"Everyone, can you listen to me for a moment?"
Nami forced down the desolation in her heart and spoke with effort.
'What if everyone didn't know the truth?'
'As long as I explained everything clearly, they would smile, right? They definitely would, right?'
"The Arlong Pirates, who have oppressed Cocoyashi Village for years, have been completely wiped out by me! You don't need to worry about being killed by Fish-men anymore, and you don't need to pay the exorbitant 'tax'. From now on, everything will return to how it was before!"'
Nami tried her best to keep her tone light.
She exaggerated her expressions, speaking with a playful laugh.
But the atmosphere didn't become the slightest bit more harmonious.
The young mother held her baby tightly, looking at Nami with fear.
The sturdy young men, even though their bodies trembled, gripped their weapons tightly.
That was their only reliance.
In the eyes of the Cocoyashi villagers, the current Nami was no longer that pure, innocent little girl.
She had power, enough to easily kill everyone in the Arlong Pirates.
Even the once arrogant Arlong now lay prostrate at Nami's feet, barely breathing.
Moreover, her heart had become as cold and hard as her power.
Today, it was Fish-men who died by her hand.
What about tomorrow?
What about them, the villagers who had cursed Nami, insulted Nami?
Would they become targets of revenge too?
When the power gap reaches a certain degree, equal communication becomes impossible.
Nami was too naive.
"You... how did you do this?"
Finally, after a long silence, a boy of about thirteen or fourteen mustered his courage and asked loudly.
A flash of light suddenly appeared in Nami's dim eyes.
"It was the Group Owner, a man like a god. He bestowed this power upon me. That's how I could kill Arlong and liberate the village."
The boy's face instantly changed.
He subconsciously blurted out, "What? So you just changed masters... Urgh… Mmph…"
Just as the boy spoke carelessly,
His mother, quick-eyed and quick-handed, covered his mouth.
She quickly knelt and kowtowed, her face full of fawning.
"Nami-sama! My son misspoke! Please, for the sake of us being fellow villagers, spare him this time!"
The villager mother kowtowed repeatedly, not stopping even when her forehead bled.
Nami watched all this.
Her heart felt like dead ashes.
'So, so this is how they saw me.'
'In their hearts, I was just a traitor who changed masters one after another.'
'When Arlong was strong, I followed Arlong.'
'When the Group Owner was strong, I would side with the Group Owner.'
'They had never trusted me.'
"In that case, then..."
Nami took a deep breath.
She wanted to wave her hand and make a final farewell to this land that had raised her.
But just then, a man suddenly rushed out, sharply interrupting.
"Everyone, please listen to my explanation! Nami never betrayed the village!"
It was Genzo.
The villagers' gazes shifted to him.
In the village, Genzo's prestige was quite high.
"The reason Nami joined the Arlong Pirates was to protect the village! She made an agreement with Arlong: She would work for him in exchange for the safety of the entire village."
"Otherwise, given Arlong's temperament, he would have long since slaughtered Cocoyashi Village, leaving a river of blood."
Genzo shouted desperately, trying to defend Nami.
But what he received was a new wave of doubt.
"That can't be right. If she's so powerful, why would she need to agree to such a humiliating deal and infiltrate the Arlong Pirates?"
"It must have been an assassination. Probably that 'Group Owner' she mentioned is part of a bounty hunter group that had its eyes on Arlong's head for a while."
"Hmm, I also think Genzo's explanation is too far-fetched. Nami is so greedy and shameless, so how could she be someone who would sacrifice for the village?"
Everyone whispered amongst themselves, looking towards Nami with fear.
Once the seed of doubt is planted, it can never be completely eradicated.
No amount of explanation, no amount of defense, is of any use.
"Everyone, please don't be like this..."
Genzo's face turned pale, and he wanted to say more.
But Nami gently used a breeze to block his mouth.
"It's useless."
Nami stood within the bloody storm, like an icy Valkyrie, and slowly spoke.
"The Group Owner was right."
"From the moment I chose to accept this power and seek revenge personally, there was no turning back."
Nami sighed softly and looked at the group chat.
On her way back to the village, she couldn't contain her excitement.
She had privately messaged the Group Owner, hoping for his approval.
But Hattori had mercilessly poured cold water on her.
[Dark Group Owner: @Cat Burglar, I've emphasized from the start that darkening isn't for anyone else. Your revenge is only for yourself.]
[Dark Group Owner: From the moment you accept power, there is no turning back. No matter how you explain, no matter how much you say it was for the village, everyone will fear you.]
[Dark Group Owner: This is a flaw in human nature. They crave power but fear the powerful.]
[Dark Group Owner: All those who bear power are destined for loneliness from the moment they take it on.]