Chapter 25

Winds of Change

Cocoyasi was celebrating. They had just watched the defeat of their fishman oppressor Arlong be defeated. Luffy and the Strawhats had beaten all of Arlong Park. And Luffy stood victorious on the ruins of their tower.

"That's enough celebrating! Chichichichi!" The marines had showed up headed by Captain Nezumi.

Everyone turns around to look at the marines. "It's him...!"

The marine smiles, "What a lucky day this is for me today! I'd like to thank you all for showing me a most exhilarating battle. Whether by sheet luck or not, I'd have never had guessed that the fishmen would actually be defeated by a bunch of no-name pirates. But thanks to you, the money that I had to hand over to Arlong, as well as all the riches of Arlong Park, now belongs to me!"

Nezumi thrusts and arm forward, "So throw down your arms! I, Captain Nezumi of the 16th Branch of the Marines, shall hereby take credit for your victory!"

Zoro suddenly appears behind Nezmi, with a hand on the marine's shoulder, "AGH~!" Zoro clamps down hard, scaring the soldiers as they had no idea how they got there so fast.

"You know, it ain't nice to be such a wet blanket when people are busy celebrating."

"AGH! GET HIM!"

...

One marine butt kicking later...

Nezumi and the rest of his beaten up, corrupt, marines lay together in a dog pile, "Go ahead! Lay eben one binger on me ib yu dare! I swear yu won't ged away widdit!"

"Is his mouth even still alive...?" asks Sanji. Him and the boys stood over the navy soldiers having kicked their collected asses. Nami came forward and gave Luffy back his straw hat.

She then crouches down in front of the whisker moustached marine, "This is for shooting Nojiko, and defiling Belle-mere's orange fields..."

"Huh?" Nami slams his face with here staff, sending Nezumi careening into the pool.

"Captain!"

Her sister laughs, "Thanks Nami! I feel better already!" Genzo looks ready for more, "He still needs about a thousand more beatings!"

Nezumi swims back up to land, panting, but he is met with Nami at the edge. She pulls on his whiskers, "Now go clean up after the fishmen! Then help rebuild Gosa Village! And you're not to touch any of the money left here in Arlong Park! That's this island's money alone!" She then pulls harder, "And one more thing!"

"Owowowowow! I'll do whudeber yu say!"

"Give me back my money!"

"I will, I will!"

Maxwell and the villagers laugh. Corrupt marines get their just deserts? Today, was a very good day.

Nezumi and the marines all get into the water, "Listen well, you rotten pirates! Especially you, Strawhat-boy! You said your name was Luffy, didn't you!? You're the captain, right? Let me just say that you're gonna get your just deserts for angering me! I swear I'll get you back for this!"

Maxwell snaps his fingers and Nezumi turns into a floating ice cube, "S-So cold!"

The guys all look and Maxwell, "Well what do you know? Winter's Grasp works."

"Captain!" The marines grab their dozen captain and swim off into the ocean. "Z-z-z-ze z-I'll r-r-r-remember this..."

Sanji is the first to speak up as the marine disappear into the distance, "...So he said you're gonna get you're just deserts." He refers to Luffy.

"How'd he know that I deserve to be King of the Pirates?" asks Luffy.

"That's not what he meant, dumbass," Zoro responds.

"W-What do we do, guys!? What happens if he really does get back at us!?" Usopp demanded.

"Hahahaha! We'll be fine Usopp." Maxwell puts a hand on his shoulder, "At worst, he's going to complain that we beat him and hopes he never sees us again."

"Yeah, Usopp! Stop being such a worry-wort!" The guys laugh as the celebrate their victory over the Arlong Pirates. Usopp demands that they at least take it seriously, but it falls on deaf ears.

Maxwell looks around, "Now, where's my staff?" He sees it underneath some rubble, but the wood is splintered and leaves it hanging by the wrapped cloth, "Well, shit."

Everyone from Cocoyasi Village spreads the news of Arlong's defeat all over the island. The Navy had also arrived to arrest the fishmen of Arlong Park. They also promptly left afterwards at the island's request, nor did they touch a single coin. The Strawhats had other problems though.

"UGYA~!" Primarily their medical treatment.

"He's screaming again," said Sanji. Both he and Usopp were sitting outside the doctor's office as the doctor worked on the crew's injuries. Nami and her family had insisted on getting checked up.

"Well duh. The doctor said it normally 2 two years for him to recover fully."

"Yet, Maxwell's magic was able to cut that down by half."

Usopp thinks back to their time on the boat, "...I think Max said something was interfering with his magic at the time."

"Really?" Sanji doesn't actually seem interested and continues to smoke.

Meanwhile, "How are you even able to move right now!" Nako was busy operating on Zoro's wound from his fight with Mihawk. The wound may have healed, but process wasn't pretty and needed correction. "Just because you're patched up, doesn't mean your healthy!"

"Owowowow..." Zoro hissed. Johnny and Yosaku were sleeping in the hospital beds.

Nako looks over at Maxwell, "Aren't you the ship's witch-doctor or something!?"

Maxwell had been hooked up to an IV. He needed to regain some muscle mass. Still, had had been free to sit up in his bed, "No, I'm any kind of doctor. I was never properly trained to be a healer. I was taught basics at the most."

Luffy put a hand under his chin, "A doctor? That's a good idea. But we need a musician first." He hand bandages up his arm and on his shoulder.

The current doctor looks at Luffy, "...Why?"

"Because pirates have gotta sing, you know?" Luffy smiles back at the professional.

Nako looks over at Maxwell, "How is this dumbass as your captain?"

Maxwell laughs, "Hahaha! You'll never doc, you'll never know."

Night fell upon the island and the waves were quite as they usually were. However the thunderous festivities did not subside this night or the next. For the people of Cocoyasi had all endured for this moment. They had endured everything tin order to laugh again.

The islanders partied throughout their home. Dancing, clapping, playing their music, and there was drinking all around. Even the Strawhats joined in, after they had finished their business for the day. Most of them were sitting on a porch.

"Ahh... I sure ate a lot," Sanji was taking a smoke. "Feels nice to stuff yourself every now and then."

Luffy was holding six deep fried meat on the bones, and had one in his mouth. "Hey Sanji! Was there something on that least melon you ate just now...!?"

"What's with all the meat you're holding onto?" asked Zoro. He currently had a mug of beer in his hand.

Sanji answers Luffy's question, "Yeah, it was a melon with raw ham, called 'Raw Ham Melon.'"

"Raw Ham Melon!? Where'd you get it!?"

"Not sure since there's food out out everywhere for all the villagers. Must've picked it up somewhere..."

"Then I'll go find it!" Luffy runs off.

Zoro swigs a drink, "He's been eating non-stop."

The cook ignores him, "Now that I'm finished eating... IT'S TIME TO FLIRT WITH THE LADIES!" Sanji runs off too, to the nearest group of gals. Zoro just decides to take a nap.

"It is I, Captain Usopp! The warrior who defeated one of the fishmen! Allow me to sing you a song!" Usopp was on top of a stack of tables with a megaphone. The crowd around it just cheered him on.

And where was Maxwell?

He was outside the village standing on a cliff. The mage smiled down at the village in the distance as he held a rolled up flag.

Maxwell turned around and continued up to the summit where he had a view of the ocean. There he saw the black expanse of the night sky. Stars glittered like diamonds and reflected off the ocean pool. Truly a beautiful sight.

"Now what would you be doing up here?" Maxwell, surprised, looks back to Nami standing there with a new bandage on her shoulder. She smiles, "You're not planning to run away are you?"

Maxwell chuckles at the joke, "No. I... was planning to do a little ceremony. Just a way to say goodbye."

"What for?" Nami asked, curious.

"...Back where I come from, I was involved in a war. We were killing each other over traditions and freedoms... It's gone now, at least for me... And I cannot go back."

Nami steps closer, "...How'd you get out?"

Maxwell looks out over the water, "...That explosion, when you guys asked me about my home. I was negotiating a peace conference, during a ceasefire called for by the Chantry. Something happened and I was physically sent through the Veil. Somehow the Fade carried me through it's expanse and spat me out here, where I met Luffy."

He looks over at the cat burglar, "He gave me a chance to be myself and not think about a war. This world... this crew... it's my home now." Nami remains silent as he listens to the mage.

"Would you care to join me?" Maxwell walks up near to the edge of the cliff. Nami hestitang but joins beside him as he holds the foreign flag. The symbol of the Circle of Magi.

Maxwell begins to sing, in a low baritone.

"...Acolo am, vazut Orasul Negru... turnurile toate, pa~tate...," Maxwell lifted the flag as is blows with a slight breeze. "Portile odata, stralucitoare de aur pentru, totdeauna inchise...," the flag began to glow and gentle flew out of his hands. "Cerul sa umplut de liniste... a~tunci stiam toa~te." And just a gently, the flag began to dissolve into glowing embers flying up to the stars. "So mi-am incrucisat... inima cu o rusine insuprta~bila..."

"...A little weird, but it sounded beautiful," Nami comments. They both watch as the sparks disappear into the night sky.

"Hahahaha...," Maxwell laughs. "It was the the first verse to the Chant of Light, in the original ancient Tevitese language... The sisters back home would probably call out blasphemy if they heard me singing that, Hahahaha... 'There I saw the Black City, towers all stain'd, Gates once bright golden forever shut, Heaven filled with silence, then did I know all. And cross'd my heart with unbearable shame.'"

Nami looks over at Maxwell, "Why would they cuss you out for that?"

Maxwell dry rinses his hands, "Oh you know, language of tyrants who originally destroyed the world, and all that."

"What?" Nami chuckled.

"I can give you an in-depth Chantry lesson later." Maxwell placed his hands on Nami's shoulders and lead he back to town, "Now, I believed there was some pork skewers at one particular table..."

Nami laughs as they walked back down to the party.

...

The next day...

Everyone was crowded around the Going Merry, ready to see their heroes off on their next great adventure.

Johnny and Yosaku looked up at the people on the Merry. "We must now return back to our jobs as bounty hunters. So thank you for all your help until now." "Though we must say goodbye, may we meet again someplace else in the future."

Luffy leans over the rails, "I see. Then take care."

"The same to you, my brothers"

"Where is she anyways?" asks Usopp.

"Maybe she's not coming?" suggests Zoro.

"WHAT!? IS NAMI REALY NOT COMING!?" Sanji demands, looking at Luffy.

Luffy points at the cook, "Hey! That Raw Ham Melon you were talking about wasn't anywhere!"

Maxwell passes by and pats Sanji's shoulder, "Don't worry, she's coming."

Maxwell had a new staff. Though he had it commissioned by the blacksmith he talked too yesterday. However, he did have a hand in assembling it. The staff resembled the Archmage design back from Thedas, made of a nice dense wood and sporting a nice, ornate, spear head at one end. The stone held in it's crown, was a smooth white rock shaped and smoothed by the tides. The new weapon was certainly an improvement to Maxwell own shoddy work. Of course, he'd have to practice magic with—and without the new staff.

Genzo, Nako, and Nojiko were having their own little conversation, "What!? She's leaving all her money behind!? All 100 million beli!?" The villagers had already retrieved the treasure back from the marines yesterday. "She's not taking any of her money with her? But she risked her life to save up that much—"

"She said it's fine," Nojiko interrupts them, "Since she can always steal more... I told her to take a little bit at least, but she wouldn't hear of it. You know how she is."

"That fool...," Genzo looked down ashamed. "It's us who should be trying to make things up to her after all she did...!"

"SET SAIL!" The villager all see Nami running towards them.

"She's running over here?" Usopp notices, "What do we do?"

"She said set sail so... I guess we should set sail," suggests Luffy.

"Aye-aye, Captain," Maxwell energizes the ship to unfurl the sails, weigh anchor, and turn towards the ocean.

The villagers all look at the girl, "Don't tell me... she's planning to leave without letting us say even a word of thanks or goodbye...!?" "What..." Nami keeps running closer, "Nami Stop! At least let us thank you for all you've done!"

Some of the villagers notice the Merry, "Ah! They're taking off! But we need to thank you pirates t—" Genzo cuts them off, "Nami, wait! I can't allow you to leave this way!"

"You sure it's okay to let her leave like this?" Sanji asks Luffy.

"It's her goodbye so let's let her decide."

"Nami!" The girl weaves around all the towns folk before jumping off the pier and onto the Going Merry. "Nami! Why...!" As she lands, she hefts up her shirt to reveal all the stollen wallets she had pickpocketed. "Wah!? My wallet's gone!" "Mine too!" "Me too!" "Same here!" "Mine as well!"

"Take care everyone!" Nami looks back with a teasing grin and a paper Beri bill.

"You..."

"YOU ROTTEN LITTLE THIEF!" The village cries out.

"She still hasn't changed a bit." "Is she going to betray us again?" "Good job, Nami?" "Shishishishi "Well, that's one way to say goodbye..."

Nami giggles as the village demands their money back. But those cries of anger soon turn to fond farewells as they head out onto the open ocean.

Genzo calls out to Luffy, "Hey, kid! Don't forget our promise!" Luffy puts out a thumbs up to the scared man. He'd protect her.

"Goodbye, everyone! I'll be off now!" Nami calls out to her hometown.

The ones closest to the edge all sit down as they wave goodbye. Nojiko laughs, "She sure got us good! I should've know better from my own sister. Have fun."

"Hey Genzo..." "Hm? What's this doc?" Nako hands him a drawing on a piece of paper.

"She got herself another tattoo."

The man looks down at the drawing, "What is it?" "She said it's an orange and and a pinwheel."

Nojiko notices something, "Huh? What happened to your pinwheel, Gen?"

"Haha...," the old man just smiles, "I didn't need it anymore." Gen had kept in on his hat to make Nami laugh as a child. Now she's all grown up and on her way to become a fine woman.

Thus did the gentle winds blow, witch clear skies ahead. Perfect weather for a pinwheel.