Chapter Thirty-Nine: Nami's Request

"What big news?"

Having just finished training, Roland heard a pirate shouting at the top of his lungs. He walked over, took the newspaper from the pirate’s hand, and with just a glance, his face fell, clouded with darkness.

"The Gosar Town Massacre..."

Just reading the headline and looking at the photograph sent chills down Roland’s spine. The image showed a village reduced to ruins by fire and gunpowder, corpses strewn everywhere—some so mangled it was impossible to tell they had once been human.

Staring at this scene straight out of hell, Roland was reminded of a memorial hall he'd visited in his previous life. What had once been merely a chapter of history now unfolded before his eyes in the pages of the press.

He had thought that he already imagined the worst atrocities pirates could commit. But seeing this, he realized that some people’s evil defied the imagination of any normal person.

His hands clenched the newspaper tightly, his face as dark as storm clouds.

“So, I was still too merciful when dealing with people like you, wasn’t I?”

He lifted his gaze, fixing it coldly on the pirate before him.

“Mr. Roland, it—it wasn’t us who did this...” The sudden, suffocating pressure of Roland’s presence made the pirate collapse to the deck, a stain spreading across his trousers.

Roland looked at him with utter contempt. Carelessly tossing the newspaper aside, he slowly advanced toward the cowering man.

If he remembered correctly, when Arjin had been allowed to select prisoners, he had picked only the most heinous criminals.

But what did “heinous” really mean? Roland wasn’t sure how to define it. Yet, out of a fleet of five thousand pirates, only these men had been kept alive—didn’t that say enough?

“Doesn’t this look familiar to you? When you were committing your crimes, didn’t the helpless civilians look at you just like this?”

Sword in hand, Roland’s mind was haunted by that photograph.

He had always believed that criminals should be judged by law and sentenced by proper authorities. But now, he felt that was all nonsense.

Monsters like these didn’t deserve a trial; even a swift execution would be too easy for them.

“Mr. Roland, p-please... have mercy—”

The pirate backed away until his back hit the mast, nowhere left to run.

“Gosar Town...”

Nami had just stepped onto the deck when the newspaper Roland hurled smacked her in the face. She was about to complain when her eyes landed on the bold headline, and her face turned deathly pale.

She picked up the paper and read the article at lightning speed, then sat down limply, her eyes vacant.

To Roland and the others, Gosar Town was just an unfamiliar place name. But to Nami, it was anything but unknown.

It lay not far from Cocoyashi Village, her home—another town under Arlong’s rule.

Now that thriving town, many times more prosperous than Cocoyashi, had been reduced to a wasteland, a living hell.

Who could have caused such carnage? Nami didn’t need to guess—the answer could only be Arlong and his gang.

Of all the islands under Arlong’s control, Gosar Town was the most rebellious. Whenever they found a chance, the townspeople would send someone to Loguetown, hoping to lure the navy into eradicating Arlong.

But ordinary people couldn’t tell the difference between branch navy and headquarters navy. As soon as they left Gosar Town and saw a warship, they’d rush to ask for help.

But the only marine ever seen in those waters was that scoundrel, Captain Nezumi.

Nami, as one of Arlong’s officers, was well aware of the under-the-table dealings between Nezumi and Arlong. That was why she always believed that, apart from Bellemere, there wasn’t a single good marine.

"Roland—"

The Gosar Town massacre shattered the last of Nami’s illusions. The promise that a hundred million berri could buy Cocoyashi’s freedom—wasn’t it just a lie Arlong spun to keep her working for him?

Even if she did manage to collect the money, the only reward awaiting her would be mockery, or the same fate as Gosar Town.

In her despair, Nami thought of Roland—the powerful man at her side.

She had never told him about her situation. Partly, she hadn’t wanted to involve him, but mostly, she believed Roland’s interest in her was obvious; he just hadn’t chosen to force the issue.

She wasn’t naïve. During her days aboard the ship, she’d asked to leave more than once, but Roland always found an excuse to refuse her.

If she had hesitated before about confiding in him, now she could not afford to. Even if Roland wanted her, she no longer cared.

Besides, she didn’t entirely dislike him. All things considered, it wouldn’t be a loss.

With Gosar Town’s fate now laid bare, she dared not delay any longer.

If she told Roland now, even if he wasn’t strong enough, he was still going to join the navy.

According to him, Smoker, the headquarters captain at Loguetown, was a man of true justice.

She might not trust that marine, but she trusted Roland.

Nami’s desperate cry snapped Roland out of his rage. He glanced at the pirate, who seemed half-crushed by the weight of his anger, but found him no more interesting than a piece of trash.

“Help me!”

Nami looked up at him, tears glittering in her eyes.

“Alright,” Roland agreed at once. He understood exactly what kind of help she meant.

He was surprised that Nami had brought it up so suddenly, but that didn’t matter. He’d been waiting for her to ask.

“Those wretched fishmen will be wiped out to the last.”

He ruffled Nami’s orange hair with confidence.

“You knew about this all along?”

Nami lifted her head, her eyes full of gratitude and confusion.

Had she ever mentioned this to him before?

“Remember back on Lucia Island, when the villagers commented about that tattoo on your shoulder? Afterwards, I did some digging. He’s just a worthless fishman who failed to make it on the Grand Line. Don’t let it trouble you.”

Roland explained gently.

“But...” Nami still worried. Even the weakest fishman pirates were far stronger than the toughest men in her village.

“In our world, there are pathetic pirates and thugs among humans, and the same is true among fishmen,” Roland said. “You think they’re strong, but on the Grand Line, fishmen have always been hunted and sold as slaves by humans. Can you believe it?”

His tone was matter-of-fact, but Nami was stunned.

“But... but... but...” Nami kept repeating, forgetting what she wanted to say next.

“Do they call themselves nobles of the Grand Line, the Creator’s favorites?” Roland sneered.

Nami nodded dumbly.

“Fishmen aren’t nobles at all. Quite the opposite—they’re the aristocrats’ favorite collectibles.”

“On the Grand Line, they’re not even allowed to live on land. The weak ones who set foot ashore are instantly targeted by slavers.”

Roland continued.

After hearing all this, as she came to her senses, Nami felt not the slightest sympathy for the fishmen; in fact, her hatred for them only deepened.

Grinding her teeth, Nami spat, “So, after being oppressed on the Grand Line, they came to a small place like East Blue to turn their blades on people even weaker than themselves?”

“But I want you to understand something,” Roland said suddenly.

“What is it?” Nami fixed her gaze on him.

“Just as there are pirates among humans, not all fishmen are like Arlong,” Roland said, looking out to sea. “Years ago, there was a famous fishman pirate crew led by Fisher Tiger. He climbed the Red Line alone and freed thousands of slaves at Mary Geoise—not just fishmen, but mostly humans.”

“So, it’s fine to hate Arlong and his crew, but don’t let that hatred consume your heart for all fishmen.”

Nami took several deep breaths and nodded.

She realized she had been too extreme—her hatred for Arlong had made her resent all fishmen.

But if Arlong were human, would she hate all humanity?

“Roland, do you know why I suddenly told you all this?” Nami asked.

“Is it because of this newspaper?” Roland guessed, glancing at the paper beside her.

Nami nodded and pointed. “Gosar Town is close to my home, Cocoyashi Village, and also under Arlong’s rule.”

Now Roland understood.

The massacre at Gosar Town had made Nami feel the threat closing in. If one island under Arlong’s rule had already been wiped out, what about the others?