Doflamingo had the rare experience of living a quiet, idyllic country life. Here, there were no passionate battles, no powerful enemies—only tranquility.
Although it was a quiet little village, living here was a nice change of pace. However, Doflamingo had not forgotten his ambitions. It was fine to rest and relax for a while, but he couldn't stay for long. Wasting time here would not do.
Upon arriving in Cocoyasi Village, Doflamingo had paid to board with a local family. Money makes the world go 'round, and the simple villagers had to make a living, too. They had never seen so much money in their lives and, of course, gladly agreed to Doflamingo's request.
Nami and Nojiko, who lived in Cocoyasi Village, were quite curious about the two newcomers. The men were generous and treated the villagers with kindness, showing no airs whatsoever. This gave the two sisters a very favorable impression of Doflamingo. However, most of the time, they only saw the young man with the sunglasses. The other man, who carried a sword, was a recluse and rarely seen.
"Hey, Nojiko, what do you think that man's story is? Why does he wear sunglasses every day?"
In the tangerine grove, Nami asked her older sister with curiosity.
"How would I know? But... I bet they're nobles," Nojiko said. "Look at their clothes; you can tell they're not from around here. As for the sunglasses? Hard to say. Maybe it's a personal preference."
"Yeah, that's what I think too," Nami replied.
Then, as if remembering something, she continued to pester Nojiko. "Nojiko, then why do you think they came to our village?"
"Nami!" Nojiko gently tapped Nami on the head and chided, "Get back to work! How should I know why they're here?"
"Nojiko, why'd you hit my head? That hurts! I really was working hard!" Nami pouted in protest.
"Well, can't you at least guess?" Nami asked, rubbing the spot where Nojiko had tapped her.
"You..." Nojiko was helpless against her younger sister. She leaned in close to Nami's ear and whispered, "Maybe they're here to relax. Who knows with those noble types? I hear their lives are really messy! I heard that..."
Nojiko was whispering gossip into Nami's ear, right at the most exciting part, when she received a loving fist from Bellemere.
Thump!
One for each of them.
The two girls rubbed their heads, turned around, and looked at Bellemere indignantly. "Bellemere, what was that for?! That really hurt!" they cried out in unison.
"You two little rascals, get back to work," Bellemere said sternly, her hands on her hips.
"Okay, we know," the two of them grumbled. Defeated by Bellemere's "kind" gaze, they obediently returned to their work and stopped talking.
In truth, Bellemere was also a bit curious about the sudden arrival of Doflamingo and his companion. She felt like she had seen them somewhere before. However, they hadn't done anything out of the ordinary during their stay, so she wasn't too worried. After all, there was nothing here worth coveting.
As a former Marine, Bellemere always carried an air of righteousness and valor. Doflamingo had a rather good impression of this strong mother and wouldn't mind saving her life.
After working for a while, the mother and her two daughters put down their tools. Although their life was simple, they were happy and content.
"Nojiko, Nami, that's enough for today," Bellemere said.
"Okay, Bellemere," Nami and Nojiko answered in unison.
Seeing the sweat on their foreheads from their hard work, Bellemere lovingly wiped it away for them.
"Heehee, Bellemere, we can wipe it ourselves. You don't have to help us," Nami said with a smile.
"You little rascal, so grown up already," Bellemere said, pinching Nami's cheek.
"I know, I know, Bellemere, let go of me," Nami managed to say, struggling under Bellemere's clutches.
"I'll let you off the hook today, Nami," Bellemere said, releasing her. Her mood was cheerful.
Nami and Nojiko watched Bellemere disappear. Nami grumbled, "Bellemere is always doing that to me."
"Haha, Nami, why is your face so red? It looks like a monkey's butt," Nojiko said with a laugh.
"No... ji... ko! Your face looks like a monkey's butt!" Nami shouted, then lunged at her sister with her hands outstretched like claws.
"Hahaha, Nami, I'm sorry!" Nojiko couldn't stand being tickled and begged for mercy.
"Now you know how powerful I am, right, Nojiko?" Nami said, pouting triumphantly.
"I know, I know, Nami, I was wrong," Nojiko said, looking at Nami with pitiful eyes.
"Alright, I'll spare you this time."
Nami stopped her attack. The moment she was released, Nojiko immediately escaped from her clutches.
"It really does look like one!" Nojiko shouted from a safe distance.
"Nojiko, you said it again!" Nami fumed.
"You can't catch me this time, haha!" Nojiko laughed at Nami, then turned and ran.
"Nojiko, you little...! Don't let me catch you! I won't spare you this time!" Nami immediately gave chase, shouting indignantly.
"Catch me first!"
Nojiko's voice drifted back, making Nami run even faster.
The villagers saw the two sisters playing happily and were heartened by their close bond.
Doflamingo was used to this scene. Such playful fights happened seven or eight times every ten days. It was, after all, the most carefree and happy time of their lives. The two little ones were full of energy, and the village was filled with their laughter. If it weren't for Arlong, their childhood would have been truly happy.
Running and playing, the two sisters eventually wandered into Doflamingo's territory. The village was only so big, after all.
"Big brother, quick, save me! Nami's bullying me!" Nojiko cried out for help, seeing Doflamingo lounging on a deck chair.
Nami was right behind her, constantly muttering, "Nojiko, you can't escape!"
Hearing Nojiko's voice, Doflamingo sat up and looked at the sisters. With a warm smile, he asked, "What is it this time? Nojiko, how did you manage to annoy Nami?"
Nojiko hid behind Doflamingo and stuck her tongue out at Nami, which only made her angrier.
"Nami is so petty! Big brother, look at Nami's red face. Doesn't it look like that thing?" Nojiko said to Doflamingo.
Doflamingo looked at Nami, who had stopped in front of him, and sized her up. "It does look quite similar," he said.
"Big brother, you're saying it too, just like Nojiko!" Nami pouted, annoyed.
Perhaps because she couldn't catch Nojiko, or perhaps because she was in front of a stranger, Nami reined in her temper.
"It really is very similar. Nojiko, weren't you talking about a bright red apple?" Doflamingo teased.
Hearing his words, Nami cheered up. After all, what he said sounded much better than what Nojiko had said.
"That's right! A bright red apple," Nojiko said, knowing when to quit while she was ahead, and agreeing with Doflamingo.
"You two little ones, you should head home now," Doflamingo said, looking at the sky and issuing an order for them to leave.
"Aww, big brother, we just got here! You're already kicking us out?" Nojiko said with dissatisfaction.
"Yeah, yeah, big brother, just tell us about the outside world," Nami added, coming to his side and tugging on his sleeve, pleading.
"It's getting late. Your mother will be worried. Next time, alright?" Doflamingo said firmly.
"Alright," seeing his resolute expression, they didn't press the issue and obediently complied.
"Well then, see you next time, big brother," the two sisters said, politely waving goodbye to Doflamingo.
"See you tomorrow," Doflamingo waved back.
After spending so many days together, Doflamingo had become quite familiar with Nami and the others. In such a small village, you were bound to run into each other. Doflamingo hadn't tried to hide, living openly among them. Because of his sunny, warm appearance and polite behavior, he had been accepted by the villagers of Cocoyasi. As a result, Nami and Nojiko often came to play with him.
It wasn't just because of Doflamingo's kind demeanor, but also because they could hear stories about the vast world outside. It was only natural for children to be curious about the world beyond their village. Doflamingo's arrival had satisfied their curiosity and ignited their desire to explore this wonderful world.
The peaceful days were gone, never to return. The quiet little village was finally about to be invaded by pirates.
The Arlong Pirates have officially arrived.