Hey guys!

Long time no see!

I will try and post more regularly if I can.

If not, sorry.

Yay! A new chapter though!

Well, that's all for now.

Enjoy...

I felt someone standing over me, but couldn't remember how I had fallen asleep. I remembered Nami... had she betrayed us? No, it couldn't have been that. She would never... I'm her sister. My thoughts went silent as I heard her voice.

"I also brought a stowaway. She found a way aboard my ship. She was a bit of trouble, but nothing I couldn't deal with." Nami's voice erupted past the mass of cheers around me.

"A stowaway? Know anything important about her?" A man snickered, he had a relatively deep voice.

"She's a waitress and great with words, so try not to talk to her much. Comes from a powerful family that doesn't matter to her. She'll do anything you ask if you get on her good side." Nami explained. "She also has great trust in me, but it'll only be her downfall." I heard the lie in her voice, but she laughed afterwards hiding any trace of it. It was that moment when it all finally clicked and I lost reason for a moment. My eyes snapped open and I launched myself towards the orange haired girl. I was inches away when something grabbed my hair and pulled me back, and away from anything that may have given me an advantage. I let out a low growl, anger boiling inside me.

"You selfish woman. It was all for the money wasn't it. You should know better than that Nami. You've seen how I get... I never was able to handle betrayal well." I snickered. I was dangling off the ground, someone holding me up by my hair. I also had my ankles and wrists tied together. My arms were bent up and pinned to my back. I still managed to look up at Nami as she turned to me. I gave an evil smirk.

"Would you look at those eyes!?" My gaze was suddenly drawn to the man behind Nami. He sat in a chair, and I recognized him as a man my father called Arlong, a fishman. I quickly noticed that all the men around me were fishmen. "Say, you also seem to have a past with Nami. How about I offer you a place in my crew?" Arlong chuckled.

"Sorry, but I must decline. I am a full time waitress after all." I smiled, following along with Nami's lie. They didn't have to know I was a pirate, yet.

"Then why not just leave that crew and join mine?" He questioned.

"Cause." I stated.

"In that case you're joining my crew." He smiled proudly.

"That was not a yes." I glared at him.

"Why not?" He stood up and stepped over to me. "You can be my negotiator and help me with any tasks I may need. I'll provide you with protection from anyone and anything." Arlong smiled, sliding a hand along my jaw.

"I'm not a very violent person, but I can protect myself. I'm not some damsel in distress. In any case why would I want to be your negotiator when you're an evil man. Now if you will not heed my advice and let me go then I'll be forced to bite off your finger. Am I clear?" I asked, plastering a bright smile on my face.

"I don't think you understand what I'm putting out on the table." He stated, putting a stern look on his face.

"I don't think you understand the opportunity you have right now!" I retorted.

"You are joining my crew!" He ordered.

"No, I'm not." I growled.

"Yes, you are." He fought back, his nose poking the tip of mine.

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!" We had a moment of silence, glaring into each other's eyes. We waited for the moment that the other would falter. Then he looked like he caved. "Fine! If you're not gonna join so easily, than I guess I have no choice. A week in the cell. No food, little water. End of the week make sure she's alive, keep it that way, then repeat the process till she joins." Arlong ordered. He turned and walked to his seat. I had to do something now if I wanted to be free. I quickly gathered momentum. I sharpened my teeth into points and swung my body around the man's neck. I bit down on his throat and wrapped my body around his thick neck, hooking my legs on his shoulder to stay in the position. The man still had a grip on my hair.

"Let me go or your crew member dies." I ordered.

"Takara, you don't know what you're doing." Nami commented.

"Look at the little waitress trying to protect herself." Arlong laughed. "I planned ahead. I knew that you were hiding something so the fishman you are holding hostage is prepared to give up his life. Are you willing to kill him? I'd rather you not, but he's prepared himself for the worst." Damn! He could see through my threat.

"My friends will come, and when they do you'll be to blame and I won't be held accountable when they kill your whole crew." I growled. I quickly swung my legs around the guy, letting go of his neck. I swung back with a new found momentum. I threw my legs up, hooked my ankles on the arm that was holding my hair and pushed. I held back a pained noise as some of my hair was pulled out. I sent a small blade out of my ankles and heels, the ropes on my feet getting cut off. I slid to a stop on a concrete path, unable to free my arms as of yet. I quickly took off towards what looked like a gate. It was closed, probably locked.

"CATCH HER!" Arlong shouted. As fishmen ran after me I managed to dodge and maneuver around them. Some managed to leave cuts on me. Suddenly something hit my knee, hard. I let out a groan as I sent two blades out of my toes. Using my speed, and the blades, I climbed up the gate and hopped over it. As soon as I was on the ground I was off running again. The pajamas that I had been wearing were far beyond rescue at this point. My legs were cut and covered in blood, as well as parts of my stomach and chest where a blade had reached. I ignored the pain in my knee and the bottoms of my feet as they pounded on the ground. I had no shoes on, but I kept my speed. Arlong was after me and I was not sticking around to see what he might do.

I glanced over my shoulder. The gate was open, but Nami was standing there with a swarm of fishmen behind her. I looked forward and continued as fast as I could. I would reach a village, hopefully they would be able to help me.

I had entered town, and everything looked destroyed. I had spent no more then a minute in town when I heard a scream. I ran down the street faster and took a sharp turn, running down some kind of alley. I squeezed through a small space and burst into a street. I looked to my left and saw a blue lock of hair disappear behind a corner. I took off towards it, screeching to a halt by the alley. Before me was a woman a few years older than Nami with blue hair. A little boy in a green hat was with her. Between them sat a knocked out Usopp.

"Who are you people and what did you do to Usopp?" I questioned, trying to keep a stern look even though I was losing blood. The woman turned to me and looked me over.

"Lemme guess, you tried to face Arlong and escaped with your life." She glared, standing up. I was nearly her height, a foot difference at most.

"Not even close. Besides, you wouldn't want to hear my story. Just give me my friend and I'll be out of your hair." Everything was blurring slightly.

"Sorry, but I'm taking you with me. We'll fix you up and you can leave with your friend here." She ordered. I turned around and showed her my arms. She reached up and quickly untied them. They all came loose and fell to the ground. I spun around quickly and gave her a nod.

"Fine. Name's Takara by the way." I pushed past her, grabbed Usopp, hoisted him onto my back, and took off running. Carrying Usopp was too much for me, but I was pushing through it, trying to make my adrenaline last as long as I could. In a moment she and the boy were running alongside me.

"I'm Nojiko." The woman stated.

"Where are we going Nojiko?" I asked.

"Follow me." She ordered. She took off ahead of me and I grunted in pain as I pushed myself to go after her.

We took off through the town. I followed her straight out of town and into the middle of a forest. We followed a path and within twenty minutes we were at a clearing. Before us was a house, a simple one room house, but behind it was rows upon rows of tangerine trees. I walked after Nojiko having finally lost all my energy to run. She opened the door and quickly went in with the little boy. The two had gotten to work, grabbing medical supplies and what looked like bed sheets. I dropped Usopp to the floor, and walked over to the counter.

"Thanks for helping bring him here. It would have taken so much longer if it were just m-" Everything became a blur as I stumbled and collapsed, falling to the floor. The world disappeared into black as my head hit the floor.

"As long as you promise to be my friend."

"Sure, why not. Through thick and thin, nothing will keep us apart."

"You've gotten in the way of my plans. Now you have to pay the consequences..."

"I was never part of your crew. I was just in it for the money..."

"Everything I've told you is a lie..."

"My only captain is Arlong..."

"She also has great trust in me, but it'll only be her downfall..."

"NAMI!" I shouted as I quickly jolted up from the floor.

"I figured you would know her too." I turned and looked up at Nojiko.

"What do you mean?" I questioned. I noticed Usopp over at a table in shock.

"Nami's technically my adoptive sister since we were both orphans." Nojiko knew Nami! "But a sister's a sister, ya know what I mean." I hung my head as Nojiko picked up a picture frame from a side table. I had thought I knew what having a sister meant. I'm not so sure anymore. I jumped up and stormed out the front door with out a word. I walked around the house and plopped down just outside the door. I had started to zone out of the conversation till Usopp mentioned Nami.

"So you're telling me that Nami betrayed her mother, her sister, and her whole village just to be a part of Arlong's crew?" He questioned.

"Yeah, pretty much. A real witch, huh?" Nojiko replied.

"Damn. Nami is a total witch. She had us completely fooled the entire time. To think she was just after the treasure for herself. Even after she risked her life to save my village. I don't understand. She seemed so happy with us..." I couldn't handle anymore of the commentary. I walked off down the path, diverting onto another just before the village. I was covered in bandages and had been put in a fresh green tank top and blue shorts with an orange tangerine in the lower left corner. This wasn't Nami. Something must have happened to make her do this. She was my sister, she had promised. She would always be there for me.

I'd wait for Luffy to arrive. Zoro should hopefully be with him. Then we'd find Nami and find out why she did all this. If we can, we'll bring her home.

I wandered off into the middle of nowhere. I found myself in a farm area, rice patty fields everywhere. I found a nice place on the road, just off to the side. I leaned against the cliff side and stared out at the ocean just off in the distance. It seemed so close. I stared up at the sky in awe. It reached all over the place, saw everything, touched life everywhere. I wanted to ask it so much. Where was Luffy? Why was Nami part of Arlong's Crew? Did Nami mean what she had said? What happened to my Nami? Would we ever get her back?

Kay guys!

Last of my free write for awhile.

Luffy arrives in the next chapter!

I know this chapter was short, sorry. I was having trouble with inspiration and couldn't find out what to add!

The struggle is real. This may not be part of it, but I suffer from it a lot.

That's all for this chapter.

Hope you enjoyed this turn of events!

I plan to post another chapter Friday, so be back soon.

Love all you guys who read this! Also love you reviewers too.

Reviewer for me! Please! I want to feel your love!

Thanks for reading.