Tom looked at the blood-stained dagger in his hand. The blood dripping from it onto his hand still felt warm—so hot it seemed it would burn him.
After putting the dagger away, Tom forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart, and saw his blood-red pupils quickly return to normal. He slowly walked toward Nami.
Luffy stood behind Nami, watching her kneel on the ground with her back facing him. His expression was calm, lacking his usual carefree grin.
Even Sanji, who normally would pounce at the sight of a beautiful woman, now stood seriously not far away. He took a drag from his cigarette and blew a perfect smoke ring, glancing at Nami. The already absurdly curly eyebrow over his left eye seemed to curl even more.
Zoro sat quietly holding his swords on the edge of a pavilion, head lowered in silence.
Usopp, wearing his sniper goggles, also sat on the ground with his arms crossed, his expression serious.
Earlier, Usopp and the others had learned from Nojiko why Nami had always refused their involvement in Cocoyashi's affairs. Now, they clearly understood what they should do most.
"What are you doing? You don't know anything! This has nothing to do with you! Get out of here! Didn't I already tell you?!" Tears blurred Nami's vision. She glanced back at Luffy and the others. She saw Tom, his bandages soaked red with blood. She saw Luffy and Zoro, also covered head to toe in bandages. She knew all three were wounded.
"Yeah, I don't know what happened here. And you did tell us to leave." Luffy was the only one who hadn't learned the truth about Nami. When Nojiko tried to tell him, he chose not to listen.
"Get out! All of you, get out! Don't show up here anymore! Get out, get out, get out! I don't want—!" Nami's bandaged right hand tightly clawed at the ground, her fingers carving deep grooves into the dirt, her nails digging deep into the soil. As she spoke, she grabbed handfuls of dirt and kept throwing them backward, as if trying to drive Luffy and the others away.
"You still don't get it?" Tom came up behind Nami and cut her off. Looking at her lonely and helpless back, he spoke in a very calm yet resolute tone.
"Stop living alone!"
Hearing Tom, Nami's shoulders suddenly trembled violently. The choked sobs she had forced down earlier suddenly became clear, reaching everyone present.
"Help me........."
Tears flowed uncontrollably as Nami finally turned toward Luffy and the others. Biting her lip as she sobbed, she spoke the words buried deep in her heart. The confusion and helplessness on her face were unmistakable.
Those simple three words made Luffy and the others' expressions become extremely serious.
Luffy placed his straw hat on Nami's head, then turned and walked forward a few steps. He slightly crouched, took a deep breath, then suddenly stood up and roared toward the sky:
"OF COURSE WE WILL!"
Those equally simple words became the Straw Hat crew's official declaration of war against Arlong.
This was different from when Zoro or Tom caused trouble alone at Arlong Park. This battle would be a fight to the death. No one would choose to retreat. No one would back down.
For Luffy's crew, going to war with the Arlong Pirates had only two possible outcomes: live or die.
Nami touched the straw hat on her head. She knew very well how important this hat was to Luffy. Luffy had often bothered her to repair it, though the cost always ended up charged to Tom.
But now, Luffy placing this treasured hat on her head was itself a sign of absolute trust. For the first time, Nami deeply understood what Luffy meant by "comrade."
It was a title one could bet their life on. It was heavy—but also reassuring.
"Let's go!" Luffy said as he walked, calling out to Zoro and the others.
Zoro and the others responded with spirited shouts, all standing straight and preparing to follow Luffy to Arlong Park.
"Aren't you coming with us?" Sanji asked, seeing Tom hadn't moved.
"He has something else to do. Besides, he fought the first round. We can handle the rest." Luffy glanced at Tom, then walked off without hesitation.
"Take care of yourself," Zoro said to Tom, then quickly followed Luffy.
"Kid, your wounds don't look light. Don't act recklessly. If you need help, say so," Sanji said, seeing Tom's reopened wounds still bleeding.
"I'll be fine. More importantly, don't forget what I told you earlier. Those fish-man officers have some skill. Don't lose your life to a moment of carelessness." Tom had earlier told them about his fight with the fish-men so they would be prepared.
Unfortunately, when Tom was speaking, Luffy was thinking about meat, Zoro was half asleep, and Sanji had gone into full lovestruck mode, rambling endlessly about Nami and her sister Nojiko, completely ignoring Tom's words.
As for Usopp, he listened very seriously. But afterward, he rubbed his chin and asked Tom, "Are you bragging?"
Tom instantly realized he was wasting his breath. Talking nonsense with these people was worse than catching his breath.
"Your mouth really stinks! Whatever. As a knight, my most important task now is to defeat those fish-men. Then Nami-san will surely fall for me!" Sanji said through his cigarette, his eyes instantly turning into hearts as he shouted about fighting for love and quickly chased after Luffy and the others. Tom watched, feeling speechless.
"What are you all talking about? I don't understand!" Usopp saw that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all seemed to know what Tom was going to do, but he was completely clueless.
"Never mind. Hurry up and catch up. They're about to leave you behind." Tom patted Usopp's shoulder and said with a smile. "Do you want to come with me instead?"
This guy, like Luffy, was the reckless type. Being with him was definitely bad news. No matter how you looked at it, sticking with Luffy and the others was safer.
Thinking this, Usopp straightened his face and said to Tom, "I can't act with you. Luffy and the others need me. No choice. To them, I'm extremely important. Without my—Captain Usopp's—command, they…"
Before Usopp could finish boasting, Tom turned and walked toward Nami.
"Hey! Listen to me!" Usopp complained as Tom ignored him again. Then Luffy, from far away, stretched out his arm and snatched Usopp away. In the blink of an eye, Tom was out of sight.
But Tom heard Usopp let out an earth-shattering scream, as if he had slammed into something when Luffy grabbed him.
"Why aren't you treating your wound?" Tom saw that Nami's left arm was still bleeding and squatted down, beginning to bandage her bloodied arm.
Why aren't you treating your wound?
Nami had meant to ask why Tom was still here. But hearing his words, she suddenly remembered when she first met him—her left arm had been slashed by pirates. Back then, while bandaging her wound, Tom had said something similar.
Lost in thought, Nami didn't reply. Tom just focused intently on bandaging her wound without speaking.
For a moment, the surroundings were very quiet, filled only with the sound of their breathing.
Nami suddenly felt an illusion, as if she had returned to the ship where she first met Tom. Back then, with her left arm wounded, she had also let Tom bandage her.
"You're still alive… that's good." Nami, tears welling in her eyes, looked at Tom. Her vision blurred, making the hazy Tom seem unreal. Somehow, she blurted this out.
Earlier, knowing Tom was alone at Arlong Park, she had worried about the villagers and could only silently pray that Tom would survive.
On her way back to Cocoyashi, Nami had thought that if she met Luffy's group, she could tell them about Tom. But she didn't run into them, and rushing to stop the villagers, she had no choice but to give up.
"Of course I won't die. You think I'd lose to those stinking fish?" Tom said cheerfully after finishing the bandage. "Look! This time I successfully made a butterfly knot. Next time I make you straw sandals, I won't use earthworms as a substitute."
Nami glanced at the straw sandals on her feet. She realized the ones Tom had woven for her were actually quite good. Earlier, running back to the village at full speed, the sandals had remained perfectly intact.
"You're really an idiot. Why didn't you escape with me then? Why insist on staying there alone to fight?" Nami touched the butterfly knot on her left arm and wiped away her tears. Seeing Tom's bandages turning increasingly red, she hurriedly helped rewrap his wounds.
In fact, before coming here, Tom had rebandaged himself, but the effect wasn't great, so he hadn't bothered again.
"Who told that stinking fish to keep saying things that made you unhappy? I said if he made you upset again, I'd tear his mouth off. So I stayed and smashed his mouth." Tom said this while sitting on the ground, scratching his head smugly. "Now that stinking fish has a ruined mouth. Hahahaha."
"What are you laughing at? Why did you do that? You're an idiot!" Nami saw Tom speak so lightly. But looking at his pale face, she knew without thinking that he must have suffered greatly fighting alone at Arlong Park. She felt both shocked and angry. Couldn't this person value his own life more?
"I said it right in front of you: don't let that stinking fish say anything that makes you angry again, or I'd tear his mouth off! That fish completely ignored my words. If I didn't show him my strength, wouldn't he think everything I say is nonsense?" Tom paused, suddenly sensing something off. He tilted his head and thought for a moment, his fever-addled brain finally catching up. "Hey, woman, why are you calling me an idiot again?!"
Nami bit her lip and stared at Tom without speaking. She finally understood why Tom had insisted on staying at Arlong Park at such a time.
In Nami's view, Tom—whose mind didn't always turn very fast—was willing to risk his life to fulfill a promise he made in front of her, simply for the sake of keeping his word. He and Arlong—who disregarded promises and broke agreements at will—were complete opposites.
The promise Nami worked eight years for was destroyed by Arlong colluding with the Marines. For her, it was an enormous wound. But now, that crack in her heart was quickly filled by Tom. At least his promises to her would always be kept.
This made her feel warm inside, her nose stinging, and she suddenly wanted to cry.
I'm truly not living alone. Bell-mère… I'm so happy!
Sitting on the ground, Nami burst into loud sobs in front of Tom, leaning her head against his shoulder. Tom, who had been about to scold her, was left staring in shock.
In that moment, Nami dropped all her disguises. For the first time in her life, she fully revealed her truest emotions in front of Tom.
She was no longer the girl forced to endure alone for Cocoyashi Village. She was no longer the cold witch wearing a mask to drive away those who wanted to help her. She was simply someone wanting to release years of bottled-up emotions through tears.
Because after crying, Nami decided she would no longer grieve. No matter the outcome, she would go to Arlong Park and see things through—whether she would be killed by Arlong or set sail with those people, laughing freely as she pursued her dreams.
Meanwhile, when the Cocoyashi villagers tried to storm Arlong Park, Johnny and Yosaku blocked them outside the stone gate with their swords.
After learning the truth about Nami from Nojiko, Johnny and Yosaku bravely challenged the Arlong Pirates. In less than ten seconds, they were beaten bloody and thrown outside by the fish-men.
To Arlong and his men, insignificant figures like Johnny and Yosaku weren't even worth killing. Thus, the two narrowly survived.
Johnny and Yosaku told the villagers to wait patiently; someone would soon come to defeat Arlong. They said that if even these people failed, then the East Blue truly had no hope.
Soon after, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp arrived at Arlong Park.
Luffy charged in first, smashing the stone gate blocking the entrance with a punch and storming straight inside.
At first, Arlong, sitting on his lounge chair, thought Tom had returned when the new gate was smashed. Who knew the person entering wore a red vest? It surprised him somewhat. Being smashed through the gate repeatedly today—did they think anyone could just provoke them?
"Which one of you is Arlong?" Luffy asked after breaking in and loosening his joints.
"Who's this kid?" Arlong said, seeing the intruder directly ask for him. "Arlong is my name."
"I'm Luffy!" Luffy declared as he walked toward Arlong.
"You're Luffy, huh? What do you do?" Arlong asked casually, having no impression of the name.
"I'm a pirate!" Luffy continued forward. Two tall fish-men blocked him. Luffy grabbed their heads and smashed them together. "Get lost!"
Seeing Luffy easily deal with two burly fish-men, Arlong was reminded of Tom, who had caused considerable trouble earlier and smashed his mouth. "What do you want, pirate?"
Luffy ignored the other fish-men, walked straight up to Arlong, and without hesitation punched him hard in the face, sending him flying.
With a loud crash, by sheer coincidence, Arlong was sent flying to almost the exact same spot where Tom had punched him earlier.
The wall, having been smashed into twice in a row, could no longer hold. Arlong was blasted through it and sent flying by Luffy's punch.
"Boss Arlong!!!!" The surrounding fish-men stared in terror as Arlong was sent flying with a single punch, their eyes nearly popping out.
The villagers watching were also somewhat shocked by Luffy's sheer power.
"You… are you with him?" Arlong said darkly from the ground.
"Don't you dare make our navigator cry!" Luffy snarled, recalling Nami crying as she asked for help, his breath snorting heavily like an enraged bull.
While Luffy's crew stormed Arlong Park, Tom also found Nojiko at top speed.
"Why are you only showing up now? I thought you ran away in the middle of the fight," Nojiko said, puzzled that she saw Luffy's group but not Tom.
"Run away my ass. Come here. I need to ask you something." Tom glanced inside Arlong Park, saw Luffy's group already fighting the officers, and said to Nojiko.
"Why is your shoulder wet here?" Nojiko noticed some damp marks on Tom's left shoulder and asked curiously.
"Ask your sister about that. She's crazy." Tom remembered Nami crying uncontrollably on his shoulder. When he said she cried ugly, she beat him flat. That left him very annoyed. Tell the truth and get beaten—where's the justice?
Nojiko immediately objected when she heard Tom call Nami crazy. "How can you insult people like that?"
For heaven's sake, your sister calls me an idiot all the time and I don't say anything, yet you're the one getting angry.
Tom couldn't be bothered to argue with Nojiko and went straight to the point. "Tell me. Which Marine branch stole Nami's money? Who was the one in charge?"
"Your hand is hot. Do you have a fever?" Nojiko felt Tom's hand burning and touched his forehead, realizing he really was sick. She looked shocked.
"Never mind that. Just answer my question." Tom lightly brushed her hand away.
"You… you don't really plan to go to the Marine branch alone to steal the money back, do you?" Nojiko was stunned. Tom was burning up with a fever nearing forty degrees, yet still wanted to take on the Marines alone.
"That money is what Nami worked eight years to earn. I must help her take it back! Besides, what pirate would sit idly by after their treasure is stolen? Once I deal with this, I'll hurry back here." As Tom spoke, his pitch-black pupils once again turned dark blood-red. The golden glimmer around them made Nojiko feel as if her eyes were being pricked…
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T/N :
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