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One Piece - Freedom
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East Blue Arc
Chapter 11 : Two Girls And A Marine! The Family That Was Torn Apart
0o0o0 Baratie, Dining Hall 0o0o0
"Any questions about your assigned roles?" Nami asked as she looked around the dining table that had been transformed into the Straw-hat Pirate's temporary war table.
"Nope! Shishishishi."
"Hn."
"Do I really have to?"
"I'd do anything for you Nami-swan!"
"We know what we've got to do!" Johnny and Yosaku saluted together.
"I have one. Why didn't you give me an assignment?" Nojiko asked, annoyed at what her sister was trying to pull.
"Because there's nothing for you to do. You aren't coming." Nami sighed, knowing she was about to get an earful.
"And why not?" Nojiko scowled at the red-head.
"Because it's going to be dangerous and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Which is why you're going to stay here and wait for us to come back and get you and Gen." Nami crossed her arms, doing her best to leave no room for debate.
"Like hell I am! I'm not going to stay behind and do nothing while my little sister risks her life to save our mother!"
"And like I said, I'm not going to let anything happen to you! We've both lost so much to Arlong, if something happened to you I would never forgive myself. So please don't fight me on this Nojiko."
"I'm not staying behind Nami. I have done that for long enough. I was left behind when Arlong dragged both you and mom away. I was left behind every time you set sail to rob pirates. I was left behind by Gen and everyone else when they excluded me from their rebellion. I will not be left behind when you go to rescue mom and end Arlong once and for all. And so what if it's dangerous? Our lives have been in danger for eight years! And we survived. I'm going whether you like it or not. So I suggest you include me in your plan, baby sister."
Nami didn't know what to say. What was there to say? Was she right to leave her sister behind? The obvious answer was yes. What they were planning was no less than a raid against the Arlong pirates. And just because they had Luffy, didn't mean they should underestimate a fishman's strength. How could she? She'd lived in terror of it for the last eight years. Zoro was hurt, Ussop put up a brave front but it was clear he was scared, she still wasn't sure of Sanji's strength but it seemed he was close to Zoro, and Johnny and Yosaku were experienced bounty hunters… they had to be somewhat strong right? When it came down to it the only one she could reliably rely on was Luffy. But… this was the crew that Luffy had put together to help him reach the top of the pirate world. Did… that mean she could trust them with her sister? Could she believe in them?
And then the weight of Luffy's straw-hat, still firmly on her head since Luffy had placed it on her the day before, reminded her that she could. Because she was betting everything on them, on him. The time for doubt was over. Gen had forced her and Arlong's hand. There was no going back. The moment she returned Arlong would trap her in that fucking room again, for the rest of her life. The moment Gen rebelled, her deal with Arlong was broken. All that remained was to wage war and come out on top.
"Nojiko-"
"You can come."
Both sisters looked toward the seated Luffy, one with wide eyes and the other with grateful ones.
"Luffy!" Nami shouted, annoyed that Luffy stole her thunder. She'd just changed her mind.
"Shishishishi, I know. But I'm the captain. If anyone wants to step foot on my ship, they need my permission. However…" Luffy's grin fell from his face as he looked at Nojiko. "The Merry Go isn't a cruise ship. I don't just ferry people wherever they want. Especially if they want to fight my enemies and I won't be responsible if something happens to you."
"Of course! I don't expect-"
"Which is why, until I've finished beating Arlong into the ground, you're a member of this crew. Your safety is now my responsibility." Luffy's grin came flying back as his crew stared at him in shock. "Got a problem with that Nojiko?"
"N-no! Thank you for taking me on… I think?" Nojiko wasn't sure she should be thankful for more or less being forced into a pirate crew. Even if her little sister was said pirate crew's navigator.
"I can't decide between being grateful or hitting you. Sigh, at least let me finish next time." Nami fell back into her chair, her hand over her forehead. "I guess that means I have to alter the plan a bit, and just when I thought we were finally ready to set sail."
"Yes! Two mellorines! Mellorines! Mellorines!" Sanji had heart eyes as he began to spin around the dining hall ecstatically.
"And here I thought she was the smart sister. Well whatever… guess the crew is growing." Zoro took another swig of his booze.
"Welcome to the crew! Just so you know, you can definitely count on me! I once took on a thousand fishmen all on my own! This raid will be a piece of cake!" Ussop had stood up and put a foot on the table while holding his sling up high.
"No you didn't!" they all yelled at him, though Luffy was laughing at the obvious lie.
"That's the spirit Ussop!" Luffy laughed wildly, almost toppling out of his seat.
"As much as I hate to part from you two beauties, I do need to go and finish packing my things," Sanji bemoaned as he twirled over and took a knee before the sisters.
"Oi, shitty cook, stop harassing the crew members," Zoro cut in as he reached for another mug of booze.
"Shut it moss-head!"
As the two began to argue, one of the Baratie's cooks burst into the room. "T-the old man's awake!" he gasped out, only to immediately dive out of the way as Nami and Nojiko almost ran him over on their way to see Gen.
"Shishishi! Everyone, get ready to leave! We'll meet back up at the Merry in an hour!" Luffy yelled out, smiling as he stared at his crew's antics.
0o0o0 Baratie - Infirmary 0o0o0
Both Nojiko and Nami stood next to Genzo's bed, both with concern written on their faces as they watched the man wheeze and cough as he stared up at them.
"Nami… cough." Genzo tried to lift his hand but found he had no strength to. "How… did you…"
Nami knelt down as she clasped his hand into both of hers. "You stupid, stupid, stupid fool! Do you know how close I was? How close I was to freeing all of us!? If you weren't so injured I would slap you until the stupid was smacked out of you!" Hot tears started to fall down her face as she glared at the man she considered as a father figure. "But right now… right now I'm just relieved you're alive."
"Nami… I'm sorry, but it… was the only way. Now… now we can go to the marines and-"
"There's no need for the marines." Nojiko cut him off, hands on her hips. "We're going to finish it ourselves."
"What! Cough cough What foolishness are you talking about?" Genzo felt his heart freeze with how she said it. He then felt Nami let go of his hands as the orangette stood back up.
"I became the navigator to a powerful pirate from the New World. He's agreed to take down Arlong for us. Arlong has no idea what's coming for him." Nami hardened her gaze as her thoughts turned to images of Arlong charred black, his beaten form laid out before her, her captain standing over the fishman, victorious.
"The navigator of… Nami! You can't possibly-," Genzo started violently coughing, cutting himself off.
"Gen!" Both girls bent down to help sooth his coughing fit.
"I'm fine, I'm fine cough." Genzo waved them off as he brought his breathing back in line.
"Gen… it has to end. I'm through being his plaything. I've already made my bet and whether you like it or not… we're returning to Cocoyashi village." Nami looked at her sister as Nojiko nodded at her. "We're going to save Bellemere."
"And you… you think I'm going to let the two of you go back there?" Genzo dared either girl to defy him. "I won't sit by and let my daughters sail to their deaths!" All he could see as he looked at either girl were the two little girls that had annoyed him, made him laugh, scared him when they were sick…The two girls that he loved as his own daughters.
"You will if you know what's good for you." Nojiko and Nami both planted their fists into the back of his head.
"Gen, we love you, but we're not the little girls that need your protection anymore," Nami said softly, "What we need is for you to believe in us. To believe that we can save our mother."
Genzo said nothing as he stared at them, this time seeing them as they are, not as they were. Two grown women that had faced nearly a decade of oppression. Two grown women that had dreams and aspirations. Two grown women that reminded him so damn much of that firebrand Bellemere. It was the little things: the way they stood, the way they crossed their arms, the way they were scowling at him now. "That's right, they aren't just my daughters… they're Bellemere's first and foremost. I really am a damn fool. If she never listened to me, what reason do her daughter's have to?"
Sighing to herself Nami addressed him once more. "You're still injured, both from fighting and from your journey here. As much as I do wish we could take you with us, you need to stay here and recover. We've already made arrangements with the owner of this restaurant to secure your passage back home both once you're better and once he hears that Arlong has been taken down. So until then, don't you dare you die on us or we'll never forgive you."
"And we already have plenty of reasons not to now. But without the gamble you and everyone else made, we wouldn't have this opportunity to take Arlong by surprise. What were the odds we'd run into Nami so quickly before she returned home? Practically none. He's expecting her to return without knowing a damn thing. So like you and the rest of the villagers, I'm going to bet everything on Nami's plan." Nojiko then suddenly pulled him into a hug as tears stung the edges of her eyes. "Thank you, for everything you've ever done for us." She let go of him before looking at Nami, nodding at her.
"We need to go, Gen. I don't know if we'll see each other again… but thank you for loving us." Nami and Nojiko both turned and went to leave the infirmary, both having said their goodbyes to their father.
"Nami! Nojiko!" Both girls stopped at the doorway and turned to look back at him. "I have never, not once, not believed in either of you. So you make sure you give that bastard my regards before you kill him."
Both girls smiled at him.
"Un!"
0o0o0 Baratie - Kitchen 0o0o0
"That should be everything on Sanji's list of supplies, but are you sure you need more meat? It feels like we've given you guys almost our entire stock." The chef tasked with helping Sanji stock the Going Merry turned from the open refrigerator toward Luffy, Johnny, and Yosaku, all three of which were standing next to several bags of food and kitchen utensils that belonged to Sanji.
"Oh yeah, definitely give me more meat." Luffy salivated as he looked at the various cuts of meat in the fridge as the chef sweat dropped, but still turned to grab more cuts to give to the pirate crew that had helped save the Baratie.
"Geez just how many days are you guys going to be at sea?" The chef asked as the clacking of Zeff's peg leg could be heard coming toward them.
"Don't know, but even after we settle our business in Cocoyashi we'll be back at sea so keep filling her up!" Luffy wasn't even trying to be subtle about his virtual highway robbery of the Baratie's kitchen.
"You think we should stop him or…" Yosaku whispered to Johnny who just shrugged.
"I'm not going to complain about having a well-stocked kitchen. Maybe being a part of a pirate crew won't be so bad." Johnny couldn't count the number of times that he and Yosaku had spent starving in the past when their money had run dry from lack of bounties.
"Hey, brat!" Zeff called out, making all three pirates turn around to see the old chef holding out a journal.
"Oh, Big Hat Owner, what's up?" Luffy was mildly surprised to see the man, not expecting him to come see him.
"This is the record of my one-year journey in the Grand Line. I thought you might like to have it. It might come in handy for you down the line." Zeff offered, showing off the cover of the record which had his crew's Jolly Roger printed on it.
"No way!" Yosaku looked at the logbook like it was made of gold. "Big bro Luffy you've got to take it! Any record of the Grand Line is priceless!"
"He's right, big bro! Something like this could probably speed you right to the end of the Grand Line! You'd be a fool to not accept it!" Johnny exclaimed looking at Luffy expectantly.
"Don't need it," Luffy lackadaisically stated as he picked his nose with his pinky finger.
Both Yosaku and Johnny fell over at the sudden response and lack of enthusiasm Luffy was displaying. "What!?"
Zeff just grinned, knowing that would be the response he'd get. "Heh, what I thought you'd say, figured I'd offer anyway." He then turned and walked away.
"But Big Bro! How can you turn something like that down!? Don't you want to know what you might have to face!?" Johnny shouted, not believing Luffy could turn such a treasure down.
"It's the same for me, Big Bro Luffy! That book must have a ton of information in it that could really help your journey out!" Yosaku also shouted at Luffy who simply continued to pick at his nose.
"Johnny… Yosaku…" Luffy spoke quietly as he pulled his finger out of his nose, both bounty hunters waiting for his response. "What's in that book is none of my business. I already know enough about the Grand Line to know it wouldn't help us in the least. Besides, I'm going to follow my own path, not someone else's. If I wanted to do that, I'd still be in the New World with the Red-Hair Pirates."
Both hunters just stared at him, unsure of what to say.
"Now… make sure to add that marbled meat too!" Luffy had turned back around and pointed at a thick cut of meat in the still open refrigerator that was practically marbled in white with fat.
"Haven't we given you enough!?" The chef yelled as he added the piece of meat to the ever growing bag of supplies.
0o0o0 Baratie - Sanji's Room 0o0o0
Sanji stood in the middle of the room that had served as his sleeping quarters for the last nine years of his life. He stared at the picture of him and Zeff the day the Baratie first launched and couldn't help the overwhelming sense of nostalgia hitting him.
"Whoa! Damn geezer, this is the sea restaurant?"
"That it is brat, that it is!"
Sanji picked up his suitcase and duffel bag and walked out of the room.
He walked slowly, passing by the break room for the chefs where the Baratie Employee Guidelines hung and the kitchen where he'd spent countless hours doing his best to live up to the old man's standards.
"Do it again! You practically peeled away the entire apple! You want our guests to just eat the core!?"
"Ow! Stupid geezer, don't hit me with your peg leg! When someone's cooking seriously you should just stand back and watch quietly!"
"Don't get smart with me you little brat!"
"I'm not a little brat! You damn geezer!"
He casually strolled through the dining hall to his favorite table and sat down in one of the open chairs. He was completely alone, everyone else outside, waiting for him to emerge from the ship that had been his home for so long.
He pulled out a cigarette and lit it up as he stared up at the ceiling, his thoughts drifting back to that first day he and Zeff laid eyes on the Baratie.
"For example Sanji, if someone comes to this restaurant be they arch rogue or jail bird, if these damn bastards badly want to eat, they'll leave satisfied. There may come a point where we'll have to fight in order to continue on."
"Yeah!"
"We're gonna be busy!"
"We'll be fine 'cause I'm here!"
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke before standing up and looking around the dining hall one last time. He picked up his luggage once again and walked out of the restaurant.
Stepping out, Sanji saw all of the chefs gathered about on the still destroyed Fin Deck, forming a path from the Baratie to the Going Merry where his new crew awaited him.
"Sanji!" Luffy bellowed, waving his arms at him, the rest of the crew surrounding him as they all waited for the chef to join them.
Taking a step forward, two shadows cast over him.
"This is for my long standing grudge!"
"Be prepared, Sanji!"
Dropping his luggage, Sanji deftly jumped backward past Patty and Carne, landing on his hands as the two other chefs blinked wondering where their rival had disappeared to.
"What?"
"Where did-"
Both were knocked back by a spinning kick, leaving the two bloody and bruised and in a heap on the floor. Sanji picked up his belongings and continued on his way to the Going Merry.
"There's no way you guys could defeat him." Another chef bent over, giving them both a pitying look.
Sanji calmly walked past all of the chefs he'd worked with over the years, the various men he'd spent both teaching and learning from, the men that had been his only family.
Finally reaching the Going Merry, Sanji looked up at his now captain. "Let's go."
Luffy looked down at his chef. "You don't need to say goodbye?"
Sanji began to climb up the rope ladder without looking back. "It's fine. There's no need."
"Sanji."
The blond froze at the sound of Zeff's voice.
"Don't catch a cold."
Tears welled up in his eyes and his lip quivered as he remembered the pirate swimming down into the ocean depths to retrieve him from drowning, the 85 days of starvation, the revelation that Zeff had given him all of their food, and the nine years of being his father in all things save blood despite being a disgruntled old geezer that only ever criticized him.
"Owner Zeff!" Sanji dropped off the rope ladder and fell to his knees as he bowed in gratitude. "Thank you for all the damn things you've done for me over all these years! I'll never forget your kindness… for the rest of my life!"
Zeff stared down at his son from his bedroom balcony, smiling at the little eggplant that was bawling his eyes out.
"Hey, try this." Sanji placed a bowl of soup before Zeff, anxious to see what the veteran cook thought of his latest attempt at making beef bourguignon.
"You made this?" Zeff questioned as he picked up a spoon and dipping it into the concoction of carrots, potatoes, and beef.
"Un!" Sanji nodded his head, as he watched the man taste his stew.
Zeff took a moment to let the taste settle in as he came to the conclusion that this was one of the best beef bourguignon he'd ever tasted. And the brat had only been under his tutelage for five months. Like hell he was going to tell him that!
"This is damn nasty, you little brat!" Zeff started hitting the boy over the head with his ridiculously long chef's hat that was still resting on his head.
"You damn geezer!"
Tears began to crest over Zeff's eyelids as all of his chefs down below began to cry as well.
"You asshole!" Patty bawled, crying into his oversized forearm. "I'll miss you, dammit!"
"I'll miss you!" Carne cried out, slamming his fist against the deck, tears and snot running down his face.
All around them, the chefs did their best to maintain their composure as they bid farewell to the womanizing sous chef.
"I'll miss you!"
"I feel sad, dammit!"
Sanji couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips as his tears continued to run, realizing just how much these rowdy, tough-acting, idiots really cared about him.
"You idiots!" Zeff wiped the tears from his eyes as he yelled at his chefs. "Men should part without a word." He continued to tear up as he watched Sanji board the pirate ship as the rambunctious captain yelled out.
"Let's go! Set sail!" Luffy commanded as his crew set about the task of setting sail with the Going Merry.
Sanji ran up to the back of the Merry, waving his arms goodbye to his home and family. "I'll see you again, you damn bastards!"
"As long as you don't fear even death because you have faith in yourself, you'll find the All Blue… for sure." Zeff watched as his son slowly but surely became a dot on the horizon, not moving until he could no longer see the sails as they completely disappeared beyond the horizon line.
Genzo let go of the curtain covering the port hole and hobbled back to his bed, putting all of his hope in his two daughters to save their mother.
0o0o0 East Blue - Going Merry, That Night 0o0o0
"And you'll be bunking in my room." Nami opened the door to her room, letting Nojiko in to look around at her sleeping arrangements.
It was now late into the evening and after a feast prepared by their newly acquired chef, most of the crew had wandered off to bed or whatever else they did before sleep.
Overall not much customization had been done to the plain looking room besides the desk which was cluttered with maps and charts and a few books Nami had collected. "You can go through the dresser and use some of my clothes to sleep in," Nami said as Nojiko stepped up to one of the two beds.
"Well, at least we get our own beds for once," Nojiko chuckled, bringing up the fact that the two of them had shared a bed for most of their childhood. She slowly sat down to get a feel of the mattress. "It's pretty comfy. And these sheets… they're silk. That must have cost quite a bit. They did say Luffy is a notorious pirate from the Grand Line, he must have quite the hoard if he can afford something this nice."
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad having to share a bed." Nami rolled her eyes, somewhat nostalgic for those days long since passed.
"Says the girl that always begged mom for her own bed. You at least were small, I always felt cramped on that bed." Nojiko smiled as Nami gave her an affronted look.
"I didn't beg. I gave well thought out reasons as to why a growing girl such as myself should have her own bed." Nami crossed her arms and stuck her nose up in the air, looking away from her sister.
A pregnant pause permeated the air before both sisters burst into laughter.
Wiping tears from her eyes, Nojiko finally managed to collect herself as both she and Nami had spent several minutes just laughing. "I haven't laughed that hard in who knows how long. I needed that."
"Me too." Nami sat down on her own bed, before adopting a forlorn look. "I sometimes think those days were nothing more than a fever dream, that time before Arlong. I can barely even remember what it was like before he came and took everything."
"I know what you mean. I try to remember what it was like when we were able to smile so freely, without a care in the world." Nojiko sighed, wishing she didn't have to see such a sad look on her sister's face. "You really believe Luffy can take down Arlong?"
Nami looked at her sister and then reached up to touch the straw hat that Luffy had left in her care… the treasure he had left in her care. "I don't believe, I know he will." Nami smiled as she plucked the hat off her head to look at the straw hat herself.
"That's quite the confidence in him. Is he really such a fierce pirate that you know he can defeat the super human strength of fishmen?" Nojiko still wasn't so sure about her temporary captain's strength, unsure of just how exactly Luffy was going to overcome Arlong's physiological advantage.
"You won't believe it until you see it for yourself. And even then… well it took me a bit to come to terms with it." Nami smiled as her thoughts went back to the moment she saw three bolts of lightning tear through Buggy the Clown's canons and destroy the pub in Orange Town. "If only I had accepted it back then… this matter could've been settled already." Nami then stood up and put the hat back on. "You should get ready for bed, it's going to be a long day tomorrow." She then began to walk toward the door.
"Not going to bed yet?" Nojiko asked, making Nami stop and shake her head.
"No. I still have some duties as navigator to tend to. It'll be awhile before I make my way to bed. I'll see you in the morning." Nami then walked out.
"Goodnight, then." Nami heard her sister say before the door closed as she made her way up on deck and was headed toward the kitchen where she knew Johnny was left to steer the ship with the first watch of the night after dinner. She needed to check her maps and charts against the night sky to verify they were on the correct path to the Conomi islands.
She was just about to turn up the stairs when she noticed a shadowy figure sitting atop Merry's bow. Having a good idea who it was, Nami diverted her destination, her sights set on the raven hair of her captain.
"I didn't realize you were on watch tonight," Nami called out as she approached the bow, getting Luffy to turn and look at her.
"I decided to let Ussop get some rest. He's still pretty rattled by our battle with the… what were they called again? Brieg or Mrieg or something pirates? Meh, it doesn't matter shishishishi!" Luffy laughed as he slid off the bow and landed next to Nami.
"I'd think you'd also want to be well rested for… when we reach my home." Nami shivered as a light breeze blew the cold sea-air around them.
"It's fine. I don't sleep much. A side effect of my devil fruit," Luffy told her as he looked out at the blackness of night.
"A side effect?" Nami blinked, not sure what to make of that information.
"Yeah. I don't really need to sleep to rest anymore. Just need to make sure I'm charged up and I'm good to go." Luffy let an arc of electricity run from one arm to the other to show off his meaning.
Nami took a moment to recall if she'd ever actually seen him sleep and realized she hadn't. "You… you don't need to sleep?" she blanched at him.
"Mmmm, it's not that I don't need to sleep so much as I don't need to sleep as much. I can still get sleepy, but it usually takes a long while. And even when I do, I don't need to sleep for very long before I'm well rested. It actually kinda sucks. It's usually pretty boring when everyone is asleep and you're wide awake."
"Your power is so weird," Nami deadpanned.
"You're weird." Luffy pouted at her, making her giggle at his childish attitude.
Catching herself, Nami looked at the still pouting pirate and smiled to herself. "Luffy, thank you."
"Hmm? What for?" Luffy popped an eyebrow.
"For believing me. Most pirates would have abandoned me the moment they found out I was a pirate thief, let alone an officer in another pirate crew. They wouldn't have dropped everything to rush off to fight someone else's battle."
"Wrong. It's not someone else's battle; the moment you became my navigator it became my fight as well. So you don't need to thank me." Luffy waved her off, not seeing the need to thank him for something he saw as natural.
"You really aren't like any pirate I've ever met, you know that?" Nami quietly said in awe at just how selfless he was.
"I wouldn't be able to become the Pirate King if I was like other pirates," Luffy pointed out smugly.
"No, you wouldn't," she softly agreed with him.
The two stood in comfortable silence as they stared out into the black abyss surrounding the Going Merry, the only sound the crashing waves against Merry's hull.
"Luffy."
"Mmm?"
"I want to tell you about the first time I met a pirate."
Luffy looked at her and could tell it wasn't something she really wanted to talk about. He ran a hand through his hair as memories he'd rather forget surged forward. "You can tell me as much as you want. I know what it's like to have to serve a pirate against your will."
Nami looked at him with wide eyes, not expecting him to say that. "But I thought Shanks-"
"Shanks wasn't the only pirate I knew as a kid, and I wasn't always a part of Shanks' crew." Luffy sighed as he almost seemed to visibly age in Nami's eyes as he spoke a name he'd just rather forget ever existed. "Bluejam of the Bluejam pirates. He forced Ace and I to work for him for a time." He then scowled. "He's the reason Sabo is dead."
"Luffy, I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"It's fine. Besides, Sabo wouldn't want me to get upset everytime I brought it up. He'd make fun of me and call me a crybaby. So would Ace actually… they were jerks always making fun of me! Well I've become a pirate of renown with a starting bounty bigger than Ace's, so how's that bastards!?" Luffy roared passionately as Nami just stared at him, amazed at how he dealt with his past's traumas.
Nami smiled as she looked at him, recognizing this wasn't something he wanted to share but did anyway to make her feel comfortable in sharing her past with him. And she was going to share her past with him. Back on the Baratie she had only given the rest of the crew the jist of her situation with the Arlong pirates. She wanted him to know everything.
"I was 10, when Arlong came to the Conomi islands. Back then Nojiko and I didn't have a care in the world. We were the adopted daughters of an ex-marine named…"
0o0o0 8 Years Ago - East Blue - Conomi Islands 0o0o0
"Bellemere! Bellemere, your damn cat was at it again!" Genzo pounded on the white door, a young girl with orange hair struggling in his grasp to get away.
The door opened to reveal a young woman in her late 20s with short magenta hair, nearly buzzed all the way save for the faux-hawk that ran into a small pony-tail at the nape of her neck. She wore a light blue button up with the word 'MACE' written across the chest and long blue pants. "What is it? Geez you're annoying- oh! Welcome home, Nami."
"I'm back!" The girl stopped struggling and looked up at her mother with a bright smile as she tightened her hold on the book she held against her chest.
Genzo picked up the small girl, practically shoving her in Bellemere's face as he pointed to the book, "Look! This is the twentieth time I've caught your cat trying to make off with things that don't belong to her! She's become infamous across the island!"
"So?" Bellemere smiled slyly as she sauntered up to the lone sheriff of Cocoyashi village, "Surely even you have shoplifted once or twice before?" She reached up and playfully patted his face twice.
"This is why she acts this way!" Genzo yelled, as a light blush crossed his cheeks.
Bellemere sensually ran her hand down his jawline and up to his chin. "I'm just kidding. That's fine right? Besides, I'm sure you paid for her, didn't you?"
"B-Bellemere…" His blush deepened as the woman brushed up against him.
"Thanks so much. I don't have money right now, but I'm sure I can pay you later… once the children have gone to bed. That way we can play. All. Night. Long." Bellemere sultrily punctuated each word as Genzo's entire face burned red.
Genzo stood ramrod straight for a few moments before he quickly backed away from the seductress a few yards away. "D-don't be s-saying things like that!"
Nami burst into laughter, while Bellemere raised her hand to her face in order to stifle her own laugh. "Look at you blush!" Looking down at her giggling daughter Bellemere bent down so she was face to face with the girl. "Oh? And why are you laughing?"
"Eh… hehe… heh…" Nami's laughter died as she realized her mother wasn't letting her off the hook so easily.
0o0o0o0
"Do it again and you'll get 100 spankings!" Bellemere crossed her arms, a stern look on her face as she sat down at the outside table where the navigation book her daughter had attempted to steal lay. Nami clutched her head in pain from the bonk her mother had given her for shoplifting again.
"I'm sorry!" Small tears formed in Nami's eyes, hating the look Bellemere was giving her. It always made her feel bad. "But I really wanted this book."
"If you wanted it, why didn't you tell me? I would've bought it for you." Bellemere raised an eyebrow, curious as to why her daughter thought she needed to steal everything in sight.
"Because you wouldn't have bought it for me…" The small girl turned away from her mother, finding the ground more interesting to stare at.
"Of course I would have. I do have some cash stored away, you don't need to steal things Nami." Worry fell over the former marine at the revelation that Nami didn't believe she would buy her things.
"But the villagers said the climate's been so good lately that you can get tons of tangerines from any old field, and our tangerines won't sell good 'cause they don't go up in value." The girl revealed the rumor she'd overheard from the last few weeks.
"They can mind their own business!" Bellemere scowled, upset that pointless rumor mongering had led her daughter to a life of crime.
"You're so dumb, Nami!" Nojiko stepped out of the house just in time to overhear her sister's worry about their family's financial problems. "I would've stolen it way better!" The blue-haired girl smugly admitted, unimpressed by her younger sister getting caught stealing again.
Two bonks to each girl's head had both of them clutching their head in agony.
"I said no stealing!" Bellemere couldn't help her brow from twitching.
"I was joking!" Nojiko cried out, not finding it fair that she'd joined her sister in punishment.
"That hurts!" Nami cried, rubbing her sore scalp.
Bellemere stared at them for a moment before laughing as she diverted her gaze to the navigation book. "But you know, there's one thing for sure! The maps Nami draws sure are amazing!" Bellemere pulled out one of the maps Nami had recently drawn from her pocket and opened it up as both girls came up next to her to look at it. "You've really gotten better at this Nami. No one would believe a little kid had drawn such a detailed map of the island!"
"When did you draw a map of the island!? I thought you were still doing sea charts?" Nojiko looked from the map to her sister.
"A day ago. I got bored of sea charts so I went out and uh… borrowed a book on land charting." Nami didn't dare look up at her mother.
Bellemere raised her arm, making both girls flinch before relaxing as their mother patted Nami's head. "Well… whoever let you 'borrow' their book would be surprised at how well you've done. Though I'm sure they would want it back soon, right Nami?"
"Right!" Nami nodded quickly, she then looked at the navigation book that Genzo had kindly gotten for her, after she realized she couldn't afford it at the bookstore, and beamed at her mother and sister. "I'm also starting to study navigation now too! Which is why I sto- er, I mean, Gen bought me that book! So I could study better."
"Well wasn't that nice of him to help your dream come true neh?" Bellemere smirked at Nami's manipulation of the truth, despite the fact Genzo did indeed pay for the young girl after catching her trying to steal it.
"More like Gen just wanted to impress mom by paying for Nami instead of throwing her in jail." Nojiko giggled before clutching her head in agony from the bonk she received from her mother. "Ow! You know I'm not wrong!"
"You're not, but that doesn't mean you have to spell out Gen's feelings for him." Bellemere giggled, knowing quite well the crush the sheriff held for her. "If he wanted to express his undying love for me, he'd do it himself and not through your smart remarks."
"Mom likes Gen too!" Nami remarked, sniggering at Bellemere's reaction.
"And what if I do? I'm nothing more than a poor maiden taking care of her two wayward brats. I don't have time for a man too cowardly to woo me himself." All three burst into laughter at Genzo's expense.
"Hey mom?" Nami suddenly asked, as the three member family calmed down from their laughter.
"Yes, Nami?"
"Has anyone ever drawn a map of the whole world?"
"Not that I'm aware of. The world's a pretty big place and many new islands are discovered in the Grand Line all the time." Bellemere smiled at the girl. "Are you saying you want to be the first to map the world?"
"Yes! I want to be the first one to do it! To map out the entire world!" Nami jumped up and down in excitement.
"Then I'm sure if anyone can, you can."
0o0o0o0
It was a rainy afternoon that found the small family of three eating inside, two full plates of food set before the two girls, whilst Bellemere sewed a dress for Nami, taking a sliced up tangerine as her lunch.
"Hey, mom?" Nami called from across the table as she took a bite out of the fish she and Nojiko had been given to eat for lunch that day.
"Hmm?" Bellemere didn't look up from her task. She was close to finishing the addition she'd added to Nojiko's old dress for Nami.
"I noticed you haven't been eating meals lately…" Nami pointed out, concerned about her mother not getting enough to eat while she and Nojiko had somewhat full meals.
Bellemere spared a glance at her daughter before smiling the concern away. "I'm on a diet at the moment. Tangerines are all I need."
"I don't need to eat either," Nojiko spoke up, also concerned about her mom's health. "I can eat less of my meals so you can have some too."
"And what do you need to go on a diet for? Have you finally taken an interest in a boy?" Bellemere teased. "Kids need to eat a full meal to grow up right. You both make sure to eat everything on your plates."
"Why do you keep lying? You don't have any food because we don't have any money!" Nojiko yelled, frustrated at Bellemere's insistence to dance around the subject.
"Really!?" Nami's concern grew at the revelation, her fears about their mother's finances all but confirmed.
"You're suffering, so that we can-"
"Diet! I'm just on a diet. You shouldn't underestimate the beautifying power of tangerines! Now, stop your worrying and eat young lady." Bellemere once again dodged their concerns as she held up the dress she'd been working on so diligently. "Here you are, Nami! All done!"
The pink dress that was once merely decorated by a sunflower, had now been transformed into a lion and the words 'I AM LION' sewn around it.
"It's a super custom-made Bellemere brand!" Bellemere was quite proud of how far her sewing capabilities had come over the last 9 years since she'd taken in the girls as her own.
Nami frowned at the dress, unhappy about where it came from. "Another hand-me-down from Nojiko?"
Bellemere stood up and walked around the table, ushering Nami to get out of her seat so she could make sure the dress fit nicely on the growing girl.
"Yes, it looks good on you, Nami." Bellemere handed it over to her to try on.
"This lion used to be a sunflower." Nami critically eyed the design as she held the dress up.
"It can't be helped. You're two years younger than me, you know!" Nojiko pointed out, hoping Nami would just accept the stupid dress and be grateful for it.
"Age has nothing to do with it! I want new clothes too!" Nami complained.
"Mine are old too, you know! You get my stuff 'cause you're my baby sister!"
"Grr, I'm not even your real sister! We're not related by blood!"
SMACK!
Nami felt a stinging sensation envelope her face as she tumbled to the floor.
Bellemere ignored the sting in her hand as she stared down at her daughter. "So what if you're not related by blood? Never say anything stupid like that again!"
Nami held her stinging cheek as she meekly stood up. "W-whatever… you're not our real mother, either!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she scowled at both Bellemere and Nojiko. "You'd be better off without us, wouldn't you!? That way you could eat more, buy new dresses, and live however you want! I wish someone richer had adopted me instead!"
Bellemere felt her blood run cold.
"Is… is that so?" Bellemere turned her back on the crying girl. "Fine. Do whatever! If you hate this house that much, then leave."
"Stop it! Don't say that!" Nojiko yelled at her mother, angry that she would even say something like that. "You don't mean it!"
"I will leave!" Nami ran out into the pouring rain, not looking back.
"Nami don't go!" Nojiko cried out as she ran after her, only to stop at the entryway, not seeing her younger sister anywhere. "Nami! Nami!"
0o0o0o0
"So, coming here from the outskirts of the village is 'running away' huh?" Genzo laughed as he towled off the absolutely drenched Nami. Picking up a freshly heated cup of milk he offered it to her. "Here, drink up before it gets cold."
Taking the cup, Nami simply held it as she looked down at the steaming cup. "Bellemere would be happier if we were gone."
"Bellemere huh?" Genzo noted as the young girl usually addressed Bellemere as 'mom.' "And what makes you think that?"
"Raising two kids costs a lot of money. And everyone in the village dislikes her because she lets me get away with stealing things…" Nami looked away, feeling responsible for how the village treated Bellemere.
"So now you consider how others feel? You must be getting older." Genzo chuckled as he smiled warmly at her. "I wouldn't worry about things like that. Bellemere has never been a saint, especially when she was your age."
"Bellemere was?" Nami looked back at the sheriff in surprise.
"She was. Was quite the shock when she took off to join the marines out of the blue one day. Said 'Pirates have to pay for slaughtering innocent people' and just up and left," Genzo informed the young girl.
"Bellemere was a marine?" Nami never knew that. The violence she'd suffered throughout her childhood suddenly made sense.
"That's right. And after one particular battle, where she was gravely wounded, she told me that she felt her time to die had finally come…"
0o0o0o0
Bellemere stared at her hand, a thinly lit cigarette hanging from her mouth, as she and Nojiko sat in silence.
"Mom… we're… the three of us are a family. I know Nami feels the same! She didn't mean what she said, and I know you didn't either!" Nojiko broke the silence, unable to keep her feelings in.
Bellemere closed her eyes for a moment before she smiled to herself. "Nojiko, you're growing up before my eyes. You're right, that was really immature of me." She pulled the bluenette into a hug and gently rubbed her hair. "Could you go bring Nami back for me? I'll have a super delicious supper ready before you get back!"
Nojiko stared at her mother for a moment before nodding her head. "Okay!"
0o0o0o0
"Nami the three of you have a bond that's far deeper than any 'real' family." Nami stared at Genzo as he finished telling her how Bellemere had come to adopt her daughters after finding them in a wartorn port city that had been raided by pirates.
"I… didn't know any of that." Nami whispered quietly, the feeling of shame filling her up. "Mom… mom is living because of me and Nojiko…"
"I figured it was time that you did. You and Nojiko are very precious to her. The three of you shouldn't be fighting like that." Genzo smiled as he leaned against his counter.
"Nami! There you are! I figured you'd come here," Nojiko stepped into the sheriff's office, the rain finally having let up as the sun began to shine down on the island once more.
"Nojiko…" Nami looked at her sister, still feeling bad about the things she'd said.
"Come on! Mom said she was going to make us a really yummy supper!" Nojiko ran up to her sister and grabbed her hand to lead her back home.
"Go on you little cat. And make sure you apologize when you get back! I don't want to hear anymore about fighting between the three of you!" Genzo thumbed at the door and the two girls ran out together.
Nami grinned and nodded her head as she passed him by.
"I think mom is going to make an omelet with tangerines!" Nojiko excitedly exclaimed, in hopes that their mother would.
"Really!?" Nami felt her stomach rumble at the thought. Omelet with tangerines was her favorite.
"Yeah! Now come on, we don't want-"
"Pirates! Pirates are coming!" The cry was heard all around the island as life in the village of Cocoyashi was forever changed.
0o0o0o0
"Delicious! Nothing's quite like my special tangerine sauce!" Bellemere had stars in her eyes as she licked the sauce from her finger. "Ten more minutes for the duck in the oven. Got the side of vegetables… and the stew is boiling. Now just some fried rice omelets and everything's ready! …This'll be a big blow to our family budget."
Knock. Knock.
"Oh, are they back?" Bellemere smirked as she had long since noticed the shadows running back and forth from her windows.
Knock Knock
"It's unlocked, come on in!"
It was silent for a moment before the doors were pushed open.
"Pardon me." A tall figure stepped into the abode. Pale blue skin, a saw-like nose, and a fish fin protruding from the long mane of dark black hair.
Arlong the Saw looked around the small house, noticing the food that was being prepared but not the cook preparing it. "Huh?"
Slam
A foot smashed into his chin as he was knocked back out of the house, Bellemere riding his body, rifle in hand, as he fell to the ground.
Click
Arlong looked up the rifle that was now stuffed in his mouth at the cocksure human that was smoking a thin cigarette.
"What a shame for you. I'm a former marine. What brings Grand Line pirates all the way out to the humble Conomi islands in the East Blue?"
Surrounding her were numerous fishmen. One of them with an elongated mouth started laughing. The rest followed suit.
"I seem to be missing the joke, because I don't see how what I said was funny." Bellemere scowled as she shoved the gun deeper into Arlong's mouth.
"Shahahahaha!" Arlong laughed with his men. "What you said wasn't funny. What they're laughing at is this."
Chomp!
Bellemere's eyes widened as she watched the pirate bite her rifle closed so her rounds couldn't exit the barrel without exploding first. "What the hell!"
"Powerless! Powerless! Powerless! Powerless! Powerless! How powerless your inferior species is!" Arlong just smiled evilly at her as he shoved her off of him and down onto the ground as he stood up. "Well former marine, that was one hell of a kick you greeted me with. How about I greet you in kind?"
Bellemere felt the wind knocked out of her as the pirate kicked her in the gut, her eyes going white as she nearly lost consciousness.
"You know, I really hate marines. Always so annoying, spouting off about justice that and justice this. Well… how about this for justice!?" Arlong slammed his foot down onto her elbow.
"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Bellemere screamed as the bones were crushed beneath his heel.
Arlong lifted his knee to reveal the purple bruising forming along her skin and slammed his foot back down, digging his heel deep into the ground.
Searing white-hot pain shot through body as another scream ripped from her throat. "GAHHHHHH!"
Arlong continued to stomp on the ground, pulverizing the broken arm, his goal to turn bone to dust.
"It's no good. These guys are real monsters. I'm going to be killed. Nojiko! Nami! I'm sorry I couldn't be a better mother to you." Bellemere's vision was blurring and she could no longer feel anything below the elbow in her left arm.
"Bellemere! This is no time to die due to some misplaced sense of justice!" The group of fishmen turned toward the voice of Genzo marching up to them from down the road. Bellemere turned her head but couldn't see him due to the blood running into her right eye from a wound on her forehead.
"Some issues can be solved with money! Isn't that right? 100,000 berries per adult is what you demanded?" Genzo asked as he stopped just short of Bellemere.
"That's right, marine girl. 100,000 per adult. 50,000 per kid. If you can pay for your whole family, I'll let you live. You should be thanking me for even telling you." Arlong sneered at her.
"My whole family?" Bellemere tried to lift herself off her stomach, but was unable to of her own volition.
Genzo bent down and helped her turn over and pulled her into his lap. Quietly he whispered. "That's 200,000 total. How much do you own, all together?"
"... a little over 100,000…" Bellemere didn't have enough for all three members of her family. It was her or the girls.
"Hey, there's a meal for three people in here!" An octopus fishman had stuck his head out from Bellemere's home, walking in after smelling something burning, and held three fingers up on one of his six arms.
Arlong couldn't have been more delighted at the news. "Oh!? A family of three huh?"
"Dammit!" Genzo's eyes widened but was quick to respond. "Oh! I almost forgot that a friend and I were invited over for dinner tonight. Come, Bellemere. Hurry and pay your amount. Luckily you have exactly 100,000. Our delicious food's going to get cold otherwise!"
Bellemere looked up at him in appreciation. "Gen…"
"With that everyone in the village is spared, thank goodness. And all of you made quite the haul. You must have good fortune." Genzo needed the fishmen to believe his lie. He needed them to leave so they could figure out what to do about the girls before they were discovered.
"It's true. This woman isn't married nor has she birthed any children. She's single and without family according to the village register." Kuroobi had pulled out the register they'd taken from when they arrived at the village in order to ensure no one tried cheating them out of their dues.
"I see. Fine, go get your payment marine girl and we'll let you live." Arlong felt disappointment at the loss of revenue, but at least they had rung every last berry out of the human infested village.
Helping Bellemere to her feet, Genzo nodded at the fishman. "Give us just a moment to get it." He slung Bellemere's bad arm over his shoulders and helped her back into the small house.
Arlong followed them to the doorway and leaned against it as he watched them shuffle around to the various places Bellemere hid her money. It wasn't long until they stood before him, watching him count the amount they'd presented out.
"... and 100,000. Thank you for your business! Shahahaha!" The fishman turned began to walk away, motioning for his men to follow him.
"Thank goodness. Now they won't kill." Bellemere clutched her destroyed arm with her good one, and couldn't help but feel wrong about it all. The further the pirates walked away, the worse her feeling got.
"Wait!" Bellemere called out to the pirates, who all stopped and looked back at her. "Who said I was paying for myself!"
Genzo's eyes widened as he gasped out at the foolish act happening before him. "What are you doing? Don't tell them!" He hissed quietly at her, not believing his ears.
"That 100,000's for my two daughters. I don't have enough for me!" Bellemere just didn't feel right, denying her family's existence. "I'm sorry Gen… I just can't say that I don't have a family. Even if it costs me my life. Sure, we're not related by blood but we're a family. They're… my kids."
"Mom!" Bursting from the brush, both Nami and Nojiko ran up to Bellemere and crashed into her, holding her tight as she bent down to pull both girls into her embrace as best she could.
Agonizingly she moved her left arm to wrap around Nami's shaking form as tears welled up in her eyes. "I wanted to buy you both… much more books and clothes… I'm sorry! I was never able to do anything mother-like for either of you!"
"That's not true!" Nojiko yelled as she buried her head into Bellemere's shoulder, drenching Bellemere's shirt with her tears.
"We don't need anything! Just don't die!" Nami cried as she tightened her embrace around her mother's waste.
"Stay with us forever!" Nojiko tightened her own embrace, afraid to let go of her mother.
"I want you to see the map I draw of the world!" Nami's muffled voice was only clear to Bellemere who more felt the demand then heard it.
"Yes… your map. Nami… definitely make your dream… come true." Bellemere bit her lip to keep from crying out in agony as she pet her daughter's hair.
"So these're your daughters, I take it?" Arlong stood tall above the family of three, several of his men at his back.
Both girls turned to look up at the various fishmen, fear in their eyes. "That's right! Promise me you won't lay a hand on them!"
"Of course! I always abide by my deals with money! Since you failed to procure 200,000 berries for your little family here, I'm going to have to kill all three of you! Shahahahaha!" Arlong laughed as Bellemere stared up at him in shock.
"But that's not-"
"THAT'S EXACTLY OUR DEAL! I told you if you paid for your whole family I'd let you live. You failed to do that! So unless those brats of yours got 50,000 each, all three of you will have to die! Otherwise, you detestable humans will think that you can sacrifice yourselves when times get tough. And that just won't do. It's all or none!"
"You damn pirate!" Genzo pulled out two pistols he'd been hiding and fired at Arlong, only for his shots to be blocked by Kuroobi's thick-skinned arm fins.
Before Genzo could react, the fishman had drawn his sword and slashed open Genzo's chest.
"Gen!" The two girls cried out as they watched their father figure fall to the ground.
"Tch, dammit." Bellemere shoved her daughters into the open doorway of her house, not noticing the piece of paper that fell from her pocket. "Please I'm begging you, spare them. They paid you their 50,000 berries. I'm the only one that hasn't paid up. I'm the only one that needs to die today!"
"Sorry, I can't do that. You humans like to get nasty ideas in your heads, and I need to show you all that I'm not to be lied to. Ever. All three of you die- huh?" Lying open faced at Bellemere's heel was a hand drawn map. "What's this?" Arlong reached down and picked it up and inspected it. It was perfect. A perfectly hand drawn map unlike anything he'd seen before save in the extremely expensive navigational charts the Navy had on ships he'd raided in the past. "Who drew this?"
Bellemere's eyes widened at his interest in her daughter's map. "No… he can't be… he can't know!"
"I did!" two voices spoke up.
"Huh?" Arlong looked between the marine woman and the small orange-haired girl, both having claimed ownership of the map. "Well which one of you is it? And remember, I don't like being lied to." He drew his pistol from his waistband, cocking it as he pointed it at Bellemere.
"The map is mine! I was a navigator in the marines! I've been teaching my daughter here and there, but that map is one I drew of this island. She must think it's one of hers, I usually go around showing off her work to the villagers! But she still has a long way to go before she reaches that level." Bellemere didn't care that she was lying. "He must not know her skill. Any pirate alive would kill to have a cartographer of her capability."
"It's mine! I drew that! Please, I'll draw you more! Just promise not to hurt my mom!" Nami pleaded, not understanding that it was best to remain quiet.
"Nami be quiet!" Bellemere hissed at the girl, before looking back at the pirate. "Please, she's just scared and doesn't know what she's saying. I drew that map, so leave her alone. The Navy trained me to be a world class navigator and cartographer! I'm the one you want!"
"No, I did! I worked really hard on it! I promise to make more! Just please leave my mom alone!" Nami cried, tears falling at her feet as she begged for her mother's life.
"Enough!" Arlong's eye twitched as he grew fed up with the two. "One of you drew this map and one of you is lying. I told you that I hate liars! And it's clear to me that your story holds more weight… marine girl!" The pirate moved his arm as he took aim at the crying little orange-haired girl, rage filling him as he saw a brown-haired girl instead. "Detestable little bitch!"
He pulled the trigger.
"No!"
Pain filled Bellemere's body as the bullet penetrated the lower center of her back, and suddenly felt nothing as she fell to the ground, blood flowed from the wound.
"Mom!"
"Mommy!"
Nojiko and Nami rushed to their mother's side, shaking her prone body to get any kind of response from her.
"Nojiko… Nami…" Bellemere's vision faded to black, the silent cries of her daughter's burned into her retinas.
"Tch… I guess we'll have to see if you were telling the truth after all, huh, girlie?" Arlong's massive webbed hand wrapped around Nami's body as he ripped her away from her family.
"Nami!" Nojiko reached out for her sister, terror in her eyes as she watched her sister be taken from her as well.
"I promise! I promise to draw as many maps as you want if you save my mom! They'll be the best in the world because I'm going to draw the first map of the world ever! So please, save my mom and they're all yours!" Nami looked the fishman dead in the eye, shoving down her fear in order to make a deal with the pirate.
Arlong stared at the little girl. More accurately he stared just beyond her where he saw the ghostly apparition of his dead brother throwing that fated pistol overboard, vowing to help the little human in their charge.
The unending hate in his black heart ebbed for the briefest of moments.
"If you make even one mistake, I'll eat her in front of you. Hachi! Grab the marine girl and take her back to the ship and see what can be done about that wound. I won't have my deals broken by a pathetic human that wasn't strong enough to survive being shot!" Arlong snarled as he turned and stomped away, Nami firmly in his grasp. "As for you, you better be able to keep your end of the deal girl."
"Nami!" Nojiko cried out, staring between the octopus man picking up her mother and the shark man walking away with her sister, unsure which one to go after.
"Stay here Nojiko! I'll be back soon, I promise!" Nami reassured, as she watched her mother be taken elsewhere.
Neither sister would see each other for over a year.
0o0o0 Going Merry - Present 0o0o0
Luffy stared up at the night sky, his hair in his eyes blacking them out as Nami continued on with her harrowing past.
"To his credit, he did manage to save mom but… there were complications. His ship's doctor was only able to stop the bleeding, he couldn't pull out the bullet. It had become lodged in her lower spine and removing it would be worse than leaving it. She can't walk anymore. And he took advantage of that." Nami looked down as tears stained her cheeks.
"When he took me, he made me draw a few maps to see if I really was the one that had drawn the map that had fallen out of mom's pocket. I don't think he'd been happier in his life when he looked over the first maps I drew for him. I'll never forget that shark-toothed smile he gave me. It had been a few days since he'd taken us and had refused to tell me anything about mom or when I would get to go home. He just told me to keep drawing, keep drawing or mom would die. That went on for a year, that was when he made me an official member of his crew… and branded me with this." Nami seethed as she looked at the Jolly Roger that was staining her skin.
Luffy side glanced at the brand on his navigator's arm. A scowl crawled across his face as he looked at it. A bolt of electricity ran across his body.
"I didn't get to see mom until a little while after that. I didn't get to see her for an entire year. He just kept me locked in that fucking room drawing maps over and over again. I did try to sabotage the maps where I could, but he caught on quickly enough. To get me to stop he offered me a deal. If I managed to amass 200,000,000 berries he'd sell the village and mom to me. I could buy them separately or in one lump sum, it didn't matter to him. I've spent the last 7 years robbing every pirate in the East Blue to just barely came up short of 100,000,000. That's why I wanted the map of the Grand Line that Buggy stole. The pirates in the Grand Line are said to have vast fortunes that make 200,000,000 berries look like pocket change. Chances are I'd only have to rob one or two of them to reach my goal. I-" Nami was cut off as she suddenly found herself wrapped in Luffy's arms.
"Nami, if you tell me anymore, I don't know what I'll do, but I won't be able to go along with your plan." Luffy's embrace tightened around her as he ground his teeth, doing everything in his power to prevent the veritable explosion of millions of volts from bursting out in his rage. "If you tell me anymore, I'll end up destroying your entire home island."
Nami's eyes widened at that. No one in her entire life had ever been angry on her behalf before. Not like this. She could feel him trembling with rage. He was legitimately upset over her past. She couldn't help the small smile as she embraced him back. "Luffy… it's ok. We can't change it, you can't change it. I… I've come to terms with it."
"It doesn't matter. Anyone that hurts my friends has to pay, no matter the reason," Luffy ground out, parotting the philosophy the Red Hair Pirates had ingrained in him.
Tears began to soak his shirt as his navigator silently cried in his arms. But she didn't remain silent for long. "We're going to make him pay for everything he's ever done."
0o0o0 East Blue - Conomi Islands - Arlong Park 0o0o0
Bellemere continued to look out at the night sky from the lavish room in Arlong Park that constituted her cell of 7 years. Nami had negotiated for her to be given better treatment since she was the mother of Arlong's navigator as part of her daughter's deal to join up with the pirate's crew. Though the true prison was the wheelchair she was now bound to for the rest of her life.
In her lap lay a picture of herself and two girls, one with blue hair and the other with orange, all of them smiling. The only picture of her small family all together at once.
"Nojiko… Nami… wherever you are right now… I hope you're both happy."
It had been two weeks now since Arlong barged into her cell to let her know that the villagers of Cocoyashi had been thwarted in an attempt to rebel against his rule. Most of the villagers had been killed while a few had been taken prisoner and were now waiting for execution in Arlong's prison beneath Arlong Park.
Arlong decided that he'd had enough of rebellion and the silly notion that humans could fight against the superiority of fishmen, and was making the executions public, with the entirety of the Conomi islands forced to attend. Everyone was to see the fate that awaited them should they try to fight against Arlong.
Sighing to herself, Bellemere turned away from the window as she rolled herself to bed. She would need her sleep for tomorrow.
It would be a long day of being forced to watch the people she grew up with be executed at the whims of her demented captor.
0o0o0 16th Branch Marine Base, Garp's Ship, East Blue 0o0o0
0o0 The Next Morning 0o0
"Vice Admiral, we've arrived at the 16th Branch base," Bogard reported to the sleeping Garp. The giant of a man just kept snoring, causing his assistant to sigh. "...Luffy's here."
"Bwa- huh, where is he, that disrespectful-" The snoring Garp shot to his feet, the chair crashing to the floor as he spun around, ignoring the drool on his face.
The slender marine coughed to get his superior's attention. "As I was saying, we've arrived at the base, sir. We can offload the prisoners at any time."
"What, can't you men take care of such trivial things," Garp scoffed, finally wiping the drool from his mouth.
"Of course we can," came the crisp reply. "...But something's off. This is, for all intents and purposes, a relatively out of the way place in a quiet part of the East Blue."
"And?" the older man picked at his ear, seemingly disinterested.
"...It's too nice."
"Bwahahaha! Are you jealous of these base bound recruits?" Garp doubled over, tears in his eyes as he pointed mockingly at the other marine.
"Hmph." Bogard tilted his hat forward, irritated.
"Ah fine, fine." Garp let the disapproval roll off him easily. "Go ahead and take a look around. Let the men have a breather while you're at it. Just remember, we're not here to waste time. We need to go after that no good grandson of mine, the sooner the better." The older man turned his head, gazing out into the distance, sighing lightly.
0o0o0 Captain Nezumi's office, 16th Branch Marine Base 0o0o0
"Another marine ship? Bah, I don't have time to deal with these trivialities. It's almost time to make another visit to my… business partner, chichichi." The captain of the 16th Branch base, Captain Nezumi, was reclining in a plush chair, a bottle of fine wine opened on the desk before him.
"Ah, I thought being assigned out here in the boonies would be the worst, but who would've guessed how lucky I'd be." He slowly swirled the wine in his glass as he gazed at the disembarking marines disdainfully. "It's too bad I have to deal with this rabble." He quickly drained his glass, before moving to pour another. "Still, there should be a big payday coming up soon. Maybe I can finally get out of here with that little nest egg."
The doors to his office slamming open shocked him out of his musings. "What is the meaning of this?!" the captain's voice squeaked in irritation.
"C-Captain Nezumi! That ship that just docked-"
"Yes, yes," he cut the man off. "Another marine ship, nothing to worry about-"
"It's Vice Admiral Garp's ship!" the nervous marine shouted out, leaving the office in deathly silence.
"..W-w-w-what? Why is he here?!" Nezumi began panicking. "The Hero of the marines, the one who constantly fought against and cornered the Pirate King, Monkey D. Garp is here?!"
"I'm sorry," a third voice cut in, drawing Nezumi's eyes to the open doorway behind his subordinate. There stood a tall, thin marine, dressed in a tan suit and fedora underneath his marine cloak. "Is there a problem with the Vice Admiral making a stop here?"
"P-p-problem? No no no, no problem," the rat-like captain spluttered as he shot up out of his chair. "I was merely surprised, that's all," Nezumi explained as he approached the other marine, wringing his hands incessantly. "What can we do for the illustrious Hero of the Marines?"
Tilting his hat down to shade his eyes, Bogard properly entered the office. "We're here to offload several captured pirates. They can be passed along to the main base when you have the time."
"Of course, of course, right away." Nezumi sent a glare over at his subordinate who was still standing by the door, who threw him a salute before hightailing it out of there.
"We also need to replenish some of our supplies. We've got a decent trip ahead of us, after all, and don't have a lot of time to stop. I hope it won't be too much trouble."
"Not at all, sir! We'll have everything you need brought aboard ASAP," Nezumi promised with a smile. "Thankfully they won't be staying. I need to get them out of here as fast as I can."
"Very good." Bogard smiled, hand reaching into his coat and pulling out a list of needed supplies. "I've taken the liberty of making a list myself. Let me know if there are any issues," he said, passing the papers over to the captain.
Quickly scanning through the sheafs of paper, Nezumi inwardly sneered. "I suppose even a vice admiral's rank doesn't guarantee a luxurious life. I can easily get a hold of everything here." Turning to the taller man, the captain handed back the list. "The list looks fine. We should be able to get everything ready in no time so you and the Vice Admiral can get back to your business."
"That's a relief to hear," Bogard exclaimed, letting out a breath. "Considering how far off the main trade routes we are, there's no way a small branch base like this would normally be able to get even half of these items."
Nezumi froze as a chill shot up his spine. "...W-what?"
"I wonder…" Bogard leaned forward, towering over the smaller marine. "How's business?"
0o0o0 Garp's Ship, 16th Branch Marine Base 0o0o0
"...And the most troubling thing is this business partner of his," Bogard reported to the bored looking Garp.
"Haaa, where do they find these wishy-washy recruits without a moral bone in their body? Sengoku is really falling down on the job if fools like this are being promoted," the vice admiral grumbled. "That old codger is going to get a good earful from me."
"Sir, I know we're chasing after your grandson, but I think we may need to make a quick detour," the thin man continued.
"Not happening," Garp immediately shot back.
"...He's one of the former Sun Pirates, Arlong."
"...Fine. But this is the only one, got it?" Garp cracked his neck as he glared out across the sea. "Just you wait, Luffy. Gramps'll catch you soon enough and beat the pirate right out of you."
0o0o0 To Be Continued 0o0o0
Want to support us? Head on over to my profile page where you can find the link to my pa-tre-on and get access to chapter 12 right now! Completely optional as always.
Hi guys. Just wanted to say hi is all. Oh and arc 1 was officially completed. Arc 2 is now in production! WE'RE GOING TO ALABASTA BABY! Well not quite yet, I suppose there's some pit stops we have to make along the way that include a whale, a blue-haired princess, and a talking reindeer. Maybe a giant or two if you behave.
For all those who have read up to here and have supported both myself and Lord of the Morning with this very crazy idea of rewriting a story over 1000 chapters long and still going strong, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really do value all of your reviews, good or bad, as they help me keep going and doing my best to give you not just quality content but the best content we can provide.
Also holy shit the Egghead island arc is bannanas! I won't talk about it here, cuz spoilers for you non-manga readers, but each chapter has turned everything on its head weekly. It's also been a godsend for this story as well.
And Since it's been a minute, review responses:
Offhandscribe: I'm pleased that we were able to meet your standards. There's a little clean-up that needs to happen with some consistency issues in the early chapters but we've taken great care to make sure that the changes we've made carry world heavy weight. Wings of a butterfly and all that. Each chapter always starts by asking and how does this change everything that happened? And yes Bellemere is alive. More just for the sake of being a little different than most others that rewrite One Piece. Also Lord of the Morning is happy you enjoy his Sanji as he's written most of the Sanji scenes.
HisSecretLover18: Happy to see you back, and I hope Genzo makes it as well! Who doesn't love pinwheel pops?
Tryndamer95: Glad you're enjoying the story! There's more to come, much more. This ride has only begun.
Nami4Life: I fought for Gin to join the crew. Lord of the Morning just wasn't having it. And while he may not have joined, he may come back one day, who knows? And yes, Arlong did something a little more dastardly. Cuz he's a prick. Unfortunately the villagers of Cocoyashi had no way of knowing that rescue is on the way.
Dexraa: Johnny and Yosaku? Sad to hear they're your hang up but to each their own. We do have plans for them and we do like a good character growth. Hopefully you'll stop in again and see where we go with them.
Syluk: No.
Noxim: Glad you enjoyed the story! Luffy will always be his stupid goofball self. It's who he is and it's why we love him. No need to change that. But this Luffy has seen some shit. And he plans on getting into a ton of messes.
Starlit Blaze: MOAAARRR HAS ARRIVED!