Prompt: No Way Out
Disclaimer: Eichiro Oda created One Piece, not me. It is licensed and owned by Shonen Jump. I make no money for the writing of this fanfiction.
Warning: this chapter implies slavery, and mentions of human trafficking. Please don't read if this triggers you.
This is a flashback chapter!
*The feel of fine silvers of paper under her fingertips and the smell of ink mingled with a mildews odor. Here in the highest room she peered out a tiny window into the park below. Biting back the urge to look more at his private kingdom, she pinned the newest chart up on the wall. For days at a time she'd be up here, drawing away, till the sound of a bang could be heard.
Each floor held its own function. The very bottom was where the members rested or relaxed. Second and third were sumptuous quarters, the fourth was his private chambers. On the top was her room.
Blinking she spun around from the wall of hand drawn maps to the case of books, picking one. She carried it over and sat it down, on the rough table. Fingers caught on the edge of a page, and she felt drops of blood fall onto the blank map. The navigator had no choice but to turn them into a picture of a sea monster as she checked the accounts in the log book.
The knock on the door made her flinch. She called out, "yes?"
"The boss wants you. If you're done with his latest batch of maps and he's happy, you can go try and gather more treasure," said the voice from behind. Nami walked to the door after she rolled up her maps.
It opened on a fish woman, and a tall fishman, one of his right hand men. "I've got them right here..." She trailed off.
Immediately Chew took the maps and put them under his arm. He then cuffed her wrist to the fishwoman next to him and she was led off. However instead of taking her down a few levels, they brought her to the middle floor of the pagoda shaped tower. She shivered knowing the designs on the walls well.
"Take her to be cleaned up. Boss wants her looking good tonight," Chew said to Narangne.
"Both of us," murmured Narangne. She clasped Nami's hand, and chew unlocked their wrists together as he beckoned them to enter. The smell of rich perfumes and fabric made Nami shiver a bit.
"Bath, and new dress," her companion whispered. Nami knew what would happen if she refused. Scars ran up and down the fish woman's arms. If Nami didn't return at least once a month to check in from gathering her treasure, a new mark would be added to her friend.
She felt the fine red silk of the quipao hanging on the wall, with a pair of boots. Fragrant bath water was being prepared by other fish women. Nami followed Naragne into the water, and they both bathed one a other. It was a time that Nami enjoyed after a week cooped up in her room drawing the maps that accounted for the places she went. Such maps would be used for Arlong and his operations.
Once dried off she slid the fine silk onto her body over the new underwear she found. In a similar dress Naragne clad herself, while Nami started to braid her hair. The two girls both did one a others makeup, and pinned hair ornaments in made of pieces of shell and mother of pearl. Both their marks stood out on their upper left arms as symbols of their allegiance.
In thr distance she heard the noise of music of a tone dial, and laughter when both of them walked downstairs to the third level. Lounging about sipping booze and laughing at the latest joke about human inferiority were the top men of the Arlong pirates. She smelled drink and raw sliced fish being shared about.
"As I was saying, Marlin, I have the very best maps for the right price..."
"I cant believe a lowly human drew them..." Snorted the other voice.
"You get to see my little map maker right there, with the evenings entertainment... Shahada!" Laughed the laugh she loathed. In his big chair Arlong gestured her and the other girl forwards. To his right sat a fishman who had a manta ray shaped head, and another to his left had the head shaped in a similar manner. Both had on fine clothes like Arlong's men, but wore purple and maroon striped shirts instead of the bright yellow tropical patterns typical of fish men on Cocoyashi.
"Naragne, and Nami," chew said as he handed the maps to Arlomg across the table.
"Come and sit," Arlong called to the two girls. He patted his knee, and Nami shuddered. Oh gods, he was in that mood?
"So this is the human scum that works for you? And the other?" Muttered the larger stranger.
"She is far more than a mere human," Arlong bragged as he motioned them over.
"C'mere," chuckled the other. He directed narharange to sit on his knee. She held her head high and did so. The other took Luna and both fish women saw the commanding look in Arlong's eyes.
"Nami, sit down," Arlong called over. Trying not to shake she out on her mask and rounded the table. Arlong dragged her to sit on his knee. He kept one hand on her as chew unrolled the maps.
"These are of Little Garden," Muttered the first.
"Nami, these are Ray the Skate and Marlin the spike. New clients of ours," said Arlong nodding at them.
"We see this map is genuine, but the one of the Aphasia group, the alternate route?" Muttered Marlin.
"See for yourself," said Arlong, as he took a swing of his drink and Nami saw the hands of the two clients disappear under the table.
Nami helped Arlong unroll the work of the last week, spreading the charts across the tablrtop so both fish men could see the intricate detail. Including a marine installation and the three towns along the coast.
Pulling out his own map, Marlin laid it alongside Nami's. She shivered seeing how it looked as if she had drawn it but it was clearly not hers. "Our own cartographer's work. But now we have the missing information..."
"The marines were there after all," Arlong snickered. "But I have a good liaison with one of them. For the right price we can smuggle you by them in our ships, and your cargo back to the pickup point..."
"Our clients may be filthy humans but they are also filthy rich," ray snickered, his yellow eyes gleaming.
"All we care is that they kill humans with our poison, not fish men, and keep the humans away from our seas," said Marlin. He whispered into Naragne's ear and she meekly slid off his lap to kneel under the table in front of him.
"So a partnership with my pirates is beneficial," said Arlong.
"Are you sure you wont part with one of your pieces of property?" Asked Marlin.
"The maps were all we wanted," snorted Ray. "And entertainment."
"But our client is human. That girl there may..."
Nami shivered in horror. Arlong looked at her and then frowned. "Nami is mine... And are Luna and Naragne. Even though their blood is diluted by humans, I would never sell a fishman to a human..."
"I see there that our philosophies duffer. What a shame," muttered Marlin, closing his eyes in pleasure. "And he pays out the nose for our poison..."
"We don't sell fishmen. I draw the line at humans," Arlong growled. "And this human stays. I'd not make such an offer again of my ladies."
"Apologies Arlong, brother fishman. Marlin is a radical," ray interrupted, fluttering his membrane bound hands.
Nami gripped Arlong's arm tightly. She would rather stay a slave to a known in the tower than be sold to these fishmen. She spotted the tattoos on their arms and the make of their cowrie shell jewelry. Not to mention the sour smell they emanated. "You're still all fish men aren't you boss?" She said to him.
Arlong blinked at her and then threw back his head. "Shaaaaahaaahaaa! "
The tense silence in the dining room broke as his cronies laughed, followed by Ray and Marlin. Chew and Hachan joined in, holding up their drinks. "Nami is right boss!"
"Hmph, we are still both fish men," Arlong agreed. His hand loosened its grip on Nami and he handed her a piece of meat. She ate it, trying to hide how hungry she'd been from the reduced amount of food she'd had.
"I'll drink to that," said Marlin, suppressing a groan. Nami noticed Luna had slithered down to the floor too.
"Nami, if you would," Arlong snickered. He pointed to the floor. Nami skid down, knowing she'd have scrapes on her knees and an aching jaw again.*
Whimpering she thrashed. Strong arms wrapped around her while she kicked at whoever trapped her. A loud grunt told her she had narrowly avoided its groin. Only a pair of hands gripping her face and a loud voice tore her out of her memories.
"Nami, Owww! Wake up!" Zoro called out.
"Zoro... Shit, did I kick you?" She panted, seeing the discomfort on his face in the light of the flashlight clicked on.
"I'd hate to see you if you were pissed at me," he deadpaned. "Whatever it was you're ok now..."
"Yeah," she muttered, shuddering and turning away. However his arms enclosed her in a rare hug.
"You don't have to tell me. You're a Straw Hat now," he soothed in her ear, guessing that she'd had a flashback. Nami simply accepted the embrace and shivered, unable to bring herself to tell him yet.