Nami, who was hiding in the house, did not show herself because she sensed something was wrong.
She had never interacted with the Marines, so why were they looking for her? Could it be that they discovered she had been stealing treasure from the pirate group? But even if that were the case, it didn't seem like a big enough issue for the Marines to come personally.
After all, their primary job is to catch pirates, not to deal with thieves. Besides, she had been so secretive about it that no one should have been able to discover her actions.
Still, a vague feeling of uneasiness lingered in her heart. Had she overlooked something? She needed to follow and find out what they wanted. After all, her most important belongings were still at home.
She turned to Nojiko and said, "I'm going home first to see what they want from me."
Nojiko also realized something was amiss. The Marines didn't come to fight against Arlong; they were here for Nami. She couldn't help but feel disappointed and worried for her sister.
"You go ahead," Nojiko replied.
With that, Nami climbed out of the window and followed the Marines sneakily through the woods.
Mina, who remained behind, didn't follow. It seemed like Sister Nami was facing some trouble. She turned to Nojiko, who was sitting at the edge of the table, and asked, "Sister Nojiko, did Sister Nami encounter something troublesome?"
Nojiko didn't want to burden a child with worries. Even if Mina knew the situation, there wasn't much she could do about it, and it would only add to her psychological burden.
"It's just a little trouble. You don't have to worry about it. Nami will handle it," Nojiko said reassuringly.
Nami had been working outside for eight years, and it had mostly gone smoothly. She was close to collecting the 100 million Belly she needed. Nami was much smarter than her sister, which is why she could accomplish such difficult tasks. But the sudden arrival of the Marines made Nojiko uneasy; she wanted to see what they were up to.
Of course, Mina wasn't convinced. The adults looked so serious, so she knew something was troubling them. They were probably treating her like a child, not telling her the truth to avoid worrying her.
With a smile, Mina said, "Sister, just tell me what's going on, so I won't cause trouble for Sister Nami and can act sensibly."
Nojiko thought for a moment and realized that Mina was right. Mina was very attached to Nami, she knows that Mina is powerful and "He" didn't tell her to stop Mina from fighting the Fishmen.
Moreover "He" wants Mina to face them and be able to grow by realizing the cruelty of the world they live in. Nojiko knows that she can't stop Mina from growing.
She already went through something similar when "He" made her face a cruel crew of pirates and ordered her to finish them off, although at first she doubted it, in the end she was able to do it after seeing all the crimes those pirates have committed,
So she simply continued with the Game organized by "He" and explained to Mina about the situation in general.
"Your sister Nami is also a tragic person. You've seen the Gyojin on the island, right? They came from the Grand Line. They're strong and have forcibly ruled this village for ten years. The villagers live under their oppressive rule, and it's been a difficult life."
"The villagers live in constant fear because the fishermen will kill innocents without hesitation. On top of that, the villagers are forced to pay a protection fee of 100,000 Bellys every month."
"Your sister Nami and I are adopted by a woman we consider our mother. Her name was Bell-mere, she was killed by Captain Arlong. Nami was forced to join his pirate group to draw navigation charts for them. You can imagine how frustrating and painful this has been for her."
"But Nami also agreed with Captain Arlong. The village could be freed if she could collect 100 million Belly. Don't tell Nami that we know about this. She thinks we're unaware, but in reality, we already know."
When Mina heard about Nami's past, the smile on her face vanished. She hadn't expected Sister Nami's life to be so miserable. Not only had her mother been killed, but she also had to work for her enemy and even spend years collecting 100 million Bellys to buy back her village from the Arlong Pirates.
The Arlong Pirates were nothing but bandits. How much pain had Sister Nami endured? Mina felt increasingly sorry for her and wanted to bring her into her family. Her father treated his wives very well, and Sister Nami would be happy there.
Mina also admired Nami even more—ten years ago, Nami had taken on responsibilities that were far too heavy for someone her age.
An angry look crossed Mina's face. "Those pirates are scum." But then she looked puzzled. "I remember my father once said that the Marines are supposed to be the just ones on the sea. Weren't those Marines supposed to capture Captain Arlong?"
Nojiko's expression turned bitter. "It's not that they don't want to. It's just that a ordinary Gyojin is ten times stronger than a regular human. They're too powerful, and the Marines in this area can't handle them. Let me go see what those Marines want with Nami."
With that, she walked out of the room, but not before warning Mina, "Stay here."
Nojiko then ran toward the orange grove on the hilltop. After Nami joined the Arlong Pirates, she felt unwelcome in the village and moved there voluntarily. If it weren't for Mina this time, she probably wouldn't have returned to the village at all.
Mina left behind, was still furious. She finally understood what had been troubling Sister Nami. Nami had suffered under the Arlong Pirates for ten years. The pain must have been unbearable. Mina was determined to seek justice for her. None of the Arlong Pirates would escape her wrath.
Knowing from Nojiko's words that the Arlong Pirates came from the Grand Line, Mina was still wary. She could do as she pleased in the East Blue, but once she reached the Grand Line, she would need to be cautious.
Her father had warned her that there were not only Devil Fruit users there but also sword masters and Haki experts. Of course, she also wanted to learn Armament Haki, but she hadn't mastered it yet.
So she couldn't be careless; otherwise, she might end up in a dire situation. Mina now wanted to take Sister Nami with her and eradicate the Arlong Pirates. Even if she couldn't defeat them all by herself, she could return home and bring reinforcements.
Any of her brothers or sisters could easily wipe out the Arlong Pirates, and she did not doubt that.
If any of his older brothers were in his position they would not just sit there and would go and finish off the fishmen immediately, not giving them a chance to fight.
There would also be some others who would play with the Gyojin and then finish them off, like his brother Kenshin who would let them attack and if he got bored he would finish them off.
His brother Lucien would not do anything, he would just show them his Shikai and sit back and let them fight each other until there was not a single one left alive.
Even if she wanted to go back home to ask for reinforcements, she couldn't. Her house was too far away and by the time she returned to Cocoyashi Village, who knows what would have happened.
So she put aside the thoughts of asking for reinforcements and decided to go and finish off the Gyojins herself. Even if she gets hurt, she wouldn't care since she did it to save someone she cares about. Thinking about this, Mina took action. She left the room and followed Nojiko.
First she would look at the situation in general and if she feels that the marines are in collusion with the pirates then she will have no mercy on any of them.
She will not let anyone harm the people she cares about and if they try, she has her power and the full support of her family when she needs it.
She knows that if one of her mothers or one of her brothers were here, they would prevent her from getting blood on her hands and they would finish off the Gyojins themselves, but since there is no one, she will have to face them alone.