I'm really sorry for not updating for so long! Life kind of hit me and I had too much going on.
Also, I really struggled with this chapter. I rewrote it like five times and it never felt right. I still don't really like it.
Well, actually, I have written almost all the first drafts for everything that happens before Luffy's journey starts, but I'm struggling with the editing.
Would anyone like to work with me on the editing?
I mean like someone who gives me a second opinion/perspective on things to discuss ideas and tell me if certain things are just stupid or how they would/could work and things like that. If anyone would be interested in that sort of thing, please tell me.
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While the party was in full swing, Zoro sat at a table with Nami, her family, Shanks, and a few of the Red-Hair pirates. People around them were playing music, drinking, laughing and just having a good time.
Subconsciously Zoro kept glancing in the direction of the tied-up fishmen. Forcing himself to look back at the people around him, Zoro's gaze drifted back to Nami. She was smiling and was surrounded by her family. It was a wholesome sight, and Zoro should have been happy for her, yet he was wrestling with doubt. What if his actions caused Nami to not join Luffy's crew in the future?
Luffy wouldn't worry about that, Zoro reminded himself, wishing he was able to drink and quiet his mind.
Time and time again, Zoro had witnessed the way Luffy turned the impossible into reality. His captain's optimism was unshakable, no matter how dire a situation seemed. Everything would work out. This belief had carried them through countless battles.
Zoro's mind cynically added, Except in the end...
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"What's going to happen with the fishmen now?" Nami's question broke through Zoro's inner turmoil.
"We'll call the marines to arrest them, of course," replied Bellemere.
Absentmindedly, Zoro nodded. Then Arlong would be back in Impel Down, where he belonged, and where he would still be if Jinbe hadn't freed him.
Jinbe! He had only recently become a warlord. A position he accepted to free Arlong, whom he viewed as a brother. It would hurt Jinbe to see Arlong imprisoned again. Especially so soon.
"Do you have to?" Zoro's head shot up, and he looked at Bellemere with wide eyes.
Bellemere turned to him; her brow furrowed in confusion. "Of course. Why wouldn't I do that?"
Zoro hesitated. Don't act suspiciously!, he thought. It wasn't like he wanted Arlong to go free. Arlong was an asshole who had enslaved Nami and the whole village – Or would have, if Zoro hadn't showed up. Other than his connection to Jinbe, there wasn't anything redeeming about Arlong. Not even in the extra information from the story.
His eyes flicked back to Bellemere, who was watching him impatiently.
Bellemere lifted her eyebrows. "He has to be punished for his actions."
"Turning him in would just confirm his beliefs," Zoro replied, already regretting that he started this conversation.
"So? What would you suggest instead? Letting him go?", Bellemere shot back.
Clearly, she was not buying Zoro's halfhearted attempt of providing a convincing argument. Zoro's mind raced. Rubbing his hands over his face, he said, "I don't know but if the marines take him, it might turn into a bigger conflict."
Bellemere's eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinizing him but also trying to understand why Zoro brought this up after saving her. As he held her gaze, he saw a flicker of something in her eyes—an idea taking shape.
"I want to try something," she said with finality.
Curious gazes followed her as she stood up and walked to the group of fishmen.
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To take some time to think, Bellemere sat down on a log in front of them.
Fuming, Arlong tried to bite through the sea stone chains that bound him, a material too hard even for Arlong's shark teeth. His frustration turned into a stream of insults directed at Bellemere.
"You pathetic worm!" Arlong spat, "You think you've won? You think this changes anything?"
Bellemere didn't react and just kept looking at the fishman with a blank face. She wasn't about to let his anger rattle her.
Arlong's insults grew more vicious. "You're just a weakling! Powerless and dependent on others!"
The words hit close to her insecurities. For a while, she had been feeling like she wasn't doing a good enough job at providing for Nami and Nojiko. In addition to his curses, Nami's words from that morning still echoed in the back of her mind.
Fighting to remain calm, she leaned forward. Her elbows rested on her knees as she studied Arlong's face. His eyes were wild with fury, and his teeth bared in a snarl. He was dangerous, that much was clear, but Bellemere saw something else there too—a glimpse of desperation. Maybe the green-haired boy was right. "Arlong. Why do you hate humans so much?"
Full of contempt, Arlong sneered, "Humans are weak. We're just putting you back in your designated place."
"Has there ever been a human who didn't try to hurt you?", Bellemere pressed on, refusing to be intimidated.
Arlong's eyes flashed with surprise that was quickly replaced by anger. "What does it matter? Your kind is all the same!"
"That's not true," Bellemere said firmly, "Just like not all fishmen are the same."
The intensity of Arlong's rage flickered for a moment. Then, he roared with laughter, a harsh, mocking sound. "You're delusional! You think that would change anything?"
"I'm just trying to understand," Bellemere replied, her voice calm and steady, "What makes you any better than humans if you act just like those who have wronged you?"
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Arlong's growl was guttural, but the intensity of his fury seemed to wane slightly. "You're a fool."
The two of them stared at each other, the tension between them cackling like electricity. In the background, the distant hum of the villagers' celebration continued.
Burning with fury and contempt, Arlong glared at Bellemere, each moment stretching out as she held his stare.
"You should know that, instead of being tied up here, you could join the party", Bellemere said steadily.
"What?!" Arlong shouted, staring at her in disbelief.
Taking a deep breath, Bellemere maintained her calm, unyielding gaze.
"I don't want to join your damn party!" Arlong seethed, his voice dripping with venom.
"Too bad," Bellemere shrugged. "You can still change your mind at any time."
Arlong's scowl deepened with a mix of rage, and confusion.
With one final, lingering look at the seething fishman, Bellemere turned and walked away.
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"Guys," Shanks gestured to Bellemere as she approached, "Did you hear that?"
His question was met with confused looks from everyone around. Right, he thought, Bellemere had been so far away that only he had been able to listen with his Observation Haki.
Without further explanation, Shanks lifted as many glasses of beer and sake as he could carry. "We should move the party over there," he announced with a broad grin.
His crewmates exchanged curious glances. Ben Beckman shrugged and, along with Lucky Roux, hefted a large party table.
"What?" Genzo asked, jaw slacked in shock by the sudden decision.
Shanks turned to Bellemere, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "What do you think?"
Bellemere's brows furrowed as she considered the proposal. Then, a determined grin spread across her face. "Let's go," she nodded.
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"Hey, Arlong, let me introduce you to the locals," Shanks said, his tone carrying both authority and warmth.
Bellemere turned to the small, hesitant crowd behind them. "Let's try to show him and his crew some openness, despite their actions today."
The villagers exchanged wary glances, torn between their instincts to distrust the pirates and their respect for Bellemere. Genzo rallied a few villagers to carry benches and bring food and drinks over.
Despite the uneasy atmosphere, Shanks' crew settled into their seats around the table. They resumed their lively banter and laughter as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Their ease helped to slowly dissipate the tension.
With a gentle smile, Bellemere walked over to Arlong and held out one of the cups. "Are you sure you don't want to join?"
The fishmen looked stunned, their faces visibly full of disbelief and uncertainty. Some had wide eyes and slack jaws, while some exchanged uneasy glances. Arlong remained defiant. His scowl deepened as Bellemere's words hung in the air.
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It was Hachi who broke the tense silence. "Arlong, isn't this what Fisher Tiger and Queen Otohime always wanted, nyu?" His tentacled arms twitched nervously, as he looked to his captain.
Arlong's response was a low, menacing growl but refused to engage further.
"Would you mind explaining what you mean by that?" Bellemere asked sincerely but with a probing undertone.
Hachi glanced at Arlong to seek permission, who remained silent. The lack of acknowledgement gave no indication if he allowed Hachi to speak or not. Looking back to Bellemere, Hachi took a deep breath. His brows furrowed as he contemplated how he wanted to respond.
"You are too friendly," Hachi murmured to himself. Looking at both the villagers and his crew, he began recounting tales of Fishman Island, the horrors of the slave trade, and the legacy of Fisher Tiger.
As Hachi spoke, his words painted a vivid picture of his people's struggles and aspirations. The villagers listened intently with a mixture of shock, empathy, and sorrow.
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"Thank you for telling us", said Bellemere, her voice carrying the weight of sincerity and determination. "Do you want to celebrate with us?"
Hachi looked at Arlong again. His captain was clearly struggling, torn between the bitterness of his past and the unexpected kindness being shown to him now. After a long, tense moment, Arlong gritted out, "Do what you want."
With that reluctant acceptance, the fishmen were untied. Arlong's discomfort was obvious. His expressions were tight, and his movements guarded. For the first time—across this life, Zoro's previous one, and the information he had gotten from the story—Arlong looked utterly uncertain. Though, a moment later he got himself back together. He let out an exasperated growl and turned around.
The remaining fishmen froze.
Hachi looked between the shrinking form of his captain and the gathered group. "He didn't tell us to leave..."
Grinning Shanks took in onto himself to break the hesitation and unease with another round of beer and sake. Gradually, the villagers and pirates began mingling with the other Fishmen. Stories were exchanged, songs were sung, and the initial tension slowly melted away. Laughter echoed through the village, and the atmosphere became lively.
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With a cup of juice in his hands, Zoro sat on the side, observing the party. On one hand, Zoro was impressed by the way Bellemere had handled the situation with the fishmen. Asking Hachi to tell their story was something he would never have thought of. Others' pasts had never been significant to him. Yet here, the sight of the mingling villagers and fishmen spoke volumes about the effectiveness of Bellemere's approach.
On the other hand, doubts began to creep into Zoro's mind. His grip tightened slightly around his cup. After shaking his head, he spotted Nami amidst the crowd. She was talking to Hachi, laughing as he animatedly shared stories. The sight made Zoro smile and he decided to join them.
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Hachi enthusiastically recounted tales of the different islands they had visited during their journey. Nami hung on to his every word, her eyes sparkling with wonder and curiosity.
"You really like hearing about different islands, don't you?", asked Zoro.
Nami nodded eagerly. "Yes! It's my dream to draw a map of the whole world one day. I want to see every island."
"That's a good dream," Zoro said with a smirk. "My dream is to become the world's greatest swordsman."
"That's a big dream too!" Nami exclaimed.
"Yeah, but I will achieve it once I set sail with my Captain."
Nami tilted her head in curiosity. "What? Isn't Shanks your captain?"
"No", Zoro chuckled, shaking his head "Shanks helps me find a teacher. I want to be as strong as I can when I start the journey with my captain."
"That's weird," Nami commented, her brow furrowing. "Who is your captain?"
Zoro's eyes lit up as he began to tell her about Luffy and his dream to become Pirate King.
"Then you'll be sailing around the world and seeing tons of islands?" Nami's voice was filled with longing. Zoro could tell that she was imagining tons of distant islands and endless horizons.
"Sure," Zoro replied with a wide grin, "We'll even reach the final island on the Grand line. Only one crew got there before."
"Only one crew?", Nami repeated stunned.
Zoro nodded, "And we will be the next one's. You could come with us."
"But you're going to be pirates?" Nami frowned.
"Yeah?" Zoro raised on of his eyebrows.
"I will need to go there to complete my map," Nami explained hesitantly. "I can't be a pirate. My mom used to be a Marine."
"What's wrong with being a pirate?", Zoro asked.
Nami pondered the question. "Most pirates aren't good people. Why don't you become a Marine?" she asked with genuine curiosity, "You'd get training, ships and weapons."
Shaking his head slightly, Zoro replied, "My dream is to become the world's greatest swordsman. I need to be free to choose my battles and to travel wherever I want to. I can't be tied down by an organization."
Nami furrowed her brows thoughtfully, "I have to think about that."
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They stayed in Cocoyashi Village for a few more days. Not wanting to pressure Nami and potentially lead her more in the opposite direction, Zoro avoided bringing up the topic of her becoming a pirate again. Instead, he joined her as she surveyed the island, watching as she meticulously drew maps. Although Zoro had always known Nami was a talented navigator, this was the first time he truly appreciated the precision and skill involved in her work.
When Zoro had to leave with the Red Hair Pirates, he felt a pang of reluctance. The thought of leaving Nami behind, without knowing if she would join their crew in the future, didn't sit right with him. He couldn't help but wonder how Nami would change, now that she didn't have to go through her past trauma.