Nojiko, Kuishi, and Romaz had been listening to Nami tell them about the adventures she had with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats ever since first running into them on the island Ganzack was terrorizing. The Straw Hat Pirates had all gathered to share their sides of the stories as well.
"Wow, these guys took out Don Krieg, Buggy the Clown, and Kuro?" Nojiko asked in shock.
"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."
Romaz sighed sadly. "These past eight years have been hard on you, haven't they?"
"Yeah...but to be honest..." Nami smiled sadly at Kuishi and Romaz. "The two of you made it all a little bit more bearable.
The four thought back to the day when Arlong arrived in Cocoyashi Village...
Eight years ago, Nami and Nojiko were raised by Bellemere, a former Marine who had rescued them when they were orphans. Nami always dreamed of being a cartographer when she grew up and she certainly had the talent for it. The problem was she was quite wily and sticky-fingered, always causing Genzo headaches by stealing from the library.
Nami dreamed of drawing a map of the entire world but their little family was struggling in the money department. Because of this, Bellemere started missing meals so she could save money and let the girls eat their fill. She also resized hand-me-downs from Nojiko for Nami and passed them off as her own personal brand.
Neither of the girls fell for it. One day after an argument, Nami decided to run away but only got as far as the outskirts of the village, where Genzo found her, offering her words of comfort in her time of need, telling her how much Bellemere sacrificed to raise her and Nojiko.
Unfortunately, that was the day the Arlong Pirates attacked...
"Greetings, people of Cocoyashi Village. Today we're here to take control of your settlement." Arlong had announced. "In exchange for a modest sum, we offer you protection from any other pirates or criminals that may sail these waters. We're not asking for an exorbitant sum, fifteen percent of the town's total monthly income will be sufficient. Of course, failure to pay will result in the destruction of this village."
Bellemere had confronted Arlong when he paid a visit to her house. As soon as Arlong had taken an interest in Nami's cartography skills, Bellemere pounced on him, refusing to let him lay a single finger on her children.
Unfortunately, Arlong was armed and shot Bellemere in an old wound from her Marine days, which hadn't been properly treated. As she bled out, she could only apologize to her crying daughters that she couldn't live to see them see their dreams.
Romaz and a younger Kuishi had been there that day to witness Bellemere's death. Arlong did regret resorting to drastic measures but brushed it off as self-defense in the end. Wanting to honor Bellemere's bravery, Romaz gave her a proper burial and prayed for her soul to find peace in the afterlife.
As for Kuishi, she had seen how devastated Nami was and went to confront her with an offer.
"Arlong's my uncle...he killed your Mom. So kill me in return! It's only fair!"
Kuishi did nothing to resist and Nami, overcome with grief and anger, almost went through with it...until she stopped herself, realizing Bellemere wouldn't have wanted that.
That was when Nami had made her bargain with Arlong, to join his crew and make charts for him in exchange for money until she could amass 100,000,000 Berris and buy back the village. But this action confused and angered some of the villagers, who wondered why Nami would ever work for her adopted mother's killer. Nojiko, Genzo, and the town doctor Nako however, knew that Nami felt this was her only chance to help everyone.
"Eventually I decided maybe I could fast-track it if I started stealing treasure from pirates," Nami said, finishing the story.
"And that's when you ran into us..." Merone noted.
"Why didn't you tell the villagers all this?" Ariala asked with tears in her eyes.
"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 100,000,000 Berris. "I'll leave the rest here for the village. I need to deliver this before anything further can happen."
Kuishi and Romaz stood up as well to follow Nami. Shortly after they headed out, the Straw Hats and Nojiko heard Genzo talking with someone.
"So what do the Marines want with Nami?"
"Just a little inspection. Nothing to be concerned with." Nezumi's voice was heard.
Nojiko, concerned, looked out the window. Nezumi didn't run into Nami, Kuishi, and Romaz 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."
The group was confused as Nezumi gave out a list. There was no mention of any of Shells Town, Orange Town, or Syrup Village. Eddy heard a rustling, then dashed to the other window and spotted Fullbody fleeing through the grove.
"Hey, isn't that the Fullbody guy you beat up back at the Baratie, Sanji?" Eddy asked.
"Seems like it. Doesn't look like he's with those Marines though." Sanji noted.
"Something's up. I'm heading back to Arlong Park." Ferros said.
Unaware of Nezumi's treachery, Nami delivered the payment to Arlong.
"100,000,000 Berris, as we agreed."
"I shall take it upon myself to announce Cocoyashi Village's liberation," Romaz said.
"Well, I must say, you know how to keep your end of the bargain," Arlong smirked. "There's also something else I've been-"
"Captain Arlong!" Kuroobi called out as he emerged from the water and walked over. "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 explained. "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 angrily before realizing something. "But hold on... Nami just finalized the payment. So what did he even steal?"
Nami gasped. "I actually brought back 200,000,000 from my trip. The other half was meant to help the village get back on its feet!"
"That goddamn rat!" Kuishi snarled, baring her teeth. "I told you he couldn't be trusted, Uncle!"
"Arlong!"
Ferros had just arrived at 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." The Sawtooth Shark Fishman said. "I think it's about time we settle the little complication your siblings mentioned earlier, Ferros."
"The heck's a Davy Back Fight?" Zoro asked after Ferros returned to tell everyone about the deal made with Arlong.
"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.
"Oh, I've read about this!" Double-D said.
"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." Lithos added.
"Daddy 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." Ariala finished.
Sanji rubbed his chin. "Well, considering that we currently have twelve members, I think that'll more than match the need for seven crew members from each crew to participate."
"Actually, make that fourteen."
Everyone looked in surprise as Johnny and Yosaku stepped up.
"You guys wanna sign up?" Zoro asked.
"We've been considering this for some time, but we're tired of being small fries that can only bring in the weakest of pirates," Johnny explained.
"We want our time at sea to mean something! To be able to grow and see the world! So one day, we can prove ourselves as mighty warriors!" Yosaku added.
"A few extra swordsmen on hand never hurt anybody." Ferros chuckled. "You were pretty much welcomed aboard the moment we brought you on the Merry."
Luffy nodded. "The Merry does need guards while we're at port, so this works out."
The two bowed. "Thank you so much, Luffy-Aniki!"
"Though that is something else we'll need to speak with Arlong about." Merone pointed out.
"Merone's right, I don't want people joining our crew because they were forced to. 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." Luffy said.
"Something tells me we've already got a pair of takers..." Lithos noted as he thought about Kuishi and Romaz.
"Did you get the transmission?" Fullbody asked Purin as he returned to the ship.
"Every word. "Good work, Lieutenant. 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." Purin nodded over to Arlong Park. "It seems those rookies you mentioned are being challenged to a Davy Back Fight."
"That might give us an opportunity. If Nezumi tries anything during the Davy Back, we can use that as an excuse to detain him." Fullbody suggested.
Purin nodded. "That's not a bad idea, my friend. Looks like the residents of Cocoyashi are sitting in attendance. Let's see how this plays out."
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 tossed three coins into the water to leave an offering for Davy Jones, the pirate said to have inspired the Davy Back Fights in the first place.
"The first round is a cooking competition!" Ariala announced, taking on the role of announcer. "The chosen participants for this round are Sanji of the Straw Hat Pirate and Hatchan of the Arlong Pirates!"
"So who are they going to be cooking for?" Usopp wondered, only to get his answer when Hatchan made a big bellowing sound from his mouth. There was a sudden tremor, and a giant cow-like Sea King emerged from the water.
"HOLY ANTONNUCI!" Eddy exclaimed.
"He is huge!" Ed said excitedly.
"Momoo? His appetite might be bigger than Luffy's!" Nami said.
"Momoo's not a picky eater. 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."
Sanji smirked. "Alright. But 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 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 got more than a few people drooling.
"Awww man, if there's one thing I love, it's good eats!" Kuishi growled in pleasure, her stomach rumbling.
"Oh, you and Luffy are gonna be friends." Ferros joked.
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. "He didn't even touch Hatchan's cooking!"
"Sanji's meal was too filling. Momoo's fallen asleep." Hatchan noted, seeing as Moomoo was now snoring soundly.
"Too bad. He missed out on some pretty amazing cooking." Sanji said after sampling some of Hatchan's cooking.
"I'll eat it for ya, Hatchan!" Kuishi said with her hand raised.
"Sanji wins the first match by default!" Ariala declared. "Arlong Pirates, one of yours must defect!"
Romaz calmly raised his hand and stood up, walking over to the Straw Hats' side. Kuishi was just busy stuffing her face with Hatchan's cooking so it didn't go to waste.
"What's going on over here?" Nezumi asked, having arrived with his officers.
"We're not sure. Looks like some outsiders are challenging Arlong for some reason." One of the officers said.
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!" Ariala 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!"
Usopp was equipped with a large amount of paintballs while Chew had a few containers of non-toxic paint to use with his water shot ability. Nezumi grinned as he got an idea.
"Kill them both while they're competing. And make it look like they killed each other." He ordered his officers.
However, what Nezumi forgot to take into account was that Ariala would be flying overhead in her wind form to make sure each target was accounted for. Usopp was excited as he raced off, faster than Chew expected.
"This is going to be my chance to prove I can keep up with the others! 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 an 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 grinned at saving Usopp but didn't notice the officer taking aim at him. Luckily Usopp did and knocked the officer out with a paint shot of his own.
"Thanks...Never thought a human would save my life."
"Just repaying the favor. Besides, letting an opponent die would dishonor the spirit of the Davy Back."
After ten minutes were up, Ariala came back with all the marked targets.
"It was a close match, but after a careful count of the total targets, the winner of the second round is Usopp!"
"Sorry, Arlong, we got held up. That rat bastard captain tried to pull a fast one. We wound up having to save each other's hides." Chew said.
"We're just glad you're still alive. I'm amazed a human would be willing to help a fishman," Arlong admitted. "Good work out there, Chew. Seems you only lost by two points."
"Yeah, that kid is fast. I could barely keep up. Had to use the local rice paddies to get a boost from the water." Chew said.
Kuishi had taken that as her chance to make her choice to defect to the Straw Hats, giving Luffy a high-five as they had shared a kindred spirit due to their massive appetites.
"And now the final round!" Ariala 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! All tactics are permitted, but killing your opponent is forbidden! The last one conscious wins!"
"Heh, man, she really has the enthusiasm of a sports announcer." Eddy chuckled.
Luffy and Arlong kept their eyes focused on each other, circling around like cats preparing to pounce on each other for territory.
"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 rare tone of stoicness.
"BEGIN!"
Luffy started by twisting his body around, then he grabbed Arlong.
"GUM-GUM PINWHEEL!"
Arlong could barely react as Luffy unwound himself at high speeds. Eventually, Luffy flung Arlong headfirst right into Arlong Park, smashing through most of the first floor.
Arlong groaned as he got up. Fishmen had a higher pain tolerance, but Luffy was clearly strong enough to brute force his way through that.
"You seem plenty strong already. You could easily conquer the seas on your own."
"Not really. I'm terrible with resources, I'm a lousy cook, I can't navigate for crap, and I barely keep an eye on my surroundings." Luffy admitted. "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."
Arlong felt those words hit like a hammer. And it made him start to 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 one!"
To everyone's shock, he ripped out his teeth to act like brass knuckles, the teeth in his mouth regrowing almost instantly.
"How'd he do that?!" Eddy exclaimed.
"He's half-shark, Eddy. Sharks can regrow their teeth no matter how many get broken." Double-D pointed out.
"Yeah, just like me and Romaz!" Kuishi grinned, pulling out one of her teeth without issue and presenting it to Eddy, who looked a bit green.
"SAWTOOTH ATTACK!"
"TEKKAI!"
Arlong struck with his makeshift brass knuckles, only to be surprised to see Luffy's body stiffen and shrug off the teeth like no issue. Undeterred, Arlong split the remaining teeth between his two knuckles and went for a strong flurry of punches.
"KAMI-E!" Luffy announced, relaxing his body and making it easy to dodge the attack as he stretched out his arm. "GUM-GUM PISTOL!"
The punch struck Arlong in the jaw, sending him flying before slamming into the ground. The Sawtooth Shark Fishman groaned as he picked himself up and shook his head.
"I could easily win this fight in the water. Since he has a Devil Fruit the water will render him useless. Heck, if this were a normal fight that's exactly what I'd do." Arlong noted internally. "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 DART!"
Luffy braced himself as Arlong's momentum sent both of them flying into Arlong Park's top floor, smashing into a certain room; the office Nami had been working in as a cartographer for the last eight years. Luffy was confused when he saw the room, as Arlong went to grab his Shark Saw Sword.
"This is what you've been having Nami do? 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 clarified. "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's ours."
Luffy noticed a pen on the desk and examined it, his eyes slowly narrowing.
"Personally, I couldn't care less what humans and fishmen think of each other. But outright hate is just stupid. 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 actually flinched when he saw the fierce look of righteous anger on Luffy's face.
"You've only been using Nami as a tool, not as a crewmate! You killed 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!"
He 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 the heck is going on up there?" Eddy asked.
"Sounds like they're still fighting," Usopp noted.
"Whatever's going on isn't against the rules, so long as they don't kill each other. But I gotta say, I do not get what's going on." Zoro said.
Nami, however, had a pretty good idea, and it surprised her to no end. Luffy was deliberately destroying the office, just to prove a point. 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 park, and you with one attack!" Luffy declared, his leg stretching to its absolute limit.
Arlong glared angrily, realizing what Luffy was trying to do as he made a furious spiral dash toward him.
"SHARK TOOTH DRILL!"
"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. The flag at the top fell down from the impact, hitting the ground right near an unconscious Arlong.
The force of the impact also caused the whole building to come down. Acting quickly, Luffy picked up Arlong and jumped clear, signaling the end of Arlong Park. From a distance, Nezumi was staring gobsmacked at the level of destruction.
"Get me a Transponder Snail immediately!"
"For what, exactly?"
Nezumi gulped as he turned around and nervously when he saw Ariala there, giving him a sickeningly sweet smile that radiated malice.
"Uh... Citizen evacuation?"
"Oh, don't worry, there's another Marine ship just off the island ready to do that. But from what I understand, Marine officers of a different branch tried to interrupt the second contest." Ariala said, still smiling sweetly. "And from what I saw, they were aiming to kill. 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 in the Marines agree to. Any attempts to do otherwise..."
Her grin became more vicious, a dark red gleam in her eyes as the winds picked up around her.
"And the Marines in question tend to be left to the mercy of the pirates involved."
A loud girly shriek of terror was heard, scaring away the nearby birds and confusing everyone in attendance.
"Don't worry, everyone!" Ferros reassured, taking over as announcer for his sister. "With all that settled, 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, while the remaining Arlong Pirates helped their captain up, who sighed as he looked over the damage.
"Let's get back to the ship, boys. I think we've overstayed our welcome. By several years..."
"Hey, Uncle Arlong!" Kuishi called out as her uncle and former crew members prepared to leave. "Romaz and I...we're gonna do things the right way! We're gonna fight for a world where fishman and humans don't have to hate and kill each other!"
Arlong gave his niece a somber nod before swimming off to his ship with the rest of the Arlong Pirates.
"Yes, that's right! And I'm certain they are Whitebeard's children!" A badly battered Nezumi snapped into the Transponder Snail. "I don't know what those brats are doing in the East Blue, but I want that bounty on them and their captain set ASAP!"
"Ouch, looks like we're slightly late to keep those guys from getting infamous. And after all the good they wound up doing."
Nezumi's anger gave way to pure terror, his whiskered face paling as he turned to see Purin and Fullbody standing there behind him.
"C-Commodore Pudding Purin! F-Fancy meeting you here!"
Purin noted the officers still splatted with blue and green paint and grinned, which quickly became vicious as he turned toward Nezumi with an icy stare.
"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. You'll be sent for court-martialing immediately. Men, take them all away!"
Nezumi was shaking as Fullbody smirked and walked over before detaining the rat-faced bastard.
"With the scale of your crimes, you might just be looking at a nice fancy necktie and a quick drop."
Realizing that his fate was sealed, Nezumi could only pathetically sob as he knew his life was over right then and there.
Once the town had been cleaned up, the villagers decided to throw a party to celebrate their freedom after eight long years.
"I had a feeling you two would be the ones to join our side," Zoro said to Romaz.
"Honestly, I've been dreaming of a time when humans and fishmen don't hate each other. Everything you've heard about it so far... It's only scratching the surface." Romaz explained with a sigh. "I served under the Sun Pirates alongside Arlong and Jinbe in our youth and I stuck by Arlong's side because he was my friend...but in these past years, I had to watch him become the same tyrant as those who caused Fisher Tiger's death."
"Well, it doesn't look like they hold any hard feelings," Double-D noted as he looked over the village.
Romaz nodded. "I was the one to give Bellemere a proper burial. I had even allowed the people of Cocoyashi Village to unload their anger on me as an act of repentance for Arlong's actions. Eventually, they realized I was sincere in my remorse."
Nojiko smiled as she guzzled down a mug of ale without a care in the world. Nearby Merone and Kuishi were feasting on the fried seafood from the buffet Sanji was cooking up.
"Hey, I saw the park in pieces!" Chabo called out as he came over to Nojiko. "Does that mean what I think it means?!"
Nojiko nodded. "Yep, and honestly, I'm glad. Bellemere can finally rest, 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, which was quite odd since he would have jumped at the prospect of so much free food.
"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 and Luffy were sitting together in front of Bellemere's grave, the former smiling as she looked out over the shore.
"Looks like it's finally official. I'm part of the Straw Hats now and forever." She then leaned her head to Luffy's shoulder.
"Nami?"
"You know something...I appreciate a guy who really understands a girl's feelings."
Before Luffy could react, Nami planted a kiss right on his lips. While initially surprised at first, he eventually wrapped his arms gently around her and pulled her closer...
As evening drew in, Nojiko stopped by the house to find Nami. And she did, in the bedroom sleeping in bed with Luffy. Neither of them was wearing anything but a sheet to cover themselves.
"Oh my..." Nojiko whispered as she quietly walked out. "Sorry for the intrusion..."
The party continued late into the night and over the next few days. Zoro was sitting at one table sharing a drink with Ferros and Romaz.
"Talk about a big celebration. I haven't seen a party this big since the Baratie's last birthday announcement." Sanji said as he sat across from the three.
By now Luffy and Nami had rejoined the party, Luffy immediately digging into the meat as Kuishi joined in. Nami got a drink for herself, then turned around to see Nojiko standing there with a wry grin.
"So, how was he?"
"You saw us?"
"Only the aftermath. But you had the biggest smile on your face, so it had to be good."
"Well... it turns out that having a body made of rubber comes with... Big benefits."
"NO. WAY!" Ariala gasped as she zoomed over. "You actually got Luffy to kiss you?! I never thought that dummy would ever be into a girl!"
Nami giggled. "To be honest, he's normally not the sort to get distracted by a woman's beauty unless they have an emotional connection. I think the term is demisexual?"
Ariala paused before putting a finger to her chin and humming before shrugging.
"Yeah, that checks out."
Later, Nami went to Dr. Nako to let him remove her tattoo, which was the last tie she had to the Arlong Pirates. He had already done the same with Kuishi and Romaz, which proved easier since fishmen didn't have regular skin, but heavy scales. All Nako had to do was carefully remove the ones with the tattoos and let the new scales grow in naturally.
"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'm going to be recognized as being on a pirate crew, I'd rather it be one where we're actually friends...So I'm going to need someone to replace it."
Nako nodded as Nami handed him a sketch for a new tattoo.
Back outside, Usopp was sitting with the Eds and Lithos as they shared a few bottles of soda.
"Man! Talk about a well-earned break," Usopp said. "I can't wait to tell my old man about how I beat a fishman in a shooting contest!"
"A toast to our new members!" Eddy cheered as he raised his bottle.
"With lots of butter!" Ed added.
"Heh, it seems the Straw Hats are now officially the strongest crew on the East Blue." Lithos chuckled softly. "Which means we're just about ready for the Grand Line. 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!" Double-D greeted. "Where have you been?"
"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." Genzo chuckled. "Those girls. They truly are her daughters, blood be damned. Every bit like her, though in different ways."
"She truly sounded like a wonderful woman..." Lithos noted. "I pray that she keeps watching over Nami and her progress toward her dream."
The next day, the Going Merry was loaded up with new cargo.
"Hey, you feeling okay, Sanji?" Kuishi asked. "I was told you're quite the lady's man and considering Nami is..."
"I have enough honor in me to concede defeat to our captain," Sanji said. "Clearly he has way more charm than me in more areas than I thought."
"We have everything?" Luffy asked as he and Nami boarded.
"All the cargo and provisions. We're ready to sail off at any time." Romaz said.
"I managed to retrieve the money Nezumi stole and left it with the village. Bonus, we get to keep the other half." Nami said.
"We'll be needing it once we reach Loguetown. There's some important things we need to purchase while there." Lithos noted.
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, before looking at the tangerine trees now planted on the Merry's deck.
"A little bit of home to take with me. Rest well, Bellemere. One day I'll return." She thought. "I can finally start drawing a map of the entire world...thank you. For everything."
A few days later a News Coo arrived with the daily paper. Johnny and Yosaku were busy training under Zoro, Usopp was crafting his unique ammunition as Eddy and Ferros watched with interest. Sanji was busy in the kitchen with breakfast and trying to keep Ed from eating everything, Romaz and Double-D were double-checking the rigging, Nami was manning the helm with Ariala by her side, Lithos and Merone were below deck checking the manifest on their stores, and Luffy was reading through the paper when he spotted something that made him grin.
"Hey, guys! Come and check this out! We just got famous!"
Curious, the rest of the crew went over to Luffy. When they saw what Luffy had, everyone cried out in shock.
"Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy: 50,000,000 Berris
"Tremor" Edward D. Lithos: 50,000,000 Berris
"Sea Queen" Clisson D. Merone: 50,000,000 Berris
"Metal Machine" Edward D. Ferros: 50,000,000 Berris
"Wind Dancer" Clisson D. Ariala: 50,000,000 Berris
"Whoa, talk about big time!" Kuishi exclaimed. "Uncle Arlong was nowhere close to getting a bounty this high."
"Guess it's official; We're wanted criminals." Merone dryly said. "Even though we didn't really commit any real crimes."
"Well, we did kinda beat up a couple of Marine captains," Luffy noted. But then again, they were corrupt assholes, and it doesn't look like they're mentioned on these posters. But man, I'm worth 50,000,000 Berris? That's a great start!"
"Aw man, I was hoping we'd all get bounties at the same time." Usopp moaned in disappointment.
"Hey, it takes a while for an entire crew to get infamous. Having the Captain, Quartermaster, and First, Second, and Third Mates of a pirate crew be the first to get bounties is pretty typical." Yosaku reassured him.
"This does mean we're going to have to worry about danger moving forward," Nami pointed out.
"Oh, I knew this day would come when we decided to become pirates..." Double-D lamented.
"Come on, Double-D, with bounties that high? If the guys we're serving under are strong enough to beat up the likes of Arlong and Don Krieg, there's no one left in the East Blue that can challenge them." Eddy pointed out.
"Once we leave Loguetown there's only one viable route into the Grand Line; Reverse Mountain," Lithos said. "The only other entrance is the Calm Belt, but it's full of Sea Kings and doldrums."
"And we're only sailing a caravel. There's no way we'd be able to make it through." Nami noted.
Ferros nodded. "Reverse Mountain it is then. We'll stock up in Loguetown and be on our way.
"We're almost there, crew! The Grand Line awaits us!" Luffy declared.
The crew all cheered as they neared their next port, unaware that things were only starting to get dangerous for them.
Kuishi and Romaz are now honorary Fishman members of the Straw Hats! Now we set sail to Loguetown next, where I have some very special surprises planned that might be a little different compared to how mtnetsurfer covered the arc.
Let's just say a mutual fan of One Piece will be very happy to see who I include as surprise recruits for the crew in the following chapters. Not saying names at the moment, just gonna have to wait and see what comes!
