"Stop!"
Just as Luo Ye was about to crush Arlong's head with a devastating stomp, an angry voice rang out.
Luo Ye turned to see Nami standing there, her face pale, staring at a familiar figure.
"Colonel Nezumi! Arrest this man at once!"
The bloodied and battered Arlong, still lying on the ground, cried out for help.
It was Colonel Nezumi, the corrupt Marine officer from the 16th Branch of the East Blue Marines.
When Arlong first came to Cocoyasi Village, Nami had hoped that the Marines would help. She even risked seeking them out to explain the situation, but only then did she realize the cruel truth—this detestable rat had been in league with Arlong all along.
All the wealth and treasure Arlong had extorted from the village over the years had been funneled into Nezumi's greedy pockets.
With such lucrative bribes, how could Nezumi ever acknowledge Nami's cries for help? Instead, he had actively covered up Arlong's crimes, allowing the Fish-Man to terrorize Cocoyasi Village for years without consequence.
"Who the hell do you think you are, causing trouble in a territory under my jurisdiction? Release Arlong this instant!" Nezumi barked, his beady eyes gleaming with arrogance.
Since Arlong had taken control of this region, Nezumi had enjoyed a steady stream of riches, and if someone were to kill Arlong, that endless supply of treasure would disappear.
Luo Ye narrowed his eyes at the corrupt officer.
"So, you're Colonel Nezumi of Marine Branch 16?"
Nezumi smirked smugly. "Oh? So you know who I am? Then you'd better step aside and obey, if you know what's good for you."
Obey?
Luo Ye's lips curled into a smirk. He glanced at the disgraced Marine with a mixture of amusement and disdain.
"Tell me, Colonel, do you even understand what's been happening in Cocoyasi Village?"
Nezumi didn't seem the least bit concerned. After all, no pirate in their right mind would openly attack a Marine officer. That would only bring a powerful Marine force down on their heads.
Arlong himself had survived for so long precisely because of his calculated approach—he paid off the right people and avoided attracting the ire of Marine HQ.
And now?
Nezumi wasn't afraid of Luo Ye in the slightest.
"What if I do know?" he sneered.
Luo Ye's smirk deepened.
"In that case, Marine Branch 16 is about to get a new commanding officer."
Before Nezumi could react, Luo Ye drove his foot down with a sickening crunch—crushing Arlong's skull into the ground.
The tyrant who had oppressed Cocoyasi Village for years was finally dead.
Ordinarily, such a gruesome sight would provoke nothing but horror, but in that moment, Nami was overcome with emotion.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
It was finally over.
The nightmare that had haunted her since childhood—the pirate who had stolen her mother's life, who had enslaved her people, who had shackled her fate—was gone.
She sobbed, not out of fear, but in sheer relief.
Nezumi, however, was livid.
"You bastard! How dare you kill Arlong?! Seize him at once!"
The Marine soldiers behind Nezumi hesitated.
They had long known about the horrors inflicted upon Cocoyasi Village. Some of them had even spoken up about it in the past.
But anyone who had ever questioned Nezumi's actions had been silenced—either thrown into a cell or sent off on a mission they would never return from.
And now?
The man who had tormented this land was finally dead, yet their own superior officer was demanding they arrest the very person who had freed the village.
Their hands trembled on the triggers of their rifles.
Luo Ye saw their hesitation.
"You should think carefully," he said, his voice calm but firm. "The Arlong Pirates have been terrorizing this region for years, and the only reason they were able to do so was because of Nezumi's corruption."
His gaze swept over the soldiers.
"And now? After all this, you still choose to aim your guns at the man who put an end to it? Do you truly support Nezumi's actions?"
The Marines exchanged uneasy glances.
They knew Nezumi was corrupt.
They knew Arlong's crimes.
And yet, they had been powerless to act.
If they obeyed orders, they would be nothing more than accomplices to Nezumi's corruption.
Luo Ye, however, had no interest in waiting for their moral dilemmas to be resolved.
"I don't need an answer," he said. "I just needed to see for myself whether any of you were in league with this rat."
His expression darkened.
"It seems Marine Branch 16 only rotted because of one man's greed."
He turned back to Nezumi.
"My name is Luo Ye," he announced, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "I'm the new Admiral of the Marines. There's a Marine warship stationed just outside this island, and if any of you doubt me, feel free to go check for yourselves."
Gasps erupted among the soldiers.
Admiral?!
There were only three Admirals in the entire Marine organization!
Had the ranks changed? Had a fourth Admiral been appointed?
If so, then…
Nezumi was finished.
The corrupt officer's face twisted in horror.
If Luo Ye truly was an Admiral, then there was no way out for him.
He had to escape—now.
Without a second thought, Nezumi turned on his heels and bolted.
He had stolen a fortune's worth of bribes over the years. If he could make it off the island, he could disappear into the underworld and live like a king.
He could start over.
He could—
"Sir! Should we pursue him?" one of the Marines asked hesitantly.
Luo Ye smirked.
"The prey I set my sights on… has never escaped."
In one fluid motion, he unsheathed his saber.
A single, blinding slash cut through the air.
Nezumi barely had time to scream before the attack split him in two.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
The Marines stared in awe.
Nami trembled, her emotions overwhelming her.
And then—she ran forward.
She threw herself at Luo Ye, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Thank you… Thank you, Mr. Admiral…" she wept.
The nightmare was over.
Arlong.
Nezumi.
The shackles that had bound her for so long—all broken in a single day.
For the first time in years, Nami was free.