Under the watchful eyes of all the villagers, Kuroobi and a group of fish-men headed towards Doflamingo's location.
Nami and Nojiko, of course, had no idea what was happening, but they had heard Genzo's loud cries and the commotion in the village. Their cheerful mood vanished, replaced by overwhelming worry. They were no longer in the mood to listen to Doflamingo's descriptions of the beautiful world outside.
"We're sorry, big brother, but we have to go," Nami and Nojiko apologized to Doflamingo.
Doflamingo had known what was happening all along. Since Nami and Nojiko had no desire to stay, he saw no reason to keep them.
"Be careful," he said with concern.
"Thank you, big brother."
The two of them thanked him and then hurried off on their short legs towards the village entrance. On their way, they ran right into Kuroobi and his men.
The sight of them startled the two sisters.
"Are you the two little brats?" Kuroobi asked, looking at Nami and Nojiko.
Nami and Nojiko huddled together, drawing strength from each other to quell their fear.
"Where is Bellemere?" Nojiko, being the older sister, stepped forward to face them.
"Bellemere? You mean that woman? Come with me, I'll take you to her," Kuroobi said after a moment's thought.
"That's great! Bellemere is okay!" Hearing this, the two sisters looked at each other with joy.
Just as Kuroobi was about to lead them away, he suddenly remembered there were supposed to be two other people. "Where are the other two?" he asked the sisters.
"Who? I don't know!" Nami said, mustering her courage.
"It's not good for children to lie," Kuroobi said, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
"I'm not lying!" Nami insisted.
"If you don't tell me the truth, I'll kill that woman you mentioned," Kuroobi threatened.
"You...!" Nami and Nojiko stared at Kuroobi, terrified.
Under the pressure of his gaze, Nami and Nojiko finally gave in.
"They're over there," Nami said, pointing in Doflamingo's direction.
"Wouldn't it have been easier if you were this cooperative from the start?" Kuroobi said with a smug smile.
The two sisters hung their heads, overcome with guilt.
Just as Kuroobi was about to have the girls lead the way, a stranger's voice echoed in his ear.
"I hear you were looking for us."
The newcomers were none other than Doflamingo and Diamante. It had taken Doflamingo some time to rouse Diamante from his meditation, which was why they had just arrived.
Kuroobi didn't recognize Doflamingo and said arrogantly, "You two bastards! Hurry up and come with us!"
"You bastard," Diamante growled, ready to lash out at Kuroobi for his insolence.
"Forget it, Diamante. Let's go and see what's happening," Doflamingo said, stopping him.
"Understood, Dof," Diamante replied respectfully, though the look he gave Kuroobi was that of a dead man walking.
"Hurry up and follow me!" Kuroobi urged.
And so, the four of them headed towards the gathering of villagers. Along the way, Nami and Nojiko apologized to Doflamingo and Diamante.
"We're sorry, big brother. It's our fault for telling them where you were," Nami and Nojiko said, looking at Doflamingo guiltily.
"It's nothing. I was planning on watching the show anyway. Don't feel bad," Doflamingo said with a gentle smile, patting their heads.
"Mm," the two of them nodded, feeling a little better and obediently submitting to his touch.
Diamante followed quietly, watching Doflamingo's actions with suspicion. Dof... definitely has a tendency to abduct children. First Law, then Baby 5..., the burden on my shoulders is heavy.
The four of them followed Kuroobi to the gathering place.
"Bellemere!" Seeing the injured Bellemere, Nami and Nojiko's faces filled with worry, and they ran towards her.
"Boss, I brought them all," Kuroobi reported to Arlong.
"Good work, Kuroobi," Arlong praised him, not paying the slightest attention to Doflamingo and Diamante in the crowd.
While Arlong was talking, Nami and Nojiko rushed into Bellemere's arms, and the three of them held each other tightly.
"Bellemere, are you okay? We were so worried," Nami and Nojiko said with concern.
"I'm fine, Nami, Nojiko," Bellemere said, hugging them.
But Arlong was about to interrupt their family reunion. He cleared his throat and said to the assembled villagers, "Now that everyone is here, it's time to pay up." His smile was unstoppable, as if he could already see the Beri within his grasp.
"Boss... how much do we have to pay to buy our lives?" a villager asked.
"Ten million Beri per person. Not too expensive, right?" Arlong said, baring his sharp teeth in a menacing grin that terrified the villagers.
"N-not expensive at all," the villagers stammered, their hearts pounding. At this point, what else could they do? These were pirates, after all. There was no point in bargaining with them.
Hearing the price of ten million Beri per person, Bellemere's heart sank. She didn't have that much money. What do I do? This is urgent. Nami and Nojiko also looked at Bellemere with worry. They knew their family's situation; there was no way they could afford that much.
Arlong's men were efficient. They prepared to collect the money from everyone present, starting with Bellemere. She had been so defiant earlier; of course, they would demand payment from her first.
"Hey! Time to pay up!" a fish-man said rudely to Bellemere.
"I don't have it," Bellemere said defiantly.
"What? Are you refusing to pay?" the fish-man said, glaring at her.
"Who said I'm not paying? I'm just paying for my two daughters. I don't have enough money for myself," Bellemere said, struggling to her feet.
Hearing this, the fish-man looked to his boss for guidance.
"Heh. If you don't have the money, then you can just die," Arlong said dismissively, looking at Bellemere as if she were an ant.
"Don't!" Nami shouted.
Arlong looked at Nami with amusement. He didn't expect a little girl to dare speak to him like that. "What? You want to pay for your mother?" he asked.
"As long as you spare Bellemere, I'll do anything for you," Nami said, mustering her courage.
"Nami," Bellemere said, her heart warming as she looked at her daughter standing before her. "Don't beg them. We will never bow to these damn pirates," she said, pulling Nami behind her, trying to shield her from Arlong's attention.
"What, haven't you learned your lesson? Have you forgotten how I taught you just now? You should know, we are the great fish-men! You inferior humans!" Arlong said arrogantly to the wary Bellemere.
Bellemere fell silent. She knew she was no match for them, but she couldn't bring herself to compromise.
"Who said fish-men are greater than us humans? You should know, you fish-men are our slaves. Remnants of the Sun Pirates, how dare you be so arrogant here? Don't you know... this is my territory?"
A sudden voice broke the silence, drawing everyone's attention.
"Who? Who dares to speak like that?! No one is greater than us fish-men!" Arlong roared in anger.
"Such pathetic, pitiful worms. Have you forgotten reality?"
Arlong looked in the direction of the voice. He saw Doflamingo, escorted by Diamante, making a grand entrance as the villagers parted to let them through.
"You bastard! Die! How dare you speak ill of us great fish-men!" Before Arlong could react, one of his underlings couldn't hold back and rushed forward to offer himself as a sacrifice.
He was just a small fry. Doflamingo could have stood there and let him attack without receiving a single scratch.
Clang.
A flash of a sword. It was Diamante.
Snap. With a sharp sound, the attacking fish-man's weapon broke.
"Did you ask my sword for permission before you dared to offend our Young Master?" Diamante said, full of flair. He twirled his blade before sheathing it.
Doflamingo watched Diamante with curiosity. He hadn't expected this guy to be even better at showing off than he was. Diamante seemed to sense Doflamingo's gaze and sheathed his sword without batting an eye.
To the onlookers, this scene was anything but what Doflamingo was feeling. They had only one word in their minds: strong.
Wow, he's so amazing! So the man with big brother is that strong! Nami and Nojiko thought.
Bellemere also looked at Doflamingo and Diamante with a serious expression, as if trying to remember something.
"Damn it!" The fish-men with the broken swords realized Doflamingo and his companion were not to be trifled with and quickly retreated.
"Come with me, Arlong. I have business with you," Doflamingo said coolly.
"Shahahaha! Who do you think you are? I remember every word of insult you just hurled at us great fish-men," Arlong laughed wildly.
"Truly a pathetic worm," Doflamingo sneered.
"You bastard! Die! SHARK ON GEARS!" The rage flooding Arlong's brain made him reckless. Although he felt a flicker of familiarity with the man before him, he couldn't be sure. After all, that person was in the Grand Line. How could he possibly be here?
Diamante was about to move, but a look from Doflamingo stopped him. You've had your turn to show off. Now it's mine. Stand down.
"Look out, big brother!" Nami and Nojiko shouted.
"Do you know what a frog in a well is? It's people like you. God's Punishment!" Doflamingo's face was filled with mockery, and his hand moved in concert with his words.
CRACKLE!
A massive pillar of lightning engulfed Arlong, his fate unknown.
This single action silenced the entire crowd, their eyes wide with disbelief.
What was that?! How can such a person exist? The kind young man who's been living here is this terrifying?
"Boss!"
"Arlong-san, are you alright?!"
The fish-men shouted towards Arlong.
"To offend a god's majesty, you must, of course, face a god's judgment. You fish-man slaves, have you forgotten your place? You still dare to speak of fish-man greatness? Today, I will make you remember the feeling of being dominated by us humans!" Doflamingo floated above the fish-men, looking down on them, his voice filled with authority.
"We... we surrender!" Hachi, seeing the unconscious Arlong, stepped forward and surrendered to Doflamingo.
"Then get lost now. Wait for us at the village entrance," Doflamingo said, descending to the ground.
"We understand!" As if granted a great pardon, the fish-men quickly carried Arlong back to their ship. They didn't dare to run. After all, Doflamingo had made his intentions clear.
Once the Arlong Pirates had left, Doflamingo turned to face the villagers.
Bellemere quickly shielded Nami and Nojiko, her eyes filled with undisguised wariness. From his actions just now, she had recognized Doflamingo.
"What are you doing here... pirate... Doflamingo?" Bellemere asked, her voice tense.
"Pirate? Doflamingo?"
"Bellemere, you must be mistaken! How could big brother be a pirate?" Nami and Nojiko protested.
"Quiet, Nami, Nojiko!" Bellemere scolded.
"Bellemere!" Nami and Nojiko pouted.
"Fuffuffuffu. That's right, I am a pirate. I didn't expect you to recognize me," Doflamingo admitted freely.
Seeing him admit it so openly, the villagers fell silent. They couldn't believe that this seemingly gentle young man was actually a pirate.
The atmosphere was strange and tense.
Doflamingo, however, casually watched their expressions change, wondering what they would do next.
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