I thought I'd never finish this chapter. So much editing and there's still parts that annoy me, but hopefully nothing too terrible to get past. I can't look at it anymore so I'm just going to post it :)

Thank you for those who reviewed. BlueOrange8: Absolutely. Arlong's mood can switch in an instant; I think it's because his anger is always very close to the surface.

And to the other guest who reviewed - I'm glad you found this story also! I feel like I'm writing this for people just like you who want to see more of Nami's background explored. There's just so much potential there!

With one final stroke of her quill, Nami gratefully concluded the single longest week of her life. She'd successfully completed every last map demanded by Arlong. Her wrist and hand still throbbed through the bandages she'd wrapped protectively around them, and wooziness swept over her as soon as she climbed out of her chair and unsteadily onto her feet. Regardless, it was finished.

She opened the door. A bloated puffer fish of a guard sat in the hallway, asleep in a chair facing her room. Nami walked past him without a glance, and he did not stir. She made her way down to the bottom floor and out onto the porch. Dusk was already beginning to paint the sky in shades of pink beyond the gates.

Arlong, engrossed with tallying numbers in a ledger, did not look up as she approached his chair. She watched him reach distractedly into the bowl of fruit in the middle of the table, pick up a large honeydew, and bite casually into it. After several moments observing him chomp and slurp his way blithely through the think rind of the fruit, she finally gave a small cough.

The captain's head swiveled ever so slightly in her direction.

"Finished," he asked around a mouthful of melon.

"Finished," she responded blandly.

He plopped the remainder of the melon on the table and wiped the juice from his chin as he shut his ledger with a snap. "Am I going to find any surprises in these," he leaned toward her wearing a stern expression.

"I stand by them," she crossed her arms adamantly, "Grade me right now. Pick any one you like and plot a course on it!"

He smirked as he leaned back with a sigh. "Maybe not tonight - but me 'n the boys'll still audit your work from time to time for anything that ain't on the level." His glance then landed on the half-eaten honeydew, and he sat momentarily back up, reaching into the bowl and tossing an apple to Nami. "Alright, you're free. Go do wherever you want."

The girl caught the fruit and casually strolled away. She waited until she'd rounded the corner of the building before tearing ravenously into it, devouring core and all.

More than anything, she longed to visit Nojiko, but several days after Arlong's pointed threat against her sister, Nami still wasn't in the right headspace to speak to the older girl. Nojiko's uncanny intuition would immediately pick up on her mounting desperation and, at the moment, she simply wasn't sturdy enough to withstand Nojiko's concern. There was nothing her sister or anyone else could do to fix the situation, therefore she would not burden her.

She exited through the side gate into the rice paddies and trudged toward the dock where her boat had been tied all week. She dreaded the thought of finding it sunk halfway into the inlet with no one to bail the excess water out of the hull. With no certainty that a trip would even be possible for her at this point or even indefinitely, her alternative plan was looking increasingly attractive.

During her week of constant mapping and near starvation, she'd thought out a multitude of plans for Arlong's demise. Most of them were only wishful thinking, but a few seemed plausible. She'd finally settled on what she thought was the best option, eager to take the preliminary steps just as soon as she checked up on her boat.

The fishing vessel was gone. Nami jerked her head around in shock, wondering if she'd somehow forgotten where she'd moored it. There was no other possible place. Had it sunk after all? Had it been stolen? Getting down on hands and knees at the edge of the pier, she gazed into the dark blue abyss, but found nothing there.

"Well, I doubt anyone sailed off with 'er," she reasoned aloud to herself. "And if they did, they couldn't have gone very far. So, what the hell happened?"

Nami picked up a rock from the shore and hurled it into the water with all of her might. She reached for another and another, flinging rocks at the indifferent ocean. She pulled her arm back to send a particularly heavy one flying when a head suddenly popped up beside the dock.

"Hey, you wanna watch where you're pelting those things?"

She dropped the stone in surprise at the sight of Aka-Mushi once again.

"You? What are you doing always hanging around here," she demanded.

"What are you always doing around here," he returned.

"My boat used to be docked here in case you don't remember," she shot back, "you wouldn't happen to know where it is by any chance?"

"I know exactly where it is," the young pirate nodded.

Nami balked at the unexpected reply. "You do? Where? Is it down there?"

"Ha," he gave a short laugh, revealing a row of small, rather sharp teeth. "Not hardly! It's not even deep enough here that you wouldn't see the top of the mast sticking up out of the water."

"I already know how deep it is here," grumbled the surveyor sheepishly, "but it is starting to get dark... anyway, tell me where it is!"

Aka-Mushi hoisted himself onto the dock and tromped soggily past her. "C'mon, I'll show you," he waved a dripping hand over his shoulder at her without looking back.

They walked into the trees along a narrow footpath before coming back out again at a nearby beach. Nami looked around uncertainly until she noticed a large shape in her periphery further up the shore. She gasped.

Her boat sat on raised props in the sand. A smattering of discolored smudges decorated the hull.

"Yeah, I know it's not pretty, but she'll float a lot better now," he explained as Nami ran over to inspect the incredible sight before her eyes.

She ran her hand along the marks, which were completely smooth.

"I reefed out all the old junk and refilled the holes," Aka-Mushi continued behind her, "like I said, it may not be pretty but at least she's seaworthy. I could see if there's some paint that we could-"

Nami jerked back around to face him. "You repaired my boat?"

"Um, yeah. That's what I been-"

"I don't believe it," she cried, jumping up and grabbing him around the middle before she could even think about what she was doing. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I love you, Aka-Mushi!"

She didn't see the deep crimson that flushed his cheeks through his already ruddy complexion. Carefully disentangling himself from her arms, he cleared his throat awkwardly, "Uh, yeah. What did you think I was doing with 'er?"

"I dunno," she swiped the mirthful tears from her eyes, "dismantling her to make a shed for Arlong maybe."

"No way! I like boats - I'd never do something like that! You don't know how much it hurt my heart to dismantle the Shark Superb, but orders are orders."

"So, is that why you did all this," she asked, gesturing to the fishing vessel, "because you like boats?"

"Well yeah," he shuffled his feet in the sand, "I mean I joined Arlong-san's crew because I wanted to become a full-fledged shipwright and also 'cause I wanted to see more of the world...it didn't turn out exactly like I expected, but..." the betta fishman seemed to catch himself and hastily pivoted. "Also, we're crewmates, so I wanted to help you...I guess."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Well, you're crazy enough to steal from pirates, so you'll need all the help you can get."

The girl sighed. "That's true. I'm terrible at it."

He started, "I didn't mean you couldn't do it; I'm just sayin' you've got a big pair - uhh no, I mean, I respect you! It ain't like it'd be easy even if you were grown - an' you're still just a little kid!"

"And how old are you, exactly," she scoffed.

"Fifteen - and still nowhere near a master at my trade!"

She turned back to observe his handiwork with a loving pat on her boat's hull. "As long as this baby can take me to Beersdee, it's good enough for me!"

"She should take you anywhere in East Blue you wanna go," insisted Aka-Mushi, walking up and placing his hands squarely against the middle of the keel. With a loud grunt, he lifted the boat off the props and carried her gingerly toward the waves just like introducing a rehabilitated sea turtle back into the wild.

Nami, well aware of the strength fishmen possessed, was no less impressed.

"Meet you over by the dock," he called back to her in a strained voice as he walked deeper into the water with his oversized load.

Nami watched him until his head disappeared under the ocean, she then hurried back to the path cutting through the woods. She reached the platform in time to see her craft sailing for the dock.

Moments later, Aka-Mushi re-emerged and tied the boat to the dock.

"There," he declared breathlessly, leaping onto the platform beside her, "You're all set."

"You have no idea what a load off my mind this is," sighed Nami, leaning against the nearest beam, "Like I said: thank you."

The fish teen merely grunted and turned away, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "So, I guess you'll be heading out to steal more loot soon."

"That's the plan if I can be sneaky enough," she rolled her eyes wearily at the thought.

"Hey, maybe I could give you some advice," he suddenly glanced down at her.

She looked back at him in surprise. "Sure. What is it?"

"Instead of hiding or sneaking around, why don't you just come right up to these pirates? I mean, you're one, so you oughta know how pirates think and how to trick them."

She frowned at being called a pirate but didn't bother addressing the insult. "Who's gonna take a scrawny brat seriously," she countered instead.

"You got Arlong-san to listen to you, and he hates humans," the boy was quick to point out.

"That's only because he needs me to draw maps for him," she replied dully.

He slowly rolled his shoulders until they emitted a loud pop, "Na, I think it's also 'cause of how bold you are. Show that same attitude to other pirates and they'll see you've got something to offer 'em."

Nami stared thoughtfully off into the dusky sky which had grown considerably darker since she'd first met up with Aka-Mushi. She'd completely forgotten her other chore in the woods, but that would have to wait until morning.

"Did you to eat yet," the fishman abruptly asked.

Nami shook her head, "Not really."

"I'm starving. We should go up to the galley and get something."

She didn't see a reason not to, so together they returned to Arlong Park for supper. Most of the crew was already present in the dining hall and, to the girl's surprise, greeted her hospitably considering she could count on one hand how many times she'd ever joined them for a meal. After eating better than she had all week and draining the stein of beer she was offered, Nami wandered sleepily back to her freshly reefed and recalked boat for the evening.

She thought again about Aka-Mushi, wondering exactly what to make of the earnest, meddling shipwright's apprentice. Never did she fathom she'd ever find one of the pirates who'd participated in the pillaging and murder of her neighbors and loved ones even remotely likable. Despite the seemingly selfless favor he'd rendered her, she couldn't fully trust or forgive him and made a mental note not to let her guard down around the disarming youth.

Crawling inside her snug compartment like a small bear ready for hibernation, Nami closed her eyes and fell instantly asleep.

000

Hoping to learn anything new about the situation on Beersdee, Nami was slightly disappointed to find nothing in the papers addressing the anticipated Navy raid on the island, but she assumed the government must already have made their move by now and were keeping it out of the news for some unknown reason. She hated the missed opportunity but decided it best to try elsewhere for her next target.

When nothing swashbuckling related jumped out in the news, Nami quickly turned her attention to the important task she'd been unable to complete the previous evening. Tossing the paper aside, the girl departed her vessel for the woods.

Whenever she and Nojiko hadn't been helping Belle-Mere with chores, they'd been spent the majority of their free time exploring the forests bordering the orange groves and the village. She knew every nook and cranny, including all the plants that grew there. Though no herbal expert, she'd made the startling connection recently between one particular plant she'd read about while visiting a bookstore in Threadsville and the clustering white flowers that sprouted sporadically through the underbrush beyond her house. She even remembered Belle-Mere mentioning how toxic they were once when she'd pointed them out. Nami was fairly certain the weed native to her island was one and the same as the deadly plant in the book she'd picked up.

The girl's heart thudded with excitement as she laid eyes on the deceptively sweet-looking blooms adorning the stalks along the trail. After picking a generous proportion of leaves and flowers and pressing them into a small jar provided by Nojiko, she trudged back to The Park. Nami paused in the hallway outside the cartography room to pick up a bottle of rum that sat trustily next to her guard's chair. Once she'd filled the jar to the rim with alcohol and screwed the lid tightly on, she slipped it stealthily into a corner of her bookshelf to quietly marinade as she toiled a few weeks longer at her desk.

"Just a few more weeks," she whispered to herself encouragingly, "Just hang on for that long."

000

Although she'd embarked on the journey with waning resolve, Nami found herself returning triumphantly to Conomi after her first truly successful venture. She comforted herself that if "plan A" somehow fell through, she could still rely on her budding talent at robbing pirates to save her village - despite her hopes still strongly riding on the former.

She'd arrived on a whim at an obscure island, in many ways similar to her own. Pirates had set up temporary residence in a certain town and, whether intentionally or not, had attracted the admiration of a gaggle of local boys. Suddenly inspired, Nami donned the baggiest clothing she owned and wrapped a bandanna around her head. Already grimy from traveling, she passed well enough as a boy to slide seamlessly into group. Within six days, she'd selected a member to hero-worship, latched on, and learned key information from him, including where the crew stored their treasure. Now with several bucketfuls of coins riding home with her, Nami began to believe her luck might finally be turning.

After re-routing her return course to avoid a storm, she decided to pass the extra hours counting her treasure. Amid the third bucket, Nami paused as a shadow suddenly blocked out the early dawn light. An impressively tall ship with three levels floated in the middle of the ocean to her port side and Nami gaped at it in wonder. On the lowest level deck, a boy in white shirt and dark trousers leaned against the railing and coughed as he took a drag from a cigarette. He looked up as Nami's boat passed by and their eyes met. He gave her an enthusiastic wave which she immediately returned, thinking it odd how she could feel such an instant connection with someone she'd never see again in her life.

Even the cartography room seemed sunny and less oppressive as she checked the jar of rum on her bookshelf. The container looked exactly as it had when she'd left, but its mere presence reassured her like a magic talisman. Gripping it for a moment, she silently infused all hers and the village's hopes into the amber liquid.

Throughout the following week the jar's presence on her shelf brought comfort whenever the numbness in her fingers or the shooting pains through her forearm threatened to grind all work to a halt. When a misstep landed her a punch to the face rather than a chest full of gold during her following excursion, Nami pulled herself out of the dirt and smiled as she thought again of her precious rum jar.

She returned to Arlong Park, bruised and tender, but in high spirits.

"Damn! Who gave you those racoon eyes, Nami," remarked Choo when she strode through the entrance and straight for the galley.

"Oh, you know, just some scab who didn't like when I told him bilge water smelled like perfume compared to his breath," quipped Nami without a pause, to a smattering of appreciative chuckles.

"I taught her that one," Pisaro guffawed from a nearby card table.

She stuck out her tongue at them before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Nami!" the girl spotted Arlong at the far end of the pool sitting under a pavilion and waving to her as she walked outside sometime later, "Come have a drink with me!"

The girl frowned, plodding over to meet him. "You realize I'm only ten years old, don't you," she admonished as he pushed a whiskey toward her.

"All the more reason to make up for lost time," he smirked back, giving her cheek a hard pinch. "Besides, you look like you could use a drink!"

Nami stared down into the shot at her black eyes and shrugged. "It's just - what do you call it - an occupational hazard. I'll learn from my mistakes and do better next time."

"Y'know Nami," he laid his heavy arm across the back of her chair and stared thoughtfully upward at the roof of the pavilion, "I want to let you know how proud I am of your determination - seems you really are going to make an excellent little pirate. I like to think I had something to do with that."

She offered him a smile that never reached her swollen eyes, "You sure did, Arlong."

"Here's to your future success," he raised his glass and clinked it against hers. They both downed their shots.

"You know, Arlong," she said, wiping her mouth, "you never did throw me a party like you said you were going to."

"Huh," he glanced over in surprise, "when did I say that?"

"Well, maybe it was Choo," she admitted, "but I do remember someone promising me a party if I came back alive after my first trip...well, I've come back from three trips now and still no party yet."

"You want a party," asked a grinning Arlong, "I'll throw you one right now."

"No not now, wait until the end of the week - before I go on my next trip," she insisted.

"Why wait till then?"

"Because it'll be like a grand sendoff - and besides, I don't wanna party all night right before I have to make charts all day!"

"Alright, alright, at the end of the week then," he agreed with a wave of his hand, reaching for the bottle to refill their glasses.

Of course, the naive young surveyor had no way of knowing what fevered affect her off-handed suggestion to Arlong would have among the listless crew. The words 'throw a party' uttered under the pavilion where Nami and Arlong sat, echoed down into the deep waters of The Park's pools and spread like chum, whipping the fishmen into a frenzy.

Take, Commander of Parties, was already coordinating with the Head of Banquets, Shioyaki, before the girl even got up to turn in early for the evening. Pisaro and Hitchin soon joined in the planning with their own contributions and, before long, half the crew were committed to making Nami's party the biggest blow out the sleepy island had ever witnessed.

000

While Nami sat at her desk staring numbly at yet more jumbles of numbers on one of the thousands of pages she'd seen all day, indistinct, raucous noises continuously rang out below from her open window until she wanted to scream and hurl her reference books one after another through the shattered glass down at them.

She was so frazzled she nearly knocked over her inkwell when the door flew open later that afternoon revealing her guard, Gil, standing on the other side staring back at her.

"What," she demanded in bewilderment.

The rotund fishman pointed down, "Yer needed..."

"Needed for what," she eyed him leerily.

He looked at her as if she were the stupid one, "For yer party, acourse!"

She blinked, in an instant remembering her request from several days ago. Part of her hadn't even believed Arlong would actually follow through, much less summon her out of her cell without so much as ensuring she'd met her quota for the week - which she decidedly hadn't.

"Oh. R-right," The exhausted girl struggled to recover from her initial shock, "I'll be right there. Just let me straighten up a few things, first."

The chatter grew louder as Nami made her way down the stairs and paused before the doorway leading outside. With a final, steadying breath, she stepped through the opening and into a throng composed of the entire Arlong Pirate crew.

She was suddenly assaulted with applause and loud cheers as Hachi swept her up in one of his six arms and dropped her on top of a massive, heavily laden, banquet table that took up virtually the entire seating area of the porch. Tiki torches lined the perimeter walls. Past her shouting crewmates, she could see Pisaro and a small group of his fellow musicians gathered together on the westernmost walkway, tuning up their instruments. On the end of the opposite walkway sat a table filled with booze manned by a single fishman bartender.

The dazed Nami almost lost her balance until a large hand came up to support her. "Here she is, brothers! Give it up for our fearless, treasure-hunting surveyor - the one making our conquest of East Blue a reality!"

The roar was deafening. Without Arlong's palm against her back, she would have collapsed under the weight of such horrible praise.

"How about a speech, Nami," suggested Kuroobi.

"Yeah! Speech, speech," echoed Hachi, pumping the air with three fists.

"Speech, speech, speech," the crew thundered, picking up the chant.

Nami raised her hands to quiet them. "Alright, you want a speech? Well listen up! Not to get too warm and squishy on you, but someday when I'm fabulously wealthy I know I'll think back on my time with this crew - and about how lucky I am to be rid of all of you! Thanks a million, nakama - that's all!"

She jumped down to a mixture of laughter, applause and jeering. The band started up and soon rhythmic calypso music filled the park. After filling her plate with every seafood item from the banquet table that would fit, Nami found a perfect, out-of-the-way corner to gorge in peace, only to be blocked by Choo.

"What are you doing, silly girl - Chu," he reprimanded, "We're all sitting over here." The sniper pointed to a collection of chairs where Arlong, Hachi and Kuroobi were already seated beside the pool. She followed him over, still puzzling how she'd managed to go from barely tolerated human scum one day to fully accepted officer with parties thrown in her honor the next.

"Nyu, eating this takoyaki really takes me back to when we were kids," Hachi announced around a mouthful. "Do you remember when we tried to open that takoyaki shop, Kuroobi?"

"Vaguely," shrugged the ray-man without looking up from his food.

The octopus tried again, turning instead to their captain. "So, Arlong-san, do you think you'll build another headquarters once we take over more territory?"

After taking a long swig from his bottle of rum, Arlong swiped his arm across his chin and smirked, "Not to talk shop at a party, but eventually. And, of course, I'll need men to run all of them too."

"Ooh? What men did you have in mind for that?"

Arlong fixed his swordsman with a blank stare.

"Us, you dumbass," said Kuroobi, nudging his friend with a finned elbow, "we are officers, aren't we?"

"Oh right," laughed Hachi sheepishly, "I forgot!"

"It's a shame Nami'll be too busy living it up as a lonely rich lady in a backwater village, or I'd consider letting her run the original Arlong Park after I've moved on," the sawshark regarded the cartographer out of the corner of his eye as he lifted the bottle again to his lips.

"Don't be ridiculous," grumbled Nami, biting into a piece of fried eel.

"Agreed," Kuroobi muttered distastefully.

All at once, a loud gurgling splash erupted out of the pool as Momoo's gargantuan form emerged and towered inquisitively over them.

"Hachi, did you feed Momoo yet," drawled Choo.

"Nyu, not yet. I thought he'd like to have his dinner with us!" Hachi rose abruptly and walked over to a whole pig roasting on a spit beside the perimeter wall. Lifting the large carcass one armed, he flipped it high into the air, spinning ass over snout, until it was only a speck in the sky. The ecstatic sea beast leapt after the morsel snapping his teeth and plummeting in a huge tidal wave that engulfed the entire patio.

"Shahaha! Dammit, ya spilled my drink, Momoo," Arlong shouted after the water ebbed. He uprighted the bottle lying beside his chair, finding only a swallow left inside.

A dripping and disgusted Nami laid aside what remained of her now soaked food and stood up, wringing out the hem of her dress. "Well since I'm through - I'll go get you another one."

"What a doll," he beamed at her.

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Hey, while you're up, how about bringing me one," Kuroobi suggested.

"I could use a drink too - chu."

"Look, I've only got two hands..." but she tromped off nevertheless to retrieve three rums, ignoring Hachi's offer to get them on account of having six hands.

On her way over to the makeshift bar, she passed groups of crewmates who greeted her - many of whom openly despised her only months ago. The eel-man, who'd been her first jailor when she was thrown into the brig immediately following her abduction, boisterously raised his glass to her as she walked by. Added to the thrumming tropical music and the garish decorations, how the rollicking fishmen now treated her all churned together in a dizzying, surreal haze.

Nami gripped the edge of the table in an attempt to ground herself as the bartender turned her way. "Three bottles of rum, please," she requested.

While waiting for him fetch her order, the girl jumped at a swift tap on her shoulder.

"Hey nakama, how's the boat been treatin' ya?"

"Aka-Mushi!" she exclaimed, unable to rationalize the mixture of relief and gratitude she felt at seeing him all of a sudden, "it's amazing - I can't believe how much better it sails now."

He flashed a toothy grin so unlike any she'd ever seen Arlong wear that they might as well have been two entirely different species of things. "How do you like your party so far," he inquired further.

"I've never seen anything like it," she replied truthfully.

"Well, I'd say you've earned it," he declared with conviction, "I think it's about time you got some credit for all the work you do around here."

"Still, it feels so strange to be celebrated by a bunch of pirates."

The boy stared at her a moment, then burst into loud laughter.

"What's so funny," she demanded, heat immediately rising to her cheeks.

"Are all humans as weird as you," he snickered.

"Hmph! You're the weirdo!" Presently, she looked around and realized the three bottles she'd ordered were sitting right in front of her.

Aka-Mushi also eyed the drinks. "I'm guessing those aren't all for you," he ventured.

Nami sighed, "No, they're not."

"Heading back to sit with Arlong-san and the other officers, huh," he surmised with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"You could sit with them too if you wanted," insisted Nami, "you'd be just as welcome as I am. Maybe even more so!"

"It's not that," he shook his head, his elaborate dorsal fin bobbed back and forth in front of his face like a long leaf blade, "I just thought maybe..."

"Aka-Mushi! How long does it take to fetch us more ale?" Across the pool, Kaneshiro stood in a circle with several other comrades and fixed his chatty underling with a stern glare.

"Oh yeah!" the teen dipped his head apologetically toward them, "It's coming right up!"

Several glasses of ale were served to Aka-Mushi on a tray which he balanced above his head in one hand. He gave Nami a thumbs-up before hopping into the water and swimming across to Kaneshiro and the others.

Nami watched him until he rejoined his mates. She then took the three bottles from the bar and started walking. Halfway back to her seat, she paused and gave her surroundings a furtive glance. Everyone's attention appeared diverted, but she still couldn't be sure there wasn't a pair of eyes on her somewhere in the mass of revelers. The girl nervously adjusted her armful of drinks as she deliberated the next move.

All at once, she felt a noticeable shift in the surroundings. The rumbling chatter died down as groups of fishmen turned their attention toward the open East Gate. Hitchin was the first to emerge through the village-facing entry, followed several paces behind by a reluctant trail of women whom he brusquely motioned inside.

Nami counted roughly two dozen young, relatively attractive females trickling into the party. She recognized none of them in particular, but they all possessed a familiar quality she could place as 'local' - most of them likely from surrounding villages or possibly other parts of the archipelago. Some looked morose, while others appeared terrified, but clearly none showed up to the festivities of their own volition.

Their presence, on the other hand, was to the fishmen what blood is to piranhas. Like a batch of freshly baked cookies, the women were snatched up and divvied out among the various groups. Some were immediately pulled out to the poolside-turned dancefloor by the nearest men within arm's reach. Hitchin draped himself possessively around the waist of a pleasantly plump brunette. When he leaned in to kiss her, she hastily ducked.

Nami seized the opportunity while she was certain nobody was paying attention. She pried the cork from one of the rum bottles with her teeth, took several quick swigs, then fumbling into her pocket, retrieved the jar she'd hidden for a month in her room. Her heart pounded as she carefully replaced the missing rum with her special infusion, making sure not to allow any plant matter to seep past the neck. With shaking hands, Nami crammed the cork back in place and hurried off to fill her drink orders.

All of the senior crew members remained where she'd left them, albeit with their eyes closely trained on the unfolding events.

"Just look at those idiots making fools of themselves over some human girls," sighed Choo, absently taking the rum Nami offered him.

"Hmph, and Hitchin's the leader of 'em," Kuroobi scoffed, slapping a stupidly giggling Hachi beside him.

Arlong said nothing. He remained leaning languidly back in his chair with hands behind his head but wearing an uncharacteristically moody expression. Nami stood holding his rum out to him for several seconds before he eventually noticed her.

"Funny, I don't remember requesting that a bunch of women I've never seen before be at my party," she remarked as he finally took the bottle.

"Well, at least you got a party at all," Choo promptly reminded her, "Be more grateful, you little cat."

"Speaking of which - why didn't you get yourself anything, Nami?" Inquired Arlong, brushing aside her comment and zeroing in on her empty hands instead.

"Because I had all I could handle just bringing yours over here," she countered, "I'll get my own in a minute - you can drink without me." Then, in a hasty attempt to appear casual, she glanced back at the banquet. "Besides, I think I wanna try some of that takoyaki Hachi was talking about..."

So far so good, she assured herself grimly, even though plenty of time still remained for everything to go horribly wrong. A multitude of previously unconsidered scenarios cropped up to torment her: What kind of effect (if any) would the toxin even have on fishman physiology? Could the results be so immediate that she'd be exposed on the spot? What if the plant added a funny taste to his beverage? What if Arlong didn't drink enough of the poison? Her mind continuously raced.

Nami took a deep breath and still another. Grabbing a skewer of octopus balls and a glass of ale, she gradually wandered back over to the group. By now, several more had joined Arlong and his officers in something of a philosophical discussion.

"...pathetic. Not only can't they breathe underwater, but they also couldn't even survive a second under deep sea pressure; humans are our inferiors in every way possible," Arlong was pontificating to his crew. "It ain't even a matter of aggression, brothers - nature dictates that we inherit the earth!"

Nami watched with bated breath as Arlong placed the bottle to his lips and tossed it back.

"Oh, I agree, Captain," Kaneshiro nodded thoughtfully from where he stood behind Arlong's chair, "and I think all the boys share your sentiments, but some of 'em still needs their satisfaction, ya know."

"And I don't begrudge 'em that! I want my men to take whatever pleasure this world has to offer," the shark-man continued, gesturing toward the revelers on the patio with his bottle that appeared to Nami nearly a quarter empty, "But I also want 'em to remember how we're the pinnacle of evolution and can't ever be compatible with humans!"

There were murmurs of agreement all around the group.

"Well if that's how you feel," Nami piped up, "then I guess I'm not fit to be on this crew or draw your charts - after all that big talk about putting me in charge of territories too!"

"Aw, now, now - don't be sore," chuckled Arlong, snagging the back of her dress as she turned to leave and pulling her unwillingly to him. "Present company is an exception!" He tousled her hair roughly as the others laughed.

Yuck it up, you bastards, she quietly seethed against his armpit, you may not have many more chances.

The evening rolled on for several more hours. The liquor flowed and the pirates grew increasingly rowdy. Momoo repeatedly doused all the outdoor lighting and partygoers while terrifying the local girls. Nami had no idea how long it went on and was thoroughly done with all of it long before it was over. Drifting from one group to another, always with Arlong in her periphery, the girl eventually settled down in a vacant lounge chair and nodded off.

The next thing she became aware of was a throbbing pain in her left leg. Nami drifted back into consciousness to find Gil, her enormous, part-time door guard, laying on the ground fast asleep with his head pinning her appendage against the side of the chair.

After finally managing to pry her lower limb free and once the tingling had subsided enough for her to stand up, she gazed blearily around at the wreckage of her party in the early dawn light.

Shattered bottles littered the patio like sparkling confetti. A few fishmen, here and there, scattered the walkway as well. Aside from Gil, the musicians lay passed out in a heap together with their instruments. Pisaro (at least she thought it was him) hung halfway off the walkway, headfirst into the pool, where he softly blew bubbles.

Nami walked gingerly around a tower of large tables stacked up into a pyramid. Hachi had arranged them that way when he'd climbed up to the top to command Momoo to perform tricks for food. The octopus-man now occupied the second-floor balcony, snoring loudly on his stomach, with his three left arms dangling through the bars. The only other semi-conscious person around, besides herself, was a mackerel crawling out of the pool in order to take a piss against the wall, before promptly crawling back in again.

She didn't see Arlong. Likewise, no trace remained of the women who'd been forced to attend - Nami hoped they'd all made it safely back to their homes. The majority of the Arlong Pirates, it seemed, were sleeping off their hangovers underwater. Fortunately, due in part to possessing a ridiculously high tolerance for alcohol, and also because she'd had less than most of the pirates, she felt no ill effects from drinking. The girl now faced a difficult choice.

Did she sail or not: Nami pondered which course to take. She still had no idea if and when her poison would ultimately affect the sawshark and desperately wanted to be around to witness the results, on the other hand, she worried how it might look if she didn't depart as expected - no need to draw unwanted attention. Therefore, after weighing her options, she reluctantly resolved to head for her boat.

000

Although she hoped the trip would be her last due to Arlong's sudden death, she couldn't afford to be too optimistic. Nami was relieved she'd at least packed and loaded everything, as well as chosen her destination, ahead of time; she was too exhausted to worry about any of that now. She yawned, spreading out her chart and utensils to plot the course to steer, and found she could barely keep her eyes open the moment she stopped moving. Too many all-nighters in the cartography room, alternated with long, difficult voyages, were starting to take their toll on her body. Partying late into the previous night certainly didn't help.

I'll just rest my eyes a bit, she decided, crossing her arms over the map and laying her head down.

When she opened them again, the sun had already arced its way to the opposite end of the sky. Nami bolted upright, unable to believe she'd slept through nearly the entire day. Worse still, she felt groggy, achy and completely drained rather than refreshed. With no desire to depart at such a late hour, she considered heading back to Arlong Park - but despite her wish only a few hours ago to personally witness Saw-Tooth Arlong's demise, she was suddenly seized with a vague dread at the thought of returning there. Being surrounded by suspicious, human hating cut-throats the moment their boss inexplicably keeled over, probably wouldn't be ideal, she finally concluded.

Nami closed her eyes, allowing the wave of panic to subside. When she opened them again, it was to the northeast, toward home.

To her surprise, she ran into Genzo at the end of the path leading to the house. She offered him a timid wave, having neither spoken to nor seen him in the months since he'd ordered her out of his sight and forbade her ever returning to the village. The Sheriff responded with an icy side-glare from under his cap before brushing past her on his way toward Cocoyasi.

"Nami?" Nojiko looked up in surprise at the approach of her prodigal sister. "Long time no see!"

"Hey," said Nami, eyeing an empty pair of tumblers with melting ice cubes sitting beside Nojiko in the vacant spot on the bench beneath the porch. "Seems I just missed your company."

"Oh yeah, Gen-san came by for a visit and to check up on me," replied the older girl, "He does that from time to time."

"Yeah, I saw him," Nami nodded matter-of-factly.

Nojiko, gave her sister a quizzical look, "Did he say something to you?"

"Nope."

"You know," Nojiko gently suggested, "It would be easy for me to tell him the actual reason why you're working with the fishmen..."

"No, you don't," objected Nami fiercely, "You know why I can't get him or anyone else involved in this - besides, things've..." she trailed off, glancing evasively at the ground.

"Things have what," pressed her sister.

Nami looked anywhere but at the other girl. "Nothing. Just keep quiet about what I'm doing, okay?"

"What is it you're not telling me." Nojiko's eyes narrowed suspiciously at her. "Where have you been for the last month? I don't even see you when you come here to add to your stash, even though I can definitely tell you've added to it. Why have you been avoiding me?"

The ten-year-old kicked pebbles with the toe of her shoe. "Y'see, there's been a lot of stuff happening recently, and I needed some time to work through it all. But now, well I don't want to speak too soon, but things might be about to turn around..."

"Turn," Nojiko quirked an eyebrow. "That reminds me - what was all that noise about, coming from the pirate headquarters last night?"

"Oh that," Nami sighed, "They were having a party for me."

"And why in the world would they do that," queried an incredulous Nojiko.

"It's kind of a long story," hedged Nami, "but it's also one of the things I've been working out."

Nojiko brusquely stood, collecting the glasses beside her, "Then I think you'd better come inside and start telling me all about it."

They sat together at the table and Nami obliged her sister by telling her everything, beginning with the fake map incident and ending with her poisoning of Arlong at the party. Nojiko gripped her chair on multiple occasions and bit back several outbursts before the story concluded. The moment Nami stopped speaking, the older girl immediately filled the silence with an abrupt exclamation:

"What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking it would be really great if Arlong was dead; don't you agree?"

"Not if it means you winding up dead right along with him - I'd rather see that piece of shit live to a ripe old age!"

"What kind of attitude is that?" Nami shot back, "There's nothing worth gaining without some risk involved!"

"What if someone had seen you," berated Nojiko.

"They were too busy ogling those women from Gosa," the younger girl scoffed, "No one was paying any attention to me."

"...And even if he were to die, what about all the other pirates," continued Nojiko, "Do you really think they'll just leave us alone? They'll probably elect another captain to take his place in no time and it'll be business as usual."

Nami shook her head. "You don't understand - Arlong's drive holds that whole crew together. Without him, I don't think they'll have the will to take over East Blue. I'm telling you: it'll be a devastating blow to them!"

Nojiko let out a defeated sigh. "Well, what's done is done, I guess. But what are you going to do until then? Aren't you worried about them suspecting you?"

"Tomorrow I'll head out to sea like I normally would. Then, by the time I return, hopefully he'll already be a stiff."

The lavender-haired girl gave a grim nod. "I think that, at least, is a good idea: You shouldn't be anywhere nearby when they figure out their captain's been poisoned."

The room fell into a brooding silence. While Nojiko got up to prepare dinner, Nami exited the house, heading into the groves. She walked past the rows of trees and through the surrounding shrubbery until she reached the steep drop-off overlooking the coast. She sat down at the head of Belle-Mere's grave.

"Sorry I didn't bring any flowers," she apologized, "but I do have something to give you: Belle-Mere-san, I promise you, no matter what it takes, I'll make Arlong pay for killing you. Just you wait and see..."