After Nami left, Captain Nezumi soon found Arlong, seething with anger.
"That thief doesn't have 100 million Berries at all!"
"Huh?" Arlong was also enraged; Nami's desperate look just now clearly indicated she had been robbed. This Marine was dreaming of a double-cross.
He then grabbed Captain Nezumi's face and lifted him up. "Fifty million of Nami's 100 million Berries are mine. You want to swallow my money? Don't you even consider if you have the life for it? Do you think a Marine Captain can threaten me? If you're smart, bring me the fifty million, untouched! Scram!!" With that, he threw Captain Nezumi out.
Meanwhile, Nami and Orochimaru infiltrated Captain Nezumi's office, while Luffy and his crew went to fight Arlong. Nami pried open the safe, her eyes gleaming with greed. "Mine! Mine! It's all mine!"
After emptying Captain Nezumi's stash, the two quickly left and returned to Arlong Park, where they saw Luffy's battle nearing its end.
As Arlong Park was destroyed by Luffy, the villagers cheered, and Nami couldn't help but wipe away tears.
"thank you, everyone."
Usopp, his face bruised and swollen, came over. "Nami, I also fought bravely! I defeated an Executive!"
Orochimaru treated Usopp, and Nami's smile instantly became radiant.
"Thank you, Usopp."
Usopp turned his head, wiping away a stray tear. "Really, why are you being so polite?"
Just then, Captain Nezumi arrived with a group of Marines, seemingly out of nowhere, intent on taking Arlong's treasure for himself.
Orochimaru winked at Zoro, who nodded, carrying the heavily injured Arlong.
"I am Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro. I've taken care of Arlong to claim the bounty."
Captain Nezumi sneered, "Pirate Hunter... I see you as a Pirate! I didn't expect Arlong to be defeated by you unknown Pirates, but thanks to you, all the money of the Arlong Pirate Crew is mine. Your credit will be taken by me, Captain Nezumi of the 16th Branch."
Zoro then, with a dark expression, beat Captain Nezumi until his face was bruised and swollen.
Of course, Orochimaru didn't miss this scene and filmed it all.
Subsequently, Captain Nezumi was beaten again by Nami and the others.
As he swam away after being thrown into the water, Captain Nezumi hurled threats, "Straw Hat man!! Your name is Luffy, right! You're the Captain, right! You're in big trouble! It's too late to regret it! Remember this!!!"
Luffy tilted his head, confused. "Huh? How did he know I want to be the Pirate King?"
The rest of the Straw Hat were speechless. Orochimaru walked past and patted Luffy's head. "It's fine... this is good."
The others followed suit, with the same actions and expressions.
Luffy made a shark face. "What are you doing!! I always feel like you've been secretly doing something."
Everyone waved their hands in unison. "No, you're overthinking it."
Back at his branch, Captain Nezumi roared to Marine Headquarters about Straw Hat Luffy's evil deeds. Headquarters stated that a bounty would be issued after verification.
On the other side, everyone was singing and dancing at a banquet. Nami got a new tattoo, sweeping away the gloom.
Orochimaru was organizing photos, adding text and the original video to a picture transponder snail. You ask what the purpose is? As a Pirate, does one need a purpose to cause trouble for the Marines?
He entrusted the packaged items to a News Coo, sending them to the news department and giving a tip. Morgans should like this kind of face-slapping news.
Happy times always pass quickly. The next day, it was time to set sail. Nami stole everyone's wallets, and amidst the villagers' complaints, she set sail with a brilliant smile.
A News Coo flew by, Nami paid it, and a stack of newspapers fell. They contained Luffy's bounty poster, 30 million Berries, which was considered a great Pirate in the East Blue. Luffy was momentarily smug, but the news in the newspapers was even more explosive, even with accompanying pictures.
It read something like: "Mr. Lu and Mr. She, two individuals, saved a little girl but were defined as rebels and pursued by Marine Captain Morgan. The two had no choice but to defeat Morgan, yet were branded as Pirates by the Marines and left in disappointment."
Accompanying pictures showed a crying little girl, a smug son with a butt chin, a dog, a shattered statue of Morgan, and Marines building a new statue.
Another read: "A certain Shichibukai, while using a black sword to cut a ship, was seen by the vice-chef of a famous restaurant. Fearing to implicate the restaurant, he left with tears in his eyes."
Accompanying pictures showed Hawkeye's small boat and the shattered deck of the Baratie.
Another read: "Villagers of a certain village were oppressed by a Marine Captain, who stole all their money and destroyed their ancestral tangerine grove."
Accompanying pictures showed a crying Nami, a (pretending to be) injured Nojiko lying on the ground, and Marines digging up tangerine trees.
Another read: "A famous Pirate Hunter defeated rampaging Pirates, but was refused his bounty and instead labeled a Pirate."
Accompanying pictures showed Zoro holding Arlong and Marines aiming their cannons at him.
Moreover, each accompanying picture had captions and content, and was certified by News President Morgans as having video proof of its authenticity.
...The main point was, "We didn't become Pirates voluntarily; the Marines forced us!"
A group of people looked at the newspaper with expressions like an old man on the subway looking at his phone, looking at Orochimaru as if to speak but holding back. Only Luffy didn't know the origin of these photos and content.
He started to fuss, "What is all this! I clearly became a Pirate voluntarily! I'm the man who's going to be the Pirate King! What nonsense are they spouting! What 'forced'?!"
Orochimaru stood up, punched Luffy on the head, and dragged him away. "Excuse me."
Luffy clutched his head, feeling wronged. "Why did you hit me? I was telling the truth."
Orochimaru looked at Luffy. "The content in the pictures and photos is also true... and in a sense, the news is also true."
Luffy felt wronged but didn't know what to say.
Orochimaru sighed helplessly.
"We're going to the Grand Line soon. Do you know what that means?"
Luffy tilted his head. "What?"
Orochimaru's face was gloomy. "It means we might run into the old man somewhere. You want to die... but I don't. Do you think when we see him again, both of us will be beaten to death...?"
Luffy swallowed, cold sweat running down his back.
"So! Even though your dream is to be the Pirate King, we were forced to become Pirates when we weren't planning to! Understand?!"
Luffy nodded. Grandpa was truly terrifying, and getting hit really hurt... Luffy suddenly thought of something... It seemed Orochimaru was the most miserable one, after all, Grandpa had wanted to hit him for a long time... but had no reason, always sulking.
He seemed to have seen Grandpa practicing slapping the air. Luffy shivered... Poor Orochimaru... It's better not to let him know. Luffy was once again grateful that Grandpa liked to hit his own head.
Orochimaru opened the door, speechless at the group of people outside looking up at the sky and whistling.
"We didn't hear anything." This was true; they had just arrived and only heard the phrase about them being forced to be Pirates.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku angrily slammed the table, not only because the news had disgraced the Marines, but also because of the familiar surname on the bounty poster.
"Garp!!!!!!!!"