49 Chapter 49

Inside the house, Ron and the others sat separately, while Nami explained to the dazed Nojiko about the defeat of Arlong and his crew.

"What?" Nojiko stood up in horror and looked at Ron, who was sitting calmly and sipping tea. "You mean he killed Arlong and those powerful fishmen?"

"Yes," Nami nodded. "Our village is free, we don't have to endure exploitation by Arlong again."

"This..." Nojiko was a little overwhelmed. The news came too suddenly. For many years, her village had to bear the monthly extortion by Arlong's gang. The entire village's money and wealth were hoarded, making life hard for the villagers. Sometimes, crop harvests failed, and fishermen couldn't catch enough, leading to starvation.

Now, hearing that Arlong and his gang had been defeated, she was truly stunned for a moment.

"Is it over?" Nojiko asked incredulously. "Is Arlong and his crew truly destroyed?"

"Of course!" Kaya proudly declared, holding his head high. "With my Ron personally taking care of the matter, what can't be done?"

"Hmmm!" Nami also looked at Ron gratefully. "Thank You Captain for saving the village; otherwise, I really couldn't have dealt with Arlong."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Ron!" Nojiko turned back, took a deep breath, and then approached Ron. She bent her knees, about to kneel down to express her gratitude.

Ron reached out and stopped Nojiko, feeling her delicate shoulders and body. He noticed the calluses on her palms, a testament to her hard life. Imagining the struggles of this girl, Ron felt a deep sense of empathy.

"No need to be polite!" Ron stood up, straightened Nojiko, and said, "Nami is the navigator on my ship, part of my crew. I must help if she faces difficulties. You are Nami's sister; there's no need for formalities."

"But...!" Nojiko looked at Ron with emotion. She saw his handsome face and strong reliable physique, she blushed involuntarily but shook her head inwardly, berating herself for such thoughts. What was she thinking? A person of his caliber, she felt unworthy.

"Sister Nojiko, you don't have to be too polite!" Kaya smiled and suggested, "If you want to show gratitude to Ron, why not join us at sea?"

Nami's eyes lit up at the idea. Nojiko was her only family left since Bellemere's passing, and she had wandered outside after that, rarely returning. Ron had helped her resolve the Arlong issue, and if Nojiko joined, Ron would surely continue helping them. Without a navigator on the Merry, the crew would most likely be lost, so she was invaluable.

After she left, Nami didn't know when she'd return. Nojiko would be lonely if left alone on the island.

"Nojiko, Kaya is right!" Nami suddenly walked over to Nojiko, hugged her arm, and exclaimed, "Just follow us out to sea. Let me tell you, the sea is really fun! There are all kinds of exciting islands, as well as various foods and beautiful clothes!"

"This... I..." Nojiko was a little hesitant. She was accustomed to staying on the island and felt unsure about sailing out to sea. She didn't dare to agree immediately.

"Nojiko, are you afraid of danger at sea?" Kaya observed Nojiko's expression and reassured her, "You can rest assured. With Ron here, there won't be any danger to your life. Ron is super powerful!"

"You're praising me!" Ron chuckled at Keya's continuous praise.

"But I'm telling the truth!" Keya grinned.

"That..." Nojiko still did not immediately agree but pondered for a moment. She looked up and said, "Nami, let's share the news first! Everyone has suffered so much over the years. Now that we have finally come to a happy ending, let's share it with everyone to make them happy!"

"Well, let's go!" Nami immediately smiled and nodded. "We'll share the news now!"

So, several people left the house and, led by Nojiko, went to the village.

When Nojiko and Nami shared the news that Arlong and his gang had been defeated, everyone felt a little incredulous. They were stunned and stayed where they were for a moment, taking some time to process the information.

"Arlong and his gang were wiped out?"

"Oh my God, is this true?"

"What Nojiko and Nami said must be true!"

"Wow, great, great, great!"

"Yes, finally, at last, I can go back to my old life!"

The villagers cheered and wept with joy!

Later, the villagers, led by Nami and Nojiko, went to the base where Arlong and his gang were located, they saw a pile of fishmen corpses, including Arlong, who had been split in half by Ron's sword.

The crowd finally confirmed that Arlong and his gang had really perished!

Despite being very poor, the villagers took out the last portion of food they had in their homes and held a grand banquet for Ron and his crew to celebrate.

At the banquet, as they watched the villagers cry tears of joy and even the women and children joining in the celebration, Nami and Nojiko exchanged smiles.

"Nami! I've decided. I'll go to sea with you!" Nojiko took Nami's hand and said solemnly.

"Really? That's great!" Nami hugged Nojiko happily. "Then we don't have to be separated in the future!"

"Hmmm!" Nojiko also nodded happily.