Chapter 150 Do Not Weep for Weakness

"What?! Gen-san!!"

The two women immediately sprang to their feet, too anxious to continue eating. Nojiko dropped her chopsticks straight to the ground.

"Nami! Stay here with Mr. Roger, I'm going to take a look!"

She made to leave, but Nami grabbed her arm.

"I am an officer of the Arlong Pirates, I'll go! That bastard is a total monster! Nothing must happen to Gen-san! You bastard, are you coming with me?!"

Nami asked Tang Shen, her expression a mix of anger and panic.

As the saying goes, eating someone's food makes your mouth soft, and taking someone's hospitality makes your hands weak. Since she had eaten a meal cooked by two beauties, she had to show some kind of response at least.

"Let's go, let's take a look."

Smiling, Tang Shen also stood up.

In Cocoyasi Village.

At this moment, a large crowd of villagers had gathered around, every single one of them wearing an expression of panic and horror as they looked at the arrogant fish-men shouting before them. Lying at the feet of one of these fish-men was a scarred man wearing a police cap—Gen-san, the villagers' own Gen!

He had once saved Nami and Nojiko and had helped many people in the village, yet now he was covered in injuries, spitting blood, and pinned beneath the foot of this green-skinned fish-man.

"Hmph! You actually have no money? If you don't have money, then you don't get to live this month!"

The fish-man laughed hideously.

As a member of the Arlong Pirates, they came to Cocoyasi Village every month to collect the head tax. It was supposed to be paid monthly, but this fellow in front of them hadn't paid for several months in a row. Wasn't that just asking for death?

"Let Gen-san go right now!!"

Nami's terrified cry rang out. The crowd parted, and Nami, Nojiko, and Tang Shen rushed out. The two women's pretty faces were written full of distress and anger, while the surrounding villagers were gripped by fear and dread.

"Oh? Nami? You're back? Where's the money?"

Seeing that it was Nami, the lead fish-man immediately asked with a sinister smile. One had to know that Nami was valued by Captain Arlong—not for anything else, but because she knew how to make money and could draw navigation charts!

"Money?..."

Because she had met Tang Shen, Nami had no money left. Even if there was money, it was aboard the Swan, and it belonged to Tang Shen. At this moment, she had practically sold even herself to Tang Shen.

Looking helplessly at Tang Shen, Nami was consumed by anxiety. If they didn't pay, these fish-men would likely kill Gen-san, and might even slaughter the rest of the villagers. Protecting this village was Nami's only hope, and right now, she felt utterly in despair.

Nojiko also bit her lip hard, staring dead-eyed at these fish-men. The entire village had been relentlessly plundered by them; almost no one had any money left in their hands. To scrape together enough for next month's head tax, everyone worked day and night. These damn bastards!

"I am the person Arlong trusts the most, and an officer of our pirate crew! Let him go right now!!"

Trying her best to put on an imposing front, Nami forced herself to speak, harboring a sliver of hope that they might be frightened off.

If it were in the past, given that Nami always returned with a huge sum of money for Captain Arlong, perhaps these fish-men would have shown her some respect. But today, Nami's expression clearly showed she had no money, yet she still dared to put on airs in front of them?

One had to know that Captain Arlong despised humans above all else. If it weren't for the fact that this woman had some use, she would have been killed long ago!

"Hahahaha~~~ Nami, you must have forgotten your place! What are you supposed to be?? You're just a human?! And yet you dare threaten us fish-men? Could it be that you want to rebel?!"

The lead fish-man laughed darkly. In the eyes of these fish-men, they were the pampered favorites of the gods.

The Fish-men race could survive freely in both water and on land, and their strength was ten times that of humans. Their physical recovery, defense, and agility were incomparably fierce, whereas humans! Humans were merely a race created by the gods to serve them!

"An officer? Nami, you're nothing more than a puppet in Arlong's hands! Don't actually think you're someone important!"

"Get lost, Nami! Or I'll kill you too!"

"Scram! If Captain Arlong finds out about this, you're going to be in deep trouble!!"

...

The fish-men's jeers made Nami's expression ugly, her beautiful eyes filled with despair, grievance, resentment, and anger... and finally, transforming into a plea, a begging, and even a pitiful entreaty as she looked toward Tang Shen.

"Can... can you lend me some money?"

Her tearful, mosquito-like plea sounded as she looked expectantly at Tang Shen. Once these fish-men began slaughtering the villagers, they would only grow more bloodthirsty, and the dead villagers would definitely not be limited to just one. Nami could never allow such a scene to happen.

Tang Shen shook his head, refusing flatly.

"..."

Nami fell silent, her beautiful eyes filled with the most agonizing heartbreak. To watch villagers die—and familiar villagers at that—was like watching Bell-mère die all over again. She had used every ounce of her strength to protect this village, yet before the brutal tyranny of these fish-men, it all appeared so pale and powerless.

The two women hugged each other tightly in helplessness, while all the villagers were overcome with despair and fear.

"Come back and talk to me when you've saved up enough money. Hahaha, Nami, and you other idiots who don't plan on paying, today I'll let you see clearly what happens to those who cross the Arlong Pirates!!"

The lead fish-man laughed savagely, applying the full force of four or five ordinary men onto Gen-san's head. Gen-san emitted a miserable, agonized wail, his eyeballs even bulging outward as if they were about to burst at any second.

The villagers present closed their eyes in pain, unable to bear the sight.

"Enough."

Suddenly, a clear, crisp voice rang out.

Those villagers who had tightly shut their eyes, including Nami and Nojiko, could not help but open their trembling eyelids, looking in utter disbelief at Tang Shen, who was slowly standing up.

"No... don't! Behind them... behind them is the Arlong Pirates! The most ruthless pirate crew in the entire East Blue!!"

Realizing what Tang Shen was about to do, Nami turned pale with fright and quickly grabbed his arm, begging and suffering.

Looking back at Nami, Tang Shen reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. The corners of his mouth hooked up into a smile. "Nami, promise me: from now on, never shed tears of weakness again. Otherwise, your master will punish you."

"..."

Nami froze on the spot, feeling the lingering warmth of Tang Shen's fingers on her cheek. Nojiko was equally dazed.

All the villagers watched in astonishment as Tang Shen walked at a leisurely pace toward the fish-men, while deep inside Nami's heart, a seed called affection began to sprout.

"Oh? There's still a human who doesn't want to live? Are you trying to stick your neck out for him? Tsk tsk tsk tsk~~~ How rare. It's been a long time since anyone dared to stand out. How should I kill you this time, I wonder? Hahahahaha!!!"

Seeing Tang Shen walking over with ill intent, the lead fish-man couldn't help but burst into unbridled laughter, and the other fish-men joined in heartily.

After all, standing behind them was Arlong, the cream of the crop among the fish-men! And they even had the Marines backing them up; in this East Blue, they were the true kings!

"I said, enough."

His voice was calm, without a single ripple. Tang Shen still wore his signature sunny smile, but deep within his sharp, piercing eyes lay a biting, bone-chilling cold. He looked at the clamoring fish-men as if looking at a group of dead people—to be precise, dead fish.