Having left behind Smoker to deal with his opponent, Tashigi and Nami made their way to the castle that Smoker had directed them to, the place where Stormbreaker was holed up. The pair was intending to arrest Stormbreaker and bring him to justice for his crimes against the World Government.
The pair arrived at the castle and took it in for a few minutes before entering. The castle looked old, and was falling apart, a few walls had fallen, and the remaining ones looked close to falling. The pair entered the area and started to look for Stormbreaker. While looking, Nami started to hear something that sounded like a drumbeat.
"Do you hear that?" Nami asked Tashigi, who looked over at Nami, then closed her eyes so she could focus on the sound. Slowly, the beating came to her ears, and she looked over at Nami and nodded her head.
"Let's go." Tashigi ordered, taking the lead, as she headed to the noise, as Nami followed behind.
The noise became louder and louder, to the point where it was getting a bit too loud, Tashigi went into her pockets and found a pair of earplugs she had on her. She recalled advice Smoker had given her when she was just starting out.
"Tashigi", Smoker had told her while the pair were watching a group of Marines practice their marksmanship, "we do not fight with guns, but other people do. We have the advantage of being able to get close, but they have an advantage that they never think to use." Smoker then pulled out earplugs from his ears and looked at Tashigi, "guns are loud, and we have to deal with not being used to them, and having our ears dulled to the sound. So always, carry earplugs with you."
Tashigi smiled for a moment remembering the advice and put her earplugs slightly into her ears to dull the sound. Sadly, Nami had not been given the advice, and due to an oversight by Tashigi, Tashigi had never passed the advice to Nami. Cursing to herself, Tashigi walked over to Nami and told her to cup her ears to try to cover up the noise while the pair searched. Tashigi would keep her hand on Shigure to protect the pair, in case of an attack.
The pair continued to move towards the noise till they got to an inner room of the castle, one that seemed to still be intact. Knowing this is where the noise was coming from, Tashigi, having free hands, signaled to Nami that she was going to open the door, Nami nodded that she understood, and prepared by taking one hand off an ear to have it ready to grab her yari. The noise was so loud now, Nami was afraid her eardrums would burst, but kept her cool to not show her worry to Tashigi.
Tashigi burst down the door and as soon as she did, the noise stopped. Nami sighed with relief and Tashigi looked around the room. While it was not in a grand hall like most castles, in the middle of the room was the throne that must have previously been in the hall and sitting on the throne was a single man. He looked up at the pair and smiled.
"And who might you be?" The man asked the pair, who said nothing. They stared at the man who then chuckled to himself. "Oh, I am sorry, how rude of me. I should introduce myself first." The man stood up and looked at the pair before giving his introduction.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Klaus Stormbreaker, the man you two have been seeking, the leader of the Equal Dealers." Stormbreaker had taken in the pair's Marine uniforms and knew that a group of Marines were coming today due to his informant, but he had not expected to be facing a pair he did not know.
"I do not mean to be rude", he explained, before saying something rude, "but I was expecting to be facing off against Smoker, the Marine captain. Did something happen to him?"
Tashigi and Nami said nothing, instead the pair readied themselves by putting their hands on their weapons, waiting for Stormbreaker to attack.
"Now, now", Stormbreaker said, moving his hands in a motion for the pair to stand down, one that the Marines used as a universal signaled, "I", he paused and thought for a moment before continuing, "I really do not wish to fight. I do not see the reason to", Stormbreaker said, before starting to walk forward, stopping before getting too close to Tashigi. He then started to pace in front of the pair. "I, I hope that we may actually be able to come to an understanding."
"An understanding?" Tashigi asked back, unable to stay stoic with such an unbelievable request.
"Yes, an understanding." Stormbreaker answered back, happy to have gotten a response finally. "You see, I am not as bad as you have been led to believe by the Marines I imagine." Stormbreaker paused, put his hand to his chin and decided to continue,
"I, I mean the Equal Dealers are not villains. We just want to make things more equal in the world. There is too much inequality in the world, and the Marines, they just allow it to happen. Let me tell you a story.
I was once assigned to security for a Celestial Dragon that was visiting Lougetown. Celestial Dragons never really leave the Holy Land of Mariejous, but this one, he wanted to tour the world. While in Lougetown, we were going down the street and", Stormbreaker looked down and looked sick. "A small merfolk bumped into him. The kid had been running down the street with some friends and just brushed the Dragon. I thought nothing of it, so did nothing, but the Dragon stopped and turned around.
He spoke to an assistant near him, who nodded his head and ran after the kid. Soon, the kid had been brought before the Celestial Dragon who started to berate the kid. I was about to step forward to stop him when I was stopped by Vice Admiral Kizaru, who had been traveling with the Celestial Dragon. I will never forget what he said to me.
"Don't get involved if you don't want to die."
I then watched in horror as the Celestial Dragon pulled a gun out from under his cloak and pointed at the kid. The kid was crying and begging the Celestial Dragon to spare him, but he didn't. The Celestial Dragon pointed the gun at the kid's head and shot. I was just about to jump at the Celestial Dragon, but Kizaru grabbed me and threw me to the ground.
"That's just the way things are." He said to me, then started to follow the Celestial Dragon who was already moving on.
I sat there and watched as blood came out of the kid's head. I ripped up my Marine's uniform and covered the kid so people who passed by would not have to see a kid shot in the street. When I ripped that uniform, I knew I would never put it back on. From that day, I was no longer a Marine, I could not support a government that would allow that to happen.
Stormbreaker looked at the pair, hopeful that after hearing that story they would now join his cause.
Tashigi and Nami were silent, Tashigi was rattled. She had not been expecting a story like that, one where a child was killed, and the Marines stood by and did nothing.
Meanwhile, Nami looked angry, like she was holding something in, she looked over at Tashigi and was surprised to see Tashigi so shaken by the story. Nami gulped then looked over at Tashigi. For a moment, Nami considered biting her tongue. Was it really her place to tell Tashigi what she thought, yes, in this case she had to, to save Tashigi?
"Tashigi-san", Nami began, her voice as soft as it normally was, so Tashigi looked over at Nami, slowly. "Tashigi-san, the world is an unfair place, you should know that, just look at me, and remember how I was raised." Nami began, her voice gaining conviction and volume.
"Merfolk came to my village and destroyed it. We were living in fear of dying. My mother died because of them. I had to work for them to keep my village safe. It was only because of Smoker, and his crew, including you, that I was saved." Nami started to tear up a little at this, "I owe the Marines not only my life, but the life of the entire village."
Nami then turned and addressed Stormbreaker, "I didn't see the Equal Dealers come and save my village, it was the Marines. I didn't see you stop a rogue group of Merfolk; it was the Marines; I didn't see the Equal Dealers save the people of Nicofait Island from starving when their rice was stolen. Oh, wait, that was because the Equal Dealers were the ones who stole the rice in the first place." Nami paused and stared at Tashigi.
Tashigi remembered the people of Nicofait, the children who were near starving, the ones that she had tortured Michael Gotfreed to find the rice for. Tashigi bit her lip and regained her composure. Her eyes then left Nami and fell upon Stormbreaker, who looked disappointed at the pair.
Seeing that the pair of women had gained their resolve, Stormbreaker sighed. "I really wished you had joined me." Stormbreaker breathed in and started to scream, an ear-splitting scream that seemed louder than one that any man should be able to produce.