At this moment, Nami's heart had completely turned to ash.
The Arlong Pirates had broken their promise. Cocoyasi Village would never know freedom again.
Everything she had worked for, all her effort, even her life on the line—turned into nothing but a cruel joke.
Seeing that the mood was just right, Oguro gestured for Rukia Kuchiki to sheath Sode no Shirayuki.
Looking down at Nami from above, he said calmly, "Since you can't return my mantle, then we'll head back to Cocoyasi Village. Everyone there can help decide how to deal with you."
Without waiting for her response, Rukia grabbed Nami by the arm and used shunpo to return to the village in the blink of an eye.
Before Nami could even react, Nojiko, Gen, and a crowd of villagers had already gathered in front of her house.
"Village guard Gen," Oguro said, his tone dark, "I came to buy oranges out of goodwill, yet Nami stole my mantle and refuses to return it. How do you plan to handle this?"
Gen broke out into a cold sweat.
If it were a normal theft, they could simply have the thief compensate for it.
But everyone in Cocoyasi Village knew that Nami stole only to buy their freedom from the Arlong Pirates.
Under those circumstances, they couldn't possibly let her shoulder the blame alone.
"T-That... we'll try to raise the money somehow," Gen said cautiously.
Oguro smiled faintly. "That's fine. The mantle isn't too expensive. Just twenty million Berries will do."
"Twenty... twenty million?"
Gen was completely stunned.
What kind of clothes cost that much!?
In truth, that was already Oguro giving them a heavy discount.
It was, after all, a system-produced item—unique in the One Piece world. "Priceless treasure" wouldn't even be an exaggeration.
"Don't believe me?" Oguro patted Nami's shoulder. "You're the one who knows quality. Tell them I'm not lying."
The dispirited Nami glanced at the villagers and said flatly, "Don't bother. I'll find a way to repay it myself."
The people of Cocoyasi Village could barely scrape together the ten thousand Berries they owed the Arlong Pirates every month. How could they possibly pay twenty million all at once?
She had already failed to bring them freedom—how could she burden them with this too?
"Heh. You sure talk big. And how exactly do you plan to pay twenty million?"
Rukia snorted, drawing Sode no Shirayuki once again. "I think it'd be better if you just atoned with your death!"
"Wait!"
Sensing the killing intent radiating from her, Gen dropped to his knees in a full dogeza, slamming his forehead against the ground.
"Please, spare this child! She only stole because she wanted to save our entire village!"
"We'll find a way to gather the money for you, no matter what it takes!"
As Gen pleaded, the rest of the villagers also fell to their knees.
"What are you saying!? This has nothing to do with you!" Nami shouted desperately, struggling to break free—yet Rukia's single hand easily held her in place.
Oguro feigned ignorance and said lightly, "Seems like there's quite a story here. Mind telling me about it?"
Realizing Oguro didn't know, Gen began to recount everything about the Arlong Pirates.
Though Oguro had long known it all from his previous life, he still acted as if hearing it for the first time.
"We thought that if we shunned and hated Nami, she'd leave the village and be free of this pain... but even after everyone cursed her, she still kept her word with Arlong," Gen said with a heavy voice, eyes full of guilt and sorrow.
Nami's tears finally fell, hot and unending.
She had always believed the villagers truly despised her—because she'd joined the very pirates who tormented them.
But now she realized... they were only trying to give her a way out.
"I'm sorry, everyone," she sobbed. "I couldn't buy back our freedom..."
"It's okay, Nami," Gen said softly. "We all know you did your best."
The villagers surrounded her, eyes glistening with tears.
At some point, Rukia had quietly sheathed her sword.
She couldn't bring herself to cut down people who had suffered so much.
Then Oguro's calm voice broke the silence.
"Do you all want freedom?"
Everyone's heads snapped up.
Oguro's gaze swept across them as he said evenly, "They're just a bunch of pirates. Wiping them out would only take a flick of the wrist. Besides... I still need to retrieve my mantle."
Nami shook her head furiously. "That's impossible! Fishmen have ten times the strength of humans. No one can defeat them!"
"Arlong's bounty is the highest in the East Blue—twenty million Berries!"
To the people of the weakest sea, Fishmen were an invincible nightmare.
Oguro chuckled. "Nami, the world is much bigger than you think."
"If Fishmen were truly invincible, do you think the World Government would still exist? They'd have conquered the world long ago."
"Arlong and his lackeys are nothing but cowards hiding in the East Blue, bullying ordinary people like you."
"But... Arlong really is terrifying," Nami murmured, her voice trembling.
Oguro's words had shaken the very foundation of her worldview, yet the shadow Arlong left on her heart was far too deep for her to believe he could be weak.
Gen, however, reacted instantly—falling into another dogeza.
"Please, sir, destroy the Arlong Pirates for us!"
Oguro simply smiled and asked coolly, "And why should I?"
The entire crowd froze.
Right... why should he?
After all, someone from their own village had stolen from him.
Why would he lift a finger for them?
Then Nami walked up to Oguro, knelt, and slammed her forehead into the ground with a dull thud.
"If you destroy the Arlong Pirates, you can do whatever you want with me!"
Oguro's lips curved upward slightly.
His plan to recruit Nami was falling perfectly into place.
However...
"Not enough."
His voice was cold as ice. "You stole from me. Letting me punish you is only natural. But if you want me to act on your behalf—that's not enough."
"Then what do you want?" Gen asked urgently.
Oguro's gaze swept over the gathered villagers, taking in their desperate faces, and finally said the words that revealed his true goal.
"Simple. From this day forward, Cocoyasi Village becomes part of my territory. It's only right that I protect the people who belong to my land."
Recruiting Nami was important—but upgrading his divine kingdom was even more so.
Currently, with Paparoko Island under his rule and Rukia serving as vice-captain, he earned ten fixed Achievement Points and four bonus points per day—double what he'd received before.
But ten fixed points was the maximum for a Level 1 Divine Kingdom. To earn more, he had to level it up.
And Cocoyasi Village, a land suffering under evil pirates, was the perfect target for expansion.
"T-This..."
The villagers were stunned.
Their first thought was that Oguro intended to replace Arlong—to become yet another tyrant over them.
Oguro saw right through their fear and chuckled coldly.
"Don't worry. I have no interest in squeezing a few measly coins from you."
"When Cocoyasi Village becomes as prosperous as Water 7, then we can talk about taxes."
"My goal is to build a nation without oppression—where everyone is equal and free. If you're willing to join us, we'll protect you. If not, we won't force you."
He might be founding a Divine Kingdom, but he had no intention of begging anyone to join.
"We're willing!"
Gen shouted without hesitation.
Whether Oguro's words were true or not didn't matter.
At least under human rule, they wouldn't have to fear being slaughtered by Fishmen for no reason.
No matter what happened, it couldn't possibly get worse than it already was.