As Hawk-Eyes Mihawk prepared to leave, Krieg shouted after him, declaring he would kill the swordsman. Mihawk merely said he was done playing and was going home to rest. He ignored Krieg's gunfire entirely, soon sailing away on his coffin ship until he disappeared over the horizon.
Tom had already boarded Johnny and Yosaku's ship, ready to pursue Nami—though right now he felt completely exasperated.
"WAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Usopp clung to Tom's leg, bawling uncontrollably, tears and even snot running freely.
"I thought after you guys picked a fight with the world's greatest swordsman, you were all finished!" Usopp sobbed, tears and mucus staining Tom's bandaged pants. "When I saw you and Luffy rush in, I wanted to help! But that man just looked at me and I was too scared to move! I'm useless! I'm sorry!"
Usopp… even I could barely move after he looked at me. It's good you didn't try anything, or we'd have another casualty…
Tom thought miserably.
But it's one thing to cry on me—
can you stop pulling my pants down?!
Clutching his waistband with both hands, Tom yelled to Luffy, who was still standing on the floating wreckage:
"We'll definitely bring Nami back! Finish things up here quick!"
Luffy was also wrapped in bandages. Before he could respond, Krieg suddenly leapt forward, shouting toward Tom.
"Running away, are you? Chasing after a woman, from the looks of it? What a joke of a pirate crew! So few of you, and even one of your own betrays the rest? Pathetic!"
"Or is that Nami woman an even worse piece of trash than you, and had the sense to leave on her own? Then again, trash chasing trash isn't surprising," Krieg taunted loudly.
Having suffered humiliation earlier—but seeing Mihawk leave—Krieg's misplaced confidence resurfaced. The fool even believed Mihawk retreated out of fear. Now, he hoped his provocation would send Tom charging back in blind rage, allowing Krieg to ambush him and regain face.
"Trash? You're calling us trash?!"
Usopp, still tearful, stood up angrily.
"Can't you understand? You're a disgrace to pirates! What you should do with a traitor isn't bring her back—it's execute her!" Krieg mocked, bursting into loud laughter.
"Stop spouting garbage!"
Tom, scowling darkly, sprang onto the wreckage with Krieg and charged, right fist drawn back.
Seeing Tom's furious punch, Krieg smirked and unfurled a cloak covered entirely in sharp spikes.
"Behold—my Spiked Mantle! No matter how strong your fist, you can't touch me!"
"You coward! He's fighting barehanded now! Use your rod, Tom!"
Usopp shouted nervously, seeing the array of deadly spikes.
"Hmph. Out of options, are you?"
Krieg sneered. Tom was already committed—too late to change attacks. With the mantle's spikes, Tom surely wouldn't—
But Tom didn't stop.
Just as his fist was about to collide with the spikes—
Tom's left hand extended toward the mast behind him.
Whoosh!
A long white line shot from the device strapped to his wrist and stuck firmly to the mast.
Tom grabbed the line, swung upward, circled around the mast twice, then dropped from above lightning-fast.
Krieg had no time to react before—
Tom's heel smashed directly onto his unguarded head.
"Use the seawater below to wash out your filthy mouth!"
BOOM!
The powerful kick made Krieg's eyes bulge. The deck beneath him cracked apart, and with no footing, Krieg plunged straight into the sea.
"The boss was kicked into the ocean!"
"The Spiked Mantle can't defend against attacks from above!"
"What did he shoot? Spider silk?!"
Krieg's men went pale; their long-time belief in Krieg's invincibility shattered completely.
Gin stared in shock as Tom used the line to swing back toward Luffy. He immediately dove into the sea with several crew members—if Krieg was unconscious, he would drown.
"You only had to knock him away… no need to get so worked up just because he insulted you," Luffy said, noticing Tom's unusually volatile mood.
In truth, if it weren't for Nami's actions weighing heavily on him, Tom might've brushed Krieg off with a single casual punch. Right now, though, his anger had been simmering since the moment the Going Merry vanished.
"Luffy, there's something I need to ask before chasing Nami. If I don't get an answer, it'll bother me," Tom said, hesitating before voicing the question that had been gnawing at him.
"You remember our fight in Orange Town, right? What exactly did Nami say to you afterward that made you stop fighting me?"
Back in Orange Town, Tom and Luffy fought like they were ready to kill each other. Yet when Tom saw Luffy again, Luffy had no intention of continuing. Tom had always wondered why, but since the conflict was resolved, he didn't pry.
But now things were different.
Nami had taken the Going Merry.
Taken their treasure.
And disappeared.
This wasn't some prank—this was outright betrayal.
He still didn't want to believe that the Nami who occasionally gave him a bright, warm smile—
the Nami who had willingly jumped into harm's way beside him—
had only been acting for treasure all along.
If she was playing them… she deserved an award for fooling even him.
Tom thought grimly:
If she lied to get me and Luffy to stop fighting that day… then I'm done with her. Even if the captain orders otherwise, if I see her again, I won't hold back. She'll get blasted away—no hesitation.
Luffy tilted his head.
"Why are you asking something so stupid?"
He crossed his arms, confused.
"You're actually doubting Nami? Weren't you the one who trusted her the most?"
Tom froze.
It was true.
If he hadn't trusted Nami, he wouldn't have instinctively stepped in front of her every time danger came. Even from the very first moment they met on Alvida's ship, he naturally shielded her without thinking.
He had trusted her deeply from the beginning.
He'd simply let his anger blind him.
Betrayal hurts most when it comes from someone you trust—
reason becomes clouded.
"Nami wouldn't lie to us," Luffy said.
"If you really want to know what she said that day, I'll tell you."
"She said:
'Pirates once took the most important thing from me. So I hate pirates.'
She was angry you hid being a pirate.
But she said she forgave you later—so I stopped fighting."
"I see."
Tom felt the heavy weight in his chest dissolve instantly.
"So that's how it was… Alright then! I'm off to bring that woman back! Take care of things here!"
He leapt back onto the ship, far lighter than he'd been in minutes.
"Hey, cook! Take care of the captain! He does dumb things sometimes!" Tom yelled cheerfully at Sanji.
"Don't talk like I'm part of your crew!" Sanji muttered—but Tom indeed looked much brighter now.
"What's he talking about? Nami was right—he's an idiot. And he calls me dumb," Luffy said, watching the ship Tom boarded sail away.
"Why are you all still spacing out? Let's chase Nami already!" Tom shouted at Usopp and the others as he boarded.
"You're way too relaxed! No urgency at all! Get moving—set sail!"
"HEY! You've been the one hesitating about chasing Nami this whole time! And now you act innocent and boss us around?!"
Usopp grabbed Tom by the collar furiously.
The Going Merry was nearly out of sight.
If not for Tom's delays, they wouldn't be in this position.
"Quit messing around! Sit down!"
Zoro bellowed from the deck, where he lay severely wounded.
Tom and Usopp ignored him and continued wrestling.
Zoro sighed inwardly.
If Nami were here, one iron-fisted punch would've stopped Tom instantly.
But before he could think more—
Tom and Usopp rolled right on top of his freshly sliced chest wound.
The poor swordsman screamed in agony.
"Big Bro! Are you okay?!"
"Oh no! His face turned pale!"
Johnny and Yosaku panicked as Zoro coughed violently.
"You two bastards… looking for a beating?!"
Zoro growled, and soon he, Tom, and Usopp were all tangled together in a three-way brawl.
Johnny and Yosaku exchanged helpless looks, shrugged, raised the sails, and set off—allowing the idiots to beat each other as much as they wanted.
And so, with Tom, Zoro, and Usopp fighting loudly in the background, they officially began their voyage to retrieve Nami.
Meanwhile, far ahead on the Going Merry—
Nami stood at the bow, whispering to herself.
"If we meet again someday… I think I'd like to join them."
"But… will we really meet again?"
Her shoulders trembled. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly. Staring at the sheep figurehead, she recalled standing there with Tom watching the sunrise—the warm laughter, the carefree shouts.
She slowly crouched down, and the tears pooling in her eyes finally spilled over.
On the Going Merry, only Nami sat alone at the bow, crying—lonely and helpless.
"I want to be free soon… Tom… will you come find me? …Please don't come find me… you'll be killed… I'm so sad… What do I do, Bell-mère?"
As Nami cried in despair—
Tom and the others, having finally set sail, were brimming with loud determination.
"Alright! Full speed ahead! We WILL catch Nami!"
Tom, bruised and swollen but spirited, planted a foot on the bow and shouted.
"You idiot! You make it sound like we're kidnapping someone!"
Usopp said, his face resembling a swollen pig's head.
"No, he's right."
Zoro said, bruised but serious.
"If Nami doesn't cooperate, we'll just capture her first. I like this direct approach. Saves a lot of trouble."
The hunt for Nami had begun.
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T/N :
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