"This guy is already unconscious, and his wounds are still bleeding non-stop. We need to get him a doctor, fast!" Usopp, picking up Tom's fallen fishing rod, said urgently.
After Arlong's defeat, the surrounding Coco Village villagers erupted in loud cheers, their faces excited and joyful, shouting about freedom.
For a moment, the scene was lively, filled with cheering voices everywhere. For the people of this island, with the Arlong Pirates defeated, they could finally live and breathe freely in the sunlight. After eight years of brutal tyranny and days worse than death, it was no wonder they were wild with excitement.
Some of the more impatient ones had already run off to inform other villages on the island who were still unaware.
"He should be fine. It's just that when I fell down, I accidentally bumped his head. That's nothing serious for him. He just needs to rest and he'll be okay." Luffy's words left Zoro and the others so shocked their mouths hung open. So that's why Tom collapsed.
"Here, your hat!" Nami, with one hand supporting Tom, used the other to take the straw hat from her head and place it on Luffy's, wearing a bright, sunny smile. "No matter what, it's all over now. Isn't it?"
With her eight-year-long nightmare ended, Nami's mood was incredibly good. She felt the long-accumulated gloom in her heart completely dissipate, as if a few beams of bright, clear old light were shining in, warming her. Besides, Tom was alive. Why would she fuss over small matters?
"EVERYONE, SILENCE!"
A sudden sharp shout rang out. The loudly celebrating villagers instantly fell silent. The once lively scene turned cold in an instant.
"It's the Marines! Why are they here?"
"Look at the leader. It's not the Branch 16 Marines. It's Commodore Nezumi!" The villagers automatically made way, recognizing the man leading the Marines as the severely nearsighted yet stubbornly glasses-averse Commodore Nezumi.
"My luck is truly excellent today. Thank you for your hard work. I witnessed the course of this battle. Although you are pirates... I never thought Arlong would be completely taken down by you single-handedly... I mean, I have been monitoring the movements of the 77th Branch Marines, coordinating with them to rescue survivors from Coco Village."
Commodore Nezumi's eyes were nearly squinted shut. He stood sideways toward Luffy and the others, speaking unhurriedly, appearing quite refined. He had originally been ordered by the government to assist the 77th Branch.
But when they arrived, the 77th Branch Marines had already been sunk, ship and all, by the three Arlong Pirate officers.
Commodore Nezumi had initially hesitated to interfere in the Arlong affair, as this area was traditionally his jurisdiction.
But after waiting a long time and seeing such a major event occur without him being present, Nezumi couldn't sit still anymore. Letting such a big achievement slip by? Did they think he was a fool?
Thus, Commodore Nezumi swaggered onto the scene with his men. If anyone complained later, he had the perfect excuse of others' dereliction of duty. At most, he'd settle things with money. They had dealt with each other for many years; a little under-the-table deal wasn't a big problem.
"Is he talking to us?"
"Maybe he's talking to himself?" Luffy and Usopp watched Commodore Nezumi and the Marines beside him, but his words seemed directed at them, which felt strange.
"Commodore, they're over there. Please, just wear your glasses." A Marine respectfully handed over a pair of glasses.
Commodore Nezumi casually waved his hand, smacking the glasses to the ground, then proceeded to stomp on them repeatedly. "Break them! Then I won't have to carry them around!"
"He's really dumb."
"What I hate most in my life are glasses! Get them away from me!"
"Yeah, why stomp the ground so hard?" Luffy and Usopp commented, seeing the Commodore stomping with all his might next to, but never on, the glasses on the ground.
"You pirates dare call me stupid? How rude and insolent!" Commodore Nezumi straightened his expression and uniform, displaying some military bearing. Guided by a Marine, he looked toward Luffy. "Thanks to your efforts, I can soon go work at Marine Headquarters!"
"The credit for defeating the Arlong Pirates now belongs to Commodore Nezumi of Marine Branch 16! Now everyone immediately drop your weapons! In the name of justice, I arrest you pirates!"
Commodore Nezumi shouted with considerable momentum. If not for Luffy and the others all being severely wounded, he wouldn't dare say such things. After all, a group that could take down Arlong, who had dominated the East Blue for eight years, clearly wasn't something a mere Marine branch could handle.
"You dare hang your head looking listless while I'm speaking!" Brought before Nami by a Marine, Nezumi saw the head-hanging Tom being supported by her and immediately felt dissatisfied. After grabbing blindly in the air several times, he finally found Tom's head and slapped it hard. "Look up! Let me see your face!"
"Huh?!" Tom, groggily waking up, saw a Marine acting overbearing before him, yelling about arresting them and demanding their surrender, etc.
Weren't we just fighting Arlong? Why are Marines here? Tom thought he was dreaming. With a throbbing headache, he annoyedly punched the blind rat commodore in front of him and sent him flying. "What is this thing? Get lost!"
He attacked! And he's smiling! How bold!
"Daring to attack a Commodore in public!" The Marines panicked seeing Nezumi sent flying.
"What are you standing around for? Arrest them immediately!" Commodore Nezumi, clutching his bruised left eye, ordered his men.
But as soon as Nezumi dared to order the attack, Zoro was before him, grabbing his collar with a stern expression. "When everyone's happy, don't come here to pour cold water on them!"
Bam! Thud! Whack!
Luffy, Tom, Zoro, and Usopp, despite being severely injured, had the Commodore and his twenty-odd subordinates all beaten flat in just a moment.
"You dare oppose the Marines?! I won't let you go!" Commodore Nezumi and his men lay in a heap, beaten beyond recognition, yet still uttering threats.
Hearing Nami, Nojiko glanced at Tom, remembering how he had thoroughly beaten Nezumi. It really felt satisfying. That Nezumi had not only injured her, stolen Nami's money, but also made a mess of Bellemere's tangerine grove.
Later, inside East Blue Marine Branch 16, Commodore Nezumi contacted Marine Headquarters via Den Den Mushi.
"Marine Headquarters? This is Commodore Nezumi of Branch 16! Marine code 00160!"
…
As Commodore Nezumi made this report to Headquarters, the two photos of Luffy and Tom were transmitted to Marine Headquarters…
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T/N :
Support me and Access 25 chapters in Advance on my P@treon: [email protected]/GodFic