A/N: Hello everyone! No I am not gone and neither is the Straw Hat Wolf, college just really really sucks the life out of you. Chapters will like I said be coming out slower but they will certainly still be coming. Aside from that, I hope you all enjoy the new chapter of the Straw Hat Wolf.

'Thoughts'

"Speaking"

'Quotes'

"Text emphasis Text"

"Techniques"

'The Wolf Within'

"Luffy's words are echoed/amplified by the Wolf Within"

'Luffy's thoughts are overlapped by the Wolf Within'

Cocoyashi Village ( II )

The Nightmare Ends

Nami stared blankly into the wolfman's piercing gaze, impassive for a few beats. Then she captured his lips as she jumped him right there in her living room. Of all the reactions he was expecting, his girlfriend starting a makeout session with him was not one of them. Out of habit he had reached for her thighs to balance the two of them as she crossed her legs over his waist, pressing against him even harder.

'Is this woman right in the head?'

'You and I are agreeing on something...The world's coming to an end!.'

Noticing the lack of a response, Nami pulled away and pouted at Luffy. Adorably.

"What's wrong?"

Luffy just stared back at her incredulously. How was jumping him after sharing sadistic tendencies normal?!

"Nami...I just depicted torture...how is jumping into a makeout session a valid response?"

The navigator stared at her lover irritably and opened her mouth to respond but quickly shut it and suddenly started struggling to get away from him. Startled, the captain set her down and eyed her like she was a strange creature. Not horrifying or disgusting just...weird. That was when he picked up on the scent…

'...Congratulations...You're fiance is as fucked up as you are.'

'Shut up. She isn't fucked up she just-'

'Luffy, she was just aroused from depictions of grade A sadistic torture. The only question now is if she wants to be holding the whip or be the one bound in chains while you-'

'Please stop.'

"It's your fault I did that!" Nami suddenly declared, pointing at Luffy accusingly. The wolfman gaped at her, wondering how in the hell she found a way to pin this on him. "You shouldn't say such stupid...sexy...things if you don't want to have me all over you!"

The wolfman was speechless. Where the fuck did his normally level headed rational girlfriend go and who was this...this...he didn't even have the words to describe this Nami look-a-like before him. "Getting aroused and jumping on me. Accusing me with nonsensical explanations...what's next? You're gonna ask me to bend you over and make you nothing more than a depraved bondaged mess?"

The navigator turned bright red and looked like she was going to protest immediately, much to Luffy's relief. The wolfman wasn't sure how to feel about having a masochist as a girlfriend. But when no words came from her lips and she instead seemed to take his words into consideration...the wolfman was filled with gut wrenching dread.

'Don't say it. Do not say it.'

"Actually...that sounds kind of hot…"

'...You just had to open your mouth didn't you.'

While the navigator drifted off into daydreams of Luffy breaking her in, said wolfman looked like his soul had just left his body. The silence between the two was broken when Usopp frantically called out to Nami. The panic and urgency in the marksman's voice instantly broke the navigator out of her dreams and she quickly made her way over to the bedroom where the rest of the crew had taken Genzo. Luffy quickly followed her but remained outside the room...since there wasn't any space left for him.

'This is actually a pretty small home, isn't it? Cozy, quaint, must've been a real nice place to gro-'

'You must be truly desperate to be coming to me for escape.'

While Luffy continued his internal panicking and mortification over the latest kink to be revealed about his girl, Usopp explained why he'd urgently called Nami over.

"The Sheriff needs a doctor. Fast." Usopp said with a seriousness in his eyes Nami wasn't accustomed to seeing the marksman. The deviation would have been a welcome one if it didn't involve why her adoptive father who'd been beaten black and blue wasn't the catalyst for it. Usopp gestured to the deep purple patches spread around the Sheriff's torso area with sections turning a sickly yellow and explained that instead of normal no need to worry bruises these were signs of heavy internal bleeding. Paired with the fact the Sheriff was now comatose, Zoro and Sanji had tried waking him up but had no such luck, and were sweaty and cold to the touch it was clear the man was Hemorrhaging. "Is there anyone in the village who's-"

"Dr. Nako is the resident doctor in our village." Nami said as she held Genzo's hand while staring at her father figure worriedly for a few moments longer before turning to Zoro. "Send Johnny and Yosaku to the village to look for him. Once the villagers start hearing those two calling for help, Dr. Nako will notice before long."

The swordsman nodded before he walked out the room, electing to completely disregard the faint scent that had begun wafting through the air. Sanji hadn't reached the level of enhanced smell yet so he was relatively safe and Usopp was too focused on Genzo to notice. On the way to the door the swordsman noticed his Captain sitting outside the room he'd just left, contemplating something with that vicious look in his eyes.

'Well...it has been a while since I've eaten sashimi. Wonder what sashimi made from fishmen tastes like.' Zoro recalled one of the more friendly moments he'd had with Kuina. The girl and her father had brought him along with them to eat lunch in a sushi ten. 'Shame, Nami's friends with the only Octopus Fishman here. Tako Nigiri was one of our favorites, wasn't it? Kuina.'

Luffy glanced briefly at his first mate whose eyes became unfocused, a small visual cue that Luffy had learned usually meant he'd remembered something from his past. Likely something to do with his childhood friend. Zoro never told Luffy her name but it was clear that whoever she was, she meant a lot to the swordsman...even if she was no longer with them.

Just as the swordsman returned after giving Johnny and Yosaku their mission, the tanned woman Luffy had carried inside began to stir. Upon meeting Zoro's gaze from the doorway she immediately jumped up and assumed a defensive stance only to flinch and hunch over slightly as her wounded side screamed in protest. Nonetheless, she put her hands before her and clenched her fists while sizing up the green haired man.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?!" Nojiko demanded answers from the swordsman, who just raised an eyebrow at her. Mildly impressed.

"His name is Roronoa Zoro, formerly a bounty hunter. Now he's the Vice Captain of my crew." Luffy became the focus of Nojiko's attention now that he made his presence known. The tanned woman turned so she could keep the both of them in her sights, unsure of what they might do next. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the crew...and your brother-in-law."

"I don't care who you are, pirate. If you came here to pillage you're a bit too la-Wait brother-in-law?!" The two men smiled and chuckled over the woman's delayed reaction. Poor girl was probably only able to stand and ignore the pain because of the adrenaline coursing through her system. "Nami got married?!"

Said navigator exited the bedroom and promptly delivered a haki coated fist onto Luffy's head. "We aren't married yet, sis. My fiance here is just very eager."

"Fiance?! What is going on?!" Nojiko's high pitched scream caused Zoro and Luffy to wince. "Explain yourself!"

Feeling bad for her fiance and older brother, Nami gave Nojiko a quick rundown of the story as they nursed their ringing ears. She met Luffy in one of her pirate ship pillaging runs; the man had hopped aboard her ship with a boy named Coby just as the navy began sinking Alvida's vessel. From there they traveled to Shell's Town. Nami was on the hunt for the map of the Grand Line supposedly kept in Axe-hand Morgan's vault and Luffy was there for a new ship as well as scouting for potential crewmates. In Shell's Town they met Zoro, freed him from the corrupt Marine Captain, and put an end to Morgan's tyranny. After saying goodbyes to Coby, the three set off to Orange Town where the infamous Buggy The Clown had taken residence in. The pirate had stolen the map of the Grand Line before Nami had and since Luffy was interested in meeting one of his father's old crewmates, the orange haired woman came along for the ride. In Orange Town they met an old mayor trying to keep his town safe and the bravest little dog they'd ever known. When Luffy was done wreaking havoc amongst the Buggy Pirates he'd found her and struck a deal with her. Nami was to join his crew and become it's navigator...and to be his wife. The village threw a party in honor of them for freeing them from the Buggy Pirates' clutches. The next adventure took them to a little peaceful town named Syrup Village and Nami was about to introduce Usopp but the sudden appearance of a certain elderly gentleman in a doctor's coat and bandana cut her off.

"Where is the old bastard?! I got these two numbskulls carrying the equipment behind me!" The newcomer said, presumably Doctor Nako. Throughout the story Nami and Nojiko had moved to the couch to discuss amongst themselves while Luffy and Zoro were in the kitchen tweaking bits and pieces of the plan. Upon seeing Dr. Nako, Nojiko immediately took him with her to the still unconscious Genzo. "Damn Marines! Damn Arlong! I swear I'm ripping them new ones for this!"

Nojiko shared the enraged doctor's sentiments but her focus was more on her adoptive father as Johnny and Yosaku came in with the medical equipment and supplies. Usopp exited the room once he saw the doctor and Sanji followed quietly after.

"Do you want to stay, Nami?" Sanji asked while observing Dr. Nako preparing needles and bags of liquids. "We can have everything ready for you by the time your dad's in the clear."

Nami shook her head and started walking out the house. "I want to see how it is from this angle."

"This angle being?" Usopp prompted, keeping the excess salve he'd made in his bag. The navigator eyed the concoction the whole time it was out.

"The angle where I get to see that arrogant oversized guppy be the one to lose everything." Nami replied to a chorus of Ahs and Hmms. As the group quietly made their way down the hill, leaving the bounty hunter duo to help out in the house, Nami couldn't help but ask. "Where'd you learn to make that? The salve, I mean?"

Upon being brought up the archer brought out the concoction once more. "Oh this? Well you see I-" Usopp paused seeing the deadpan looks he was getting from his crew and coughed before giving them the real answer. "I got in so many accidents back on the island the local doctor ended up teaching me how to make it...said he doesn't want to see me in his clinic unless it was above black and blue bruises levels."

"...Yeah, I could see that." Luffy said offhandedly, Zoro nodding along to show his agreement. Sanji and Nami rolled their eyes. Only Usopp could end up in a doctor's clinic so many times to end up being banned unless it was actually serious.

"Want me, the Great Usopp, to teach you guys how to make it?" Usopp offered while gesturing grandly to himself prompting more eye rolling...but some consideration from Nami as well. The three other men on the other hand immediately declined...with Zoro taking the cake for the most reckless and idiotic.

"I watched you make it. Got a good idea on how to tweak it as well so I'm good" Sanji said with a pondering look in his eyes, probably doing some of the tweaking as they walked to the village.

Luffy picked his nose with his pinky as he answered, a family habit Nami was not pleased to learn about but came to accept...or rather begrudgingly tolerate. "Don't need it. Aside from genetics I also got greater regeneration speed because of my fruit."

"20 bottles of Sake and a night of sleep, I'll be A-OK the following day." Zoro's response got Sanji and Usopp to immediately smack the swordsman upside the head.

"That's not sleeping, that's passing out, you idiot swordsman!"

"Jeez, we know you're a battle junkie but this?" Usopp shook his head exasperatedly. "Luffy may have his monke moments but I'm pretty sure you just regressed in the evolutionary line."

Zoro scowled at them before scoffing and turning to Luffy expecting to see some support...only to see the wolfman blankly staring back at him. Then Luffy spoke...and Zoro felt like his world came crashing down. "No more drinking and smoking aboard the ship. Captain's orders."

Now Sanji was doubly pissed, after briefly descending into horrid depression, and started shouting at the swordsman. Blaming the swordsman for costing him his smoking privileges. Zoro didn't respond...his soul had yet to return to his body. Literally. Usopp was jumping around in panic trying to get the soul back in Zoro's body as Luffy screamed in horror thinking he went too far.

A few steps away from the four men stood Nami, sweatdropping at her crew's antics. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

After Usopp finally succeeded in returning Zoro's soul into the swordsman's body, the pirate crew resumed their trek down to the village. Zoro and Sanji begged Luffy to reconsider but the wolfman was steadfast on fixing their habits one way or another. In the end Luffy decided that instead of banning their favorite life-reducing activities he'd instead limit them on how much they can indulge themselves with such acts. When Usopp brought up whether or not the limits remained during celebrations the wolfman stared at him like he was crazy.

"Of course they can drink and smoke to their heart's content if it's a celebration. I'm not that evil!" The cook and first mate sighed in relief while the navigator was torn between praising her lover for being considerate or reprimanding her captain for being an idiot. Before any more banter could be shared among the group, Zoro and Luffy's heads both snapped towards the village. Knowing what the action usually meant the other three pirates tensed, preparing themselves for a fight.

"The main ingredient in the village, Luffy?" Sanji asked, lighting a new cigarette expecting to not have the luxury of doing so very soon. "I'm still making Shark Fin soup right?"

"No. Well I mean yes to the soup but Arlong isn't there." Luffy said, his posture relaxing but his eyes remained alert.

"The town sounds like it's about to revolt. I can hear someone rallying the other villagers to…Attach the fences?"

"Attack the fishman. They're rallying up to face the fishmen themselves." Luffy said with a grimace. Sending Johnny and Yosaku probably wasn't the best idea. The two couldn't keep their mouths shut if their lives depended on it. "The dismal clown duo struck again."

Nami frowned and mentally promised herself to pay those to gossip queens a visit after all this was over. "Let's get over there before they get themselves all killed." The navigator ordered, not waiting for the others as she already began running down the hill. The others weren't far behind. The monster trio quickly sped up the process as Zoro threw Usopp over his shoulder and Luffy picked up Nami in a bridal carry. Sanji sped past them all to reach the village exit that led to the fishman's home turf. "Luffy! This is...actually faster! Onward my steed!" Nami commanded with one hand around Luffy's neck to stabilize herself and the other pointing towards the mass of villagers crowding in front of Sanji.

'Oh how the mighty have fallen. From her boyfriend to her mule.'

'Shut up, -"

'Hmmmm...No'

By the time the other straw hats arrived by the exit, the crowd of villagers we're ready to riot and run Sanji right over.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Do you have any idea what we've been through?!"

"This is outrageous!"

Amidst all this Sanji calmly smoked his cigarette...atop a pile of unconscious men.

"Dude! What the hell!" Usopp reproached the cook. Yeah they needed to get to stop the villagers from going on a suicide mission but they didn't need to beat them up themselves! "You weren't supposed to hurt them, jackass!"

"These guys rushed me first. It was just self-defense." Sanji replied coolly much to the archer's irritation. Usopp moved to continue their spat but Nami grabbed his shoulder and shook her head.

"While I don't like it, Sanji did the best he could do. Those guys under him are the most stubborn people in the village." Nami explained, her voice catching the villager's attention. What stopped the villagers from crying out her name in shock was the stupor they found themselves in seeing the orange spitfire in a bridal carry. "Hello everyone! Resident thief and traitor extraordinaire, Nami has returned!"

"Nami...who are these people? And why are you in that man's arms?!" One of the lead rioters questioned, eyeing Luffy with hostility.

"They're my crew and this man is my fiance." Nami said matter-of-factly, Luffy putting her down but keeping her close by his side as the crowd slowly processed her words. Zoro and Luffy already having a good idea of what was about to happen quickly brought out their noise canceling headphones. Sanji and Usopp were not so fortunate.

"Fiance?!" Now the problem wasn't the yelling in general. They were all out in the open so the sound wouldn't bounce around, amplifying itself. Unfortunately unlike every other time this has happened there were women involved in the screaming. Usopp and Sanji learned the hard way that women reach notes most men can never hope to achieve like it was child's play. Hence-

THUD! POMPF!

Sanji fell off his throne of unconscious bodies and crashed into the ground, curling in on himself with his hands clenched tightly against his poor ears. Usopp didn't even remain conscious and fell backwards towards Zoro with pure white eyes. Even Nami, without having her senses enhanced through Luffy's gift, had her ears ringing in pain.

"What do you mean fiance?!"

"That's not possible!"

"How'd you manage to get someone like him?!"

As many other villagers threw in their two cents on the matter, the lead rioter called for order. "Enough, all of you!" The voices of the villagers dropped to low hushes amongst themselves, eyeing the outsiders, sizing them up...or appreciating the eye candy. "Whatever her reasoning...Nami's found a life away from this hell hole. She can finally be free!"

The pirate crew, that wasn't curled up on the ground in pain or unconscious, was befuddled by the riot leader's words. Nami had told them all of how she was viewed as a traitor of the village. They had no idea of her true reasoning for joining Arlong. Believing she had joined forces with her mother's killer for the chance of a life filled with wealth, consequences be damned.

The riot leader smiled wryly, fully expecting the confusion. "We know about your deal with Arlong, Nami. Nojiko told us right after you left for your first treasure hunt."

"We...Genzo asked us to continue on with treating you like an outsider...Said it helped you somehow because...because of how things were right before the end." Another villager added with shame filled eyes.

The navigator stiffened. They knew. They weren't supposed to know. This was something she was supposed to live with. As one of the many self-induced punishments for how her last few memories of Belle-mere were bitterly made. She didn't deserve the village's sympathy. She was-

"We stood by back then" The riot leader said bitterly. Furious with himself. Respecting Nami's wishes was an excuse they had told themselves time and time again. It was part of the reason they honored Genzo's request...but mostly it was cowardice. "No more." The riot leader stepped forward and grabbed Nami by the shoulders as he stared down at her. "You found someone to love. That's good...Get as far away from here as you can. We live or we die, it doesn't matter. It ends today!"

The navigator was still reeling from the revelation that the village knew of her true reasons for joining forces with Arlong so she could only gape as the riot leader turned to Luffy with a stone cold glare. The wolfman's face was a blank sheet, in response.

"Take care of her." The riot leader turned away from Luffy, not expecting an answer. "Today...We End This!" The villagers all threw up their machetes, pitchforks, gardening tools, and whatever else they could muster up for weaponry as they roared in approval. "Leave Nami...and be free."

Sanji, Usopp and Zoro all collectively shared a glance and braced themselves. Why? Because while Luffy's face was a blank sheet, his eyes glowed with barely restrained power. "You're all bloody fools." The wolfman said coldly with a haughty smile, getting the riot leader's attention as well as the attention of every other villager present. "This isn't some drama where you the oppressed suddenly win or Nami gets her freedom with your sacrifice. This is nothing but a folly."

The riot leader turned on the wolfman with a face filled with rage. "So?! It's the best shot we got! What do you know, brat?! Do you have any better ideas?!" This was the kind of man Nami wanted to marry? An arrogant, condescending prick with a pretty face and decent body?

Any more degrading thoughts that might have come to mind to the riot leader or any of the villagers' came to a screeching halt as they were all pushed down to their knees by a wave of force the likes of which they had never experienced before. Fear for the fishmen? Long forgotten as the man before them suddenly seemed more like a savage, untouchable beast than the fishmen ever were.

'Arlong ain't nothin but a guppy compared to this!' The riot leader thought incredulously as the pressure vanished and the mysterious man laughed heartily.

"As a matter of fact I do. Sit back and enjoy the show." Nami's fiance said with a wide thousand watt smile as he took off his straw hat and placed it upon the navigator's head. "I ask my queen to do the same." Nami turned to Luffy with questioning eyes. "From afar you'll be able to catch every." Luffy cupped his navigator's chin up "single." Nami shivered slightly from their ever shortening proximity, her captain's musky scent draping over her..."moment." Overwhelming her as he captured her lips.

Luffy stood before the gate with a half-lidded gaze and a cocky smirk, his black captain's coat with gold trimming flowing with the winds, his new cutlass at the ready, by his side. On his right stood Zoro, arms crossed and bored as his arm rested over Wado Ichimonji, on his left was Sanji, enjoying a fresh cigarette and directly behind Luffy stood Usopp, adjusting and checking over his equipment one last time. A few feet away stood the villagers who murmured amongst themselves, Nami at the forefront, watching her crew intensely.

"All eyes on me, ready or not." Luffy called out, focusing his audience's attention, on him as he walked to the gate and knocked on it. Listening for when the talking inside came to an abrupt end before switching from knocking on the door...to flicking it right off its hinges. Straight for where he could hear the distinct 'Hahahahaha' his beloved loathed oh so much. "I'm making waves."

BOOM!

"Arlong!"

"Boss!"

"Captain!"

A cacophony of shocked cries filled the air as the Arlong Pirate's captain was no longer on his throne...or what was left of it anyway. A cloud of smoke and rubble in a large gaping hole on the wall opposite of the gate revealed where the saw-tooth fishman had been sent flying away. A ray fishman with pigtails clenched his fists and grit his teeth as he turned towards the source of the attack. A human with a half-lidded condescending gaze and equally arrogant smirk looking down on them.

"You can't escape." Luffy said in a sing-song voice as the ray fishman roared with an unquenchable thirst for blood. "I'm on my way." As the other fishman pirates rallied behind the ray fishman, Kuroobi they called him, Luffy flashed past them. "You can't stop." Hands crossed, dripping with blood. Fishman blood. "What I got." All but three fishmen suddenly sprayed the air crimson as they fell. The ray fishman Kuroobi, a bulky blonde blue skinned fishman fitting the description Nami gave of an Arlong Pirate officer named Chew, and the one fishman ordained to leave...relatively unscathed. Luffy flashed the remaining fishmen and his audience a dazzling smile as he dramatically thrust his hands outwards to his side "Ready or not."

"Nyuuu~" The octopus fishman, Hachi, backed away from the wolfman nervously, the silhouette of an older human with long white hair and deep abyssal eyes flashing in his mind. It has been years since he'd seen the old man but he'd never forget the power he exuded. A power the wolfman seemed to have no trouble competing against. "Kuroobi, I don't think-"

"Cocky human scum! I'll teach you what it means to anger a level 40 blackbelt of Fishman Karate." Kuroobi ran towards Luffy or attempted to anyway. It was difficult to run over to someone when a blonde cook jumps in between and swiftly ax kicks you.

Surprisingly to Sanji, Kuroobi had only staggered momentarily. The fact the ray fishman had not been immediately introduced to the pavement was impressive enough that he whistled as he bumped up Kuroobi's rank in terms of threat level.

"Looks like you might actually be able to make me break a sweat."

The martial artist was not amused. "Fist of a Hundred Bricks!" Kuroobi delivered a punch capable of achieving just as its name implied but the devastating force of his technique was cut short as he was sent flying by the cook's nimbler roundhouse kick. Straight into the wall, embedding himself in it.

Chew and Hachi gaped in disbelief. Not only was the invader's captain a monster, the crew members were as well?! The villagers were in similar states of disbelief but trembled euphorically. The sight of their decade long captors being thrown around like nothing but fodder was...cathartic. The villagers began cheering for the human pirates, jeering at the last three fishmen standing.

"Geez. How much force did you put in that flick, Luffy?" Sanji glared bitterly at Kuroobi who groaned as he broke free. "It takes a lot just to manage to send him flying with a kick."

The wolfman shrugged as he took a seat on the remnants of Arlong's throne. Casually licking the blood of his latest victims of his fingers. "Finish these guys off faster then I can go back to bringing you up to this level."

"Guess that's our cue to wrap things up, Usopp." Zoro said unsheathing his only remaining blade since the 'duel' he had with Mihawk. "Takoyaki's mine. You deal with Smooch." The swordsman tilted his head to the inside of Arlong Park, before walking inside. Hachi followed close behind sweating bullets but resigned to giving his all in the eventual clash.

"I hear you're something of a sniper yourself. Shall we take this elsewhere?" Usopp offered, gesturing to the gate leading to the beach. "Sanji's not going to be as considerate for much longer." The marksman tried to deliver his words with confidence, and while his words would certainly exude such an effect...the fact he was shivering like a pup out of the bath ruined any chance of that. It was so pathetic Chew wasn't sure he even wanted to fight the guy. At least until he looked around and was reminded of his comrades. After that Chew growled at Usopp who gulped as the blue fishman joined him in going towards the beach.

"You're strong for a human, I will admit." Kuroobi grudgingly conceded on that point as he adopted a fighting position. "But that strength is only from your speed. Now that I know that, you're chances of victory are-"

"Wait! How are we gonna see what happens now?!" A random villager shouted, conflicted. "If we all stay here, we won't see the other bastards get their beatdown!"

While initially getting weird looks from his fellow villagers, and Nami, his conundrum spread like wildfire...well except when it came to Hachi. None of them particularly hated Hachi so they weren't invested in seeing him get beat up. "We split! Whoever wants to see Kuroobi get wrecked stays, those who want that narcissistic blonde put in his place goes to the beach! We will share the battles tonight!"

A chorus of approval rang across the village as Nami stared incredulously at a section of the villagers left and began running towards the beach. Kuroobi was in a similar gobsmacked state as Nami only to turn crimson red.

"Those cowardly scum! I'll tear them to shreds." The level 40 blackbelt turned back to Sanji. "After I mop the floor with-"

Sanji didn't wait for the fishman to finish his monolog and just walked towards him with a cheery smile on his face. Like he was a kid on his way to school. The calm serene expression on the blonde's face threw Kuroobi for a loop. The fishman just stood there, unsure what to make of Sanji's strange behavior. Luffy on the other hand, smiled as his half-lidded gaze seemed to become sinister despite not moving once. Nami focused intently on what was about to happen. Luffy had told her what Sanji did back on Baratie. It wasn't shave or any martial art that could be taught. It was something Sanji was born with a natural affinity towards.

POMPF!

The blonde cook eventually collided with the ray fishman and both just stood there for a second. One second. Kuroobi's training in Martial Arts and experience in battle was the only thing that kept him from instantly perishing as he backed away from a kick Sanji sent his way. A kick that would've instantly snapped his neck.

Unbalanced from leaning away from the initial kick, Kuurobi had no choice but to cross his arms for the following attack.

CRUNCH! CRACK! TREMOR!

Kuroobi gasped out in pain as the bones in his arm felt like they'd been hammered with a full fucking ship. The ray fishman's backside wasn't any better as the force of the stomp had knocked him off his feet and straight into the ground. Cracks spread from the crater caused by the impact. The earth trembled from the sheer amount of power Sanji had put into what should've finished the job.

"Tch. For a side dish you're being a hell of a tenacious bitch." Sanji liked to have his ingredients fresh. He did not like his ingredients being irritating cunts. Jumping from his spot above Kuroobi's crossed arms, Sanji spun in the air, crashing back down with the intent of spilling the side dish's brains out on the pavement.

Kuroobi had been able to dodge at the last second however, causing the spot where his head had been to erupt upwards as Sanji's foot slammed into the pavement. Taking advantage of Sanji's less than desirable state of balance, the ray fishman tackled the cook into the ocean. The two disappear underneath the water's surface.

The two combatants' audience gasped in horror. On the land humans had a chance but in the water? No. That was the Fishman's playground.

"Nami...I'm so-" The riot leader approached the orangette intending to try consoling her for her comrade's unfortunate demise. He wasn't able to finish as the waters began behaving wildly. A clear indication of a raging battle underneath the water's surface. "It's...not possible."

"Darling. You have no idea what's possible." Nami smirked down at the riot leader who flinched back. The little orange spitfire everyone loved was there, yes...but her eyes. They were twisted, sadistic, vengeful. Deep down the riot leader blamed himself for the darkness that now thrived inside her.

Luffy laughed with hellish glee as his eyes gleamed gold insanity. His darkness matched that of his beloved. "These fishmen believed themselves special, favored? Believed themselves so far above, they were beyond our reach? Beyond our limits?!" From afar, rubble stirred as the monster rose back up, hidden from sight by dust. But the wolfman knew he was there. He knew the predator was listening. "They are wrong! They call themselves the chosen race? Ha! To me, they are not even stepping stones! They are delicacies, they are prey."

"In all my years as the conqueror of these islands...every kill, every death I caused was never personal." The villagers backed away fearfully as the beast who'd been taken out of the fight made his inevitable return. The sharkman, a living embodiment of inextinguishable rage, hidden beneath a mask of annoyance. "But killing you?" Arlong's eyes resembled that of bloodthirsty Sea King as he stood in front of the whole he'd been launched through. "I'm going to enjoy it. So very, very much."

Arlong smiled arrogantly as the raging waves calmed, the water returned to playing it's rhythmic song of waves crashing against the shore and the smell of blood permeated in the air. "Your hubris was your downfall, boy. Your crew is dead but worry not...you'll join them soon."

Luffy couldn't help himself, he erupted in belly aching laughter much to the fishman's confusion and irritation. This wasn't the laugh of someone who'd succumbed to insanity. To the deaths of their comrades. The wolfman's delight put him on edge...and soon, the fishman realized why.

"Shishishi! Well Arlong…"

Zoro stood above his opponent, bloody, bruised, but victorious. The battle was not a one-sided one. The damage he sustained from Mihawk weighed him down and the octopus fishman was quite possibly the strongest swordsman he'd ever faced who didn't hail from the New World. Both combatants were left panting, Hachi's blood staining the ground. The fishman was in far worse shape than Zoro but he would live.

"What are you-urk waiting for?" Hachi asked, pausing as he coughed out blood, eyes clenched in pain before opening to glare tiredly at the human swordsman. "To the victor goes his defeated foe's life. Take mine and be done with it."

Originally, Zprp wasn't even going to actually battle the octopus fishman. He was supposed to share the news and wait with Hachi until Usopp returned from his battle. But the octopus fishman's resolve to fight resonated with the swordsman and so Zoro drew his precious blade, and stood at the ready, his opponent doing the same.

"You knew you would die...yet stood up and fought anyway. That was the only reason I fought you. To honor that warrior's spirit." Zoro replied, taking a seat next to the octopus fishman whose eyes followed him. Waiting for the rest. "You didn't stand up to Arlong because he was stronger than you...and he was your brother. He was a monster, even you saw that, but still...he was your family. The best you could do for Nami was trying to get Arlong to show mercy, giving his victims quick painless deaths...or at least not torture them for days on end."

"Is that it?" Hachi asked, his breathing evening out as the pain dulled with his fading consciousness. "Even if I live after this...I have nowhere to go. I'm the only one who Nami likely asked to be spared...so after today...I have no one. No one I can bear to show my face to anyway."

Zoro looked down on the octopus fishman who's eyes filled with shame. If only he was stronger, he might have been able to stop Arlong and help the sawtooth shark fishman see the right path. The path their older brother walked, the path to a bright future for all, where equality, peace and prosperity was open for all.

"Arlong's freedom from Impel Down came with a price you know. That older brother of yours warned him to not start things against humans again." Zoro's words caught Hachi's attention and the fishman fought to stay awake longer, to hear this new information to the end. "Didn't you think it was weird Arlong seemed chummy with the Marine Base 'round here? If word of his actions reached the New World, that guy would've been on his way years earlier."

Hachi's eyes widened to the size of saucers as Zoro dusted off his pants, standing back up once he saw Usopp pass by one the building's windows. Zoro began walking away from the fishman who, despite his desire not to, was succumbing to the welcoming embrace of unconsciousness. "You're a great swordsman Hachi...let's duel again sometime."

Was Usopp terrified as he and Chew stood against each other like the cowboys of old? Yes. Was he ashamed to admit that fact? No, not anymore. In the past, perhaps he would have considered it cowardice but Luffy showed him what being brave really meant. Warrior's weren't brave because they charged into war, into battle, because they felt no fear. Of course they did. They were brave because despite their fears, they stood up, took their spears and raised them against surrender. Surrender...giving up without even fighting...that was true cowardice.

Did that fact stop the archer from shaking in his boots though? Well...there was a reason Usopp was able to think back to his talk with Luffy. Chew couldn't bring himself to take the archer seriously and just stood there on the waves sweatdropping at the trembling human.

"Your captain killed my crewmates...but they didn't suffer." Chew said coolly as he took a stance similar to that of sumo wrestlers. "For that and for your...bravery, as pathetic as it is, I will grant you a swift death. Just stay right there." Gathering as much water as he could, Chew was ready to end this match right out the gate. Usopp had other plans, as he abruptly seemed to become the epitome of calm, moving like a well-oiled machine as he notched a flame star on his slingshot and his aim was true.

Chew's vision flashed red as the flame star exploded into a blaze deadcenter on his face. The fishman's loaded shot lost as he sputtered, smacking the flames away, hitting himself in the process. "Bastard! You tricked me?!"

Usopp would later realize that the abrupt change would make it seem as if he'd been faking his fears all along. At the moment however he was focused on one thing and one thing only. Complete the mission. The archer continued to assault the fishman with more and more flame stars aiming for his weak points, his face, his joints, and...well he didn't go for the crotch since that was a tad too cruel even for Chew.

The fishman's rage soared and all his cool was lost as he blindly charged forwards to where the shots were coming from. Usopp who had nothing compromising his vision dodge-rolled to the side and switched to his bow and arrows, lethal arrows, and aimed for Chew's tendons. Chew howled in pain as he fell on his knees to the sandy shores. The tendons are severed by the archer's arrows. Even if he was to survive this fight the fishman would likely never be able to move again.

Chew knew this and decided to even the score if it was the last thing he did. That was his final plan….at least until the sounds of cheering villagers reached the two snipers and a different course of action was decided.

"Hundred-Shot Water Gun!" Facing the humans, Chew shot high velocity bullets made of water. The human pirates want to free the people? Fine, they can have whatever remains of them. Chew's eyes shined with malicious light as the annoying pests screamed as a barrage of bullets raced towards them.

"Bastard! Shave!" One benefit of being defeated by Gin was the hellish training additions Luffy added in for him. Nami wasn't entirely spared as Luffy was not one to give preferential treatment when it came to training...Sanji on the other hand was steadfast on not leaving even a scratch on the navigator. So while Nami ended up unconscious by a strange technique Sanji had, Usopp had to run for his life lest his nose end up as a nail for the floor...again. The promise of a seemingly everlasting beatdown should he get caught enabled the archer to be the first of the crew to achieve shave. Which was how he ended up in this situation.

Arms spread wide as he stood before the villagers, his back towards them as the impacts began. The attack wasn't exactly as advertised. There were at most 45 bullets but they certainly felt like he'd been hif by a hundred bullets. The archer coughed up blood and staggered where he stood, his body tilting forward as he looked ready to collapse. The villagers who'd been shocked into silence called out to him, moved to help him as the blonde fishman painfully made his way to the surf. The villagers stopped however when Usopp held an open palm towards them. Breathing heavily he turned to them slightly, "This is my fight. Please…just enjoy the show."

"You're at your limit, kid! Dear God, you're young enough to be my son!" An elderly woman cried trying to run towards the archer. Her realization of how young the man actually was made her feel disgusted with herself. Children were standing up to deal with monsters as adults stood by and watched. The rest of the audience shared her thoughts and strived forward yet again. "You have your whole life ahead of you. You've wounded him severely. We can finish this, please just-"

"If you interfere, my dream will be tarnished." Usopp said, drawing Luffy's hunting knife from its sheath. His captain had been kind enough to lend it to him in case he needed it for close quarter's combat. The archer had a different idea on how to use it though. "I dream...to be a brave warrior of the seas. I will not run away from my foes and let others take my place. I will not dump my responsibilities onto other people's shoulders." The archer's eyes were sharp with clarity, his breathing even as he stepped forward, twisting his body as he prepared to end this with his next attack. "I will finish the battles I start by myself and no one else! Whether I live or die, may the gods decide the fate of which warrior's life is thrust into legend!"

Chew had to give it to the coward. He had a gift for speech. 'Should have focused on that instead of actually fighting!' The fishman jeered as he stood back up despite the pain and reeled back on the ocean waves before firing his ultimate technique. "Water Cannon!"

The archer twisted his body forward with his next step as he threw Luffy's knife straight into the fishman's destructive technique. The knife met the torrent...and cleaved right through it! The villagers couldn't believe their eyes as the massive bullet of water was obliterated by a mere hunting knife! But what happened next stunned them all into silence.

SHING! BOOM! THUNK!

Almost simultaneously the archer hit the ground on his knees as the hunting knife embedded itself into the sand.

THUD!

And Chew's headless body fell forward unceremoniously. Bits and pieces of his exploded head either scattered around him or dragged away by the surf. Usopp groaned, his body screaming in protest as he stood back up and walked to his captain's knife. The blood washed away leaving only the fading remnants of the black sheen the blade had been imbued with.

Sanji was not having a good time. The moment he'd been taken beneath the waves the tables turned. His kicks could still deliver devastating blows but Kuroobi's mobility made it damn near impossible to even keep the fishman in his sights. The ray fishman went to work, zipping through him while delivering every technique he learned in Fishman Karate. But even then Sanji didn't fall, even then he glared down on Kuroobi as if he were nothing more than a toddler who didn't get his way.

Eventually Kuroobi slipped up, he lingered for too long. "Collier!" Zeff's training was hellish and thorough. The old captain of the cook pirates had his fair share of battles in unfavorable environments and made sure Sanji learned to deal with such hindrances as well. Thus while not as fast or powerful as it would have been on land, the kick to Kuroobi's neck was still devastating. The fishman's neck threatened to snap under the force but the power behind the kick wasn't enough much to Sanji's annoyance. No matter, he still had plenty of his own techniques to tenderize his side dish with.

Then Kuroobi caught Sanji by surprise when a long whip-like appendage wrapped around the cook's waist...no wait, that wasn't an appendage.

"You had a ponytail?" Was the only thing Sanji was able to say before Kuroobi returned to delivering every technique he hadn't tried yet. Perhaps Sanji wasn't one to judge but calling out attacks that weren't finishing blows just irked the cook as he took Kuroobi's every blow with no more than an annoyed glare. Nami had said the martial artist was a sadist who practically got off on seeing and hearing the agony of his victims so the blonde wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing how much damage he was actually taking.

That plan went right out the window when Kuroobi locked his arms around Sanji and took them to the ocean depths faster than any human should go. The internal damage was too much and Sanji coughed out blood as he howled in pain. His screams of anguish, music to the fishman's ears. There was another issue as well. See there's this very basic thing Sanji had forgotten he needed to do…called breathing!

'Fuck! Need Air!'

The fishman sneered victoriously as they reached the bottom, Sanji seemingly seconds away from entering the death's domain. "Humans are so weak! So feeble!" Kuroobi mocked as he spread his arms wide, the underwater reef they'd found themselves in more ominous than beautiful with the skeletons littered around. "Like what you see? You should, you'll be joining them!"

Sanji's eyes flared with unbridled rage as his gaze landed on a specific pair of skeletons. A woman, identifiable from the structure and the clothing, what remained anyway, and...a child. Likely no more than five years old. This sight...brought back memories the coom never wanted to remember.

Sanji swore to never use his hands in combat to directly attack his foes but for this? Well, some rules were meant to be bent. He hadn't really been considering it seriously before but now? Ray was on the menu and his fresh ingredient was due for preparation.

"...I mean seriously, you humans really believed you could stand up to us fi-ghagh!" Kuroobi's words were cut short when Sanji abruptly shoved his fingers deep into the ray fishman's gills. Kuroobi faced the skies and silently cried out to the heavens as Sanji dug even deeper before mercilessly ripping them out. Too steeped in fury, the cook didn't question how he'd had the strength to pull off such a feat and just thrust his foot into the sandbed deep enough for his next and final attack..

"Aplatir!" Sanji raised his free leg up in an arc before slamming it down on Kuroobi's forehead and flattening it against the ocean floor. The sea bed rumbled as the force of the impact spread, destroying the reef and kicking a sandstorm. For a moment silence…and then,

"I...need...!" Like a rocket, Sanji burst out the cloud of sand, dragging Kuroobi's lifeless boy on the way up to that which he seeked. "Air!"

"...Reality is often disappointing." Luffy grinned down on Arlong with a lazy half-lidded gaze oozing with condescension. His crew returned from their respective fights simultaneously, as if everything, every piece had fallen into place perfectly. The thought that they'd all been dancing in the palm of a lesser creature's hands filled Arlong with unchained fury. His predatory senses helped the shark fishman identify who had dealt with who. The scrawny runt with a bow and arrow had a knife that reeked of fishman's blood and the damage he suffered was reminiscent of the Arlong Pirate's Sniper's techniques. The dark skinned swordsman with a bandana on his head sported a few slash wounds and the oil stains were the signature of very specific fishmen subspecies. The opponent of the blonde who'd risen from the water was fairly obvious even without deducing who had fought the other two. Arlong ground his teeth together as his gaze landed on the corpse the blonde human brought with him. It's upper head flattened like a pancake, blood and brain matter still streaming out of his right hand fishman's ears.

"Sweet...Magnificent...Crisp…" Sanji took a deep breath as he dropped Kuroobi before screaming at the top of his aching lungs, "Air!"

PLOP!

Usopp and Zoro both shared exasperated looks before sighing and walking over to drag the unconscious cook away before Arlong got any ideas. Nami stood in front of the villagers shaking her head but the smile hidden beneath her fiance's hat revealed how ecstatic she was over how smooth everythings been going so far. Not to mention those were the hard parts! Nami let an easy smile grace her face as she looked up to meet her decade long tormentor's eyes.

Arlong was fuming. No fuming didn't even cut it. No words could describe the amount of rage and hate he was experiencing right now. His crew, his sworn brothers were torn to shreds, never to see the completion of their goal. Their dream, that they strived to build ever since they were nothing more than fry swimming around the dodgy alleys of Fishman Island's fishman district, the lowest of the lows in that kingdom ruled by a naive queen whose dreams brought her and her family nothing but grief and death.

The casual way the two humans moved to pick up their unconscious companion incensed Arlong past the point of logical thinking. It didn't matter how, he was going to bring ruin to every bloody human on this island-No! Every human in the world!

With a thunderous, deafening roar, Arlong surged forward far faster than any opponent the Straw Hats had ever faced so far. The Straw Hat's sniper panicked as the world around him began moving slower as his senses were pushed to their limits. Had Usopp been in better shape he could have shaved himself and his two crewmates away but now he would only be able to save himself and he'd be damned before he left them. Zoro and he were both almost taken down by the roar itself but the adrenaline from this being a life and death situation kept them from fainting this time. Usopp knew Zoro was still recovering from his duel with Mihawk but even at peak strength...The marksman didn't like the swordsman's chances against this monster who was only a meter away from them when he'd leaped forward.

"Sorry but this is between you-" Arlong's face was clutched in Luffy's hands and squeezed hard as the wolfman stepped forward, preparing. "And me!" The back of Arlong's head was forced deep into the floor, the power behind the attack strong enough it actually sent Usopp, Zoro, Sanji and the fresh ingredient for the side dish flying away.

BOOM!

"Luffy!" Usopp screamed right before his face became really good friends with the dirt right next to Nami. "Damn it man, you're going to end up doing more damage to us than the fishm-!" Usopp screamed indignantly while Zoro landed on his feet with Kuroobi over his shoulder. Sanji landed on top of Usopp ending the archer's shrieking. Zoro chuckled before sitting down by Nami's side, the navigator hadn't looked away once. Her eyes trained on the fight between the two huge monsters meters away.

Luffy loosened his grip on Arlong's face and stepped back to let the fishman get back up. This wasn't going to be a quick fight. With a deep growl Arlong rose and immediately went on the offensive. There were no fancy techniques or skilled martial arts in this clash. Just all-out brawling. For every punch Arlong sent his way Luffy matched it with his own, each collision creating dispersing winds. It started slowly at first but the speed of the blows quickly became too fast for the audience to even see. The punches each fighter threw became blurred images as the winds picked up and began affecting the surrounding area. The trees swayed and the waves shifted as the two fighters just kept getting faster and faster. Nami had to keep a hand over her beloved's hat to keep it from flying away as the gusts of tempest winds whirled past.

Luffy's eyes narrowed and his smirk twitched as he sidestepped the latest jab to enter Arlong's indefensible area. The sharkman's breath was taken away as Luffy delivered an uppercut angled just right that his fist dug behind Arlong's sternum. Lifting the fishman off his feet, Luffy twisted as he slammed Arlong down into the floor head first, kicking his latest punching bag towards one of the building's pillars right after.

"Is that the best you can do? Is that the overwhelming distance you say puts you higher than humans?!" Luffy mocked Arlong, looking down on the pest all the while. Arlong rumbled a deep guttural growl as he stood back up from the fallen pillar.

"You're no human, boy." Arlong grinned as he looked past Luffy and at the villagers who cowered under his gaze, Nami and the other straw hats just glaring back. "You ate a devil fruit! You had to give up so much just to be able to have a chance of surpassing us fishmen, the chosen race!"

Luffy raised an eyebrow at that. The fishman wasn't wrong. He wasn't exactly human anymore, and in this entire fight he'd been in his 'Bathed in Blood' form, wolf ears and tail out and about. While Luffy mused about such things Arlong engaged him once more.

Luffy ducked under the clawed swing Arlong threw his way and responded in kind, slashing Arlong's torso with his own wolf claws. Arlong winced but continued smiling nonetheless as he threw out more haphazard attacks, each and everyone of the sharkman's attacks evaded and then responded in kind by the wolfman.

"You see! This is power that only those who abandon humanity can achieve!" Arlong declared victoriously as despite losing the battle he wasn't wrong. To the villagers of the Conomi Islands it was hard on their psyche, years of being under his rule and ideologies had broken their belief in themselves as humans. Now they were being freed and for that they would be forever grateful...but the 'truth' would remain edged deep in their minds. Humans were nothing more than the Fishman's playthings. "Without the power of devil fruits, powerful devil fruits, humans are inferior in every way...aside from spreading like rats I suppose. Shahahahaha!"

Luffy lost his smile as the depressing mood descended among the villagers and he reached up to grasp Arlong's face before throwing him across the ground towards the ocean. "You think humanity can't reach the level of the fishman without ceasing to be human? Without consuming powerful devil fruits?" Luffy shrunk back to his normal height, his wolf ears and tail receding as well, glaring at Arlong who glanced towards the waters. "Let's test that."

While the villagers began to feel anxiety over the deactivation of the wolfman's devil fruit, the Straw Hats just looked on without much care...well most of them anyway. Sanji was mumbling in his sleep about finding the all blue and occasionally throwing names around as well. Nami shifted her focus towards him for a second as one name kept repeating over and over again. The name was held with such love that she began to wonder who the woman actually was.

"Be careful what you wish for, boy." Arlong sneered before diving into water, his dorsal fin circling around being the only indication that he hadn't turned and run. "Shark on Darts!" Like a torpedo, Arlong shot straight out the water towards Luffy, his sharp, 'indestructible', nose aimed for the wolfman's heart.

Luffy turned away and breathed deeply, keeping his face turned to the side so Arlong was still in his vision. The villagers cried out in horror, not knowing what was about to happen. Zoro glanced at Usopp...and chuckled. The marksman glared at him, knowing what went through Zoro's mind and, without realizing it, rubbed his forehead as he remembered when Luffy used the technique on him.

"Tekkai..." Luffy's muscles tensed at the exact moment of impact between himself and Arlong. "Unbreakable!" Instead of Arlong's indestructible nose piercing right through Luffy, the torpedo of a fishman was sent flying off through more of the building's pillars. It was like when a kid threw a ball against a pole and the projectile bounced off to another direction! The villagers were stunned into silence once more before erupting into cheers. Zoro pressed his headphones tighter against his ears, Usopp doing the same for himself and Sanji.

"That isn't something humans can accomplish!" Arlong growled as he stood up from the rubble. Luffy scoffed before responding.

"You clearly never fought the upper ranks of the Marines then. Strength like that is compulsory if you want to make it there." The wolfman gave Arlong a deadpan look as the fishman popped his teeth out. Inwardly Luffy thought it was cool and wanted to keep a set but outwardly he remained his annoyed, unimpressed expression. "Power like this can be achieved by anyone! It's only a matter of how much discipline they have and how much time they're willing to sacrifice so they can achieve it!"

Arlong held a set of his teeth on each hand like mittens...gross, shiny, very likely smelly mittens. "Chomping Tooth!"

"Paper Art." Luffy leaned away, sidestepped, ducked, and even backflipped over Arlong as the fishman tried again and again to get a chunk out of the human captain. "Stay still you cheeky rat!"

"Hmmm how about….no." Luffy smiled cheekily as he ducked under the latest attack. Arlong growled and pulled his hand back ready to strike again only to not see Luffy...then he noticed the clapping and rapid shuffles of feet hitting the ground. Arlong looked down to see Luffy doing some weird dance while making funny faces at him. The villagers were hunched over laughing their butts off, Usopp joined them, Zoro and Namo shook their heads over Luffy's antics and Arlong looked even more bloodthirsty than before.

"How dare you mock me, you insignificant piece of-"

Luffy rolled his eyes and rolled backwards right before Arlong clamped his jaws around his head. Before Arlong could attack again Luffy somersaulted over him and front kicked him right on the bum, sending Arlong face first into the floor, his nose digging into it.

"All right, enough fun." Luffy lost his wide smirk and started hopping lightly on his feet as he kept one arm close to his chest and the other swaying to and fro. Arlong stood back up and looked absolutely murderous over the mockery Luffy was making out of him.

"Shark on Tooth!" Arlong roared out as he prepared to launch himself towards Luffy again. That was the plan anyway but the flurry of what looked like a single punch but felt like dozens to the face dazed the fishman whose eye sockets were beginning to darken. "What the hell?!"

Luffy wasn't giving Arlong a chance to recover this time. The wolfman kept hopping from one side to another delivering a flurry of what had to be thirty-six punches so quickly they only appeared as a single punch in targeted areas of Arlong's body, vital points. It didn't take long for Arlong to look like a dalmatian with all the bruises Luffy was giving him.

Arlong roared in frustration, opening his maw as wide as he could, getting ready to take another shot at chomping down on Luffy. In his mind, Luffy sighed disappointedly. This bastard was the infamous Knight of the Seas sworn brother?

Luffy surged forward and delivered a vicious uppercut that buried his fist deep into Arlong's stomach. He didn't break through skin but he did heavily damage the fishman's internal organs. Arlong's eyes bugged out as he coughed up blood, his feet leaving the ground briefly. Before Arlong could regain his bearings, Luffy began delivering jabs and hooks left and right, twisting his body back and planting his feet firmly on the ground for the final blow. At least it would be if Arlong knew what was good for him.

The next punch sent rippling waves of energy through Arlong's whole body before the fishman was sent right into Arlong Park's building. The sound of crunching bones reached even the villagers' ears when Luffy's fist came into contact with the fishman's body

"Is it over?" The riot leader asked after moments of silence. There was no shifting of the rubble. No signs of Arlong getting back up. The villagers couldn't help themselves. They jumped in joy and hugged each other with streaming tears. The nightmare was finally over!

Or so they thought.

A hulking figure burst through the building's roof. It was Arlong, and he brought a friend. Arlong cried out for war as he swung down his massive serrated sword, Kiribachi, straight for Luffy's head. While the villagers screamed in fear and disbelief, Luffy didn't even flinch. He'd been able to hear the scraping of metal from the rubble and, thanks to Nami, had a pretty good guess on what Arlong was bringing into the fight. With a bored look on his face, Luffy drew his blade and swung it up to meet Kiribachi. The sound of clashing steel was followed by the cracking earth as the strength behind Arlong's swing pushed against Luffy. The wolfman stood still, unbroken, but the floor could not handle the force.

Once his feet touched the ground, Arlong began hacking and slashing at Luffy like there was no tomorrow. Fishmen were superior in every way and one of the most glaring differences between them and humans was strength. Fishmen were leaps and bounds ahead of humans in terms of strength with no way to close the gap between them. This was a simple fact, a universal truth that Arlong preached for all his life.

Now as he stood before Luffy, he began questioning those beliefs. With every swing that was parried, blocked, or pushed back with effortless ease, the reality that all he'd believed in, all he'd preached about set in. It was nothing but complete and utter bullshit.

'Even without using the activatable powers of the fruit he still isn't human. Yes he abandoned it regardless.' Arlong thought, desperately trying to deny reality. Unfortunately reality is very rarely denied. All it took was a look behind the human captain. While the captain ate a devil fruit did his crew do so as well? No. His instincts told him that only Luffy had eaten a devil fruit. The danger signals that flared up as he was slowly beginning to lose his rage and calm was both mighty impressive…and downright terrifying. Compared to their captain, the crew were only pebbles in the presence of a mountain.

Yet those pebbles stood up to his crew, his brothers...and won.

"Like I said in the beginning Arlong…Reality is often disappointing." Luffy said coldly. There was no pity, no mercy in the wolfman's eyes for the fishman who's beliefs, who's world was crumbling. The next swing was Kiribachi's last. Luffy's blade, coated in a black sheen, shattered the blade right down to the hilt in an upward swing. The next attack sliced Arlong's torso open, spurting blood into the air and staining Luffy's face. The wolfman didn't care, he kept his cold, frosty eyes trained on Arlong even as crimson droplets crashed against them.

The fishman fell to his knees, blood leaking out his sliced front as he coughed out more from his maw. He already looked horrible outwardly but inside? That was where the true damage was. Still, even broken physically with crumbled beliefs Arlong's maliciousness won out as he glared hatefully at Luffy.

"Have your revenge, human scum." Arlong hacked up more blood before a vicious sneer overtook his features as he shifted his gaze over to his little 'kitten'. "The damage has already been done...that girl you've taken a liking too...won't ever be free of me. Shahaha-Shahahahahaha!"

At this point Sanji had come to and was barely being held back by Usopp as the cook wanted nothing more than to crush that arrogant son of a bitch's skull like he had Kuroobi's. Zoro silently kept Nami in the corner of his eyes, watching, gauging her reaction as the villagers behind them looked ready to run over and trample the fishman themselves. The navigator herself just looked on, her eyes hidden by the brim of her beloved's treasure.

"You won't be there forever you know and when she's alone in the dark she'll remember. She'll think back to her time as my crewmate. She'll go to sleep and fear to open her eyes and find this was nothing more than a hopeful, naive dream! She will never be free! I will haunt her even in death! For she is mi-"

Arlong's vision went white in a flash as his head was knocked to the side. His skull definitely cracked and the aftermath made him more nauseous than he'd ever been before. The sharkman's ears were ringing and he didn't even register the fact he'd begun crying out in pain as he was dragged by his hair towards the 'kitten' he'd been playing with for a decade.

"One Sawtooth Arlong as promised, my lady." Luffy bowed his head and brought an arm across his chest as he nonchalantly raised Arlong up to Nami's eye level for her to inspect. The feeling that ran through the villagers was indescribable. Their decade long tormentor now crying out before them like the village bully after meeting and getting whooped by a real man. "Now I believe I can claim my...prize."

Arlong squirmed in Luffy's grasp and squinted an eye at Nami. The navigator met his eyes with a blank expression.

"Have your vengeance, Nami...you will never be free. Shaha-urk."

Arlong's last sliver of a victory was lost, as for the first time in his life...he feared the 'kitten' he'd taken in long ago. The cheerful, vibrant smile she sent his way alone would have raised concern but her eyes...it seemed like he too would never sleep soundly again...even in death.

"Sorry dear. I have...other plans for you." Nami purred as she traced a finger along the fishman's jawline, keeping her new toy's gaze firmly locked into her own.