When they got to the main bubble, Shirahoshi stayed inside Megalo, to the shark's dismay, because she was uncertain about anyone finding her out of the palace before they reached her long awaited destination. "You sure are a crybaby but this is pretty brave, huh?" Luffy asked with a grin.
She said, "Luffy-sama, you really aren't a bad person!" with a smile in her voice. Megalo gagged again and Luffy patted his dorsal fin, both he and the princess encouraging how good he was doing. Stuffed full completely but still being able to swim over Fishman Island. Zoro would think this was hilarious. But it was a great plan, and they got to escape the palace successfully!
"My heart is beating so fast! Is this what you call an adventure?" she asked, and he could hear the wonder in her voice. Much better than her whining and crying over everything. He took the wax plugs out, one of them covered in crusty blood.
"A small one, but yeah! Your first adventure ever. Why do you wanna go to the ocean forest? Is it pretty there or something?" Luffy questioned. He was surprised with the answer.
"To see a grave. I've never been there ever since it was made. It was built ten years ago, the place I've wanted to go the most." Luffy was sad to hear she'd never even been to the grave of her late mother. Why on earth hadn't they ever taken her? And if it was cause of that Vander Decken, he was one guy against the whole palace army.
"I don't know much about the politics of it, but it just wasn't plausible. But now I'm out and that's what matters." The three, including Megalo, looked up and saw those sea monsters from before flying high above the surface, above where Luffy and his companions were. "Who are they? Do you know, Luffy-sama?"
"Heh, well, we saw them earlier today. They were outside the bubble though. Seemed like unfriendly guys. Well, we're on a walk, we don't gotta worry about that. Besides, you're a secret princess and I'm a supposed mermaid kidnapper. Hah! That looks like what it is, though!"
She laughed and agreed this looked very bad on him. Poor Megalo shook with the laughter, eyes full of tears. As they swam further in the air, Luffy smelled and heard Sanji and Chopper. "Hey, guys! Sanji, you feeling better?!" he called down.
"Do you know them, Luffy-sama?"
"Yeah, they're my crew. Chopper is the tanuki and Sanji is our chef. Don't mind his nosebleeds, though," Luffy suggested. She wondered why. "Just don't mind them. He's silly sometimes." The people below were all shouting about Luffy being the ringleader of the mass kidnapping.
"Luffy-sama wouldn't do that," Shirahoshi said, sounding upset. Luffy told them to wait up there.
"I'll be right back." The shark protested, but he'd been doing that the whole time. He jumped down and landed lightly on his feet. He ran to Chopper, and saw Hachi. He'd smelled the blood easily, but hadn't known it was Hachi until he was closer. "You're so wounded! What happened to you?!" Luffy asked in worry and shock. He was covered in arrows and blood! A dangerous amount.
Chopper, in a frustrated voice, said, "We don't know, he won't tell us a thing! He just keeps saying we should leave the island." Luffy wondered why, putting his hand on his hat. The others around them speculated more about him being a kidnapper. Nobody believed Shirahoshi was kidnapped before poor Megao finally couldn't handle it anymore, and vomited Shirahoshi out.
"Ah. Well, he lasted a long time!" Luffy said. Well, their secret walk was over. But they could still go to the ocean forest, after they found out what happened to Hachi. Though Chopper and Luffy grew worried about the situation. If Sanji looked behind them and saw Shirahoshi, he would die of a nosebleed. "Ah, Sanji, she's not that beautiful!"
Shirahoshi started to wail at that. "How could you say that?!"
"Luffy-sama is so mean! But thank you for taking me!" she cried. So, was she mad at Luffy or thankful?
"You made her cry! This pirate is pure evil!"
"I'm just saying that so my friend doesn't look!" Shirahoshi stopped crying at hearing Luffy wasn't trying to insult her. She was still sniffling, returning to being the crybaby instead of the adventurer. "Sanji, don't turn around!" Luffy insisted. It wasn't like they could hide her, she was massive.
But it was clear Sanji was going to do it, even if he died. This was ridiculous. Give up his life to see a girl? "Your dream was the All Blue!" Chopper insisted. He turned around, and Luffy waited for the smell of snotty blood to erupt around them, but instead Sanji turned to stone. "What? This is a new symptom! I wonder if it's the okama blood in his system."
"Ahahaha!" Luffy just laughed at the thought of it. But at least Sanji wasn't dead… but how did they turn him back? It wasn't like this was done by Hancock and she could just undo it. Shirahoshi asked what she should do now. "Just stay there! And don't cry!"
She nodded, but was teary regardless. Fishmen were coming up from behind them, but he moved out of the way and grabbed the nets, tossing them in the water. "I'm busy and worried about my friend! Don't interfere," he said with a disapproving expression. He turned back to Sanji before he heard something coming towards them.
He jumped up and ran to Shirahoshi, leaping up onto her shoulder and head, offending everybody in the area. They saw who it was, and Luffy recognized him from the wanted poster. This was the guy that trapped Shirahoshi in a cage so long that she didn't even get to go to her mom's funeral.
"Yowahoshi, don't be scared, okay?"
"What?"
"I don't know if I should fight him and make everyone angrier, so I'll take care of it in another way. Just don't be scared, kay?"
"O-Okay, Luffy-sama." Luffy released that hateful, terrifying aura, directing it right at Vander Decken, who stopped laughing and taunting the princess. But the thing couldn't stop flying, it was like a magnet. He shot his fist out and pummeled the huge piece of coral, grabbing Decken by the neck, but not squeezing.
He looked at him eye to eye, and the fishman backed away and dropped to the ground, shaking. Everyone in the area was affected a little bit, but Luffy was only directing it to this guy.
"Toss me a rope!" Luffy ordered. Shiroshi gave him one, silent. Luffy tied the guy up as he was shaking, and then kicked him in the head to knock him out.
He jumped onto Megalo. "Time to go again! We're not very popular right now. Megalo, continue!" he cheered. Shirahoshi grabbed onto the shark, not into his mouth, and they swam away quickly. "Let's go to the ocean forest!" The three escapees, Sanji, Chopper and Hachi all got on Megalo, too, to go on their adventure.
"R- Right," Shirahoshi said brightly. Luffy knew Sanji would be furious with him later. Luffy didn't understand why he was jealous of Luffy being friendly with women. Nami said it best: Luffy was no competition.
"Luffy-sama, how did you become so scary all of a sudden?" she asked. "I-I wasn't scared at all." It was a lie, but he didn't point it out.
"I just can. It actually used to always be that way! I scared Caimie and Pappag, my friends. But I can control it now, so I don't scare everybody away! That guy sure was crazy, though. He should give up on you."
"He's not my type."
"Ahahaha!" Luffy laughed, and Shirahoshi giggled, too. She was very happy to be going to her mother's grave, and Luffy was glad she was being so brave. Not crying about Decken being so close or anything. Well, Chopper could help fix Sanji, and then they could deal with that guy. His devil fruit won't get him out of his binds easily.
When they got to the ocean forest, it was beautiful! An underwater forest with all sorts of sea creatures. Whales passed by peacefully. "Uwaa! Thank you so much, Luffy-sama! I've always wanted to come here!" He didn't fault her for crying, since this time was out of happiness. Happy tears were the best.
He smelled some familiar people! There was Franky and the Sunny, where he'd been this whole time, and then somebody sitting in front of a shrine. The guy he wanted to see when they came down. Technically, he wasn't in the kingdom, he was right outside. So the government couldn't target the kingdom when he wasn't even in it.
Megalo landed, the weight of all of its passengers finally off. He panted, even though he was a shark, and finally relaxed out of exhaustion. "You're one badass shark, Megalo," Luffy praised patting his side. Even though he was the one to suggest such an uncomfortable ride. Poor guy. But Luffy was proud of his plan. It was funny and worked out! "Franky, let me introduce you, this is Yawahoshi, a crybaby," he said. She didn't cry at being called that, mostly happy to be there. "She's the mermaid princess, too."
"What are you doing with the princess?" Franky asked, lowering his sunglasses.
"She wanted to come here, so I brought her!" Luffy explained simply. None of his crew were surprised by this. Luffy never respected royalty like everyone else thought he should. Like with King Cobra in Alabasta. He was obnoxious in front of him and completely blunt.
Chopper asked if Luffy's ear was okay. There was some blood. "Ah, yeah. She cried really noisy, and that ear is weaker than the other," Luffy said, unbothered. "Where's Robin?"
"She said she wanted to look at something in the forest, so she's in there. Been there for while now." Luffy finally turned to Jinbei with a grin.
"Luffy-kun! I barely recognized you! It has been some time!" Luffy thought he looked the same as two years ago, but didn't point that out.
Luffy cheered, "Jinbei, you're here! It's really you! I was told you weren't so I thought I wouldn't get to see you!" He was so happy to see him. The fishman was surprised he was there even though he didn't get a message to be delivered to him. A message? Who would have given it? Everybody hated them right now!
"Boss Jinbei-sama!" Shirahoshi said brightly.
"Ah, princess Shirahoshi, I wasn't expecting you to be here. It is a pleas…." then he shouted in shock. Well it would be surprising to see her there. Luffy laughed at the expression on his face. Then he noticed Hachi's wounds, which were really bad, but he still said not a thing about how he was given them.
An axe came hurtling towards Shirahoshi, and Luffy deflected it. "I thought they tied him up!" he said in irritation. "That's like, the tenth one he's sent!"
"This is why you shouldn't have taken her! It's too dangerous! Why on earth would you take her here?!" Luffy beamed.
"Don't worry, she's got me! Right?"
"Yes!" Shirahosi said brightly.
"Neh, Sanji! Protect her for now, okay? I gotta get something on the ship." Sanji was back to normal, and hadn't died of a nosebleed. It seemed he was improving. That was lucky. His nosebleeds were inconvenient, expensive and embarrassing. Luffy headed inside as Hachi was brought to the infirmary by Franky, and Luffy got a bag of blood.
His ear healed over, but it was still damaged in the long term. He tossed the bag in the biohazard bin and headed back outside, getting a wipe to clean the blood out of his ear. He jumped down onto her shoulder. "So, go visit your mom! You're finally here, right?"
She started crying and looked to the grave of her long dead mother. How horrible that she couldn't even attend her funeral. Jinbei still looked disapproving about Luffy bringing Shirahoshi there, but now she had three strong guys with haki to watch over her. Though he was annoyed about Decken seeming to get out of the rope. He knew he'd tied it tightly!
Those citizens thought they could protect Shirahoshi yet they couldn't even keep somebody tied up. "I see you're using your arm very well," Jinbei commented.
"Yeah! It hasn't gotten any better, but Rayleigh helped me get used to using it a lot. And he also taught me to hide the scary presence. So I haven't been shunned here until everyone thought that we kidnapped mermaids. Not her, but they're blaming us for missing mermaids. It's annoying, we were going to have a feast and everything but then there was a fight in the castle."
"What? A fight in the palace?!"
"Yeah, I don't know how it ended up, cause I took Yowahoshi for a walk and all," Luffy finished. "Ah, hang on." Luffy raised his hands at the bubble and released the force. It didn't damage the bubble or anything there." Jinbei said it seemed he still couldn't control it. "Nah. It's kinda like a disability or something. I have to be careful about not using it in time after last time. You know how bad that was."
"Indeed, I remember clearly."
"But I can put it in concentrated blasts, like through my fingers. So, what was your message? And how long have you been waiting here?" Jinbei reminded him that this was two years after the notice they sent over the paper in the code at Marineford. "What if we were a day late?"
"Then I would have stayed here another day," Jinbei said simply. Before he could answer, Nami came into the bubble, Caimie having swam there. Luffy asked if the banquet had started, or if everything was still bad there.
She sighed and said things were even worse. Hordy Jones, a villain if she'd ever seen one, had broken into the palace to hurt the guards and king. Everyone was surprised, and Shirahoshi started crying about Neptune getting captured. Well, that was upsetting for her. Luffy wasn't so close to her, so it didn't hurt his ear at all.
"What happened to Zoro and the others? Are they okay?"
"I don't know. I was gonna go back once I found you," Nami said. Luffy had faith in Zoro's strength, but that didn't mean he didn't hope he was okay. Jinbei apologized to them for them being drawn into a conflict so soon. They were only going to be there for half a day, and yet it was the day something like this happened.
Luffy was about to tell him he wasn't at fault for their bad timing, but Jinbei was going to say more. "Two years ago, there were things I couldn't say. But I must say them now. I am grateful for you all taking Arlong down. I'm in your debt. But I also have to apologize, for eleven years ago, it was my fault Arlong was released and wreaked havoc in the East Blue!" It was a confession none of them were expecting, but Luffy knew he wouldn't have done it on purpose, right?
Before he explained further, Jinbei promised, "I will save your father. Right now, his life should not be in danger. I need to speak with them for a bit, but then I will go and help."
"Zoro will take care of the Hordy bad guys," Luffy said confidently. Nami shooed Sanji away from doting on her, and asked for elaboration. What did Jinbei mean when he claimed to be at fault for Nami's ten years or torment? How was he responsible? The captain was surprised by Sanji's response.
He was serious now, and pointed at Jinbei. "I've heard the same thing. Quite some time ago, when Luffy and I first heard the name 'Jinbei', it was our friend Yosaku. After becoming a warlord, you had your fishman friends released from prison. Arong was one of them! I'm sure Luffy has forgotten about it. After all, you two were allies in the War Of the Best. I didn't know what to think when I read that in the paper. After all, before then, I always thought of you as the man behind Arlong!
"So, Jinbei, I'm prepared to listen to your excuse. But you better choose your words carefully. I'll have you know, our navigator was a resident on the island that Arlong tormented for ten years! She has suffered from him more than anybody else!" Sanji said harshly.
The former warlord was shocked, and horrified, by the information. Luffy wondered what he was going to say, and how Nami would react by the end of his explanation. He had indeed forgotten the name of Jinbei, any mention of him. But during that time, he had been sick when he was deprived of blood.
It made sense he didn't remember those words. So long ago. If he had heard or remembered Jinbei's involvement, he still would have released him. He let Crocodile go, and he was directly responsible for Vivi's suffering. He looked at Nami, wondering how she would feel about that. Did she blame Jinbei for everything? Luffy didn't know.
Luffy had spoken of Jinbei before now, on the ship. Sanji might have been trying to not ruin his good mood.
Sanji finally finished. "So, depending on what you say next, I may not be able to forgive you." Hachi, in shame, affirmed that Nami was a victim of them. He and Arlong had done terrible things to her. He didn't go into detail. It would probably upset Nami and make the two that had been there personally to grow angry at just the mention of what was done to their navigator.
"That must have been very difficult for you." Sanji didn't like this reaction. Nami said she was not going to feel or show compassion for Arlong, no matter what Jinbei said of him. Luffy and Sanji would feel the same. Arlong had done too much evil to their navigator to ever garner sympathy or forgiveness.
But then she added, "I had no grasp of how badly merfolk and fishmen are treated by humans." And that the first time she'd set foot on Sabaody two years ago, and went to help find Caimie from the slave traders, Sabaody Park looked nearly identical to Arlong Park. Thinking over it, it did look similar. The entrance to it. "It was the spitting image of the place they built on my home island."
She wrapped her arms around herself and Luffy took her hand with an encouraging look. They were there and Arlong would never get to her again. "Nyuu, we all idolized that place," Hachi said with a strain in his voice. "Arlong had a deep hatred for humans, resented them strongly. It doesn't excuse all of the terrible things we all did. I'm not trying to ask for forgiveness. Arlong had always wanted to go to Sabaody Park, since he was a kid." Hachi said.
"200 years ago, we were still considered just fish to humans. But even when this kingdom became part of the world government 200 years ago, humans never stopped hating us. The worst time I remember was the beginning of the Great Pirate Age! Humans running rampant on the island… it still sticks with me to this day!" Hachi confessed. Luffy raised his brows. It wasn't surprising, though, based on everything they'd seen and learned.
Luffy sipped his cup of tea from Sanji. "The man who freed our kind from terror was none other than Whitebeard!" Hachi exclaimed. Luffy was unsurprised hearing it was him who'd done it, but didn't expect to hear his name at the moment.
Jinbei said, "But the hate of our kind never ended, even if the kingdom returned to peace with his flag waving over the island." Luffy wondered if Ace burned it down even knowing why it was there. He was a rookie at the time, wasn't he? He also wondered if Ace felt guilt for doing such a thing now. "You must have all witnessed the truth at Sabaody Archipelago. In the midst of a situation where the government and those leaders still discriminated against those of their own world government that two individuals rose up to change it.
"Queen Otohime and Fisher Tiger. Otohime was Shirahoshi's mother, and did her best to become friendly and extend a relationship to the humans that still didn't welcome us fully. The other was Fisher Tiger, the hero of the slaves, who saved them while attacking the holy land, Marygeoise!"
"Heh, Something Tiger? I think I've heard of him before," Luffy said quietly, trying to remember.
"Fisher Tiger had the freed slaves follow him, and formed the Sun Pirates." Jinbei, Arlong and Hachi had all been a part of it. "But our presence made it hard for Queen Otohime to fulfill her desire to become friends with humans. Since we defied the government in our crew, we left to go and sail the seas. Fisher Tiger abandoned hope of being friends with humans, while Otohime desired it greatly."
He explained the peaceful queen who longed to see the sun, to have her people see the sun. But she was shot and killed by a pirate for collecting signatures to take to those on the surface. Her children carried on her will, for the past 10 years, and have collected many signatures themselves.
"That is the story of us trying to overcome discrimination for the last 6 years. Though Arlong caused you and your people so much pain, he was like a sworn brother to me. I feel somewhat responsible! If it were not for me freeing him, people would not have suffered. I only freed him because he was important to me. I knew he hated humans, but my desire to free my sworn brother overridden my own common sense," he confessed, sounding like he hated himself.
Luffy wasn't paying attention anymore, but was trying to construct something out of a broken piece of coral. While his crew and Jinbei were talking about something important, he was zoning out and playing with arts and crafts. He didn't much care about the history or politics of this place. He'd never felt that way about politics in any time of his life.
Sanji started yelling at Jinbei again as Luffy watched with a blank face, picking his nose in disinterest. "Wait, Sanji-kun. Clearly, he had no ill-intention. It's Arlong I hate, not him. I'm just glad you weren't pulling any strings, or involved with it directly. Besides, we're Luffy's friends right? And this guy is one, too," she said with a smile. Luffy went back to his sculpture. "I suffered a lot, but if I hadn't, I wouldn't be here today. And I like my life how it is now. So you don't need to apologize for ruining my life, because you didn't. I'm actually having fun now."
Jinebi bowed his head. "I don't deserve your kind words. I am obliged!" he said, tears down his face. He must have felt very guilty. Luffy walked away and to a crying Franky.
"Oi, Franky. How do I make this into a giraffe?" Luffy asked, showing him his sculpture.
"Were you even listening to everything?" Sanji asked.
"There was a nice lady and then a badass fishman guy who both wanted peace with humans and then Jinbei apologized for releasing Arlong. Nami forgave him. Franky, how do I fix this?"
"Well, that's the jist I guess," Sanji sighed.
"Yow! That's not very well made, but I can totally help you make some super sculptures! When we get outta here," Franky said. Luffy grinned and tossed the sculpture onto the deck. They heard a crack, and Luffy frowned.
"Oops," he said. Nami was being familiar with Shirahoshi, looking happy about forgiving Jinbei. Luffy didn't really expect her to hate him when he started to explain everything, even if he zoned out for half of it. Sanji kicked him for focusing on arts and crafts and not an important story.
Luffy rubbed his head and said, "It's not like I think of him any different now. He's still my friend." Sanji sighed and Nami said it was fine.
"He doesn't need to know the politics of a situation, you know that," she said and then went back to talking with the princess. Jinbei addressed the situation and Luffy smacked his hand over his ear. God it really was a lot weaker than his other one. He hated being weak anywhere. Chopper asked if he was alright.
The captain nodded. "It's just irritating. It keeps getting damaged," he said in annoyance. Shirahoshi gasped and asked if it was from her. "Yeah, you were wailing really loud!" She started crying in guilt.
"You made her cry!" Sanji said angrily.
"She cries about everything, though," Luffy pointed out. "Neh, Jinbei, do you know what's going on in the palace? Bad guys are there and my crew is stuck."
"Hordy Jones is the main antagonist in this situation. He's brought enemies into the palace bubble." Hachi piped in that he was there when they were planning. It was a real mess!