Chapter 14
A Difference in Thinking
After some time had passed, Sanji officially joined Luffy's crew, and they set sail across the sea once more.
Arthur spoke while looking at everyone with a scrutinizing gaze.
"How can we determine exactly where Nami went?
Is there any way to track her?"
Both Yosaku and Johnny smiled at the same time, then pulled out a collection of wanted posters.
Yosaku spoke in a steady voice.
"Sister Nami was looking at these posters specifically…
And when we paid attention, we found that she was staring deeply at this particular person."
Johnny raised one poster.
It showed a non-human creature:
Blue skin, a long, saw-like crooked nose, and a savage grin.
Name: Arlong
Bounty: 20,000,000 Beli
Twenty million.
Yosaku continued seriously.
"He's the fish-man Arlong the Saw.
Extremely dangerous and very powerful… and undoubtedly a bastard.
The Marines avoid getting close to him because one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea mediates on his behalf."
He paused briefly, then continued.
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea are seven unbelievably powerful pirates.
Mihawk is one of them.
As for the one mediating for Arlong, it's the First Son of the Sea: Jinbe.
He's also one of the Seven Warlords."
He sighed, his voice growing heavier.
"And because of this mediation, Arlong hasn't been arrested despite having a bounty.
But that's not the only reason…
There's another."
He looked at everyone gravely.
"Bribes.
Arlong pays the Marines to overlook his actions… no matter what they are."
Yosaku finished his explanation precisely.
Arthur closed his eyes slightly and said calmly,
"It seems Nami is entangled far deeper than we imagined."
Suddenly—
Ding—
A window appeared before his eyes.
| Your Second Mission
You now have two choices |
First:
You have discovered that Nami, the former member of the Straw Hat Pirates, has betrayed you.
You have learned that she is nothing but a vile and useless traitor.
Mission:
Go to Nami's island,
Defeat Arlong and his pirates,
Then capture Nami and kill her in the most horrific way possible.
Reward for Success:
2500 Fame Points
10,000,000 Beli
A good weapon
Penalty for Failure:
Your level will be reduced by half
You will lose everything you own
---
Second:
You have discovered that Nami betrayed you,
But the betrayal was not by her will—it was the result of Arlong's threats.
Nami is a good girl and truly wishes to join you and sail with you.
Mission:
Go to Nami's island,
Defeat Arlong and his pirates,
Then kill him and bring Nami back to the crew.
Reward for Success:
3000 Fame Points
20,000,000 Beli
An excellent weapon
A miraculous healing potion
Penalty for Failure:
Death in the most horrific way possible
You may choose either mission.
The system will not force you.
This is a decision of your mind and your heart. |
| Time remaining to complete the mission: Two days |
| If time runs out without completing any mission,
the penalty will be: ????? |
Arthur read the mission several times to ensure he fully understood it, then sighed.
*'Damn…
The rewards are incredible, especially the second mission.
3000 Fame Points…
Those points could propel me in massive leaps of power.
20 million Beli… a huge sum.
And an excellent weapon… regardless of its rank.'*
Arthur thought for a few seconds as he looked up at the blue sky above him.
*'But most important of all… the miraculous healing potion.
The biggest problem is that I still don't know Nami's true intentions.
If she's truly a traitor… I'll only get the lesser rewards.
But if she's being forced… the reward is worth the risk…'*
He paused, thinking deeply about the final line.
'Only two days…
And what is this unknown penalty?
Is it worse than death?'
Arthur sighed, then pushed all those thoughts from his mind.
---
After a short while, Luffy's crew arrived at Nami's island.
They disembarked from the small boat and headed toward the village.
It was a small village… eerily quiet.
Not a single person in sight.
They advanced cautiously, until Luffy, Zoro, and Arthur sensed movement coming from one of the houses.
They stopped.
Seconds later, five figures emerged.
They were not human… but fish-men.
One of them stepped forward and said cautiously,
"You're outsiders… aren't you?"
Luffy grinned widely.
"Yes!
We're here to bring our crewmate Nami back."
At that exact moment, the expressions of the five fish-men changed.
Arthur placed a hand on his forehead in exasperation.
"Damn it, Luffy…
Why do you always answer without thinking?
You're stupid… but painfully honest."
Luffy laughed loudly.
One of the fish-men suddenly moved and struck Luffy hard on the head.
Luffy's head stretched several meters backward, then snapped back into place.
Everyone froze.
What kind of body was that?
In the next instant, Zoro and Arthur moved together.
Zoro cut down two of them in moments.
As for Arthur…
he killed the remaining three effortlessly, without hesitation.
Arthur wiped the blood from his hand and looked at Zoro with clear concern.
"Zoro… your wound hasn't healed yet. Do you want me to give you the treatment?"
Zoro smiled calmly and sheathed his sword steadily.
"Of course not.
I'll recover on my own, thank you, Arthur.
Your elixir is important and rare—it's not easy to obtain.
I'm not in that much need of it right now…
It'll be more useful for us in the future."
Arthur sighed as he listened to Zoro's usual stubbornness, then said nothing further.
They moved again.
But this time…
they sensed someone else approaching.
They stopped immediately and prepared to fight.
After a few seconds, it became clear that the approaching figure was not a fish-man…
But a human.
A girl, to be precise.
Clear tattoos were visible on her body.
Arthur activated Sky Eye without hesitation.
| Name: Nojiko
| Level: 5 |
'This is the first time I've seen someone weaker even than Usopp…
This girl is very weak.'
Nojiko approached Luffy and looked at him directly.
"You're… Nami's friends, aren't you?"
Arthur stepped forward and stood beside Luffy before speaking—this time to stop him from saying something foolish again.
"Who are you?
And what do you want?"
Nojiko smiled calmly, without hostility.
"I'm Nojiko.
Nami's adoptive sister…"
She continued seriously,
"Nami told me about you when she returned.
She said she joined the crew of someone wearing a straw hat named Luffy."
She looked at them one by one.
"And she warned me about a green-haired swordsman,
and a fighter with short black hair and faint black eyes."
Then she pointed, smiling.
"You're Luffy…
You're Zoro…
And you're Arthur, right?"
'It seems she truly is Nami's sister…
She knows detailed internal information about us.'
Arthur thought for a moment, then introduced himself and the crew.
Nojiko smiled and led them down a narrow path toward a quiet forest.
As she walked ahead of them, she said,
"Nami told me you would come to bring her back…
But there's something I must tell you before you do anything."
Before she could continue—Nami appeared.
Her face was cold…
devoid of any expression.
As if her soul had been completely drained.
She looked at them with lethal indifference.
"You're… just fools.
Why did you come?
To take back the treasure?
Or the ship?"
She laughed faintly with sarcasm.
"Take the ship. I don't care about it.
But the treasure is mine.
Take the ship and leave."
Luffy and Sanji smiled upon seeing her.
But…
there was only one person boiling with anger.
Arthur stepped forward and stood close to Nami.
In the next instant—
His killing intent exploded.
A suffocating pressure swept through the surrounding area.
The air grew heavy, breaths strangled, as if the world itself had compressed into a dark, crushing weight upon everyone.
Yosaku, Johnny, Usopp, and Nojiko trembled. Even Nami.
Sweat poured from their foreheads, and fear paralyzed their limbs.
Even Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji felt the dark killing intent—but they were not fully affected by it.
Arthur looked at Nami and said in a calm voice… yet deadlier than a scream,
"Tell the truth, Nami.
Are you just a filthy traitor who doesn't care about her friends?
Or are you being forced to do this?"
He paused.
"Tell us…
And we'll help you."
His words were peaceful…
but the killing intent crushed everything around him.
Zoro quickly stepped forward and placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder.
"Lower your killing intent, Arthur…
You're frightening even our friends."
Arthur sighed slowly, calmed his heart… then his body.
The aura gradually disappeared.
Everyone felt relief and struggled to catch their breath.
Except for three.
Luffy…
Zoro…
And Sanji.
They were strong enough to stand before Arthur's killing intent without fear or hesitation.
Nami smiled faintly and said,
"Yes… this is me.
What will you do now, Arthur?"
Then she looked at him coldly.
"Will you kill me like you killed Buggy?
Or Kuro?
Or like you killed all the pirates and Marines on your way here?"
She lifted her head in defiance.
"If that's why you came…
Then kill me and finish it quickly."
Arthur looked at her calmly, unconcerned with her words. In his mind, there were two paths.
The first—Arthur moved, severed Nami's head from her body, and destroyed the fish-man pirates.
The second—he listened to Nami and helped her…
Suddenly, a voice came from behind Arthur.
"Arthur…
Did you really kill them?"
Arthur turned.
Luffy was looking at him differently…
a gaze filled with confusion and questioning.
"Yes.
I killed them.
Why do you ask?"
Arthur said it calmly.
Meanwhile, Nami stepped away and walked off.
Luffy clenched his fists and spoke in dissatisfaction.
"How can you kill them, Arthur?
They were my opponents.
Why do you kill my opponents?"
He paused briefly, then continued.
"I was somewhat against the idea of you killing your enemies…
But that's your nature, and I didn't object.
You are you, and I am me."
Then he raised his voice.
"But why do you kill my opponents behind my back?"
Arthur smiled strangely… coldly.
"Are you really interrogating me right now?
And asking me why?"
He stepped closer.
"Tell me, Luffy…
Why didn't you kill them in the first place?"
Silence fell.
Then Arthur spoke.
"Buggy was a monster.
He and his crew enslaved women."
He looked directly into Luffy's eyes.
"No matter how stupid you are…
You know very well what those women went through under his control."
His tone hardened.
"Torture…
Beatings…
Rape."
He continued mercilessly.
"And Kuro?
Another bastard, using the weak for his own ends. If we hadn't gone to Usopp's island…
Do you know what would have happened?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
"He would have killed the entire village.
Usopp along with them.
He would have stolen the treasure of a sick, weak girl…
And only the Creator knows what perverse thoughts were running through his filthy mind—and the minds of his bastard crew."
He paused, his voice growing heavier.
"These are the bastards you're defending now."
Then he said sharply,
"Stand before me, Luffy.
Look into my eyes…
And tell me you're not satisfied with me killing them."
Silence.
Everyone was silenced…
by Arthur's words alone.
Usopp began imagining what would have happened if Luffy and the others had never come to that island.
A chill ran through his body, cold fear creeping through his veins.
But what truly squeezed his heart…
wasn't just that possibility.
It was the more dangerous question:
After Luffy and the crew left… who could guarantee Kuro wouldn't return?
Kuro wasn't just an ordinary pirate.
He was a calculating bastard who had spent years planning to seize Kaya's wealth.
Who could guarantee that, if he remained alive, he wouldn't return?
Stronger…
More cunning…
With a darker mind and filthier ideas?
The deeper Usopp thought, the stronger the chill that overtook him, the tighter the pain in his chest.
He felt as if his heart were being crushed and began gasping without realizing it.
On the other side, Luffy stared at Arthur's face in silence.
His eyes were wide, his mind replaying every word he had heard, every hidden meaning behind them.
Arthur spoke calmly but decisively.
"Listen to me, Luffy…
You're kind-hearted.
You believe that those you defeat won't return again."
He paused.
"And I will never object to that.
But will you truly hold me accountable for killing them? I cleansed this damned world of useless filth.
They're bastards…
They wouldn't hesitate for a second to kill me, or you, or hundreds of innocents."
He paused and looked into Luffy's eyes, which had begun to change.
Those pure, gentle eyes that looked at everyone with happiness and peace were slowly shifting under Arthur's mindset.
"Tell me now…
If you discovered that Nami was tortured by Arlong."
His tone intensified.
"Nami… your dear crewmate and friend.
What would you do?"
He looked straight at Luffy.
"Would you simply defeat him?"
Heavy silence.
Arthur continued, his voice carrying open cruelty.
"Maybe you would…
But I—
If I discovered that Nami was truly wronged,
I swear I would torture him in the most horrific ways, to the farthest limits.
I would make him wish for death…
And he would not have it."
Then he said coldly,
"And only at the very end… I might kill him."
When Arthur finished speaking, everyone's expressions had changed.
Fear…
Chills…
And tension spread through their bodies without exception.
Arthur sighed calmly, then continued.
"Luffy…
I don't care if you don't kill your enemies.
That's your personality."
He smiled faintly.
"As you said before—
You are you, and I am me."
Then he stated clearly:
"Every person has their own rules and limits.
Your red line is not killing…
As for me, I have no red line. Whoever harms my friends…
will receive nothing from me but painful death, in the most horrific way possible."
He concluded:
"You can leave your enemies alive…
But know this:
I will kill them all."
Arthur fell silent.
And Luffy began recalling distant memories…
A voice from the past shouting in his mind:
"I don't care if you spill drinks on me,
or insult me,
or even mock me…
I'll just laugh."
Then the voice changed—deadly:
"But don't you dare lay a single finger on my friends…
or I'll kill you."
Luffy smiled faintly and looked at Arthur.
Despite the difference in tone and the darker, bloodier nature of Arthur's words… Luffy understood them just as he had understood those words long ago.
With Luffy's smile, Arthur knew in that moment…
that he had accepted it.
Arthur smiled in return, then turned away.
He saw Nojiko standing silently, watching Arthur and Luffy.
She had listened to their entire argument.
She felt happy for Nami…
She had found loyal friends, ready to stand by her no matter the cost.
But at the same time…
she was afraid.
Afraid of the boy named Arthur.
His mindset was not that of a pirate…
Nor a Marine…
Nor even an ordinary human.
It was the mindset of a cold, ruthless devil who knew no mercy.
That was good…
And bad at the same time.
Good because he would defend his friends with everything he had, ready to kill anyone who harmed them.
And bad because if he sank deeper into that path…
he might never be able to return from it,
and might truly become a monster no one could stop.
Sanji broke the silence as he looked at Nojiko with interest.
"So, Nojiko-san…
What were you trying to tell us?"
Nojiko smiled calmly.
"I wanted to tell you…
about Nami's past."
Before she could continue—
Luffy moved away in another direction.
Zoro looked at him in confusion.
"Where are you going, Luffy?"
Luffy replied indifferently:
"I'm not interested in stories.
I'm going for a walk around the village."
---
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