Chapter 2: What Engagement?

"What are you talking about?" Nojiko demanded, standing and moving in front of Nami. "What wedding?"

"Your sister's, of course. She's getting married."

"To who?" Nami asked, her heart racing. What in the world was Arlong planning now? She hadn't heard of any plans even remotely like this. Did he owe a favor to some prominent fish-man who wanted to marry her? Or was it a corrupt Marine official who wanted to marry her? But what about her maps? Arlong had gained control of most of East Blue thanks to her maps, but she knew he wanted to rule all the seas of the world. There was no way he would just give her away to someone.

Her fists clenched and bile rose to her throat. It wasn't enough that she had to work for the man who'd murdered her mother in order to keep her village safe, but now she had to marry someone just because he dictated it?

"You have nothing to complain about," Arlong waved away, stepping farther into the home to spin around one of the kitchen table chairs and take a seat. "You're marrying into royalty."

"Royalty?" Nami repeated slowly. She was going to marry someone rich? Not that that made it okay for Arlong to decide her life for her.

Arlong nodded, his grin displaying his sharp teeth. "Yep. One of the princes of the Germa Kingdom." She frowned. She'd never heard of the Germa Kingdom. Did that mean it was some small, impoverished kingdom? If she was going to be forced to marry a prince, she wasn't going to marry a poor one. "It's a kingdom in North Blue, far away from our territory."

"And why does Nami have to marry this prince?" Nojiko demanded, folding her arms across her chest.

"Be careful, Nojiko," Nami hissed in warning, placing a hand on the small of her sisters back. Though Nami appreciated her sister's protectiveness, in front of Arlong was not the time for it. Nojiko knew that.

Arlong gave Nojiko a warning look that made Nami sick to her stomach.

"Nami doing this will benefit everyone," Arlong said, moving his gave from Nojiko to Nami. "The Germa Kingdom runs the Germa 66 army, the most powerful army within North Blue. They once ruled all of North Blue, but lost most of their kingdom after a short time. They want it back and believe they can gain it with your maps."

Nami's stomach twisted into knots. As though helping a pirate crew gain so much control of the world wasn't bad enough, now she was supposed to help a military do the same? "And how does helping them benefit you?" She asked. And why did she have to marry one of the princes to accomplish whatever benefit he was looking for?

"It's an alliance between our two groups," he explained. "The Arlong Pirates and the Germa Kingdom. They want your maps, and we want their military might to help take care of a few problems we've been having on the edge of our territory. We want this to be a full alliance that lasts for many years, so it makes sense to have a member of the Arlong Pirates marry one of the Germa princes. You'll still be making maps for me, of course."

"Of course," Nami ground out. "So, what happens if there's a clash because you both want a territory?"

"I don't currently see that becoming a problem," Arlong said with a shrug. "All Germa wants is North Blue, the territory they had before." He grinned. "I can be content with taking just the rest of the world."

Somehow, Nami doubted that either party could really be content with that. In her experience, those who wanted more power were never content. There was never a point where they held 'enough' power. It was a drug that continually required more and more to satisfy the craving. Whatever. It wasn't her problem. If this Germa Kingdom and the Arlong Pirates ended up destroying each other, so much the better for her.

"And what does Nami get out of this?" Nojiko asked. "You said this was the best plan for everyone."

Arlong raised his eyebrows. "She'll get to marry into wealth and power. Hasn't money always been her greatest desire?" His look turned cruel. "After all, she betrayed her own mother's memory for the sake of money."

Nami gripped Nojiko's arm, digging her nails in as a warning for Nojiko to be silent. Of course it was a lie. No matter what Arlong told himself, he had forced Nami into working for him.

"But she'll get more than that." Nami's gaze jumped to Arlong. What else? Something as 'beneficial' to her as all the rest? "When you and I first made a deal, I said that I wouldn't harm anyone from your village, or charge them a living tax so long as you would willingly work as my navigator." He paused. "If you marry this prince, I'll extend the deal to the entire island. Every citizen here will be free from the living tax and from any danger from my crew."

"The whole island?" She repeated numbly. She had been grateful that she could keep everyone in her village safe from both violence and from the terrible burden of the living tax by being the Arlong Pirate's navigator. The only time Cocoyashi Village had had to pay the tax was the day Arlong's crew first showed up on the island. Every year after that, they had been excused.

But Nami's guilt over the rest of the islanders having to bear such a terrible burden on their impoverished island hadn't been assuaged by the people she had been able to help, so she spent much of her free time stealing from pirates in order to help the other islanders pay their living tax. If she did this, she wouldn't have to worry about anyone from the island anymore…but there was still all the victims of the other places Arlong had conquered thanks to her, and now she'd have the added guilt of whatever this Germa military did too.

Not that she had much choice. She was well aware that if she didn't do what Arlong wanted, he would slaughter every last person on the island. She may feel bad for all the people under Arlong's rule, but at least they were still alive. So long as they were still alive, there were still reasons to smile, still reasons to hope. Whereas if she ever betrayed him, an entire island of people would be wiped out. No smiles or hope then.

"When do I leave?" She asked.

"Two days," Arlong said. "So pack quick." He stood and stepped toward Nami to place his hand on her shoulder. "I knew you'd make the right decision. You never let me down."

~.~

"You can't do this," Nojiko said as soon as Arlong left.

"Can't?" Nami repeated. "I'm pretty sure I have to."

"No," Nojiko said, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Absolutely not, not this time. You've already given Arlong way too much. You can't do this."

Nami knew Nojiko was speaking out of love, but still, her sister's words made her snap. "Do you think I want to?! Do you think I'm happy about going from being Arlong's pet navigator to his bartering tool? Excuse me, I mean in addition to being his pet navigator. If I don't do this—"

"He'll slaughter the people on the island," Nojiko finished calmly. "Did you think I'd forgotten for a moment why you've served him for the past ten years? Nami, you've done enough. You've done more than enough. Since you were just a little girl, you've lived your life for others." She gentled her voice. "You've been doing that for long enough. For more than long enough. I think you should run rather than marrying into some big military family. We can make a plan to try to save as many of the islanders as possible. We'll find a way to sneak them away and scatter them so Arlong can't find them. We—"

Nami put her hands over Nojiko's mouth to silence her, shaking her head. "It's too dangerous. I won't have the deaths of the people who helped raise Bellemere, of the people she chose to raise her children around, on my conscience. The only thing that would happen is that we would maybe sneak a few people away before Arlong found out and took me away by force. Plus, there's not enough time for us to come up with any sort of plan. I love that you want to save me from this, but…"

Nami's breath caught in her throat as she realized something. The Germa Kingdom was in North Blue, and as the wife of a prince, she probably wouldn't be delivering maps to Arlong directly. That would be the work of other people. Would she ever have cause to return to East Blue? The thought almost choked her. What if she never saw Nojiko again? The sudden irrational desire to ask that Nojiko come with her flashed through her mind. She knew Nojiko would come if she asked, but she didn't dare. She had no idea what her situation would be like. Anyone who would ally with Arlong couldn't be good and she couldn't place Nojiko in danger like that.

Maybe, if by some miracle, things were okay, she could ask her future husband if she could visit Nojiko, or if Nojiko could visit them.

Trying not to dwell on those thoughts, Nami threw her arms around Nojiko's neck, holding on tight. She didn't share her worries with her sister. This would be hard enough on Nojiko as it was. "I love you," she whispered. "And now everyone on the island will be free."

"But it's not fair," Nojiko whispered back. "Why is it always you? Why are you always the sacrifice for everyone else?" Nami had no answer other than that Bellemere hadn't raised cowards who would turn their backs on the people who raised them, but she didn't think that would help the situation right now, so she stayed silent.