As the ship neared the harbor, Ye Fan carried a huge box containing tens of millions of Berries.
As for guarding the ship, there was no need. In the territory of the Arlong Pirates, with a bounty of 20 million Berries, Arlong was the highest-bountied pirate in the East Blue at the time.
Even if someone dared to make a move, it would be the Fishmen.
Their main base was here; it couldn't be taken away. Even if it were taken, it could be reclaimed.
Ye Fan and Nami arrived at Cocoyasi Village.
The situation here was better than in Orange Town; the villagers only had to pay the Arlong Pirates periodically, and nothing else would happen.
This sustainable development concept, it must be said, Arlong had some brains.
It was equivalent to having a group of free laborers.
Nami brought Ye Fan to her home here. Previously, three people lived there, but now it was two.
Ye Fan also met her older sister, Nojiko, who was not related by blood.
She had short blue hair, a red hairband, blue tattoos on both arms and the upper part of her chest, and wore a tank top and long pants, with flip-flops on her bare feet.
If she hadn't saved Nami when she was an infant, Nami wouldn't have survived until now; she would have died long ago.
"Nami, you're back. And this is?"
Nojiko saw the unfamiliar face, and he was quite handsome, but he wasn't her type.
Nami only chose to return after she had acquired funds.
Over the years, she had seen her sister's efforts; for that so-called eight-year promise, she was constantly earning money.
"Hello, my name is Ye Fan, and I am Nami's friend."
His skin was a healthy, chocolatey wheat color.
This made Nojiko look at her sister with some surprise; it was the first time in so many years that she had brought a friend home.
After seeing Nami's blushing expression, she understood what was happening.
She was very happy that Nami could find her other half and move on from her pain.
"Sister, I've earned enough money. I'm going to buy the village back from Arlong."
Seeing her sister, Nami was actually quite happy.
Before meeting Ye Fan, she was the only family Nami had in the world.
Nojiko heard Nami say this, then looked at the large box on the ground and knew what was inside.
She was also very happy.
At noon, Nojiko and Nami cooked a lot of delicious food, preparing to celebrate properly.
They planned to have a good meal for the soon-to-be-free Cocoyasi Village.
Ye Fan also looked around the room; it was very simple but not without a touch of warmth—this was a happy life.
Soon, the simple meal was ready. Ye Fan looked at the lavish dishes and knew that most of them were made by Nojiko.
They were perfect in color, aroma, and taste, much better than Nami's cooking. An older sister taking care of her younger sister, indeed.
"Hmm, Nojiko, I didn't expect your cooking to be so delicious."
Ye Fan hadn't eaten such delicious food in a long time.
The last time was Makino's cooking in Windmill Village, which was also very good.
"I'm glad you like it. Eat more if you like it."
Nojiko didn't think much of it; she had been cooking for so many years that her skills had improved.
But someone else got jealous.
She had cooked a lot of meals at sea a few days ago, but Ye Fan hadn't eaten as quickly as he was now.
This made Nami stomp heavily on Ye Fan's foot.
The sudden pain made Ye Fan clench his teeth, not knowing what had happened.
"Eat, sister's cooking is delicious. Eat more if it's good, don't starve."
Looking up and seeing Nami's 'concerned' expression, Ye Fan knew what was going on.
She was truly a little thieving cat who loved to get jealous.
Nojiko didn't notice the small actions between the two but found Ye Fan very interesting.
"Even if it's delicious, you shouldn't eat too much. Indigestion isn't good for your health."
She immediately started taking action, making Ye Fan feel that his future happy life seemed rather perilous.
Just getting jealous over his sister was like this; if there were other women, Ye Fan had no doubt she would kill him.
Before, Ye Fan had never noticed that she was prone to jealousy.
Was this her unknown side?
For this, Ye Fan could only use the usual method of all protagonists: find a strong person to put on a show.
He would be gravely injured, and presumably, she wouldn't care about anything else; as long as Ye Fan could recover, she would agree to anything.
"Hahahaha!"
"I'm truly a genius."
Ye Fan was ecstatic inside; this was experience passed down by his predecessors, paving the way for future generations.
Nami was very satisfied with Ye Fan's change, and at the same time, she resolved to practice cooking in her spare time.
"Nojiko, Nami, it's bad! The Marines are here to arrest Nami, saying she's a pirate who has committed many crimes in recent years."
At this moment, a coarse voice heavily pushed open the door.
A middle-aged man with a scarred face and a windmill on his head rushed in, panting anxiously.
Kensuke, as the constable of Cocoyasi Village, was just a nominal title.
In fact, the villagers all knew Nami's difficulties, so when the Marines arrived, they knew things weren't that simple.
When Arlong had oppressed them before, they had also sought out the Marines, but it had been useless; the two were in cahoots.
"What?"
Nojiko and Nami, the two sisters, stood up, while Ye Fan continued to leisurely savor his food.
Ye Fan had already guessed this; he knew exactly what methods Arlong would use.
The sisters hurriedly ran out and saw a group of Marines approaching.
Leading them was Captain Nezumi, a scoundrel of the Marines. Nearly 100 million Berries in treasure was a huge sum of money!
"We've been looking for you, Nami. You joined the Arlong Pirates and committed many evil deeds. Surrender now!"
"And the stolen money you buried in the tangerine grove will also be confiscated."
"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"
With a lewd, money-grubbing look, it was truly unpleasant. He immediately ordered his subordinates to start digging for the treasure.
These Marine soldiers were all excited; following Captain Nezumi meant living a life of luxury.
Life in the East Blue was very comfortable; their salaries were more than ten times higher than before, and they also had free... at night.
Nami's face instantly turned pale. How did they know her treasure was buried in the tangerine grove?
Soon, she thought of one person: the only one who could command a scoundrel like Nezumi was—Arlong.
"Get out of here!"
Picking up a nearby stick, Nami angrily stood in front of the Marines, like a lioness protecting her cubs, not letting them get close.
That was the fruit of her eight years of effort; how could she easily give it up?
"Nami."
Nojiko covered her mouth, looking at her sister with worry.
Kensuke didn't know what to do for a moment and could only stand there watching.
Such a commotion naturally attracted many villagers, but due to the Marines' identity, they could only helplessly hide inside their houses.
They were just ordinary people and no match for the Marines, who also had guns.