The Going Merry was sailing across the East Blue to its next destination, now with Sanji, Noire, and Gin as the latest members of the Straw Hat Pirates. Yosaku, however, was more than a little nervous.

"I can't believe we're sailing right for the infamous Arlong..."

"Wouldn't be the first time I ran into him; Part of Dad's territory includes Fishman Island, where Arlong was born," Draco said as he downed a soda, ignoring the shocked looks on Yosaku and Johnny's faces. "No idea why he's out here in the East Blue. He doesn't like humans, mostly because of all the things they've done to fishmen over the years. But he does hold Dad in high regard, so he likely won't be hostile."

"So, this Arlong guy is strong?" Luffy asked.

"Fishmen are ten times stronger than the average human, even stronger underwater. Their scales make them highly resilient to damage." Draco pointed out. "Individual fishmen can have abilities common to the sea creature they resemble, such as an octopus fishman having more limbs to work with, or a shark fishman being able to regrow their teeth no matter how many are broken. Plus, Arlong is a native of the Grand Line like me."

"I've met a couple of Fishmen myself," Ben noted as he finished some rum. "Fortunately, I've had the pleasure of meeting those who can make pleasant conversation."

"I heard the mermaids at Fishman Island are absolutely beautiful!" Sanji said with hearts in his eyes.

Draco smirked. "Oh, they are. And they're fully capable of breeding with humans."

There was a thunk sound as Sanji fell over flat, blissed out with a little blood trickling out of his nose. Zoro, Usopp, Gin, and Sonson couldn't help but laugh at that while Noire just facepalmed.

"You just HAD to give him hope, didn't you?" She frowned at Draco.

"Can you guys stay focused here?!" Yosaku called out.

"Look, I realize Arlong is the toughest out here in the East Blue, but he's strictly small fry out in the Grand Line," Draco said. "Compared to the three powers, he's a lightweight."

Nami was stunned. "Y-You're kidding..."

Draco shook his head. "Not at all. The Grand Line has three powers that rule over the entire stretch of ocean. The most prevalent are the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who are privateers commissioned by the World Government to guard locations they can't in exchange for a cut of their loot."

"Yeah, like Jinbe. They say Arlong is right on his level, committing atrocity after atrocity in the Grand Line!" Yosaku said.

"Hey!" Ben snapped. "Don't disrespect the boss that way."

"Masasasasasasa! Arlong wishes!" Draco cackled. "The last time they fought Jinbe completely thrashed him. If Arlong was on Jinbe's level he'd be a Warlord right alongside him. Plus you can't cause problems in any stretch of the Grand Line without getting a Warlord's attention, and they are not afraid to kill those who waste their time."

Johnny and Yosaku's jaws dropped at this revelation.

"You mean to tell me Arlong is actually aweakling?!"

"Compared to the real powers of the Grand Line, he is," Draco clarified.

The Merry was silent, Draco's nonchalance sinking into everyone. That is, save Nami, who smiled knowingly.

'Yeah, I definitely made the right call with these guys.'

Ben rubbed his chin. "Might explain why he's out here in the East Blue. Best way to start building a rep and working your way up."

Gin then took out the fruit the Merchant had dropped off at the Baratie, having recently taken a bite out of it.

"…I don't feel any different."

"Give it time," Draco assured him. "In about….an hour or so? You usually start to understand."

-OP-

Situated in the Conomi Islands was a large building called Arlong Park. Sitting at the top was a Jolly Roger of a sawtooth shark with crossbones, the mark of the Arlong Pirates. Inside, Arlong himself placed a stack of Berris on the table.

"Here's this month's amount."

"Chichichichi! You're certainly on a completely different level of intellect than ordinary pirates, Saw Tooth Arlong." Marine Captain Nezumi chuckled as he pocketed the bribe without issue. "You truly know how to get ahead in the world."

Arlong laughed. "Shahahaha! And you're more intelligent than most humans I've met. Our little friendship means you can milk the East Blue all you want. A good world is one in which money flows well. Money is one thing you can trust regardless of species."

Nezumi nodded. "Indeed it is, my friend."

"I tend to hate humans in general, but there are exceptions. Such as good sports who know better than to antagonize us." Arlong said as he leaned back in his chair.

Nezumi nodded and stood up. "Well, I need to get going. I still have my Marine duties to attend to."

"Gotcha, but don't be afraid to stop by and have a drink. Get some fun in for a change." Arlong said.

"Oh, I'd love to but it wouldn't look good if a Marine ship on patrol suddenly stopped at a pirate island." Nezumi pointed out. "And before you suggest it, missing or dead Marine soldiers would only raise more questions."

Arlong nodded. "Fair enough, I suppose. I'll see you next month."

Nezumi was escorted by Arlong's three best men; Chew, Kuroobi, and Hatchan. As they walked, Nezumi could only scoff in disdain.

"Honestly, if not for the small fortune you're providing me, I would have had you all arrested and executed by now."

"Heh, good thing we have a steady source of income," Kuroobi smirked.

-OP-

The Straw Hats managed to dock the Merry at the village.

"Here we are. For now, I need to speak with Arlong alone." Nami said.

"Something you need to confront him about?" Sonson asked.

"Technically I'm part of his crew," Nami said as she lifted her sleeve to reveal the Arlong Pirate mark on her shoulder. "If I'm going to be part of this crew that little detail needs to be addressed first."

"Indeed, as we have calculated from all the treasure we've collected, we currently have an income of 200 million Berris," Penny said as she handed Nami the large bag of money.

Nami nodded. "I only owe him 100 million. So, I'm optimistic about sticking with this crew over Arlong's."

"Be careful. Arlong is not to be trifled with lightly." Draco warned.

-OP-

From atop his throne room at Alrong Park, a tourist trap his crew had built, Arlong of the saw sat comfortably and eagerly.

"Alright, Ruby. Wow me."

In front of him was Ruby Gillman (last name something the crew cobbled together when she couldn't remember her name), the Cabin Girl of the Arlong Pirates and a respectable genius in her own right; she could do some Fishman Karate, was quick on her feet…and she was the main reason the conquest of these islands had gone as smoothly as they did.

"Exploring is the sacred rite of every fishman, be they merfolk or Kraken." Ruby began, showcasing little drawings of the crew and showing them 'swimming' along a map of the Blues. "As a Kraken who is barely pulling off this whole 'pirate' thing, I need to get out so that I can see about the world and help the crew grow."

A few of the listeners nodded and or muttered in agreement.

"And, as a proud problem solver, I know that to find a potential solution, I have to evaluate the problem!:" Ruby assured her crew. "Now, I know the rules. Our people, despite all our incredible power, are not allowed on land for very long, ever. Unless as slaves."

The veteran members of the crew tensed at this, so Ruby hurried along.

"But Axol and my boat would beonthe water, notinthe water."

A few chuckled at that loophole abuse.

"'But Ruby, what if there's a storm? Or slavers" you might ask." Ruby cut off a crew mate before he could ask that, shocking him at that. "Well, I've analyzed weather trend data, and my trusty friend, Nami…"

She pointed to a picture of said human, located on a wall labeled 'Humans Better Than Most', which was shared by the portrait of a well-built man with a crescent moon-like mustache.

"… has assured me that it will be smooth sailing for this upcoming week. And we have Nezumi on stand-by. Anything happens to any of us? He goes down. And me and Axol know Fishman Karate, never mind Axol's Ninjutsu. Thus, in conclusion, that is why I, Ruby Gillman, and Axol, should be allowed to explore the archipelago. Thank you."

She then slipped on sunglasses and posed cooly, confident in her presentation.

For about three seconds.

"Please, please, please, please, pleaaaaaase~!" Ruby pleaded, getting on her knees and begging her captain to let her go out into the other islands.

"Shahahahahaha!" Arlong laughed as he affectionately messed with Ruby's hair. "Strong presentation there, my girl! I like the energy and how you covered the biggest worries. Heck, you even got a few laughs in, but it's still a no."

Ruby pouted.

"Don't get me wrong, you and Axol are getting stronger!" Arlong assured his cabin girl. "But neither of you can hurt Kuroobi, Chew, or Hachi yet, never mind me. Until you can do that? I don't feel comfortable letting you venture out…You know what humans do to normal fishmen and mermaids…"

"I know." Ruby sighed.

"Well, I think she makes a strong argument." A familiar voice cut in.

Arlong, Ruby, and the three senior officers of the crew; Kuroobi the Ray, Hachi the Octopus, and Chew the Smelt-Whiter, turned to see Nami walking in.

"Nami, you're back. That was a long trip, I was starting to get worried." Arlong smirked. "You get in a good haul this time?"

"Sure did. Found a lot of suckers who were easily fooled." Nami replied as she presented the bag of money; which was easily double, if not even more, than she usually brought in.

Arlong cackled. "Shahahaha! You certainly have mastered the art of betrayal. I'd better be careful so you don't turn those skills back on me. Hey, boys! Get ready to party! Let's celebrate our cartographer's return!"

A whole host of fishmen emerged from the water, all of them cheering in excitement. Nami smiled at this as she made her way over to Ruby.

"I managed to steal this; thought you might like it." The orange-haired girl smiled warmly, handing Ruby a puzzle book. The Kraken Fishman squealed and hugged Nami, thanking her over and over again.

Nami had three people in the Arlong Pirates she honestly could say she liked; Hachi would cut villagers slack on rent, even giving his own Berri, and had never been cruel to her.

And the final one?

"Say, where's Axol?" Nami asked as she then revealed a small box. "I stole him a new set of pens."

Ruby pouted. "He's off drawing for his manga."

Nami smiled at this. "Oh? And what's his newest masterpiece about?"

"He won't tell me!" Ruby groaned as Nami just laughed and took her into a hug.

"Any chance the son of an old friend can get in on this?"

Everyone was surprised, turning to see Draco sitting on top of the wall of the park with a smirk. Ben was also there, just lounging on the top of the wall as well with a bottle of rum in hand.

"Lor D. Draco himself!" Arlong called out with a hearty laugh. "Haven't seen you since you were knee-high to a minnow! What are you doing all the way out here in the East Blue?"

"I was wondering the same about you. Especially considering the falling out you had with the Sun Pirates." Draco replied.

"That's ancient history as far as I'm concerned," Arlong said with a long-suffering sigh before giving a good-natured grin. "But I'm not about to turn away the son of the one human who's done more for fishmen than the entire race as a whole! Come over and join us!"

"Any chance I can join in? I brought the finest rum." Ben said, shaking the bottle in his hand temptingly.

"GET THESE BOYS SOME GLASSES AND GRUB!" Arlong called out.

-OP-

The party was in full swing while Draco and Arlong decided to have a private chat. Ben had managed to mingle with the fishmen quite well and earn their trust with his natural charm.

"So why come all the way out here to the East Blue?" Draco asked. "The humans here have nothing to do with the ones who caused Fisher Tiger's death."

"Call it vindictive, Jinbe sure as hell did. I got cocky and thought I could take him to assert my ideals, even said he'd have to kill me to stop me." Arlong explained. "He proved otherwise in a way that really hammered my weakness into my skull. How about you?"

"What can I say, eating THREE Devil Fruits puts a pretty high price on one's head." Draco chuckled. "That and I may have accidentally killed a Celestial Dragon."

Arlong nearly choked on his drink. "THREE Devil Fruits?! And you killed a damn Celestial Dragon on top of that?!"

"I didn't even mean to! He was being a dick, sure, but I accidentally stepped on him while I was causing a ruckus." Draco said. "I was still getting used to theKaiju-Kaiju Fruitat the time."

"Well, I do have to say, if any human deserves to be hated, it's those goddamn Celestial Dragons," Arlong smirked. "Where do they get off claiming godhood in the first place?"

"You of all people should know how blinding ego can be," Draco pointed out. "Anyway, you're probably curious as to why I'm here. Well, I've recently become Captain of a crew. We want Nami as our Navigator, but she pointed out a little complication."

-OP-

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew was shocked at the sight of Gosa Village. There was a deep gash in the ground, and all of the buildings were upside down.

"What could have caused all this destruction?" Kaya asked.

"Draco said fishmen have ten times the strength of an average human," Sanji noted. "But I didn't think them to be capable of this."

Suddenly, Usopp found himself tripped and was now staring at a kid holding a sword.

"Die, you stupid fishman! This is for my father!"

Zoro quickly knocked the blade out of his hand using his own sword.

"Hands off our Lookout, kid. Take a good long damn look and see he's as human as you are."

"Chabo! Don't go antagonizing people!" A woman's voice called out.

Sanji couldn't help but swoon when he saw a lovely-looking woman with tanned skin and light blue hair coming in.

"Sorry about Chabo. His father was killed when the village was attacked for trying to defy Arlong." The woman said. "My name is Nojiko. Something tells me you aren't from around here."

Nojiko proceeded to bring the Straw Hats to her home. Luffy noticed the tangerine grove outside with a hum of interest, recalling how Nami said that tangerines were one of her favorite things.

"So why have you people come to these islands?" Nojiko asked.

"A friend of ours needs a debt settled. She said she lived out here." Kuina explained.

"So you know Nami?" Luffy asked, causing Nojiko to gasp. "Sorry, I noticed the tangerine grove outside. Nami mentioned how much she loves tangerines."

"Pretty perceptive. I'm her adopted sister." Nojiko said.

"Sister?!" Sanji beamed with hearts in his eyes. "Of course, I should've known! No wonder you're so hot!"

Noire quickly smacked Sanji upside the head to shut him up.

"Ignore him, he fell on his head as a child."

After the Straw Hats explained everything Nami had told them about her history with the Arlong Pirates. Nojiko picked up a photo of the two women when they were girls, along with another woman.

"Nami and I are both orphans. We were brought up in this house. Before our adopted mother was killed, the three of us lived happily here. Nami always wanted to be a cartographer when she grew up."

Kirby noticed a compass rose etched into the coffee table, which had been signed by Nami.

"She mentioned that she was trying to pay off a ransom to Arlong," Zoro said.

"Arlong did offer to free Cocoyashi Village if he was paid a large sum of money. That's how Nami started working for him." Nojiko explained. "But I could see in her eyes that she hated every second of it, despite the smile she faked. Being with you guys was probably the happiest she'd ever been in years."

"She really means that?" Penny asked with a touched smile.

"Sorry if two of our Captains aren't here right now. They went to have a chat with Arlong." Sonson said. "While we can't deny he's likely done a lot of terrible things, he has a bad history of his own. He's just taking it out on the wrong people."

Nojiko couldn't help but wonder just what sort of terrible things happened to Arlong to make him the way he is now. Suddenly, the group heard the sound of sketching and looked outside to see someone sitting at a desk outside, writing on paper.

"Huh, who's that?"

"Probably one of the most civil members of Arlong's crew. He's actually well-liked in the village compared to everyone else." Nojiko said. "Hey, Axol! We have guests."

The person was an Axolotl Fishman wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt, navy blue pants, a belt that carried ink cartridges, and big black boots. He looked to be in a creative feavor with an intense look in his bright blue eyes.

"Go, go, go! Faster, faster!" He was saying to himself before finishing. "Done, done, done!"

He put away the papers he had been writing in before holding up in his pen. In a flash of light, it suddenly grew in size and showed that it had a red claw on top.

"Axol!" Nojiko called out again, getting the fishman's attention.

"Ah, it seems we have new guests!" He said, revealing that he was quite young, likely a teenager. "Welcome to my domain!"

"Technically, it's my house, but I let him live here," Nojiko explained. "He prefers being here instead of Arlong Park."

"I just don't like being around them 24/7, is it so wrong?" Axol asked. "I mean, I owe Arlong a great debt; he saved my life and has been good to me. But…I just…I don't want to conquer the world! Yeah, some humans…No offense, Nojiko."

"None taken, continue." The blue-haired woman motioned.

"Yeah, some humans are jerks." Axol continued. "But most are fine! Sides, I'm not that much of a fighter…"

He took a deep breath, finding the courage to announce his dream.

"What I really want is to write the greatest manga story ever!" Axol announced. "…and helping Ruby find her family and me getting a girlfriend would also be nice, but the manga is something I'll die before I let not happen!"

And just like that? Luffy's interest was peaked.

"Well then, why don't you come with us?" She asked, getting Axol's attention. "I'm going to be the next King of the Pirates, we got two future greatest swordspeople, two seekers for the All Blue, and a bunch of proud fighters; something tells me that'd make a great story!"

Axol almost dropped his pen. "Y-you mean it? Y-you want me? A fishman? On your crew?"

"We don't discriminate, we appreciate!" Noire smiled.

Axol's eyes widened in anticipation…but then he looked down.

"I'd love to join, but…There's someone else who I gotta bring. That and…Arlong is….possessive…"

-OP-

Nami was currently visiting a gravestone overlooking a seaside cliff. Ruby had opted to come along with her, the young Kraken Fishman looking at her friend sympathetically.

"I finally have it. Enough to finally put an end to all this. Eight long years, but we can finally be free." Nami said.

"I thought you might be out here."

Nami and Ruby turned to see Nojiko and Axol there.

"What did Arlong say, Ruby?" Axol asked.

Ruby shook her head. "Still no luck..."

"Still, you're a lot more cheerful, Nami," Nojiko noted to her sister. "A few months before you would have pretended to go along with that reputation."

"Let's just say I found more than a few contingencies," Nami said coyly.

-OP-

Meanwhile, a Marine ship was approaching the archipelago. The commanding officer was Commodore Pudding Purin, a rather flamboyant man who was nonetheless dedicated to the highest ideals of justice. As it happened, Fullbody was with him.

"So this is Arlong Park. This world is on its last legs if pirates can just settle down so blatantly." Purin noted.

"This entire archipelago is under Saw Tooth Arlong's control," Fullbody noted before recognizing something. "Hey, it's the ship of those rookies I encountered at the Baratie."

"Are they well known?" Purin asked.

"As far as I know none of their crew even has a bounty," Fullbody replied.

"Then they're of no consequence, they likely haven't committed any criminal pirate acts so there's no need to antagonize them." Purin decided. "Fullbody, I want you to sail to Cocoyashi Village and start an investigation into Captain Nezumi. This is supposed to be his jurisdiction, so I'm suspicious as to his reasons for letting pirates have their way with the villages on these islands. And if you do find evidence of dirty dealings, then you have full permission to ignore his rank in favor of arresting him. I made sure the higher-ups are aware of this."

Fullbody nodded and headed out on a longboat as Purin turned to the rest of his men.

"As for the rest of you, our first priority is extracting any survivors of the town of Gosa. Start taking the longboats out and run a sweep! Once you're clear we'll start our attack on Arlong Park!"

"YES, SIR!"

-OP-

"Captain Arlong! We have confirmation of a Marine vessel outside our waters." Chew alerted. "The printing on the side noted it as belonging to Branch 77."

"Which means they're not with Nezumi," Arlong noted before turning to Kuroobi. "Head out there and speak with their commanding officer. Find out what they're here for. Make sure to take some of the boys in case they try anything funny."

"Got it, Boss."

As Kuroobi left, Hatchan came over with a concerned expression.

"How do you think it'll go?"

"Kuroobi's our best negotiator. Even if we can't bribe these Marines, we should be able to avoid trouble." Arlong assured. "The fact that they haven't opened fire yet tells me bringing us in isn't their top priority."

"Nami's finished the charts we asked of her. She also said she has the money to buy back Cocoyashi Village." Chew said.

"100 million Berris will definitely be a huge boon to us. Combined with the charts Nami made, we can start to expand our rule in the East Blue." Arlong noted. "That said... Once our deal is finished I'll need to think of a way to keep Nami from defecting."

"Finding a way to keep her on our side would be helpful," Hatchan agreed. "If we can convince her to draw up charts of the whole world, we can start to expand past the Grand Line."

"Considering how much she loves money. Maybe we should consider offering her a cut of our tribute from the other villages." Chew suggested.

Arlong smirked. "Definitely something to consider. I already spoke to her about not wanting her skill for betrayal turned against me. The best way to start is to not betray her first."

-OP-

"100 million Berris, you say?" Nezumi said, having heard the report from one of his men who had been eavesdropping on Arlong Park.

"That's what the deal was for. It's at least ten times the normal income the Arlong Pirates get per month."

Nezumi smirked. "Chichichichi! Well now, that's the sort of cheddar we can't leave in the hands of those fishmen fools now, can we? Let's go and grab this little ransom for our own personal coffers. In such a way that doesn't tie us back to our deal with Arlong of course. 100 million doesn't last forever, so it's better to have a steady income. We can't have the worst pirate on the East Blue wandering too far or we'll lose our little money tree."

Just outside Nezumi's office, Fullbody was listening through a window while holding a Transponder Snail connected to Purin's ship.

"So he's been colluding with Arlong this whole time! And has been using him to line his own pockets!"

-OP-

"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 tangerine field, 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, the Arlong Pirates attacked." Nojiko said, fighting back the memories 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…."

Penny gasped at this, and Ben bowed his head. Sanji took a long drag on his cigarette and Noire 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 her 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?" Noire asked

"Indeed; you don't seem like the Warlord type." Johnny mused.

Axol looked down at his feet. "Arlong's the closest thing I have to family. 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."

"And yourself?" Kaya asked Ruby.

"I 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 separated from my family. We've tried to send messages to Fishman Island, the Sun and Macro Pirates, anybody…but we never heard back, So, I started doing some cleaning and maintenance 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, Sonson, Ben, and Draco all nodded, recalling their times with Curly Dadan and her gang.

"So then how did you become friends?" Gin asked.

"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. Without a word, he drew Inkweaver and quickly painted over the Straw Hats and himself, seeming to rend them invisible, although they could still hear:

"So what do the Marines want with Nami?" Genzo, the mayor of Cocoyashi Village'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 Noire asked, Kirby also looking confused.

"Rocks," Ben repeated. "A right group of bastards and scumbags 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 succeeded."

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 are we talking?" Gin asked. Xebec was sounding like Krieg 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 Dad says they probably saw…" Draco added under his breath.

"And this guy was strong enough to keep them all in line until…" Sonson recalled..

"The God Valley Incident." Luffy cut in, shocking everyone. "The event that made Grandpa a hero."

"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? Xebec 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 Xebec was able to recruit 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, otherwise 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 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 aiming 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 girl 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 her 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 she 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 girl took a stance, her muscles stiffening as she usedTekkaito block. Arlong was undeterred, replacing the damaged teeth with new ones but Luffy fluidly dodged the attacks withKami-e.

"So you knowRokushiki, do you?!"

"Shishishishi! I have to thank Grandpa for that!" Luffy grinned before stretching her fist back."GUM-GUM PISTOL!"

She slammed his fist into Arlong's jaw, sending him flying before slamming him into the ground. Arlong got up and shook his head.

"I could easily win this fight in the water since she 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 herself as Arlong struck her headlong like a speeding torpedo, the two of them crashing into Arlong Park's top floor. As Luffy picked herself up, she 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 she 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..."

She angrily 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. She 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. She 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, her 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, nor did he hear the roar of:

"GUM-GUM BATTLE AXE!"

Luffy proved faster as her 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, her fist raised triumphantly as he held Arlong over her shoulder. Not without mercy, she 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 her to the ground in a hug, tears of joy in her eyes.

"I knew you could do it, Sis!" Sonson cheered.

"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, you filthy 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, and then a thought occurred to her. "Hey, um…if it's not too much, I'll back off but…Is…?"

Luffy shook her head. "Grandpa and Makino say she died when me and Bamia were babies. All we know is that she was 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 before Nami intertwined her fingers with Luffy's.

"You know...I really like a person who understands another's feelings."

The two girls blushed as they gazed into each other's eyes before their faces inched closer together until they sealed everything with a kiss...

-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..."

"'Excuse 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 theGun-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 Devil Fruit. Being Nami's big sister, she has a feeling that she'll need her support going forward.

She just wished the taste wasn't so terrible.

-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 she?"

"DETAILS!" Sonson said as she zipped in.

"You saw us?" Nami asked with a sheepish giggle.

"Only the aftermath, but you had the biggest smile on your face." Nojiko smiled. "So it had to be good."

-OP-

Nami, Axol, and Ruby later went 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 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 glance

"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 has 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 Draco and Ben were below deck checking the manifest on their stores.

Luffy was busy reading through the paper when she spotted something that made her 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

"DEAD MAN'S CHEST" SPARROW D. BENJAMIN: 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!

On top of that, we have two more crossover characters;The first is Ruby Gillman from the Dreamworks movie, Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken. Second is Axol from the hit YouTube webshow, SMG4!