The room remained silent after Genzo's declaration.
The crates sat in the center like a test no one had asked for.
Every gaze turned toward Kael.
He exhaled slowly.
Then he stood.
A faint smile touched his face as he looked at Genzo.
"Thanks, old man," he said casually. "I almost forgot about the money."
He began walking toward the crates near the doorway.
The shift in atmosphere was immediate.
Nojiko's brows tightened.
A few villagers exchanged uneasy glances.
Tashigi's posture stiffened.
Nami lowered her head.
Even she—who loved money more openly than anyone—felt something sink in her chest. It wasn't about greed. It was about what the money represented. Years of forced tribute. Fear. Survival.
Kaya alone remained calm, watching Kael's back without doubt.
Genzo didn't turn as Kael passed him.
"Good," he muttered gruffly. "You accepted it without fuss. That's more mature than I expected from you, brat."
There was no resentment in his tone.
He meant it sincerely.
To him, Kael had earned it.
Tashigi suddenly stepped forward.
"Stop, Kael!" she called sharply. "What are you doing? That's the villagers' mon—"
Kael walked past the crates.
Past the reinforced wood.
Past the stacked silver.
He stopped at the doorway instead.
His back remained toward them.
"What are you yapping about, old man?" he said lazily. "I was talking about the corrupt money I took from the Marine branch. It's still on my ship. I completely forgot about it."
The room froze.
Silence followed.
Not confusion.
Shock.
Nami's head snapped up.
Tashigi's breath caught.
Nojiko stared at him, trying to process what she'd just heard.
Even Genzo turned this time.
Kaya smiled quietly.
She hadn't doubted him for a second.
Genzo opened his mouth. "What are—"
Kael turned around.
For a brief moment, the light from outside framed him in the doorway. His expression was relaxed, almost amused.
He looked at the stunned faces in the room.
"What?" he asked lightly. "Did you all seriously think I'd take money that belongs to the villagers?"
He placed a hand over his chest with exaggerated offense.
"I'm almost hurt."
A few villagers blinked, still catching up.
Tashigi's grip on her sword loosened slowly.
Nami felt something hot rise behind her eyes—relief mixed with embarrassment.
Kael shifted his gaze to Genzo.
"Gather everyone," he said calmly. "Let's return what's theirs."
There was no grand speech.
No dramatic pause.
Just a simple decision.
He stepped outside without waiting for a response.
For several seconds, no one moved.
Then the murmurs began.
Nami pressed her lips together tightly. Her hands trembled slightly—not from disappointment this time.
Tashigi lowered her head, her eyes shadowed.
How many times had she seen pirates act selflessly without ulterior motives?
Almost none.
Yet here he was.
The man officially labeled as volatile. Dangerous. Ruthless.
She stepped toward the doorway slowly.
In her mind, a quiet thought formed.
How many more surprises do you have, Kael?
Her respect for him, already significant, settled into something steadier.
Smoker-san… we may have just found someone worth trusting.
Genzo let out a low breath through his nose.
A faint smile appeared beneath his mustache.
"He really is a troublesome brat," he muttered.
But there was pride in it.
Outside, Kael stood in the open square, hands resting casually at his sides, waiting for the villagers to gather.
Inside the house, Nami wiped her eyes quickly before anyone could notice.
Kaya walked past her gently, following Kael without hesitation.
The tension that had filled the room moments ago had dissolved.
In its place—
Relief.
Gratitude.
And a respect that settled deeply into every heart present.
The distribution would begin soon.
And with it, Cocoyashi Village would finally reclaim what had been stolen from them.
Outside, word spread quickly.
Doors opened.
Footsteps approached from narrow lanes and market paths.
Villagers gathered in the square, confused murmurs passing between them. Some looked toward Genzo for an explanation. Others stared at the young swordsman standing calmly beside a stack of reinforced crates.
The sea breeze carried the faint scent of salt and timber.
Kael didn't wait for a formal introduction.
He stepped forward, gripped the edge of the nearest crate, and lifted the lid in one smooth motion.
The dull shine of bundled berries caught the afternoon light.
A quiet gasp rippled through the crowd.
"Alright," Kael said evenly. "Form a line."
He nudged the open crate slightly forward with his foot.
"This is your money. We're returning it now. Keep it orderly."
For a moment, no one moved.
Then Genzo cleared his throat.
"You heard him. Line up."
That broke the hesitation.
The villagers formed a slow, uneven queue.
An elderly fisherman stepped forward first, hands rough from years at sea. He accepted the pouch placed in his palm, stared at it for several seconds, then bowed his head without a word.
A shopkeeper followed, lips trembling as she counted the coins briefly before clutching them to her chest.
A young mother held her child close while receiving hers. The child looked confused.
The mother's eyes were not.
Kael worked steadily.
No speeches.
No display.
Just measured distribution, guided quietly by Genzo and a few villagers who helped keep track of names and amounts.
Tashigi stood to the side, observing in silence.
Nami watched the line grow shorter.
There were no cheers.
Only subdued voices.
More than once, someone stopped in front of Kael and attempted to kneel. Each time, he waved them off with mild impatience.
"Take it and go home," he said. "Use it properly."
Tears appeared on more than a few faces, though no one made a scene of it.
When the final pouch was handed over, the square felt lighter.
Not louder.
Just lighter.
Genzo looked over the now-empty crates and gave a slow nod.
The villagers lingered for a moment longer, offering quiet thanks before dispersing back toward their homes.
Years of forced tribute had ended.
And for the first time in a long while, Cocoyashi Village felt whole.
Shock And Surprise:
The square had only just begun to settle when hurried footsteps broke the calm.
A man came running down the path from the docks, a newspaper clutched tightly in his hand.
"Genzo! Kael!" he called out, breath uneven. "You need to see this!"
He reached them and unfolded the paper with shaking fingers.
There it was.
A large portrait printed across the front page.
Black hair shifting slightly in the captured frame. Calm eyes. Composed expression.
Below it—
{Kael Sylvarion}{80,000,000 Berries}{Dead or Alive}
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Then—
"EIGHTY MILLION?!" Nami's voice rang through the square. "Are you serious?! That's eighty million berries?!"
Her eyes were wide—not with fear, but with pure disbelief at the number.
Nojiko's reaction was quieter. Her gaze shifted from the poster to Kael's face.
"You're a wanted criminal now…" she said softly, worry evident in her voice.
Genzo's jaw tightened.
He shot a sharp glare toward Tashigi.
She flinched instinctively under it.
Kaya, meanwhile, stared at the poster, a faint blush warming her cheeks.
"They captured your good side," she murmured, almost absentmindedly.
She wasn't shaken.
She had accepted this path the moment she chose to follow him.
Pirate.
Wanted man.
Conflict with the world.
None of it surprised her.
Tashigi took the paper from the villager's hand and read further down the column.
Her expression shifted.
Sadness first.
Then disappointment.
Kael-san…
After what she had witnessed earlier, the title felt natural in her thoughts.
A man like him being painted as a reckless butcher—
It felt wrong.
Kael himself examined the bounty poster for several seconds.
No visible reaction.
Calm as ever.
(First bounty already? Isn't it way sooner?...)
(Must be a butterfly effect)
(Honestly, I expected no more than fifty or sixty million… but this is fine as well.)
Kaya smiled faintly.
Nami blinked.
Tashigi's fingers tightened around the edge of the paper.
Eighty million—and he's thinking about expected ranges?
Before anyone could comment—
Genzo, who had turned the page to read the full article, suddenly barked out:
"What the hell is this nonsense?!"
That drew everyone's attention.
He read aloud portions of it, voice hard.
The fall of Arlong described as excessive slaughter.The destruction of a Marine branch framed as unprovoked aggression.Captain Kuro's defeat twisted into ruthless ambition.Mentions of civilian injuries in both Syrup and Cocoyashi—carefully worded to imply recklessness.
The square erupted into murmurs.
"That's a lie!"
"He saved us!"
"They're blaming him for protecting us?!"
Anger replaced confusion.
More than one villager openly cursed the Navy.
Slowly, several gazes shifted toward Tashigi.
Not hostile.
But questioning.
She stood frozen, eyes scanning the accusations again and again.
Her hands trembled.
"Why…?" she whispered under her breath. "Why would they spread this?"
She swallowed.
"Kael-san isn't— he's not—"
Genzo stepped closer, the newspaper still in his grip.
"You better have an explanation for this, Ms. Marine."
Tashigi stiffened.
"T-This… I need to contact Captain Smoker and ask him—"
"Drop it."
Kael's voice cut through the noise.
Not loud.
But absolute.
The square fell silent instantly.
He looked at the paper once more before turning away.
"It doesn't matter what they say about me."
His gaze shifted briefly to Tashigi.
"And after you call Smoker, what then? Do you think he has the authority to correct something like this?"
No one answered.
The implication hung clearly in the air.
This wasn't a mistake.
It was deliberate.
Kael turned toward Kaya and Nami.
"Prepare yourselves," he said calmly. "We leave in an hour."
The finality in his tone ended the discussion.
Without another word, he began walking back toward the house.
Behind him, the square remained heavy with mixed emotions—
Anger toward the Navy.
Concern for the future.
And a quiet understanding that the sea ahead would not be calm.
Tashigi lowered her head slightly, still gripping the newspaper.
The name printed in bold ink felt heavier now.
{Kael Sylvarion — 80,000,000 Berries.}
And the world had officially declared him its enemy.