Silmeria - Thanks for being patient everyone. Enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer - I claim no rights to One Piece or Sentinel.
Chapter Fourteen - The Guide of the Eternal Pose - Part Three
The last thing Luffy expected was the force of a tangerine knocking his head back and the blinding, white pain that came with it. A yelp escaped his lips and his hand flew to his forehead, wincing at the bruise that was quickly forming. He looked up to find Nami standing at the edge of the grounds with another tangerine in her hand, ready to throw.
"What was that for?!" Luffy snarled, rubbing his forehead, giving leeway when Zoro pushed himself in front of him in case Nami got the urge to throw another fruit. "Do you always attack people that come into your home?"
"No." Nami responded tightly, her brown eyes narrowing at the sight of them. "I just find uninvited guests irritating. Especially guests that find it in themselves to come onto private property."
"We just want to talk." Zoro held up his hands, his eyes warily following the tangerine that Nami was tossing casually. "Besides, it's the least you can do after trying to steal from us earlier."
"It's not stealing if you return the property. I didn't earn anything from it so what's the problem?" Nami tossed the tangerine one last time before catching it and holding it in her palm and even then Luffy didn't trust her not to throw at his head. He didn't trust her as far as he could throw her.
"The problem is the fact that you think you can steal from people and expect them to be okay with it." Luffy lowered his hand, staring at Nami with a dispassionate frown. "Don't you think that people need that money? To feed their families and to support themselves?"
"If people are gullable enough to fall for a simple scheme or get pick pocketed, then don't you think that they deserve it?" Nami tilted her head to the side, her gaze playful. "Like you, for instance, you got pick-pocketed didn't you? And what did you do?"
"We retrieved what was stolen from us, but others are unable to do the same, Nami." Luffy's face shifted into a scowl when Nami shrugged, the words sliding off her like water. "You appear as if you don't care, but you can't say the same about Bellemere can you?"
Nami stilled, her eyes narrowed at the barb, the tangerine in her hand losing shape underneath the strength of her grip. "Where did you hear that name?" Nami stepped closer, stopping when Zoro placed a hand against one of his blades. "I asked you a question."
"People like to talk." Luffy responded vaguely, not giving away the name of the barkeep. He wasn't in the mood to have blood on his hands. "Bellemere's passing was quite the incident. You can't expect people to keep quiet about it, do you?"
"If they know what's good for them." Nami snapped back, letting the ruined tangerine fall from her hands and Luffy's nose twitched at the smell of citrus that lingered in the air-bitter and sweet. "What happened with her is no concern of yours and what's happening on this island is no concern of yours."
"You're right." Luffy agreed quietly, feeling a rush of pity for Nami and the village. No one deserve to be under the thumb of a fishman like Arlong. Bellemere didn't deserve her fate and Nami didn't have to steal to survive. Arlong was nothing but a simple catalyst-a butterfly effect-that led to the path that Nami was on now and as much as Luffy despised using people she was his ticket to Arlong and that ridiculous padoga.
"A woman raised by a marine would know better than to steal from those less fortunate." Luffy continued, watching with mild regret when Nami flinched at the reminder of her foster mother. "However, a woman raised by a marine wouldn't be stealing if it wasn't for a reason." Luffy folded his arms and regarded his fellow Guide with a tight smile. "What are you planning to do with all the money you stole? Surely, you have more than 100,000 in your stores by now. Isn't that enough for the tax that Arlong put out?"
"You know for someone who just arrived on our island, you sure are nosy about the daily happenings of it." Nami folded her own arms, regarding Luffy and Zoro with a more curious stare than was strictly appropriate. "Are you bounty hunters? Pirates?"
"Neither." Luffy responded, not exactly appalled at the thought. Neither occupation was a respectable one, but it paid the bills and the occasional hunt kept the ship stocked and repaired. "We're just travelers enjoying the bachelor life before settling down."
"Bullshit." Nami snorted, the unladylike sound escaping her throat. "You want to kill Arlong don't you? Or, you want information on him, right? Did he take something that belonged to you?" Nami looked almost eager, as if she was excited that they found a common ground.
"No." Luffy responded, almost wishing he could take it back once he saw the emotions fade from her eyes and the impassive stare return. Shame, he liked it when she spoke of passion.
"Besides the death of your foster mother, what's your story with Arlong?" Zoro questioned this time. "Why are you involved with that crowd?"
"What makes you think that I'm involved?" Nami snapped. "I don't have anything to do with that fish-face."
"No?" Luffy murmured, tilted his own head at the thought and allowing his eyes to scan the area. It wasn't run down by any means and the Tangerine Grove was in full bloom, ripe fruit for the picking. "If that's the case, then why are you stealing? You seem to have a decent lifestyle." his eyes drifted down to her arm where another tangerine was held. "You have no need for food or money."
"You don't have a clue as to what I'm in need of." Nami countered, narrowing her eyes in Luffy's direction. "If you're not searching for information or willing to kill Arlong then I have no use for you-"
"What would you do if we killed Arlong?" Luffy interrupted. "Then, you wouldn't need to steal? Or do you find some inane pleasure in it? Robbing others of their worldly possessions?"
"I'm doing it for their own good." Nami snarled, startling Luffy into silence. "You don't know what it's like living here under his thumb." Nami lowered her gaze to the ground and folded her arms, allowing the tangerine to drop to the ground. "You don't know what it's like to have someone important to you stripped away as if their lives meant nothing at all."
"No." Luffy admitted softly, taking a step in Nami's direction, and stopping when she gave him a warning glance ."I suppose I don't know what it means to lose someone, but I am searching someone who loves me just as much as Bellemere loved you and your sister." Luffy lowered his own head. "Even now, I wonder if he loves me as he did that day when he left."
"A Sentinel will always love their Guide." Nami murmured, her face still impassive. "No matter how long they've been apart. I'm sure he'll come back and I sympathize with your situation, Luffy, but it's not the same nor will it ever be."
Luffy's lips tightened, refusing to show Nami how much the comment stung. If he was being realistic then he would admit that she was right. It wasn't the same, but he wanted to at least acknowledge her endeavors. Her battle.
"I'll ask again: What would you do if we killed Arlong?" Luffy decided that it was time for another subject to dwell besides comparing losses. It wouldn't do any good. "Well?"
"I don't know." Nami murmured. "I must be obvious if even you figured out that I wanted revenge against Arlong." Nami looked away, her cheeks flushed. "I...almost have enough money to buy back the village and it'll get them to leave, but-"
"You don't think they will." Luffy finished, finally looking to Nami and wondering why Arlong had kept her around. She was a Guide, of course, but what would a fishman Pirate keep a human around for?
"Nami?" Luffy began, his expression shifting from serious to concerned. "What exactly do you do for Arlong?"
"What? I'm not-"
"Your tattoo." Zoro interrupted. "It's the same as Arlong's Jolly Roger. You're a part of that man's crew. There's a reason why he's keeping your around. Fishman aren't known to be fond of humans thus the reason why he's probably taxing and killing this village."
"My maps." Nami stated, turning and pulling out a satchel from behind a tangerine tree. "I've drawn maps of the islands." she held them up. "If you wanted to take over this place then all you would need are these."
"You're a navigator?"
Nami flushed, and with a jaw clenched. "It's just a hobby." she rushed to reassure. "I don't have a Log Pose. I just figured that learning something like this would be useful if I ever left the islands."
Luffy's lips pulled into a smile as his heart sunk at Nami's situation. The girl was horrid liar. This Arlong stripped her mother away, took her village and put them under a horrendous tax law and all the while she was trying to learn navigation-which he was sure was her dream-and buy the village back by stealing and being a part of the Arlong Pirates in an effort to protect the village folk. What an admirable Guide and woman Nami was and Luffy felt a rush of respect for her.
"We'll help you." Luffy stated firmly, drawing a sharp breath from Zoro and Nami's direction. "For the sake of yourself and this village, we'll help you get rid of Arlong, but first you have to help us find Usopp."
"Usopp?" Nami repeated, heart racing against her chest at the time. She had heard of a Usopp. He was the skinny Sentinel that she had ran into a few hours prior. She figured that Arlong would spare the little boy who was attempting to kill him and give them this Usopp character.
"Yes." Luffy murmured, oblivious to her inner turmoil. "He's our friend. We don't know the village well and we need to find him as soon as possible. Another Sentinel would be beneficial."
"Yes," Nami murmured, her heart sinking at the eventual look of betrayal that would cross Luffy and Zoro's faces when they discovered that she was the cause of Usopp's pain or death.
It was strange that she had a sinking feeling that she wouldn't survive seeing such a look on Luffy's lovely face.
It was cold, but Usopp had long grown used to it. He didn't know how long he had been stuck in this room, but he had a sinking feeling that it was mere hours instead of what felt like days.
He remembered being separated from Luffy and Zoro before exploring the small village, a touch of nostalgia hitting him in the chest as he remembered his own island and the Alpha Guide he left behind.
The people were friendly despite the dark and solemn atmosphere.
"If they were friendly." Usopp thought, with a hard swallow. "Then why am I here? In the dungeons of some fish-faced pirate? Or, rather, why did that girl trade me over like I was a piece of meat?"
He remembered her. The one with red hair and brown eyes that were dull compared to Luffy's determined and bright black. He remembered those dull eyes as he was handed over to the Arlong Pirates and brought to the deepest levels of the park to be tortured.
Or worse
Usopp swallowed again, wincing at his dry throat, but he didn't dare ask for water, not after the last incident when the drink was drugged and he slept for hours and had horrid nightmares that he knew would stick him for years after he left his place. I
If he left this place.
Usopp was tossed out of his thoughts when the door creaked open and booted feet clicked against the wet stone. Through swollen eyes, Usopp looked up to find another fishman staring down at him with a sharp teeth and leering eyes.
"Awake, Sentinel?" the Fishman purred, leaning down and pressing a clawed hand against Usopp's sweaty forehead. "Ready for some more fun? Nami did pretty good giving us to you instead of that stupid kid."
"I-"
"Quiet." the Fishman ordered harshly. "What did I tell you about speaking? Where would speaking lead? Ah." he held up a hand before Usopp could protest. "Back to the Watering Board, huh? Arlong gets a kick out of it." the Fishman chuckled, ignoring Usopp's struggles as he was dragged from the room and down the hall where the "Watering Board" waited.
"You know it's too bad that your friends can't help you? They'll be fun too, but you remember the deal, right? If Nami manages to bring your friends, then we can let you go. That is, if they get in here in time. Do you think they'll get here in time, Usopp?"
"..."
"Eh? What was that?"
"...they'll come." Usopp grinned, even if his skin burned as he was dragged against the harsh stone. "and you and Arlong will fall."
"We'll see about that." the Fishman growled. "Get in!"
Even as Usopp was thrown into the torture room and slammed against the wall. He still smiled. For he knew that Luffy and Zoro would come. No matter what.
However, despite his confidence, he would make sure that he would be the one who take part in Arlong's demise, even if it broke his bones, tore his skin, he would make sure the Arlong Pirates would pay for everything they did.
Everything.