"And you're sure this is what she was looking at, Johnny," Run asks him for what has to be the thousandth time. The man responds with yet another nod, doing his best impression of a bobble-head it seems. "Hmm." Run stares intently at the wanted poster in his hand. "'Saw-Tooth' Arlong. A pirate and a Fishman at that." He crumples the paper up and tosses it over-board before turning his attention to the island in front of them. "Hope he's not as hungry as he looks." Zoro had managed to come back from his near-death experience but his wounds still need some proper treatment.
"Y-You really think t-that they'll try to e-eat us?" Usopp stutters out while quivering behind Run.
"Nah, I doubt it. Either way, I'd say that the proverbial ship has sailed. Take a look." He motions past the bow of the ship. "We're here already."
"A-Arlong Park," adds Johnny.
"I-Is Nami really here?" Usopp asks, peeking around the red head. "Let's look for the ship first before we do anything else. I-If she isn't here then let's move on." Zoro snorts and then stands to face the entrance of Arlong Park which they happen sailing straight towards.
"Let's just cut our way in," Zoro tells them. "The quicker we find her the quicker we can get the Merry back."
"I like where your head is at, Zoro," Run begins. "But maybe let me take the lead on this one. If things don't go well then we can pick a fight." The other two are less than excited about their straight-forward approach, and it shows on their faces...and then their actions. "Fellas...any particular reason you've strapped Zoro and I together?" Usopp and Johnny had ambushed, and tied the two of them together. Usopp rambles on about being a great adventurer, and about how he's going to bring back Nami himself...at least until they notice a trio of fishmen on the dock who seem very interested in their boat. The two of the three decide to investigate, Johnny and Usopp begin to panic immediately.
"What do do?!" shouts Johnny.
"Bail," declares Usopp, moments before the two dive over-board.
"Oi! Untie us, morons!" demands Zoro. Moments later, the Fishmen leap out of the water and onto the deck in front of the two of them. "What the hell are-"
"Hey, how's it going, fellas?" Run asks them, interrupting Zoro quickly. "As you can see we're a bit tied up, I don't suppose you'd mind undoing these knots, would you?"
"It's just two men," one of the two notes. "What? Were the two of you banished from somewhere or something?"
"Something like that."
"Guess those injuries are from torture then. Let's take the two of them back to Arlong for now." It seems a rather arbitrary decision considering the circumstances but so be it. Maybe Johnny and Usopp had actually helped the two of them out in the end. So, they take them back to Arlong Park, and thankfully, separate the two of them so they aren't tied up together. As far as they can tell the place is filled with Fishmen, and the flag of their crew is flying high over-head. They pull the boat in, and then haul the two of them off of it to sit them in front of a Fishman with a long nose. He's a dead ringer for the bounty poster Run notes, which means this must be Arlong.
"So, does anyone want to tell me...just what in the hell is a pair of filthy Human's doing here?" Arlong questions them, staring down his nose at the two men. It's a look that immediately irritates Zoro who glares back fiercely at the Fishman.
"What in the hell are you lookin' at, ya half fish bastard?" growls Zoro.
"What my friend his means to say is-" Arlong interrupts the red head by launching into a rant about the 'natural superiority' of Fishmen over Humans. He lists all the 'advantages' that they have over normal humans all while Zoro and Run listen on in silence. It goes on for several minutes without stopping, at least until a familiar voice interrupts him.
"Your ridiculous opinions are irritating me, Arlong," Nami tells him, approaching them slowly.
"Don't take things so serious, Nami," Arlong tells her. "Obviously, you're an exception."
"Well, that was easy," Run says. "Who knew we only had to wait for him to finish monologuing." Nami turns her attention to the red head. "We're here with a message from Luffy. He says to get the Merry and come on back, stop all this foolishness before someone gets hurt."
"How dumb are you?" Nami questions him, approaching the two men. "Don't you understand the situation you're in? All you guys were is just another target. I honestly never expected that you would pursue me this far...I almost feel a little bad. Almost." A flicker of something dances across her face...regret, maybe?
"Guess you've finally shown your true colors," says Zoro. "Who'd have thought a small fry could be so hypocritical." Arlong bursts out into laughter at this which only further serves to irritate the swordsman, who fixes him with yet another glare.
"You're complaining about her hypocrisy?" Arlong asks them. "Nami is a cold-hearted woman. She would even forget about the death of her family for money!" The look in her eyes...it's one of complete sorrow. "I guess it was just misfortune that you came across her!" Again he laughs at the two of them.
"Is that right?" Zoro asks them. "Well, it's not like she was even remotely trust-worthy to begin with. Even if she were a killer I wouldn't be surprised."
"If you understand then get lost," Nami tells him. "The two of you are an eyesore."
"Fine." Zoro launches himself backwards, splashing down into the sea and sinking below the surface of the water. Run watches her, completely sure of what she is going to do just like Zoro is...and seconds later, she dives in after him. She surfaces moments later, dragging a coughing and hacking Zoro with her back onto dry land. Naturally, the Fishmen are all curious as to exactly why Nami would save the man when he wasn't one of them and had tried to kill himself.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Proving a point. You're no pirate. You couldn't even sit idly by and watch a supposed 'target' die. A small-time thief shouldn't try to act all tough." The swordsman takes a moment to spit up another mouthful of water before sighing. "Damn it, save me sooner next time. I thought I was gonna die, idiot." Nami angerily tells Arlong to lock the two of them, and that she'll deal the them later...
----
"GATHER UP ALL OF THE CREW, IT'S TIME TO SHIP OUT BINK'S BREW!" Run wails in an off-key tune, his voice echoing inside the small room he's been locked into it. "SEA WIND BLOWS, TO WHERE WHO KNOWS, THE WAVES WILL BE OUR GUIDE!" Immediately following their dismissal by Nami the red head had found himself still tied up and tossed into a holding cell to await some uncertain future. He's fairly certain that the swordsman is doing fine wherever he is...which means they just need to find a way to make their escape. A series of loud bangs sound against the door to his cell.
"Enough! Enough with the singing!" demands an angry voice. "I can't stand another minute of-"
"Oi! I've gotta pee!"
"Hold it!"
"I can't! C'mon!" Silence follows and Run takes a deep breath. "O'ER ACROSS THE OCEAN'S TIDE, RAYS OF SUNSHINE FAR AND WIDE! BIRDS THEY SING-" Once again a series of bangs follows, interrupting his singing and giving him pause.
"I said, shut it up!"
"I sense a compromise, pal! I need to pee, and you need some peace and quiet!" Silence is his response once again. "Look, we can do this all the up until I piss pants! But if that happens, I'm just gonna keep singing! You haven't heard me hit the high notes, yet! It's a real treat, I promise!" Several moments pass before the sound of a key in the lock reaches his ears and he grins, turning in place to face the door as it begins to open. "I knew that we'd see eye to eye...eventually?" Run stares at the open door, surprised to find a familiar woman standing in the door way.
"It's a nice song," Robin tells him, leaning against the door frame. "Execution needs a little work."
"Well, I guess I'll just have to practice some more." Run favors her with a lop sided smile, as she crosses the cell and circles around behind the red head to begin untying the knots on the ropes holding him. "Thought you were heading back to the Grand Line?"
"Aren't you glad I didn't?"
"Mm, very glad. You saved me the trouble of slipping the ropes and knocking out the guard. Speaking of..." His words trail off as he locks onto a pair of feet leading beyond the door. Seems Robin has beaten him to that as well. "I guess that's not gonna be a problem."
"What brings you and the swordsman to Cocoyashi?"
"Here to bring a friend back."
"The woman who was with you in Syrup Village." Run nods in the affirmative. "If she's the reason you're all tied up, then she sounds like a rather troublesome woman." The red head glances over his shoulder, offering her a rather charming smile.
"Well, luckily enough, I like troublesome women." The ropes binding him tightly very suddenly go slack, surprising the red head.
"Mm, always the charmer."
"Can't seem to shut it off, really." Robin stands and Run follows, stretching his arms towards the ceiling. "Much, MUCH better." Robin walks towards the exit, and the red-head follows, stopping her at the door and briefly peeking out himself to make sure that there are no surprises waiting. "I'd say the coast is clear. Let's grab Zoro, Nami and the Merry and get while the gettin' is good."
"I believe I passed the room the swordsman was being held in. It's in that direction." Robin motions down the hall as the two step out.
"Alright. You comin' with me?"
"Afraid not. I do wish you luck, though." Robin turns away from the red head taking several steps before pausing and tossing the key ring over her shoulder to him. "Please, do try not to get eaten. Some of those Fishmen looked hungry." The red-head chuckles a bit in response, and watches as she continues on down the hall. He heads down the hall in the direction she indicated. He isn't sure exactly what room Zoro is being held in so he stops to investigate every room he passes...until he's finally found the swordsman. "Oi, Zoro." Run unlocks the door and steps inside, closing it behind him quickly.
"Red? How'd you get free?" Zoro asks, watching him approach.
"Had a little help." He kneels behind and begins untying the knots quickly. No sooner have the ropes gone slack then the door to the room opens, causing both me to freeze in place. In steps Nami and both release a breath in response, quickly rising to stand as she stares in confusion at the two.
"You're...free?" questions Nami.
"Naturally," Zoro tells her. "Did you think we'd just sit around and wait, small-fry?" She snorts in response, and tosses Zoro the only sword that wasn't destroyed by Mihawk.
"Fine. Now that you're free, hurry up and make your escape before Arlong comes back." Nami turns and begins walking away. She makes it as far as the doorway before a hand lands on her shoulder and stops her. She looks back sharply at the red-head quickly, surprised that he'd covered the distance so quickly and quietly.
"I don't know what you're mixed up in but...if you tell us we can help, Nami," Run tells her. She is silent for a few moments, and Run is sure that she's about to tell him...at least until she bats his hand away again.
"I already told you not to touch me so casually. Now just leave...and stay out of things that don't concern you." Then, without another word she leaves the two of them alone and Run sighs heavily. Zoro steps up beside the man and then looks out the door.
"The place is probably crawling with those pirates. How do you think we should handle this?" Zoro questions him.
"Well...they're not just gonna let us walk out of here without a fight," Run says. "So, I say give 'em one." Without another word, the two leave the room and step out into Arlong Park, finding it crawling with Fishmen. The set about taking down every last Fishman that gets in their path, leaving no room for debate or talk. When the dust finally settles only Zoro and Run are left standing. Zoro takes a seat in Arlong's chair while Run looks around at the damage the two of them have done. "Well, that settles that."
"So, what now?"
"Luffy wants us to bring Nami and the Merry back. So that's what we're gonna do." With a sigh he reaches up and scratches the stubble along his jaw. "Besides that, Nami really seems to need help...even if she isn't willing to ask for it. We'll need to deal with it before we bring her back."
"Tch! This is turning into one great big mess."
"Aah, it could always be worse." Hearing someone talking loudly to themselves outside of the gate both turn their attention to it, approaching slowly and peering over it to find an octopus Fishman...fishing. It takes a few moments for the man to finally notice them. "Hello, there."
"Hello!" chirps the man back without much reserve. "Who are you two? Me? I'm Hatchan! Call me Hatchi! Are the two of you Arlongs guests?"
"In a manner of speaking."
"Arlong isn't here right now, right?"
"Nope. Where is he?" Zoro questions him.
"Apparently, there's a long-nosed outsider running around! So, Arlong locked up his friends, and then went to Cocoyashi village to catch him!" Zoro and Run exchange glances and then look back at the Fishman "If you want to go see him I can take you there." The two nod in understanding and hop the fence...
----
"Well, here we are!" calls Hatchan, watching the two of them step out onto the dock. "Cocoyashi Village. Arlong should be here!" It was not a particularly long trip to the village with Hatchan ferrying them there, so they made good time. The two toss out a thanks over their shoulders as they head towards the village, intent on seeking out and killing Arlong.
"Do you think we should split up?" Zoro asks. "We need to find Usopp, too."
"It might not be too bad of an idea," agrees Run. "Usopp isn't exactly a scraping kind of guy. The villagers should be able to tell us something." The two make their way to Cocoyashi village but before they can even begin their search for Arlong or Usopp they're approached by one of the villagers.
"You two are outsiders," calls one of them. "Are you...with that long nosed kid with the sling-shot?"
"Yeah, that's Usopp," replies Zoro. "Where is he at?"
"He was captured! He stood up against Arlong, and he was taking to Arlong Park!"
"He what?!" exclaims Run. "After we killed off all those Fishmen, you know they're going to kill him in revenge. We gotta get there, Zoro!" The two take off at a sprint in the direction they believe Arlong Park to believe...but since they came by sea and not by land, they aren't exactly at an advantage. The two are in the middle of their run when the sound of something crashing through the trees begins to surround them, growing louder and louder by the second. So much so that they eventually come to a stop and scan their surroundings for the origin. "What in the hell...?"
"Who's chopping down the damn forest?" grumbles Zoro, seconds before a boat comes bursting through the forest canopy...a boat carrying Luffy, Sanji and Yosaku. "The hell?!"
"Oi! Long time no see, guys!" bellows Luffy, standing on the bow as he goes skipping across the earth, leveling trees and eventually coming to a stop in a shattered heap. Luffy brushes himself off as he steps down from the heap of splintered wood. "Hey, guys."
"What the hell kinda greeting is that?!"
"Have you two found Nami yet? Oh! And what about Usopp and Johnny? Where are they?"
"Shit!" exclaim Zoro and Run in unison, explaining that he's been captured and that they need to hurry to Arlong Park to rescue him before he's executed.
"It's too late," calls familiar voice, earning the attention of everyone present. Johnny stumbles out of the tree line, face streaked with tears, and finally collapses several feet from them. "He-He's been killed! By...By Big Sis Nami! She murdered him!" While this seemed to shock everyone, it was Luffy who took it the hardest. He quickly seizes Johnny by the front of his shirt and lifts him to his feet.
"That's bullshit!" bellows Luffy. "Say that again, I dare ya! I'll kick your ass!"
"Luffy, relax!" Zoro tells him. "Johnny is just passing on what he saw."
"I don't care! Nami would never kill him! She would never do that! We're friends!"
"Friends with who, exactly?" calls Nami, earning the attention of everyone present. Luffy releases Johnny and turns to face the navigator. "Why are you here?"
"Because you're our friend! We came here to get you!" Sanji seems to be completely beside himself with joy, happy to see Nami and asking her if she remembers him...which spawns an argument between himself and Zoro. Johnny suddenly runs around Luffy, pointing at Nami.
"You murderer!" screams Johnny. "You killed him! I saw it with my own eyes!"
"So what? Why not kill me as revenge?" Everyone stares at her in surprise. "I'll tell you this, Arlong wants Zoro and Run dead for killing so many of his Fishmen comrades. It doesn't matter how monstrously strong all of you are, you're no match for real monsters. If you hang around this island then you WILL end up being killed."
"Enough!" growls Zoro. "Where is Usopp?"
"The bottom of the sea." This is what finally sets Zoro off, as he charges the navigator...only to dodge an attack from Sanji which immediately spawns another argument between them. "You can have your ship back, so go find yourselves a new navigator and set sail for the Grand Line or whatever. Just get the hell off this island! You're all an eyesore!" Everyone is silent for several long moments before Luffy pitches backwards and strikes the ground flat on his back.
"I'm going to sleep," Luffy tells them all.
"Really think now is the best time?" Run questions him.
"I don't plan on leaving the island, and I don't really care what's going on around this island...and I'm a little sleepy. So I'm going to sleep."
"Fine! Do whatever you want! Die for all I care...!"
----
Luffy snores away, lying spread eagle in the middle of the road. Johnny and Yosaku have left the three of them behind, saying that they choose life rather than getting themselves killed intentionally. So, the three wait patiently for their captain to wake up and decide what their next course of action is going to be. A gentle wind blows Run tilts his head up slightly, closing his eyes. "Aah...feel that breeze," mutters Run.
"Oi," Sanji calls, attracting the attention of Zoro and Run. "Why do you suppose Nami was crying?"
"Was she?" Zoro asks.
"Inside her heart."
"Inside her heart, huh," chuckles Run. "A cook and a casanova. Boy, we hit the jackpot."
"It's not a skill everyone possesses, clearly."
"Aah, yeah, no doubt. It's one I'm sure I'll never possess." Sanji takes a long drag on his cigarette before exhaling a small cloud of smoke.
"You think Nami really killed long nose?"
"Are you trying to say that she didn't?" Zoro asks him. "I wonder about that. I never had her pegged for the type. She couldn't even stand idly by and watch someone die...although, she may have grown frustrated after I called her small-fry act disgusting and decided to prove me wrong. Who can say?"
"Whadya mean, 'small-fry'?! What about Nami's body is small?!" Sanji is quick to leap to his feet, quickly launching himself at the swordsman who raises his sword to block the kick...only for it to be intercepted by Usopp's jaw. "Usopp!"
"He's alive!" They watch as their sniper drops to the ground between them.
"Well, maybe not anymore," Run mutters. Thankfully hearing Usopp's voice is enough to wake Luffy, and he immediately jumps to his feet and picks up the now unconscious sniper. He shakes him quickly, asking if Nami was the one who had hit him...which forced an apology from Sanji and Zoro as Usopp comes to. "Glad to see you're still alive."
"Honestly...I would be if not for Nami," Usopp tells them all. "Nami IS working with them but...something just isn't right. She saved me from them." Usopp goes on to explain to them what happened, how Nami had faked stabbing him by actually stabbing her own hand and then shoved him back into the sea so that he could swim away. "There has to be a reason for her working with Arlong!"
"It's no use," calls a voice unfamiliar to them all. They turn to face a blue-haired, tattooed woman standing several feet away. "No matter what you guys do, Arlong's rule of this island won't come to an end."
"Nojiko," calls Usopp.
"Who's she?" Luffy questions him.
"She's Nami's older sister." Sanji immediately gushes about how it beautiful she is much to the irritation of everyone present.
"No use?" echos Run, trying to get back to the point. "In what way?"
"Hmph, I'll explain everything," Nojiko tells them. "But in exchange, you all have to promise that you won't get anymore involved with this village, and you'll leave this island, and Nami, alone." Luffy immediately tells her that he has no interest in Nami's past, and that he is going for a walk.
"Don't mind him," Zoro tells her. "We'll hear what you have to say...but we're not promising a thing."
"As long as it straightens out this whole thing," Run agrees.
"Well...it all started eight years ago..."
----
Nojiko's story finished and they all sit in a somber silence. "Do you know how painful it was for her?" Nojiko asks them. "That's why you can't interfere. If you make a huge fuss then the pirates will grow suspicious of her, and everything that she's done will have been for nothing!" Usopp and Sanji are absolutely raring to go, despite Nojiko's pleas that they leave this be. Nojiko walks several steps away from them before pausing and looking back. "Please. Please don't get involved anymore than you have." With that, she leaves them alone.
"We're not honestly going to leave, right?" Usopp asks them.
"Is that really a question," counters Sanji. "Oi! Wake up, it's time to go." Zoro awakens from his nap with a snort and slowly stands. "Let's go. Luffy is probably waiting for us." They walk back to Cocoyashi village, and they find a mob assembled when they finally arrive. It seems like they're preparing for an assault on Arlong Park. Standing some distance from the mob is Luffy, watching and waiting in silence. While the rest of the crew comes to a halt, Run continues on, eventually coming to a stop beside Luffy.
The mob runs off, leaving Nami sitting alone in the middle of the village. She looks beaten down, ragged, tired...eight years of doing whatever it takes to survive, eight years scraping and saving, eight years lying and deceiving...all of it gone. No one should look like that. She reaches down towards her side, and picks up a knife from the dirt. She raises it, and for a moment the two of them are worried she intends to take her own life but instead she plunges it into her arm, right into the tattoo. With every stab she screams, stabbing again and again at least until Luffy covers the distance, and grasps her wrist to stop her.
Run watches in silence, their words lost over the distance...but her tears plain as day to see. Luffy reaches up, removes his hat and places it on her head before turning away. Then he rears back to face the sky, breathes deep and shouts at the top of his lungs.
"OF COURSE I WILL!" A plea for help after so many years...there's no way that it should go unanswered. Luffy walks in his direction, eventually coming to a stop in front of the red head...and actually grinning. "You should see your face right now, Run. It's been a while since I've seen you so angry." The grin slowly fades, replaced with a serious look. "Let's go." They turn away now, walking in the direction of Arlong's compound while the rest of the crew falls in step.
"Huh, look at you," grunts Zoro. "That's one hell of a frightenin' look in your eyes, Red. What? You planning to right all the world's wrongs next?"
"We're just pirates, Zoro," Run retorts. "You should leave that kind stuff to the Marines. But...I can deliver a well earned beat down to some up jumped piss ant who thinks he's seen the world." Several minutes of silence follow and eventually the entrance of Arlong's compound comes into view. A large mob has gathered in front of the closed gates, barred from entry by none other than Johnny and Yosaku who look as though they've been put through the wringer. The crowd slowly begins to part as they approach, creating a path right to Arlong's door step.
"Run," calls Luffy. "Doors."
"Yeah." Run pushes forward calmly and raises his foot to kick the doors, completely pulverizing them with a single blow. A shower of dust and concrete explodes outwards, making way for Luffy who strides into the compound confidently.
"Alright...which one of you is Arlong...?"