AN:

In my head, I had this chapter and the next all together in a single chapter but I ended up having to split it into two. I had the chapter finished and then realized that there was still more I needed to add so this is the result. Like I said in the last chapter, I'm kind of nervous about this one and, now, the next one too but I think I managed everything alright. Lol. As I already told you a lot of time passes quickly but if I didn't do it this way, it would take me like 20 more chapters to get to canon, at the least.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this one. The next chapter is already underway and should be posted soon so until then, I hope this one will suffice. As always, thanks for all the support and I'd love to hear what you think. :) There might be some qualms about this one, there also might not. Regardless, if you've got something to say I can take it I promise.

Here's Chapter 23. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 23: Time Flies

"Zoro, are you sure about this?", Usopp asked, nervously, standing in front of a rough-looking bar.

"You got this, Big Bro Usopp!", Yosaku exclaimed standing behind the swordsman's right shoulder.

Johnny shot the long-nosed boy a thumbs up and a smile, "I'm with Yosaku on this one, Big Bro.".

The bushy black-haired teen gulped and faced the door once again.

Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp had been bounty hunting for about a month now and they were making quite the splash on the scene. Their names hadn't made it all the way around the East Blue yet, but things were certainly moving in that direction.

They were more well-known in bounty hunter circles as the new up-and-comers and it was actually how they'd met Johnny and Yosaku. Well... The two had kind of forced themselves on the group but... Tomato, tomato. The three probably would've ditched them at the time, but it turned out that Zoro actually knew the two from his early days in the occupation, so, they let them hang around.

Yosaku had lightly tanned skin with a shaved head and it looked like the hair had just started to grow back. He wore a black shirt with a green coat and red headgear that looked like it would be worn in a boxing match. His unshaven legs stuck out of the end of a pair of plaid yellow boxer shorts he had on and his feet were covered by black boots.

Johnny, the other man's partner, had a slightly darker skin tone and short black hair. On his face, he had a pair of sunglasses and a black tattoo, the kanji for the word 'sea', taking up most of his left cheek. The muscular man wore a blue hooded jacket with a purple undershirt, tan pants, boots, and a watch on his left wrist.

"You can do it, Usopp! I mean, just look at him!", Luffy laughed, looking at the picture of the man they were hunting, "This guy's super ugly.". He glanced over at the long-nosed teen standing still and sent his bushy black-haired friend some last-minute words of encouragement, "Good luck! Call if you need any help!". He flipped the page around so Usopp could get one more good look at it, "This is the guy we're looking for!".

Zoro grinned at the long-nosed boy who was nervously turning back toward the bar and shoved him in the back, sending him stumbling through the door, "You heard the man.".

Straw Hat Luffy, Pirate Hunter Zoro, and Long Barrel Usopp were the titles that they'd been given by the populace. Luffy and Zoro had laughed when they'd read Usopp's name for the first time, both feeling like someone had been trying to make fun of the boy's nose.

The three teens eventually became known by another name, however, more recently given. This name was Merry's Terrible Trio. The name was for the ship they sailed on and, also, their penchant for destruction. If the name was ever going around the local gossip circle, it was usually followed by 'What'd they do this time?', as most of the places they showed up in usually ended up in some sort of disrepair.

The door slammed behind Usopp and he gulped when the entire bar seemed to quiet down and turn in his direction. The long-nosed teen was beginning to sweat profusely. Some scary-looking guys were sending him some even scarier looks and it was taking everything he had not to bolt from the room in tears.

The bounty hunter smiled awkwardly and decided to break the silence, "Anybody know a Bloody Slasher?". His eyes glanced around at the men staring at him, "I think his name's Sylas?...".

All the chairs in the room screeched against the floor, almost everyone standing up at the same time. "Whaddya want with the boss?", a bulky shirtless bald man at the front questioned.

Boss?... The sweat was coming off in droves now and the bushy-haired boy slowly began to back his way toward the entrance, turning to yell through it when he felt his skin touch wood, "Hey, Luffy!... He... He, uh... He has friends!".

"Luffy? As in Straw Hat Luffy? Of Merry's Terrible Trio?", an angry voice called.

"You guys killed one a my buddies!", another voice raged, shouts of anger beginning to rise up from all around the room

Maybe he shouldn't have said anything... Usopp reached for the handle of the door and in the moment he went to pull it open, it exploded inward, a figure, quickly followed by another, flying through the opening. The two landed back to back and ready to fight, one barring his fists and the other, two swords.

"Slicey slayer or whatever, you in here?", Luffy asked out loud, all the men in the room looking at him and Zoro with wide eyes.

A voice piped up from the back, "It's Bloody Sla-". The voice cut itself off with a hand over the mouth before it sounded again, louder this time, "Get em' boys!".

Zoro and Luffy smiled at each other before the swordsman reached over and grabbed Usopp before he could sneak out of the broken entrance, "We decided on this job together... You gotta fight, too.". He smirked when the boy began to sulk but he stopped resisting and let the swordsman push him into place with his back against his and Luffy's.

Usopp wiped away his scared look as loud yells approached him, pulling out his slingshot. His hand shook slightly but he steadied it. After all, he was one of Merry's Terrible Trio, this wasn't his first rodeo.

"Mind if we join?", Johnny and Yosaku asked, already walking through the broken entrance with their weapons out.

Zoro smirked at the two, the yelling in the room somehow getting even louder, "The more the merrier."

Luffy looked at the men approaching with a smile, baring his fist. He still couldn't use haki but that didn't mean he hadn't grown. Before the men could get too close, the straw-hatted boy's grin widened, his fist cracking through the air.

"PISTOL!".

"Order up!", Sanji yelled, hitting the bell on the counter. He danced through the other chefs, back to his station, and pulled off his apron, hanging it up on the wall, "Patty, I'm takin' a smoke break. You and Carne cover for me for the next twenty or so.".

The blond opened the door without even waiting for a response and stepped out into the nice and cool winter air. His hand reached into his coat and he leaned over the railing, pulling out a box of cigarettes. Opening it, he plucked one out and placed the white stick in his mouth. He lit the cigarette and took a deep pull, letting the nicotine-infused smoke settle in his lungs for a moment before smoothly blowing it out

It had been two months since his adventure with Luffy, Zoro, and... He almost lost track of his thought as his goddess, Nami, flashed in his mind. The chef let himself be immersed in his imagination of the girl for a moment before he shook his head and thought on the time he'd been back. He'd talked with Zeff. It was the first thing he'd done after he'd arrived, setting his stuff down and marching straight to the man's quarters. He'd given his choice and the geezer hadn't said much, other than 'bout damn time you got your head outta your ass.'.

Surprisingly, after that, the last two months had been about as smooth as could be. The blond's work in the kitchen had gotten even better since he'd been back... He just felt so connected to it for some reason and the better he became, the stronger the feeling got.

Sanji reached into the other side of his coat and pulled out some papers, unfolding them. Someone had left a local newspaper in the restaurant and the headline had caught his eye, so he grabbed it before it could be thrown away. At the top of the paper in bold letters were the words 'Merry's Terrible Trio Strikes Again!' and now that he had more time to look, he realized that he knew two of the people in the picture.

The chef's eyes widened as he read through the article. So, Luffy and Mosshead had been bounty hunting. There was even a third member that he didn't know. He looked closer at the picture and tried to remember if he'd seen the long-nosed kid anywhere but shook his head. He'd have remembered a nose like that... He got back to the article and finished reading through it before tucking the newspaper back into his coat, looking back out to sea. The vast expanse of water consuming his vision made him think of the All Blue... He was excited to become a pirate.

That thought, in turn, made Sanji wonder when his future captain might be there to pick him up...

He hoped Nami was with him by then.

Zoro held his palm in front of his eyes and closed them, slowly bringing his enhancement forth.

The swordsman felt the heat, which he now knew was called haki, flow through his system and begin to coalesce in his hand. The energy continued to gather before popping out of existence, leaving his skin cool and hard to the touch. His eyes drifted back open, looking at the extremity now enhanced all the way down to the middle of his forearm. He was getting better.

Zoro loosened his grasp on the energy and felt his haki fade away, his eyes glancing down at the white-hilted sword resting in his haramaki.

The blade had taught him a lot... It sounded strange but it was the truth. Through Wado, he'd learned he could cover his katanas with haki and he'd been training to do just that. However, it was harder with the other two blades. Wado had basically covered itself with the power back then, not the other way around. It was easy to do it with the sword because it was basically doing all the work.

At first, Wado would sap him dry of haki every time he tried to use the power while holding it but, eventually, he figured it out. The harder he pushed to stop his blade the more it seemed to drink so, instead, he began to let the energy flow. Instead of pushing against the current, he directed it to circulate back into himself. The process still consumed energy but at least he wasn't bereft of all stamina every time he wanted to use haki and Wado Ichimonji at the same time.

His thoughts left the white-hilted blade as his eyes shifted to the other katanas in his belly warmer. The verdet's gaze slipped past Kitetsu and landed on the third blade resting in its sheath. It had a cross-guard as well now.

Both of the additions were courtesy of a certain blacksmith and Zoro smirked to himself thinking of the shock on the man's face when he'd walked through the door of his shop… Or lack thereof…

A familiar bell rang as Zoro and Usopp walked through the door of Brewer's Blades.

It was by complete chance that they were back on East Lodestone and Zoro thought he might as well pay Saul a visit. Surely the man had missed him…

The three bounty hunters had been chasing rumors of a bounty by the name of Setsuko the Vile and in their pursuit of the man, they happened to find themselves back on the island. They didn't know much about the criminal, or if he was even still there, but they did happen to hear how he got his name. And he had indeed earned it… Vile almost didn't do him justice… Most of the crimes he committed involved women and children and that was all that really needed to be said…

As soon as they'd stepped foot on land, Zoro had headed toward the man's shop, and Usopp had chosen to go with him, his reasoning being that he'd never seen a blacksmith's shop before. They'd decided that they would look for info on their bounty along the way, it wasn't a visit for leisure, after all. However, the swordsman still thought it was a good opportunity to see how the old blacksmith was doing.

Luffy had separated from the two much earlier, splitting off to head in the direction of the forest. He'd said he wanted to find the old man he'd met and maybe look for the Forest Lord's cave as he didn't really get to explore it last time. Zoro and Usopp had tried to remind him that they were there for a job but he'd just waved them off and went on his way.

"Gimme a sec.", a deep gruff voice said, the pinging of a metal hammer ceasing and being replaced by heavy footsteps.

Zoro smirked to himself, waving along Usopp while he approached the counter. He'd missed the place. He honestly never thought he'd be back but he was glad he was wrong about that.

"You used to work here?", the long-nosed teen asked in wonder, looking around the shop at all the weapons. His eyes found the armor stands in the center and they lit up, his feet carrying him directly toward them. The armor was way too cool to not get a closer look!

The verdet watched the other boy in amusement, continuing his way toward the register, "Yeah. Me and Luffy were here for about a month and this is where I stayed.".

"Just you?", the long-nosed teen asked, curiously, removing one of the samurai helmets from a mannequin to try it on, "What about Luffy?".

Zoro laughed at the question because the answer was so absurd. "He spent his month here with a pack of wolves, apparently.", he answered, laughing at his companion's reaction

Usopp gaped from underneath the samurai helmet on his head. Sure, it was Luffy… But a pack of wolves?! That sounded crazy! He went to comment but his thought was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and heavy footsteps making their way into the area.

"What can I do ya fo-", Saul stopped himself when he saw who was in his shop. It was a face he hadn't honestly expected to see in person again. He'd seen the kid in the news a couple of times, unsurprisingly, but he didn't expect him to come back to East Lodestone. "The hell are you doin' here, brat?", he asked, eyes turning to the long-nosed kid standing amongst his mannequins. "He with you?", the blacksmith questioned, pointing in Usopp's direction. He'd seen that one in the paper too… Kind of hard to forget that nose.

"Good to see you too, Saul.", the verdet scoffed. He should have expected the man to react the way he had, as in basically not at all. "And, yeah, he's with me.", he answered, approaching the register, "We're looking for a bounty and heard some rumors that he might be somewhere on this island.".

"Take that damn thing off. You look like an idiot.", Saul grunted, addressing Usopp who still had the helmet on. The comment garnered a light chuckle from Zoro and the blacksmith turned back in his direction, the long-nosed teen drooping his head in depression. "Who're ya lookin' for?", he asked. He hadn't heard anything going around the rumor mill the past couple of weeks.

Zoro thought for a moment trying to remember the name before Usopp spoke up in his stead, placing the samurai helmet back on the mannequin, "Heard anything about a Setsuko the Vile?".

Saul's gaze shifted to the long-nosed boy, "Nah, doesn't sound familiar. I can ask around if the two of you are stayin' for a while, though.". His eyes moved back to Zoro, his lips growing into a smirk, "I'll even let you stay here again if you don't mind doin' a little hard labor.".

The swordsman thought about the offer for a moment before replying. They would likely be waiting on Luffy to make it back from the forest anyways... "That's good with me. Luffy should be gone for at least a day or two.", he turned toward the teen standing next to him, "Usopp?".

Usopp also took some time to think about it before deciding that the deal didn't sound too bad. He didn't mind working if he had food and a bed. Plus, Saul probably knew where to look for information on their bounty. It was kind of a win, win. "Sounds alright to me.", he replied. He glanced back at the suit of armor, longingly, before turning his back to it and walking to stand beside Zoro, his head hanging in depression. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do... The armor was so cool...

"I don't need the two of you today but you'll be working your asses off tomorrow, I can promise you that.", informed Saul, smirking. The boys weren't ready for what he had in store. His gaze shifted back to Zoro and he couldn't help but think that he'd grown up a bit. He looked stronger and not just in a physical sense, even though he was definitely a little bigger than he used to be.

The man's eyes glanced down to the verdet's haramaki and he saw three blades resting there. He knew two of the katanas for sure and now that he had a closer look, he was pretty sure he knew the third one as well. However, it was strange seeing it, as he was sure he'd never see it again. "That katana.", he said, pointing at the blade without a sheath, "Where'd you find it?".

Zoro glanced down and was surprised to see the man pointing at the sword he'd taken from Mad Treasure's hoard. "This?", he asked, pulling the blade out and presenting it to the blacksmith.

Saul deliberately nodded his head

"I found it with some pirate treasure.", the swordsman replied simply, eyeing the blacksmith curiously, "You seen it before?".

Saul took the katana from Zoro's hands and examined it closely. It was missing its tsuba and the original black wrappings of the hilt were covered by white instead. They were probably ripped off if he had to guess. It was nothing like it was back in the day. "Seen it?… I made the damn thing.", he stated, smirking at the shock on the verdet's face.

"You made it?", Zoro asked incredulously. No wonder the blade had a voice… But what were the chances?

"A very long time ago. It used to be mine, actually.", the blacksmith chuckled, "Was never very good with it... Wore it more for looks than actual fighting... It's a good blade though.".

The verdet gaped slightly, "Why the hell was it in a pile of treasure and not with you then?".

Saul thought on the words for a moment. "Lost it on the battlefield, actually.", he eventually answered, thinking back to a time long ago, "I told you I was never really a fighter and it was during a battle when I learned that.". The old man sighed. He'd been young and stupid. He'd thought he was invincible with that blade in his hand because of the way he'd made it… It helped him become strong in his heyday but apparently nowhere near strong enough. Especially not in the face of the monster he'd met that day... He shook his head, banishing the thoughts. No need to get caught up in the past.

"Did you name it?", Zoro asked. Now that he knew who it was made by, he wondered if he'd given it a name.

The greying man thought about the question for a moment. The katana had a name but the blade wasn't the same as it was back then, he could tell. It had changed in the time since he'd wielded it. "Kyōka Suru.", Saul eventually said, "But that's not its name anymore.".

Zoro and Usopp both looked at the man curiously. What exactly did he mean by that?

"It's a different blade now.", the blacksmith explained, still examining the weapon, "It's shed its old name... It needs a new one." He looked up at the verdet and their eyes met, "And I think you should give it one.".

The Zoro gaped at the man. He wanted him to name a blade that he'd made?

Saul laughed at the expression on the boy's face, turning away from him and beginning to walk back to the forge. The sword needed a sheath and a cross-guard and he would give it both, "I'm gonna fix this baby up for ya real nice. In the meantime think of a good name for it.". His eyes glanced at the other boy, Usopp if he remembered correctly, and they landed on his green slingshot, a thought coming to his head. "Ever thought about a wrist brace?", he asked, pointing at the weapon.

Usopp scrambled for a moment, not expecting to be addressed but eventually found his voice and replied, "No, not really. It's got a pretty good draw length already, so I never really thought about it.".

"I can double it without any loss of accuracy.", the man said simply, holding his hand out for the weapon to be placed in.

The long-nosed teen paused for a moment in thought. It probably wouldn't hurt... Although, he was a little reluctant to let a stranger handle his prized slingshot...

Eventually, he acquiesced and placed the weapon in Saul's hand, the blacksmith giving a satisfied grunt as he turned to walk to the forge room. "This shouldn't take too long. In the meantime, get settled in and start thinking of a new name for this katana, brat.", he said over his shoulder.

Zoro and Usopp watched the man walk into the forge with the same thought in mind. This was certainly not how they expected things to play out.

As Zoro examined the katana he couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way Saul's skilled hands had breathed new life into the blade, transforming it into a thing of beauty.

It was now adorned with a sheath of ebony wrappings, the hilt too was cloaked in the same darkness. A rectangular cross-guard separated the hilt and the sheath, its shape perfectly aligned with the edge and mune of the blade. The edges of the tsuba glinted with a gilded glow, while the center was a deep, inky black. Each corner of the tsuba boasted smaller rectangles, connected to the main shape by their corners. Yet, only the corners were filled in, leaving the rest of the rectangles empty. This created an intricate interplay of negative space that served to highlight Saul's exquisite craftsmanship.

The sword still didn't 'speak' very often but it had proven itself to be a good blade nonetheless. It was a quiet one, very unlike the excitable Kitetsu III or the calm Wado Ichimonji. It almost never spoke even though he knew it could. It had taken him some time but he eventually thought of the name for his blade and he thought it fit very well. He'd chosen the name of Kajiya. It meant something close to 'blacksmith' and Zoro thought of it as an homage to the man who'd originally made it.

The swordsman looked up from the blade, suddenly being shaken out of his thoughts by Luffy's loud voice.

"Woah!... Zoro! Usopp!", the straw-hatted boy yelled from the helm, pointing his finger at something in the distance, "Look at how long that bridge is!".

Three months had passed and the only emotions Nami had felt in that time were anger and rage. She'd reverted back to hating pirates with every fiber of her being and it was all his fault. Everything was always his damn fault... The damn blue-skinned monster... She thought back to the day the rage had settled in her heart and it somehow made the feeling fester even more.

"You wouldn't happen to be… Nami… Would you?", asked Nezumi, a slimy smile cemented on his face.

The orangette paled at the question, frozen in place on the ground. Why would the Marines be looking for her?… The man continued to stare and she didn't like the look blooming on his face. She didn't think it was a look a marine should ever wear. "… N-No. I don't know who that is…", the orangette replied, a slight stutter to her voice.

The rat-like man didn't move his piercing gaze, looking at the orangette with contempt as he approached, "Don't lie to me, girl. You could get into some serious trouble for that.". Nezumi's smile reverted to its slimy state of being while he repeated his question, "Now, I'll ask you again… Are you Nami?".

Nami watched him reach toward one of her sacks of treasure and scrambled back toward the tree whose root she'd tripped over, hugging the cloth as tightly as she could. Her heart was practically beating out of her chest. Why would this man be looking for her? And why had he reached toward her treasure like he'd known what it contained? "I told you already, my name's not Nami!", the girl exclaimed desperately, wildly looking around the area. She searched for a way out of the situation but couldn't find one, as she was completely surrounded by men in white.

Nezumi's face was taken over by anger once again and he stood to his feet, approaching the orangette with a scowl, "I told you not to lie to me, you little brat.". He went to discipline her for the blatant disrespect but thought better of it, a sly plan coming to his mind. He was going to get the gold from her and he was taking all of it. What Arlong didn't know wouldn't kill him…

The thought sent a giddy smile to the man's lips. "I apologize for my tone, young lady. I'm only worried for your safety.", the rat-faced man said, in an attempt to get the girl to let her guard down.

Nami's eyes continued to widen and the speed at which her heart was now beating couldn't be healthy. This marine captain was lying straight to her face... She'd been lying for her entire life so it wasn't too difficult to determine when someone was trying to deceive her. The only question was why... Why would an officer of the Navy be trying to trick her?

"You see, the people of Cocoyashi Village called my base with a missing person's report for a girl by the name of Nami.", Nezumi began, his smile widening, "And you just so happen to fit their description of her, perfectly.".

It was another lie, the orangette just knew it, but what could she say? The man obviously knew who she was. However, the people of Cocoyashi would've never called the Marines on her behalf… They knew whose crew she'd joined all those years ago and she was sure they hated her for it. They would have never done what Nezumi was saying they had… But, again, there was nothing she could do! Her eyes shifted to the bags she held. The gold was still technically stolen, but it was from a pirate so maybe…

"Fine! Yes, my name's Nami!", the girl yelled in frustration, more at the whole situation than the man asking her the question, "And I'm not missing! So tell whoever asked you to find me that I'm perfectly fine.". She had a sneaking suspicion about who it could have been and the thought was making her stomach curl something fierce.

Nezumi's smile reached a point where Nami thought the corners of his mouth would come off his face, and she wasn't completely sure why, but it scared her. The marine captain was planning something, she could see it in his eyes... She hugged the cloth sacks closer to her body if that was even possible.

"I'm so glad you are ok… Nami", the rat man said, slowly approaching the girl still trying to distance herself from him, "I was very worried.".

Nami stared up at him and he stopped just in front of her, bending to crouch down. Before she could react, he pulled a knife out of his belt and stabbed it into one of the cloth bags she was holding, glittering jewels and gold spilling out of the hole. She scrambled to hide the treasure and stop it from coming out of the bag, but the damage had already been done.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk.", chastized Nezumi, "And what have we here?". The man looked at Nami with his disgusting smile still cemented in place, "I hate to make assumptions but… This wouldn't happen to be… Stolen?... Would it, Nami?".

The orangette paled at the words. There was almost no way out of the situation. This marine captain knew who she was and for some reason, he also seemed to know about the treasure. How he knew, she wasn't sure... She scrambled to find a good excuse but could only come up with one. "It's stolen from a criminal!", Nami desperately yelled. It was a flimsy excuse at best but what else could she say?! How else was she supposed to explain why she had two cloth sacks filled with gold and jewels?

"And does that make it any less illegal?", Nezumi questioned with his ever-present smile.

"Of course it does! It wasn't taken from anyone who'd originally owned it! I stole already stolen goods!", as soon as the words left her mouth she realized how it sounded. In her head, it made sense as a solid argument but hearing it out loud changed her mind. She could already see how the man would spin the words and it was making her angry. She was about to lose her means of purchasing Cocoyashi… Maybe… Maybe if she tried to reason with him, she could make him understand.

"Please, sir! It's for my village.", she begged, "A pirate is holding it hostage and the only way to make him let it go is to pay him! Please, just let me go! There are people suffering and I can stop it with this treasure!". She put every ounce of emotion she had in her body into the words. She needed him to understand.

"Now, now, Nami. I told you not to lie to me.", the rat man responded, standing and motioning to his men, "Confiscate those bags and move them to my ship.". He looked at her with his greasy smile, "Fortunately for you, since these goods were stolen from criminals, I won't be putting you under arrest. However, they are still technically stolen from their original owners... So I will be taking them.".

The orangette hugged her treasure closer as the men approached, "It's not a lie! Please! The pirate's name is Ar-".

"You aren't hiding any other stolen goods around this area, are you?", Nezumi interrupted glancing around the area. He cared not for the screaming girl, he only wanted her to shut up. Her cries were beginning to annoy him, "And don't even thi-".

"NO!", Nami screamed as the men surrounding her began to try and pull the treasure from her arms, "PLEASE STOP! I'M BEGGING YOU! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!".

The orange-haired girl desperately pleaded with the men but none of them seemed to be affected by her words and, eventually, her means of freeing her village was ripped from her grasp, "GIVE IT BACK! PLEASE, GIVE IT BACK! I JUST WANT TO FREE MY VILLAGE!... DON'T ANY OF YOU CARE?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MARINES! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HELP PEOPLE! NOT TAKE FROM THEM!". Tears were falling from her eyes in waves. How could she have come so close and this be the result? How was this fair? It was supposed to be pirates that ruined things, not the Marines… Was she the only person in the world that she could trust?

A trio of boys flashed behind the orangette's eyes but she was too distraught to even notice them, her depressing line of thinking continuing uninterrupted.

"SHUT UP!", Nezumi shouted, glaring at the sobbing girl, "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION, BRAT! NOW GIVE ME THE ANSWER I WANT TO HEAR!".

"I SAID NO, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!", Nami yelled back, her tears falling even faster. Why did her life have to be one long series of unfortunate events? It wasn't fair! What did she do to deserve all this?

The marine captain growled at the disrespectful words but, as much as they made him want to strike the one who'd uttered them, he stayed his hand, turning away from the orangette. Arlong wouldn't be happy if he damaged his goods. He was done with her… For now.

Two heavy cloth sacks dropped at Nezumi's feet and he grinned at the sound they made, looking into both of them with glee. He was going to be rich!

Nami continued to bawl, looking at the man through her hot tears with nothing but pure contempt.

The marine captain stood and pointed at the bags, gesturing for the men to pick them back up, "Alright, let's move out men. Our job here is done.".

The orange-haired girl didn't even have the mental capacity to realize how strange those words were, she only continued to watch in agony as her means of freeing her people moved further and further away from her.

Nezumi smiled one last disgusting smile, "We'll be back, so you better not have been lying to me. If you were, I'll be confiscating any other stolen goods I find.". The rat man turned away and followed behind his men toward where their ship was docked, his vision shifting through the trees. He looked around the forest with a critical eye, whispering to himself, "It can't be that hard to find a hundred million berries… I know it's around here somewhere.".

As Nami despondently watched the men walk away with her treasure, she barely heard the man's words but they made her blood boil to the point she thought she would die from the amount of rage flowing through her... A hundred million berries was a very specific number and there would only be one reason he was looking for that amount specifically… There was only one other person that knew about her deal with Arlong and that was the man himself… If Nezumi somehow knew as well…

The orangette couldn't take it, her rage somehow continuing to burn hotter and hotter. If she didn't let it out she felt like she would literally explode.

Nami turned toward the wood against her back and began to ram her fists into the bark as fast and hard as she could. She cared not for the ripping of her skin or the blood profusely pouring from her knuckles. She only cared about smashing in the blue face superimposed onto the large tree. She hated him. She hated him with every fiber of her being.

The girl felt one of her knuckles crack and screamed into the air, her voice filled with anguish.

"ARRRLOOONNNG!".

Nami had made her way straight to Arlong Park on a war path but it ended the same as it always did... So, she was basically back in the same place as before. Actually, it was probably worse, now... At least back then she thought the fishman would keep his word… She wiped away the thoughts before the tears of frustration hit and leaned her back against the edge of her small ship, letting the rain hit her face. She was tired of being angry... It was exhausting.

The girl thought back to a better time, as she did a lot these days, trying to smile at the memories she'd made on the Merry, but just couldn't quite find it in herself. It did make her wonder though... It made her wonder how they were doing.

"We'll be waiting.", came Luffy's voice from over the girl's shoulder. "None of us know why you have to go...", he said softly, "But I want you to know something.". The three boys lifted their hands and her shoulders were grasped by someone. "Once you're done doing whatever it is you need to.", the straw-hatted boy turned her to face the group, "You're gonna be my navigator.".

Nami wanted to smile at the memory. She wanted to smile at it so badly... If only the word pirate didn't hang over it like a cloud of toxic rain... However, she still couldn't bring herself to hate the friends she'd made while she was on the Merry, even if they wanted to be the same thing as the scum of the earth that ruined her life. Or maybe it was more appropriate to say scum of the sea.

She wiped the thoughts away, trying to think of other things, until something else that had been bothering her crossed her mind.

As she watched droplets of water fall from the sky, try as she might... She couldn't feel them anymore, no matter how hard she tried, and she didn't understand why... She missed the feeling of closeness they filled her with... The same feeling she associated with her three wayward idiots... The orangette shook her head and looked out over the helm of the boat, her vision blurred by the rain. It was a double-edged sword thinking of them. On one hand, they were a part of some of her favorite memories. On the other hand, they were going to be pirates...

Nami shut her eyes tightly, screaming her frustration into the air as thunder cracked in the background, her boat rocking violently in the choppy waters of the sea.