DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, EXCEPT RAGNAR AND ALL VIKINGS AND OCs IN THIS STORY! ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, VIZ MANGA, TOEI ANIMATION AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC
Chapter 43: End of the Fish-Man Empire! Nami is a Straw Hat!
Silence fell over the map room of Arlong Park. Yet it was all coming down to this moment, as both combatants knew it must. Arlong only smiled as blood trickled down his mouth and on his chin. His eyes were still mad with bloodlust as he chuckled.
"Really? You want her to navigate your pathetic little caravel for you?" Arlong asked, almost taunting his opponent, "I guess you truly have no idea what an absolute monumental waste of talent that will be! Look here, rubber-man. There's nobody else on this earth that can draw sea charts with such accuracy and efficiency as Nami! That young lady has a genuine gift! And there really isn't anything as ultimately regrettable as wasting natural talent. Staying here and drawing sea charts for me is her only chance of living up to her full potential!"
Yet Luffy was not listening to a word Arlong said. As the fish-man went on monologuing, the boy noticed a quill pen with red markings all over it. Instantly, he picked it up and knew what the red marks were, and they were not made by paint.
"This quill…it has blood stained all over it," Luffy growled, his anger at how Nami was severely abused only intensifying towards Arlong. Now, he really hated this spiteful shark.
"In order for me to attain world supremacy, Nami's sea charts are absolutely vital!" Arlong growled, positioning his axe right at the perfect angle so that two of the blades were right near Luffy's neck. "She will continue drawing her sea charts for my ambitions, and once her charts give me full knowledge of all the world's oceans, we fish-men will be totally invincible! And the world shall kneel before us! The first step is the Norse settlements throughout this archipelago, and then we'll move onto the entire East Blue! You could never use her as I have! SHE WOULD BE WASTED ON TRASH LIKE YOU!" Without intention, those words cut deep, and Arlong would immediately regret that day for all time. Luffy snapped the bloodied quill pen in two, letting it fall to the floor. Then, without warning, he grabbed one of the blades of the axe, with such an intense grip, that Arlong couldn't even move it! 'What the fuck!? The Shark Saw! It won't budge!' He thought, his confidence turning into horror as he watched the blade shatter into thousands of pieces. Time slowed to a crawl, as Luffy shattered the blades of that axe, gritting his teeth in rage. Then he looked back up at Arlong with the most demonic glare one could have even imagined.
"USE her!?" He asked venomously, "You bastard sunnova bitch! What the fuck do you take her for!?"
"Nami may be an inferior species, but she's risen far above her peers," said Arlong with a sinister chuckle, "If all other humans are bilge rats, then she's a feisty little kitten. After all, she is adorable. She already has her place, and it's here beside me! Can't you even possibly comprehend that!? I can give her everything she ever needs! And the only thing she ever needs to do is to draw those marvelous charts for me! Therefore, Nami will forever be my tool…no…she'll be my property!" As he cackled sinisterly, Luffy unleashed a burst of raw energy and kicked the desk right out of the room, sending it crashing through the walls and onto the concrete floor below.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Luffy roared, "NAMI IS NOBODY'S SLAVE!" Arlong finally stopped laughing as he looked in horror. Luffy then started kicking everything in sight out the window. Then came the bookshelf that was sent plunging below, followed by the door.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Arlong screamed, horrified by the sight of what Luffy was doing to his precious dreams. "STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY!" He tried to slash right down at Luffy, but only succeeded in shearing a stack of navigational charts in half. "No! The charts!" Luffy then stretched his leg outwards, and kicked another stack of charts out of the window, "MY CHARTS! NO!" Pale with rage, Arlong finally grabbed Luffy by the throat and pinned him against the wall. "DAMN YOU! THAT WAS EIGHT YEARS' WORTH OF HARD WORK! EIGHT YEARS OF PLANNING AND AMBITION!"
Outside, everyone could hear the sound of Arlong's axe shattering, as all the windows of Arlong Park shattered like thin ice. Then they saw it coming out, starting with the desk.
"A desk?" Sanji asked as he watched from below.
"It's a desk!" Usopp stated as he was surprised to see it as well. Johnny and Yosaku began bickering about whether it was Luffy initially, or not, but Ragnar soon made his way over to Nami in his human form and noticed the expression on her face.
"Nami? Is everything alright?" He asked, concerned for the wellbeing of the navigator.
"That desk…it was…" she began, remembering the first day she was assigned that space. How Arlong forced her there to draw maps for him long into the night, and how every night she would cry herself to the point of passing out asleep. Soon after everyone else saw the bookcase, followed by a chair, and the stacks of nautical charts. Nami couldn't help but feel a weight lifting off of her shoulders. Luffy was finally setting her free. She could feel the tears welling up on her eyelids as the furniture crashed into splinters down on the concrete floor below. Then another hole formed in the wall, as Luffy's fist was seen stretching out, snapping back to its normal position. Nami couldn't help but finally cry as she silently muttered out, "Luffy…thank you…" For the first time in years, she finally felt free…and it wasn't just Nami, but everyone in Cocoyashi Village finally felt it as well. Arlong's ambition was finally foundering. His reign of terror was coming to a total end at last.
Back inside the now ruined map room, Arlong finally managed to bite Luffy in the throat and shoulder, like a lion killing its prey. The taste of human flesh was revolting for a shark like him, but he was certainly not above killing the boy who pissed him off…or so he thought.
"Now you've gone too far!" He growled, but then widened his eyes as Luffy grabbed his nose with both hands, still alive!
"Just…shut your fucking gob!" Luffy hissed, "Now you finally understand it, don't you!? You finally understand exactly how Nami feels, don't you!? You keep blabbering on about how much better fish-men are, and how much you need those sea charts! You made Nami hate what she loved the most! YOU FORCED HER TO HATE HER DREAM! AND I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO SAVE HER FROM YOU!" With a single twist, Luffy bent Arlong's nose sideways, causing the fish-man to scream in pain as he was forced to let go of Luffy, falling backwards onto the floor. Yet Luffy's anger was at its greatest – at the same level of hatred he felt towards Kuro and Don Krieg. Now, he knew just how to end this siege here and now. He glared at Arlong and declared, "This room isn't anything but her prison cell. There's only one way for Nami to escape: I'm gonna bring this place crashing down, RIGHT ON YOUR HEAD!" And with those words, Luffy stretched his leg high towards the sky, breaking the sawshark flag post of the compound, "GUM-GUM…."
"You fool! Arlong Park will never fall to an inferior human, especially a stubborn little rubbery freak like you!" Arlong growled, "SHARK TOOTH DRILL!" He shouted as he then launched himself at his opponent while spinning and with his mouth open, ready to bite Luffy so hard it would break the boy's bones.
"…BEARDED AXE!" Luffy screamed, bringing his leg down just as Arlong bit him in the waist, only to have his foot smash down on Arlong so hard, it caused the entire floor to crumble. Luffy's roar of anger was so loud, that it could be heard even from outside, followed by the crashing of stone and concrete as Arlong fell to the very lobby of Arlong Park! All the compound resounded with the sound, and it would still haunt Arlong to this day.
Outside, everyone looked on in shock as the flag pole of Arlong Park came crashing down. Silence fell over Arlong Park, only to be followed by the sound of stone cracking and rumbling. Instantly everyone knew what was happening as the ground shook all around them.
"Oh no!" Dr. Nako shouted, "It looks like Arlong Park is coming down!"
"Everybody, run for cover!" Ragnar shouted, and without hesitation, everyone gathered backed up to a safe distance. Vikings and Sun Pirates alike who were seeing it collapse firsthand within the walls, got to their ships, or dove underwater. Yet Nami stood stock still. Ragnar only tried pulling her back onto a horse, "Nami! We have to leave or we'll be crushed!"
"But Luffy's still inside!" She protested, "We can't, he's still…" She couldn't finish. As she was about to speak, the entire compound of Arlong Park came crashing down, as if struck by an earthquake. Nami couldn't help but widen her eyes in horror, fearing what was happening, "LUUUUFFFFYYYY!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
Everyone looked on at the awe inspiring sight: Arlong Park had finally fallen! It was truly an event that would be sung of through the ages by skalds.
Sanji, Celosia, Genzo and Nojiko all resurfaced after having dove underwater while Hatchan and Willy looked on from the Web Panic, along with the rest of their crewmates. Most of the Vikings watched from the safety of their longships, while their cavalry was at a safe enough distance from the crash site.
Out at the harbor entrance, Zoro was somehow sleeping through the whole ordeal, when suddenly he felt a massive brick slam down on his head, breaking in two. Miraculously, the swordsman woke up, clutching his aching skull.
"What the hell?! It's like an earthquake's going on," Zoro muttered, as he looked back to see the sight before him. Instantly he knew what had happened. "Luffy…he finally did it."
As the storm clouds cleared away, the sun emerged from that dense bank, and cast its light on the scene that lay before everyone's eyes.
"Arlong Park…has fallen…" Dr. Nako muttered, as if waking up from a nightmare.
"I just wonder…what went on in there," Yosaku commented.
"We just gotta know who won!" Sanji remarked.
"With all that debris…it seems…" Genzo began, yet what everyone heard next would confirm the outcome.
"Nami, everyone! Luffy is still alive!" Ragnar exclaimed, sniffing the air, "I'm picking up his scent, it's very faint; trapped beneath all the rubble…but he's still here!"
At that moment, Luffy emerged from the mountain of rubble, standing tall, bloodied but victorious. Instantly, the sight of her captain caused Nami to smile. He kept her promise! Yet Luffy only stood there, breathing deeply for a moment.
"He's just standing there, what's he doing?" Usopp asked, completely unprepared for what was about to happen.
"NAAAAAMIIIII!" Luffy finally shouted at the top of his lungs, making sure that she would listen to what he was about to declare, "NAMI, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE A STRAW HAT!" His words floated like a peak of a mountain, and Nami couldn't help but feel touched as she heard them. It was truly touching to the point that she let the tears of joy stream down her cheeks.
"Y-Yeah," she sobbed happily. Finally, after eight long years of suffering, her mother was finally avenged. Belle-Mere's soul was finally able to find peace. Before long, the reality of the situation began to sank in: Viking, fish-man and everyone else in between all smiled.
"He really won?"
"He won…" Genzo muttered.
"He actually won!" Dr. Nako said happily.
"YOU HAVE BEEN LIBERATED BY THE ELGRINGS, THE SUN PIRATES AND THE STRAW HATS!" Ragnar declared in triumph. And with that, everyone in Cocoyashi Village began cheering in celebration, so loudly that the ground itself quaked. Hatchan himself also felt as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He was finally able to free himself from that cursed place.
"I…I can't believe it…!" He uttered out, smiling happily, "I…actually helped make this possible!"
"You made the right choice, Hachi!" Willy told his old friend happily, patting the octopus happily on the shoulder.
As she sat atop her horse, Ingrid couldn't help but cry tears of joy. She too was just so incredibly happy that this day finally came. Vengeance had been dealt and justice was administered. Arlong's blood-debt had finally been paid.
'Daddy…I hope you're watching this from Folkvangr…we're finally victorious!' She thought as she cried happily.
In the water of the harbor, Sanji only was all too happy at the victory, only to be grinning like an idiot as Celosia hugged him tightly. Likewise, Nojiko only hugged Genzo as well.
"We did it! We won!" Celosia happily giggled, not noticing that Sanji was having the beginnings of a nosebleed.
"Nojiko, is this all really happening?" Genzo asked his surrogate daughter, "Surely this feels all too much like a dream!"
"It's no dream, Genzo! It's real!" Nojiko replied, "We're finally free!"
As they disembarked the longships, the Vikings all raised a cheer of victory, banging their weapons against their shields in triumph! The Elgrings finally avenged their jarl, and none was more joyous about this victory than Hroðgar himself. Instantly, Vikings, Sun Pirates and the villagers of Cocoyashi all ran towards their leader and began lifting him up in the air.
"LUFFY! LUFFY! LUFFY!" They chanted in joy, eternally grateful for the boy who saved them all.
"Good job Luffy!" Usopp cheered as he jumped up and down, "You almost did as good as me! Let's face it, I'm pretty much the star, but I'm gonna cheer for you anyway, because I'm super modest, and I don't wanna steal your thunder!"
"You really had us going, Luffy," said Sanji, smiling as he and Celosia walked out of the harbor together, "Start dealing with the bad guys quicker, I almost had a heart attack, you rubber jerk!"
"YOU DID IT, CAPTAIN!" Ragnar cheered, "YOU DID IT! YOU WON BY A LANDSLIDE!" As they watched their captain get thrown in the air, Luffy only slipped and fell on the ground, but only laughed it off.
"This is awesome!" He chuckled, as his quartermaster helped him up, "Ragnar, you gotta admit! That was pretty heroic!" All of a sudden, he felt his straw hat placed back upon his head. Luffy turned around and saw Nami standing right in front of him, still with tears of joy in her appreciative eyes, and then hugged him tightly.
"Luffy…thank you so much!" She told him, trying her best not to cry as Luffy hugged her back, soothing her. Yet then…
"Okay! Halt all of you!" An unwelcome voice called out, and everyone's faces soured as they saw the Marines of Branch 16 with Captain Nezumi leading them. All the soldiers had their muskets and bayonets all pointed at the makeshift fyrd. "What a lucky day this is indeed. I'm impressed, I saw the entire fight, and I must say, good work! I can only assume that your victory here was some bizarre accident, I never thought that the Arlong Pirates would lose to a motley coalition like yours. However, now that Arlong is out of the picture, I'll be taking all the money I was supposed to give to him, in addition to all the treasure in Arlong Park! Now drop your weapons! Captain Nezumi of Branch 16, gets all the…!" He did not finish. Before he could claim all credit for the victory, Nezumi soon found all of his men turning their muskets on him! "Wha…What is the meaning of this!? Insubordination!?" He asked, frightened by the turn of events.
"No, sir. Just a pang of conscience," replied one seaman, "We're tired of being lied to all the time…but most of all, we're tired of you and your lies!" Nezumi's face was pale with irritation. He was not going to let this act ruin his reputation. Yet before he could react, he felt someone grab him by the collar: Zoro was finally up and about!
"I couldn't help but notice that you're raining on our parade," he growled, "Now, that's just plain rude!" Instantly, Zoro began to punch Nezumi in the face repeatedly, so hard that he ended up missing some teeth and received a black eye.
"You scum…just try anything and you'll be sorry!" Nezumi groaned, "I…I'll promise you that!"
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that, Captain," said Ragnar. Nezumi and his soldiers only turned to see all of Branch 77 marching right for him, and the scowl on Commodore Purin's face said it all.
"By order of Fleet Admiral Sengoku," he declared, "I arrest you, Nezumi, for the crimes of corruption, embezzlement and colluding with pirates!" And with that, Nezumi found himself detained in shackles, stripped of his sword and pistol, and taken away in shame, while the rest of Branch 16 looked on, ashamed that they followed the orders of a corrupt moneygrubbing man.
"Wait!" Nami shouted, "Commodore, may I have a moment with the prisoner? I have some requests I'd like to make of him before he's sent for his court martial." Commodore Purin only nodded and let Nami approach the ashamed Nezumi, not even lifting a finger to intervene as she struck him with the shaft of her spear and the boss of her shield. "That was for shooting my big sister, and also for mercilessly digging up my mom's tangerine orchard!"
"Thanks Nami! That felt good," said Nojiko, winking at her younger sister.
"A thousand more, and we'll call it even!" Genzo added, glad that Nezumi was finally getting what he deserved.
Nami only smiled as she looked at Commodore Purin, knowing that this was certainly one Marine officer she could work with.
"Commodore, thank you for helping us," she told him, "Now, if you'd be so kind, I'd like to make a few more requests of Branch 77."
"Of course, ma'am. As I understand, you had a hand in making this possible," the commodore replied, "Ask anything of us, and we'll consider it done."
"Glad to hear that," Nami replied, "Now, what I'd ask is for you to help rebuild Gosa Village, and to return all of the money and valuables and Arlong Park to the people." Then she turned back to the bruised up Nezumi, grabbed him by his whisker-like mustache and growled, "And as for you! Give me my money back, you bastard!"
"I…I promise…I promise!" Nezumi pleaded, "I'll give every berry back!"
"We'll ensure that your requests are followed to the letter, Ma'am," said Commodore Purin, taking Nezumi away, then turning to his men, "Gentlemen! You heard the woman! We have a job to do!"
"SIR, YES SIR!" The Marines proudly replied, and they instantly got to work, digging through the rubble and arresting Arlong and his cronies. As most of the Arlong Pirates were being led away on gurneys, there was a sense of eternal gratitude. Finally, the marine captain who was responsible for this whole day was getting his comeuppance! Two birds with one stone!
"Hey everyone!" Dr. Nako told the villagers, "We can't keep this all to ourselves! We need to tell everyone on the archipelago what happened here today!" And with that, all the villagers cheered on in celebration, running as fast as they could towards any boats that were in the harbor. They had to tell all the other island villages that their suffering was at an end: Arlong Park had finally fallen! The tyranny of the saw-tooth was over!
The Straw Hats, Elgrings and the Sun Pirates stayed behind, keen to enjoy the fruits of their success as the Marines of Branch 77 continued to clear rubble and debris.
"Well fought! Well fought! All of you!" Willy declared happily, "Our plan finally worked! Arlong Park has fallen, and the reign of terror is no more! All thanks to you, my friends!" Then he turned to his narwhal crewmate, "Dogibbon! Help the Marines tear down Arlong's banners, and return what he's stolen from the people!"
"Aye-aye, quartermaster!" He shouted and got to work helping the Marines.
"You all have done our clan a great service," said Hroðgar, as he reached into his belt pouch and handed out a silver arm ring, "This ring represents the alliance between the Straw Hats and the Elgrings. Should you ever need us, we will answer your call to arms. Our army is yours, should you need aid."
"Same goes for the Sun Pirates," Willy added happily, "We'll be there whenever you need our help. Count on it!"
"Hroðgar Jarl, our deepest thanks," Ragnar replied, accepting the arm ring, but then noticed Commodore Purin approaching once more.
"That reminds me. While my crew and I were arriving to this island, we dropped anchor at a place called Ulfthorpe. The jarlskona of the Vikings there asked me to give this to a boy named Luffy." Then he reached into his coat pocket, and held out another arm ring.
"No way…Sigrun!" Usopp muttered, "Looks like she was so caught up in the celebrations after we beat Kuro, she must've forgotten it!"
"The World Government owes you all a debt of gratitude," the commodore continued, "Not only for helping to bring down Arlong Park, but also for stopping Don Krieg and ending his criminal actions on these seas."
"Anytime," said Luffy, slightly disappointed that he wasn't getting a bounty for this, but he was more than happy to accept praise whenever it was given. Then he noticed a man in a suit with a fedora holding a Cameko transponder snail.
"Excuse me! A moment of your time!" The man shouted, "This is for the World Eco News!"
"Are we actually gonna be interviewed!?" Nami asked, stunned by the prospect.
"It looks that way," Zoro muttered, not caring for the chance at fame. Yet at that notion Ragnar only was just as eager as Luffy to accept. They may not have bounties, but they would still be the talk of the East Blue.
"We accept!" Luffy declared happily as he gave the biggest smile, ready for the Cameko.
"Smile everyone!" Ragnar exclaimed, and with a flash of the snail's eyes, the picture that was taken would be seen on newspaper headlines all over the world!
As the Straw Hats all made their way out of the ruins of Arlong Park, Nojiko, Dr. Nako and Genzo all looked on happily.
"Good job, Nami," Nojiko muttered, smiling at her younger sister.
"To think, our island would be saved by a coalition of Vikings and unruly pirates," Genzo remarked as he smiled and shook his head, "The world truly is strange." He couldn't help but remember years ago, when Arlong and his crew first landed on these shores, of Belle-Mere's death, and Nami's decision to save Cocoyashi Village, all of which led up to this moment! It seemed now that Belle-Mere was finally smiling down on her little girl.
"At last, it's done," said Dr. Nako, looking up at the heavens, "The soul of Belle-Mere can finally be at peace…"
As most of the Straw Hats were given horses back to Cocoyashi Village, Luffy couldn't help but notice that Nami was looking up at the cliff where her mother was buried.
"Nami? What's up?" He asked, "You're free now. Your mom would be proud if she could see you now."
"I know…all this, it's like a dream, really," she replied, smiling at her captain. Then she turned to see if anyone was still around, only to notice they were both alone. "Hey…Luffy?" She asked, and before the boy could even respond, Nami only gave the most beautiful smile on her face and pulled him in for a kiss before he could even react. Luffy was all so shocked, but he quickly returned the kiss as he held Nami in his arms. Time seemed to slow to a gradual halt all around them, just like it did when they met for the first time just weeks ago. For four long minutes, they held that kiss, enjoying the taste of their lips, and even allowing their tongues to touch, until finally they broke the kiss and looked into each other's eyes.
"Whoa…that was…" Luffy uttered out, words failing him at the present moment.
"That's for all you've done for me," Nami replied, smiling as she looked into Luffy's eyes, "Thank you for everything."
"You're welcome. I made a promise, and I swore it on my soul," Luffy replied as he smiled back, "In the same situation, I'd do it all over again." Nami only giggled as she only kept one arm wrapped around her new boyfriend's waist.
"C'mon, we'd better get going," she told him, "Everyone's gonna probably be celebrating for days on end, and I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world."
"YEEESSS! OH BOY! MEAT HERE I COME!" Luffy exclaimed as he picked up Nami in his arms, bridal style, mounted his horse, and set off at a gallop as fast as the horse could carry them. It was finally time to enjoy the fruits of their success! That day, Luffy won more than just a victory, he and Nami forged a bond that would last for all time…
A/N: And there we have it! The epic conclusion to the battle of Arlong Park! Victory for the coalition, the Conomi Islands are freed, Nezumi finally got what he deserved, and what's this? Did Luffy and Nami just become a couple?
Now, in case you are wondering, I was planning to have Nezumi arrested from the start, since I didn't really like him for how corrupt he was. So, I felt that having him be court martialed was my way of putting the icing on the victory cake. I know that there are some of you who will be upset by this, seeing as Nezumi was the one who gave Luffy his first bounty, but don't worry: Luffy will definitely be getting a bounty in the storyline, it'll just take a while longer, and it won't be done by a corrupt marine like Nezumi.
Now, I also forgot to mention this back in Chapter 37, but Ragnar did give Nami an axe as a sidearm. Why does this matter? Well, in the original drafts of the manga, Nami was originally designed to be wielding an axe until Oda changed her weapon to a staff. So, that was a little fun nod to Nami's concept art origins. And yes, we also finally have some alliances between the Straw Hats, the Sun Pirates and two Viking clans. I was planning for Sigrun to originally ally with the Straw Hats after the victory over Kuro, but I forgot to add that in, so I decided that this would be just as good.
I also mentioned that Ingrid considered Arlong's blood-debt paid. Now, what is a blood-debt? In Germanic society, insulting or harming an individual would be considered not just an insult to the person, but to their entire family. Thus, rash acts of hostility against someone would sometimes bring an entire clan's wrath down upon one man. Therefore, the aggrieved party saw that the only proper response was retribution, which was not only a vested right, but also a sacred duty. One way to restore honor was to declare a feud. These were monitored by an assembly of freemen to ensure fairness and prevent the conflict from getting out of hand. Any damages inflicted would need to be paid by way of wergild, which means "man price" in Old English. What this meant is that each individual according to age, gender and status was assigned a monetary value and could demand it as compensation for injury, loss of reputation or death.
Anyway, now it's onward to the festival! Stay tuned for the epic conclusion to the Arlong Park Arc as we get that much closer to the Grand Line!