Chapter 2
Hachin, Hachi, Hatchan!?
Apparently, when a sea star says, "Ask the fish," he really does mean ask the fish.
They had been sailing for about five hours now, and the Thousand Sunny has been following a school of fish that splash up water every few miles. Maxwell thought it may have even been the school they saw earlier. Usopp was the one at the helm. His eyesight was the best out out all of them. But then again, the fish actually splashed making an arrowhead shape in the water, too.
Camie had asked them.
Apparently, mermaids were able to communicate with all manner of marine life, more specifically, fish. And with the seeming intelligence of this world's wildlife, it astounded Maxwell that this was possible! The mage had felt the mana in her voice, rippling out like waves as she called out to the ocean. He couldn't figure out whether it was some form of command spell or a genuine arcane phenomena! Maybe mermaids really were magic! He wanted to question Camie more about the nuance details about it, but Camie didn't really seem like an academic...
Pappagu was a wealth of information though. The Sabaodey Archipelago was apparently the epicentre of slavery in Paradise. Humans, fishmen, mermaids, sentience in general, they were all at risk of being bought and sold at these islands.
Plenty of gangs hung about these waters, looking to make a quick buck out of anyone they could overpower, but the Flying Fish Riders were particularly notorious. They'd gone from some no name gang, to one of the most viscous slaving rings around Sabaodey. And all of this was in the span of a few weeks.
Their leader, "Iron Mask" Duval, was apparently looking for someone. Checking every ship that came near Sabaodey. Most gangs made a pretty penny on whoever they could overpower, but this gang was making boatloads between the bounties and slave market.
The fact that the Macro Pirates had joined up with them was particularly bad. From what Max understood, most fishmen did not seem to like interacting with humans. They were bigger, stronger, capable of fighting both on land and sea. However, these Macro Pirates either seemed to be weak and desperate, or the Flying Fish Raiders were just that powerful.
Then again, Pappagu mentioned the Macro Pirates were beaten on a regular basis… So, Maxwell's guess was on the former.
"Eh?" Camie caught his attention by turning her head.
Nami asked, "What is it Camie?"
"The fish are saying, 'This is as far as we go,'" Camie told them. Maxwell walked over to the rails and saw that the splashing arrow was gone.
"UWA! HERE THEY COME!" Pappagu cried out, "IT'S THE FLYING FISH RIDERS!"
"Where!?" Luffy called out, standing on the bow of the Sunny, "I don't see anybody!" Maxwell didn't see anyone coming behind their stern either.
"Not in the sea!" Camie yelled, "In the sky!"
"What!?" Maxwell jerked his head up to see three objects flying in the sky. Only, they weren't objects, they were fish! Literal. Flying. Fish! Three large silvery gulpers, with sail like fins, and blinker hoods, diving straight towards them! Each one had a saddle strapped along its spine, with a rider on their backs! They were coming in fast, and coming in hot!
Maxwell saw two of the riders pull out something— "BRACE!"
The mage ducked his head as two explosions blasted off above the Sunny. Maker curse whoever invented the idea of gaatlok! Luffy and Zoro had intercepted the bombs, but the Flying Fish Riders were banking around to make another pass!
"Watch out!" Camie warned, "Those fish are able to fly for 5 minutes straight whenever they're above the surface!"
"Then they should have stayed in the sea!" Maxwell growled. He conjured a Storm glyph, unleashing an Energy Barrage at the flying raiders. Dozens of arcane bolts flew out of the magic circle, darting right towards the flying fish.
The pilots separated, having seen the arcane missiles. However, only two of them could avoid it. The spell had locked onto one of the fish that tried to pull up and pelted the fish's underbelly.
It was a hit. The fish dove down, injured but still alive with its rider hanging on to his handlebars. Maxwell swore he saw the gangster put something on his face as he dove beneath the waves, but he couldn't be sure.
That didn't stop his companions though. The Flying Fish Riders came close for another bombing run, but even as Max prepared another spell, the pilots pulled out at the last minute. Maxwell felt the backdraft as the fish flew past them, and off into the distance.
The mage sighed and let the mana dissipate out of his hand. "Max~! Why'd you go and do that!?" Luffy whined, "I wanted to catch one of those fish!" He had also been ready to fight. Fists clenched and everything.
Maxwell looked at him strangely, "Why? Did you want to ride one?"
"Yes." Luffy said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Maxwell was about to say something in exasperation, when he suddenly saw something off the starboard bow, "Look!" Out a far distance away from the ship, was the flying fish and gangster he had shot out of the sky. It was skimming across the water, following his fellows. They weren't going as fast as their fellows had either! "Usopp! Follow that fish!"
"You got it!"
"Hm… Something doesn't feel right," said Franky. "They were going to attack again, but they pulled out at the last minute."
"It looked like they received some sort of message," Robin had observed. They had transponder snails on their person. "Perhaps they received orders to withdraw? We don't really know why though…"
"I want to ride one of those fish!" Luffy cheered, "They can fly for 5 minutes straight!"
Sanji took a drag on his cigarette, "Those flying fish will be heading to where we're going, right? We'll need to get ready for battle…" The cook breath out a cloud of smoke, "Who would thought they'd come from the sky, though?"
"Can we get the cannons up on deck!?" Usopp asked. "Then I can shoot them out of the air!" He seemed oddly pumped on getting into a fight.
Franky grinned himself, "I like your thinking!"
"Alright," Maxwell also agreed. His expression then began to turn serious, "I'll be up on the gaff perch to fire where Usopp cannot. Nami, you know what to do?"
Nami grinned and spun her climatact in her hand, "Just like we practiced."
"Good." Then Max began to spout out orders, "Zoro, Sanji, you're part of the landing party. Duke it out later! Chopper, help Usopp with the cannons." Everyone knew how to fight on this crew. Actually, everyone was able to fight independently and still cooperate with everyone. However that didn't mean they didn't need some form of organization. Most of his orders were treated more like guidelines, anyways.
Franky would be part of the ordinance. He had cannons in his arms, was invulnerable to bullets, and knew every function on the Thousand Sunny.
Brook would be held on reserve before landfall. He was fast, light, and knew how to use that sword. Brook would be their hidden dagger for now.
Robin would also help defend the ship with her powers. No adversary was safe within her sights.
Maxwell didn't dare order Luffy what to do. Maxwell knew that Luffy did as Luffy did as he wanted, regardless of their intentions… And he was fine with that.
"I hope Hachin's okay…" Maxwell blinked as he saw the mermaid at the starboard rail.
Pappagu was with her, "You're the one that the Macro's are rally after. You should worry about yourself."
…Right. He needed to get somebody to guard Camie and Pappagu while they're above deck. Maybe Sanji… They needed someone to identify "Hachin" afterall.
O O O
"We're here! That's it!" Camie pointed at a small fortress in the middle of the sea, "The Flying Fish Rider's base!"
"So this 'Hachin' guy is being held here?" Sanji asked. Two high wooden walls jutted out of the ocean, with port holes that appeared to have cannons inside. Between then was an opening that lead into a bay. There, tropical buildings with straw roofs awaited them inside. And a tall watch tower stood at the back. "Don't worry, we'll have him out in a second, Camie!
"Thanks Sanji-chin!" Camie appreciated the support. "Be careful everyone. The Macro Pirates alone has captured me about 30 times."
"30 times!?" Usopp asked, incredulously. "That's a bit much, don't you think!? …Speaking of which, you get swallowed up too many times, too!"
Regardless, they kept sailing towards the bay.
"…It's quiet," said Maxwel, hanging onto the shroud. He had climbed up to get a better vantage. There was not a soul was in sight. No watchmen scuttling on the walls. No people dashing around the buildings. Nothing.
Usopp looked around, a little off put by the eerie emptiness of this place. "Hey Luffy—"
"Forward!" Luffy interrupted whatever Usopp was about to say. It was too late to back out now.
"…Hold on," Nami frowned, "this isn't an island. It's just some platform built in the middle of the ocean…"
Zoro kept his arms crossed, "I wonder why they're living all the way out here."
Cami and Pappagu came up to the bow. "HEY~! HACHIN!" the mermaid tried calling out, "ARE YOU OKAY, HACHIN!?"
"GET OUT HERE MACRO! GIVE US HACHI!" Pappagu shouted at the deserted platform. But their was no reply.
The Thousand Sunny kept sailing in. While the platform did seem deserted, there was a peculiar feature standing in the middle of the bay. A giant birdcage, the kinds used to suspend criminal, hung suspended on a frame.
"It looks like there's someone in that cage," said Robin.
"Huh? Is it Hachin?" Camie asked. There was something in the cage, but none of them could quite make out the shape.
Pappagu looked at the cage, too. "What luck, Camie! There's nobody around! It must be their snack time or something!"
"…Are you guys serious!?" Usopp asked the sea creature duo. "No matter how you look at it, this is obviously a trap!"
Franky nodded in agreement, "They must all be in hiding, waiting for the chance to strike."
"…What insight!" "I didn't even think of something that underhanded!"
"THAT'S WHY YOU TWO GET CAUGHT ALL THE TIME!" Franky shouted at the pair. The two seemed genuinely shocked at this being a trap.
"Nyu! I'm here, Camie! I'm fine, so don't worry!" the 'thing' in the cage said. They were close enough now to be in ear distance.
Camie quickly turned to look at the cage, "Hachi—! KYAAAH! HACHIN, YOU'RE ALL BLACK! WHAT HAPPENED!? WERE YOU BURNED!?"
"Nyu!?" Hachi straightened in surprise, "No, this is…" The fishmen was coloured black, from head too foot. He had a star like hairdo, and elongated mouth like an ocotpous gill, and ropes warped all around his torso, trapping his arms. "Well, never mind—This is a trap! You have to get away! You know how strong I am, right!? I'll be fine, so just go!"
…
…
…
Maxwell stared long and hard at the fishman, "…That fishman looks familiar…"
"…That voice, and that silhouette…" Zoro tilted his head looking at Hachi. He seemed to recognize him too, remembering a particular pot boat ride. "What do you think, Nami?"
"Hm…" Nami stared at the cage with an unamused glare, "It definitely looks kinda… suspicious…"
"What?" Luffy looks between most of his senior crew members.
"Let's ask him then," Sanji suggested. Then he brought a hand beside his mouth, in order to shout, "Hey! How's Arlong doing!?"
"Nyu!? Ah, Arlong!?" Hachi said nervously. "Arlong, Chu, and Kuroobi—They're all still being held by the Marines! I broke out by myself. I managed to achieve my dream of opening a takoyaki stand, though."
…
…
….
Hachi then realized what he just said, "OH CRAP!"
"IT REALLY IS YOU!" Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Zoro, and Maxwell all yelled at the octopi.
"What's going on?" asked Robin, as she saw Maxwell descend from the rope ladder.
The mage sighed, "Hachi, apparently, is really Hatchan of the Arlong Pirates. They were a pirate crew we defeated in East Blue, a long ago."
"Yeah…" Usopp frowned at the situation, "Nami's home town used to be ruled by the fishman pirate crew, and that octopus was Arlong's lieutenant!"
"Huh… So, you know the guy…" Franky clarified.
"Well, of course," said Usopp. "I took on all the other guys while Luffy fought Arlong—"
"Zoro beat Hatchan one on one, while Luffy took on the captain," Maxwell corrected the fibber. Usopp may have won his one-on-one fight with one of the higher ranking fishmen, but he still ran a fair distance before he actually fought. "Arlong and his crew should have been locked up by the marines, but it looks like Hatchan managed to get out."
"I see," Brook to a sip out of his cup of tea. "It truly is a small world."
"So, 'Hachin,' the takoyaki vendor, was really you all along!?" Luffy stormed up to the bow, having finally recognized the fishman. "You were with Arlong, Octopus! If we had known that, there's no way we would have come to help you!"
Maxwell frowned as he saw the resigned look on the fishman's face.
"…B-But… i-i-is your takoyaki really that good!?"
Which was immediately distracted from his captain's sense of priorities. "Maker dammit, Luffy…"
"Don't waver between food and logic," Sanji deadpanned at his captain.
"That idiot…" Zoro scowled. Even if Hatchan did look remorseful in that cage over there. He was still a former enemy.
"By any chance do you know Hachin?" Camie asked the swordsman. "Are you guys friends with him?"
"WE ARE NOT FRIENDS." Zoro growled at the mermaid. He had such a frightful look on his face that Camie nearly cried tears in terror.
The mermaid then turned to Nami, quickly realizing she was losing support, "Nami-chin!"
"I'm sorry, Cami," Nami felt a migraine begin to form in her forehead, "I never imagined that your friend would be that guy."
"Turn the ship around," Usopp called out to the rest of the crew.
"But…" Camie started to form tears in her eyes, "But then you… You won't help rescue him…!?"
All of the Straw-Hats remained silent for a moment. They wanted to help Camie, but the person she wanted to save was also a former enemy. An underling of "Sawtooth" Arlong. The fishman who killed Nami's mother, and held her village hostage…
Camie turned to look at the cage. "Hachin…!"
"Nyu~! It's fine, Camie!" Hachi tried to reassure her. He knew there was a lot of baggage between him and the Straw-Hats. Particularly with Nami. He knew something like this was going to come up sooner or later. He realized and accepted that as soon as he heard Camie was coming with the Straw-Hat Pirates. "Just turn back! It's still a trap!"
"NO!" Camie yelled in defiance, "I—I'll save you! You're always helping us out! Pappagu!" The mermaid then headed straight for the water.
"YEAH!" Her pet followed behind her, scoffing as it went, "I didn't know these guys were so heartless! STUPID!"
The sea star grated on Zoro's nerves, "Shut it!"
Both the mermaid and the starfish jumped over the edge and dove into the water. "Hachin! I won't abandon you!" "Just wait there, Hachi!" They were both intent of freeing the octopus fishman from his cage. With or without the Straw-Hat's help!
However, soon after they jumped in, they came out of the water being held aloft by three other fishmen. "HAHA! WE GOT YOU CAMIE!"
Maxwell facepalmed, "Ugh. Maker preserve us…" These must have been the Macro Pirates. Macro, Gyaro, and Tansui. They were all a gulper eel, goldfish, and arowana fishman respectively.
"MOHAHAHAHA! WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE RICH!" "Hachi can't come to your rescue this time!" "We won't let you get away, Camie!"
"NYU! CAMIE! PAPPAGU!" Hachi cried out to his captured friends. "I TRIED TO WARN YOU!"
Sanji gritted his teeth, seething tobacco smoke! "…Those bastards! Camie didn't do anything wrong! Let's just save her."
"Hold on Sanji," Nami made the cook pause. Then she let out a breath, "It's fine! Let's save Hachi, too."
"What!?" Sanji looked at her, taken aback.
Nami smiled, despite seeing the fishman bash against the cage, "Hachi's fine. He really was a harmless guy… I mean we made a promise to Camie, right?"
"…Oh Nami!" Sanji swooned at the navigator's sense of mercy… Which, it really wasn't.
"Luffy!" Nami called upon her captain.
"Well, if you're fine with it, then we got no choice! We'll save Octopus, as well," said Luffy.
"That'd be a lot more convincing… IF YOUR EYES DIDN'T LOOK LIKE TAKOYAKI RIGHT NOW!" Maxwell yelled at his captain. He didn't know which is worse, Luffy's stomach, or aquatic common sense!
"Shishishi! Yo!" Luffy then ran off the bow of the ship and stretched his arms to grab the two hostages held aloft.
"AH!" "No!" "Damn! He's got a Devil Fruit power!" The Macro's balked at having their prize taken out of their hands. They even tried to reach back for the mermaid, but Camie and Pappagu were safely out of reach, in the pirate's arms.
Luffy landed on the sea platform, "Alright! We got 'em back! Zoro! Cut down those bars and Octopus' ropes!"
"Got it!" Zoro adjusted his grip on one of his scabbards.
The reactions from the sea folk were various.
"THAT BASTARD!" "Luffy-chin!" "YOU—!" "NYU! STRAW-HAT! THANK YOU! I'M IN YOU DEBT! I'LL NEVER FORGET THIS!"
Hachi then rembered something, through his great sense of relief, "Ah, right! Straw-Hat, be careful! You're already in their trap! The Flying Fish Riders are gonna come out from the water and surround you!"
Luffy just grinned, cracking his knuckles, ready for a fight! "I don't care if they come from the sea or from the sky! Bring them on! We'll destroy them!" The captain then rallied his crew, "ALRIGHT, GUYS! IT'S TIME FOR BATTLE!"
"YEAH!" The Straw-Hats roared their assent. Brook and Zoro drew their swords. Maxwell and Nami brandished their staves. Chopper transformed into his Human-Point and raised his arms in with the battle cry! And Usopp, Sanji, and Robin stood at the ready. They could take on whatever these Flying Fish Riders had to offer!
