How did you... know that...?" Genzo looks at her sadly, "I knew all along, Nami...!"

Genzo explains, "Everyone in the village knew all along. Back then, we couldn't believe what you had done no matter what, so we forced Nojiko to tell us the truth..." Nami is speechless, "Wha... That's why we pretended not to know." Genzo continues, "But we feared that if you knew that we knew, our hopes would pressure you into staying if you ever wanted to run away from it all." Nojiko arrives at the scene, and Nami whispers her name. Nezumi looks annoyed, "What on earth is the meaning of this? Does this mean that all the villagers in this town were abetting a thief so we should arrest all of you?" Nojiko glares at him, "They're saying that the government is hopeless, so they have no choice but to fend for themselves!"

Nojiko yells fiercely at Nezumi, "If you have no intention of saving this village, then get the hell out this instant! Arlong might attack your ship if you linger around here too long, you know!" Nezumi smirks dismissively, "Arlong? Attack our ship? I wonder about that... Chichichi..." Nami looks at him suspiciously, "What?" Nezumi calls to his men, "Have you still not found it!? We're not looking for a single grain of rice here! She should have 100 million beli hidden here! It'd be impossible not to find it!" Nami is horrified, "What!? How could you possibly know how much there is!?" Nezumi sweats slightly but maintains his grin, "Hm? Oh, I just had a feeling she'd have that much, chichichi..." Nami's eyes widen in terrifying realization, "It can't be...!"

Nami connects the dots and screams, "Was this Arlong's idea!?" Nezumi looks away shiftily, "I wouldn't go that far... As workers of the government, we're only doing our natural duty of pursuing thieves..." Nami is furious, tears streaming down her face, "Why you corrupt bastards!!! How could Marines let themselves be ordered around by a pirate! Arlong!" Nezumi loses his patience and orders his men, "Take them away from here. They're hindering the search." The Marines raise their rifles and aim them at Nami and Nojiko, replying, "Yessir!"

A loud gunshot rings out. Nojiko collapses to the ground with an "Ugh...!" Nami screams her sister's name in horror. Villagers, including Genzo, rush towards the commotion, shouting, "What's going on, Gen!? What happened!?" and "Hey! Don't tell me the Marines shot her!" Luffy suddenly appears behind Nami, asking casually, "Hey Nami, what's up? Need any help?" Nami turns to him, her face contorted with grief and rage. "You're still here!? This has nothing to do with you! So just get the hell off of this island!" Luffy stares back at her, surprised by her outburst.

Nami suddenly takes off running. Genzo calls after her, "Nami! Where're you going!?" Nami sprints furiously down the path, tears flying from her eyes as she screams, "Arlong! Arlong! ARLONG!" A flashback shows Arlong looking down at a young Nami, saying, "Do you really want your town back that much, little girl? Fine, then let's make a deal. If you can pay the sum of 100 million beli in a single payment, then I'll not only free your village but I'll let you go free as well!" As Nami runs, she thinks desperately, "It doesn't matter how many years it takes, I swear I'll keep my promise!"

Nami arrives at the towering gates of Arlong Park, screaming his name, "ARLONG!" Inside, Arlong is lounging in a chair, with his officers Kuroobi, Chew, and Hatchan visible in the background. He looks at her and says smoothly, "What's wrong, my talented little cartographer? Your face seems rather flushed." Nami points at him, trembling with rage, "What's the meaning of this!? Didn't you say you'd rather die than break a promise involving money! The Marines you've got working for you, just came to steal my money!" Arlong rests his chin on his hand, feigning innocence, "Hm? But I did keep that promise, didn't I? When did I ever break it?"

A massive close-up of Arlong's terrifying, toothy grin fills the panel. He leans in and asks mockingly, "When exactly, did I ever break our promise? Please, tell me!" Nami yells back, "Don't play dumb with me! You ordered those Marines to steal my m..." Arlong interrupts her with a booming laugh, "Shahahaha!" Nami falls to her knees, clutching her head and sobbing uncontrollably, "Curse you!!!" Meanwhile, back in the village, Luffy is sitting on the ground, picking his nose and looking confused. He mutters, "Jeez, what's with her?"

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