The villagers dispersed, each to their own affairs. Nezumi's face darkened, as if overcast with storm clouds, and the guards, frozen behind him, their hands shaking, aimed their muskets at Rodney.
"Oh? You're really going to do that? You're really going to shoot me?" Rodney grinned, staring at them with fire-red eyes. "It's going to be terrible. You're going to die."
He released his illusion, and the sentries' bodies froze, unable to move. Invisible phantoms pressed down on them, forcing them to stare at Rodney and his companions with wide, terror-stricken eyes.
"You, you…" Nezumi, the only one who retained the ability to move, was Rodney's target—his fear was to become his executioner.
"Don't try to run away," Rodney added with a smile, "scoundrels like you only bring trouble to others. Today I will bring justice to the heavens!"
"No! Don't kill me! I have money. I can give you all my money!" Nezumi, overcome with panic, collapsed to the ground, retreating backwards until he was pressed against the trunk of an orange tree.
Trembling all over, he let out a pitiful groan, wet with fear.
"You're just a coward," Rodney sneered, his eyes still terrifying. The Sharingan, beyond its abilities, possessed an irresistible charm and engendered a sense of all-consuming hopelessness.
"Lord Rodney, what should we do with this man?" asked Sister Slime.
"Get rid of him. I can't stay here forever. To prevent any future complications, I'll simply kill them. As for how he died, the villagers of Cocoyasi never saw him," Rodney replied, smiling openly.
Looking at Nezumi, he added, "After all, I'm not the devil. Let me run forty meters first."
"Then…" Seeing that Nezumi was ready to run, Rodney grabbed a handful of kunai and threw them at him.
"Ah!" Nezumi screamed as the kunai pierced his heart and he collapsed to the ground.
"This... Mister Rodney, are there really no problems?" Genzo asked.
"No problem. If anyone asks, let the villagers say they didn't see this guy. And as for them..." Rodney approached the patrol officers. "Even though you've done a lot of bad things, you don't deserve to die. Look me in the eyes."
The triple tomoe began to spin before his eyes, and the marines, as if enchanted, looked at them, and then, one by one, they fell.
"What's going on?" asked the rest.
"Don't worry, everything's fine. When these people wake up, they'll leave on their own." Rodney used his illusion to alter Nezumi's cause of death, making it appear he died at sea after a shipwreck, rather than at his hand in Cocoyashi Village. He created the illusion that Nezumi had temporarily sought refuge in the village to escape the shipwreck, and the villagers had warmly welcomed him.
Well, that should be enough. Unless someone comes along who can reverse the hypnosis, the illusion will persist and continue to influence them. Over time, they'll come to believe this version of events.
Rubbing his eyes, Rodney felt a slight pain. Due to the depletion of his chakra, Slug's sister had dissolved Nezumi's body with acid, leaving no trace behind. Although Nojiko and Nami felt somewhat uneasy, they had no choice but to accept Rodney's decision.
Three days later, when his chakra was fully restored, Rodney was full of strength again.
He headed for Reverse Mountain because he didn't have enough mission points for the East Blue mission. He needed to get to the Grand Line, and he intended to use the Arlong Pirates' ship to escape.
Shark Superb.
It was a plain ship with a shark-shaped prow, devoid of any aesthetic value. Under Nami's guidance and with the help of Rodney's shadow clones, they set sail.
Fortunately, the ship was not destroyed during the battle.
"Mr. Rodney, your ability is truly useful. It's as if one person were an entire pirate crew," Nami commented with a smile, holding up a map and compass to pinpoint their location.
Since they hadn't entered the Grand Line, the compass was still reliable for determining the direction of the four seas. In the Grand Line, the magnetic force was much stronger, making compasses less accurate.
"It's okay," Rodney replied, leaning back in a lounge chair with an umbrella and a cool drink. He was quite comfortable.
The super shark swam through the waves, driven by Mom.
Momoo moaned as he swam—it was the Sea King Arlong and his crew had brought back from the Grand Line. He was considered powerful in the East Blue, but unfortunately, he collided with Rodney and was knocked down.
When it awoke, it discovered that Arlong's treacherous pirates had vanished. Afterward, it feasted on dried fish left by the villagers of Cocoyasi, but Rodney captured it and forced it into labor.
With a bag over her head, Momu was on the verge of tears. She had hoped to find something to eat, but why had such a misfortune befallen her?
"Damn it, why am I so unlucky?" Momu muttered.
Nami picked up the map and said, "Mr. Rodney, let's first head to Loguetown to exchange Arlong's reward. Then we'll figure out how to sell this ship and buy a smaller one to take you to Reverse Mountain. That's roughly the plan."
Rodney nodded and said, "No problem. You can arrange everything yourself."
If Nami hadn't been so weak, Rodney wouldn't have been able to properly care for his comrades when facing formidable opponents at sea. He could only condense chakra within himself and couldn't teach it to others.
Otherwise, he would have taken Nami with him. Having a navigator at sea would have helped avoid many dangers, and Nami would undoubtedly have grown into a great beauty in the future... Oh well.
…
Unfortunately, parting with several hundred million beli can be considered a sign of a good relationship. Rodney shook his head and continued basking in the sun.
At noon, they enjoyed stewed sea kings for lunch, with Momu eating the most. After all, he had been doing physical labor and needed nourishment. They decided to have dinner at the Barati restaurant.
They accidentally walked into it on the way and decided to have dinner together.
During the meal, Sanji, the perverted chef, prepared a multitude of delicacies for Nami, but most of them ended up in Rodney's stomach. Nami was a beautiful girl, incapable of physical combat, so she didn't require much energy. She couldn't eat as much as Rodney. So he got everything.
Well, Sanji's culinary skills were impressive...
Sanji became enraged and made numerous complaints, nearly engaging in a one-sided fight with Rodney. Ultimately, Nami acted as mediator.
- It was wonderful.
Last night's dinner was still vivid in Nami's mind, as she fondly recalled Sanji wolfing down the food.
Rodney, holding a packet of hot peppers gifted to him by the Barati chef, offered, "Want to try some? I had them make some just for me last night. Despite their modest size, they were incredibly tasty."
"Thank you," Nami replied, looking at the treat with curiosity.
"They're so spicy and aromatic..." Nami immediately fell in love with the scent, and the evening flew by, filled with jokes, poker, and reading newspapers and novels on the deck of the ship.
Life at sea was certainly routine, but with Nami, Rodney couldn't afford any romantic escapades. Besides, she was still very young...
And so they arrived in Loguetown.
They traded Arlong's bounty with Smoker and sold the Superb Shark. Nami, of course, couldn't handle such a colossus alone, so selling it was the best option. Rodney asked Smoker for a sea map to Reverse Mountain, and he, albeit reluctantly, agreed.
Smoker feared that Rodney, having reached the Grand Line, might become a pirate. He believed Rodney lacked a sense of justice, and that greed drove his actions. If this man had become a pirate, he would undoubtedly have become a dangerous and slippery adversary for the Marines. However, Smoker eventually gave in. Such cards were rare on the East Blue, but not entirely unavailable. If he couldn't get one here, he could find one elsewhere.
With map in hand, Rodney and his team, led by Nami, headed towards Reverse Mountain, which was already visible on the horizon.
"Nami, stop the boat!" Rodney commanded. "When we get any closer, the current might carry us away, creating unnecessary problems."
"Goodbye, Nami," Rodney waved, standing on Momo's head while Nami sat in the boat.
"Goodbye, Mr. Rodney. In a few years, I'll be heading to the Grand Line to chart the seas. Then you'll be my assistant," she replied with a smile.
"Okay!" Rodney nodded, and the manatee, obediently following his will, headed towards Reverse Mountain
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