Ahlong was killed.
Except for a small octopus that escaped, the entire Arlong Pirates were wiped out. The nightmare that had been hanging over Nami's head dissipated overnight.
The fifteen-year-old girl sat down on the ground, a bit powerless, her head drooping, her body and mind finally completely relaxed.
The mountain that had always weighed down on her was finally lifted.
Uehara Naraku stood beside her, quietly watching Nami, with a smile in his eyes as he gently ruffled her hair, softly soothing her emotions.
"From now on, you don't have to fear Ahlong anymore."
At this moment, Uehara Naraku looked like a righteous person who had just vanquished evil and was now guarding peace in the world.
Nami slowly nodded, took a deep breath, raised her head to look at Uehara Naraku, and a hint of gratitude flashed across her face: "No matter what... thank you all."
"Mm, it's fine..."
Uehara Naraku's smile was unusually bright. He stretched lazily and slowly began to reveal his true intentions: "From the Grand Line to the East Sea, we've been sailing for a long time recently. I'm afraid of getting scurvy. Do you have any fruits here? We'd like to buy some..."
"Yes!"
Nami slowly nodded, and a smile also appeared on her face: "We have a large orange grove at home. If you want, as a thank you, I'll give you a very generous discount!"
"Then..."
Uehara Naraku squinted at the money-loving girl and nodded: "Thank you for the discount..."
Nami, this girl...
Is greedier than I thought!
At this time, she still can't figure out the situation!
Is this girl's avaricious habit due to Ahlong... or is she inherently greedy?
Uehara Naraku watched with a smile as Nami rushed into Arlong Park, packing up all the money Ahlong had accumulated over the years, the smile on his face growing deeper.
"Phew..."
Nami looked at the huge bundle, showing a happy smile: "These were all taken by Ahlong from everyone in the village over the years. I'll find a chance to return them..."
Saying this, Nami couldn't help but frown, and the smile on her face gradually faded. She slowly lowered her head again and said: "But... they probably won't accept me as a cadre of the Arlong Pirates!"
"Yes..."
Uehara Naraku nodded beside her with a sigh.
"Forget it, it doesn't matter."
Nami quickly gave up her frustration, at least the nightmare of her childhood was gone. She could now arrange her life comfortably.
Nami's face once again showed a playful smile: "Let's go, I'll first take you to our house to pick oranges; our oranges are very sweet. Even if I give you a discount, the price might not be low!"
"Mmm mmm mmm..."
Uehara Naraku nodded with a smile, looking at Nami and saying: "To me, money is not a problem. I'm actually not very interested in money."
"Eh?"
A curious look appeared on Nami's face. She couldn't help but rub her palms together and asked: "Then how much money do you have?"
"Hehe..."
Uehara Naraku chuckled, extended his hand, and gently ruffled Nami's hair: "You'll know in a while."
Nami looked up at Uehara with expectant eyes.
Half an hour later.
Cocoyasi Village, Nami's orange grove.
Nami found out how much money Uehara Naraku really had.
Thirty-six million, five hundred and thirty thousand Belly.
This figure was all the money she had saved from the age of ten to fifteen, secretly buried in her home's orange grove, now all taken by Uehara Naraku.
She was still too naive...
She was still too young...
A string of thoughts drifted through Nami's mind. Why did she trust a group of pirates?
Because this pirate killed Ahlong and spoke kindly to her? Why was she deceived by a pirate?
This bastard named Uehara Naraku, after entering their orange grove, didn't begin picking oranges but immediately found the treasure she had hidden here!
Nami bit her lip tightly, watching Uehara Naraku slowly pack away the money and treasures he dug out from the orange grove.
"You..."
Despair filled Nami's eyes: "Wait, didn't you say you had a lot of money and weren't interested in money?"
"Nami..."
Uehara Naraku nodded, lifting the package filled with money and treasure, and sighed: "Do you think there's anyone in this world who's not interested in money?"
Uehara Naraku patted Nami's shoulder and encouraged her: "Cheer up, you can set a small goal for yourself, and earn another hundred million Belly..."
"I saved up so much money over five years..."
Nami clenched her fists, looking at Uehara Naraku with despair as he seized her money: "Five years! Do you know how I lived in those five years?"
"Oh?"
Uehara Naraku slowly turned his head, an indescribable smile on his face: "Do you know how I spent these five days from when we met you until we reached Arlong Park?"
Uehara Naraku spread his palms, his face serious as he spoke: "Five days, I was asking about your preferences every day, trying to extract your information!
For five days, I carefully pondered every day, figuring out how much a girl who started collecting Belly at the age of ten could save in these five years and where she would hide the treasure and money she stole...
Eventually, I settled on your home's orange grove."
"..."
After listening to Uehara Naraku, Nami was completely dumbfounded!
Originally, she saw Uehara Naraku comforting her every day and thought this guy was at least a good person. As it turned out, he was always thinking of inquiring about her treasure!
Aaaaahhh...
What a scoundrel!
How could there be someone like Uehara Naraku in this world!
The fifteen-year-old girl felt like she was about to be driven crazy by Uehara Naraku. How could this guy have the nerve to do such a thing!
"Bast..."
"Nami!"
Nami's sister Nojiko originally came to help sell oranges. Upon seeing the situation, she immediately covered Nami's mouth!
This is a pirate with a bounty of thirty million Belly!
And this guy has just killed Ahlong's gang!
No matter how you look at it, he's not someone they should be provoking right now!
Nojiko hugged Nami's shoulder, softly comforting her: "Alright, Nami, at least the nightmare of Ahlong is over. Belly will come again later, and we can peacefully grow oranges at home..."
"Little girl, you're overthinking it."
Uehara Naraku curled his lips, extended his hand, and grabbed an orange from a distance. Smiling broadly, he said, "Your nightmare has just begun!"
"What do you want to do next?"
"Guess!"
Uehara Naraku slowly peeled the orange, took a bite, and nodded satisfyingly at Nami: "Mm, mm, mm... The oranges from your place are really sweet..."
The next moment, Uehara Naraku's expression suddenly turned extraordinarily grim. He stared fiercely at Nami and Nojiko, and said solemnly: "Now go call the villagers of Cocoyasi Village to come over and load the oranges from this orchard onto our ship!"
Nami: "..."
Nojiko: "..."
This pirate is insane!
Why does he want to steal oranges after robbing her treasures?
In fact, it proved that the two of them had severely underestimated Uehara Naraku's bottom line. Just as Nojiko intended to stay here and let Nami call people...
"Wait!"
Uehara Naraku stopped Nami, shoved another orange piece into his mouth, and smiled once more, adding: "Oh, right, when the villagers come, make sure they bring along their farming tools..."
"..."
Nojiko was somewhat astonished.
Nami immediately realized something, and her mouth couldn't help but twitch: "Hey, are you planning to take the orange trees too..."
"You guessed it right! Nami-chan!"
Uehara Naraku nodded, seriously instructing: "Have them bring tools to move your orange trees onto the ship; plant as many as possible!"
Nami: "..."
Uehara Naraku, you're really ruthless!
Nami truly thought Uehara Naraku, this pirate, had lost his mind. With all the Belly he stole, can't he just go somewhere to buy oranges?
And now he wants to take their orange trees!
Is he really not afraid of wasting time?
Seeing Nami apparently stunned by his words, Uehara Naraku extended his fingers and made a gun gesture towards an orange.
"Bang!"
That orange instantly shattered under Armament Haki!
Uehara Naraku squinted his eyes, smiled, and placed his fingers on Nojiko's head, then turned to look at Nami.
"Hurry up, if you're any slower, I might kill everyone in Cocoyasi Village!"
"Ahhhh, this guy is insane!"
Nami immediately raced away in a frenzy.
Nojiko watched her sister leave, then turned to face Uehara Naraku, suddenly laughing: "Mr. Uehara... you're actually a good person, but why must you bully Nami?"
"Haha, I'm certainly a good person..."
Uehara Naraku hugged his arms, glanced coldly at Nojiko, and chuckled: "But your sister spoke ill of me on our ship. Clearly, I helped her kill Ahlong, yet she wanted to sell me the oranges at a high price... Is she even human?"
"..."
Nojiko's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
Whether it's Uehara Naraku or Nami, both of their actions seem quite harsh!
On the other side.
After Nami left the orchard, she suddenly realized that the village might no longer welcome her, so she could only run to the one person who might accept her!
The vigilant of Cocoyasi Village, Ajian.
"Ajian!"
Nami frantically knocked on the door of the uncle who used to cheer her up when she was a baby, and she said, filled with panic: "Ajian! Quickly gather people with tools to help pick oranges and dig up our orange trees!"
"..."
Ajian blearily looked at Nami, and the small windmill on his hat started spinning: "Wait... What's going on?"
"Listen to me!"
Nami grabbed his arm tightly, speaking with a heavy heart: "A pirate has come to our village, killed Ahlong's gang, and now he wants to take our oranges and orange trees. If people don't help pick the oranges, he'll kill everyone in Cocoyasi Village!"
"..."
Ajian looked at Nami, puzzled, but didn't hesitate. He immediately believed her and began summoning villagers with a siren.
What's up with all the pirates on this sea...
Honestly, this whole situation sounds quite bewildering.
The thing that slightly moved Nami's heart was...
Hearing that her family had trouble with pirates, everyone in the village came to help, even clamoring to drive away the pirate for her.
Do the villagers already know the truth about her siding with Ahlong?
They're not hostile towards her...
But now is not the time for sentiment!
Nami couldn't help but rub her forehead, solemnly advising: "That Uehara Naraku's thoughts are problematic. He's the one who killed Ahlong. Everyone, don't provoke him. We just need to help pick oranges and dig a few orange trees..."