A/N: Good news! Our hero returns this chapter! On the other hand… well, you'll see.
Chapter 20: Sunrise, Sunset
All of Cocoyashi stood in shock at the sight. Nami's face in a resolute manner. Silk was caught between tears for the fallen and anger at the cause of their defeat. Even Zoro clenched his jaw at the show of power. It wasn't every day you saw one Fishman chew up a Marine battleship... almost literally. Nami's grimace deepened, as the villagers' despair became more apparent. "I... don't think I've ever seen him actually get his hands dirty like that..."
"My God..." Silk sniffled. "All... all those people..."
"Tch," Zoro clicked his tongue as he watched silently.
"Make way, the Marines have arrived!" A grating voice called out. Sure enough, from the other side of the village came more Marines, led by a man with whisker-like marks on his cheeks. He stopped in front of Nami and co., a demeaning smile on his face. "Excuse me, miss. Would you happen to be Nami, the pirate thief?"
Silk immediately stood in front of Nami, glaring at the men. The soldiers shifted under her gaze, feeling like they were being sized up. Unfazed at her luck by this point, Nami got up and looked at the group. "If the noble Marines are here to 'tax' me for my thieving, my stash is already gone. Sorry, you made the trip for nothing."
The man only laughed. "Hyik hyik hyik! I will decide that, criminal! All of your ill-gotten gains were taken from pirates, but they were stolen. Unless you turn over all your money, we will be forced to arrest you-!"
"That's enough!" Genzo, sans hat and pinwheel, stormed out of the doctor's hut, absolutely livid. "Don't you dare try to arrest Nami! Not after everything she's done for this village!"
Nami looked at Genzo wide-eyed. "What!? You knew!?"
Genzo nodded. "Nami, we all knew. We couldn't believe you'd just join Arlong for money. So, we pressed Nojiko. Everyone in the village knows what you're doing." As Nami looked around, every villager she grew up with was either relieved that they could stop lying or furious at the Marines for coming to not arrest the Arlong Pirates.
Silk looked around confused. "You feel like we're missing context?" she asked Zoro... who had fallen asleep leaning on the wall. "Really?"
"What is this nonsense?" the Marine Captain only looked more amused than anything else. "Are you saying everyone in this village was complicit in the thievery? Perhaps I should arrest all of you then!"
"Mighty Smash!" DONG!
A single golden fist knocked the man spinning into the air, before crashing in front of his soldiers. All eyes turned to Silk, who had already turned Dorado into its gauntlet form again. As quite a few cries of "The Hell!?" rang out, Nami took her surprise a bit better. "Whoa, Silk! You changed Dorado into…"
"A Merciless Gauntlet!" Silk called out as she fixed an acidic glare on the standing force of Justice. "Now, all of you beat it! Or else…" Despite her threatening tone, a few of the men actually pulled out swords to attack-
"Collier Shoot!"
"Lead Star!"
"Iron Knuckle!"
...Only to end up in a pile next to their captain from different attacks.
"Move it! We have wounded!" Hook screamed to the fodder in his way. "Honestly, why's there a crowd just standing in the middle of the road!?"
"Haha! Take that – fear the Great Master Ussop!" Said Great Master was near the back of the group, but at least standing in front of Johnny and Yosaku's prone bodies.
Sanji, looking the most furious out of the trio, glared at the Marines. "How dare you pigs try to attack a lady! You wanna be filleted!" As the corrupt soldiers trembled, Sanji swiftly slid over to Nami and Silk, hearts in his eyes. "Darling Nami~! Dearest Silk~! How may this humble Chef service you~"
"How... DARE YOU!?" The Marine captain, sitting on the ground, roared at... well, everyone, really. "I AM A MARINE! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND, FOOLS!? STRIKING ME MAKES YOU CRIMINALS!"
With a (un)healthy amount of Decree, Hook glared through the man. "Then I guess we'll have to kill you." A wave of intent washed over the area; Ussop's legs buckled, Zoro snapped awake, ready for a fight, Sanji bit through his cigarette, Nami's hands began to shake, and Silk's knuckles tightened on Dorado, back in ax form. Outside of that, the villages broke out in a cold sweat, Genzo included, while the Marines quickly ran like a monster was chasing them... forgetting their captain, who was now sitting in a pool of his own urine, shivering and sweating. Wrinkling his nose at the sight... and smell, Hook barked, "I'm already gonna be King of the Pirates, so any lame empty threats like that are useless!" The statement was punctuated by boot applied to face, knocking the moronic captain out.
"What... who is this kid?" Genzo asked in shock.
Nami sighed, her shaking subsiding a bit. "Better or worse, that's my captain. No idle threats would deter him, and that was barely a good one."
A beat of silence followed. Then all of Cocoyashi gave a flat "What." Nami... who hated pirates... was joining another pirate crew!?
The redhead just shrugged, sticking out her tongue. "What else would I do? Join the Marines? If that lump's any indicator, they went downhill after Bellemere left~"
Zoro huffed, taking his already steady hands off of his sword. "Tch. You're all so noisy."
Sanji groused at that. "Excuse me, sleeping beauty. Nami was talking, so next time just listen. Pretty rude for the new guy on the crew."
"I AIN'T JOINING, DARTBOARD BROW!" Zoro snarled back, only for Sanji to return with equal vitriol.
"DID YOU SAY SOMETHING, FRESH GRASS!? DON'T MAKE ME MOW YOU DOWN!" was his measured response.
As Hook laughed at the exchange, most of Cocoyashi gaped at the pirate's emotional 180. On the other foot, Silk walked up and jabbed him lightly in the chest with one finger. "Hey, you're late! Did it really take you so long to beat up that creep!?"
"Silk!" Hook cheered as he hugged her. "It's great to see you! Man, it was dull without you around!"
Silk seemed to pause for about a minute at the sudden contact before responding. "H-hey, this is no time for hugs!" She wasn't very convincing, what with the blonde hugging back, and laughing all the while.
Nami shook her head at the scene, before noticing the waking figures near Ussop. "Hm? Wait, that-!"
"Yeah, we found Johnny on the way," Ussop stated. "He was hanging from some monster's teeth, and..."
"JOHNNY!" Zoro broke off arguing with Sanji to his waking friends. "I... you're actually alive!"
Johnny grinned a bit, rubbing at his wrapped forehead. "Yeah! That bitch couldn't really kill me, Big Bro!"
Yosaku muttered, "We actually don't know if she meant to save you, though," but it went unnoticed; of the three, he was the only one to not have been screwed over by Carina, so he probably wasn't going to convince those two any time soon.
Hook shook his head at the reunion until Silk caught his attention again. "Seriously, I got Nami but it was close. These Fishmen are no joke." At that part, she motioned to her slightly singed outfit.
Hook's eyes widened in shock as he took in Silk's bedraggled appearance. "They set you on fire? What did I miss!?" Despite his surprise, he still Summoned what gold there was from the 15,000,000 horde... a chest full of gold coins, some golden rings, and five gold teeth. The rest were soft jewels like rubies and opals, or actual money. "Here, maybe something here could help. Oh! And Zoro, catch!" Hook then proceeded to Summon two Silver Sabers and throw them to Zoro. He caught them effortlessly. "Can't have a member of my crew go at half power!"
Zoro sighed but did not refute either part of that statement. Rather than beat a dead horse with his refusals, he gave the swords some practice swings. "They're not great, but they'll do for now."
All the while, Genzo was trying to pick his jaw from the floor from whatever the hell he had just seen. "What... how?"
"He's eaten a Devil Fruit," was Nami's casual answer.
"A WHAT!?" Genzo gaped, startling some of the villagers. "AND HOW ARE YOU ALL SO CALM ABOUT THIS!"
Nami thought for a bit, looking like she might answer, but instead addressed Hook. "Hey, Hook. Got a spare staff?"
"Better!" Hook extended his arm to Summon some Wootz Steel, molding it until it was thick enough to hurt but light enough to swing, then handed it to Nami. "According to Ussop, this metal that guy was using is incredibly strong and light! Think of it as 'the Jackass Staff!'"
Nami appraised the weapon's lightness, before testing its durability... by slamming it on Hook's head. "I'm not calling it that!" Genzo blinked at Nami's reaction; not because it was violent... but because she was smiling, a real genuine smile, as she smacked the sense out of Hook! "We're calm because we trust each other, old man." Genzo blinked at Hook, as the young man, now sporting a small bump on his head, responded to his question. "It'd be stupid to worry when we're all together like this! Oh right!" Hook turned to Ussop and Sanji, completely dismissing Genzo. "You guys want anything? Wootz Steel for your boots, or hammer?"
Sanji laughed a bit. "No thanks. I don't need upgrades. I'm all the badass I need-!"
"Ooh, really!?" Ussop had stars in his eyes. "A cover to fit over part of the head, please! Oh, and like 5 decent-sized ball bearings of Wootz Steel too!"
"Clakakakakaka! Sure thing!" Hook smiled as he created the items as best as he could. 'This is getting a little tiring, but if it helps the crew and makes them happy, I'm fine!'
"While he's doing that," Sanji spoke up, "this is still enemy territory. We just got here, so what happened?"
Nami started, tapping the ground with her staff. "Carina lied to Arlong, who has a shady-as-hell new recruit, and the entire crew is shipping out for the Grand Line."
Zoro hung his new blades from his haramaki. "Blondie over here let her guard down and got me and Johnny kidnapped. After... Carina shot him, Nami let me out, and we hitched a ride with some octopus."
Silk growled. "I went to go looking for Fresh Grass ("Oi!"), but I got drawn into a Devil's Strike with Kisame, he knocked me into Nami's sister, then robbed and burned down her home."
Sanji lit a match off of Ussop's nose ("Ow!"), for his cigarette. "Well, if we're sharing... we ran into enough sea beef for 10 cruise ships, and Johnny was in its mouth. We got him out, treated him, then Hook tied wires to monster's horns... and ran us into the shore, sending us flying a mile away." That last jab was aimed at Hook, who was listening to the info drop with laser focus.
Nami looked back to the harbor. "That explains the sound. Oh! And Arlong chewed through a Marine ship, right before that piss-pot," she gestures toward the unconscious White Hat, "came to arrest me."
"Whoa, hold on," Hook spoke up, a serious look on his face. "What's this about a Devil's Game?"
The face vault at that statement shook the ground. "ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" was said by... well, everyone, save Silk and Zoro.
"Oh!" Silk smiled. "It's this fun game where you just hit each other instead of having a full-on brawl! Loser cries 'you're the Devil!'"
Zoro grinned in what could only be described as 'bloodthirsty.' "Oh ho. That does sound fun..."
"HOOK, OUR NEW CREWMATE IS SCARY~!" Ussop grabbed onto the boy's shirt and shook him, a watery look in his eyes.
Laughing the sharpshooter off, Hook looked over at Genzo and the crowd. "So, you guys want weapons too, right?"
Genzo blinked. "Weapons?"
"Yeah, to fight with," Hook stated slowly like he was talking to someone who wasn't paying attention. "You do want to defeat Arlong, right?"
The silent shock around the village was almost louder than that last face vault. Some youngblood just dropped in, starts pulling weapons out of his ass, and then just asked if the citizens want to overthrow their sea-dwelling overlords? Genzo swallowed but finally answered. "This is probably the worst day under Arlong's rule... but you can't just invite yourself to fix our problems..."
"Oh, he didn't invite himself," Nami stated. "I invited him, actually."
"We only came after you and Merry got taken," Hook pointed out the plothole in that explanation, "but we'd have helped anyway. That's what family does."
Nami's face lights up the comment... but was diminished when Sanji began to spew more poetry, this time about how the red of Nami's cheeks made her look cherubic. "Okay, that's enough."
Hook looked over at Zoro's bandaged midsection. "Hey, can you fight like that?"
The swordsman snorted. "I'll be fine. It itches, is all. I heard once that Fishmen are ten times stronger than humans..." He grinned with no small amount of bloodlust. "Even beating just one will be excellent training."
Sanji sighed at the display. "Hook, you really find some strange guys to join your crew."
Silk nodded. "Yeah, it's like he completely lacks the awareness of the situation."
"We don't want to hear that from you," The lying brave warrior deadpanned at the flirty cook and the airheaded bruiser.
"You... you're really prepared to fight Arlong, then?" A clatter of implements sounded around Genzo, as every villager armed themselves... with pots, pans, cooking knives, and garden equipment. "Well, don't forget for a minute that we all suffered under him! Friends and families were wiped away under that monster... if he's shedding blood, then we'll be the ones to do it!"
As the crowd cheered, Hook scratched his head at the excitement. "Yeesh, how bad was this Arlong guy?"
Nami gave Hook an unnerving expression: calm on the surface, but the eyes were dark. "Hook... on his first day here, he gave Genzo his scars, then dragged me off to draw him maps for constant pirate raids on the nearby islands. The only one who would have stood in his way was my mother... whom he shot in cold blood. I don't want him dead, Hook... I want him broken."
The grin the Combo-man returend was downright feral. "Alright, guys..." he spoke while cracking his knuckles, "No mercy."
Silk wielded Dorado, wearing a carefree smile. "Rorororo! Let's go hook us a shark! ...Get it?"
Sanji dropped his cigarette and crushed it under his heel. "A fish fry is a good way to celebrate a homecoming..."
Zoro only grinned as he unsheathed part of Wado Ichimonji.
Ussop posed with shaky knees. "Don't worry! As long we see no Fishmen, we'll be fine!"
Johnny and Yosaku... stayed on the ground. "Good luck, guys!" "Avenge us!"
"Clakakakaka!" Hook laughed as he turned toward inland, where he approximately thought Arlong's base would be located. "Those freaks won't know what hit 'em!" He took a single step-!
The hairs jumping to attention on the back of Hook's neck was all the warning he got before the ocean exploded behind him.
A few moments ago...
As Arlong came back from his, frankly euphoric ship sinking, he expected his brothers to be in awe of his power. He came back to his crew in a mixture of anger, disgust, and shock. The centerpiece: Hachi patching up Kisame... bleeding from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. "What now, you lump of stupid!?" Arlong groaned, the constant surprises wearing his patience thin. "First, you get covered in burns from a human, and now you've been shot?! How pathetic are you?!"
The crew... were not on his side in this argument. In fact, to Arlong's surprise, most of them, save his loyal officers, were openly glaring at him. Kisame gave a cough and wheeze. "My brethren, it is fine. He doesn't know what happened. He didn't mean to leave us so unguarded and open..." That did nothing to appease the crew...
Arlong snarled. "What's going on? I was only gone for a minute!"
"And... while you were away," Hachi moaned, "Those three humans – the girl and weirdos – took off with our ship! All our gold and a good deal of our weapons – your own blade! - gone! We've been robbed blind!" Arlong's jaw dropped. This day was filled with a lot of ups and downs – but this! How could this have happened to the strongest race on the planet!
A few moments before this few moments ago...
Carina, Jango, and Siam could say nothing to this plan... mostly because their jaws were firmly on the ground from the shock. Even Iago and Abu seemed floored. All eyes were glued... to the clearly unstable Fishman in front of the group. "Are... you saying," Jango began, "you want us to steal... from Arlong? Arlong! - as in 'kills humans for sport' Arlong!? Are you cracked!?"
Kisame shrugged. "It is crazy, but I assure you... Arlong is now in no position to stop you. The ship's all set up for a long voyage. All you'll have to do is sail for the Grand Line, no stops, and you'll be rich enough to never have to worry again. Not a bad deal, right?"
"Yeah right!" Siam snarled. "You expect us to believe that bull! That ship's pro'ly ready to blow! We don't trust you, fish cakes!"
Kisame just chuckled like an angry kitten was just meowing loudly at him. "Well, thankfully, I wasn't asking you." He looked directly at Carina. "So, as the only one of this group with a good head on your shoulders... quite a deal, right?"
'A deal too good to be true,' Carina thought, before asking, "What's the catch?"
Kisame chuckled. "Easy. I want you to shoot me."
"What?" Carina gaped Jango and Siam close behind.
"I didn't stutter," Kisame stated. "I need something that looks painful, but not debilitating – my shoulder's a good target. Most people do get winged, I think, and it's already wounded..."
"Are you insane!?" For the first time in a long while, Carina's fear of being squished by the monsters of the world gave way to the sheer incredulous stupidity that permeated from said monsters! "Why on Earth would you-!?" An idea sparked in her brain. "You want to make it look like a surprise attack... you were wounded and couldn't have chased us."
"Exactly!" Kisame grinned with all rows of teeth. "Like I said! A real credit to your race! Hope you have some serious firepower – Arlong won't believe it unless it's a doozy."
"Haha! Is that all!" Jango whooped. "And here I thought you were nuts! Turns out you're just as genius as Kuro! Eh, Saim!?" He nudged his fellow pirate... who just stared off wistfully over the sea. "Hm? Siam?"
The last remaining Nyaban brother said nothing for a while. "...I'm done." Jango's eyes widened behind his lens, not that Siam noticed as he continued. "Kuro's a lunatic... our crew abandoned us... my brother-!" Siam clenched his fist, forcing the tears back. When he calmed down, he said, "Once we reach a quiet island... I'm not moving from it."
"W-w-w-w-what are you saying!?" Jango screeched, "after everything we've been through? The Black Cat Pirates..."
"...Sailed off and left us," Siam cut off the hypnotist. "We were marooned – left behind to save their sorry hides! I won't stay on a crew like that! Besides..." Grabbing at the wounded side of his face, he thinks back to gold and pain! "...this new generation of pirates... is a bit outta our league."
As Jango stood there shocked, Carina got Iago ready to fire...
One of Hook's most positive traits...he's almost too stupid to leave a friend behind...
...And sighed. 'Hook... couldn't have been really that decent. All pirates lie. All pirates hurt. Nami didn't trust any... until him.' She stalled by double-checking the hammer wasn't loose. 'Maybe... maybe I could watch from out of range from how far they can swim... see what happens. If either of them, for a moment, act like him... I burn water for the Grand Line.' Her thoughts turned to Nami, blushing a bit at a few particular memories. 'I... almost hope I don't have to.'
As Carina raised the gun, a blue hand grabbed the barrel and held it down. "Ah, just one detail I want to make sure you understand..." Carina looked up – and swallowed her tongue as 'KNEELRUNORDIE!' ran through her head. It was like all the warmth in the air fled to be replaced by cold unbridled ambition. "If you agree to my plan... you follow it exactly," a cold dead voice of zero empathy spoke from Hell. "Any deviations... and you will wish Arlong had found you." Like a coin flip, the warmth, sun, and oxygen flooded Carina's lungs. Her legs trembled, while Abu was shivering around her neck. Kisame, his mask firmly affixed to his face again, moved the gun hand to his shoulder. "Please remember, don't miss. We need to make this look good~"
A time after that...
"WAH! Kisame!" Hachi cried as he came up to the bleeding Fishman. "You've been shot! What happened!" Chu came over, no doubt to make a snarky remark... but paused as he saw tears streaming down the shark's face. Kisame had taken a lot of hazing when he joined... but he'd never shed a tear once.
"I... I'm so sorry everyone!" the newbie blubbered. "That... woman... tricked us! While Arlong was busy... I saw them sneak away. I followed them... and..." As he paused to recollect himself, several of the Fishmen, Chu, Kuroobi, and Hachi especially, felt a twinge of Deja Vu.
'It's just like...' None of them could finish the thought, but traded looks meant they were on the same page.
"When I tried to stop them, the woman- no, that human shot me!" A few of the Arlong Pirates that could remember their Darkest Day felt their very hearts clench. "We should... should have never trusted them!"
Kuroobi gnashed his teeth, breaking past Chu to snag Kisame by his shirt and hoist him up. "Fool! Fishmen are the proudest race! The Strongest under the Sun! We don't need to trust humans!"
Tears still in his eyes, Kisame looked at his superior puzzled. "Wha? But Arlong trusted her. He trusts that Marine... and Nami too!" A murmur went through the crowd; it's not like a few of them hadn't puzzled on that.
"That's different!" Kuroobi snarled. "They're useful, but beneath us!"
Hachi, having more than enough, pops the Manta Ray Fishman in the back of his head. "That's enough, Kuroobi! He's already been through plenty!" The slap caused him to drop Kisame, who landed on his feet, holding his wounded arm. "Besides, Nami's one of the good Humans! She even gave me a real smile – just like-!"
Hachi barely had time to stop himself; it's not as if that event was taboo, but it was hardly a painless memory. "Good Humans? Bad Humans? That is really unusual..." Kisame spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "Arlong says Humans are only useful as tools... yet one of the officers is a Human. And when another one comes along, promising riches, Arlong bit down and took it! So, really," Kisame queried, "what are the goals of this crew? Has all this complacency made you soft?" The words were not loud or unkind but full of passion. A passion most of these Fishmen followed up and out of slavery to experience...
No one in the crew could look their fellow matey in the eye. Kuroobi looked ready to hit something, while Chu looked away with a dark, despondent expression. Hachi reflected on all the misery that he had caused. "Big Bro... Boss..."
"If you all are really that worried about the answer... maybe there is..." Kisame never finished as he collapsed. Hachi, immediately worried, set to work patching him up. Some Fishmen turned away... but most of them looked on, a bit... inspired as to where those words would lead.
That was when Arlong returned.
Now...
Arlong snarled. "That backstabbing bitch! Taking all of our money! When I get my hands on her-!"
"Kisame! Don't move! Your bandages-!" Hachi tried to stop the Shark Fishman, but he still moved... to bow in front of Arlong.
"Captain! I must apologize!" His sudden apology dropped a lot of jaws, though Arlong just clenched his jaw. "All of our bad luck... falls directly on me!" Many a pirate, Arlong included, looked haunted at Kisame's demeanor... like someone else, from days past, would have done the same thing in this scenario... "And even though I have no place to ask... I still must inquire..." He looked up at his superior. "What exactly is it the Arlong Pirates stand for?"
The answers came almost instantly. "Respect/Power/Fear!" Arlong, Kuroobi, and Chu paused and looked at each other, as Kisame looked at them in disappointment.
"Just as I thought. Confused and unfocused. A far cry from the golden days of Sun Pirates..." Slowly, the Tiger Shark Fishman managed to get up to his feet. "And what of the humans?" He went on, his strength building in his voice. "You claim them all useless and weak, but you have them on your crew. You invite them into your territory. You even listen to random ones who show up, promising riches, and get robbed blind for your troubles! What is it you stand for!?" The pirates looked around at each other, a few looking toward their commanders.
Chu and Kuroobi looked sick at the idea of working with humans, and Hachi just seemed to be saddened by his comrades' answers. On the other hand, Arlong just seemed mad – it was unclear what he was mad about since everything at this point had served to irk him, to put it mildly. Kisame took in their sullen expressions, before laughing a bit. "This... is such a letdown. I came here to meet the legends that a Warlord called 'comrades-in-arms'..." The crew, Arlong especially, stiffened up at what those words implied. "Instead, everything impressive was left behind when you came to this backwater ocean... fleeing the greatest seas like cowards-"
Several weaker Fishmen almost swallowed their tongues as Arlong practically teleported to the smack-talking Fishman, hoisting him up by his neck. Hachi gaped at the look in Arlong's eyes: the look right before someone dies. "Damnit, Arlong!" The six-armed officer reached out to talk sense to his superior. "I get you're upset, but calm down! And Kisame," He looked up at the battered Fishman. "Stop making him-!"
Arlong, and by extension Hachi, got hit by a pressure; Hachi felt unphased – he had met a man in the Grand Line who exerted way worse pressure, but he was also not the intended target. As Kisame started back at Sawtooth Arlong, he did not flinch for a second.
"You want to kill me, Captain?" He quietly laughed, far more cold and bitter than Hachi had ever heard from the new recruit. "Fair warning... you ran from the Grand Line because of Jinbe..." He grabbed his arm, not tightly, and smirked. "I ran all over it looking for him." Arlong snarled, and tried to tighten his grip... tried, because his hand just couldn't. Kisame's hand was not squeezing, but its mere presence was like a weight upon him. Afraid? No, never! Arlong made people scared – he can't be made to be...
"So," Kisame spoke quietly, but his voice carried to every head nearby, "do you never hurt your 'brothers,' or is it just convenient to not right now?" Through the haze of his anger, Arlong suddenly had a clear thought: he'd just been played. After this pond scum had reminded his crew of... the greater days of the Fishman Pirates, he goaded him to go this far. Now, if he hit him, the fate of his whole crew would be shaky – he'd have to step back and become a hypocrite as to why he wouldn't hit just any one of them, or leave in shame as compensation for letting things get this bad. However, if he dropped him now, all that would accomplish is make him look weak, unfit to be captain.
He glanced at Chu, who looked conflicted, Kuroobi, who seemed already settled on whatever choice he made, and Hachi... who only looked at Arlong, his eyes pleading to not split the group. Not more than they'd already been divided. And so, for the second time in his life, Arlong did not engage in a fight he had started... by dropping the Fishman back on his feet. The minute he landed, he smiled kindly. "Thank you, Captain." As he brushed past him, he whispered into his ear. "I will strive to make sure this crew will have purpose and direction... Arlong."
Arlong, his fears realized, collapsed to his knees. Hachi, who had heard that last parting word, came to check on Arlong, as did Chu. None of the others, Kuroobi included, even looked in Arlong's direction, as Kisame spoke. "My brothers! We stand on the precipice of a new age! Today, before you, I propose we make a new brotherhood! Stronger and aimed at a goal attainable!" He reached into the pool and pulled out his wrapped sword. Tapping the tip on the ground, he stood tall, no longer looking like the meek rookie, but the kind of pirate that would challenge a Warlord, not flinching at the loss. "Those who want to join, simply stand behind me."
The words had barely finished leaving his lips as some of the crew quickly made their way over, a few glaring at Arlong as he knelt on the ground, looking at nothing. There was a pause, as several Fishman turned to look at the officers... especially the only one not standing near Arlong. Hachi silently looked the Manta Ray Fishman in the eye... or tried, as Kuroobi seemed dead-set on looking anywhere but Arlong's direction. "Arlong..." he spoke. "I came here, with you, because you had a vision I could believe in. A promise steeped in strength, against the cancer on our seas called humanity. First, you shook me when you allowed that witch to join us. I held steadfastly. Then, you made deals like some government dog with Marines.
"You said it was for masking our presence in East Blue. I was not disavowed, but I still held steadfastly." Kuroobi clenched his fist, knuckles cracking under the strain. "Then, some human – an absolute no-name – promises us riches beyond our wildest dreams. A fool's errand that you bought easily! I was shocked. Now... you have let too much go unchecked on your watch, under your strength! You don't even know where that devil-damned witch is!" He took a moment to catch his breath after that outburst. Finally, he said, "If Jinbe hadn't refuted it... I would have joined him." With that, he walked over, not even gauging his (former?) crew's reactions. As Kisame welcomed him with a shoulder pat, a bit more of the crew came with him.
Now, all eyes fell to Chu, save for Hachi, who was still looking at Kuroobi, utterly aghast. "K... Kuroobi... I thought we all agreed we would sail with Arlong, to keep him honest and on the path that we all dreamed of-"
"That's what we said, chu." The body on Hachi's side spoke up, looking a little lost. "Truth is, only you wanted to do that, Hachi. Some of us only joined... to have a place to belong." He looked at Arlong, still unresponsive, before just shaking his head, and walked over to join the other turncoats – for what else could they be called – and the rest of the crew followed.
Hachi just looked on in shock. 'How could we have gotten this bad...?' Hachi thought back to all the destruction he had commented under Arlong's reign... everything to make 'that path toward the Sun' a reality. Destruction that might have made that dream farther rather than nearer. Wrecking towns... traumatizing children. 'Did we fail before we even began?' Out loud, he spoke to Kisame. "Kisame... what is your goal, going through all of this?"
Kisame smiled, then spoke. What he said shocked the group, even Arlong looked up at it. What he was suggesting... had to be impossible. But if it could be pulled off... would even Fisher Tiger approve? Kisame laughed good-naturally. "Do you like it!? Big Bro Hody came to a different conclusion, but... it's all thanks to Arlong. Everything he told us about humans... it really put things into perspective." He walked over to Arlong, and extended a hand. "It's for that reason... I still want to reach my hand out and ask you to join us! Be my right hand... Big Bro Arlong."
A/N: So, yeah. Might be playing with the personalities of the characters, but I wanted to shake things up. Think I did a good job? Next chapter, Hook Pirates Vs… well, not the Arlong Pirates, clearly.
