I feel really bad! I haven't updated in AGES!
I'm sorry for such a long wait but everything has been going on at once.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter of My Own Justice! I have used some of the original lines from the Manga- I do not own these!
Please review, and remember; I own NOTHING! (Only Kiyoshi...)
Luffy was pissed. That much was clear.
The commodore was marching up and down the deck, eyes shadowed by his hat and fists clenched tightly enough to leave small red crescents in his palms.
"Nami, the only reason I haven't gone after Arlong is because you made me promise I wouldn't because your island was relying on you. You told me you could handle the situation on your own but you obviously didn't tell me the full details about what's going on at Coco Island." muttered Luffy, staring at the teary eyed girl across from him.
"Commodore I-I promised myself that I would free them... but now with that marine bastard helping him... I don't know if I can!"
"Every Marine swore an oath before the Admiral the day they graduated from the academy; they promised to do what's right in the name of the people, for the people. Arlong I can understand; he's hated the humans since the Fisher Tiger incident. A marine though?" Luffy hissed.
"Well Straw Hat, let's put things this way; there is a certain thing I know you don't care for called money and-"
"Not asking you Buggy!" called Luffy marching past the clown.
Buggy scowled, "If you don't want my opinion then stop saying stupid things! The guy's obviously after the money!"
"Buggy, these fresh air conditions are a privilege aboard my ship. Keep talking and I'll have Kiyoshi take you and your clowns below deck and into the brig where you will be chained to the wall of your cell by Seastone cuffs like regulation says you are meant to be on any other marine vessel."
Buggy slouched from where he sat cross legged near the main mast and began to mutter under his breath.
Zoro watched the exchange below with an eyebrow raised in confusion. He'd never seen a Marine act the way Luffy did towards the pirate/clown. He was treating them like a civilian who needed a slap on the wrist and a warning rather than the scheming pirates that they were.
"Confused?" asked Kiyoshi appearing by Zoro's side. "I was too for a while. In Luffy's eyes everyone is equal, be they Pirate, Marine or even Merman. He told you the story about that hat of his I presume?"
Zoro turned away from Luffy and Buggy who were now bickering back and forth like two old women would over a recipe of apple pie. "Yeah he said that someone gave it to him and told him to follow his own sense of justice."
"Did Luffy tell you who it was?"
Zoro paused and shook his head.
"It was a pirate. One of the Yonko to be precise: Red-Haired Shanks."
Zoro stared down at Luffy wide-eyed and glanced back and forth between Kiyoshi and Luffy's hat. "Wait, so you're telling me that it was a pirate who encouraged Luffy to become a marine?"
Kiyoshi chucked, "As crazy as it sounds, yes; it was."
Zoro shook his head. "The longer I'm here, the crazier things seem to get..." he muttered.
"Don't worry about it. You'll get used to it, plus you can always leave if things get a bit too crazy for you." He said before walking off.
Zoro sighed. Maybe he should rename this ship the Loony Tin rather than the Freedom Fighter. It would certainly be more fitting.
-Somewhere in the North-Western sector of the East Blue-
"Here you go, this month's cut."
The large wad of cash was placed onto the table with a fwump, and the blue-skinned, webbed hand returned to rest on the armrest of an oversized beach lounge.
"Take it."
Across the table, Captain Mezumi of Navy base 16, a mousy looking man with peculiar whiskers, smirked greedily; "Hyik Hyik Hyik... you certainly understand how the world works... Many thanks." He said, immediately stashing the cash somewhere inside his coat.
The Fishman across from him laughed. "Har Har Har! Dont be so formal! Money makes the world go round!" Arlong flashed the marine a toothy grin, "Money is good. It's the only thing a man can truly believe in."
-A few days later-
"Commodore! We're approaching Coco Island!" called the marine at the helm.
"Very well, Pakkun. See if you can signal the Fishmen before they send out any of their men to try and sink us; do not fire upon them on any circumstance!" he warned, walking up towards the helm.
"Listen up boys!" he called across the deck. "We have orders from the Admiral to find out what's going on at Coco Island and to evacuate the surviving villagers from Goza, but we've also received a request from a friend for help!"
"It is my intention to attempt peaceful talks with Arlong and his co-conspirators, but if they refuse to cooperate then it's possible that a fight may break out. I'm not going to ask any of you to risk your lives for me... so I'm giving you all the opportunity now to take the Freedom Fighter back out to sea and return for me in a few days. Any man who chooses to do so, say 'Aye'!"
To Zoro's amazement the crew remained silent, all grinning up at Luffy as if his offer was some sort of joke.
Luffy grinned back at them. "Very well men! Take us to shore Pakkun!"
"There'll be no need for that, smek." A voice interrupted from the rails. Luffy frowned and stepped down towards the Fishman lounging on the rails a few feet away.
"Good afternoon... I assume Arlong sent you out here with a parlay, am I correct?"
The Fishman seemed surprised for a moment to be addressed with such formality but quickly nodded. "Arlong asks for a payment of β2 000 000 for safe passage into the harbor. He also warns you not to try any funny business, smek; at this moment there is another Fishman stationed right beside your rudder ready to remove it at a moment's notice. Arlong wants to meet with you, smek."
Luffy rubbed his chin and sighed. "If those are his terms then I suppose we must abide by them. I will only be sending a three-man party ashore which will include myself. Can I trust that the Freedom Fighter will remain in good hands until my return?"
Once again the Fishman seemed surprised but he quickly smek'd his lips and nodded.
"Good. Kiyoshi! Have the men ready a long boat! I need to go retrieve the funds for our safe passage ashore." said Luffy wandering towards the lower decks.
After a few moment below deck, Luffy, Kiyoshi and Zoro were being lead ashore by a rather peculiar Octopus looking Fishman who introduced himself as Hachi. Luffy had sent Nami ahead of them a few days earlier to avoid any suspicion and it seems the idea had payed off.
As the three arrived in the harbour which had been built into Arlong Park, Zoro couldn't help but gulp upon seeing the multitude of Fishman gathered inside the compound. He'd heard the stories of course but he never thought he'd see one up close, not in the East Blue.
"So you must be the new guy, hu?" smirked Arlong. "Who did you piss off to get sent to this little corner of the East Blue?" he cackled, showing off his razor teeth.
Luffy, unlike Zoro who had begun sweating bullets, simply laughed along with the Fishman, causing both the swordsman and Kiyoshi to glance at him in confusion.
"Haha! The question is who didn't I piss off?!" he grinned.
Arlong eyed the teen. "Hu, you've got guts kid I'll give you that."
"So why did the Navy send a little Human like you out here? You a new guy or something?" asked Arlong, leaning back into his lounge.
Luffy grinned, "Or something. My crew and I were given orders to find out what's going on here at Coco Island and to evacuate the surviving villagers from Goza. You wouldn't happen to know anything would you?" He asked tilting back his hat.
Arlong grinned viciously, leaning forward to rest his chin in his hand. "Can't say I do."
"Not even a hint of a whisper?"
When Arlong simply smirked, Luffy sighed heavily. "What a waste of time. I'm sorry I troubled you. Must be nice to get out of the Grandline for a while; I heard the currents around Fishman Island can be a real bother this time of year." He said casually.
Arlong raised an eyebrow before laughing. "Har har har! I like you Human! You've got guts! How about I give you something to make this trip worth your while? All you've got to do is keep your mouth shut about us here Fishmen."
Luffy rubbed his cheek, "Well... that I can do. But I'll have to evacuate the people of Goza village; otherwise my superiors might get suspicious. What do you think Kiyoshi; we'll need a cover story if the villagers speak out."
"Hmm... Well, we do have an empty canister on board; we can say one of Vegapunks earlier gas experiments had washed ashore. A stimulus based hallucinogen maybe?"
Zoro gaped at the two, "Have you lost your minds! You're accepting money from this darn half-fish!"
"Watch it Human! I'll let it slide once, but don't ever call me a half-fish again! We Fishman are evolved humans who have developed the ability to breath in seawater. Our fish-like powers make us far superior to you!" boasted Arlong.
Kiyoshi swatted Zoro on the back of the head. "Don't mouth off! Know your place; we pay for your sword not your opinions!" he growled. Zoro gaped at the lieutenant, unable to believe what had just come out of his mouth.
"We Fishman are the lords of all creation! Fighting a Fishman... is fighting the power of nature itself!"
Just as Zoro was about to spit out a scathing remark, Nami marched out of the building, taking her place beside Arlong, the tattoo labelling her as one of the Fishman's officers in full view.
"I'm sick of that theory of yours, Arlong..."
"Nami..?!"
Arlong grinned and bowed his head playfully, "Don't be offended Nami! You're different! You're my talented and esteemed surveyor; the pride of my crew! Your maps are the best!"
Nami scoffed, "My brain's just different from yours; It works. What do you expect?"
Zoro gaped at her, trying to piece together the puzzle in his head; Luffy had treated Nami like an old-time friend aboard the Freedom Fighter, now he acted like he didn't even know her!
"Zoro! Are you listening to me!" barked Luffy.
Zoro raised his head to find that Luffy and Kiyoshi as well as Nami and Arlong were staring at him. 'This had got to be some sort of scheme, just play along...'
"Sir?" he asked.
"I told you to get back to the ship; Hachi will be giving you a lift back. You're no use here if you're going to mouth off at our hosts' then doze off! What am I even paying you for?" he complained, a dark scowl on his face.
Zoro bristled; even if this was some sort of act, he didn't like being given commands like that.
"Yes sir." He bit off before turning his back on the four.
"Sorry about that. Unfortunately he's a necessity; otherwise I'd have him lashed for his sass." Luffy lamented as Zoro walked away.
"Now, you were talking about compensation...?"
Zoro paced up and down the length of the Freedom Fighter, waiting for either Luffy or Kiyoshi to step back onto the deck; The sun had already set about an hour ago and he had yet to see hide-nor-hair of the two.
"Sit down and quick you're pacing! You're making me dizzy!" barked Buggy from where he was leaning up against the mast.
Before Zoro could reply, Luffy's head popped over the rails.
"Oi, pacing is my thing! Find your own thing." He grinned.
Zoro frowned, "You've got some explaining to do, now get up here before I massacre that coat of yours." He growled.
"Yeah, yeah I know. Thanks for going along with that by the way, I may have been a little harsh but it was necessary."
"Necessary?! Making me look like an incompetent fool was necessary?" Zoro barked.
Luffy sighed and took off his straw hat, "I needed to get into Arlong's good books... well as much as a human can get into them. His trust is an important part of this operation; I had to stand back and watch him assault one of the villagers in Coco village. I've spent the last two hours venting further inland."
"Trust me when I say that as soon as I find out who else is behind this; I'll lock them both up for good, Fishman or not."
Thank you everyone!
It's not much, but it's what I've got.
I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to Pokabu who has been a HUGE help in getting this fic. back up and running.
I was in the middle of a horrible case of writers block and Pokabu was kind enough to help be out.
THANK YOU!
Don't forget to review!
Until next time! I'll try to have another chapter up soon... no guarantees.