Chapter 14. Nami's pain, Arlong and Bellemere. A lesson for the queen.
Suddenly, Mohmoo turned away from Arlong Park and started heading towards the coast.
"H-hey! Wait!" Luffy yelled. "You're going the wrong way!"
But Mohmoo no longer paid attention to his words.
"…Oh my God…" Themis muttered in awe. "I think I know what comes next."
"What do you mean?" Hera asked, but she soon got the answer from her as Mohmoo slowed to a stop just off the shore and sent Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku flying like a slingshot.
"WOOOOOOOOOOAAAA!" everyone cried.
"WHO-HO!" Luffy cheered. "HAHAHAHA! This is like flying!"
"It's NOT like flying!" Yosaku argued.
"WE ARE REALLY FLYING, FOOL!" Sanji yelled
"Oh… that's what you meant," Hermes muttered in amusement as Thalia shuddered and muttered "This is why I hate heights."
Not long after, gravity began to take hold and the boat fell into the woods and began to slide across the ground.
"It's okay!" Luffy exclaimed. "Landing complete!"
"HOW IS THIS A LANDING?!" Sanji questioned.
"Seriously, how did they survive?" asked Hephaestus, with a drop on his head.
"I don't think we can answer that question." I speak with annoyance Athena.
"It seems fun!" Clarisse exclaimed, excited.
"No, I assure you it is not!" the daughter of Zeus cried out in terror.
At that moment, Luffy saw something, or rather, someone up ahead, and once he saw that green hair, he instantly recognized it as Zoro.
"Hey look! It's Zoro!" Luffy exclaimed.
"3...2...1," Ares counted...just as the boat collided with Zoro.
"GAH!" Zoro cried. "Damn it, LUFFY, WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Ahahahaha! Good to see you too!" Luffy replied, unaware of his anger.
"Ooh…that had to hurt," Percy winced.
"He's lucky, if it was either of us, we would have cursed him..." Zeus complained, with most of the gods agreeing (except Artemis, Apollo and Hestia.)
Before long, the group ended up crashing into a cliff, and once the dust settled, Luffy simply stood up and brushed off his clothes.
"Well here we are!" Luffy said.
"Hmm-hmm…" Aphrodite chuckled in amusement. "That Luffy, always making such big entrances. He's pretty impressive."
Artemis just sighed and shook her head with a tired smile.
"What am I going to do with him?" she asked.
"Rrrgh... dammit!" Zoro cursed as he stepped out of the rubble. "What the hell do you idiots think you're doing?!"
"I'm surprised Roronoa managed to survive that," Hades said. "He wasn't he still hurt?"
"I think if she could lift a cannon with a deadly stab, she shouldn't have much of a problem with this." Athena shrugged, with Ares's nod. "Even when he has a life-threatening injury to him, he's still a beast."
"Isn't that impressive? I want him as my champion!" said the god of war when Athena confronted him.
"Oh, come on!" Athena argued. "You already have Luffy as your champion! It's over, Roronoa is going to be MY champion!"
"You want to fight?!"
"Come get me!"
At that moment, Themis hits both of their heads, leaving a huge bump on their heads.
"Behave like adult gods, I'm sick of these fights!"
"Themis!" Zeus said, but Themis's look did not allow a reply, not even from the King of the Gods.
"What do you mean, Zoro?" Luffy asked. "We came to bring Nami back!...Wait, you still haven't found her? And where are Usopp and Johnny?"
"Usopp!" Zoro yelled as he stood up. "Damn, I almost forgot! We don't have time, standing here!"
"Why? What is the problem?" Luffy asked.
"He's been captured by Arlong," Zoro replied, "and if we don't hurry, they're going to kill him!"
"Hope for?!" Luffy questioned.
"He was caught by Arlong?" Dionysus asked. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Uhh...it was a little accident," Junior answered. "You see, he was trying to hide from Arlong's Fishman crew when all of a sudden I see this guy being picked on by Arlong, all because he had a gun hidden on his person...so he decided to help get him out... .even though he was scared."
"Wow, is he trying to be braver? Look with the big nose" answered the God of Wine, almost interested.
"...He's dead," a voice suddenly said, causing everyone to look up to see Johnny...who had a grim look on his face.
"What?!" Zoro questioned in shock and horror. "What are you talking about, Johnny?!"
"...It's too late," replied Johnny. "Big Bro Usopp...he's dead! Big Sis Nami killed him!"
All the color left Luffy's face upon hearing that.
'...No way...no way, there's just no way! There's no way Nami would do that!'
"...Oh, Luffy..." Aphrodite whispered sadly.
"Impossible, she would never do that!" Hermes yelled, annoyed.
"Wait, calm down!" Apollo tries to calm Hermes, without much success.
"I find it strange," the God of the Underworld was heard whispering.
"What's happening?" asked his mother-in-law.
"Since we arrived on this island I feel an unusual amount of gold. Which is strange because there are no properties on this island to have gold."
"Could it be that being in this world has disrupted your abilities?"
"...Liar," Luffy hissed as he grabbed Johnny by the collar of his jacket, the gods and demigods noted that anger welled up in the young pirate's heart. "You're lying!"
"But it's true! I saw it with my own eyes!" Johnny argued as he pushed Luffy away and then sat on the ground. "…Big Sis Nami…she is nothing but a ruthless witch! She has been going behind our backs all this time! In order to obtain some kind of hidden treasure here on Cocoyashi Island, she has been in cahoots with Arlong, and Just because of that, he killed Big Bro Usopp without even a hint of remorse! Don't you get it?! He stabbed us in the back!"
"...To shut up...!" Luffy hissed as he grabbed Johnny and started shaking him violently. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! YOU SAY THAT AGAIN, AND I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!"
Artemis's eyes widened, feeling a pang of guilt in her stomach. Even back then, he still defended the integrity of her friend. Although she also had pain in her heart.
"Luffy, stop!" Zoro barked. "Leave Johnny alone! This has nothing to do with him!"
"I know you don't want to believe me, and you don't have to!" Johnny yelled. "But I saw it myself!"
"LIAR!" Luffy barked. "YOU'RE MAKING UP SHIT! WHY THE HELL DID NAMI WANNA KILL US?! SHE'S OUR FRIEND, DAMN!"
"Okay, okay, that's enough!" Zoro yelled as he pulled Luffy away from Johnny.
"And to think that the boy is a pirate..." Demeter commented, sadly. "He is more of a hero than a criminal."
"Yeah. He doesn't look like the typical pirate who would plunder a town." Groover said in agreement with what the Goddess of Agriculture said.
"If anything, he's desperate." Zeus said. "Still... I was surprised that he really wanted to help people."
"Who is your friend, Luffy?" asked a familiar voice... but it sounded cold and icy. The group turned... and saw Nami, looking at them with a cold, distant look in her eyes. However, for some strange reason, her hand was bandaged.
"...Nami...?" Annabeth asked, worried. "W-why does she look like that?"
"...Please don't hate her," Themis whispered, receiving a sympathetic smile from Junior.
"Nami, it's you!" Luffy exclaimed happily, but Nami looked away from him.
"Why the hell are you here?" she asked.
"What do you mean 'why are we here'?" Luffy asked as he went to pick up his hat, which had fallen off during his argument with Johnny. "We're friends, remember? We came looking for you! Now let's go!"
"...You're really annoying, you know that?" Nami asked coldly.
"Hey?" Luffy muttered in confusion. "N-Nami?"
"Friends? Us?" Nami asked. "Don't make me laugh, idiot. You're more like unwitting cooperators to me."
"...Nami...?" Tyson asked, concerned.
"How cruel," Hades whispered.
"Why is she being so mean?" Thalia asked.
"...Believe me, she didn't want to," Junior replied. "She was desperately trying to protect them from Arlong."
"Bitch!" Johnny yelled. "I saw everything! I saw you kill Big Brother Usopp!"
"Y?" Nami asked, not caring. "What are you going to do? Kill me?"
However, as for the previous group, they all looked at Nami, stunned beyond belief, but Luffy was the only one who remained unmoved.
"I'll tell you this," Nami said. "Arlong is after Roronoa Zoro's head after he did something stupid."
"What did Roronoa do?" Apollo asked.
"Oh, she just attacked some of Arlong's men," Junior replied. "Sure, Arlong is a cold, bloodthirsty killer who hates humans, but even he cares about his crew more than anything. He's a bastard, but even someone like him has certain principles."
"I guess," Hera muttered as she looked at Zoro.
"Shh~!" Percy fell silent. "Guys, look!"
"Listen," Nami said. "You may have the strength of monsters, but you're nothing compared to the TRUE. If you stay long enough, the Fishmen will kill you... not that I worry."
"... Bitch...!" Zoro scoffed, as Sanji passed out.
"Ahh... such a cold look... and yet it's so charming...!" he said. "Hey, beautiful! Do you remember me~? It's your beloved Sanji~!"
"Hey! Stay out of this, okay?" Zoro pointed at Sanji. "You're going to make things more complicated!"
"What the hell did you say?!" Sanji questioned. "Listen here, motherfucker! My love is like a hurricane!"
"Wait... what does that mean?" Tyson asked innocently.
"Uhh...I'll tell you when you're older," Junior replied.
"Uh, I love that phrase! I'll write it down!" I speak the Goddess of Love with a fire in her eyes.
'Oh, gods...' Athena thought, annoyed.
"Hey, Nami," Zoro asked as he walked away from Sanji.
"Hey! Don't turn your back on me!" the cook yelled.
"Where's Usopp?" the swordsman asked.
"...At the bottom of the sea," Nami answered, showing no emotion.
"Because you...!" Zoro hissed as he drew his sword. "CUT THE SHIT, NOW!" At that, he charged for her, only for Sanji to get in the way.
"So now the swordsmen go after women too?!" Sanji asked as he tried to kick Zoro in the face, only to miss.
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Zoro questioned. "You don't even know what's going on, so stay out of this!"
"Heh," Sanji smiled. "Well... after you suffered such a loss, I can't say I blame you for being so cranky."
Hearing that made Zoro growl even angrier.
"...And I thought Poseidon and Athena's rivalry was bad," Hades said.
"I'll tell you." Hades commented.
"You have something of value, cook…" Zoro hissed.
"Why don't you mind your own business?" Sanji asked.
"Hey hey!" Yosaku yelled. "Let's not fight here, boys!"
"He's right," Nami said. "If you're going to fight, do it somewhere else. Anywhere NOT on this island. You guys are just outsiders sticking your noses where they don't belong. Don't you get it now? You guys are just here to get treasure and nothing else Now that I've taken every last Berry they have, then I don't need them anymore. Just get back on your damn barge and find another navigator to take you all to the Grand Line. Go get the One Piece or whatever!" He then pointed his bo staff at them. "Just get off this island and stay away!"
Johnny and Yosaku snarled angrily at her, while Luffy stared blankly at her... while Nami lowered her head, covering her eyes with his.
"...Goodbye," she whispered, as the gods and demigods stood with bated breath.
"...Nami..." Luffy whispered softly.
Then, out of nowhere... he closed his eyes and fell to the ground on his back, much to everyone's surprise.
"B-Big brother Luffy, what are you doing?" Johnny asked.
"I'm tired," Luffy replied. "I'm going to take a nap."
"What?!" Johnny asked. "A nap?!"
"Right here and now, in the middle of the road like that?!" Yosaku asked.
"Yes," Luffy stated before giving a yawn. "I really don't feel like leaving the island, so I'm going to take a nap now."
"Big brother…" Johnny whispered as Yosaku's jaw dropped in disbelief and Zoro just slapped him across the face, once again. As for Nami…she looked absolutely pissed off.
"WELL THEN!" she barked. "GO AHEAD AND DO ANYTHING! IN FACT, YOU MAY DIE, FOR ALL I CARE!" At that, she turned around and ran away.
"She's desperate." Apollo said, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, frustrated. I don't know what's wrong with her, but she's incredibly scared."
"It's true, that anger is nothing more than a lie." I speak Poseidon, according to the God of Truth.
"The question is, what did Arlong do to her to make her suffer like this? I mean, controlling her home island is already a reason to hate him but..." Percy spoke thoughtfully.
"USOOOOOOOOPP!" Luffy's voice screamed as the memory returned, but this time, it showed Usopp, bloodied and beaten. "WHAT HAPPENED?! NAMI DID THIS TO YOU?!"
"I think that's really what those two are," Artemis looked at a certain coiner and a certain swordsman with a drop of sweat.
"Ugggh…" Usopp groaned as he finally regained consciousness. "L... Luffy? You're here...!"
"Yeah, I got here a while ago," Luffy replied.
"And I'm here too," Sanji greeted. "Hello."
"I WILL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!" Usopp yelled.
"I knew it." I express annoys Apollo's twin.
"Wait a minute!" Zoro called. "I thought Nami killed you, Usopp."
"Stupid Johnny!" Luffy exclaimed. "He was talking nonsense the whole time!"
"Now wait a minute!" Usopp spoke. "Things aren't quite what they seem, here!"
"What do you mean?" asked Luffy, and soon, Usopp explained how Nami had saved him from Arlong's wrath by pretending to kill him, but actually stabbing his own hand to make it look like he was stabbed, then told him to fall back into the pool so he could escape, and Arlong would not notice.
"So, that's why she had her hand bandaged" Athena stated.
"It hurts," her daughter said as she unconsciously rubbed her hand, "but not as much as the thought of seeing your friends and others hurt...or worse..."
"So basically, if Nami made Arlong angry," Aphrodite began, "she would make him regret it by killing someone close to her."
"That's why she tries so hard to push Luffy and the others away," Themis said. "She couldn't bear the thought of Arlong killing any of them..."
Zeus begins to think about what was really going on, but surprisingly Hera seemed to have a theory of the situation... and she was praying to herself that she was wrong.
"So what do we do now?" Zoro asked. "Storm Arlong Park and get Nami back?"
"N-now, wait!" Usopp exclaimed. "I think we should ask Nami for a better explanation before coming up with a plan!"
"Don't bother! It's useless!"
The voice came from a beautiful woman with short light purple hair and wearing pink lip gloss. She wears a yellow top and jeans and is covered in tattoos.
"Wow, she's pretty." the satyr commented, with a nod from his friends.
"That's Nojiko, Nami's adoptive older sister." Junior said.
Usopp explained that she is Nami's older sister, which surprised Sanji in her lovey-dovey way. Zoro wants an explanation as to why he is useless to her. Nojiko told them to stop meddling in the village and leave Nami alone.
"But you know how important these guys are to her, dammit!" Clarisse exclaimed.
"But when you're dealing with disappointment for most of your life, there are times when it seems like it's best to just let it go." Thalia said.
Nojiko wants to tell them the reason why Nami is staying with those pirates, hoping they'll leave after that, but Luffy decided to pass that up, claiming that he doesn't care about Nami's past. Then Luffy went for a walk.
Nojiko was confused by that, but Zoro states that he is like that.
"Luffy, how come you don't care about her past?" Poseidon seemed to scold him.
"Well, we know that freedom is the basis of Luffy's character, so I guess he must be respecting Nami's wishes. I guess Luffy is taking it seriously." Athena theorized.
Sanji, Usopp and Zoro will listen to Nami's story, although Zoro is already asleep. Artemis was about to shoot an arrow at the Pirate Hunter, but she decided to follow the boy.
However, Junior had already taken everyone to Nami's past.
"Junior...?"
"Don't get mad, but I'm not very respectful of people's pasts. Especially if it's important."
At a bookstore, Nami was looking for a certain book, searching the area, and attempted to steal one by hiding it in her dress, even when the owner confronted her. She was discovered when she ran into a less scarred Genzo and dropped the book on her.
"Even at a young age, she was a petty thief." Hermes whispered, proud of her actions.
Even though the old lady smiled good-heartedly, Genzo yelled at Nami for stealing from her again, picking her up like a cat. The town laughed at the trick when Genzo told him that stealing was wrong, but Nami reminded him that they are poor.
Hera seemed to soften a little as Percy's eyes widened at Nami's claim.
Genzo banged angrily on Bellemere's door until she opened it, looking rather annoyed but happily welcoming Nami despite the situation. He complained to her about Nami stealing, but Bellemere seems fine with it, knowing that Genzo paid for her book.
She stroked her chin until she turned red. "I'll pay later... with my body."
Most of the demigods and Themis blushed at her suggestive comment. Zeus and Ares cheered.
"I like her style, haha!" laughed even the Goddess of Love.
"Bellemere, that is an inappropriate thing to say in front of her daughter!" Hestia scolded her with slightly colored cheeks.
"You know they can't see you, right?" Junior asks with a bead of sweat on his head.
Genzo backed away in an instant, telling her that he shouldn't do things like that. Nami and Bellemere laughed until Bellemere hit her on the head, reminding her that she is still being punished with 100 lashes.
"I don't think her punishment should be that harsh." Grover commented.
"I don't think so. My dad definitely would have done that if I'd done that. Hell, he's done it for less." Clarisse said nonchalantly.
Seeing the way Percy was looking at her, Clarisse added, "Fuck off, Prissy."
Nami apologized, but she really wanted that book. Bellemere asked why she couldn't just ask for it, but Nami stated that she wouldn't have bought it. Bellemere said otherwise as they still have money stashed away. Nami heard from the villagers that the weather has been good, which means they could get mikans from any other field and theirs won't sell as well because they don't increase in value. Bellemere said they should mind their own business.
"I think they could have done well, if they kept growing those tangerines as well." Demeter commented as she approached the orchard. "You can tell that it has been cultivated with a lot of love and effort. If they had offered it to me as an offering, I would have given them anything."
The young Nojiko boasted that she could have stolen it better, causing Bellemere to give both of them blows to the head, reminding them not to steal. Still, Bellemere was able to laugh, praising Nami's map-making skills, and Nami is also trying to study navigation. Nojiko stated that those are Nami's dreams. Nami wants to use her navigation skills to travel around the world and make a world map of everything he sees. Her island map is the first step.
"How ambitious she is." Apollo stated immediately.
"As a traveler that I am, I would like her to be my champion." Hermes said.
"Do you seriously think Luffy would let you steal the navigator from him?" Ares smiled.
On a rainy day at her house, Nami noticed that Bellemere hadn't been eating lately. Bellemere just brushed it off, saying that she has been eating mikans while she sews a little dress. Nojiko stated that she doesn't need meals either, and Bellemere tried to tease her that she has taken an interest in boys, reminding her that boys need to eat. Nojiko told her that she keeps lying, saying that they don't have any money, so Ella Bellemere has to suffer for them, but Ella Bellemere dismissed it as a simple diet. The others watched empathetically as Hestia felt her eyes fill with tears as sherecognized the sacrifices Bellemere was making for her children. Bellemere stated that they shouldn't underestimate the 'beautifying power of mikans', but she got angry when Nami pointed at her yellowish hands. Bellemere finished her little sewing project for Nami, which was a pink dress with a sunflower lion. Nami was disappointed that it was an inheritance from Nojiko, but Nojiko reminded her that he is two years her junior. Still, Nami wants new clothes, but Nojiko told her that her clothes are old too. Nami only receives them because she is her little sister.
"But I'm not your real sister! We're not related by blood!"
Bellemere slapped Nami across her face with enough force to send her flying.
High-pitched gasps tore from the audience. Tyson gripped his knees, gritting his teeth.
Bellemere told Nami to never say anything like that again. Nami held her cheek, her eyes filled with tears, as she furiously told him that she wasn't her real mother either, and that she would be better off without them in order to be free. Nami wished someone richer had adopted her instead of her. Bellemere turned her back and told Nami that if she hated this place so much, then she should leave. Nojiko told them to stop fighting, but Nami ran off into the rain.
Hestia's entire body shook, crying. She can remember times when her siblings were kinder. Sometimes those moments were the closest thing to what she wanted; to be a family again. She felt a hand on her shoulder and noticed Themis and Percy.
"Is it alright, Lady Hestia?" Percy asked softly.
The Goddess of Hearth nodded, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief.
"You want this, right? For our family."
Bellemere stared at the hand she had hit Nami with. Nojiko was sure they were still family and she was sure Nami felt the same way. Nojiko was about to cry, but Bellemere told her that she was a strong person and that what she had done to Nami was immature. Bellemere asked her if she could take Nami home to cook a super delicious dinner before she got back.
Hera closed her eyes for a moment. 'At least she knows right away that what she has done was wrong.'
She stopped raining when the sun shone on the town. The villagers were already bustling in the market square as Genzo laughed and dried Nami with a towel. He gave her a hot drink, but Nami still thinks that Bellemere would be better off without them since having two children would cost a lot of money, and it doesn't help that the town hates her because of Nami, or so she thinks. Genzo was glad that Nami was considerate enough at her age. He told her that Bellemere was a famous brat in the village when she was also Nami's age, and it became a shock to the village that this brat became a Marine.
"Wait, was she?" Thalia's eyes widen.
"I guess she was trying to show that she can grow up." Annabeth theorized.
Footage of a war between marines and pirates surfaced as Genzo explained that Bellemere had said that "pirates have to pay for killing innocent people."
"And she has a sense of justice." Artemis admired.
"Why do good marines keep dying?!" Mineta yelled in frustration.
"I'm pretty sure the first group of marines we've seen is alive." Hades said with a small drop of sweat.
"Yes, but..."
"That's good." Zeus said closing his eyes. "Justice has not been lost in this world, there is hope."
Gen explained that Bellemere was able to muster the will to live again because she saw Nami.
As the teary-eyed demigods looked at the scene, Dionysus smiled slightly.
"Hey, that's how a problem child grows up. Not bad, ex-Marine."
"You girls have a much deeper bond than a real family."
"So from the beginning, Bellemere loves them and cares about them." Hera continued to stare, lacing her fingers together.
"She's a much better mother than you, bitch." Suddenly said Ares, surprising everyone.
"Ares!"
"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm with Ares." Hephaestus spoke, while Ares surprises giving him a thumbs up.
"Hephaestus! How dare you...! You two are MY children, you have to respect me, you are not like that plague of bastard children!"
At that moment, all hell broke loose. The gods who have children remembered their deceased children who died in the two wars in the past, and began to stand up and glare at the so-called Queen of Olympus.
"Call my son a bastard," Poseidon stood up, his hand grasping the Trident from him. "And not even mother will protect you from me."
"Or me once I shoot tons of arrows up your ass." Apollo angrily mocked his hated stepmother.
"I also." Artemis stood up along with his brother. "You may have defeated me in the Trojan War, but this time I am fully prepared to shower you with my own silver arrows, and my father will do nothing to stop me from taking my hands your son, bitch."
"I'll fill you with George and Martha's poison if you ever try to lay a hand on them for my son Luke." Hermes growled as George and Martha hissed.
"Annabeth told me everything you did." Athena stated coldly, grabbing the spear from her. "While I don't approve of my daughter's relationship with Poseidon's son, I won't hesitate to kill you if you ever make my daughter cry."
"I'll rip your head off if you ever call my Clarisse a bastard!" Ares roared at his mother.
"And I will burn your corpse to ashes too." added Hephaestus.
"Call my girls bastards, sister," Demeter spat, "And I'll starve you for all eternity!"
"You'll never find Zeus's love again if you ever call my girls a bunch of bastards, you old hag!" Aphrodite spat on Hera.
"I learned from the best, they say." Dionysus said, looking at his despised stepmother with purple fire in her eyes. "I literally learned from the WORST! And I won't hesitate to make you slam your stupid face into the wall until you bleed! First I lost Castor and now I've lost Dakota, so stop that!"
"As you call Nico or Blanca a bastard again, I will inflict true terror on you, sister!" Hades spat, furious.
The mortals were moved that their pious parents stood up to them, showing that they have changed for the better. Junior while smiling madly, eating popcorn.
"I'm not going to deny it, this is a show. "Cheer up, guys!"
Hera gaped at her Olympians for standing up to her like that, her, the Queen of Olympus. She looked to her husband for help from her.
"Zeus! Why don't you defend your wife from your inferiors?"
The rest of the Olympians looked at her for calling them that.
"You are the Queen of the Gods, true and well if you were told, you are the Goddess of Motherhood and the Family, but you continue to ruin them and despise your children for not being perfect, especially after what you did to my son Hercules! By my authority as lord of Olympus, I forbid you to try to kill my children again, by whatever means; physical, magical, or sending others to do your dirty work! This you will swear on the river Styx!"
Hera was stunned. "Zeus!"
"Woooooooh, what a cut! That's what I call 'authority'!"
Zeus summoned his Master Bolt, the smell of ozone filled the place.
Hera suddenly realized that she was finished, so with all the strength she could muster, she tearfully said, "Never again will I lay a hand on any son of Zeus, physical, magical, or sent to others to do my dirty work. I swear on..."
"One moment!" Themis interrupted everyone, while walking next to Hera and drying her tears. "While I understand all the immense hatred you have for Hera, threatening her like that won't solve the problem. Besides, there's also the matter of whether the oath will work in this world. And besides, we're in the past. I doubt it will work."
Hera takes the opportunity to return to a stoic pose, smiling with great arrogance, even at Zeus.
"Even the Goddess of Justice is on my side, I am absolutely right!"
Zeus had to give Hera a point. Although he was the Supreme Lord of the Universe, Themis was a divinity who represented order and justice in nature and the universe. In fact she was his adviser until he turned her into a constellation. From that and as a way to honor her, he attributed himself the title of God of Justice. But now...
"This doesn't mean you're right, Hera. We'll take care of this at home."
"Even you, Themis! Then I must allow those parasites to mock the duty of fidelity?!"
Virtually all Olympians were ready to attack Hera. Percy and his friends felt the tension...
"Hey, great queen of idiots!"
As soon as Hera turned to her voice, something completely unexpected happened: Junior punched Hera in the face, sending her into the sea. (Because they were ghosts in the past, nothing happens in the past itself.)
Overtaken - One Piece
The gods practically had their mouths open wide. The demigods fell to the ground in shock. Even Zeus was surprised at what had happened, no one had the nerve to insult the gods, much less hit them; Themis, on the other hand, shook her head in annoyance, but she couldn't help but smile.
Hera comes out of the water drenched and furious when she sees Junior's look and is surprised, there was no longer that mocking and cheerful air that she normally had, it had been replaced by one of anger and ferocity under a layer of serenity and calm.
"Do you have any idea... what you... have... done?" asked the Queen of the Gods stuttering.
"Yeah, I punched a bitch who deserved it."
The way of answering it also surprised everyone present. At that point, he grabs her by her clothes and yells at her, "You're a jealous, selfish idiot! You only like 'perfect families' and you're fucking proud. I mean, you're nothing but a bully! So I'm going to do it!" change your mind or I'll make sure you end up in Tartarus. And this time, I won't be as compassionate as Zeus."
Junior let go of the dumbfounded goddess as he turned to look at Nami's past. He couldn't help but notice the gazes of the Olympians.
"Eehh... Did I go a bit too far?"
"Quoting Clarisse: 'That. Has. been. AMAZING!' exclaimed the Goddess of Love.
The other gods began to congratulate Junior, while the demigods inwardly laughed triumphantly. I'd be lying if I said they didn't enjoy watching the Olympus Queen being bullied by a dirty pirate. Then, Percy approached Junior and he looked at him smiling.
"Thank you. For that punch."
"Nothing, partner. I've been happy to do it."
After the unexpected pause,the Olympianssaw that Nojiko found Nami and told her that Bellemere was waiting for them with dinner. The town watches them run happily, happy to see them grow up.
But soon, a man warns them of the pirates when a familiar pirate flag flickers in the wind.
"That is...?" he told Amphetite, having a good idea what it was.
"...Arlong's flag," Percy hissed under his breath, narrowing his eyes.
This is the same day that Arlong took over the town from him. The villagers were surprised that the Grand Line fishermen came here, recognizing them as the Arlong Pirates. Gen told Nami and Nojiko to hide in the forest, just in time for Alrong and his crew to break in and announce that this island is now under his control. From now on, they have to buy life from him; 100,000 beris per adult and 50,000 beris per child. Those who cannot pay will die. From the bushes, Nojiko and Nami could only watch, knowing they couldn't afford that, but with luck, they might not notice their house.
The demigods could only watch in horror. Poseidon gritted his teeth in anger at the greedy wishes of the fish-men, that the villagers have to live like this for 8 years. Amphetite had similar thoughts; Arlong and his people were an embarrassment to the inhabitants of the kingdom of the seas. Although they have to pay to survive, Gen told them to hang in there for now, as they should be glad no one in the town has to die, and hoped they would inadvertently leave Bellemere's house. He doubts that she was able to save enough money for the three of them. Arlong and his crew were about to leave until a subordinate noticed smoke rising from outside the village.
The audience cursed in frustration.
"Her love for them will be his undoing." Zeus narrowed his eyes darkly, watching Bellemere happily prepare dinner.
Nami and Nojiko ran towards his house while Arlong led his crew in the same direction. When they left, the town recognized that this is bad and, worst of all, they discovered that the children had left. Meanwhile, Bellemere was waiting for her meal to be cooked, not caring that she was splurging a bit, just as Arlong and her team were closing in on the children behind them.
To be continued...