"Wow, these guys took out both Don Krieg, Buggy the Clown, and Kuro?" Nojiko said in shock after Nami and the Straw Hats explained things to her, Axol, and Ruby.
"Yep, I have reason to believe they could even beat Arlong. And honestly... I want to stay with them." Nami said. "Being part of their crew, it was the most fun I'd had in years! They call themselves pirates, but I've never met a bunch so unlike pirates."
"How did you even wind up falling in with a fishman pirate group in the first place?" Usopp asked.
Nojiko sighed as he looked over her tangeruine filed, tears stinging her eyes. "It was eight years ago in this village when we were living with her. Someone we'll never forget as long as we live. Her name was Bellemere."
The blue haired woman picked up a picture of a young woman with shaved red hair, smiling as she embraced a younger Nojiko and a toddler Nami.
"She was a Marine who saved us during a storm and took us in. She loved us, doted on us, raised us like we were as her own children.Then, the Arlong Pirates attacked." Nojiko said, fivghting back the memoires of the fishmen rampaging and causing havoc. "Arlong made a deal; for a tax per person we got to live."
"Oh, I don't like where this going." Ben grimaced.
"One day, mom was short on Berri. Nami tried to get an extension by showing that she could draw sea-charts.…"
Nami cut in.
"He grabbed me and Bellamere tried to save me…but…"
BANG!
The sisters could still hear the gunshot all these years later.
"..The last thing she said was that…" Nojiko tried, but no words came. "..That she…"
"That she loved us."
The others turned to see Nami, tears in her eyes, barely hidden by her knees. "And after I had screamed, she wasn't my real mother…."
Bamia and Penny gasped at this, and Ben suddenly looked down at his feet. Sanji took a long drag on his cigarette and Noir clenched her fists along with Ussop, who remembered his mother's last moments. Kirby gently hugged his leg and Kaya hugged her love to comfort him.
Draco, Sonson, Zoro and Kuina were silent, the New World Native and monkey girl's eyes furrowing in anger that was mirrored by Gin.
Luffy made his way over and opened his arms to hug Nami. A hug that was accepted.
"That was when I made my bargain with Arlong," Nami said. "I'd join his crew and write charts for him in exchange for money until I could amass 100 million Berris and buy back the village's freedom."
"A lot of the villagers were angry at Nami, wondering why she'd work for her mother's killer. Me, Genzo, and Dr. Nako were the only ones who knew the truth; Nami felt like this was the only way to help the village." Nojiko said.
"Eventually I decided maybe I could fast track it if I started stealing treasure from pirates." Nami finished.
"And then you ran into us," Draco noted.
"Why didn't you tell the villagers all this?" Luffy asked.
"Just stubborn I guess. Bellemere always hid her problems from us. She may not have given birth to me, but damned if I didn't turn out to be her daughter regardless." Nami admitted as she picked up the bag with the 100 million Berris. "I'll leave the rest here for the village. I need to deliver this before anything further can happen."
With that, Nami turned to deliver Arlong's funds, leaving the straw Hats with her sister, Axol and Ruby.
"So, what's your stake in this?" Noir asked
"Indeed; you don't seem like the warlord type." Bamia mused.
Axol looked down at his feet.
"Arlong's the closest thing I have to family." He admitted. "He saved me from a slave ship and has been there for me; the whole crew has. Yeah, they prefer it when I'm drawing their greatness or crew history, but…They're the only family I've ever known."
Bamia then looked at Ruby
"And yourself?"
"Yeah, I don't mean to pry, but…:" Kaya tried to find the right words. "You seem…"
"Like someone who comes from money? " Ruby smirked. "yeah I get that a lot. And apparently I do…..I just don't remember much. I woke up on their ship with Hatchi nursing me back. He says they found me floating in the sea, probably sperated from my family. We've tried to send messages to Fishman Island, the Sun and Macro pirates, anybody…but we never her back, So, I started doing some cleaning and maintence around the ship and they promoted me to cabin girl. Axol watches my back when he can and I do the same. The crew's never hurt us, but…"
Luffy, Bamia, Sonson, Ben and Draco all nodded, recalling their times with Dadan and her gang.
"So then how did you become friends?" Gin asked, a smirk on his face.
"Oh, I caught the little lizard working on a lovely portrait of me." Nojiko explained, delighting in making the lizard boy blush.
"And she always tells us stories of her adventures." Ruby cut added, just before a knock came to the door.
"You all better hide." Nojiko said, shooting Axol a look. Woithout a word, he drew his paintbrush and quickly painted over the Strawhats and himself, seeming to rend them invisible, although they could still hear:
"So what do the Marines want with Nami?" Genzo's voice was heard.
"Just a little inspection. Nothing to be concerned with." Nezumi's voice spoke up next.
Nojiko, concerned, looked out the window. Nezumi didn't run into Nami, but one of the officers with him did dig up the stash Nami had.
"This has been reported as stolen property, so we're confiscating it as government property," Nezumi explained.
The group was confused as Nezumi gave out a list. There was no mention of any of Shells Town, Orange Town, or Syrup Village. Ben heard a rustling, then dashed to the other window and spotted Fullbody fleeing through the grove.
"Hey, isn't that Fullbody?" Noire noted as she recognized Fullbody along with Ben.
"Something's not right..." Draco muttered. "You guys wait here, I'm going to head to Arlong Park."
"Be safe, Friend Draco!" Penny said.
-OP-
Unaware of Nezumi's treachery, Nami delivered the payment to Arlong.
"100 million Berris, as we agreed."
Arlong chuckled. "Gotta say, I'm impressed. I'll have my men announce that Cocoyashi Village no longer needs to pay the protection fee. However, there's also something else I've been-"
"Captain Arlong!" Kuroobi called out as he emerged from the water. "I overheard the Marines talking about an investigation into our informant Nezumi!"
"Have they found out about our agreement?" Arlong asked.
"Yes, but that's not the bad part; Nezumi's planning on double-crossing us!" Kuroobi said. "He went to steal Nami's payment for her village hoping to keep us confined to these islands so he can keep getting paid."
"What?! And here I thought he was smart! But it seems I underestimated his greed." Arlong snarled before pausing. "But hold on... Nami just finalized the payment, so what did he steal?"
Nami gasped in realization. "I actually brought back 200 million from my trip. The other half was meant to help the village get back on its feet. That bastard!"
"Sir, Draco has returned!" Chew alerted as he came over.
"He must have seen Nezumi's dirty deed," Arlong realized, letting out a sigh. "Let him in. There's a lot that needs to be explained."
Draco walked into the park, a grim look on his face. Once he explained what had happened, Arlong scoffed.
"I bribed that greedy rat with a cut of the profits every month so we could continue business without issue. But I guess it wasn't enough for him."
"Something tells me it's time we settle some complications," Draco said.
-OP-
After talking with Arlong, Draco returned to the rest of the crew to report what they had discussed.
"We're being challenged to a Davy Back Fight."
"The heck's that supposed to be?" Zoro asked.
"I agree with Friend Zoro. This is something I've never heard of." Penny chimed in.
"It's something of a pirate tradition. A means by which pirate crews can bolster their numbers by conscripting members of other pirate crews." Usopp explained.
"It was created so that stronger pirate crews could take on new members without bloodshed. The tradition goes all the way back to the time of the Rocks Pirates, the predecessors to Roger's era." Draco added.
"…The who Pirates?" Gin, Kaya, Sanji and Noir asked, Kirby also looking confused.
"Rocks." Ben repeated. "A right group of bastards, scumbags and harpies if what Draco says is true."
Draco sat down to explain.
"Long ago, my dad, Big Mom, Kaido, Shiki the Golden Lion and a whole bunch of other big names came together under a man named Rocks D. Xebec, who had one goal: Become King of the world. And before you write him off? According to dad? He almost won."
Everyone stiffed at that.
"The Government covered him up and the crew itself was so bloodthirsty and chaotic, dad and the others don't like talking about those years."
"…How bad we talking?" Gin asked. This Rocks was sounding like Krieg thought he was but dialed up to 11.
"They regularly broke the one rule of a pirate ship. Daily in fact." Draco bluntly said.
"No killing crewmates." Ussop guessed, getting a nod.
"Honestly, I'm surprised how well adjusted some of the Big Mom pirates are, considering what dads says they probably saw…" Draco added under his breath.
"And this guy was strong enough to keep them all in line until…" Sonson recalled, she, Ben, and the Monkey siblings ahven't heard this tale before.
"The God Valley incident." Luffy cut in, shocking everyone.
"The event that made grandpa a hero." Bamia added in.
"Like I said, dad doesn't like to talk about it." Draco took over. "But 40 years ago, the Rocks pirates attacked the World Nobles and their slaves on an island we can't find on any maps anymore. Roger and Garp showed up and the next thing everybody knows? Rocks is dead and the crew is scattered."
The air was thick for a moment before Draco then finished.
"But to my main point: The reason Rocks was abnle to recuirt so many powerful people was because of the Davy Back fights. Dad never partook in them to avoid losing any of his beloved crew members, but Big Mom and Kaido frequently make use of them to obtain whole crews without tearing apart the New World."
"According to Zeff, traditionally each crew that partakes in a Davy Back Fight sends in seven members each." Sanji pointed out. "Considering who we have with us, I'd say we have plenty of numbers."
"Though there is something we need to address," Bamia spoke up. "We can't have people joining our crew because they were forced to."
Luffy nodded. "Nami is one thing since we've pretty much accepted her as a crew member already. But we can't just dismiss any crew members we take on in this challenge either. It goes against the spirit of the Davy Back."
"We'll join!" two voices spoke up, revealing Ruby and Axol, happily raising their hands.
"This way, if you win, Arlong HAS to let us go, otehrwsie he'll be an insult to pirates." Axol noted.
"That and it'll be nice to see some variety in the crew." Ruby added.
"Cool!" Luffy grinned. "If things go smoothly, Axol and Ruby can come along as our Storyteller and Cabin Girl!"
"Ah, Cabin Girl, okay..." Ruby sighed.
-OP-
"Did you get the transmission?" Fullbody asked after returning to Commodore Purin's ship.
"Every word. Good work lieutenant." The Commodore nodded. "And we were able to evacuate the survivors of Gosa Village. However, it seems we need to wait a bit to take disciplinary action against Nezumi."
"Sir, those upstart rookies are being challenged to a Davy Back Fight from what I've heard," Fullbody spoke up. "If Nezumi tries anything during the Davy Back, we can use that as an excuse to detain him."
"Not a bad idea," Purin agreed as he looked over to Arlong Park. "Looks like the residents of Cocoyashi are sitting in the audience. Let's see how this plays out."
-OP-
As the rules for the Davy Back were being read out, Luffy couldn't help but notice Genzo and the pinwheel attached to his hat. Once the rules were finished, Luffy and Arlong each fired a pistol into the air to seal the agreement. They each then threw three coins into the water to leave an offering for Davy Jones.
"Rumor has it that Davy Jones still sails the seas," Ben said to Penny. "They say he's a fearsome Squid Fishman with a crew of undead warriors at his beck and call."
"Oh my, how fascinating!"
"Come on, that's just an old ghost story." Kuina scoffed.
"The first round is a cooking competition!" Draco announced. "The chosen participants for this round are Sanji of the Straw Hat Pirate and Hatchan of the Arlong Pirates!"
"I wonder who they're cooking for." Usopp wondered, only to get his answer when a tremor shook the place and a giant cow-like Sea King emerged from the water. "Holy crap!"
"Momoo?" Nami asked, recognizing the Sea King. "His appetite might be bigger than Luffy's!"
"And that's saying something!" Sonson laughed.
"Momoo's not picky. He'll eat anything he thinks looks delicious." Hatchan explained. "So it's all a matter of which of our dishes he prefers the most."
"YOU CAN DO IT, SANJI!" Noire cheered.
Sanji smirked. "You'd better give the level of culinary skill I expect for someone with two extra sets of arms. Otherwise, I can't consider this a worthy challenge."
The duo got to work. Hatchan proved to possess a surprisingly great deal of culinary skill, despite normally just frying up a large animal to feed Momoo. But Sanji put his long experience as a chef to work, making a veritable feast, the smell of which actually got some people drooling and even Arlong could hear his stomach growling as a result.
They took a full hour to finish as many dishes as possible. Once the timer ran out, Momoo was allowed near the food. The big guy looked at them both but seemed to linger longer on Sanji's cooking. Finally, the Sea King devoured every dish Sanji had made, then dove back underwater.
"What just happened?!" Kuroobi asked in disbelief. "He didn't even touch Hatchan's cooking!"
"Sanji's meal was too filling. Momoo's fallen asleep." Hatchan noted as he checked over his pet.
"Too bad, He missed out on some pretty amazing cooking," Sanji said as he sampled Hatchan's cooking.
"Poyo!" Kirby cheered as he ran over and began gobbling up Hatchan's dish.
"Fortunately, our little friend Kirby is here to appreciate it." Sanji chuckled as Hatchan gratefully petted the pink puff on the head.
"Sanji wins the first match by default!" Ben declared. "Arlong Pirates, one of yours must defect!"
Axol raised his hand and moved over, giving a nod to Ruby that everything would work out. The Kraken Fishman girl returned the gesture, nobody noticing Nezumi and his officers arriving.
"What's going on over here?"
"We're not sure, sir. Looks like some outsiders are challenging Arlong for some reason." One of the officers noted.
Nezumi chuckled. "Well, it's fine. It's not like they can do anything. We'll just sit and watch for a bit."
"The next round will be between Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates and Chew of the Arlong Pirates!" Sonson announced. "The contestants will face each other in a shooting gallery across the island! First to hit a target earns a point, most points after ten minutes or all targets have been hit wins!"
"Good luck, Usopp," Kaya assured, kissing him on the cheek as he smiled and took a deep breath to prepare himself.
Nezumi smirked, an evil idea forming in his head as Usopp and Chew got prepared.
"Kill them both while they're competing. And make it look like they killed each other." He ordered his officers.
However, what Nezumi failed to take into account was that Penny had an exceptional sense of hearing and frowned as she took off into the air with her wings and jet boots to make sure each target was accounted for.
"This is going to be my chance to prove I can keep up with the others!" Usopp thought as he raced off. "I just need to put my marksmanship skills to good use and get to each target first!"
As he started claiming target after target, he noticed a Marine officer started to rise out of the bushes and start to take aim at him. Suddenly the officer was hit with a blue explosion. Usopp quickly realized it was the paint Chew was using to mark his targets, with Usopp using green. Chew smirked at saving Usopp but didn't notice another officer taking aim at him. Luckily Usopp did and knocked the officer out with a paint shot of his own.
"Never thought a human would save my life," Chew noted in surprise.
"Just repaying the favor. Besides, letting an opponent die would dishonor the spirit of the Davy Back." Usopp said.
"It was a close match," Penny said as she came back after ten minutes passed. "But after a careful count of the total targets, the winner of the second round is Usopp!"
"Sorry, Arlong, we got held up," Chew apologized. "That bastard rat captain tried to pull a fast one. We wound up having to save each other's hides."
"I'm amazed a human would be willing to help a fishman," Arlong admitted, "But at least you're still alive. Good work out there, Chew. Seems you only lost by two points."
Chew nodded. "That Usopp kid is fast. I could barely keep up. Had to use the local rice paddies to get a boost from the water."
Kaya and Kirby cheered as they hugged Usopp who happily returned the embrace as Ruby came over, shaking hands with Axol and Nami.
"And now the final round!" Draco called out. "As is tradition, the final match is a battle competition between the captains of both crews, Monkey D. Luffy of the Straw Hat Pirates and Saw Tooth Arlong of the Arlong Pirates!"
"We did Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who would face Arlong since there are four captains," Sonson explained. "Luffy somehow won."
"All tactics permitted, but killing your opponent is forbidden! The last one conscious wins!" Draco finished.
Arlong smirked as he and Luffy squared off against each other, the rubber straw-hatted boy gave a defiant glare toward the sawtooth shark fishman.
"I'll have to hold back a bit unless necessary. Normally when I fight a human, they die." Arlong said.
"Trust me...I'm not a normal human." Luffy said in a cool tone.
The two charged at each other but Luffy caught Arlong by surprise and twisted his body around before unwinding at high speeds.
"GUM-GUM PINWHEEL!"
Arlong screamed as he was sent flying headfirst right into Arlong Park, smashing through most of the first floor. He groaned as he picked himself up, thanking his lucky stars that Fishmen had a higher pain tolerance than humans but Luffy's attack still hit like a speeding boat.
"You seem plenty strong already. You could easily conquer the seas on your own." Arlong noted. "Sure I lead my brothers and sisters in revolution against the humans who persecuted us, but why do you bother with a crew?"
"I can think of several reasons," Luffy said as he and Arlong circled each other. "I'm terrible with resources, I'm a lousy cook, I can't navigate worth crap, I barely keep an eye on my surroundings, and I'll freely admit I'm not the smartest guy around. The only thing I can do is understand people. That's what makes me a Captain. No one can live without help, especially not me."
Those words seemed to hit Arlong much more than Luffy realized. It was beginning to make him wonder if he was truly acting like a captain the way Fisher Tiger did.
"But one way or another I am the captain now...So I might as well finish this fight like a captain!"
To everyone's shock, he ripped out his own teeth to act like brass knuckles, the teeth in his mouth regrowing almost instantly.
"Whoa, how'd ya do that?!" Luffy exclaimed.
"I'm a SHARK Fishman, remember?" Arlong smirked. "And anybody with a passing knowledge of marine life can tell you that sharks are able to regrow their teeth quickly, no matter how many get broken!"
Arlong lunged at Luffy but the boy took a stance, his muscles stiffening as he used Tekkai to block. Arlong was undeterred, replacing the damaged teeth with new ones but Luffy fluidly dodged the attacks with Kami-e.
"So you know Rokushiki, do you?!"
"Shishishishi! I have to thank Grandpa for that!" Luffy grinned before stretching his fist back. "GUM-GUM PISTOL!"
He slammed his fist into Arlong's jaw, sending him flying before slamming into the ground. Arlong got up and shook his head.
"I could easily win this fight in the water since he has a Devil Fruit. Heck, if this were a normal fight that's exactly what I'd do." He noted. "But this is a competition. Such a dishonest move would make it look like I have no confidence in my strength in or out of the water. However... There is one way I can use the water to my advantage!"
He quickly dove into the water and used his momentum from swimming to aim his edged nose right at Luffy.
"SHARK DARTS!"
Luffy braced himself as Arlong struck him headlong like a speeding torpedo, the two of them crashing into Arlong Park's top floor. As Luffy picked himself up, he looked around to see various maps strewn about. Arlong took advantage of Luffy's distraction to pick up his Shark Saw sword.
"This is what you've been having Nami do..." Luffy realized. "But aren't fishmen capable of navigating waters on their own?"
"On an instinctual level, yes. But it's one thing to gather data about the sea while you're swimming in it. It's another to map it out to chart a course from a ship." Arlong explained. "If there's one way in which humans are superior to fishmen, it's how accurately they can chart the seas. That's why we need to use Nami's talents. It's the only way we're going to take back what is ours!"
"Personally I couldn't care less what humans and fishmen think of each other. But outright hate is just stupid." Luffy said as he picked up a pen on a nearby desk. "It ignores how vast and diverse the world truly is. But regardless of how some humans treated you in the past..."
He threw the pen to the ground, showing that it was coated in dried blood. Arlong flinched when he saw the burning fury in Luffy's eyes.
"You've only been using Nami as a tool, not as a crewmate! You murdered the woman she saw as a mother, and then exploited her talents like it was no big deal! Nami... She's been our friend ever since Syrup Village... And I can't forgive anyone who would make her cry!"
Luffy kicked the desk right out of the office, much to everyone's shock. More and more stuff was sent flying out of the office, which only caused confusion.
"What are you doing?!" Arlong snapped.
Nami was watching in shock as she realized what Luffy was doing. He was deliberately destroying the office just to prove a point to Arlong. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she realized something. Arlong, for all he called Nami a friend, was only using her as a tool. A tool he thought he could buy off without concern for what she really felt. But Luffy was different. He seemed to understand her real feelings, and how much pain she had been in for the last eight years.
"I'll take out this entire damn park, and you with one attack!" Luffy declared, his leg stretching to its absolute limit.
"You fool!" Arlong roared as he dashed forward in a spiral. "SHARK TOOTH DRILL!"
He was in such desperation he failed to realize how undeterred his foe was, nore did he hear the roar of:
"GUM-GUM BATTLE AXE!"
Luffy proved faster as his foot came down hard, slamming into Arlong hard enough to break through every floor of Arlong Park, causing the whole place to crumble down. Nezumi was watching nearby, gobsmacked at the level of destruction.
"Get me a Transponder Snail! Quickly!"
"For what exactly, mate?"
Nezumi spun around in shock to see Ben there, casually leaning on one side.
"You see, a lovely little robot fairy told me and the lads and lasses that some Marine officers tried to interrupt the second contest. And from what I saw, they were aiming to kill." Ben smirked. "Now, I'm pretty sure there's a Marine policy to never interfere with a Davy Back Fight. Something even the most fanatical Vice-Admirals agree to."
Nezumi nervously began backing away as Ben began transforming into a large vampiric bat-like beast, his fangs glistening wickedly in anticipation of what he was about to do next.
"Any attempts to do otherwise...well, let's just say the offending Marines are left at the pirate's mercy...Savvy?"
A girly shriek of terror echoed throughout all of Cocoyashi Village, scaring away the birds and startling the people watching the Davy Back Fight.
"No need for alarm, everybody!" Draco assured. "Anyways, the winner of the third and final round of the Davy Back... Is Monkey D. Luffy of the Straw Hat Pirates!"
The villagers all cheered as they hugged each other. Luffy had climbed out of the rubble, his fist raised triumphantly as he held Arlong over his shoulder. Not without mercy, the Straw Hat Captain gave Arlong back to his crew as he regained consciousness.
"Let's get back to the ship, boys. I think we've overstayed our welcome. By several years..." The Saw Tooth Shark Fishman sighed as he and his crew swam off for their ship.
"LUFFY!" Nami cried as she ran up the rubble and tackled him to the ground in a hug, tears of joy in her eyes.
"I knew you could do it," Bamia said with a tiny ghost smile toward her brother.
"This calls for a party!" Noire cheered. "Sanji and I will provide the food and drinks!"
-OP-
"I want bounties on those brats!" A badly battered Nezumi squawked into a Transponder Snail. "Yes! FOUR Captains! I don't know why, but it doesn't matter! I want bounties on all of them ASAP!"
"Ouch, looks like we're slightly late to keep those kids from getting infamous. And after all the good they wound up doing for this village."
Nezumi's whiskered face paled as he shakily turned around to see Commodore Purin and Fullbody standing behind him.
"However, I don't think they'll mind, from the looks of it." Purin shrugged. "From what I hear pirates see having a bounty on their heads as a badge of honor."
"C-Commodore Purin!" Nezumi squeaked in fear. "F-Fancy meeting you here!"
Purin noted the officers still splatted with blue and green paint and grinned.
"We already had evidence that you were making an illicit deal with Arlong to exploit the archipelago. But this proves you were also conspiring to obstruct justice." The Commodore said with a glare. "You'll be sent for court martialing immediately!"
Fullbody smirked as he grabbed the terrified Nezumi and dragged him along, deciding to instill some final bits of fear into the corrupt soon-to-be-ex-captain.
"Hope you look forward to the gallows, rat. Because I'm pretty sure that's where you're heading when all this is over."
-OP-
Once the town had been cleaned up, the villagers decided to throw a party to celebrate their freedom after eight long years. Axol was happily drawing up pictures for the villagers depicting the Straw Hats' victory over the Arlong Pirates and Ruby was happily dancing with Kirby.
Nojiko smiled as she guzzled down a mug of ale without a care in the world. Nearby Bamia was feasting on the fried seafood from the buffet Sanji and Noire were cooking up.
"Hey, I saw the park in pieces!" Chabo said as he ran over. "Does that mean what I think it means!?"
"Yep, and honestly, I'm glad. Bellemere can finally rest." Nojiko smiled. "And Nami can finally get some peace."
"So where's the guy who beat Arlong?" Chabo asked.
Nojiko looked around, but surprisingly there was no sign of Luffy at the buffet.
-OP-
As it turned out, Luffy was currently with Nami at Bellemere's grave.
"I really have a lot to thank you for, Luffy. Honestly, when we first ran into each other I wasn't sure what to think of you." Nami smiled as she looked out over the shore. "But it looks like it's finally official. I'm part of the Straw Hats now and forever."
Luffy beamed at that, then had a look at Bellemere's grave.
"…I wish we could've met her; sounds like she was a great mom."
"She was." Nami smiled fondly, then a though occurred to her. "hey, um…if its not too much, I'll back off but…Is…?"
Luffy shook his head.
"Grandpa and Makino say she died when me and Bamia were babies. All we know is that she was apparently so pretty and kind that…well, we don't know ANYTHING about our dad, but apparently people were ticked and sad drinking for weeks when he won her heart."
The two chuckled at that.
"…Apparently I take after her more than Bamia, according to grandpa." Luffy said. "Which I think is dumb, cause Bamia is way more like her the way Makino tells it; smart, ruthless to anyone who did her or her friends wrong…but also kind and as patient as an angel."
"Well, I mean, you DO take after your dad in one way." Nami said, trying to give her new captain some pride.
So you can understand her concern and shock when Luffy looked down at his feet and began sweating and putting on a face that screamed 'Hiding something.'
"Um…y-yeah…" Luffy tried to wave off what was bothering him.
"…Luffy?" Nami asked.
The straw hat wearing boy sighed.
"Well, I was hoping to explain this to everyone all at once…" Luffy sighed, then smiled sweetly. "But I do really, really like you, Nami. And if we're going to be sailing together, you deserve to know.
He then took a deep breath, reached under his shirt and ripping something off, then pulling out what were binding straps. What were they binding?
Well, for the sake of simplicity? As it turned out: Luffy…was a girl.
…
….
….
"I.." Luffy started, but then she saw the look in Nami's eyes: Understandable shock, realization, a blush…and then a smirk.
"Whelp! Guess I'm gay!"
Before Luffy could react beyond a 'wait, you're okay with this?', Nami planted a kiss right on her lips and they fell onto their backs.
-OP-
Nojiko stopped by the house to find Nami. And she did, in the bedroom sleeping in bed with Luffy. Neither of them wore anything but a sheet to cover themselves.
"Oh my..." Nojiko whispered as she quietly walked out, "Sorry for the intrusion..."
"'Scuse me, Stranger." A gentlemanly voice spoke up as Nojiko turned to see a shadowy figure waiting for her.
"Who are you?"
"Just a humble merchant touring the seas and overseeing the adventures of the brave heroes who have freed your village." The Merchant said as he stepped into the light. "And I believe I have something special for you."
Opening his coat flaps, the Merchant revealed what Nojiko recognized to be several Devil Fruits. One in particular stood out as he took it out and showed it to her.
"This one in particular is selling for a very cheap price. It used to belong to some upstart named Bad One Gracie." The Merchant explained. "It's called the Gun-Gun Fruit. Figured it'd fit you since I've seen the tools in your little house."
Nojiko was, of course, a bit skeptical of the Merchant. But she decided to take the Gun-Gun Fruit. Being Nami's big sister, she has a feeling that she'll need her support going forward.
-OP-
The party continued late into the night and over the next few days. Zoro and Kuina were sitting together and enjoying a drink as Sanji and Noire came over.
"Talk about a big celebration," Sanji said as he and Noire sat across from Zoro and Kuina. "I haven't seen a party this big since the Baratie's last birthday announcement."
"That was MY birthday, Sanji." Noire smirked.
"Well, I'm willing to bet that one didn't last three whole days. Not that I can blame everyone." Zoro pointed out. "I can't imagine living in fear for eight years straight. Even I'd be pushed to my breaking point.
Kuina chuckled. "The funny thing is, everyone knew what Nami was up to. But they were afraid to help even a little in case it caused more deaths."
By now Luffy and Nami had rejoined the party, Luffy immediately digging into the meat. Nami got a drink for herself, then turned around to see Nojiko standing there with a wry grin.
"So how was he?"
"DETAILS!" Sonson said as she zipped in, along with Bamia.
"You and my brother did it. I can smell it on you."
"You saw us?" Nami asked with a sheepish giggle.
"Only the aftermath, but you had the biggest smile on your face." Bamia smiled. "So it had to be good."
"You have no idea. Also...I think you mean SHE." Nami smirked.
The world went silent
"Ah. So he did tell you." Bamia mused.
"Was wondering when he'd break that news." Sonson smirked, stretching open her palm, which Ben and Draco graced with Berri just as Luffy showed up.
"Alright everyone let's get a mooooo…what's with the shocked looks?"
Sanji, his brain finally fully processing everything, gave a look of abject disbelief toward Luffy.
"YOU WERE GORGEOUS THIS WHOLE TIME?!"
"Sheesh! I couldn't tell the difference!" Kuina noted.
"Nice." Noir smirked at Nami, giving her a high five. "Dets later."
Kirby looked up and Kaya and Ussop's confused faces, but then smiled and waved at Luffy.
"'Yeah, apparently their mom, may she rest in peace..." Sonson started, everyone quickly making crosses. "...she was apparently so beautiful that Garp tried to make Luffy and Bamia act like boys to..well…you know."
They all shot Sanji a look.
"What? What?!" he asked before gasping. "HOW DARE YOU! I WOULD NEVER!"
"Luffy was just the one it worked best for." Draco mused.
"WAIT, YOU KNEW?!"
"Of bloody course we did; we grew up together!" Ben snapped.
"I too sensed it, but didn't think it such a big deal."
"I was 'too scary." Bamia sighed
"So what? I'm scary too!" Zoro pointed out.
"Keep telling yourself that, mosshead." Sanji smirked.
"Maybe yes, but apparently I was too scary to be a boy." Bamia said
Sonson and Luffy shudder when they remember how Bamia tried to 'go boy'...
She scared EVERYONE; INCLUDING one crocodile that died of fright
"At least the crocodile meat was delicious!" Luffy smirked.
The others looked on in awe and shock as the Captains remembered Crocodile stew...
"And the leather made me this nice hat." Ben smiled as he tipped his bicorne pirate hat. "Never leave without it."
"So…any desserters?" draco asked. "We did keep this from ya, so…"
Everyone just motioned for the captains to wait before smiling and continuing on. When asked, they simply stated they didn't care if Luffy was a boy or girl, she was their friend and captain.
-OP-
Nami, Axol, and Ruby had gone to Dr. Nako to remove their Arlong Pirate tattoos. It was easier for Axol and Ruby due to their higher pain tolerance and since they could just remove the scales.
"There we go. There's going to be some heavy scarring, but that's what happens with permanent tattoos."
Nami smiled. "I know it's stupid. Nojiko only saw it as a brand. But if I going to be recognized as being on a pirate crew, I'd rather be one where we're actually friends."
Dr. Nako was handed a sketch, which he gave a look over. Axol also checked it out and smiled as he whipped out his pen, Inkweaver.
-OP-
"Man! Talk about a well-earned break!" Usopp said as he hung out with Gin, Draco, Kaya, Kirby, Penny, and Ben. I can't wait to tell my old man about how I beat a fishman in a shooting contest!"
"At this point, I highly believe you could beat a Fishman," Gin admitted. "Can't believe you Straw Hats are now officially the strongest pirates in the East Blue."
"Well, that's what happens when you have FOUR captains, mate," Ben smirked. "You have a bigger edge."
"Still, we're almost ready for the Grand Line," Draco said. "One final stop and we can be on our way."
"I take it your next destination is Loguetown then?" Genzo said as he approached.
"Oh, Mr. Genzo. Where have you been?" Kaya asked.
Genzo smiled sadly. "Just sharing one last drink with an old friend. I'm sure Bellemere wouldn't want to miss out on the ale just because she's no longer with us."
-OP-
The next day, the Going Merry was loaded up with new cargo.
"We have everything, gang?" Sonson asked as she turned to the others.
"All the cargo and provisions! We're ready to sail!" Axol said as he gracefully flipped in the air, landed on the ship's figurehead, and pointed forward. "To adventure, comrades!"
"I managed to retrieve the money Nezumi stole, and I left it with the village," Nami said. "Bonus, we get to keep the other half."
"We'll be needing it once we reach Loguetown. There are some important things we need to purchase while there." Draco noted.
"Any room for one more?"
Everyone looked to see Nojiko walking with a bag over her shoulder and a smile on her lips. None were more surprised than Nami.
"I can't just let my baby sister go off on her own with some pirates, heroic as they were. Sides, you all could use a treasurer that WON'T Berri-pinch."
Nami pouted at that, but mused her sister wasn't wrong., she DID shoot Sanji a glnace
"Don't."
Sanji saluted before helping Nojiko with her things.
"Um…guys?"
The crew then turned to see Johnny and Yosaku, their things with them, but unsure looks on their faces.
"We've been thinking…and…" Yosaku started.
"Things with us a bit too crazy for ya?" Sonson asked, getting nods. "Yeah, we wagered."
"Amazing as this journey as been, I think we're…no offense Gin." Johnny started.
"Some taken."
"We're like Krieg; tough for our home but not ready for the Grand Line."
The straw Hats all shared knowing looks. It was a shame, but they did respect honesty.
"Well, as long as you two dunderheads know you'll be the new Pirate Hunter Duo." Zoro smirked, delighting in their shocked looks. "Gotta say, I doubt me and Kunia could find better replacements.:
"Big Bro…!"
"Good luck, you two," Kuina said as she patted the two's shoulders as if knighting them. "You're the new Pirate Hunter Duo now."
"Big Sis...!" Johnny and Yosaku cried, tears in their eyes as she and Zoro just smiled, sharing one last hug goodbye with the two.
Luffy nodded. "Okay! Set sail for Loguetown!"
The people of Cocoyashi Village cheered the crew goodbye as the Merry sailed off. Nami smiled as she looked at the new tattoo she had, a pinwheel topped by a tangerine. She then looked over to see a smiling woman amongst the crowd before disappearing, a few tears in her eyes.
"I can finally start drawing a map of the entire world... Bellemere, thank you. For everything."
-OP-
A few days later a News Coo arrived with the daily paper. Zoro and Kuina were sparring. Usopp was crafting his unique ammunition as Kaya and Kirby watched. Sanji and Noire were busy in the kitchen with breakfast. Gin was double-checking the rigging with Ruby and Nojiko. Nami was manning the helm with Penny standing diligently by her side and both Thomas and Ben were below deck checking the manifest on their stores.
Luffy was busy reading through the paper when she spotted something that made him grin. She motioned for Sonson to come look and she grinned as well when she saw it.
"NO WAY! GUYS, CHECK THIS OUT!"
Curious, the rest of the crew went over to Luffy and Sonson. When they saw what they had, everyone cried out in shock and amazement.
"STRAW HAT" MONKEY D. LUFFY: 48,000,000
"APOCALYPSE" LOR D. DRACO: 40,000,000
"MONKEY QUEEN" RAINHA D. SONSON: 35,000,000
SPARROW D. BENJAMIN "THE SUAVE":30,000,000
Knightmare Lord A/N:
Our four great captains have gotten their first bounties! Nojiko has decided to join the Straw Hat Pirates after being given Bad One Gracie's Gun-Gun Fruit from the 2017 One Piece Premier Show 2017! And now our crew are sailing off to Loguetown!
Also, as another big surprise, Luffy is actually a girl! Yeah, this was kind of a bit of a last-minute change for us but we hope that our explanation for how Luffy disguised herself as a boy for most of the story until this point works for you all.
The East Blue Saga is almost complete! Anything you'd like to say, Mrotrax?
Mrotax A/N:
Not much on my end, my fave part was the lore on Luffy and Bamia's mother. May have overshared on the Rocks, but I hope I did justice all the same
Hope you all liked! See ya soon!