Whitey Bay: "What an incredible coincidence in this world…"
Charlotte Smoothie: "Now Arton has yet another reason to kill Captain Nezumi."
Ulti: "Hmph, and the Navy still wants to invite Arton? Let's see if they can after he takes down Captain Nezumi."
Ain: "How could this happen? It's actually Captain Nezumi, that scumbag!"
Sadi: "The disgrace of the Navy turns out to be this man. Things are getting increasingly tricky now."
Gion: "Hina and Tashigi were heading to Branch 16 earlier, but unfortunately, Captain Nezumi wasn't there. Otherwise, they could've detained him directly. Is he still with the Celestial Dragons? Even so, he must be brought under control eventually!"
*
At this moment, in Cocoyasi Village:
"Huh? The one colluding with the Arlong Pirates is the same Captain Nezumi who attacked Arton before?"
"What a coincidence!"
"Wait, does this mean that even if Nami doesn't join Arton's crew… Arton would still deal with the Arlong Pirates and Captain Nezumi?"
"Does that mean Nami and I don't actually have to offer ourselves?"
Nojiko, pausing as she put down an orange, looked at the latest entry in the diary with surprise.
"No, I shouldn't think like that."
"Even if Arton had already planned to take care of the Arlong Pirates and Captain Nezumi… He's still doing us a huge favor."
"Repaying such kindness with my life—offering myself to him—is nothing."
"Besides, by following Arton, I'll get to see what this vast ocean is truly like."
"Compared to that, joining Arton's journey is actually a win for me."
Nojiko murmured to herself, her lips curving into a beautiful smile.
Although she didn't share Nami's dream of drawing a complete map of the world, Nojiko still felt a yearning for the adventure and freedom Arton's crew promised.
However, as a girl with a spirit of adventure, she also had a desire to see more of the world.
That said, Nojiko knew she didn't possess the skills to survive on the open sea.
Because of this, she had never seriously considered the idea of venturing out.
But now, staying by Arton's side offered the opportunity to gain substantial amounts of points that could greatly accelerate her growth.
All she needed to do was find the right moments to tempt Arton into mentioning her name in his diary, taking photos, or recording videos.
From Nojiko's perspective, this wasn't a difficult task—Nami had already proven it could be done.
Moreover, being with Arton also meant the possibility of obtaining a mysterious character template, allowing her to grow stronger.
Since following Arton would grant her both the qualifications and strength needed to travel the seas, Nojiko naturally wanted to explore the world.
"And besides, if Nami hadn't found Arton…"
"Perhaps Arton would have only dealt with Captain Nezumi at Branch 16."
"He might not have gone out of his way to Cocoyasi Village to deal with the Arlong Pirates."
"After all, Arlong and Hatchan have other heroines from Arton's stories backing them."
"It's clear—I need to properly thank Arton."
"Speaking of which, I wonder if I'll have the chance to gain a character template from Arton that I can use myself."
"If I do, what kind of character template it would be..."
Thinking this, Nojiko's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
*
Unlike Nojiko, however, Hina and Tashigi, currently at the East Blue Marine Branch 16, were filled with frustration.
"Um… Captain Hina, is there something on my face?"
The Branch 16 officer nervously touched his face, giving Hina a sheepish smile.
"Hmph, Hina is very displeased!"
Hina snorted coldly and raised her hand. A black fence materialized, pinning the officer to the wall.
"Captain, what are you doing?!"
"Yeah, Captain Hina, why are you attacking him?"
"Please let him go, or at least tell us why you're doing this!"
Nearby marines, who had previously kept their heads down, raised them upon hearing the commotion.
Upon seeing their commanding officer pinned to the wall, the nearby marines immediately showed expressions of alarm.
But it wasn't long before they, too, like their commanding officer, were bound together by Hina's Cage-Cage Fruit abilities.
"Captain Hina, what are you doing?"
"If there's anything I've done to displease you, you can tell me outright!"
"Regardless of the issue, isn't this over the top?"
The officer, catching his breath, stared at Hina in shock as he questioned her.
"Hmph, Hina wants to ask you: Has Captain Nezumi been colluding with the Arlong Pirates?"
Hina's question hit like a thunderbolt.
"What?!" The officer's pupils contracted, and his expression turned to one of utter shock.
To Hina, his reaction was all the confirmation she needed.
From the moment Arton's diary had revealed this information, Hina had believed it.
Her questioning of the marine officer was simply her clinging to a faint hope that Arton's account was a misunderstanding.
"It seems it's true after all," Hina sighed, her expression darkening.
"Tashigi, let's investigate this place thoroughly."
Tashigi nodded firmly, stepping forward to follow Hina out of the room.
As they passed the officer and other bound marines, Tashigi struck them unconscious with the back of her blade to ensure they wouldn't interfere with their investigation.
"Dammit…"
The commanding officer's last conscious thought was consumed by despair.
*
Some time later.
Women's Marine Discussion Group.
[Gion:] "Hina, Tashigi, how's your investigation going? Did you find any evidence of Captain Nezumi's collusion with the Arlong Pirates at Branch 16?"
[Hina:] "Reporting to Vice Admiral Gion, while we haven't found concrete evidence, we have used certain methods to extract confessions from the personnel at Branch 16 confirming the matter. Moreover, what we've uncovered goes far beyond that!"
[Sadi:] "Don't tell me that Captain Nezumi has done even worse things?"
[Tashigi:] "Not only has Captain Nezumi colluded with the Arlong Pirates, but he's also committed numerous violations of naval regulations. On top of that, nearly the entire Marine personnel at Branch 16 have been involved."
While Tashigi was writing her message, her heart was filled with conflicting emotions.
After thoroughly investigating Branch 16, she even felt that, compared to some pirates, the actions of Branch 16 were more akin to piracy.
They didn't deserve the word "Justice" at all.
"With Marines like these, it's no wonder Arton hates them so much," Tashigi thought, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Beside her, Hina noticed Tashigi's expression and wanted to console her but didn't know how to start.
In the end, all she could do was let out a long sigh.
...
300 power stones = 1 extra chapter