Chapter 33: A Heart That Loves and Hates Fiercely!

They wielded whatever they could—steel forks, hoes, sickles.

Their clothes were tattered, but their eyes burned with determination.

"Damn fishmen! We won't let you bully Nami any longer!"

"Everyone, fight!"

The villagers of Cocoyasi Village roared in defiance, ready to battle to the death.

"Nami!!"

A blue-haired woman rushed to the front, her voice filled with worry.

But then—

They all froze.

They had heard the loud noises coming from Arlong Park.

And when they realized Nami was missing, they had rushed over in a panic.

But now—

There was no Arlong Park.

Only a pile of shattered ruins.

The ground was cracked and broken.

Among the rubble, the corpses of fishmen lay scattered, their blood seeping into the dirt.

And in the middle of it all—

Nami.

Held tightly in the arms of a man they didn't recognize.

"Nami?"

The blue-haired woman, Nojiko, hurried over, eyeing the unfamiliar man with suspicion.

Before Nami could explain—

"Hey, hey, hey! Put me down, now!!!"

She flailed in protest.

Nanashi raised a brow.

"I'm not the one holding onto you."

It was true—she was still clinging to him.

"…"

Nami fell silent.

Face burning, she hurriedly let go and scrambled to the ground.

"Ahem."

A couple of awkward coughs attempted to cover up the embarrassment.

Nojiko, however, had no time to dwell on it.

Her expression turned serious as she grabbed Nami's shoulders.

"Nami, what happened? Where's Arlong?"

A scarred man in a brown coat stepped forward as well.

Genzo.

The man who had looked after Nami and Nojiko after Bell-mère's death.

The man who was like a father to them.

His concern for Nami was evident. But at the same time—

His eyes lingered on Nanashi.

The strange man who had been holding Nami so intimately.

Nanashi noticed.

And in response—

He simply gave a faint, polite smile.

A silent message: Relax. I mean no harm.

Meanwhile, Nami hesitated, struggling to find the right words.

But the moment she tried to explain everything—

She realized she couldn't.

The information from the chat group was locked.

Even if she wanted to say it, she physically couldn't.

She glanced at Nanashi in confusion.

He simply shook his head.

She understood.

Taking a deep breath, she rephrased her answer.

"The Arlong Pirates are gone. Nanashi killed them all. Arlong is dead. The fishmen are dead. Cocoyasi Village… is free."

A stunned silence followed.

The villagers' eyes widened.

"Is… is that true?!"

Nami didn't need to say anything more.

She simply gestured behind her—at the ruins of Arlong Park.

The evidence was right there.

Slowly, realization sank in.

And then—

The silence shattered.

A wave of joy erupted.

People cheered.

People cried.

—

"The damn fishmen are finally dead!"

"We're saved! Cocoyasi Village is finally free!"

—

The villagers wept with joy, their faces beaming with relief.

Nami smiled through her own tears, overwhelmed by the sight.

Nojiko and Genzo, hearing the news, couldn't hold back their emotions either.

All three of them thought the same thing:

"Bell-mère, did you see this?"

—

After a long while, Genzo managed to compose himself.

He took charge, instructing the villagers to return home for now.

Only he, Nojiko, and Nami remained.

Genzo then turned to Nanashi and bowed deeply.

"I'm Genzo. Thank you… truly, for everything."

"I'm Nami's sister, Nojiko. I can't thank you enough."

Unexpectedly, before either of them could say more—

Nanashi wrapped an arm around Nami's slender waist.

"This is Nami's hometown. As her man, this was simply my duty."

Nojiko gasped, covering her mouth.

'How bold!'

"Who's yours?!"

Nami glared at him—but despite her words, she made no effort to break free.

Instead, she simply leaned against him.

Genzo, meanwhile, felt as if something inside him had shattered.

The little girl I watched grow up… just like that, she's gone.

Sensing it wasn't his place to linger any longer, Genzo sighed and turned away.

"Come on, Nojiko. Let's give them some space."

With that, he and Nojiko walked off, leaving Nanashi and Nami alone.

—

"How could you say something like that in front of Nojiko and Genzo?!"

Nami huffed, flustered.

Nanashi smirked.

"You didn't resist, did you?"

He squeezed her waist slightly, teasing her.

"You know, Nami… I think you might be the easiest woman in the world to deal with. Easier than a certain empress. Took me just ten minutes to win you over."

That set her off.

"Who got won over?! I just didn't understand the chat group situation, so I made that deal in a hurry!"

Her frantic attempt at justification was so endearingly defensive, so utterly girlish, that it only made her seem more flustered.

Nanashi couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Hahaha!"

Seeing her in high spirits again, he decided to ease up on the teasing.

Then, his expression turned serious.

"Now that Arlong is taken care of, it's time for me to leave."

Nami froze.

"What? You're leaving now? You're not even coming to my house first?"

She hadn't expected to feel this reluctant.

But the truth was—

Nanashi had saved her.

Saved Cocoyasi Village.

And stolen her first kiss.

So much had happened in such a short time.

Her heart wavered.

The daughters of the sea were known for their bold spirits.

They loved and hated freely.

And Nami was no exception.