O.P.J Chapter 31: The Annihilation of the Arlong Pirates

The news hit the Fishmen like a tidal wave.

"Captain Arlong... killed!"

It was an unfathomable scene that no one had even dared to imagine.

The Fishmen stood there in stunned silence, their rage simmering just beneath the surface. But in the next moment, their anger boiled over.

"You darn human-!" one of the Fishmen bellowed, his voice hoarse with fury.

"How dare you, a lower race, kill our captain? Your actions are unforgivable!" another shouted, his eyes blazing with rage.

The Fishmen were seething with anger, but they weren't afraid. They had plenty of powerful fighters, and they were more than ready to take on whoever had dared to harm their leader.

"Even if you're powerful, we have so many powerful fighters! We will kill you!" a third Fishman roared, his muscles bulging with anticipation.

"Kill him! Avenge our captain!" the cry went up, and the Fishmen surged forward, their weapons at the ready.

Saitama turned around and walked up to Nami. He looked at her slender neck, now marked with a red handprint. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

But behind them, the Fishmen were closing in, causing a commotion.

"I'm fine!" Nami replied, her pupils dilating with fear as she saw the blades in the hands of the approaching Fishmen. "Watch out behind you! Commodore Saitama!!!"

"Huh?"

Saitama glanced back and casually threw a punch towards the sky.

Suddenly, a powerful tornado swept across the ground, shredding countless Fishmen into pieces of sashimi, leaving not a single one alive.

Nami was left speechless and in shock.

"Is this the power that a human being can possess? ...The nightmare that haunted her for eight years, the tyranny of the Fishmen, was just so easily destroyed!"

Everything in front of her felt so surreal.

She had regained her freedom so easily!

"But wait! There's one more! Saitama-san!"

Suddenly, Nami remembered something important and exclaimed loudly, "There's not just the Fishmen! There's also a giant monster that Arlong brought from the Grand Line! That terrifying creature..."

"Oh, you mean that monster over there?" Saitama interrupted, pointing to a cow-like creature waving a white flag in a nearby water. "It doesn't look so scary to me," he added with a thumbs-up.

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Nami's mouth twitched as she looked over to the side.

"Of course," she thought.

A huge sea creature, resembling a cow, was shivering in the pool, waving a white flag.

It looked as pitiful as it could be.

Killing such a cute creature was really insane.

"Finally... It's over!"

Nami sat on the ground, holding her knees and burying her head between her legs.

She laughed and cried at the same time.

"Finally... it's over! I'm free!

I can finally do what I want, without any burden, without any compromise, and without any deceit.

Laugh if I want to laugh, cry if I want to cry.

It's really... great!"

"I'm so jealous of you, Saitama..."

Nami gradually raised her head, looking at the seemingly harmless bald man in front of her.

"When you stand there, the whole world has to make way for you. If only I had your strength... If only I had met you then, it would have been great..."

"Life is unforgettable precisely because of its imperfections," Saitama said, looking up with a face that was hard to read.

"You envy me, but don't forget that I envy you too. You can experience joy from victory, anger from oppression, tears from despair, and the freedom of being yourself when you're relieved. But for me, I'm too strong. No matter how strong the enemy is, I can defeat them with just one punch. Gradually, I lost the emotions that a human should have... I can't enjoy the excitement of fighting and the thrill of making a comeback in dire situations. All I do is kill evil people with one punch every day, and then go home to wash my gloves. Day after day..."

Saitama let out a deep sigh. "Sometimes, I even wonder if I should find a new hobby or something. Maybe I could start a gardening club or learn how to knit. At least it would give me something else to do besides punch things."

Saitama had always believed that being a hero was about protecting others, about sacrificing oneself for the greater good. But as he had journeyed further down the path of heroism, he had come to realize that there was something deeper driving him forward.

"Protecting others is important," he said softly, turning to face Nami. "But it's not everything. At the end of the day, we're all driven by our own interests and desires, whether we admit it or not."

Nami looked up at him, her eyes searching for some trace of emotion in his face. But all she saw was a blank slate, a man who had lost touch with his own feelings.

"I try to do what's right," Saitama continued, his voice flat and distant. "But it's not always easy. The world we live in is full of contradictions and complexities, and sometimes it's hard to know what the right thing to do is."

Nami nodded slowly, her mind spinning with all that Saitama had said. "He was a hero, a marine, and yet he seemed to exist in a world of his own, a world where the rules of right and wrong were constantly shifting."

"You're different," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're not like any other marine I've met. You're special."

Saitama shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I don't know about that," he said. "But I do know one thing - I'll always do what I think is right, no matter what."

"Ah, that's just the way it is." Saitama waved his hand and walked towards the door. "I took Captain Nezumi with me, and as for the stolen money... I'll pretend not to see it. You can use it to rebuild your village and the town..."

Nami blinked, "Are you leaving?"

"Yeah, it's up to the World Government now, and I really don't want to cause any trouble..." Saitama scratched his head, turned around, and snapped his fingers.

"By the way... although it's a bit meddling, don't be a thief anymore. If I catch you again, I'll apprehend you."

The figure that seemed like a dead fish gradually walked away.

On his rustic clothes, it suddenly seemed like a Marine coat was flapping.

"The powerful and vigorous word 'Justice' written on it was truly befitting of him."

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As Saitama departed, a sense of finality hung in the air. Nezumi, the treacherous captain, had been brought to justice and would face a trial before the military court. The 16 soldiers of the 16th Navy branch, who were equally culpable, would share his fate and could not escape the long arm of the law.

But for Saitama, it was all immaterial. He was merely a spectator in this drama, a passerby who had stumbled upon the unfolding events.

As the second battleship from Loguetown arrived to whisk him away, the grateful villagers crowded the pier, waving farewell and expressing their heartfelt appreciation. Yet, Saitama remained aloof, hidden away in the cabin, absorbed in his newspaper.

For him, justice was not a matter of seeking gratitude. It was simply the right thing to do. The pursuit of truth and fairness, the fight against wrongdoing and corruption - these were the values he held dear. And though his journey had taken him far from this small town, he knew that he would continue to defend them, wherever his path may lead.

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Nami gazed at the spot where Saitama's battleship had disappeared, then suddenly spoke up, "I've decided!"

"Hmm?"

Next to her, Nojiko raised an eyebrow, "Decided what?"

Nami clenched her fists, "I want to become a marine like Aunt Bellemere!"

"Joining the Marines is a good idea..." Nojiko smiled, noncommittal. "But Nami, you used to be a member of Arlong's pirate crew. The Marines won't accept you, and besides, don't you still want to chart the whole world? If you become a Marine, you might have to stay at some Marine branch for the rest of your life."

Nami frowned, "Ah...that's true. I take back what I said earlier."

"You should focus on realizing your own dreams," Nojiko squinted her eyes and smiled, "As for becoming a Marine, let me handle it as your big sister...I'll become a powerful and just Marine like Commodore Saitama, Nami!"

With that, Nojiko grabbed Nami's wrist and gave her a flirtatious look, "Gotcha, little thief cat!"

Laughter and playfulness filled the air.

This town had never sung and danced with such joy before tonight.

The two black forces that had oppressed countless people for eight years had finally been eradicated root and branch.

And now,

The internal self-examination movement of the Marines was also coming to an end.

The power of justice had never been so strong!

All issues had begun to be deployed and implemented one after another, and the first on the list was...

The complete abolition of the "Shichibukai" system!

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Thank you!