Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora.

Hey everybody, I'm back! I got on a roll with this chapter and smashed out 36 pages. I couldn't believe it until I took a break from all the typing I was doing. But anyway, please enjoy!


Chapter 20

"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…"

Aurora jolted awake with a gasp, the memory of Nami knocking her unconscious still fresh. The half-angel slowly sat up, surprised at her surroundings. Before she'd blacked out, she'd been on the Going Merry. A quick scan of the room she was in told her that was no longer the case. She had to be on land; an island most likely if the small house she resided in was any indicator. Aurora swung her legs over the edge of the bed, the door to the house opening at that exact moment.

A young woman entered, pausing when she noticed that Aurora was awake. As she was being surveyed, Aurora took that time to do the same to the woman. She was of average size with short light blue hair and tanned skin. Her right arm and chest were heavily tattooed and pink gloss adorned her lips. She wore a beige sleeveless shirt with blue trousers and purple sandals.

"So, you're finally awake." The woman spoke, gliding across the room and coming to stand before Aurora.

Aurora nodded, glancing around the room once more. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"You're in Cocoyashi Village." The woman stated. "This is my house. Name's Nojiko. As for how you got here, Nami dragged your ass all the way to the village instead of leaving you on that ship of yours. You should consider yourself lucky. Seems she cares about you enough not to turn you over."

Aurora's eyes narrowed at Nojiko's last statement. "What do you mean turn me over? Turn me over to whom?"

Nojiko chose not to look at the half-angel, moving to sit at the table on the other side of the room. "Doesn't matter. You should just get out of here while you can. We don't need outsiders sticking their noses in our business."

Aurora frowned, standing to confront the woman. "I'm not leaving, not until I get my crew's ship back and not until I find out what's going on with Nami. She's my friend and friends don't abandon each other."

Nojiko barely held back a snort. "Wow. Nami must've tricked you pretty good to make you think she was really your friend."

Aurora tried her best not to get angry. She didn't know who this woman thought she was, but the half-angel knew that what she and Nami had was real. They may have had a short time together, but Aurora truly liked the navigator and she knew deep down that the orange-haired girl returned those sentiments.

"I know she's my friend… and I'll do whatever it takes to get her back."

Nojiko appeared unimpressed. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, do you?" With a sigh, the woman stood, making her way towards the door. "Come with me. There's something you need to see."

Slightly wary, Aurora trailed after the woman, wondering what she could possibly have to show her.


"What happened here?"

The words came out as a whisper, Aurora's eyes wide and disbelieving. After leaving the house, Nojiko had proceeded to lead Aurora to a nearby village. The sight that met her eyes was devastating. All the houses in the village were turned upside down, the ground razed from the earth itself.

"The fishmen happened." Nojiko answered. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll leave now. You won't stand a chance against them."

Aurora spun to face the woman, opening her mouth to snap at her when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. A young boy was in the middle of the street, looking worse for wear. He had a sword in hand and seemed to be preparing to face something… or someone. Aurora could spot two more figures in the distance, both of them rapidly approaching their location.

"I found you, fishman! I'll avenge my dad's death!" the boy cried out, stepping in the stranger's path and knocking them to the ground.

"Wha!?"

"Die, you rotten fishman!"

Aurora moved swiftly, recognizing the figure on the ground. "Wait!"

Nojiko was right behind her, hitting the boy upside the head. "Don't harm the fishmen!"

"Ah!?"

"Look closely." Nojiko knelt next to the boy. "He might look a little like Arlong, but he's human, just barely though."

"Barely!?"

"Usopp!" Aurora cried out, skidding to a stop in front of her friend. "You made it!"

"Wait right there!" a voice bellowed.

"He's here!" Usopp screamed, cowering at the sight of the oncoming fishman.

"It's a fishman!" the young boy, Chabo, cried.

"It's a real one this time…" Nojiko observed.

Usopp abruptly stood, shielding the three. "Stand back! I can't run away, leaving behind a defenseless woman and child! If it's just one fishman, I'm sure I can manage somehow."

"You there, suspicious human! Finally gave up, did ya now?"

"It's the opposite, I've resolved to take you on!" Usopp shouted, taking aim with his slingshot. "Eat this! Certain kill…"

Usopp suddenly fell to the ground, Nojiko standing behind him with a mallet in hand. "I told you, don't harm the fishmen!"

With Usopp knocked out, Aurora threw a glare in Nojiko's direction. The woman paid her no heed, grabbing Chabo by the hand and taking off, dragging Usopp along with her.

"Let's get outta here!"

Glancing back at the fishman, Aurora decided not to argue, following after Nojiko. Hopefully they'd be able to lose the fishman on the way back.


"AHHH!" Usopp woke with a start from his spot on the floor, having not been allowed the luxury of the bed like Aurora had. "T-This place is…!?"

"So you woke up? You're in my home."

"You're that woman from earlier… who're you!? And what about that fishman!?"

"Don't' worry, we lost him. My name's Nojiko. I grow tangerines here."

"Wait a sec, you're the one who knocked me out!" Usopp realized. "Are you the fishmen's lackey!? Hmph, and after I was going to save you too…!"

"The one who did the saving was me! This is why outsiders are so much trouble."

"And yet you cared for me and my friend." Aurora pointed out from her spot at the table. Nojiko sent a glare in her direction, Usopp finally taking notice of his crewmate's presence.

"Aurora! You're alright!?"

The half-angel stood, making her way over to the sniper and kneeling down next to him. "I'm fine, Usopp. Just ran into a bit of trouble with Nami. She managed to catch me off guard and knock me out. Thankfully, I woke up here and not in the clutches of those fishmen."
"But… how did you get here if Nami knocked you out? Shouldn't you still be on the ship?"

Aurora went to answer, but found herself cut off by Nojiko. "You're from Gosa Village, right? If so, then you should understand that attacking the fishmen will only get you killed. You of all people should be more than well aware…"

"I know, but…! But they killed my dad! I won't forgive them even if I die!" Chabo declared. "They brought along that huge monster I've never even seen before and… pillaged and destroyed my entire town…! They killed so many people! That's why I've sworn revenge!"

"A huge monster…?" Usopp stammered.

"Then those marks on the ground…" Aurora realized.

"Those're the tracks left behind by that thing! It's unimaginably huge! They said they brought it over from Grand Line."

"There're monsters there too!?" Usopp blanched. Aurora could only frown. She knew such a thing to be true. What the crew had faced so far was nothing compared to what the Grand Line had to offer.

"I… I even went to Arlong Park! But some female member of the Arlong Pirates stopped me at the door! She was like a real witch! How dare she get in my way…! I wanna kill her too…!"

Nojiko didn't show it, but Aurora knew that statement had caught the woman's attention.

'A female member? Could it be…?' Aurora wondered.

"Then go ahead and die."

Chabo, who was crying in anger, flinched at Nojiko's words. Usopp, whom had made his way to the table, spat out the drink he'd just taken.

"As long as you know you're going to end up dead, then feel free to fight! Some excellent revenge that is! But let me just say this one thing! Thanks to me and that witch at Arlong Park interfering, you've narrowly escaped death twice!" Nojiko turned her back on the trio. "Get out of my house once you're done with that tea. I hate naïve little brats like you!"

"Hey!" Usopp shouted. "He's just a little kid! Isn't that going a bit too far!?"

"So what if he's just a kid!?" Nojiko exploded. "Anybody who wants to die a dog's death can go for all I care! It's not like they have any desire to live on anyways!"

"WHAT!?"

"I know… of a certain child who chose to live a painful life far worse than death… because she looks forward to a better future…! That's why I absolutely loathe brats like him, who only think about rushing to their deaths!"

Throughout Nojiko's tirade, no one noticed Aurora's grip tightening on her cup. The woman's words had struck a chord in her. Aurora knew all too well what it was like to live a painful life. She knew what it was like to look forward to a better future, hoping to one day escape the dreadful life she had been living. That part of her life was behind her now… at least, she thought. Memories always seemed to sneak up on her when she least expected it.

"Uuu…" Chabo moaned. "What… What am I supposed to do then? It's so frustrating!"

"What about your mom?" Nojiko asked.

"She's still alive." Chabo choked out.

Nojiko went to speak, a gentle smile on her lips. Aurora beat her to it. The half-angel kneeled before the boy, gripping his chin and forcing him to look at her. "She must be worried. You should go home to her, let her know you're alright. You're all she's got now and I know you'd never forgive yourself if you left her alone. I know all too well what that's like. So… go home. Be with your mom."

Aurora gently shoved the boy out the door, not noticing the look of pride on Usopp's face and the surprise on Nojiko's. They watched until Chabo was out of sight, heading back inside after.

"You're actually a pretty good person, even though you do have a tattoo." Usopp stated, observing Nojiko from across the table.

"Well isn't that prejudiced of you!? Though I can't say I know much about you…"

"Ah that's right. My name's Captain Usopp. We-"

Aurora covered the sniper's mouth with her hand. "Liar." She called him out. "My name's Aurora and this is my crewmate, Usopp. As I stated earlier, we came here looking for Nami…"

"What!? Nami's a member of the Arlong Pirates!?"

"Yup, she's pretty infamous around these parts. Even that kid talked about her earlier, remember? She's the witch-woman he talked about. More surprising would be the fact that this is the house she grew up in! That witch and I are foster sisters."

"What!? This is Nami's home!?"

"That explains why she brought me here." Aurora mused. "She trusted that you would take care of me."

Usopp swiveled to face the half-angel. "Wait! Nami brought you here!? Why would she do that!?"

Nojiko ignored the sniper's outburst, glancing over at Aurora. "That's right… she and I are orphans. We were adopted and raised in this house. The one who raised us has long been dead now but… the 3 of us used to live happily in Cocoyashi Village."

"Then why did she join the Arlong Pirates?" Aurora questioned. "You said they rule over the village… that would mean she betrayed her hometown."

Ignoring the still gaping Usopp, Nojiko answered. "Well, something like that. A real witch, right? So, what's your business with that witch?"

Usopp got over his shock, choosing to answer Nojiko. "Well, after what you just said, I've got more important things to think about. So then… she's been deceiving us all along… she must've only been aiming for the treasure right from the beginning!" Usopp pounded his fist against the table. "When I think that… it pisses me off so damn much! That girl! Even though she helped protect my village… and laughed so happily when sailing together with us…! Inside her mind, she was always planning on how to steal our money and ditch us…!"

Aurora frowned, glancing over at the marksman. "Perhaps that was the plan she had in mind all along, but I really do believe she ended up enjoying her time with us. I could feel it."

Usopp went to rebuff the half-angel's comment, but Nojiko cut him off. "Laughing happily…? Her?"

"Why that evil witch!" Usopp began his tirade again. "A person like her deserves an attack of the spiritual order! I'll completely ignore her from now on!"

"I told you already, don't start any trouble with the Arlong Pirates." Nojiko chided.

"Well, as long as we can get back our ship, it's all fine. And since I've found the ship already, I guess we should hurry up and leave."

"But-"

Nojiko cut Aurora off. "Well, that would be the wise thing to do. Mess with the Arlong Pirates and it won't end with mere injuries. By the way, is that the ship you were talking about?"

Usopp and Aurora glanced out the window at where Nojiko was pointing. Their eyes widened in shock at the sight before them. How had they not noticed before?

"The Going Merry!" Usopp cried. "What is it doing over there!? Wait a minute, that means… alright, I've grasped the basic geography of this area. I do remember there being a village to the west of here. That must be Cocoyashi Village center… that's where I saw those fishmen."

It was as Usopp finished muttering that his jaw went slack. Nojiko and Aurora took note of this, the older woman speaking up. "What's wrong?"

"I forgot that one of my crewmates, got himself unfortunately caught by the fishmen…!"

Aurora felt her eyes widen at this. One of her crewmates was in trouble!? But wait… the half-angel could detect a hint of darkness to the sniper's words. He wasn't telling the whole truth.

'Knowing Usopp, he probably fled as soon as he caught sight of the fishmen and left anyone else behind…' Aurora thought, knowing of the sniper's cowardly ways.

"And he was already on the verge of death…"

Aurora froze at those words, the ice in her veins quickly turning to fire as she glared at Usopp. Just what exactly happened after she had left?

The sniper continued on, not noticing the change in behavior. "I just hope he didn't provoke them and get himself killed…"

The sniper yelped as the front of his overalls was grabbed, soon coming face to face with an angry looking Aurora. Usopp had to admit he was afraid of the girl in that moment. Aurora was normally quiet and reserved. This was a total 180 for her. It was at that moment that he realized what he'd said and paled in fright. He'd never gotten around to telling Aurora about what had happened to Zoro!

"Usopp, I'm only going to ask you this once…" Aurora began in a deadly voice. "Who got hurt?"

Fearing the half-angel's wrath, Usopp began spewing the tale of what had happened at Baratie after Aurora had left. She couldn't believe her ears! Just mere moments after the girl had left, all hell had broken loose. How was that even possible?

'That idiot!' Aurora silently fumed. 'What was he thinking challenging the world's greatest swordsman like that!? He could've gotten killed! He almost was…'

Aurora held her head in her hands, mulling over the information Usopp had just given her. Zoro had come close to dying… and she hadn't been there to help him.

'If I had stayed with them, I would've been able to heal him right away.' Aurora thought. 'But based off of what Usopp told me, Zoro got hurt pretty bad. I've only ever healed minor wounds. I don't even know if I could've done anything for him except maybe dull the pain. But… I guess at this point it doesn't matter. Not much I can do after the fact.'

A voice in the distance broke Aurora from her thoughts. It was faint, but she was able to make out the words. "Hey! Arlong's coming this way!"

Next to her, Usopp visibly paled whilst Nojiko began to make her way towards the door. The woman turned to the two. "I think it's time you see what you're dealing with."

Grabbing the frightened sniper by the arm, Aurora followed Nojiko out of the house, making their way towards the village. More voices could be heard the closer they got.

"What does he need from us…?"

"He just collected our tribute!"

"It's probably because my weapons were found…" a voice spoke up. "Everyone go inside your homes."

"Gen…"

"He's here!"

A group made it's way into the village, their figures mere shadows at the moment.

"Are you the one? The one found in possession of weapons 3 days ago?"

"That's right." The man from before answered. He was wearing a police uniform with short sleeves and pants. A hat adorned his head, a pinwheel tucked in the band. But what stood out most were the numerous scars that covered his body.

'What happened to him?' Aurora wondered, hiding behind a nearby building with Nojiko and Usopp.

"Can't a person have a hobbyist collection under your rule? I've always liked looking at weapons."

"No, I'm afraid not. Only violence and evil can come forth from weapons. They're the greatest threat to peace."

"He's huge!" Usopp squeaked. "So that's Arlong!?"

Aurora had to admit she was almost as frightened as her crewmate. Arlong looked like someone you didn't want to mess with. He was large and muscular, his most distinctive trait being his saw-shaped nose. He had long black hair reaching down to his shoulders and covered by an ushanka. There was a fin on the nape of his neck with gills located on both sides of his neck as well. On the left side of his chest was a tattoo, another one adorning his lower left arm.

Arlong wore a short-sleeved yellow shirt decorated with black lightning spots, Bermuda shorts, a purple sash and simple sandals. He also sported quite a bit of jewelry. He had a golden chain bracelet around his left wrist and two golden bracelets around each ankle. On his hands were what appeared to be rings, but were actually piercings that went straight through his fingers because his hands were webbed and incapable of wearing rings.

"He's inhuman!"

"He is a fishman." Nojiko pointed out.

"But… it looks like Nami didn't come with him."

"She's probably at Arlong Park." Nojiko guessed.

"I've got 20 villages under my rules…" Arlong drolled. "And "rebels" are quite a nuisance for us, your rulers…"

Aurora lips twisted in a frown at the way Arlong spoke. It reminded her of someone she'd rather forget.

"I destroyed the rebellious port town of Gosa to teach a lesson to all the other towns! If someone fails to pay his "tribute", then that means he intends to rebel against us!"

"Tribute? What's he talking about?"

"It's money we have to pay month after month." Nojiko answered. "We have to buy our very own lives from them with money…! Adults, kids, everyone. So if there's even one person in an entire village who fails to pay tribute… even a single person, his entire village will be destroyed just like Gosa Village!"

"A whole town d-d-destroyed because of a single person!? Talk about cruel!"

"That's life under Arlong's rule. With their "racial doctrine", they don't even think twice about killing a human."

Aurora's hands gripped the side of the building, her knuckles turning white. She bit her bottom lip in rage, glaring in Arlong's direction. She knew all too well what these people were going through. For years her people had been living in fear. If they even did or said anything wrong, they would be killed.

'Arlong is just as bad as him…' Aurora thought angrily. In that moment, it almost felt as if she were seeing her past play out before her.

"Hear me well, inferior humans! All you need to do is work hard and pay the tribute! There's no need to think about anything else! What I need is an enormous sum of money! Your tribute will soon become the cornerstone of my Arlong Empire that will rule all of East Blue!"

"Arlong Empire!? He's trying to build his own nation…!?" Usopp was appalled. "So then, he's gonna turn all of East Blue in to his "fishmen empire"!? But that would include my hometown too!"

"Whatever happens, happens. All we can do is quietly sit still and endure it. For now, that is…"

"For now…?"

"AGHHH!"

Usopp's head whipped back around. "What's that!?"

Nojiko's eyes had widened in alarm. "Genzo!?"

"Possessing a weapon, is a clear sign of rebellion, the cause of any unrest and disturbance in my lands. And so, to make sure that there aren't any more rebels like you, I'll kill you to show the other villagers what happens to rebels!"

"Wha!? All he did was collect some weapons! He's seriously going to kill someone over that much!?"

Aurora's mood had darkened and she spoke quietly in response to her crewmate. "That's what tyrants do Usopp. They don't care about anyone's well being. They'll do whatever it takes to maintain control. Killing someone is merely a sport to them."

At the tail end of her explanation, Nojiko had taken off. Whoever this Genzo was, he appeared to be important to her.

"H-Hey, you!" Usopp called. "Come back here or you'll be killed!"

"What's the meaning of this, Arlong!? All of us here have loyally paid the tribute without any complaint for the past 8 years! There's no way any of us have even the slightest intention of rebelling against you! So let go of Genzo!"

"Nojiko! Wait!" the townsfolk cried.

"I've already stated that the mere act of possessing weapons is a clear intent to rebel. I have no choice but to kill this man for the safety and security of my lands!" Arlong declared. "Any complaints? You wouldn't rather have me destroy this entire village, would you…? Know this, humans! If you lay even a finger on any one of us, your village will be destroyed! That's final!"

"Everyone go inside your homes!" Genzo ordered. "If we rebel now, then our last 8 years will come to nothing! If we wanted to reject their rule by fighting to our deaths, we should've done it long ago! But we all swore, did we not? We swore to a fight of endurance! In order to live on!"

"Genzo…!"

"But…!"

"Well said!" Arlong cackled. "Living is important! It is because one lives, one can enjoy things!" With that, he slammed Genzo's face into the nearest wall. "Everyone has their own designated place and position in life! This man understands the futility of resisting against that fact! You see, not all living things are born equal! Shahahaha!"

Arlong threw Genzo to the ground, the man bleeding and obviously in pain. Aurora began to shake in anger, memories flitting through her mind. This was all so similar to what she'd lived through. Yes, it was a different place and different people, but all that had transpired served to remind the half-angel of the hell she and her people had had to endure.

"Humans are best living like humans!"

The villagers began to advance on Arlong. "Why you…!"

"Stop it!" Genzo coughed out.

"Gen… but he…!"

"Don't you dare lay a hand on them!"

"Yes, what he said." Arlong agreed.

"But it's not as if he used his weapons!"

"Please don't kill him!"

"A loud bunch, aren't they." Arlong mused. "I wonder if I should take this as a sign of rebellion…"

Genzo raised a hand to ward the others off. "If we die here, everything will come to an end! You must keep on fighting even if I die!"

At that moment, Arlong grabbed hold of Genzo once more, raising him up in the air. "Let me show you what happens to those who harbor ill thoughts… watch closely, humans! Let this be a warning to the rest of you!"

"GUNPOWDER STAR!"

The attack caught Arlong off guard, the fishman dropping Genzo.

"W-What was that!?"

"Arlong!?"

"…Look! Over there!"

"There's someone standing on the roof!"

"Identify yourself!"

"I am the brave and heroic warrior of the seas! Captain Usopp!"

Aurora resisted the urge to roll her eyes from where she was hiding. Usopp had chosen to act, for once forgoing his cowardly ways. Although, from where she was standing, his legs appeared to be shaking. That didn't matter now though. Aurora had to be ready to act at a moment's notice, in case someone tried to retaliate.

"…Huh? Usopp…?"

"Never heard of 'im…"

"It's him!" Nojiko gasped.

"Who is that…!?"

"Feared by the entire world as the man from hell, they call me "Usopp the Wicked Devil King!" I have 8000 subordinattes at my command! Flee at once and I shall consider forgiving you!"

"Arlong, it's him! He's that guy I told you about earlier who escaped from me!"

Aurora froze, recognizing the fishman from their time in Gosa Village. 'This is not good…'

"I don't care if you've got tens of thousands of followers… just try me! I'll crush every single last one of 'em!"

'Aghhh! He's not scared at all and my gunpowder star didn't work at all!' Usopp internally fretted.

"Even though you're just a puny human…!" Arlong slowly began to rise. "Lowly human scum! You dare attack me!?"

Arlong made his way to the building Usopp stood upon, grabbing it and lifting it from the ground. As Usopp began to scream, Aurora knew she had to act. The sheer strength of the fishman was intimidating, but saving her crewmate was more important. She didn't want him to get buried under a building.

"A-Arlong, wait! You're not going to destroy another village, are you!?"

"Human villages are easy to crush but our goal's to rule over them!"

"If we turn this town into another Gosa Village, then our tribute funds will decrease again!"

"If our funds decrease, then all we have to do is conquer another village!" Arlong raved, getting ready to throw the building to the ground. "We are the supreme beings!"

"Crap! He's gonna kill me!"

"Not on my watch!" Aurora growled, flying over and grabbing Usopp off the roof. The sniper hung in the air, supported only by Aurora's hands holding him beneath his arms.

The half-angel could hear the reactions from down below. It wasn't often people saw a being such as her, with wings protruding from her back. Even some of the fishmen were shocked by her appearance. But it would appear others were quick to get over it.

"He's still alive!"

"After him! Don't let him escape!" Arlong ordered. "Catch him and kill him!"

"I think that's our cue to go." Aurora shot off, keeping a firm grip on Usopp as she flew. By air, she was fast, but the fishmen were keeping up on the ground just below them.

"AGHHHHHHHHH!" Usopp screamed, flailing in Aurora's grasp.

"Usopp!" Aurora snapped. "Stop squirming! I don't want to drop you!"

"Hey you! Wait right there!"

Aurora flapped her wings, willing herself to go faster. The fishmen may have been on land, but there was still a chance they could knock her out of the air.

Usopp reached down, grabbing his slingshot. "Certain kill… egg star!"

He made direct contact, the shot hitting one fishman in the face. Aurora slowed at this, hoping that what Usopp had done was enough.

"Guh! Ugh, it reeks! This egg is rotten!"

"D… Did it work…?" Usopp wondered.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Aurora took off as the fishmen began the chase anew, Usopp screaming his head off once more. The more he screamed, the more he flailed and that only made it more difficult for Aurora to keep a grip on him.

"Usopp, calm down!" Aurora grit out, her grip slipping with each passing second. Finally, it became too much and she lost her hold, Usopp plummeting to the ground.

"AGHHH! AURORA!"

"No!" she gasped, swiftly diving down to try and catch the sniper. But she was too late. The fishmen had gotten ahold of him… and she was next.

Aurora flew back, avoiding the fishmen's grip. One of them had already taken off with Usopp, most likely to Arlong Park… and to Arlong himself.

'I'm no good to Usopp if I get captured too!' Aurora thought, frantically dodging the attacking fishmen. 'I have to try and find help! Where could the others be!?'

A grip on her arm caused Aurora to shriek and what happened next was just instinct. She felt the power building inside, taut and ready to snap. Which is exactly what it did. Yellow energy burst forth from her body, easily knocking down the fishmen and rendering some unconscious.

"What the hell…!?"

Aurora took the opening, flying up and away from the group as fast as she could. By the time they'd recovered, they'd lost sight of the half-angel. She was a lost cause now.


Aurora didn't know why she was flying back to Cocoyashi Village. No one there seemed willing to do anything. Not to mention, it'd be the first place Arlong and his crew would think to look for her. But she couldn't think of anyplace else to go.

'I'm not as strong as Luffy or Zoro. I can't do anything to help Usopp without them!' Aurora thought angrily. 'And considering Usopp abandoned Zoro earlier, he's probably in Arlong's clutches too. All I can do is wait for Luffy to show up.'

"Oi!"

Aurora abruptly came to a halt, avoiding a collision with a green-haired man. 'Wait… green hair…'

Aurora's gaze brightened, a grin spreading across her face. She couldn't believe her luck!

"Zoro!"

The swordsman blinked, realization crossing his face. "Aurora? But the villagers said you were captured!"

"I managed to get away, but I can't say the same for Usopp." Aurora admitted. "If I'd just been able to keep a better grip on him, he wouldn't have fallen and the fishmen wouldn't have gotten him!"

Zoro went to respond but a noise caught their attention. "Hmm? What's that sound? Did someone drop a bomb on this island or something?"

Aurora shook her head, tugging Zoro along. "It doesn't matter. We need to get to Usopp or else they'll k-"

"AGHHHHHHH!"

A scream cut her off. Suddenly, a ship burst through the trees, 3 very familiar passengers on board.

"Oh! Zoro! Aurora!" Luffy crowed.

"Bro!"

"Luffy…!"

Aurora tackled the swordsman to the ground, the ship barely missing the two pirates. She slowly lifted her head so as to get a bearing on her surroundings once more… and came face to face with Zoro.

The half-angel felt her face heat up, leaping off of the swordsman. "I am so sorry! I just reacted!" She glanced down at his bandaged chest and began to fret. "Oh no, your wound! Usopp told me what happened! Please tell me I didn't reopen it! Do you need me to heal you? I can do that!"

Zoro, who had gotten up, stopped the berry-haired girl from touching him. "Aurora, I'm fine. Now come on."

The half-angel trailed after the swordsman, still mortified by what she had done. Not to mention, mortified by the way she had acted. Aurora was normally quiet and reserved; she wasn't one to react like that. Perhaps spending time with these people was changing her.

"THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Zoro roared, the two having come across the group.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked. "We've obviously come to get Nami back. Haven't you found her yet? Where's Usopp and Johnny?"

Aurora stiffened. "Usopp!"

"Crap! Now's not the time to be wasting time!" Zoro turned to take off.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"Usopp was captured by Arlong." Aurora explained.

"If we don't hurry up, he'll be k…" Zoro began, only to be cut off.

"HE WAS ALREADY KILLED!"

Aurora froze, her eyes widening in horror. 'No…' she thought in despair. 'He can't be…'

"It's too late."

"…Johnny?"

"Brother Usopp… was murdered by sister Nami!"

The group was all in shock, but none more so than Aurora. The half-angel's knees gave out, the only thing preventing her from falling to the ground being Zoro's arm around her waist.

"Oi, Aurora…"

She leaned heavily against the swordsman, momentarily forgetting about his injured state. "This can't be possible…" she whispered.

"Say it one more time, and I swear I'll kick your ass!" she heard Luffy shout. Aurora broke out of her daze, finally taking note of her surroundings. Luffy had attacked Johnny in a rage, not believing anything the bounty hunter was saying.

"Luffy, stop!" Zoro shouted, leaving Aurora to try and pry his captain away. "It's not as if Johnny's the one at fault here!"

"Well he's making up bullcrap!" Luffy roared. "There's no way that Nami would kill Usopp! We're crewmates!"

"It's fine if you don't want to believe it…! But I saw it with my very own eyes…!" Johnny croaked.

Aurora stiffened when she felt another presence approach, one that was very familiar to her. She looked behind Johnny, her gaze falling on a girl she considered a friend.

"Nami…"

"Just who did you call crewmates, Luffy?" she questioned. "What did you come to this island for?"

"What're you talking about? Aren't we crewmates? We've come for you, of course!"

"Well you're nothing but a nuisance." Nami complained, crossing her arms over her chest. "And "crewmates?" Don't make me laugh. It was nothing but a stupid little cooperation."

The words cut through Aurora like a knife, but her powers were niggling at her. Nami sounded as if she meant what she was saying, but there was more to them. Like with Usopp when he lied, she could detect a hint of darkness behind Nami's words.

'She's lying…' Aurora realized. 'She may say these things, but I don't think she actually means them. I think she actually enjoyed her time with us… so why is she denying it?'

"Nami!" Sanji crowed. "It's me! Do you remember me? Let's set sail together!"

"Shut up!" Zoro snapped. "Can't you see you're making things more complicated by butting in!?"

"What was that? Don't you know love is always a hurricane!?"

"I told you so! She's a witch!" Johnny cried, pointing a finger at Nami. "If it means she can get her hands on the treasure hidden in her village, she'll gladly join the Arlong Pirates and even kill! She's a cold-blooded witch through and through! You've all been deceived right from the start! And I swear I saw her stabbing Usopp!"

"…so what? Would you like to try and avenge him?"

"What…!?"

"Let me tell you one thing. After the idiotic stunt that Zoro pulled, Arlong wants Roronoa Zoro and all his companions dead. No matter how monstrously strong you may all be, you're no match at all for the real monster."

"I couldn't care less about that." Zoro remarked. "Where's Usopp?"

"At the bottom of the ocean."

Zoro charged. "That's it, I've had enough of you!"

"And I've had enough of you!" Sanji shouted, blocking Zoro from attacking Nami. "Does a swordsman harm ladies as well, Roronoa Zoro?"

"The hell did you say? Don't butt in when you don't know the first thing about anything!"

"Heh… aren't you quite irritable after your shameful loss."

"What!? Watch your mouth, punk. Or your head'll go flying."

"I'd like to see you try, cripple."

"Stop bickering!" Aurora snapped, her anger reaching its boiling point. Zoro was shocked at the half-angel's outburst while Sanji merely fawned over her demand.

"That's right! If you're going to fight, why don't you do it somewhere other than this island? I'd rather not have outsiders stick their noses in this island's affairs anymore! Do you still not get it!? I only stuck around with you for the money! And now that you don't even have a cent, I couldn't care less about you!" Nami glanced over at Aurora. "If it's about the ship, I'll give it back. So go find another navigator and go search for your little One Piece or whatever! Now get off of this island! You're an eyesore! Farewell."

"Nami." Luffy suddenly fell backwards to the ground.

"Brother Luffy!?"

"I'm gonna sleep."

"Sleep!? In this emergency!? And in the middle of the road!?"

"I don't feel like leaving this island yet, and I don't really care what's going on this island either… and I'm sleepy. So I'm sleeping."

"Huh?"

"FINE, DO WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT!" Nami screamed. "YOU CAN DIE FOR ALL I CARE!"

Nami's head reeled back, the sound of a hand hitting flesh ringing throughout the air. Aurora huffed, her hand still raised from when she had slapped the navigator. She'd had enough of this.

Nami turned rage filled eyes on the other girl. "What the hell are y-"

Aurora yanked Nami by the front of her top, coming nose to nose with her. The look in her eyes was deadly, causing Nami to falter. This was a side of Aurora she'd never seen before. It actually frightened her a bit.

"Don't you dare say such a thing." Aurora growled, her voice low so that only Nami could hear. "I know that you care about us, probably more than you'd like to admit. And despite what Johnny saw, I don't believe you killed Usopp. You're not a murderer. You're just scared and doing everything you can to survive and keep your people safe. I understand. So please… just let us help you."

Aurora's tone had softened considerably, the girl trying her hardest to convey her feelings to Nami. They were friends… and friends helped each other. But Nami seemed to hold onto the stubborn belief that there was nothing between them. The navigator shoved Aurora, turning on her heel and heading back the way she came. With a sad sigh, the half-angel plopped on the ground next to her captain, waiting to see what would happen next.


"You're all out of your minds! It's as that insane witch said! Brother Usopp's been killed, and Arlong's out to get us!"

"Just what reason do you have for staying on this island any longer!? I, for one, believe in what Johnny said he saw!"

"It's only been a short while, but I'm afraid this is where we must part." Johnny declared. "We have no desire to be hunted down and killed by Arlong!"

"Fine." Zoro acquiesced.

"May we meet again someday!"

"Take care, my brothers!"

"You too!"

Silence descended upon the group shortly after Johnny and Yosaku's departure. Luffy still lay on the ground asleep, Aurora sitting next to him. The half-angel was unconsciously wringing her hands, her gaze unfocused as she dwelled over recent events. Zoro sat not far from the two, swords propped up against his shoulder. Sanji was leaning against a nearby tree, cigarette dangling from his mouth per usual

"Hey."

"What?" Zoro grumbled.

"You think Nami really killed long-nose?"

Zoro smirked. "Who knows? Maybe after I called her "small-time", she got so pissed off that she really did kill him."

"Small time!?" Sanji reacted angrily.

Aurora, who had been in a daze, perked up when a familiar aura rapidly approached. The half-angel's head swiveled around, her gaze focused on one sole figure as a relieved smile graced her lips.

"Nami's breasts aren't small time!"

"Is that all you can think ab-"

Aurora's expression turned to one of horror. It would appear in the midst of an argument, Sanji and Zoro had turned violent… and a still living Usopp had gotten caught in the middle. The two men froze, the sniper wedged between Sanji's foot and Zoro's katana.

"He's alive."

"But maybe not anymore…"

The two stepped back, Usopp falling to the ground. Aurora rushed over to the sniper, beginning to heal the injuries he'd sustained from the two men. In the midst of Sanji fawning over her abilities, Luffy woke up. He didn't seem to be aware of his surroundings, a fog clouding his vision. It was when he turned that the straw-hat wearing pirate finally noticed Usopp's presence.

Luffy rushed over, pulling Usopp into his arms. "Usopp! Did Nami do this to you!?"

"Uh no. That was actually because of him and I." Sanji revealed.

"You mean just you." Zoro grouched.

Usopp snapped out of his daze, finally becoming aware of just who was around. "Ah, Luffy! You're here too?"

"Yup."

"I've decided to come along too." Sanji butted in. "Nice to meet you."

"You…! I'll kill you one of these days!" Usopp raved at the cook. "In any case, the problem is Nami. She saved my life."

"I knew it." Aurora breathed.

"If you ask me, there must be some reason why she ended up joining the Arlong Pirates!" Usopp continued.

"It's useless." A voice rang out. "No matter what you do, you won't be able to challenge Arlong's rule."

Usopp turned. "Nojiko."

"Who's she?" Luffy asked the sniper.

"Nami's sister." Aurora responded, not taking her eyes off the blue-haired woman.

"N-N-Nami's sister!? Well, it's no wonder why she's so beautiful then!" Sanji crooned.

"What do you mean useless?" Zoro asked, getting back to the topic at hand.

"Please don't involve yourselves with this village any further. I'll tell you all about how things got this way, so in return, I want you to just leave quietly."

"I'm fine." Luffy waved Nojiko off. "I'm not really interested in her past. I'm taking a walk."

"Take a walk?" Usopp was incredulous. "You're not going to listen?"

"No, I'm cool."

Nojiko appeared baffled as she watched Luffy wander off. "What's with him?"

"Don't mind him." Zoro smirked. "That's just he kind of guy he is. But we'll listen to what you have to say. Though I doubt hearing your story will change anything."

"…But you're sleeping."

"Don't just fall asleep as soon as you say that!" Usopp barked at the swordsman. "Well, I, for one, will listen to understand what's going on."

"Me too." Sanji chimed with a grin, Aurora nodding her head in agreement.

"I see…" Nojiko murmured. "No wonder they're giving Nami so much trouble…"

And thus, Nojiko began weaving the tale of Nami.

Nami and Nojiko had been orphaned by war many years ago, found on the battlefield by a female Marine called Bellemere. The marine adopted the girls, the trio becoming as close as a real family. As a child, Nami had a love for drawing maps and navigation, with the dream to draw a complete map of the world. Unfortunately, the family was on hard times, Bellemere's tangerine grove providing only meager means of support. They were only able to afford the bare necessities. As a result, Nami took to stealing navigation books from the village bookshop.

One day, Bellemere scolded Nami when she got caught. However, she applauded Nami's first drawing of the island as the first step of her dream to map the world and gave Nami the faith that she could really do it. In that year, the price of tangerines fell due to a large supply, and Bellemere had to eat only tangerines so as to provide the girls with most of the food. She never let on how bad the situation was.

That same day, Nami was given one of Nojiko's dresses by Bellemere. The young girl was offended due to wanting her own clothes and not hand-me-downs. An argument ensued between her and Nojiko in which Nami said she didn't consider Nojiko a real sister. This caused Bellemere to slap her and drove Nami to run off, saying she wished she'd been adopted by rich people. Bellemere was greatly touched and decided to spare some money and prepare Nami's favorite meal, even though it would break her budget. She sent Nojiko to fetch Nami while she prepared the meal.

At this time, when Nami was a mere 8 years old, Arlong came upon Cocoyashi and imposed a fee on every single adult and child in the village in order to 'live'. Since Bellemere could not pay for her entire family, she was used as an example by Arlong to demonstrate to the townspeople what will happen to them if they ever go against him or fail to pay the fee. Arlong then proceeded to brutally murder Bellemere in front of Nami and Nojiko.

Nami was then kidnapped and forced to become a cartographer for Arlong after he noticed the quality of her maps. However, Arlong stuck a deal; if Nami brought him 100 million beli, he would free her village. At her death, Bellemere told Nami and Nojiko to be strong and that "If you can survive, then happy times… lots of them… will come your way". This encouraged Nami to work hard to buy Cocoyashi from Arlong. She believed that once she freed the village, she could pursue her dream and find happiness. This led to Nami spending the past ten years making maps for Arlong and stealing treasure from pirates in order to buy back her village.

"Ever since that day, that girl decided to not show her tears to anyone and never ask for help!" Nojiko concluded. "All because she doesn't want to see anyone be killed by Arlong, just like our mother was…"

Aurora fought back tears, the story resonating with her. Nami had lived a long, hard life all to buy back her village's freedom and most importantly… her own. She'd watched her mother be murdered by Arlong and willingly chose to serve him to try and bring about happier times.

In that instance, Aurora realized their lives really weren't all that similar.

Nami had given up everything for a greater purpose. She'd been through hell and back. Aurora couldn't say the same. True, her people had lived in fear of a tyrant… but Aurora hadn't done anything to save them. Countless people were probably killed and she hadn't done a damn thing to try and help. She'd lived in fear, trying to find a way to save herself. Once she'd done that… she hadn't looked back. She didn't even think about Skypeia. She blocked any memories she had of that place. She tried to get as far away as possible, concerned only for herself.

She'd been selfish this entire time; she was scum.

Nojiko's voice broke Aurora out of her self-loathing. "Do you have any idea how painful it was for her, to make that decision to fight alone and continue to live on, when she was only 8 years old?"

Aurora's stomach churned, disgust at herself rearing its ugly head once more.

"So in order to save her village, she forced herself to join the very pirates who killed her mother…" Usopp mused.

"How dare they cause pain to my beloved Nami!" Sanji fumed. "I'll kill those pirates!"

Nojiko punched Sanji over the head.

"W-What was that for, sis!?"

"That's exactly what I've come to tell you not to do! Because of you going around calling Nami your friend and causing trouble, those pirates are starting to doubt her, putting her years of hard work in jeopardy! So please… don't make her suffer anymore!"


Arlong had taken advantage of Nami. The marines that had arrived on the island were working for him, stealing the 99 million beli that Nami had acquired over the years.

It was the final straw.

The strawhat crew could only watch as the villagers banded together, deadset on taking Arlong down. For her part, Nami tried her best to hold them off, but it was no use. They'd known all along what she had been doing, and they were angry at what Arlong had done. The villagers planned on ending his control.

Nami had collapsed to the ground, clutching the tattoo emblazoned on her left shoulder. She was enraged. The navigator picked up the knife she had brought, beginning to repeatedly stab herself in the shoulder whilst screaming Arlong's name in rage.

Luffy's hand is what stopped her.

"Luffy…!" Nami glanced back, tears in her eyes. "What is it!? You don't even know the first thing about anything!"

"Nope, I don't know anything."

"This has nothing to do with you…!" Nami clawed at the ground, throwing dirt back on Luffy. "Didn't I already tell you, to leave this island!?"

"Yeah, you did."

Nami clapped a hand over her mouth. "Luffy…" she croaked, turning her head to look at him. "Help me…"

The pirate captain said nothing, planting his hat on Nami's head. The navigator looked on in confusion at his actions. Luffy reared back, preparing to throw his hands up in the air.

"OF COURSE I WILL!"

Nami touched the hat on her head, remembering the significance behind it. "Ah… Luffy…"

Luffy walked on, Nami finally noticing the presence of the other crew members.

"Let's go."

"Roger!" the three men chorused.

Aurora drifted past her captain, sharing a knowing look with him. Luffy nodded in acknowledgement, understanding the half-angel's silent message. The men forged ahead, leaving Aurora alone to heal Nami.

Besides… it was time they talked.

The berry-haired girl made her way over to the navigator, crouching down and putting her uninjured arm around her shoulders. Nami gave a start, gazing at Aurora in surprise. She went to speak, but the half-angel beat her to it.

"Why don't we take this back to your house? That shoulder needs to be looked at."

Without waiting for a response, Aurora led Nami back to where her childhood home was. It was slow going, slower than either girl would've liked, but there wasn't much they could do.

Once there, Aurora deposited Nami on a bench outside. She briefly took in the destruction of the tangerine grove, faintly feeling angered at what the marines had done whilst searching for the money. The half-angel shook it off, heading inside to grab the necessary supplies.

When she came back out, Nami hadn't moved, her hand cupped over her shoulder to try and stem the bleeding. Aurora kneeled next to the navigator, prying her hand away and gently pressing a wet cloth to the wound. Nami flinched, but didn't make a sound, letting the half-angel clean the wound. Simultaneously, Aurora raised her other hand, using her powers to stop the bleeding. Once both were done, Aurora dropped the bloodied cloth to the ground, raising both hands and pressing them to the wound. Her hands became encased with a yellow glow as she used her powers to heal Nami's shoulder.

"You were right, you know?"

Nami's gaze flashed over to the half-angel, confusion written on her face. "What?"

"I didn't understand." Aurora replied. "I thought our pasts were similar, but after hearing what all you've been through… I realized I was wrong. I can't even begin to understand the life you've lived. You're a fighter, Nami. You did everything you could to save your village and earn their freedom." Aurora chuckled bitterly. "I just ran like a coward."

The navigator blinked in surprise, taking note of the hardened look in Aurora's eyes. Something had happened to the half-angel in the past. Nami didn't know what, but whatever it was… it still haunted Aurora to this day.

"What happened to you, Aurora?"

The half-angel stopped her healing, not being able to do anymore. She avoided the navigator's gaze, reaching down for the bandages. "That's a story for another time." Aurora dodged. "Now, I was able to heal the majority of your shoulder, but not all of it. Unfortunately, I don't have much experience healing wounds such as these. I'm gonna wrap the rest of it so it doesn't become infected."

Aurora went about winding the bandages around Nami's shoulder. Silence dropped over the two, neither knowing quite what to say. The half-angel glanced up at the navigator before dutifully returning to her task.

"I'm sorry for slapping you earlier."

Nami blinked. "It's okay. I deserved it. I acted like a real witch."

Aurora snorted. "Can't argue with that, but it still doesn't excuse what I did."

Aurora tied off the bandages, getting back to her feet. Nami followed suit, swiping at her eyes, ridding any evidence of her tears. The half-angel gathered the supplies she'd used, depositing them back in the house. Closing the door behind her, she glanced over at Nami. The navigator had gotten her staff out, a determined look in her eyes.

"What do you say we go help the guys out?"

Nami grinned at the half-angel. "I thought you'd never ask!"

Mindful of Nami's injured state, Aurora didn't release her wings. Instead, she chose to run side by side with the girl towards Arlong Park.

Nami glanced over at her companion. "Hey, Aurora…"

The berry-haired girl glanced sideways, not breaking her stride. "Yeah?"

"…I'm really glad we're friends."

Aurora smiled.