At night in Cocoyashi Village, in the open space, a celebration was in full swing. A large campfire burned brightly, its flames crackling in the sea breeze. People danced around it, laughing and cheering, while food was passed from hand to hand. Gojo sat among the villagers, calmly enjoying his meal, his gaze moving over their faces as he watched their happiness with quiet interest.
They were all smiling—truly smiling—for the first time since being liberated from the clutches of the Arlong Pirates.
After a while, Nojiko walked over and sat beside Gojo. She looked at him for a moment before speaking, her voice steady but sincere. "Thank you very much for liberating us from the clutches of the Arlong Pirates. All of the Cocoyashi villagers are grateful to you… and I am even more grateful to you."
Gojo turned slightly toward her. "Why is that?" he asked. "Do you have some kind of personal vendetta against the Arlong Pirates?"
Nojiko lowered her eyes, the light of the campfire reflecting faintly in them. "Yes," she said. "Years ago, when the Arlong Pirates first arrived here on the Conomi Islands, they started making examples out of the villagers. During that time… Arlong killed my mother."
She paused briefly, her fingers tightening in her lap before she continued. "After our mother's death, my little sister, Nami, made a deal with Arlong. If she could give him one hundred million berries, he promised he would free the villagers of Cocoyashi and leave this place."
"Clinging to that hope, she became a thief in the eyes of the outside world," Nojiko went on. "She was willing to be seen as a villain, even working side by side with the Arlong Pirates, all for our sake. But she doesn't know that she is not a villain to us. On the contrary, we understand the sacrifices she has been making for everyone here."
The sounds of laughter and music filled the brief silence between her words. "She was also one of the reasons why most of the villagers you see here were finally ready to fight Arlong head-on," Nojiko said. "Because enough was enough. We couldn't just rely on Nami alone for our freedom anymore."
"We had to do something ourselves," she added firmly. "We had to fight for our freedom. And yes, even though my sister became a thief, she never stole from anyone in need. She only stole from pirates or from greedy people."
Nojiko finished her explanation, glancing at Gojo as if gauging his reaction, clearly afraid that he might misunderstand Nami or judge her for the path she had chosen.
Gojo, after hearing Nojiko's explanation, shook his head lightly and said, "What your little sister has done is an honourable thing. Very few people in this world have that much courage and conviction. I believe that with such resolve, she would definitely become one of the great figures of the future, if she ever chooses the path of adventure."
Hearing Gojo's words, Nojiko nodded with a warm smile. "I can't wait for Nami to hear about this," she said. "As soon as she gets the news that the Arlong Pirates have been destroyed, she will definitely be very happy and will come running back to the village."
The moment Gojo heard the name Nami, he froze for a brief second. So this is Nami's hometown… her home village, he thought. I didn't expect to arrive at the hometown of one of the best navigators in the One Piece world, and a future Straw Hat member. Memories of what he knew surfaced one after another. I had read that her childhood wasn't good, and that her mother was killed. So this is how it all happened.
Before he could say anything else, Nojiko was pulled away by a few other villagers, who eagerly dragged her into the dancing circle. Laughing softly, she went with them. Gojo remained seated where he was, watching from a distance. He never liked dancing much. He had been an introverted person in his previous life, and although he had met many people in this new world, some habits did not change so easily.
As the night went on, Gojo drank a few jugs of wine. He had never touched alcohol in his previous life, but living in a world full of adventures, trying fine wine from time to time did not seem like such a big issue. The warmth of the fire, the distant music, and the steady hum of celebration slowly blurred together, and at some point, he didn't even realize when he fell asleep.
The next morning, Gojo woke up with a slight headache. He blinked a few times, taking in the quiet room around him. Everything was neatly organized, and his sword lay safely beside the bed, right where he could see it.
Gojo rubbed his head as he stepped out of the room, letting out a quiet sigh. "So this is a hangover from alcohol, is it?" he muttered to himself. "I never experienced this before." The morning air felt cool against his face, carrying the faint scent of oranges.
As soon as he walked outside, he saw Nojiko nearby, busy with her chores, carefully tending to the orange trees around her house. She noticed him and looked up. "Oh, you finally woke up."
"Yeah," Gojo replied, straightening himself. "I should take my leave now, or else I'll be very late. I also need to claim Arlong's bounty, and more importantly, the news of Captain Nezumi's death from my hands should have already been reported. The Marines should be coming here any time now. I should leave this island as soon as possible, or it will cause another round of trouble for you guys."
The moment Nojiko heard his words, she stopped what she was doing. "You don't have to worry," she said quickly. "You can stay here for as long as you want. You can stay hidden. None of us will tell anyone anything about you."
Gojo shook his head firmly. "No, it's not like that. First of all, I don't like hiding out of fear or anything. Secondly, I have my own plans." His tone was calm, but unwavering. "So I should get going. I can't stay here."
Hearing the conviction in his voice, Nojiko gave a small nod. "Very well," she said. "I will inform the other villagers about your departure."
After saying this, Nojiko was about to turn and leave, but Gojo stopped her. "No, there's no need for that," he said gently. "I would like to leave quietly from here. I don't like farewell scenes at all. Please understand."
Nojiko paused, then nodded in understanding. "Okay, as you wish," she replied. "But please wait for a few moments at least. I would like to give you a souvenir."
Gojo waited where he stood. Soon, Nojiko returned carrying a small orange tree—not too large, but of a medium size—secured in a bag that made it easy to carry. She held it out to him and said, "Please take this orange tree with you. With this, you might not feel so lonely on your ship."
Gojo accepted the tree from her hands, a faint smile forming on his face. "Thank you very much," he said. "Maybe I'll try doing some gardening on my ship in my free time. I usually read books anyway, so this will be a good way to pass the time. Thank you."
Nojiko nodded in response. Gojo adjusted the sword already resting on his back and picked up the medium-sized tree, which stood almost as tall as he did. With a light bend of his knees, he jumped into the air. Mid-motion, he looked back at Nojiko, raised his hand in a brief wave, and vanished from the spot.
The next moment, Gojo appeared directly on his ship. Arlong's dead body lay there, unmoving. Without wasting time, Gojo began preparing to depart. He lifted the anchor and set the sails, and soon, the ship slowly started moving away, cutting through the water as it left the Conomi island behind.
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