The deep blue waves crashed against the island's shore, where tangerine trees lined the coast. This was Nami's home—Cocoyasi Village.
But beneath the calm surface lay nothing but despair and darkness. Under the command of their leader, Arlong, the Fishmen of the Arlong Pirates had seized control of over twenty villages, including this one. Using their superior strength, they violently extorted a massive monthly protection fee from the villagers. It was literally the price of their lives: 100,000 Berries for an adult and 50,000 for a child. If you couldn't pay, you died.
To make matters worse, the local Marine Captain, Nezumi, was in Arlong's pocket, splitting the loot taken from the suffering people. Effectively, this unholy alliance completely ruled these waters.
"Nami!"
Nojiko, standing under a tangerine tree, spotted the pirate ship carrying Nami from a distance. When she saw Chew on board, her face filled with worry. "Nami must have gone out to steal more charts for them again. I wonder how it went..."
Nami stepped off the ship, but before she and her sister could even share a moment of relief, Chew let out a nasty laugh. He grabbed Nojiko by the arm and started leading her toward Arlong Park.
"What are you doing? Let her go!" Nami shouted, frantically trying to pry Chew's hand off her sister.
"Nami, it's okay," Nojiko said, looking back to comfort her while letting Chew lead her away.
"Relax, I'm not going to hurt her," Chew said with a look of pure contempt. "I'm just taking her along to be a witness. After all, she's the sister of our 'precious navigator.' I want her to see this."
"Witness... witness what?" Nami forced a smile, trying to stay calm.
"The protection fee collection, of course. I heard there's a newborn in your village." At that, Chew flashed a greedy grin.
Nami's pupils shrank. Her face went pale as a horrible memory surfaced. A newborn in Cocoyasi didn't mean happiness or a new beginning—it meant another massive "life-buying" fee. In this place, new life wasn't a blessing; it was a curse.
In the streets, the Fishmen were going door-to-door demanding payment. Nami stood to the side, her expression numb. Every villager whose name was called would trembling hand over their hard-earned money.
"Shimakawa, Nakao..."
"Yamashita Yuta."
Yuta stepped out from the crowd with heavy feet. The villagers' faces were tight with anxiety and prayers, while the Fishmen watched him with predatory grins. Yuta tremblingly handed over his Berries.
A Fishman counted the bills right in front of him, weighed the pouch, and pocketed it. Then, he looked at Yuta with a mocking sneer. "Why is there only 200,000 here?"
Yuta forced a terrified smile. "T-That's right. 200,000. It covers... it covers two people."
"Two people?" The Fishman leaned in close, staring Yuta down with a malicious grin. "I heard there were three."
Waaaaah!
With a sudden cry, another Fishman emerged from Yuta's house holding a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket. The villagers watched, their faces burning with silent rage, but none dared to speak. Nami felt the blood drain from her face, watching helplessly.
Seeing his child, Yuta lost all sense of caution. He lunged at the Fishman. "Give her back!"
But two other Fishmen instantly pinned him to the dirt, forcing his face into the dust. "Let her go! Let her go!"
Yuta's futile struggle was laughable to the Fishmen, but he kept fighting with every ounce of strength he had. The lead Fishman leaned down and whispered in Yuta's ear, "Lying is bad, you know. You said two, but there are three." His eyes suddenly turned cold and lethal. "Did you really think you could hide this from us?!"
"She's just a baby! She's just a child!" Yuta begged, his voice breaking.
"So what?" the Fishman snapped. "Rules are rules." He leveled his pistol at the infant.
"No... wait..." Yuta looked up, a look of absolute, terrifying resolve on his face. "That 200,000... it pays for my wife and daughter. My life... just take mine instead."
"Oh?" The Fishman raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Well, aren't you quite the father? Fine, then. I'll grant your wish."
He aimed the gun at Yuta, a cruel smile on his face, and slowly pulled the trigger.
Bang!
As the shot rang out, blood pooled across the ground. A woman tried to break free from the crowd, but the other villagers held her back. Her face was a mask of agony as she let out a hoarse, gut-wrenching scream: "YUTA!"
Watching this, the villagers had to swallow their rage. What could they do? If they fought back, they'd just be throwing their lives away. They desperately wanted a hero to drop from the sky and save them, but they knew those stories only happened in books.
Yuta, his life fading fast, began to crawl across the dirt. He left a long, red trail behind him, his eyes fixed on one thing. He just wanted to be closer to his child. One last time. Finally reaching the baby, Yuta pulled the infant into a gentle embrace, a look of profound peace on his face as he slowly closed his eyes.
The crying of the baby, the screams of the woman, and the despair on every villager's face created a symphony of pure misery.
Nami watched, covering her mouth to keep from screaming, as tears streamed down her face. She was biting her lip so hard she drew blood, and she didn't even notice. This was exactly like what happened to her all those years ago. The same fate, looping over and over again in Cocoyasi.
When would the cycle ever end?
Her fists clenched, and a vein popped on her forehead as she prepared to charge. But Nojiko grabbed her tight, shaking her head with a look of grim warning. "Don't do it, Nami! Think about the people who are still alive!"
Those words were like a bucket of ice water, snapping Nami back to reality. If she fought now, she wouldn't just get Nojiko killed; the whole village would be slaughtered. Her hands went limp. She collapsed to the ground like a broken puppet, her eyes hollow, her body feeling like lead.
If this is what the world is like, I hope tomorrow never comes.
"What am I supposed to do... somebody, please... help me."
Nami was a shell of herself. She didn't even know how she got home or how she eventually fell into a fitful, heavy sleep.
At that moment, a ship arrived at the Cocoyasi coastline. A ship unlike anything the world had ever seen.