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"Thoughts"

"Dialogue"

Three Days Later….

Luffy, Nami, and Usopp were sitting at the table awaiting dinner, while Zoro was still sleeping off his duel against Mihawk, and Sanji was finishing a full-course meal for his friends. As Sanji put the platters down on the table, he asked, "Why are we going to Conomi Islands? I heard that is Arlong's territory."

Luffy grabbed a piece of meat, woofing it down and with his mouth full he replied, "Itsh ish." He then swallowed the meat and continued, "We just have some unfinished business with him."

"So we are just going there for Arlong? That's it?"

Luffy looked at Nami while tearing another piece of meat from the bone. She then looked to Sanji and declared, "I know for a fact there is almost 100 million berries stashed there… Also, the Conomi Islands is my home, and I can't go to the Grand Line with him there… "

Sanji stared at her for a second and reiterated, "The Conomi Islands is your home… So…you've lived under his rule for the last decade…"

Nami took a long sip of her tea before replying, "Yes. We all lived under his boot as slaves. He would kill anyone who couldn't pay the fee each month or oppose him in any way. But, enough about that, we need to have a plan for when we arrive at Cocoyoshi Village tomorrow morning."

"Your right about that," Zoro returned, staggering through the door and falling onto the bench next to Luffy. He then continued, "But first Nami, you know the bastard and his crew best. We need to know anything and everything about them."

"I expected this… Alright, the entire crew is fiercely loyal to Arlong and his beliefs. They all believe that Fishmen are superior to humans. They're all master swimmers and extremely strong on land." Nami then rolled up her left sleeve and showed everyone her mark, "This is their Jolly Roger…"

Sanji took in the tattoo for a moment, he then leaned back and closed his eyes. Taking rips from his cigarette and blowing them out to calm his nerves and stop his hands from shaking with anger. He then asked, "Is there anyone in this damned crew we shouldn't kill?"

"Well…there's one fishmen who treated me nicely and with respect…"

"What's his name?" Luffy inquired, keeping his focus on Nami entirely.

"Hatchi. He's an octopus Fishman and also a swordsman. He's kinda slow, but funny when you get to know him. He was the one who would patch me up after Arlong's beatings."

"You said he's a swordsman," Zoro affirmed suddenly, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. Zoro then continued, "Do you know his style?"

Nami then shook her head, "No, I don't. Although, I can say, that he uses six extremely heavy swords. He also bragged about being the second best Fishman swordsman in the entire world."

Zoro flashed a grin to the other Straw Hats, "Six swords and the second best swordsman of all fishmen. That sounds fun."

Usopp then said, "Remember Zoro, you are supposed to keep him alive."

"I know that long nose. I guarantee the octopus will survive our encounter… Though, he will walk away with some healthy reminders of what happens when someone hurts a Straw Hat."

"Just as long as he lives, Zoro," Luffy stated, making sure it was hammered home. "So Nami, anyone else we should know about?"

Nami thought for a moment, then answered, "Besides Arlong, only one other Fishman could cause problems. His name is Kuroobi, he is a practitioner of Fishman Karate, and he's more skilled than Arlong in that regard. He's also good with a sword, but hasn't used one in years."

Sanji then inquired, "Do you know what type of Fishman he is, Nami-swan?"

"No, he never told me, nor did any of the other pirates. Although he is easily the most human looking Fishman of the crew."

"What about Arlong?" Luffy asked Nami, regaining the attention of everyone at the table.

Nami looked away, trying to keep her resentment under control. She took a deep breath and replied, "Arlong, better known as Arlong the Saw, is a Sawshark Fishman and easily the strongest of the pirates. If I hadn't watched you and the Shichibukai fight, I'd say he is still the strongest thing in this blue." Nami finished while looking at Luffy. "He is the largest Fishman in the crew, and his saw nose is very noticeable. He has two tattoos, the one on his chest, which is a red sun and the other is on his forearm, his Jolly Roger. He is extremely aggressive towards anything other than his crew and since he his a shark… he is even stronger and faster underwater than a normal Fishmen. I've seen him use fishmen karate, his teeth, and even his nose as weapons. Though when he is angry, he uses his kiribachi, a massive saw-sword thing. He has some techniques to attack things on land from the water, and he's from the Grand Line. So, he isn't a pushover. He's also smart… He has deals with the Marines to keep his bounty low. He can also talk to Sea Kings and control them."

Usopp then asked, "Any others we should watch out for?"

Nami immediately shook her head and replied, "No, those three will cause the most trouble, and he should only have a handful other crewmates on the island."

Usopp then spoke up again, "Nami, you said you had almost 100 million berries stashed there. What is it for?"

Nami sighed and replied, "It is part of my plan…" Nami then looked at Luffy and asked, "Do you have a plan? If you do, then it might be better than mine."

Luffy then said with a childish grin, "I was going to take them out as soon as we got there, while you go get the money. Shishishishi"

Nami shook her head and replied, "Let's try my plan first, it's pretty similar…"

"What is it?"

"The 100 million is part of a bet, between myself and Arlong. If I was able to get 100 million berries, I could buy back my island, and he would leave. This was ten years ago, and I was still young when we made the bet. So, I know there are many holes in this agreement, but I still want to try. I will take the 100 million and see if he holds up his end of the deal… If he doesn't, I'll find you all at the center of town and you can go finish him off."

Everyone looked at Luffy to see what he had to say, but he only sat there looking deep in thought for a while. Luffy looked at Nami and simply declared, "No."

This declaration stunned Nami for a second, and she responded, "No? What do you mean, No?"

"I mean, we aren't going with that plan. The monster doesn't deserve the chance to walk away from this. Especially after all the pain and suffering he's caused. Besides, what's to stop him from coming back after we leave? His word? His honor? Sorry, but I trust those as far as I can throw them… Those are just empty promises, and he will take advantage of it, but since you've gathered that money for the good of your island, give it back to them. We don't need it, so I'm sure they could use it." Luffy said with finality.

"I agree. If it's true, that Arlong killed your mother… The man doesn't deserve to have a luxury like a negotiation." Zoro added while slowly getting up to grab a bottle of sake.

Sanji put another cup of steaming tea in front of Nami and told her, "Nami-swan, I agree with the two idiots..."

Nami pouted for a while, before declaring, "Fine. However, we're getting the 100 million first."

"That's fine." Luffy replied.

Usopp then questioned, "How do you know the berries will still be there? Haven't you been saving up for ten years? Surely someone else knows where it is, or has seen you stash it."

Nami looked at Usopp, and with a matter of fact tone she answered, "I've never told anyone about my stash. I've also been cautious when bringing money in, I always came at the dead of night and always watched my back. Besides, the stash is underground. It's not like the money is in a raidable place… If that isn't enough, the last time I saw the stash it was all there."

Usopp then asked, "And when was this?"

"About a month ago."

"So, where will we find the bastard?" Zoro asked, as he sat back down and opened the bottle.

"Whenever Arlong is in the Conomi Islands, he spends all of his time at Arlong Park. It's a fortress built using the money stolen from us for the past decade. The place only has two entrances, one from the sea and one for the road leading to town. He's a dictator, he wants to control every aspect of the lives under him. Out of the ten or so crewmates on the island, two of them always patrol the main island, but they switch shifts a lot."

Luffy then stood up and announced, "Alright! I got a plan… Nami and I will see if her stash is still there, while everyone else waits at the center of Cocoyoshi Village. If it's all there, we'll come back and gather the entire town. Nami will explain our motivations for being there and hopefully...they don't see us as some pirates coming to replace Arlong." Luffy then took a darker tone, "If the stash is gone, however… You guys will know. Nami doesn't have to come with us, but when I get back… We'll immediately go to Arlong Park and finish what this fucker has started. Let's pick our targets now, so there is no confusion… I'm getting Arlong." Luffy finished, punching his palm for emphasis.

"I got the octopus." Zoro declared.

Luffy then asked, "Can you handle him? You're still recovering from the duel…"

"I won't be at my peak, especially with one katana, but I should be fine." Zoro replied, giving him a thumbs up.

Luffy stared at him for a while before saying, "Alright. I trust you, make sure he doesn't end up as calamari."

Sanji then stated, "I'll take the Kroobi guy…"

"I'm stuck with the underlings?! Really!? There will be like 10 of 'em!" Usopp cried with crocodile tears running down his face.

"Don't worry Usopp. You'll have Johnny and Yosaku to help you. Besides, when we finish our fights, we'll also help." Sanji responded with a smile.

"That makes me feel a little bit better…"

"What's wrong long nose? I thought you wanted to try out those new toys of yours?" Zoro questioned while giving him a smirk.

"Of course I want to use them. But against Fishmen..."

Luffy then slapped him on the back and declared with a smile, "You'll be fine! Your Nakama will be right beside you."

Luffy then looked to Nami and asked, "So Nami, how far are we from Conomi Island?"

"Two hours at most, but an hour with the wind in our sails."

Luffy then announced, "Alright everyone, tomorrow marks Arlong's last day."

The Next Day…

Luffy and Nami left the others at the center of town, while Luffy followed Nami down a small dirt path, as they walked he asked, "So, where's the stash?"

"It's under my late mother's tangerine farm. My sister Nojiko tends to it now, maybe you'll meet her." Nami finished with a fading smile.

The two continued down the dirt road in silence for a while, Luffy then inquired, "So, what was your mom like?"

Nami let out a sigh and replied, "She was my adoptive mother. Still, Bell-mére was confident, smart, strong and slightly childish." Reminiscing caused a small smile to form on Nami's face. As she looked up at a flock of birds leaving the trees, she then continued, "We weren't wealthy, but she always had a smile on her face when Nojiko and I were around. Looking back on it now...she gave everything to us and supported us in any way she could. She always told us to be as strong as boys and that if we survived, good times would come... I wonder how much she sacrificed so we could be as happy as possible...I wonder if she would be proud of what we've become today."

Luffy then stated, "She sounds like an incredible woman."

Nami wiped away a stray tear and declared, "She was."

The two walked in silence for another five minutes when Luffy abruptly stopped himself and Nami. He then asked, "You said your sister should be the only one there, right?"

Nami had concern flash over her features, she then said, "Yes, what's wrong?"

"...I can sense eight aggressive auras surrounding another."

Nami nearly started running towards her home, when Luffy grabbed her arm and ordered, "When we get there, I will deal with the others. You get Nojiko inside and stay there. Don't open the door unless you hear my voice, got it?"

Nami nodded her head, and the two started to run down the path. They ran for another minute or so, before hearing a gunshot tear through the air. Nami looked at Luffy with tears already streaming down her face, he picked her up and used Shave to arrive as fast as possible. The two appeared within seconds in an orchard of tangerine trees, but in front of them looked to be an interrogation. A shapely tattooed woman, who looked to be around the same age as Nami, was on her knees with a bullet wound in her shoulder, surrounded by marines. Every Marine had their guns trained on her head with what seemed to be a Captain with mouse ears in front of her asking questions.

Luffy looked at Nami, and with a gentle smile to calm her down and vanished before her eyes...

The Marine Captain then slapped Nojiko and yelled, "Where the hell is the rest of it, bitch?! Arlong said there were 100 million berries here, but there was only 90. WHERE THE HELL IS THE REST?!" The Captain then punched her, causing her cheek to swell and some blood to trickle out of her mouth.

Nojiko looked the slimy marine in the eyes, then spit as much blood as possible in his face. While the Navy Captain recoiled and gagged as he started to wipe away the blood from his eyes, Nojiko remarked with a smirk, "You punch like a bitch." The Captain had fury in his eyes as he brought his fist back to deliver another punch, when a man in a Straw Hat grabbed his forearm.

The man then said, "I thought it was common knowledge to not hit women... But, I guess someone as corrupt as you wouldn't care." Every other marine then pointed their guns at the man, but he only glared at the marine in his grasp, causing every marine beside the captain to slump to the ground, foaming at the mouth. The man then yelled, "Nami! Come get your sister!"

Some seconds later, Nami ran from behind the man with the Straw Hat and started to pull her back into the house. Although Nojiko resisted slightly, she followed her sister. When the two were in the house, Nojiko began sputtering out questions, "Who the hell is that guy? Why the fuck is he here? He came out of nowhere. Why the hell are you with him?"

Nami ignored her for the moment and ran into the bathroom trying to find a first aid kit. When she came back, she told Nojiko everything. All about the Straw Hats and her time with them. All about her bet with Arlong and the plan. When Nami finished explaining everything and dressing her wounds, someone knocked on the door. Nami unfolded her pole and stood in front of Nojiko to protect her. Then the voice of Luffy sounded through the door, "It's me. You can come out now."

When the two left the house, Nami looked at the bloody and unconscious marine and asked, "What did you do to him?"

Luffy followed her eyes and looked back down at the man, "Nothing much... Your sister is much tougher than he is." Luffy then looked back to Nami and stated, "He also gave me some valuable information."

Nami met his eyes and asked, "And what kind of information did he give?"

"The kind you won't like. I'll tell you on the way to your stash."

Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku had been waiting for close to an hour. And the entire time they had yet to see a single person, Fishman or otherwise. It was like the town's been deserted, but considering Arlong's base was less than a ten-minute walk down the road... It wasn't that far fetched.

Just as Zoro was about to fall asleep, Sanji kicked his leg and pointed towards the path Luffy and Nami took. He looked over to see three people, Luffy, Nami, and a blue-haired woman. When Zoro looked closer, he saw the blue-haired woman was injured but was still comforting Nami, who had bloodshot eyes and Luffy's Straw Hat. Luffy was also missing his trademark smile, so Zoro quickly got up and motioned for everyone to follow him.

When the two groups got close enough, Luffy introduced Nojiko to the rest of the crew. After the meet and greet was finished, Zoro questioned, "So, what about the stash? Was it there?"

Luffy looking grim, replied, "No... It's all gone. Every last berri was taken by Arlong."

"So, when are we going? I'm ready to kick that bastards ass." Sanji asked.

Luffy looked at Nami and asked, "Do you want to join us? I won't force you to come."

Nami looked at Nojiko, who gave her a smile. She then looked back to Luffy and said, "I'm coming with you. I want to see the bastard beg for his life."

Nojiko the interjected with a grin, "I'll get the townspeople, I'm sure they'd love to watch this."

When the Straw Hats arrived at Arlong Park, at least fifty civilians were standing in their path, all equipped with makeshift weapons. Some had kitchen knives, others had planks, a few had swords, and one scarred man with a pinwheel on his hat had a pair of pistols. When the townspeople noticed their arrival, the murmurs stopped, and they made a canyon for the pirates to travel. Standing at the front of the crowd were Nojiko and the scarred man. Luffy walked up to the two and nodded to Nojiko, he was about to walk past the two, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. The man with a pinwheel met his eyes. The man saw no fear, only determination...He then asked, "What will you do after Arlongs gone?"

Luffy then declared with a small grin, "We'll go to the Grand Line."

The man a bewildered look on his face...He couldn't believe a pirate would just leave after fighting for his life. He then inquired, "So...we'll be free?" Luffy gave him a small, soft smile and nodded.

Luffy then walked past the two, before he stopped and turned back around. He then looked at the man and asked, "What is your name?"

The man then studdered, "M-M-My names Genzo."

"Well Genzo, just leave the rest to us." Luffy ordered, motioning to his crew behind him to follow.

The Straw Hats, the duo swordsmen, and the crowd of civilians were standing outside of Arlong Park. The high walls concealed everything but the main building. The only thing Luffy could see of the building was the yellow and red colors. The top of the building, high above anything else around, had what looked to be a saw, with a black and red Jolly Roger attached. Luffy walked up to the massive door and blew on his knuckles. He brought his fist back and threw a real punch. The door ripped off its hinges and rocketed across the courtyard, past the confused Fishmen and slammed into the opposite wall. The destruction caused by the door was impressive, to say the least... The hole was twice as big as the door, and the wall shattered like it was made of glass.

Luffy then walked through the doorway and yelled, "Which one of you fucks is Arlong?!"

Arlong put on a smug smile, stood up from his 'throne,' and with a cocky voice, he answered, "I am Arlong. Who are you to come barging-"

Luffy didn't wait for the bastard to finish his speech, as soon as the Fishman announced himself, Luffy used Shave to appear right in front of him. He then brought his foot up and spartan kicked Arlong in the stomach, sending him crashing through his 'throne' and tumbling through the main building behind him. Luffy looked at the Fishmen around him, the looks of fear and intimidation were amusing, but Luffy didn't care for them. He then walked through the hole in the main building and greeted by the already devastating amount of destruction he had caused. He continued towards the stunned Fishman before him, who was on his knee, trying to catch his breath. Luffy then grabbed his nose, forcing him to meet his eyes and stated in a calm voice, "Today, is the day you die Arlong. I will be your executioner...I hope you're ready to meet the god you worship." Luffy then broke his famed nose like a twig and rammed it into his shoulder.

The Fishmen of the Arlong Pirates waited with baited breaths for their Captain to reemerge from the building, holding the man in his hands, beaten and bloody... But they only heard a sound few of the Fishmen Pirates had ever heard before, the shrill screams that echoed from the building were terrifying. Then a pair of gunshots came from nowhere, and two of the Fishmen's heads exploded like watermelons, covering the others in yellow brains and blood. The rest of the members looked back towards the entrance and saw three men. Two were glaring and advancing towards Hatchin and Kuroobi. The other with the pistols stood further back but wasn't any less threatening, having his guns trained on his new targets. Zoro then put on his bandana and unsheathed his Katana, releasing more killing intent than any of the Fishmen had ever seen. "We shouldn't waste any more time, besides I'm excited to face a Fishman." Zoro declared with a toothy, feral grin.

Arlong was rocketed back into the courtyard, bleeding from his stumped nose, mouth, and shoulder. His face was purple and swollen, while his chin looked to be broken. He looked to his brethren and saw a disturbing sight. Hatchin had cuts all over his body, and it looked like he was about to lose an arm. Kuroobi was on his back, not breathing, with his skull caved. With another quick look, he could tell he was stomped to death. Six of his other crewmates either had bullet holes riddling their body, or their heads exploded. Although the other four were fighting a man in a black suit and two average swordsmen. Arlong spotted the shooter, a short, skinny guy with overalls and a bandana. Arlong smirked and started to stagger over towards the kid with his Kiribachi dragging behind him, intent on showing why the superior race of Fishmen were to be feared... But was stopped by a voice that could freeze water. "I hope you aren't planning on hurting anymore of my friends, Arlong... If you did, I would get even angrier than I am now." Arlong didn't even want to see the face of the man, he bolted for the water as fast as he could, but as he got within five feet, he was stopped by a vice grip on his hair. The hold wiped him around and threw him backward into the air like he was a paperweight. He then crashed through the window, into his prized cartographer's room.

When Luffy jumped through the hole in the room, he was already pissed, but when he saw the stacks and stacks of what looked to be maps... Luffy looked at Arlong, with fury in his eyes that wasn't present before. Before, his eyes were calm, indifferent, to the suffering he was causing... Arlong was still on his ass rubbing his head when Luffy kicked him in the chest and back on his back. Luffy then picked up his leg and twisted his ankle, dislocating it. Not giving the Fishman any time to process what just happened, Luffy twisted him on his side and stomped down on the knee of the leg still held in his hands. The series of pops and cracks sounded like gunshots echoing across the compound and the screams could be clearly heard by the civilians, who were still surrounding the gates of Arlong Park. Only three people had enough courage to watch from inside the compound...Nami, Nojiko, and Genzo watched the fight with nothing but contempt on their faces. Arlong then screamed, "YOU MONSTER!" He then wildly swung his Kiribachi at the man... Luffy caught the blade with ease and shattered it.

Luffy then picked up the Fishman by the neck and announced, "Repentance." Luffy then flared his aura, causing the paper in the room to catch fire and Arlong's skin to sear. He then lifted Arlong, and let him watch as he set fire to this room, a room that represented nothing but slavery. Luffy actually smiled, watching the man's face contort from pain to confusion, then anger and pain again. Arlong's eyes went white as he tried to grab the man before him, but was thrown through all the rooms under them, causing the entire building to collapse under its own weight.

Luffy jumped out of the hole he created and landed in the courtyard. He lowered the intensity of his aura significantly and looked around at the devastation his crew caused... They had finished with their fights, leaving only one Fishman alive, Hatchin, and judging by the amputated arm and the missing body, he will indeed walk away with reminders. Luffy turned back around to the flaming ruins of Arlong Park, to see the Fishman dragging himself out of the flames. His shirt was burned off, his legs and torso were charred from the exposure to such heat. The crowd watched, as Arlong continued to drag himself towards the water, in the vain hope it would somehow save him. He was constantly repeating, "Mercy… Please, have mercy."

When he got close to the edge, Luffy grabbed him by his remaining hair and looked him in the eyes, Luffy then questioned, "You want mercy? After everything you've done? I wonder how many people begged for mercy, just like your doing now. I wonder how many of those people died or were enslaved by your hands? You don't deserve mercy. You deserve the pits." Luffy then turned him towards the crowd of people at the entrance. Luffy then loudly inquired, "Nami, do you have any last words?"

Nami walked to the crippled Fishman before her, her eyes only held hatred and disgust. She then bent down to meet him at eye level and spit in his face. She then turned around and without looking back, said to her Captain, "Do what you think is best."

Luffy looked down at the fishman below him, he then put his knee on his back to hold him down and put his hands on the sides of his face. As the fishman screamed for mercy, he ripped his head from his neck and watched as his body fell lifeless below him(God of War style). Luffy then used Shave to appear in front of the mouse-eared Marine that was hiding behind the crowd. He shoved the head in his hands and said, "There did your job for you." Luffy then walked back through the crowd, not looking back at the man. Who he had a look of confusion and horror plastered on his face, at the sight and remains of the infallible Arlong. Nezumi looked at the man and asked, "Wha-What's your name?"

"Monkey D. Luffy. Future Pirate King."

The marine captain looked at the crew one last time, then dropped the lifeless head and ran inland screaming along the way about bounties...