9. Let's Go Tom, Let's Make A Fuss!
Inside Nami's hut, Al reclined on the sofa, cradling a cup of coffee, his face radiant as he recounted Tom's impressive performance.
Tom donned boxing gloves and threw precise punches at Kuroobi's face, demonstrating skill and precision.
"Wow, that was a stunning left uppercut from Tom that sent Kuroobi reeling!"
"Who's up next? Let's keep the show going!"
As Al's gaze shifted to Chew, he shook his head vigorously. His once full head of hair was now replaced with baldness, and his face resembled Hatchan's body in size.
Both of them had endured Tom's rigorous training, acting as punching bags for a grueling two hours straight.
Throughout this time, Al's mind was overwhelmed with EP that seemed unending.
Htachan, still in a state of shock from Tom's intimidation, remained unconscious.
With Htachan out of commission, Al had no choice but to rely on the remaining two members to pursue wealth.
"Wow, Tom lands another stunning uppercut, knocking out Chew once more!"
"I hereby declare Tom as the champion once again!"
Tom raised his hands triumphantly, displaying his intimidating fangs, then graciously bowed in Al's direction.
Without hesitation, he hurried to the bathroom in Nami's house, fetched a large basin of water, and used it to revive his fallen comrades for the next round of dueling.
However, this time, the two cadres didn't wake up as quickly as before.
Tom removed his gloves, then cautiously checked the breathing of the two men, breathing a sigh of relief once he confirmed they were still alive.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he shook his head in frustration.
"Did they really pass out?"
Tom nodded vigorously, his expression revealing his disappointment, as if the two hours of training hadn't been enough.
"Tom, come and take a break, have some tea. They'll probably wake up soon," Al said reassuringly as he poured a cup of tea for Tom.
Tom perked up at the suggestion, gratefully accepting the teacup from Al's hand and picking up the newspaper from the table.
Lounging comfortably on the sofa, he crossed his legs and indulged in the simple pleasure of reading the newspaper while sipping his tea.
Al chuckled softly, then stood up, intending to check if Arlong had arrived.
Suddenly, Nami burst through the door, her eyes icy as she locked onto the two men.
Without a word, she brandished her large knife and lunged towards Al!
"Hey, what's gotten into you?" Al exclaimed, swiftly evading Nami's strike. "Do you even know what you're doing?"
Seeing Nami's unresponsive demeanor, Al suspected she might be under some form of control, so he didn't retaliate aggressively.
As Nami launched another attack, Al reacted quickly, lunging forward and seizing the knife's hilt with his right hand while striking Nami's lower body with his left foot, causing her to stumble.
A clang echoed as the knife fell to the ground.
Unable to restrain her emotions any longer, tears streamed down Nami's face as she hoarsely uttered, "I'm sorry."
Seeing that Nami appeared to have regained her senses, Al nudged the big knife towards Tom's feet and released Nami from his grasp.
"This is quite a mess. Can you tell us what happened?" Al inquired, offering Nami a handkerchief to wipe her tears.
However, Nami ignored the handkerchief and instead knelt on the ground, pounding her fists against the floor in frustration.
Tom approached Al, tugging lightly at his coat as if to ask, "What's going on with her?"
Al shrugged helplessly. "I wish I knew. It seems like we'll just have to wait for her to calm down and talk about it."
With that, Al prepared to leave the hut, acknowledging that there was little they could do until Nami was ready to open up.
At that moment, Nami grasped the corner of Al's clothes tightly, tears welling up in her eyes as she uttered hoarsely, "Al... please help me!"
"First, tell me what's troubling you," Al demanded.
....
Nami recounted everything that had transpired.
As Al listened, his brows furrowed deeper, and a coldness crept into his eyes.
"It's alright, I'll help you, but it won't come without a cost," he declared sternly. "You're aware of the challenges involved in rescuing so many people unscathed."
Nami bit her lower lip, struggling internally before finally admitting, "I'm sorry, I have no money left. The Marines took everything from me."
Al's expression softened. "It's okay, you don't have to owe anything."
Al grinned, already planning to approach Arlong regardless of Nami's disclosure. After all, the two officers couldn't provide the EP he needed.
Seeing Al's gentle smile, Nami couldn't help but shed more tears, but this time they were tears of relief.
"Thank you," Nami whispered gratefully.
"Let's discuss it further after I deal with Arlong. In the meantime, you can stay here and help me watch over these three fishmen."
"Let's Go Tom, Let's Make A Fuss!" Al exclaimed.
Tom's eyes lit up at the prospect of more excitement, and he eagerly geared up, flashing a mischievous grin.
As they descended the hill, several sailors emerged from the bushes, surrounding Al and Tom.
Colonel Nezumi, his arm in a plaster cast, approached with the support of two sailors, wearing a sinister smile.
"Little brat," he sneered, addressing Al, "I suggest you hand over that cat of yours quickly, or your next birthday might be your last!"
Tom nonchalantly yawned, paying no attention to Colonel Nezumi's threats.
"Ugh, you lot are so bothersome!" Al muttered, a look of disdain on his face as he cleaned out his ears.
In an instant, a golf club materialized in Al's hand, causing all the sea soldiers to stare in astonishment, as if they had just witnessed a miracle.
Tom's golf club: A weapon capable of striking anything like a golf ball and automatically tracking the enemy. [Indestructible, durability 5]
With a mischievous grin, Al swung the golf club through the air several times before retracting it back into the system.
The onlookers exchanged confused glances, utterly baffled by Al's peculiar actions. They couldn't comprehend what the young boy was up to.
Colonel Nezumi ordered, "What are you waiting for? Kill this kid!"
Al smirked slightly, his confidence unwavering. "Don't fret, let the bullets fly."
Just as the sailors were preparing to open fire, hundreds of invisible, colorless golf balls descended from the sky, striking down multiple sailors with each step Al took forward.
Witnessing the bizarre spectacle, Colonel Nezumi abandoned all thoughts of fighting and fled for his life, paying no heed to the injuries he sustained.
"Can you escape?" Al taunted, snapping his fingers.
Colonel Marine - Colonel Mouse.
Just a pawn!
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