Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora.
Here ya go everybody! A brand new chapter! This signals the end of the Baratie Arc and I will be moving on to Arlong Park next.
Enjoy!
FYI: All the major fights that happened on Baratie are not included, but there's a specific reason for that. The reason being Aurora was not around to witness or participate. Why, you ask? You'll have to read to find out!
Chapter 19
All was silent. None of the customers dared to make a move, lest they incur Krieg's wrath. Aurora watched the man closely, knowing it was best not to let her guard down. It would seem her powers had done right by her again. Krieg was up to no good.
The chef from before spoke up. "I told you so! This is the real Krieg! And now he's gonna take over our ship!"
It was then that the customers reacted. They began to flee out the back, leaving the staff of the Baratie, along with Aurora and Luffy, behind.
"Get on the boat! We've gotta get out of here before we're surrounded!"
Patty began to come to. "Ugh… what's with all the noise?"
"Don Krieg…" came Gin's weak voice. "What about your promise…"
Luffy stepped forward, Sanji slowly rising behind him. "Hey Gin! Are you alright!?"
"My ship's all worn out." Krieg smirked. "So I've been wanting a new one. Once my business is done with you, I'll have you get off of this ship. Right now, I have around a hundred subordinates on my ship, and they're all starving and critically wounded. So prepare enough water and food, to feed all 100 men of mine. There are a few who've already starved to death, so make it quick!"
"You're asking us to willingly feed a hundred pirates, knowing that they're going to attack us and steal our ship later!? We refuse!"
"Refuse?" Krieg hummed. "Seems like we have a little misunderstanding on our hands. I wasn't asking whether or not you'd do it… I'm ordering you. And nobody disobeys my orders!"
The staff flinched in fear at Krieg's tone. This man meant business… and something told Aurora he'd take down anyone who tried to stop him from getting what he wanted.
"Sanji…" Gin spoke up again. "I'm sorry… I … never intended for things to turn out this way…"
Patty turned on said man. "Sanji, you bastard! It's because of you that we're in this m…" Patty paused. "Hey! Where do you think you're going!?"
"To the kitchen, in order to prepare enough food for 100 people."
"WHAT!?"
"Sanji!?"
"Wise choice…" Krieg drolled.
Luffy spoke up. "Sanji."
The assistant chef stopped in his tracks, but not because of the call of his name. The many chefs that worked in the restaurant had all drawn a pistol, aiming them at the assistant chef.
"Who the hell do you think you are, Sanji? Krieg's secret agent or something? We ain't gonna let you take one step in to the kitchen. We've had enough of your insane and reckless actions!"
Sanji held his arms out in surrender. "Fine, stop me if you wish. Go ahead, shoot. I know… I know that they're nothing but scum who aren't worth a dime saving… but to me, none of that matters. Thinking about the consequences of feeding a person… it's all such a big hassle. A cook should freely be able to feed anyone who's starving. Isn't that ideal!?"
In that next instant, Patty charged forward, slamming his fist into Sanji's head.
"PATTY!"
"Hold him down!" Patty growled. "Sanji! I know you feed the customers I chase away from time to time, and I'm not going to say who was right and who was wrong for all those times… but this time it's all your fault! So don't you dare do anymore unnecessary things! I'll protect this restaurant myself!"
Sanji said nothing. He merely stared at Patty as the other chefs held him down.
"Fortunately, we only have Don Krieg alone to deal with. Just what can he do against all of us!? This is Baratie, the restaurant that deals with all sorts of pirates on a daily basis. We're more than prepared to handle any customer that might come!" Patty swung around to face Krieg, holding up a bazooka shaped like a lobster. "If you're finished with your meal, how about having an iron dessert!? INDIGESTION MEATBALL CANNON!"
Krieg began to curse." Son of a…"
The man was cut off. A cannonball shot out of the bazooka, hitting Krieg square in the chest. Smoke billowed as a result of the attack, the remaining occupants staring in shock.
"DON!" Gin cried.
The man had flown back from the force of the cannonball, bursting through the entrance of the Baratie and coming to a stop at the ship's railing.
"Agh!" Patty growled. "Damn it. I ended up destroying the entrance… the owner's gonna have my head for this…"
"It's fine." One of the other chefs assured. "It's just collateral damage from protecting the restaurant…"
"What're you planning to do with his underlings on the ship?" Sanji asked Patty.
The man grinned. "Well… maybe we oughta butter his ship up and roast it with fire?"
"That's the best dessert you've got, you lousy cook!?" a voice growled out.
Aurora flinched when she felt Krieg's aura approach. Whipping her head around, the half-angel was shocked to find the man was still alive, let alone standing. But at least now she knew why. Underneath his clothing, Krieg donned gold armor. It consisted of a chest plate, shoulder guards, and elbow guards. Upon closer inspection, Aurora could make out his Jolly Roger painted on the shoulder guards.
"It can't be…!"
"Serving that pile of crap for dessert… this is the worst restaurant I've ever been to…"
"Woah! His body's gold and shiny!" Luffy marveled, pointing out the obvious.
"That bastard and his fancy steel armour!" The chefs pulled out various weapons, all of them appearing to be enlarged versions of utensils. "GET HIM!"
"LET"S GO!"
"ANNOYING PRICKS!" Numerous guns popped out of Krieg's armor, each one being fired by the man himself.
"AGHHHH!"
Aurora could only watch in horror as each man was gunned down. None of them had ever stood a chance!
"Guns!?" Luffy cried out.
"From all over his body!" Sanji choked out, horrified at what he had just witnessed. On the other side of the room, Gin held his head in his hands. Even he was distressed by what his captain had done.
"You damn worms think you can defy me!?" Krieg cackled. "I'm the strongest! This steel arm, more powerful than that of anyone! This body of steel, tougher than anyone else's! And this diamond fist that can pulverize anything! My entire body is a finely tuned weapon! I'm the Fleet Admiral of 50 ships and the Commander of 5000 men! I've won every single battle I've been in! There is no other man more worthy of the title "Don" than I am! So if I tell you to prepare the food for my men, then you shut up and do it! NOBODY GOES AGAINST DON KRIEG!"
A large bag was dropped at the man's feet. Aurora choked back a gasp of shock. What on earth was he thinking!?
"Owner Zeff!"
"There's enough food her for a hundred people. So hurry up and bring it to your men."
Don Krieg appeared frozen. "Did… did they just say Zeff!?"
"Sir! How could you give them the food!? Just what's the meaning of this!? Once thos pirates on that ship recover, they'll take over our restaurant!"
"That's only if, they still have any fighting spirit left at all…" Zeff drolled.
"Huh?"
Zeff turned back to Krieg. "Isn't that right, defeated warriors of Grand Line?"
"W-What!? Don Krieg defeated!?"
"The strongest man of East Blue…! The Pirate Fleet Admiral of 50 ships…!"
"Even he was utterly defeated by Grand Line!?"
Luffy gaped. "Grand Line!?"
Krieg seemed to come to a realization. "You're… Red-Leg Zeff!"
'Red-Leg Zeff?' Aurora thought, her brow crinkling in confusion. 'That's sounds like a pirate title…'
"So you were alive, Red-Leg Zeff… the peerless captain and cook of his own pirate crew."
"So what if I'm alive?" Zeff questioned. "It's got nothing to do with you. As you can see, I'm living as a mere cook now."
"Hahaha…" Krieg chuckled. "Interesting to hear it put that way… but from the way I see it, you're living as a cook not by choice, but because that's the only thing you can do."
Zeff didn't reply, merely staring the man down.
"With the way you are now, you can't wear your infamous "red shoes." To speak of Red-Leg Zeff, is to speak of the master of kicking who refused to use his hands in battle! The pirate whose destructive kicks could pulverize bedrock, and leave a clear imprint even on steel! Your nickname "Red-Leg" refers to your legs that would be died in the blood of your enemies after a fight. Thought I've heard from rumors that you died during a shipwreck, it seems that you've managed to survive, thought at the cost of one of your previous legs. With one of your legs gone, you shouldn't be able to fight anymore."
"I may not be able to fight anymore, but I can still cook as long as I have these hands." Zeff countered. "But just what are you getting at exactly?"
"Red-Leg Zeff, you're a man who once braved the water of the devil's hideout, the Grand Line itself! Not only that, you returned without injury. You must've kept a log during your time in Grand Line. So what I'm getting at is… hand over that log to me!"
Luffy turned to Zeff. "Cool, you've been to Grand Line, old man?"
"Yes." Zeff answered, turning back to Krieg. "You are certainly correct to assume that I kept a log, and I indeed have it to this day. But I shan't hand that over to you. That log is the pride of me and my men who bravely ventured Grand Line together. It's much too valuable to give to the likes of you!"
'Then I'll just steal it from you!" Krieg decided. "It's true that I came back defeated from Grand Line…! But even so, I'm still the mighty Don Krieg! That ocean shrouded by darkness, the mention of which alone causes weak men to tremble in their boots...! I had enough power to conquer that sea! Enough manpower! Enough ambition! The only thing I lacked was information! That was my only flaw! I simply did not know enough… which is why I'll steal your travel log and this ship!"
"Like hell we'll let you!" Patty roared. "If we lose this ship, we've got nowhere to go!"
"That's right! All the cooks here were chased out by other restaurants before finally finding their home in this place!"
"Owner Zeff is the only one who accepted us as chefs! He's our savior!"
"We ain't letting you pirates steal our home away!"
"Silence!" Krieg commanded. "The difference in strength between you and I is clear as night and day! I even proved it to you just now! Don't you dare forget that I'm the strongest! Once I obtain Zeff's travel log, I'll reassemble my pirate fleet, and find One Piece to become the greatest pirate of this era!"
At this last statement, Luffy clenched his fist. Aurora eyed her captain, knowing how this declaration affected him.
"Hold it right there! The one who'll become Pirate King is me."
The chefs all gaped at Luffy. "W-What did that errand boy say just now!?"
"Hey, stand back down kid!" Patty warned. "Or you'll be killed!"
"I'm not standing down, especially on this point!"
"Did you say something, little brat? I'll be nice enough to let your comment just now slide…"
Luffy merely grinned. "It's fine, you don't have to let it slide. I was only stating the truth."
"This ain't a game." Krieg growled.
"Of course." Luffy agreed.
"Did you hear that just now?" a familiar voice rang out. "Even Krieg couldn't make it in there! I won't say anything bad so let's just give up on going to a place like that!"
"Just keep your mouth shut." Another voice rumbled.
Luffy and Aurora turned, surprised by the appearance of two of their crew members.
"You planning to rumble, Luffy?"
"Need a hand?" Zoro offered.
"Oh hey, Zoro, Usopp. No it's fine, you can just stay sitting down. Aurora, you can join them."
The half-angel nodded in understanding, sliding into a chair at the table her crewmates occupied.
"Ha… ha ha ha!" Krieg burst out laughing. "Ahahaha! Those are your crewmates? A rather small bunch, aren't they!?"
"What're you talking about!? I've got 2 others as well!"
"Hey, you just counted me in, didn't' you?" Sanji grumbled.
"Don't joke with me, punk!" Krieg roared. "Even my fleet of 50 ships and 5000 pirates were utterly decimated by that devilish sea in just 7 days because we lacked information!"
"S-Seven days!?" someone gasped.
"The entire Krieg Pirate Fleet was annihilated in just a week!?"
"J-Just what exactly happened to them!?"
Usopp began to quiver in fear. "D'you hear that just now!? 50 ships gone in just a single week!"
"Heh, sounds interesting." Zoro mused.
"Even as a bluff, your comments just now show how completely ignorant you are to reality! If there's one thing I hate, it's empty boasting like yours! Keep saying that and I'll kill you right on the spot once I get back from unloading this food!" Krieg reached down, grabbing the bag Zeff had offered earlier. "As for the rest of you… I'll give you a little extension. I'm going to go give this food to my subordinates, and then return back here. I'd suggest you leave this place within that time if you don't want to die. The only things I need are this ship and Zeff's travel log." Krieg turned to leave. "If any of you still feel like dying even after I warned you, then so be it! I'll bury you to the bottom of the sea for eternity!"
Gin shook from his place on the floor, his head bowed in shame. "Sanji… please forgive me! I had no idea… no idea at all that this would happen…! I…"
"There's no need for you to apologize." Zeff interrupted.
"Huh?"
"Sir!"
"The cooks of this restaurant acted out of their own free will, and this is the result of that."
Patty turned on his superior. "Sir! How could you of all people side with Sanji on this!? Just what's the meaning of this!?"
"That's right! He's the one to blame for all this!"
"He just wants to destroy this restaurant that's so important to you, sir!"
They began to turn on the teen. "Sanji! Were you planning on using this mess we're in to become the next head chef!?"
"Or have you just completely lost it!? Which is it!?"
"SILENCE, YOU NUMBSKULLS!" Zeff roared. "Have any one of you ever been hungry enough to die…? Do any of you know just how terrifying and painful it is, to be stuck in this ocean deprived of food and water!?"
"Wha… What do you mean, sir!?"
"If you've got time to be crying over spilt milk, then just leave this place using the back door!" Zeff ordered.
Patty gripped his weapon. "I'm… I'm gonna stay here. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just left without a fight."
"…Same here. This is the place I live and work at."
"Not like I've got anywhere else to go to…"
"W-What're you all doing!?" Gin cried out in alarm. "Haven't you realized how powerful the Don is by now!? You need to run away!"
"Hey, Gin…" Sanji piped up. "Let me tell you something. It's my duty as a cook to feed anyone who's starving. But the ones who're coming to attack this ship are those who've already been fed. So you better not complain when I kill them. If someone is planning on stealing this ship, then I'll kill that person without a second thought, even if it's you. Got that?"
"Hmph." Patty huffed. "You save a person only to kill him afterward? Some guy you are."
"Shut up, you shitty cook."
From where he sat on the tabletop, Luffy turned to face his crewmates, pointing at Sanji. "Hey! What do you think about him? Pretty good, right?"
"Well, he might take some getting used to…" Aurora mused.
"Who cares about him!" Usopp panicked, hardly believing the conversation that was going on right now. "If we don't get out of here soon…"
"Calm down." Zoro chided. "Our enemies are wounded pirates."
"That's right." Luffy agreed. "And besides, I have to fight with that guy. If he truly is strong, then he and I are going to butt heads eventually anyways!" Luffy suddenly perked up. "Oh that's right, Gin."
"Hm?"
"You said you didn't know anything about the Grand Line. But didn't you guys go there?"
"What I don't know is the truth… I just can't believe it…" Gin breathed. " I just don't know if those 7 days we spent in Grand Line was real or just a nightmare… I'm still wrestling with it in my mind… he just appeared all of a sudden… to think all 50 ships of the Krieg Pirate Fleet, were destroyed by a single man…!"
"WHAT!?"
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
"THE ENTIRED KRIEG PIRATE FLEET WAS CRUSHED BY A SINGLE MAN!?"
Aurora pursed her lips. While the others found it hard to believe, she was not of the same mind. She'd come across individuals who could take out many people in one fell swoop. Granted, those individuals were her tormentors, but still…
"While we still had no idea what was going on, our ships sank one by one… and if it weren't for that storm that whisked us away, even our main ship would've sunk… I don't even know how many of our ships managed to survive… it's just too terrifying to believe as real…! I don't even want to think about… that hawk-eyed man whose glare is sharp enough to kill a man…! I don't! I don't want to think about him!"
"What!?" Zoro reacted to this bit of information. Aurora eyed the swordsman from the corner of her eye. Johnny had mentioned this man earlier when talking about Baratie.
'I don't know what Zoro wants with this man, but something tells me it won't end well…' Aurora thought, forcing herself to turn her attention back to Gin.
"How could our entire fleet be sunk by a single man!?"
"That had to be… the work of the hawk-eyed man, without a doubt…" Zeff confirmed.
"H… Hawk-eyed man!?"
"You saying that you witnessed a man, whose glare was as sharp as that of a hawk doesn't necessarily prove it was him, but the fact that he sunk your entire fleet, is more than enough proof that it really was him…!"
"H…Hawk-eyed…!?" Usopp stammered out. "Who's that?"
"Beats me." Luffy answered.
Zoro spoke up from next to the trio. "He's the man I'm searching for…"
"Huh?"
"According to what Johnny said…" Zoro began to mumble.
The chefs began to talk amongst themselves.
"Hawk-eyed man, huh…"
"If it's the Red-eyed man, I remember him coming to this shop before."
"Right, you mean that guy who got so piss-drunk from wine that his eyes turned red."
"Yeah, that idiot who caught on fire and blew up."
"Heh heh, that was quite a sight."
Zoro tensed at their words. "That idiot got his information mixed up!"
"Hm?" Luffy turned to his first mate. "What about Johnny?"
"No, never mind."
"Did he bear some ill grudge against you guys, for him to destroy your entire fleet like that…?" Sanji spoke up, questioning Gin.
"I don't remember anything like that! He just attacked us all of a sudden!"
"Perhaps you disturbed his afternoon nap…" Zeff mused.
"That's bullshit!" Gin cried. "You mean to tell me he destroyed our entire fleet for that!?"
Zeff huffed. "No need to get so irritated, it was just an example. That's just the kind of place Grand Line is."
"A place where even the abnormal is normal, huh." Zoro mused.
"Hee hee!" Luffy laughed. "That sounds like such a thrill! We definitely gotta go there!"
"Could you at least try to think of the danger!?" Usopp fumed.
"But with this it looks like my own goal, is inextricably tied with Grand Line, considering that "that man" is there as well!"
Sanji glanced over at the ragtag group. "…Bunch of idiots. You lot are the type to rush to their deaths."
"True." Zoro agreed. "But I'd rather you leave out the "idiot" part…" At Sanji's questioning gaze, Zoro continued. "Ever since I've decided to become the world's greatest swordsman, I threw away my attachment to life."
Aurora's gaze slammed over to the swordsman, her eyes widening in alarm. 'Threw away his attachment to life? He doesn't care what happens to himself?'
"The only one who has the right to call me an idiot is me alone."
"Ooh!" Luffy crowed. "Me too!"
"As a real man, the same goes for me too."
"Liar." Zoro and Aurora rang out at the same time. The half-angel found she couldn't help herself. It would seem calling Usopp out on his lies was now a habit.
"…Psh." Sanji sneered. "What a load of crap."
"Hey, retards!" Patty's voice rang out. "Haven't you realized the situation we're in right now!? The gigantic galleon that's parked right in front of our restaurant, belongs to the Pirate Fleet Admiral Don Krieg! The ship of the strongest pirate in all of East Blue! You got that!? So you can continue your little conversation after we've gotten ourselves out of this mess!"
"WOOHOO!"
The cheer rang out in the distance, signaling what they all had been dreading. Krieg's crew had revived and were now on their way to take Baratie.
The cooks stood ready with their weapons. "I can hear them coming!"
"Brace yourself! This ship is our restaurant!"
"Move it you damn cooks!"
It was as they first set foot on Baratie that it happened. There was a sound unlike anything Aurora had ever heard before and then… Krieg's ship split in two.
"WHA…"
"WHAT!?"
"WHAT WAS THAT JUST NOW!?" Krieg cried out in shock.
"Don Krieg! Our ship…! OUR SHIP'S BEEN CUT!"
"Cut!? The hell do you mean cut!? How can a huge galleon like this be cut!? THAT"S IMPOSSIBLE!"
Aurora wished she could share those sentiments, but she knew that such a thing was possible. Seeing it happen was another thing entirely though. She'd only seen such power and strength from one person… and those were memories she wanted to forget.
"Crap!" Zoro suddenly cried out. "Our ship was outside too, with Nami, Yosaku and Johnny still inside!"
"It might be too late already!" Usopp shouted, darting after Luffy with Zoro and Aurora not far behind.
"Raise the anchor!" Zeff ordered. "Or this ship's gonna get dragged under!"
"Yes sir!"
"Bro!"
"Brother Zoro!"
Aurora released her wings, vaulting over the railing and hovering in mid-air, extending a hand down to the two men. They grabbed on and Aurora used what strength she had to haul them on deck.
"Yosaku! Johnny! You alright?" Zoro hurried over, checking on his friend's conditions. "The ship! Where's our ship!? What happened to Nami!?"
"About that… we're sorry bro…! She's not here anymore!"
Aurora gave a start. "What do you mean?"
"Sister Nami…!" Johnny sniffled.
"Took the treasure and sailed away!" Yosaku finished.
"WHAAAT!?" the boys cried out. Aurora could only stare at the two bounty hunters in shock, not wanting to believe their words.
"Why would she…?" Aurora whispered, traling off. She'd thought Nami was one of them. She'd thought that after what they'd gone through together they were friends. Aurora could sense in Nami's aura that she did enjoy their company and relished their time together.
'There has to be a reason why she did this…' Aurora thought, knowing there was more to this than they knew.
"We're sorry, bro!"
Flashback
"What is it, sis? You've been doing nothing but stare at those wanted posters."
Nami broke out of her daze, glancing over at the two bounty hunters. "Oh umm, no, it's nothing."
"Oh? Eyeing the high-bounty outlaws, eh?" Yosaku peered over Nami's shoulder.
"But it's best not to go for that guy." Johnny advised, pointing at the poster Nami had been looking at. "For a while, he's been keeping pretty quiet."
"But I heard he's recently started rampaging again." Yosaku chimed in.
"Ok then."
"Yeah… but that 20 million beli bounty sure is hard to pass up!" Yosaku rattled on, neither man noticing that Nami had walked away.
"But considering his strength, there's a slim chance that even we would be killed by a slim margin."
The two turned when they heard a noise. "Hm?"
"Umm… sis? Isn't that the treasure from our ship…?" Johnny asked.
"Yup, I brought it onboard just now!"
"You know, we aren't planning on staying with you guys on this ship forever…" Yosaku reminded the navigator.
"Would you two mind turning for a sec?"
"Huh?"
Nami tugged at the collar of her shirt. "I want to change my clothes! It's a little embarrassing so if you men could just look that way for a moment…"
"C-Change clothes? N-N-Now…?"
"S… Sure, why not!? We'll look the other way." Johnny agreed, both men turning their backs to her. "S-Sister Nami sure is as bold as she looks."
"You uh… you don't think we'd get in too much trouble to peek just a little, do ya?"
"Heh, of course not. Just a little."
"Right, like 2 seconds."
A hand landed on the back of each man's neck, catching them off guard. Next thing they knew, the two bounty hunters were being thrown overboard.
"WHA…! WHAT'S GOING ON, SIS!?"
Nami had a cheeky grin on her face as she gazed down at the two. "What do you mean what? It's just business! After all, I am a thief specializing in stealing from pirates! This ship is no exception. I never recall agreeing to be one of your shipmates, I only said we were joining hands!"
The two men could only gape in shock.
"Oh, but your treasures are an exception! It was a short while being with Luffy and the others, but it was a lot of fun! Well, see ya then!" Nami waved.
"Huh!?"
"Tell the others that if we're truly linked by fate, we'll meet again!"
The two began to shout as the ship set sail. "W-Wait a minute, sis! We were asked to keep a watch on that ship! You're putting us in a lot of trouble here! And give back our treasure!"
End Flashback
"After saying that, she ran away!" Johnny finished.
Zoro punched the wall. "Damn that woman! Just because she was acting all nice recently, I let my guard down for one moment and then this happens!"
"How dare she pull a fast one over us, especially during this crisis!" Usopp fumed.
"Wait! I can still see our ship!" Luffy called out, gazing out unto the horizon. Aurora came to stand next to her captain, also seeing the ship off in the distance. It would seem Nami hadn't gotten that far yet.
"Yosaku! Johnny! Where's your ship!?"
"Well, we still have ours." The two men chimed.
"Zoro! Usopp!" Luffy turned to the two.
"Just let her go. No good will come of chasing after that thief."
Usopp turned on Zoro. "B-But she took our ship! That ship's important!"
"I want her to be our navigator, no matter what!"
"…Fine." Zoro caved. "Why'd I have to follow such a troublesome captain?"
Aurora turned to the group, releasing her wings. "Even at top speed you won't be able to catch up in time. I'll fly on ahead and try to stop her."
With those parting words, Aurora took flight, heading in the direction of the Going Merry. She had spoken the truth. Johnny and Yosaku's tiny boat wouldn't get to Merry in time. Nami had already gotten a head start and with the sails on the Merry outnumbering those on Johnny and Yosaku's boat, she was gaining more speed from the wind. Their best chance was for Aurora to fly on ahead and take back control of the ship.
'And maybe find out what's going on…' Aurora thought, steadily gaining on the Going Merry, not at all aware of what was happening back at the Baratie.
"They were good people…" a voice rang out.
Aurora slowed down, silently landing on the deck of the ship, having managed to catch up to it in record time. The half-angel did her best to keep quiet, wanting to hear what Nami had to say.
"I wonder if they'll count me as their friend, the next time we meet…" Nami mused. "I wonder if we can even meet again?"
The navigator's body began to shake and Aurora realized that the orange-haired girl was crying.
"I want to hurry up and become free, Bellemere!"
"Free from what?"
Nami whipped around, shocked to find Aurora standing behind her. The navigator scrubbed at her eyes, attempting to glare at the berry-haired girl. "How did you-?"
"I can fly, remember?" Aurora gently reminded her. "I'm the only one who could catch up to you in time. Now… what was this about being free?"
"That's none of your business!"
"Then who's Bellemere?"
Aurora suddenly found herself knocked to the floor, Nami towering over her in a rage.
"Don't you dare say that name!"
The half-angel held her hands up in a placating gesture, slowly moving to her feet. "Fine, we don't have to talk about that. But I would like to know why you stole the ship." At Nami's silence, Aurora continued. "I know you'll say otherwise, but I could tell you enjoyed your time with us. So why are you doing this? Please, Nami… I thought we were friends."
"Well you thought wrong." The navigator turned her back on the girl, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides… you wouldn't understand."
Aurora smiled wanly. "I wouldn't understand wanting to become free? I know more about that than anyone…"
The bitter statement piqued Nami's curiosity and she slowly turned to face the half-angel once more. "What do you mean?"
Aurora shook her head. "It's not something I like to talk about, but I can assure you that I know exactly how you feel."
Nami scoffed. "Yeah, right. You're just trying to get me to let my guard down."
"No I'm not!"
The outburst startled the navigator. She looked into Aurora's eyes, seeing anger and sadness. Her posture was rigid, her hands clenched into fists. Nami could tell that she'd hit a nerve, but she couldn't understand what the big deal was. No one could relate to what she'd been through, what she was still going through.
"Look, just go back to the others and forget about this ship. Forget about the treasure. You're not getting it back."
"You know I can't do that."
"Then I guess I have no choice…"
'What does she-' Aurora's train of thought was abruptly cut off as a staff swung in her direction. She tried to dodge, but Nami had caught her off guard. The end of the weapon connected with her head and then… darkness.
