Ch. 28- Nami's Lies
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
"Hmmmm..."
Luffy glanced up at his captor upon hearing that small hum. Kovar sat before him, his wings tucked at his sides and a look of contemplation in his eyes. The dragon almost seemed...bored.
"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Luffy asked.
"...It comes off as odd to me," Kovar said. "It seemed your crew was rather...disrespectful of you."
Luffy glared at the dragon upon hearing that.
"The way they made those little jokes about your leadership," Kovar continued. "Not to mention what Roronoa said about leaving you...I'm surprised that even then, you still had faith in them as you do, now...or do you?"
"What do you mean?" asked Luffy.
"You never told Roronoa about how you felt that night you overheard him talking about you...all this time, you kept it secret," Kovar answered. "So tell me...why didn't you confront him?"
"Because it was just like Sanji said," Luffy replied as he looked away. "There was no need to talk to him about it...he probably forgot about it, since then, so what's the point of talking to him about it, now?! Besides, things are different!"
"Are they, really?" Kovar asked. "You actually don't sound very sure."
Luffy felt his mouth twitch and he knit his brow, causing Kovar to chuckle.
"...I know what you're trying to do," Luffy said. "It's not gonna work. I still believe my friends will save me!"
"Go ahead and believe in them if you wish," Kovar said, "but sooner or later...I WILL break you."
"We'll see about that," Luffy hissed.
XXX
Meanwhile, with the Straw Hats...
"I sure missed a lot when I left, huh?" Nami asked.
"Hey, Zoro and I did, too!" Usopp added. "Man, that was crazy! Probably the hardest fight that Luffy's ever had in the East Blue!"
"Nah," Franky disagreed. "Krieg only had the advantage because he had all those weapons on him. Luffy won simply because of pure grit, like Old Man Zeff said."
"...You think Big Brother has enough of that...gritty stuff to keep fighting Kovar until we find him?" Aika asked.
"What?" Usopp asked. "Pfft! C'mon, Aika, this is Luffy we're talking about, here! Kovar doesn't stand a chance, okay?"
"That's right," Blizzard replied. "Luffy won't lose so easily. We all know that."
"And once we find him, we'll be at his side to help him if he needs us," Robin added.
Hearing that caused Aika to smile warmly before she nodded her head. That's when a new memory appeared before them. It showed Luffy, Past Sanji, and Yosaku in their shopping boat. For some reason, though, they were being pulled by a giant sea cow.
"Hey! It's Mohmoo!" Nami exclaimed.
"Moh-who?" Aika asked.
"Mohmoo's the mascot of the Arlong Pirates," Nami said. "...You know, I haven't seen him since our voyage to Fishman Island. I wonder where he is now."
"How come he's pulling your boat?" Usopp asked.
"Because Luffy and I gave him a walloping," Sanji answered, casually. "I was just trying to feed the thing, but apparently, he wanted to eat both the food AND us."
"Did you really have to be that rough with him?" Nami asked. "Seriously, Mohmoo isn't that vicious, at times. He's actually a big sweetheart!"
"You know, it's weird, though," Sanji said. "Why are we being shown this part? I could've sworn there was a lot more before it. Yosaku was even talking about Jimbei and the Seven Warlords."
"Well, you know how Luffy is," Usopp said. "Maybe he didn't think it was very important, so he didn't pay much attention."
"Or maybe," Robin began, "we're just skipping some memories in order to get to the more important things. At least, in Luffy's mind."
"Hey, look!" Chopper exclaimed as he pointed at something up ahead. "It's Sabaody Park!"
The Straw Hats all looked up upon hearing that exclamation...but upon getting a closer, they saw why the young doctor would make that mistake. It was a red-and-yellow tower of some kind, at least several stories in height, and it bore a flag of what looked like a saw-toothed shark with crossbones behind it. Upon seeing that mark...Nami's eyes went wide and her body began to tremble. Sweat formed on her brow and her heart raced, which caused the Straw Hats to look at her in concern.
"Nami?" Usopp asked.
"Big Sis?" Aika aksed, worriedly. "What's wrong?"
Nami didn't answer...but instead felt a darkness come over her as she grabbed at her shoulders, shuddering as she suddenly felt very cold.
"That's right...you remember it, don't you?"
"SHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"No...no...!" Nami whispered with tears forming in her eyes.
"NAMI!"
Nami gasped as she turned around, only to find that she was not in the darkness like before, but back with the Straw Hats, who all blinked at her, worriedly, except for Zoro, who glared at her, not out of coldness, but more out of stoic support.
"...He tried to get to you, didn't he?" the swordsman asked.
"...Yeah," Nami whispered, feeling ashamed of herself, but then she shook herself. "But I know he can't hurt me anymore."
"We're in Kovar's realm, remember," said Robin. "Here, he is the master...he can still take advantage of us. It's up to us to be strong."
"Robin's right," Brook added. "Let's just power through this, understand?"
"Right!" Nami nodded.
"There it is!" Luffy exclaimed. "Arlong Park, dead ahead!"
"Arlong Park?" Kumi asked.
"So it's like an amusement park?" Aika inquired.
"No, girls," Nami answered. "It was inspired by an amusement park...but it's anything but."
At that moment, Mohmoo began to groan in exhaustion.
"Hey!" Luffy ordered the poor sea beast. "Don't you slow down, got that?!"
"It's gotta be tired, by now," said Yosaku, "given how much Big Bro Sanji's cook effected it."
"Wow," Blizzard muttered. "I'm sure glad Luffy doesn't treat me that way."
Suddenly, Mohmoo turned away from Arlong Park and started heading for the shoreline, instead.
"H-hey! Hold up!" Luffy shouted. "You're going the wrong way!"
But Mohmoo did not pay heed to his words anymore.
"...Oh, dear god..." Sanji muttered with dread. "I know what's coming next."
"What do you mean?" Blizzard asked, but he soon got his answer when Mohmoo braked to a stop right at the shore and sent Luffy, Past Sanji, and Yosaku flying like a slingshot.
"WHOOOOOOOOOOAAA!" they all cried.
"WHOO-HOO!" Luffy cheered. "HAHAHAHA! This is just like flying!"
"It's NOT like flying!" Yosaku argued.
"WE REALLY ARE FLYING, YOU MORON!" Past Sanji yelled.
"Oh...that's what you meant," Blizzard muttered while the present Sanji shuddered.
"...Oh, crap..." Zoro cursed in realization. "I know what comes after this."
Not long after, gravity began to take hold and the boat fell into the forest and began to slide along the ground.
"All right!" Luffy exclaimed. "Landing complete!"
"HOW IS THIS A LANDING?!" Past Sanji questioned.
"Seriously, how did you guys even survive?" Franky asked.
"That looks like fun!" Aika exclaimed. "It's kinda like riding on a rollercoaster!"
"Don't remind me..." Brook muttered with dread.
At that moment, Luffy spotted something, or rather, someone up ahead, and once spotted that green hair, he instantly recognized that it was Past Zoro.
"Hey, look! It's Zoro!" Luffy exclaimed.
"3...2...1," Zoro counted down...just as the boat collided with his past self.
"GAH!" Past Zoro cried. "DAMMIT, LUFFY, WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Ahahahaha! Good to see you, too!" Luffy replied, not really noticing his anger.
"Ooh...that had to hurt," Usopp winced.
"He's lucky I didn't kill him, right then and there..." Zoro grumbled.
Before too long, the group ended up crashing right into a cliff-face, and once the dust settled, Luffy just stood up and dusted off his clothes.
"Well, here we are!" Luffy said.
"Hmm-hmm..." Robin chuckled in amusement. "That Luffy, always making such big entrances."
Nami only sighed and shook her head.
"What am I gonna do with him?" she asked.
"Rrrgh...dammit!" Past Zoro cursed as he pulled himself out of the wreckage. "What the hell do you idiots think you're doing?!"
"I'm surprised Zoro actually managed to survive that," Chopper said. "Wasn't he still hurt?"
"You know Zoro," Usopp shrugged. "Even when he's got a life-threatening injury, he's still a beast."
"What was that?" Zoro asked with a glare.
"Oh, come on!" Usopp argued. "It's a compliment! Calm down, will ya?!"
"What do you mean, Zoro?" Luffy asked. "We came to bring Nami back! ...Wait, you didn't find her, yet? And where are Usopp and Johnny?"
"Usopp!" Past Zoro cried as he stood up. "Dammit, I almost forgot! We don't have time, standing around here!"
"Why, what's the problem?" Luffy asked.
"He's been captured by Arlong," Past Zoro answered, "and if we don't hurry, he's gonna get killed!"
"Wait, what?!" Luffy questioned.
"You got caught by Arlong?" Chopper asked. "What happened?"
"Uhh...it was a bit of an accident," Usopp replied. "You see, I was trying to hide from Arlong's Fishman crew when all of a sudden, I see this guy getting picked on by Arlong, himself, all because he had a hidden weapon on his person...so, I decided to help him out...even though I was scared out of my head."
"But you still stood up to him, right?" Kumi asked.
"Yeah, Usopp!" Aika exclaimed. "Even though you were scared, you still stood up for that guy!"
"Thanks, girls," Usopp said. "Unfortunately, I couldn't really outrun him, so I got caught...but it was thanks to your Big Sis that I managed to get away."
"Barely," Nami answered. "I had to make it look convincing for Arlong, or who knows what could have happened?"
"Still...thanks a lot Nami," said Usopp.
"No problem," Nami smiled. "Besides...you saved Old Man Genzo. It's the least I could do."
"...He's dead," a voice suddenly spoke, causing everyone to look up to see Johnny...who had a grim look on his face.
"What?!" Past Zoro questioned with shock and horror. "What are you talking about, Johnny?!"
"...It's too late," Johnny answered. "Big Bro Usopp...he's dead! Big Sis Nami killed him!"
All color left Luffy's face upon hearing that.
'...No way...no way, there's just no way! There's no way Nami would do that!'
"...Oh, Luffy..." Nami whispered, sadly.
"Wait a minute, hold up there," said Franky. "If Nami killed Usopp, how come he's still here?"
"Yes, I find it strange," Brook said.
"...Wait," Chopper said before he turned to Usopp with a horrified expression. "ARE YOU A ZOMBIE?!"
"NO, I'M NOT!" Usopp yelled, and Zoro, Sanji, and Blizzard tried not to snicker. "Let me explain! You know how I said that Nami saved me from Arlong?! That's how! She faked killing me so I could escape!"
"Really?!" Aika asked.
"Oh, good," Chopper sighed in relief. "So he's not a zombie."
"...Liar," Luffy hissed as he grabbed Johnny by the collar of his jacket, the memory beginning to turn red as he did so. "You're lying!"
"But it's true! I saw it with my own eyes!" Johnny argued as he pushed Luffy away, then sat on the ground. "...Big Sis Nami...she's nothing but a cold-hearted witch! She's been going behind our backs, all this time! In order to get some kind of hidden treasure here in Cocoyashi Island, she's been in cahoots with Arlong, and just for that, she killed Big Bro Usopp without even a hint of remorse! Don't you get it?! She stabbed us in the back!"
"...Shut up...!" Luffy hissed as he grabbed Johnny and began to shake him violently. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! YOU SAY THAT AGAIN, AND I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!"
Nami's eyes went wide, feeling a pang of guilt in her stomach. Even back then, he still defended her integrity.
"Luffy, stop it!" Past Zoro barked. "Leave Johnny alone! This doesn't have anything to do with him!"
"I know you don't wanna believe me, and you don't have to!" Johnny shouted. "But I saw it, myself!"
"LIAR!" Luffy barked. "YOU'RE MAKING CRAP UP! WHY THE HELL WOULD NAMI WANNA KILL USOPP?! SHE'S OUR FRIEND, DAMMIT!"
"All right, all right, that's enough!" Past Zoro yelled as he pulled Luffy away from Johnny. "Luffy, come here, we need to talk."
"But Zoro-" Luffy started.
"Luffy, for god's sake!" Past Zoro interjected. "Don't you get it?! Nami's bad news! She stabbed us all in the back! Why should we take her back, now?!"
"I told you why!" Luffy answered. "I chose HER to be my navigator! I don't want anyone else!"
"Luffy, I'm starting to think that you don't just want her to be our navigator!" Past Zoro replied. "If I didn't know better, I'd almost say that you..." His eyes then went wide. "...Wait a minute...you didn't...fall for her, did you?"
Luffy didn't answer...but a blush appeared on his cheeks and the Straw Hats could hear his heart pounding again, and that only caused Past Zoro to facepalm in disbelief.
"Oh, hell..." he groaned in disdain.
"You figured out he was in love with me?" Nami asked.
"If anything, it was a lucky guess," said Zoro. "Still...I was surprised that he knew what I meant."
"Who's your friend, Luffy?" a familiar voice asked...but it sounded cold and icy. The group turned...and they saw Past Nami, glowering at them with this distant and cold look in her eyes. For some strange reason, though, her hand was bandaged up.
"...Big Sis Nami...?" Aika asked, worriedly. "W-why do you look like that?"
"...Please don't hate me," Nami whispered.
"Nami, it's you!" Luffy exclaimed, happily, which caused the memory to turn pink as his heart began beating again, but Past Nami looked away from him, which caused the memory to return to normal color.
"Why the hell are you here?" she asked.
"What do you mean, 'Why are we here'?" Luffy asked as he went to pick up his hat, which had fallen off during his argument with Johnny. "We're friends, remember? We came to get you! Now come on!"
"...You're really annoying, you know that?" Past Nami asked, coldly.
"Huh?" Luffy muttered in confusion. "N-Nami?"
"Friends? Us?" Past Nami asked. "Don't make me laugh, you idiot. You're more like unwitting cooperators to me."
"...Nami...?" Chopper asked, worriedly.
"How cruel," Brook whispered.
"Why were you being so mean?" Franky asked.
"...I didn't want to," Nami answered. "I...I was just trying to protect them from Arlong."
"You see," Usopp began as he put his hand on Nami's shoulder, "as you all know...Nami's mom was killed by Arlong...and...because of that, Nami was too scared to see someone else die on her behalf. She was totally convinced that we didn't stand a chance against Arlong or his crew...that's why she put on that act. She was trying to drive us away."
"...But I didn't count on one thing," Nami spoke before she smiled. "Luffy's determination."
"You bitch!" Johnny yelled. "I saw everything! I saw you kill Big Bro Usopp!"
"And?" Past Nami asked, uncaringly. "What are you gonna do? Kill me?"
As for the past group, however, they all stared at Past Nami, stunned beyond belief, but Luffy was the only one who remained unflinching.
'...Something's wrong...Nami's lying right through her teeth.'
Nami gasped silently upon hearing Luffy's thoughts...but she wasn't too surprised. Luffy was just that intuitive.
"I'll tell you this much," said Past Nami. "Arlong's after Roronoa Zoro's head after he did something stupid."
"What did Zoro do?" Aika asked.
"Oh, he just attacked some of Arlong's men," Nami answered. "Sure, Arlong's a cold, bloodthirsty killer who hates humans, but even he cares for his crew more than anything. He was about ready to slaughter everybody on the island."
"It figures," Sanji muttered as he looked over at Zoro.
"Why don't you ever think things through?" Blizzard asked.
"Oh, shut up!" Zoro barked. "If anything, it's Nami fault for even setting me free!"
"Shh~!" Chopper shushed. "Guys, look!"
"Listen," said Past Nami. "You guys may have the strength of monsters, but you're nothing compared to the REAL ones. If you stick around long enough, the Fishmen will kill you...not that it's any concern to me."
"...You bitch...!" Past Zoro sneered, while Past Sanji was swooning.
"Ahh...such a cold look...and yet it's so charming...!" he said. "Hey, beautiful! Remember me~? It's your beloved Sanji~!"
'She doesn't love you, stupid! ...Wait, where'd that come from?'
"Well...that's ONE way to kind of light up a mood," said Usopp.
"Hey! You stay outta this, got that?!" Past Zoro pointed at Past Sanji. "You're just gonna make things more complicated!"
"What the hell did you say?!" Past Sanji questioned. "Listen here, bastard! My love is like a hurricane!"
"Wait...what does that mean?" Aika asked.
"Uhh...I'll tell you when you're older," Sanji answered.
"Hey, Nami," Past Zoro asked as he turned away from Past Sanji.
"Hey! Don't turn your back on me!" the cook shouted.
"Where's Usopp?" the swordsman asked.
"...At the bottom of the sea," Past Nami answered, showing no emotion whatsoever.
"Why you...!" Past Zoro hissed as he drew his sword. "CUT THE CRAP, ALREADY!" On that, he charged for her, only for Past Sanji to get in the way.
"So now swordsmen go after women, too?!" Past Sanji asked as he tried to kick Past Zoro in the face, only to miss.
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Past Zoro questioned. "You don't even know what's going on, so stay outta this!"
"Heh," Past Sanji smirked. "Well...after you suffered such a loss, I can't say I blame you for being so irritable."
Hearing that caused Past Zoro to growl in even more anger.
"...Okay, I admit it," Sanji said. "I went way too far that time."
"I'll say you did," Zoro sneered. "That felt like a damn punch to the gut."
"You've got some nerve, cook..." Past Zoro hissed.
"Why don't you mind your own business?" asked Past Sanji.
"Hey, hey!" Yosaku cried. "Let's not fight here, you guys!"
"He's right," said Past Nami. "If you're gonna fight, then do it somewhere else. Anywhere that's NOT on this island. You guys are nothing but outsiders who are sticking your noses where they don't belong. Don't you get it by now? I USED you guys to get treasure and nothing else. Now that I've taken every last Berry you guys have, then I don't need you anymore. Just go back to your damn barge and find another navigator to take you all to the Grand Line. Go find the One Piece or whatever!" She then pointed her bo staff at them. "Just get off this island and stay away!"
Johnny and Yosaku both growled angrily at her, while Luffy just stared at her, blankly...even though the memory turned slightly blue, which caused Nami to hold a hand to her chest while Past Nami lowered her head, covering her eyes with her bangs.
"...Goodbye," she whispered, while the Straw Hat members who didn't know of the events stood with bated breath.
"...Nami..." Luffy whispered, softly. Despite the color being blue, he did not sound sad or shocked at all. Then, out of nowhere...he closed his eyes and fell to the ground on his back, to everyone's surprise.
"B-Big Bro Luffy, what are you doing?!" Johnny asked.
"I'm tired," Luffy answered. "I'm gonna take a nap."
"What?!" Johnny questioned. "A nap?!"
"Right here and now, in the middle of the road like this?!" Yosaku asked.
"Yup," Luffy affirmed before he gave a yawn. "I really don't feel like leaving the island, so I'm gonna take a nap, now."
"Big Bro..." Johnny whispered while Yosaku's jaw gaped in disbelief and Past Zoro only facepalmed, once again. As for Past Nami...she looked absolutely pissed.
"FINE THEN!" she barked. "GO AHEAD AND DO WHATEVER! IN FACT, YOU CAN DIE, FOR ALL I CARE!" On that, she turned and stormed off.
'You can say what you want, Nami...but I know that you're lying...and I'm not leaving until I find out why.'
On that, the memory faded to black, once again.
"...You know, I just realized," Usopp began, "doesn't this seem familiar to you guys?"
"Familiar, how?" Zoro asked.
"I think what Usopp means," Blizzard began, "is that this situation is similar to what happened to Sabo."
"Right, Blizzard," Usopp agreed. "Luffy and Ace never went to take Sabo back with them because they'd thought he'd be better off, but because they didn't, Sabo left their home and was shot down at sea."
"So you're saying that Luffy didn't leave because he knew that if he didn't, he'd lose me?" Nami asked.
"Perhaps," Robin mused. "Of course, Luffy had no way of knowing the situation you were actually in."
"Come to think of it," Sanji said, "Luffy always seems to act this way whenever we act like we don't want his help...because he knows when we're lying."
"Wow..." Aika whispered. "Big Brother has such good instincts."
"USOOOOOOOOPP!" Luffy's voice screamed as the memory returned, but this time, it showed Past Usopp, bloody and beaten. "WHAT HAPPENED?! DID NAMI DO THIS TO YOU?!"
"More like a certain swordsman and cook," Usopp glared at the two in-question, causing them sweatdrop.
"Sorry..." they both apologized as they pointed to each other. "It was his fault." That's when they glared at one another. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Soon, the squabbling commenced.
"Guys, be quiet!" Nami shouted. "We can't hear them!"
"I'll stop 'em," Franky said before he took Zoro and Sanji by their heads and bonked their skulls together.
"OW!" they yelled.
"Knock it off, you idiots!" Franky barked.
"Thank you, Franky," Nami nodded.
"Ugggh..." Past Usopp groaned as he finally regained consciousness. "L...Luffy? You're here...!"
"Yeah, I got here a while ago," Luffy replied.
"And I'm here, too," Past Sanji waved. "Hi."
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!" Past Usopp yelled.
"Wait a minute!" Past Zoro called. "I thought Nami killed you, Usopp."
"Stupid Johnny!" Luffy exclaimed. "He was spouting nonsense that entire time!"
"Now wait a minute!" Past Usopp spoke. "Things aren't exactly what they seem, here!"
"What do you mean?" Luffy asked, and soon, Past Usopp explained how Past Nami had saved him from Arlong's wrath by pretending to kill him, but actually stabbing her own hand to make it seem like she stabbed him, then told him to fall back into the pool so that he could escape, and Arlong would be none the wiser.
"Wait, that's why your hand was bandaged?" Aika asked.
"It hurt," Nami said as she rubbed her hand, "but not as much as the thought of seeing Luffy and the others get hurt...or worse..."
"Basically, if Nami pissed off Arlong," Sanji began, "she'd make him regret by killing someone close to her."
Aika gasped silently in horror.
"That's why I tried so hard to push Luffy and the others away," Nami said. "I couldn't stand the thought of Arlong killing any of them...I really thought they didn't stand a chance against him."
"But Big Brother is so strong!" Aika exclaimed. "You know that, Big Sis Nami!"
"I know that, NOW, honey," Nami answered.
"So now what do we do?" Past Zoro asked. "Storm Arlong Park and take Nami back?"
"N-now, hold up!" Past Usopp exclaimed. "I think we should ask Nami for a better explanation before we think up a plan!"
"Don't bother! It's useless!"
Nami gasped silently upon hearing that familiar voice, and soon, the group looked up to see it was none other than...
"Nojiko!" Nami exclaimed as she saw her older adopted sister, staring down at the Past Straw Hats.
"Who's that?" Aika asked.
"By big sister, Nojiko!" Nami answered. "Well...I guess that would also make yours, too, sweetie." She then smiled. "Wow...I wonder how she's doing, nowadays."
"Wow!" Aika exclaimed. "I have 3 big sisters! How cool is that?!"
"Why does that not surprise me?" Kumi asked.
"No matter what you guys try to do," Nojiko began, "Arlong cannot be stopped. Just give up."
"Nojiko!" Past Usopp exclaimed. "It's you!"
"What do you mean 'it's useless'?" inquired Past Zoro.
"Look," Nojiko began, "for your own good, stop sticking your nose in this village's business. Just leave Nami here...I'll tell you why that it is?"
"Why that is?" Past Sanji asked.
"You mean there's a reason why Nami's with the Fishmen?" asked Past Usopp.
"That's right," said Nojiko. "Once I tell you, you have to leave."
"Uhh...okay," Past Usopp answered. "So what is it then?"
"I'm gonna pass on this," Luffy said as he turned and walked away. "I don't care what her past was."
'If Nami wanted me to know, she can tell me herself.'
Nami gasped silently at this.
"...Luffy...!" she whispered as she put a hand on her chest, which caused the other Straw Hats to smile at her.
"Hey, Luffy, where ya goin'?" Past Sanji asked.
"On a walk," Luffy answered before the memory shifted, revealing Luffy sitting against a tree, and for some reason, he seemed to be deep in thought, which was rather for him.
"Hmmm..." he hummed. "A pinwheel..." He then smirked. "I think I just thought of a cool new move!"
"Pinwheel?" Brook repeated.
"What kinda nonsense is he blathering about now?" Blizzard asked.
"Maybe he's thinking about going to a festival or something?" Aika inquired. "I know I've seen them whenever we had a festival at my island."
All of a sudden, there was a loud commotion going about, catching everyone's attention.
"Huh? What's that?" Luffy asked as he got up to go and look. As soon as he arrived in the middle of town, he saw a large crowd had gathered, and among them was Nami's father figure, Genzo, who was holding Nojiko, whose arm was bleeding, for some reason.
"Doctor!" he called out. "Someone, get a doctor, quick!"
"What happened?!" asked a man in the crowd.
"It's Nojiko! She's been shot!" Genzo answered.
"Shot?! What do you mean, shot?!" asked someone else. "By whom?!
"...The Marines did it," said Genzo, grimly.
"WHAT?!" the townsfolk questioned in shock.
"What?!" Aika questioned. "Big Sis Nojiko got shot?! Why?!"
"...It was Arlong's fault," Nami hissed with great hatred. "He stabbed me in the back."
"...What did he do?" Aika asked.
"He bribed the Marines," Sanji began, just as furious as Nami, "and had them take away all the treasure she collected over the years working for him so that he could make her work for him forever."
"No matter how many times Nami would try," Usopp started, also sharing the same anger, "Arlong intended to keep Nami with him until she was no longer useful to him...in other words, until the day she died."
Aika and Kumi both gasped in horror before they looked up at Nami, who looked away from the memory and bit her lip.
"...How dreadful," Brook whispered with a look of great disgust. "Such a horrid, despicable person, this Arlong! How dare he take advantage of Miss Nami's heart, like that?!"
"That damn shark bastard...!" hissed Franky, while Blizzard growled viciously in agreement.
Robin looked over at Nami, whose entire body was trembling. She sympathized with her, all too well, for it was just like when Spandam betrayed her trust. She gave up being with the Straw Hats, and Spandam never intended to honor his promise with her. Arlong reminded her too much of him.
At that moment, Luffy noticed Past Nami, who was seething with rage at this point upon seeing her sister injured.
"I...I'm fine," said Nojiko. "Really, I am!"
"What happened to her?!" asked one of the townspeople.
"...Arlong's in league with the Marines," said Genzo. "They stabbed Nami in the back! He never intended to honor his word to her!"
Upon hearing that, it was the townsfolk's turn to get angry.
"I don't believe it...!"
"That bastard Arlong!"
"How could he do this to poor little Nami like that?!"
At that moment, Nami stood up, gently removing Nojiko's head from her lap.
"W-wait, Nami..." the doctor muttered.
"Hey, Nami!" Luffy greeted as he walked up to her, seemingly not noticing her anger. "What's going on? Maybe I can help!"
"...You're still here?" Past Nami asked with a vicious glare in her eyes, causing Luffy to freeze right in his tracks.
'Uh-oh...she's all scary again!'
Before he could protest, Past Nami grabbed Luffy by the collar of his vest and pulled him towards her face, causing him to yelp in fright.
"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO MIND YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!" she yelled. "GET OFF THIS ISLAND, ALREADY!"
On that, she tossed Luffy aside and ran off while he blinked after her, then he got up, dusted himself off, and sat under the tree, again.
"Jeez...what the hell did I do?" he asked with a pout.
The Straw Hats didn't speak...but they knew they didn't have to. They knew that something intense was about to happen here. As they kept watching, Past Zoro, Past Usopp, and Past Sanji all appeared and sat around outside at the edge of town. They didn't speak a single word..it was almost eerie, as if they knew that they were waiting for something like this to happen.
Eventually, after what seemed like hours, the group saw a crowd beginning to grow on the streets, armed with all manner of weapons: swords, pitchforks, shovels, guns, you name it. It almost as if these people were about go to war...a war that they knew that they had no chance at winning.
"Those bastards have gone too far, now!" Genzo shouted. "8 years ago, they came to our humble village, and we swore that no matter what, we would never give up our lives! No matter how badly those scumbags treated us, as long as Nami was treated all right, then we would continue to endure! WELL, NO MORE! That damned Arlong betrayed Nami, and now, there's no freedom for us! And not just that, but he took advantage of that poor girl's kindness...and even killed her poor mother! ANY OBJECTIONS?!"
Soon, the townsfolk began to yell.
"Hell no!"
"We've been waiting for this moment!"
"We're not gonna take their crap, anymore!"
"What are we waiting for?! Let's get 'em!"
"No! Wait!"
Everyone turned to see Past Nami...who had this forced smile on her face.
"Please...it's fine!" she tried to assure them. "I can just steal the money all over again, no matter how long it takes! Please, just wait a little longer!"
The Straw Hats couldn't help but feel their hearts go out to their navigator...even her present self couldn't help feeling like she wanted to hug her. She looked like a woman who had resigned herself to her fate...all because she didn't want to see the people she loved get killed. It was enough to break their hearts...theirs and the hearts of the villagers. Even Nojiko could see the pain in her sister's face.
"It'll be a little easier for me, this time," said Past Nami. "You'll see! I've gotten more experienced, now! Really...I'm okay...compared to back then, I'm really fine! You don't have to worry about me-"
"Stop it!" Genzo ordered, causing Past Nami to gasp silently...before he went up and pulled her into a firm hug. "...That's enough, Nami...we get it. You've tried your best to fight as hard as you could, but it just wasn't enough. You suffered for our sake...joining Arlong must've hurt more than cutting your own hand."
"...Old Man Gen...!" Past Nami whispered, her voice beginning to break.
"Now," Genzo began, "get off this island."
"W-what?!" Past Nami questioned. "But...but Genzo!"
"Be quiet, Nami!" Nojiko ordered. "He's right...go find that straw hat guy and leave!"
"No!" Past Nami argued with tears in her eyes. "I can't leave you guys!"
"It's okay, Nami," Nojiko assured. "You're a smart girl...and you've got a big dream ahead of you. We're not gonna let you waste it."
"SHUT UP!" Past Nami yelled as she stood in front of the mob, pointing a knife at them with shaky hands. "I won't let you! I don't want anyone else to die for my sake...not like how Bellemere did!" She then sniffled as she tried to fight back her tears. "Please...don't do this! You'll all be killed!"
A pause...before Genzo grabbed the knife by the blade, cutting his own palm.
"...We know, Nami," he said with great resignation in his voice.
"Don't try to stop us," said the doctor. "We already decided on this."
Past Nami gaped as tears fell from her eyes.
"GET OUT OF OUR WAY, NAMI!" Genzo yelled, causing her to stumble out of their path. "LET'S GO EVERYONE! EVEN IF WE DIE, WE'LL STILL SHOW THOSE BASTARDS WHAT WE'RE MADE OF!"
"YEAH!" everyone cheered as they followed Genzo...leaving Past Nami behind, completely stunned. She soon dropped to her knees and the knife fell out of her hands. Tears cascaded down her cheeks...and she seethed furiously as she looked at her left shoulder, where the tattoo of Arlong's Jolly Roger was placed. She grabbed at it, digging her nails into the skin, as if wanting to rip it right off the bone.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!" she shrieked as she grabbed the knife and began to stab her shoulder, over and over. "ARLONG! URGH! URGH! ARLONG, ARLONG!"
As the present-day Straw Hats watched...Aika's eyes were welling over with tears. She sniffled as she watched her older sister figure's past self continuously hurt herself. It was more than she could take. Soon, Nami grabbed Aika and pulled her into a tight hug, allowing the girl to sob into her shoulder.
Chopper and Kumi weren't too far off, either. They were both being hugged by Blizzard while they openly cried for their poor navigator. As for the others...they were trying their damnedest not to let their rage take over.
Just then...a hand reached out and grabbed Past Nami's wrist, just as she was about to stab herself again, causing her to look up and see that it was Luffy, who stared at her with a blank expression.
"Luffy..." she whispered before she pulled her hand away. "What do you want? You don't know anything about this. You don't what's been happening on this island for the past 8 years..."
"Nope, I don't," Luffy said, bluntly.
"...This has NOTHING to do with you...!" Past Nami said, still trying to put up that cold façade she tried to put on, earlier. "I told you to leave this place...!"
"Yep, you sure did," Luffy replied, again.
"SO LEAVE!" Past Nami yelled as she began to blindly throw sand at him...but the Straw Hats knew that she was just venting her frustrations. "I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE! GET OUTTA HERE! GET OUTTA HERE, NOW! GO AWAY! GO...go...go..."
But Luffy stayed...while Past Nami sobbed, like the broken girl that she was, deep inside. She had lost everything...her mother, her treasure...and now, she was going to lose her sister, father figure, and all her beloved neighbors. She was truly someone who had run out of options.
"...Luffy..." she whispered before she looked back with teary eyes and a runny nose. "...Help me...!"
A pause...but then Luffy took his hat off and placed it upon Past Nami's head.
"Of course," he said as he walked passed her. "That's what friends do." He then took in a deep breath. "HE'S GONNA PAY~!"
"...Luffy...!" Past Nami whispered in surprise as she held his hat in fingers, which caused Aika to glance up at the present Nami, who stared at the memory with renewed vigor. Then, the younger D. Carrier took Luffy's hat off of her head, then nudged Nami with it, causing her to look down at her and smile before she put it on her head.
"...Thank you, sweetie," Nami whispered, causing Aika to smile up at her.
Soon, Luffy walked toward Past Zoro, Past Usopp, and Past Sanji.
"Let's go," he spoke, causing them to come to full attention.
"Right!" they exclaimed before they soon joined his side and all went on the march, like four men on the warpath. No words had been spoken between the four...but none were needed. They knew that their friend had been dealt a great injustice...and now it was up to them to make it right.
This was the true moment...the moment they had really become the Straw Hat Pirates.
It was then that they had all arrived at Arlong Park, where Genzo, Nojiko, and the angry mob had gathered at the gate. For some reason, Johnny and Yosaku were there, as well, but it looked like they had gotten roughed up rather badly. Obviously, they had taken Arlong and his crew, but lost.
"Stand aside!" Luffy demanded, causing everyone to step aside and let him and others pass. Then, Luffy stretched his arm back before he punched down the doors of the gate, causing it to fall over.
"...All right," Luffy said as he stood up. "Now...which one of you is Arlong?"
The Fishmen all glared at the intruder...but then, a certain one spoke up from his lawn chair, not even bothering to give Luffy a glance.
"Arlong?" he asked. "That just so happens to be my name!"
"...So...HE'S Arlong, huh?" Blizzard asked with a growl.
"...There's no good in him..." Aika hissed with such anger, that it was almost unusual for her. "Nothing redeemable about him, at all!"
"Are you sure?" Brook asked. "He looks a bit laid-back to me."
"Trust me," said Sanji. "Arlong's not somebody to be underestimated."
"The name's Luffy," Luffy said as he walked toward the Sawtooth Shark Fishman.
"Luffy?" Arlong repeated. "And just who are you?"
"A pirate," Luffy answered.
"Oh! It's him!" exclaimed a familiar eight-armed Octopus Fishman. "The guy who likes to take walks!"
"...Oh, Hachi," Nami muttered.
"Who?" asked Aika.
"One of Arlong's men," Nami answered, "but honestly, he's the only who ever treated me with any kindness. I never really hated him."
"Hold it right there!" called one of the Fishmen as he and one of his friends attempted to cut Luffy off. "That's far enough, pal."
Luffy only glared before he slammed both their heads together and shouted "Get the hell outta my way!"
Once they were knocked out, he continued to walk toward Arlong.
"And just what does a pirate want with me?" asked Arlong...but he soon got his answer when Luffy reeled his fast back and then punched him right across the jaw, causing him to be sent flying across the park and crash into a wall, much to the shock of the other Fishmen.
Before too long, Arlong managed to pull himself out of the rubble before he glared at Luffy.
"...Who the hell do you think you are?!" he questioned, which caused Luffy to scowl at him.
"That's for making my navigator cry!" he shouted.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Nami: This is gonna be hell to watch.
Luffy: Get ready, Arlong, because I'm about to kick your ass!
Arlong: Not likely! You've no idea the power of us Fishmen!
Luffy: I know this much! Without my crew, I'd be dead by now!
Past Nami: Luffy...
Arlong: Nami's my precious navigator. As long as I make her happy, then she's better off with me! She would be wasted on you! You could never use her like I could!
Luffy: *very pissed off* ...Use her?
Next time: Taking Nami Back
Review, please!
