41. The Story

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"Who's the red-haired woman in this photo?" Eddie asked, pointing at the picture frame with his bandaged hand.

Hearing the question, Nojiko's expression briefly darkened with sorrow. After a moment of silence, she forced a soft smile. "She was my foster mother. A kind, gentle woman who took care of us. She's… no longer with us."

Eddie instantly regretted asking. He awkwardly closed his mouth and stayed quiet.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Aero shot Eddie a glare before quickly changing the subject. "So, your sister's not on the island right now?"

Nojiko nodded. "Arlong gave her a deal if she could gather 100 million Berries, he promised to free everyone in the village."

"One hundred million?!" Eddie and Dylan were both stunned. That kind of money was something they'd only seen on wanted posters.

Aero gave a wry chuckle.

"And you believe that? You think Arlong would actually keep his word?" he asked, glancing toward Nojiko, who stood near the door.

"Maybe…" she replied, but her voice was uncertain.

"You're underestimating pirates. Or more accurately… you're underestimating how low Arlong's morals really are." Aero stood, locking eyes with Nojiko and Genzo, and continued, "It doesn't matter whether Nami brings him the full amount or not he's never letting you go. You know that better than I do, you are just delusional"

Genzo and Nojiko both looked down, visibly deflated. Deep down, they had always known this.

But a small part of them had clung to that hope. A desperate, fragile belief in a lie that was easier to accept than the truth.

"Enough of this," Aero said firmly. "Your sister no longer needs to collect that money. Tomorrow, everything changes."

He paused, then added, "By the way, what do you plan to do with the Fishman officer?"

"You mean Kuroobi?" Genzo said. "We were thinking of turning him over to the Marines… but he's nearly unrecognizable now. And that Marine captain he still hasn't woken up."

"You mean the one you carried to the clinic?" Aero asked.

When Genzo nodded, Aero's voice turned cold. "Under no circumstances should you hand him over to that man."

Seeing the confused expressions around him, Aero closed the door and said calmly, "Do you know why the Marines have ignored this village and all the other islands under Arlong's control for so many years?"

"You don't mean…?"

"Yes," Aero said bluntly. "Nezumi's in on it. He's been working with Arlong this whole time. He covers up the fact that pirates have taken control of villages, and Arlong pays him off with your tribute money."

Eddie and Dylan exchanged a knowing look they'd suspected something like this. But still, they didn't expect that sleazy, rat-faced Marine to be the one behind it.

Nojiko and Genzo were stunned.

For years, the people of Coco Village had clung to a shred of respect for the Navy. But the longer they waited for help that never came, the more that faith had turned to resentment.

Today's battle had been a chance for them to vent those feelings. Many villagers even helped carry the unconscious Marines into nearby houses to rest though the village doctor had said it would take at least a day for them to wake up, thanks to Aero's heavy-handedness.

Genzo initially resisted the idea. But the more he thought about it, the more Aero's explanation made sense.

Fury clenched his fists.

He turned to storm out of the house, but Aero stepped in and blocked him.

God knows what the old man might have done in his rage.

Nojiko gently stepped forward to calm Genzo down.

Then Aero said something that made everyone pause: "Don't hate the entire Navy because of this. And don't start idolizing all pirates just because we helped you."

Genzo's fists slowly unclenched. He didn't speak, but he understood.

There were Marines like Bell-mère noble and full of compassion. And there were rats like Nezumi, who only cared about money.

Just like there were pirates who brought chaos and death… and others who, like Luffy, defied the mold completely.

As for Aero and his crew, they weren't saints. They weren't monsters either. They were chasing power, wealth, and fame.

They stood in the middle. Not cruel but not willing to throw away their lives for strangers either.

But if friendship ever bloomed among them, then their ship might just have what it takes to sail through the storms ahead.

As Nojiko turned to leave, Aero called out, "Nojiko!"

"Huh? What is it?" she asked, stopping in her tracks.

"There's something I'd like your help with," Aero said, scratching the back of his head a little sheepishly. "We'll probably be heading out to sea in a couple of days. Can I ask you to help us prepare some supplies? Things for the ship food, water, tools. Anything you can spare."

The other mates had called him earlier. Their funds were running low, and they couldn't buy everything they needed.

Aero figured… if they were about to liberate this village, asking for a bit of help wasn't too much. After all, in the original story, Luffy and crew got to party for days.

Nojiko smiled. "Of course. After what you've done? Leave it to me."

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