Chapter 22

Nami's Loss

Maxwell treats Usopp's face, as he had been knocked unconscious. Luffy tries to get him to wake up, while Zoro and Sanji stand in the back.

"Usopp! Did Nami do this to you!?" "Uh no. That was actually because of him and I." "You mean just you."

Usopp opens his eyes, "Ah... Luffy! You're here too?"

"Yup."

"I've decided to come along too. Nice to meet you." Usopp recognizes Sanji, especially his customer service. Well, that and he just kicked him.

"You...! I'll kill you one of these days!" Usopp however, decides to put this on a back burner.

He Maxwell away so he could speak to everyone. "In any case... Guy's the problem is Nami. She saved my life. There has to be a reason why she ended up joining the Arlong Pirates!"

"It's useless," someone else came down the road. "No matter what you do, you won't be able to change Arlong's rule."

"Nojiko." Usopp recognizes the tangerine farmer.

"Who's she?" "She's Nami's sister." "N-N-Nami's sister!? Well, it's no wonder why she's so beautiful then!"

"What do mean useless?" Zoro asks.

Nojiko put's her hands on her hips, "Please don't involve yourselves with this village any further. I'll tell you all about how things got this way. In return, I want you to leave just as quietly."

"...I'm fine. I'm not really interested in her past." Luffy turns around, "I'm taking a walk." Maxwell snorts at his captain. By his guess, if Luffy didn't listen, he wouldn't have to leave without Nami.

"Take a walk? You're not going to listen?" Usopp calls out to Luffy.

"No, I'm cool."

Nojiko only watches as Luffy walks away, "...What's with him?"

"Don't mind him," Zoro grins and sits down by a tree. "That's just the kind of guy he is. But we'll listen to what you have to say. Though I doubt your story will change anything."

"...But you're sleeping."

Zoro does begin to snore.

"DON'T JUST FALL ASLEEP AS SOON AS YOU SAY THAT!" Usopp yells at the swordsman. He turns to Nojiko, "Well I for one, will listen to understand what's going on."

"Me too," agrees Sanji.

Maxwell walks over beside Usopp, "We're listening, Miss Nojiko."

"I see... No wonder they're giving Nami so much trouble..."

Nami and I were raised by a woman name Bell-mere. She had adopted us both after she saved us from a pirate ship. We grew up on this island. Nami always seemed to get into trouble stealing things, but Belle-mere was always able to make it slide with Genzo. She was a great mom, even when we were on tough times.

One day though, Nami and Belle-mere got into an argument, and she ran away. I found her with Genzo, he's actually rather nice, but it was also the same day Arlong came to Cocoyasi. He conquered the town, collecting tribute from the villagers. After they'd finished with the town, almost left, but they noticed our orchard outside of town.

We ran after them but we were caught by the villager. Belle-mere was defeated on the ground, and they told us to hide, but we didn't. Genzo tried to resist against the fishmen, but it didn't work. We all watched as she sacrificed herself for us, with Arlong shooting here in the head.

They then found Nami's sea charts and took her with them. The villagers fought back but it was useless, and Genzo got his scares. I buried Belle-mere not knowing what else to do. The village tried to rally in order to get her back, but Nami had walked back into the village. She had joined the Arlong Pirates. I didn't understand it at the time but Nami had sacrificed herself in order to try and free the village.

"Ever since that day, 8 years ago, that girl decided never to show her tears to anyone and never ask for help. All because she didn't want to see anyone to be killed by Arlong, just like our mother was... Do you have any idea how painful it was for her? To make that decision to fight alone and continue to live on when she was barely 10 years old?"

Maxwell could only remain silent. He had experience that kind of loss. But to experience something like that so young...

Usopp got into a thinking pose, "So in order to save her village, she forced herself to join the very pirates who killed her mother..."

Sanji was outraged, "How dare they cause pain to my beloved Nami! I'll kill those pirates!" Nojiko bonked him on the head. And Sanji held his head in pain, "W-What was that for!?"

"That's exactly what I've come to tell you NOT to do! Because of you going around, calling Nami your friend and causing trouble, those pirates are starting to doubt her, putting her 8 years of hard work in jeopardy! So please... Don't make her suffer anymore." She walks away and goes back to her orchard.

The boys all thought about what they heard. Maxwell in particular thought about his teacher.

Senior Enchanter Lydia had been like a mother to him. Lydia was the one who taught Maxwell most of what he knows about magic. She made sure he studied, got to class on time, and cared for him when he got sad. After his Harrowing, Lydia was the first person he saw waking up. She even gave him his first staff, even promoted him to Enchanter. And he had lost her because of the Mage Rebellion.

The enchanters were deliberating what to do at the time. The Templars of Ostwick had left them alone, but had abandoned the tower, leaving the mages to their own devices. Lydia had gotten into a heated discussion with a younger enchanter, debating whether to join the cause or not. They attacked her, sparking a shoot out between factions and effectively ending the Circle of Ostwick. He'd lost his mother that day.

Maxwell knew now that they couldn't just leave. But they had to find Luffy first. He walks over to Zoro and nudges him awake.

"...Let's find Luffy."

Genzo had enough, "That does it! Arm yourselves! It's time to fight!"

"UOOOOOHHH!" the village yells in response. The Marines had upturned Bellemere's Orchard and found all the gold Nami had been saving up for the village. No doubt Arlong had let them in on it. Any other marines would have been sunk, but not Nezumi. He was in Arlong's pocket.

"8 years ago, we swore not to throw our lives away! No matter how painful it may be living under their rule, we swore that as long as Nami was fine we would limit ourselves to a fight of endurance! But this is how they answered us!"

Genzo had a saber in hand, "Now that our only chance of liberation has been denied, there is no longer any hope for this island! But we shall never forgive those fishmen who dared to toy around with the kindness of that girl! Any objection!?l

Maxwell could only watch as the villagers cry out for war. They knew they weren't warriors but they were going to fight anyways. Maxwell, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp all knew they couldn't get involved. Not yet.

"Wait everyone!" The villager all turned around and saw Nami with a fake smile on. She had been panting, "Please just wait a little more! I'll try my best again so please! I'll raise enough money onece more! It'll actually be easier this time!. They can only look at her in pity.

Genzo walked up and hugged the poor girl, "That's enough...! You know that doing such a thing would be futile. You've carried all our hope alone for long enough." Nami can only stare at his shoulder wide-eyed. "...You've fought splendidly...! I know that working with them must've been more painful than a thousand searing knives. You've fought well."

"Gen...," Nami began to tear up.

"You can now leave this village."

"What!? B—!"

"Nami...," her sister walked up to them. "You're cunning and you've got what it takes to survive out there! Beside you've got a dream to fulfill!"

"Nojiko...!" Nami draws her knife, "No! Please stop, everyone! I don't want to see them hurt any one of you again! You'll die, you know!?"

"We know." Genzo grabs the dagger by the blade, surprising Nami.

Nako, the town doctor calls out, "It's no use. Our hearts are set!"

"Now move out of our way Nami!" Nami can only look at them, stunned and horrified. "Let's go everyone! Even if we may not win, let's show them our spirit!" She falls to her knees and grabs her shoulder.

"Arlong...!" Nami yells his name, chanting it, stabbing her shoulder where the Arlong crest had been tattooed. She wanted it gone. She wanted him to pay.

Luffy however grabs her hand before she could stab herself again. Tears flowed from her eyes as she looked up at, what she thought, was he her only friend.

"Luffy...," she drops the dagger and looks away. "...What is it!? You don't know even know the first thing about anything here!"

"You're right, I don't know anything."

"This has nothing to do with you...!" the throws sand trying the shoo him away. "Didn't I already tell you to leave this island!?"

"Yeah, you did."

Nami cries. Despite trying to hold it all in, she turns back to Luffy.

"Luffy... Help me..."

Luffy takes of his treasure, his straw hat, and puts it on her head. He then walks forward, takes a huge breath, and yells.

"OF COURSE I WILL!"

"Luffy..." She then takes notice of Maxwell and the others, waiting on the road.

"Let's go."

"Roger!" they reply, and follow their captain towards Arlong Park.

The crew arrives to see the village outside the gates. They were hold up by two men stating in front of them. "Hey! Are you two Alright!? We're you done in by Arlong!?"

"Could you please move out of the way? We have business to settle with those fishmen!" The two men were Johnny and Yosaku. They were beat up, but sat in front of the gates. Their cleavers, stuck in the ground to form a "X" between them.

Johnny speaks up, "We challenged them in order to make up for doubting Sister Nami. But we lost, just by a hair...!"

Yosaku clutches the end of his sword, "After hearing of Nami's true motives while we were in the forest, we realized we had made a terrible mistake. We don't have the right to face her again."

"I'm sorry. But we can't let you , who stand no chance of winning, through!" The villagers balk at their declaration. "We're waiting for a group of men that will undoubtedly come here soon enough!"

"A group of men!?" Genzo questions.

"He means us," Maxwell replies. The villagers turn to see Luffy walking in the lead. Maxwell and the others follow him on either side. The villagers, seeing the looks in their eyes, part away as the pirates made their way through.

"Bro...," The bounty hunters could only look down in shame seeing the Strawhats. "We're sorry that—"

"Save your strength," Zoro tells them, "We'll handle this." Johnny and Yosaku get up and walk to the sides.

Maxwell looks to Luffy, "Any words of encouragement, Captain, before we go in?"

"No. Just for them." Maxwell closes his eyes and grins at Luffy's answer.

Luff punches the gate. The walls crumble at the hinges and the gates fly off into the yard. Dozens of fishmen look at the gates and at Luffy, "Which of you is the one called Arlong?"

"Who is this brat...?" Arlong looks at Luffy from the corner of his eye.

Luffy walks into the courtyard, "You Arlong?"

"That would be my name..."

"I'm Luffy."

Arlong leers at the human, "Luffy? I see... And just what the hell are you?"

"A Pirate."

Two of the fishmen get in front of Luffy. "Hey you. Stop..." "Hehe, where do you think you're going? We can't have you go through without talking to us first." "Hey... if you don't hold it right there—"

"Move it!" Luffy bashes their heads together. The fishmen all look at him, surprised at how easily he could knock them out.

"And what does a pirate want with me?" Arlong hasn't moved from his chair. Luffy gives him a clean punch to the face, sending him flying into a wall. The fishmen all look at their captain worried, while Luffy steams. Arlong looks up, unimpressed, "Just what the hell—?"

"Don't you DARE make my navigator cry!"