One Piece Chapter 78: Bellemere

In Cocoyasi Village, Arlong stands tall among the houses, addressing the terrified villagers. He announces the new tax: "100,000 BELI FOR ONE HUMAN ADULT, AND 50,000 BELI FOR ONE HUMAN CHILD." His crew of fish-men surrounds him, armed and intimidating. Kuroobi, a ray fish-man, stands nearby with his arms crossed and asks, "HOW MANY HAVE WE COLLECTED SO FAR?" Arlong, grinning menacingly with his sharp teeth, replies, "CONSIDERING THAT WE CAME WITH NO NOTICE, WE'LL ONLY KILL THOSE WHO CAN'T PAY UP RIGHT NOW...!" Another fish-man reports the total: "ALMOST 25 MILLION..." Arlong's grin widens as he says, "EXCELLENT! THIS IS... TOO MUCH..."

The villagers of Cocoyasi converse in hushed, anxious tones. One woman worries, "HOW'RE WE SUPPOSED TO MAKE A LIVING, IF WE HAVE TO PAY THAT MUCH EVERY MONTH...!" A man beside her tries to find a silver lining: "JUST BEAR WITH IT FOR NOW... FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WILL BE KILLED THIS TIME." Genzo, the village sheriff with a pinwheel on his hat, watches the pirates grimly, thinking, "THEY'VE TOOK COMPLETE CONTROL OF OUR VILLAGE... I GUESS WE SHOULD CONSIDER OURSELVES FORTUNATE IF WE CAN SOLVE THIS CRISIS WITH MONEY ALONE..." Nearby, a villager asks young Nojiko, "WHAT DO WE DO, NOJIKO... DO YOU THINK BELLEMERE'S ALRIGHT?" Nojiko confidently replies, "DON'T WORRY. THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE OUR HOUSE SINCE YOU CAN'T SEE IT HERE FROM THE VILLAGE." Genzo, however, is deeply concerned, calculating in his head: "WITH HER AND HER 2 KIDS, THEY'D HAVE TO PAY 200,000 BELI... THERE'S NO WAY SHE'D HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY SAVED UP..." He silently prays, "NOW PLEASE JUST GO BACK WITHOUT NOTICING BELLEMERE'S HOME!" In the village square, Arlong turns to his crew and says, "ALRIGHT," then commands, "LET'S PULL BACK FOR TODAY, BRETHREN!"

Just as Arlong is about to leave, he pauses, noticing something in the distance. "HMM?" he murmurs. One of his fish-men points towards the outskirts of the village, saying, "ARLONG! THERE SEEMS TO BE A HOUSE A LITTLE AWAY FROM THE VILLAGE! OVER THERE." Genzo's face contorts in horror as he realizes what they've spotted. "NO...!" he gasps. The villagers panic, murmuring, "THAT SMOKE MUST BE COMING FROM SOMEONE'S HOME." Young Nami and Nojiko look on in sheer terror, crying out, "BELLEMERE!" Arlong's sharp-toothed grin returns as he says, "WE ALMOST MISSED IT..." The scene cuts to Bellemere's house, where she is happily cooking at her stove, completely unaware of the impending danger. She hums a cheerful tune, "MM HMM HM," as steam rises from the pot.

In her kitchen, Bellemere tastes the food she's preparing, licking her finger with a satisfied expression. "MN! IT'S ALMOST TOO GOOD!" she declares. "AS EXPECTED OF MY SPECIAL ORANGE SAUCE!" She mentally reviews the rest of the meal: "LET'S SEE... THE DUCK STILL NEEDS 10 MORE MINUTES IN THE OVEN BEFORE I ADD THE VEGETABLES. THE STEW'S STILL BOILING SO ALL I NEED TO MAKE NOW IS THE OMURICE." She crouches down to look at her hidden stash of money, sighing, "OUR HOUSEHOLD FINANCES ARE GOING TO TAKE QUITE A HIT AFTER THIS. WELL, IF THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GONNA BE, I MIGHT AS WELL AS GIVE THEM A LITTLE ALCOHOL TOO." Meanwhile, Arlong and his crew are walking towards her house. Arlong asks his men, "BY THE WAY, HAVE YOU FOUND ANY SEA CHARTS?" A fish-man replies, "NOPE, NOT A SINGLE ONE. NOT THE MOST USEFUL VILLAGE, IS IT..."

Panic sweeps through Cocoyasi Village as the pirates head towards Bellemere's home. Villagers exclaim, "THIS IS BAD! THE PIRATES ARE HEADED TO BELLEMERE'S HOME! SO HOW COULD SHE EVER COME UP WITH ENOUGH MONEY!? WHAT DO WE DO!? EVEN WE BARELY MANAGED TO PAY THEM OFF," Genzo runs up to Doctor Nako, shouting, "DOC, WE'VE GOT TROUBLE!" Nako asks, "WHAT IS IT GENZO!? AND WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN...!?" Genzo explains, "THEY SHOULD BE HIDING IN THE FORESTS BUT THEY'RE NOT THERE! THEY MUST'VE TOOK THE BACK ROUTE TO THEIR HOME!" Nako realizes the danger and yells, "OH NO, WE'VE GOTTA STOP THEM!" Nami and Nojiko are shown sprinting desperately towards their house. Nami urges, "NOJIKO, HURRY UP!" and Nojiko replies, "I KNOW!" Back at the house, Bellemere hears a loud knocking at her door. She pauses, cigarette in mouth, and wonders, "OH? ARE THEY BACK?"

Arlong's crew stands outside Bellemere's house, surrounded by her tangerine orchard. One of the fish-men approaches the door, saying, "IT SHOULD BE OPEN." From inside, Bellemere's voice calls out calmly, "COME IN." The fish-man opens the door, saying, "EXCUSE ME THEN." As he steps into the doorway, Bellemere suddenly launches a fierce kick, slamming the heavy wooden door directly into the fish-man's face with a loud crash. The fish-man is thrown backward by the impact, while Arlong and the rest of the crew look on in surprise.

Bellemere leaps out of the doorway and pins the stunned fish-man to the ground. She aggressively shoves the barrel of a rifle directly into his mouth, her expression fierce and unyielding. She glares at the rest of the pirates and declares, "UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, I USED TO BE A MARINE. WHAT'S A PIRATE FROM THE GRAND LINE, DOING ALL THE WAY OUT HERE, IN THIS LITTLE VILLAGE, OF COCOYASHI...?" The fish-man beneath her sweats in fear, while the silhouettes of Arlong and his crew loom in the foreground.

Instead of being intimidated, the fish-men burst into uproarious laughter. "SHAHA HAHA! HAHA HAHA!" they mock. Bellemere, still holding the rifle, looks confused and angry, demanding, "WHAT'S SO FUNNY!?" Meanwhile, Genzo and Doctor Nako are running as fast as they can towards the house. Genzo is sweating profusely, thinking, "DAMN IT! WHY DID THINGS HAVE TO TURN OUT THIS WAY!" Back at the house, Arlong's menacing eye and sharp teeth fill the panel as he sneers at Bellemere, saying, "THE INCOMPETENCE, OF YOUR INFERIOR RACE."

Nami and Nojiko are running frantically towards their home. Nojiko suggests, "LET'S USE THE BACK DOOR, TO ESCAPE WITH BELLEMERE!" Nami worries, "BUT... WHAT IF THE PIRATES ARE ALREADY HERE?" Nojiko tries to reassure her, "DON'T WORRY!" Suddenly, Genzo and Nako intercept them. Genzo grabs the girls, shouting, "WAIT! YOU CAN'T GO BACK TO YOUR HOME!" Nami looks up in shock, "DOC...!?" Genzo looks at them with a pained expression, "THIS MAY BE TOO CRUEL TO HEAR FOR YOU GIRLS, BUT LISTEN CAREFULLY..." The scene cuts abruptly to Bellemere. Arlong has grabbed her arm and brutally snaps it. Bellemere screams in agony, "UAGHHH!" Hearing the scream from a distance, Nami and Nojiko are horrified, crying out, "AHH! BELLEMERE!"

Bellemere lies on the ground, clutching her broken arm, blood dripping from her mouth. She realizes the grim reality, thinking, "IT'S NO GOOD...! THESE GUYS ARE LITERALLY MONSTERS! I'M GOING TO BE KILLED! NOJIKO... NAMI...!" Genzo arrives at the scene, yelling, "BELLEMERE, YOU FOOL! DON'T THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY JUST BECAUSE OF SOME INANE SENSE OF JUSTICE! THIS IS A MEANINGLESS FIGHT! YOU CAN SOLVE IT WITH MONEY ALONE!" Bellemere looks up, surprised to see him, "GEN...!" Genzo explains the situation to her: "IT'S AS HE SAYS, MARINE GIRL... 100 GRAND FOR ONE HUMAN ADULT, AND 50 GRAND FOR ONE HUMAN CHILD. AS LONG AS EACH HOUSEHOLD CAN PAY THAT AMOUNT, THE VILLAGE WILL BE FINE. EACH HOUSEHOLD..." Arlong looms over Bellemere and asks, "BELLEMERE, HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU HAVE SAVED UP?" Bellemere thinks to herself in despair, "EVEN WITH MY SECRET SAVINGS, I BARELY HAVE 100 GRAND... NOT NEARLY ENOUGH..."

A fish-man calls out from inside Bellemere's house, "ARLONG! THERE'S A MEAL SET UP FOR 3 PEOPLE INSIDE! 3 PEOPLE MUST BE LIVING HERE!" Genzo quickly steps in to cover for her, saying loudly, "BELLEMERE... JUST PAY THE AMOUNT FOR ONE ADULT. YOU INVITED ME FOR TONIGHT'S DINNER, RIGHT!? SO HURRY UP LEST THE FOOD GO COLD..." Bellemere looks at Genzo, understanding his attempt to save her daughters. Genzo thinks with relief, "GOOD THING YOU HAD ENOUGH MONEY... LOOKS LIKE ALL THE VILLAGERS ARE SAFE FOR NOW." However, another fish-man holding a book reports, "ACCORDING TO THE TOWN REGISTRY, THIS WOMAN'S NEVER BEEN MARRIED NOR HAD ANY CHILDREN." Arlong accepts this information and says, "ALRIGHT THEN... THAT'LL BE 100,000 BELI THEN. ARE YOU GOING TO PAY UP OR WOULD YOU RATHER DIE INSTEAD?"

Hiding nearby, Genzo speaks urgently to Nami and Nojiko. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND? NOJIKO, NAMI...! THERE'S NO PROOF THAT YOU'RE BELLEMERE'S DAUGHTERS. SO WHILE THOSE PIRATES ARE BLIND TO YOUR EXISTENCE, YOU TWO NEED TO LEAVE THIS VILL... NO, THIS ISLAND! CROSS THE OCEAN AND RUN AWAY AS FAR AS YOU CAN. I'M AFRAID THIS IS THE ONLY WAY ALL 3 OF YOU CAN BE SAVED!" Nami bursts into tears, protesting, "NO! WHY DO WE HAVE TO LEAVE!? I WANT TO STAY AND LIVE HERE IN THIS VILLAGE...! CAN'T WE BE BELLEMERE'S DAUGHTERS ANYMORE...!? IS IT BECAUSE WE'RE POOR...?" Doctor Nako, watching the girls cry, says to Genzo, "DOC, THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR THEM. WE CAN'T JUST SEND THESE YOUNG GIRLS OFF TO THE SEA ALONE... THEY MIGHT DIE OUT THERE! FAMILY OR THEIR LIVES!" Genzo, gritting his teeth, replies, "WE CAN'T AFFORD ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES IN THIS CRISIS!"

Nojiko, trying to be brave, agrees to Genzo's plan. "GOOD. ALRIGHT, I'LL LEAVE THIS VILLAGE!" Nami looks at her sister in shock, "NOJIKO!" Back at the house, Arlong looks at the money Bellemere has presented. "EXACTLY 100,000 BELI." Genzo, watching from afar, thinks with immense relief, "THANK GOODNESS... WITH THOSE 100,000 BELI, BELLEMERE... IT'S FINE AS LONG AS IT MEANS BELLEMERE WILL BE SAVED! LET'S GO, NAMI!" Bellemere thinks, "I'LL BE ABLE TO SAVE MY TWO CHILDREN...!" But just as the transaction seems complete, Bellemere speaks up, her voice steady. "THAT MONEY IS MY CHILDREN'S SHARE. I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO PAY FOR MYSELF."

Bellemere's declaration shocks everyone. Nami and Nojiko gasp, "BELLEMERE!" Genzo is stunned, "WHAT?" Arlong turns his head, his sharp teeth visible as he looks back at her. Genzo yells in disbelief, "HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A STUPID THING!?" Bellemere, battered and bleeding, smiles through her tears. "I... I JUST CAN'T BRING MYSELF TO SAY THAT I DON'T HAVE A FAMILY. I'M SORRY, GEN..." She continues, her smile widening despite the tears streaming down her face, "EVEN IF IT'S JUST MERE WORDS, I STILL WANT TO BE CALLED AS THEIR MOTHER. THOSE GIRLS... ARE MY CHILDREN, AREN'T THEY? EVEN IF IT MEANS I'LL LOSE MY LIFE...!"

Arlong looks down at Bellemere, questioning, "YOU HAVE... CHILDREN...?" Unable to hold back any longer, Nami and Nojiko break free from Genzo's grasp and run towards the house, screaming, "BELLEMERE!" Genzo tries to stop them, "NO, GIRLS!" Nami cries out, "I... I WISH I WERE ADOPTED BY A RICH FAMILY! I WAS LYING!" They rush past the fish-men, tears streaming down their faces. Bellemere calls out, "NAMI! NOJIKO!" They throw themselves at Bellemere, hugging her tightly.

Bellemere embraces Nami and Nojiko tightly, burying her face in their shoulders. "I REALLY WANTED TO BUY YOU GIRLS A LOT OF THINGS... WHETHER IT BE NEW BOOKS OR NEW CLOTHES! FORGIVE ME... FOR NOT EVER BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING MOTHERLY FOR YOU GIRLS..." Nami, sobbing uncontrollably, yells, "THAT'S NOT TRUE! WE DON'T NEED ANYTHING SO PLEASE DON'T DIE! SO PLEASE STAY WITH US FOREVER! AREN'T YOU A FORMER MARINE, BELLEMERE? YOU'RE STRONG, RIGHT? YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO BEAT THESE GUYS UP NO PROBLEM!" Nami continues, "I STILL HAVEN'T SHOWN YOU THE MAP OF THE WORLD I'LL DRAW!" Arlong interrupts, asking, "ARE THESE KIDS YOUR DAUGHTERS?" Bellemere confirms, "YES, THAT'S RIGHT!" Nami pleads one last time, "PLEASE DON'T DIE, BELLEMERE!"

Bellemere glares at Arlong and demands, "SO DON'T LAY A FINGER ON THEM, YOU HEAR?" Arlong agrees with a sinister grin, "OF COURSE. THAT IS, AS LONG AS YOU DIE QUIETLY." Nami screams in desperation, "SOMEBODY! PLEASE HELP!" Hearing her plea, Genzo rallies the villagers, drawing his weapons and shouting, "LET'S GO SAVE BELLEMERE! TAKE UP ARMS AND FIGHT!" The villagers charge forward, but Kuroobi swiftly intercepts Genzo, striking him down with a powerful martial arts blow. Genzo cries out, "AGHH!" as he falls.

Arlong stands over Bellemere, pointing a pistol directly at her head. He commands his crew, "HMPH, PATHETIC PRIMATES... DEAL WITH THEM APPROPRIATELY BUT DON'T KILL THEM." A fish-man acknowledges, "GOT IT." Arlong looks down at Bellemere and says, "YOU'LL BE, MY FIRST EXAMPLE TO THE OTHERS...! DIE FOR YOUR STUPID LOVE." The villagers scream in the background as the fish-men attack them. Bellemere, with the gun pressed to her forehead, looks at her daughters with a gentle, loving smile. "NOJIKO! NAMI!" she says softly. "I LOVE YOU." Arlong pulls the trigger, and a loud "BANG!" echoes as the gun fires.

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