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When Nami heard how much the sale of the devil fruit had fetched Arlong, she was so enraged she'd nearly hurled her lantern to the floor and allowed her to room go up in flames, burning down the entire wretched Park and taking every last fishman along with her to hell. Had she any idea how insanely valuable that 'pricey piece of produce', as Arlong had so flippantly dismissed it, actually was, she would have demanded that they take it as payment in full for Cocoyasi. What an idiot!

But now that she knew, she wasn't going to forget about how they took advantage of her. If Arlong thought he was giving her an inch by letter her have a few measly free days, then she would take a mile - that's what she'd decided.

The very first week she'd spent locked inside the cartography room churning out maps had nearly killed her. Sometime into her third day, her fever had spiked, and she'd become delirious to the point that the ship's doctor had to be brought up to tend to her. She wasn't sure how close she'd come to dying, but it was close enough for Arlong to allow her to rest in bed for an entire day before sending her back to the grindstone once again. The only positive about it was Arlong sending actual decent meals - rather than garbage scraps - up to her for the following two days. By the end of the week, however, she was so completely wiped out she barely had strength to make a trip home to see Nojiko, much less any kind of voyage.

The following week found her almost fully recovered only to be due back at Arlong Park, but the workload she found waiting for her was nearly enough to shock her back into delirium. Nami did her best to power through her herculean task even without the good food showing up to help her through the day, but the stifling loneliness of the room after having spent a week convalescing at home with her sister was suddenly soul crushing. Nights were especially difficult as renewed grief for Belle-Mere swept over her in abrupt waves and she struggled to hold her quill steady through dry sobs.

The last miserable evening of the week as Nami lay dozing with her head against the open window, the ink on her final map still drying at the desk, she was started from fitful dreaming by raucous laughter down below. The girl jerked up and stared wild-eyed around the room for a moment before regaining her bearings. A fine sheen of sweat still glazed her body from the intense heat of the day that rose up to the pinnacle. From the faint ocean breeze wafting in through the window crack, came another volley of Arlong's unmistakable cackles. Hey eyes slowly made out the silhouette of a large ship anchored just outside the ramparts as she picked up the low reply of a second, unfamiliar voice. Nami strained to catch whatever she could of the discussion taking place directly below on the patio.

"...ever think about getting a devil fruit power of your own?"

(barely audible grunt)

"Yeah? Maybe someday you'll get lucky and the Navy'll spring for it, Shahahaha!"

(more low muttering)

"Well, stick with me and you could do very well for yourself," Arlong boomed jovially in his usual careless manner - which often became even more pronounced after a few drinks.

A long pause with intermittent exchanges she couldn't quite make out ensued, then the sudden announcement - "There it is: nearly 100 million berries; ever seen so much money in your life?"

"..."

"And here's your cut for brokering the sale...you humans sure love devil fruits - and I love your money! Shahahaha!"

Nami sank disbelievingly against the wall, blood thundering in her ears.

"Whelp, spend it in good health and come back to see me in another month...Come prepared to drink next time - I won't take 'no' for an answer!"

The world outside fell silent save the waves and the creaking of the departing ship while inside Nami's world, a storm raged.

000

Even though she'd stayed in town for her entire first week off, Nami hadn't been completely idle. She'd spent most of her recuperation period reading newspapers and researching. She'd even prepared a spot in the orange groves to stash her loot. On the morning of her first solo voyage, the ten-year-old felt confident she'd thought of everything - despite the undermining comments from Arlong and company.

"Might've checked this boat over a little better before deciding to go all the way to Stringers," snarked Kuroobi, "looks like it'll probably sink about halfway there."

"That boat obviously hasn't made a voyage since Gol D Roger was in diapers - chu."

"Nyu, didn't it used to belong to some old fisherman from Gosa," Hachi furrowed his brow in recollection, "It was in such bad shape we didn't even bother destroying it."

Nami pushed past everyone gathered on the doc to 'see her off'. "I've already patched it, and it floats." She made a face at Kuroobi who sneered down at her as she loaded provisions into the small cabin.

"Alright, leave her alone," snickered Arlong, "It's Nami's adventure and I'm sure she's very well-prepared."

Nami kept her back to them, pointedly ignoring their snide remarks as she went over her checklist one final time.

"Even so, you may need a little extra cash at some point..." Arlong reached into his long coat and pulled out a wad of paper money, "Here ya go."

"I already have money," she bristled, "You just gave me some earlier this morning!"

"Oh well, take some more," he shrugged, "you never know when it'll come in handy - just use it wisely."

She snatched the bills resentfully from him, certain it was the same money from the sale of her hard-earned devil fruit he now waved in her face.

Everything double checked, Nami was finally ready to shove off. She looked forward to her time away from all of them and Arlong Park even if nothing else came of the trip.

"Bye Nami, steal lots of treasure!"

"While you're at it, steal a better boat!"

"Come back alive and we'll get Take to throw you a party!"

"Whoo! Go get 'em, killer!"

While the boat drifted steadily from the dock, Nami responded with a gesture that would have earned her a slap from Belle-Mere. The pirates just laughed harder.

Threadsville, the capitol city of Stringers Island, was a bustling port that made even the largest town on the Conomi Islands look downright comatose. Under different circumstances, Nami would have thoroughly enjoyed a trip to such a vibrant and (to her eyes) amazing city. She walked past numerous stores and venues that sold beautiful, stylish clothing and shoes. More than once, she recalled the fat bundle of cash from Arlong stowed beneath her blouse, but her purpose for coming weighed far too heavily for her to be seriously tempted by any of the vast array of luxury items.

A bookstore eventually proved too much enticement and she stepped in for a quick perusal. She glanced around at the small nautical selection, then for some reason a book on poisonous plants sitting on a shelf across the aisle caught her eye. Nami picked it up and flipped through the leaves, pausing from time to time to read certain sections and quietly store the information away. After several minutes, however, she put the book back and left the store.

Nami's main reason for choosing Threadsville, aside from its close proximity to home, was its infamous reputation for trafficking in pirate goods. Many Navy personnel also frequented the city, intermingling with the criminal elements in a variety of interactions and transactions - as her shifty nakama Hitchin could personally attest. Even the local papers Nami subscribed to were often peppered with mentions of the dubious hub and its many scandals. She felt confident she'd be able to gain some leads after a little time acquainting herself with the locale.

Wanted posters lined the streets like advertisements - attesting to the Navy's heavy presence in the town. Nami paused now and again to examine the candid shots and their corresponding bounties. One figure noticeably absent from the dozens of pictures splashed over the thoroughfare was "Saw-Tooth Arlong". No matter how carefully she combed the streets, she couldn't find even a single wanted poster for any member of the Arlong Pirates.

The girl's fists automatically clenched at her sides at the injustice. Even if the Conomi Islands were only the sticks as far as a city like Threadsville was concerned, shouldn't the population of Stringers know what was happening in her hometown and the numerous other villages of her archipelago - how could they pretend that the monster who casually sank five navy ships, then set up a base on their conquered lands only months ago wasn't worth a single poster among all the scum of East Blue with bounties on their heads? Word of something so egregious had to have gone out in the papers; it was simply unimaginable that other parts of East Blue were unaware of Arlong's presence. Not that she believed there were any bounty hunters in that part of the world capable of killing the fishman, but if they thought he wasn't their problem, then they were sorely mistaken. Once he had Nami finish mapping the entire ocean, Arlong and his crew would be coming for them next.

"Are you alright, young lady; do you need any assistance?"

Nami jumped in surprise to see a woman in a Marine cap staring solicitously down at her.

'I'm fine," Nami squeaked, "I was just waiting for uh - my mom to come back."

"Oh? Where is she?"

"Um...visiting, my dad."

The woman gave her a perplexed frown, "Then why didn't you go with her?"

"Well, because she doesn't want me t-to meet him!"

"What?" The navy woman's brow furrowed deeper.

"...because he's a pirate! She doesn't want me to meet him because he's a pirate. So, she told me to wait here for her."

"Your father is a pirate," the woman repeated dubiously.

"Yes," insisted Nami.

"What's his name, if you don't mind me asking."

"Why? Are you gonna arrest him?"

"No," she shook her head, "I have no intentions of doing that. I'm here on other business." Her eyes traveled to the wanted poster Nami had been staring at.

Quickly taking the que, Nami blurted, "That's him. That's my dad." She glanced back at the picture of a rotund pirate gnawing on a leg of meat.

The woman blinked. "Lucky Roux of the Red Hair Pirates is your dad?"

"Sure is!"

"I see. Well, this still isn't a very safe area for kids. Why don't you come wait inside with me until your mom gets back?" She nodded toward an establishment across the street with many Navy patrons sitting outdoors at tables.

Although the lady, who introduced herself as Warrant Officer Beckett, was a bit too nosy for Nami's taste, she decided to forgive her after the sailor treated her to lunch.

"Where are you from," the woman continued to pry as Nami scarfed down her plate of fried tilapia.

The girl considered her response as she chewed. With a final flinty look, she answered, "Oh, just a little place called Conomi."

The warrant officer choked on a sip of coffee, but quickly recovered her composure. She gazed with careful scrutiny into Nami's face as the girl did the same back to her.

"Ever hear of it," pressed Nami.

"I have," replied the woman cagily, taking another sip of coffee. Several seconds passed, but she offered no other comment and suddenly fell silent.

Nami couldn't decide whether to be relieved or disappointed. She went back to eating when she noticed an officer approach their table from behind the woman. She watched the man swagger up and her eyes where immediately drawn to the mouse ears on his Marine hat as well as the rodent-like whiskers sprouting from his face by way of a mustache.

"Good afternoon, Beckett," announced the man, leaning close to her ear.

Warrant Officer Beckett's eyes widened at the sound of his voice. She placed her mug down and abruptly stood and saluted. "Captain Nezumi!"

"Sorry to interrupt you," he offered a hooded smile, "but I've been looking forward to reading your report ever since we made land. Would you happen have the information on that pirate smuggling ring prepared?"

"Oh - yes Captain," the woman gave a flustered glance at a leather satchel lying next to her chair, "I have all the notes compiled already and I should have that report ready for you by this evening..." She lowered her voice as the two continued their discussion.

Nami frowned at the bewhiskered man who'd failed to notice her existence. Something about him seemed familiar. She was sure she'd heard his voice before. However, the moment she heard the words 'pirate smuggling ring', she immediately forgot everything else. The girl waited patiently until the Navy captain departed once again.

"Excuse me," she said as Beckett sat back down, "I need to use the bathroom; I'll be right back."

After sneaking out a back entrance near the restrooms, Nami pulled the stolen notebook out from beneath her blouse and began to scan the pages as she leaned against the wall in the alleyway. Her eyes widened as she read through the highly informative details described by Beckett during her weeks of spying on the parties involved. She remained in the alley as long as she dared, memorizing everything she could within the warrant officer's journals, before heading back inside.

"I'm back," the girl announced. "I should really get going, but I wanted to tell you 'Thanks' for buying me lunch." And also, for all the great information about where to steal pirate treasure, she mentally added.

"Wouldn't you like some dessert," asked the woman.

Nami gave it a brief consideration before replying, "No, I don't want to take up any more of your time or money, and anyway, I think my mom is probably looking for me." She bumped her hand against an empty water glass, knocking it to the floor with a thud. "Oops!"

Nami ducked under the table and hastily transferred the notebook in her shirt back to Beckett's satchel before grabbing the glass and setting it back on the table. With a final cheerful wave, she turned and trotted out of the eatery, leaving the nonplussed Navy woman staring after her.

000

For the following couple of nights, Nami waited futilely around the docks where Beckett's notes reported sporadic pirate transactions took place. She witnessed various unsavory scenes while lying under a pile of newspapers beside a nearby bench, some even involving money, but none that resembled what was described in the warrant officer's journal. Upon daybreak, she would drag herself back to her own vessel to sleep for a few hours only to head back out to gather any other possible leads the following afternoon.

She soon discovered a bar popular with pirates where she began ordering food. Throughout her time there, she endured rowdy patrons swapping absurd stories, arguing loudly or boasting about their exploits, but Nami hardly learned anything useful from them.

Later, after brawling men slammed into her table nearly collapsing it, Nami finally bolted - snatching a knife and satchel on her way out. Once safely inside the cabin of her own boat she inspected the contents of the stolen pouch: several gold coins of an unknown currency along with some large, gaudy pieces of jewelry she hoped were expensive. She then turned her attention to the knife she'd pulled from the pirate's jacket when he'd crashed unceremoniously into her plate of crab legs. It was small and sharp; it cut easily through the straps holding his money bag. She stowed it away for safe keeping.

The following evening's sentry duty found her back in position once again. Nodding off against her bench, she was suddenly startled awake by an undefined noise. Nami sat up and peered into the darkness toward the coast. The moon and the faint city lights painted the outlines of what appeared to be a dinghy moored to the wharf. People moved around on the boat, but she was unable to determine what they were doing. The girl, at the risk of drawing attention to herself, determined to move closer.

Doffing her newspaper covers, she scurried for the rocks along the coast, moving as quickly and quietly as possible over them toward the dock. Aside from the activity on the boat, no one else was around the low trafficked area outside of town. She could hear the voices of at least two people muttering back and forth as she approached.

"That quack just can't get enough of this shit. Is it really that good?"

"I tried it once, but all it did was make me puke my guts out."

"Well, I'll take two million over that any day - kyhuh,huh,huh!"

"Shhh! Keep your voice down, idiot."

"Why? There's no one out here."

"Shut up...Look - there's his signal - let's go."

A small light flashed quickly out in the distance and the two pirates, one toting a large jar of dark liquid while the other followed behind him with saber at the ready, disembarked out onto the pier, melding almost immediately with the shadows of the night. Their rendezvous taking just under five minutes, the pair returned with the first pirate now carrying a sack slung over his shoulder.

"Another day another two million berries," grunted the first man as he chucked the sack into the cabin, "this is the easiest money I've ever made."

"Almost too easy," agreed the second, absently using his blade to trim off a hang nail, his well-adjusted night vision catching a strange glimmer on the bottom of the boat. "Hey, did you happen to drop some money out of that bag?"

"No. Why?"

"'Cause I see something shiny right here." He bent down and picked up the small disc, holding it up to the moon for closer inspection. "It looks like gold!"

"There's no gold in that bag - it's all paper money." The other walked to the opposite deck and stared down, "Look, there's more scattered over here!"

"Do you think someone may have boarded our dinghy while we were gone?"

"Who would sneak onto our dinghy, sprinkle gold coins around, then disappear? Some kind of magic...uh, I dunno - boat nymph?"

"Well, there weren't any coins here before - how do you explain that?"

"Likely something besides a visit from a naked mythological woman."

"Huh? Are nymphs supposed to be naked?"

"They're nature goddesses, so I would assume they'd be..."

Two million berries was heavier than Nami had expected as she shimmied monkey-style down the pole of the pier with the sack of money stuffed as far down into her shirt as she could manage. Just a short drop to the rocks below and she'd be home free. Scattering all her recently pilfered coins over the boat in a momentary fit of insanity, her reckless gamble to stow away inside their cabin and await a bountiful harvest had paid off when the money literally dropped in her lap.

Finally making it to the ground, the girl squeezed into the crevasse between the underside of the pier and the sloping shore. The pirates' conversation had grown quiet, and she could no longer hear any distinct noises coming from the boat. They were sure to notice their missing money soon (if they hadn't already) but she was baffled by the silence from above. She waited several minutes more, straining her ears for a shout or an exclamation, possibly feet thudding rapidly over the wooden planks, anything to indicate what was going on, but nothing came.

Cautiously, Nami poked her head out. The moment she did, an arm yanked her roughly up by the collar and slammed her onto the wharf.

"Well, well, it looks like we found our nymph," the snaggle-toothed pirate sneered down at the gasping, breathless child. With one hand pinning her down, he reached for the bag sticking out of her shirt. Nami fended him off with a swipe of her dagger, but he caught it easily, squeezing her wrist until a scream ripped from her throat.

"Let's kill her," suggested the saber-wielding pirate, raising his sword eagerly behind his crewmate.

"There's no need to go that far," chided the other blandly, "she's just a girl." He turned his dark eyes back to Nami, then to the knife still clutched in her hand. "Were you planning to use that on me?"

He took the knife from her, sliding it lazily under the buttons of her blouse. "You shouldn't play with sharp objects. You could get hurt, y'know." He continued popping each one deliberately off, snatching the heavy bag away from her chest, "It would be a shame to scar up that cute little bosom."

"Lemme go! Lemme go! Please!" Nami squirmed helplessly against the arms pinning her in place.

"See if she's got any more of those gold coins hidden on her," chuckled the second pirate, coming up for a closer look.

"That's not a bad idea," grinned the first.

While rough hands roved over her torso, Nami's thoughts drifted back to the grove, sitting outside under a large umbrella and having lunch with Belle-Mere-san, Nojiko and Gen-san. Gen-san was telling jokes, and everyone was laughing. Bees buzzed around the orange blossoms. Out of nowhere a shrill whistle pierced the air.

Immediately, Nami was snapped back to the present where apparently the pirates had heard the same noise as she. The brute who'd been pawing her jumped to his feet, grabbing the money bag as he and the second pirate bolted for their vessel.

A sudden figure leveling a pistol barrel in their faces blocked the pirates' exit.

"Freeze," shouted a familiar voice.

Nami pulled herself up, squinting into the darkness in front of her at the indistinct form of Warrant Officer Beckett.

The tromping of many boots immediately followed as a contingent of Navy soldiers materialized out of the night from all directions and, within seconds, had their targets surrounded.

While the two pirates were cuffed and lead away, Beckett hurried to catch a retreating Nami.

"Wait! You're not under arrest, but don't run! You need medical attention!"

Nami paused, throwing a look back over her shoulder, "I'm not hurt, so if I'm not under arrest, then I'd like to go now."

Ignoring her statement, the Warrant Officer strode over to her, grasping Nami by the shoulders and staring hard into her face, "What were you thinking trying to rob those pirates? Did someone put you up to this?"

"No."

"Then why did you do it," she demanded to know. "You found out about their dealings from reading my notebook, didn't you? So, you thought you'd try to rob them? You need to tell me what's actually going on. If you're in some kind of trouble, the Navy can help you!"

Nami attempted to break from her grip, her buttonless shirt pulling off her left shoulder. Beckett's sharp eye immediately seized on its ugly marking, and she tugged the girl's arm toward her for closer inspection. A small gasp of recognition escaped her lips at the saw-nosed tattoo.

With a final violent wrench, Nami freed herself. Pulling her shirt closed, she glowered defiantly at the Navy woman. "What can you do to help me? The Navy can't do ANYTHING! You don't even try anymore, instead you just give up and pretend like we don't exist! Well, that's fine, we'll still survive without your help! I'll do whatever I have to, and I don't care how many damned pirates I have to steal from!"

Turning her back to Beckett's stunned expression, she sped as fast as she could away from the green, past the bewildered Navy soldiers, back to her own awaiting fishing boat. No one came after her. She knew they wouldn't.

000

Just as soon as light appeared on the horizon, Nami began plotting the course for her next destination. She'd originally planned to stay at least a week in Threadsville, but now that it was impossible thanks to the previous evening's events, she decided it best to leave Stringers entirely before word about her got around and she ended up either murdered by pirates or stuck in a Navy jail.

She'd read in Beckett's journal that the Cleaver Pirates harvested a secretion from a fish species that only lived near Beersdee Island. By all accounts, the liquid in the jar traded for the two million in cash was the very same substance. According to the warrant officer's notes, the Navy had designs on raiding the Cleaver Pirates' headquarters on Beersdee, which controlled all production of the key ingredient in various drugs produced and distributed in cities like Threadsville.

Nami supposed the two detained pirates she'd tangled with were pawns in this larger plan to seize the entire crew's ill-gotten fortune from the undeveloped island they exploited. While still reeling from having gained and lost two million berries in the span of only ten minutes, she'd gone so far as to wonder if she could possibly beat the Navy to it? Insane as the idea admittedly was - especially in light of what she'd already suffered trying to steal from only two Cleaver Pirates - the thought of getting her hands on even a fraction of the wealth stored at their base of operations made her giddy.

Within the time it took to dash off a few lines, she had the course plotted and couldn't disembark fast enough away from the miserable city and toward a hopeful new beginning. The trip would be about a half a day longer than the one she'd taken to get to Threadsville and about twice as long getting back to her village in the old fishing boat. She'd certainly miss the timeframe she'd given Arlong for how long she'd be gone - not that she cared about that - but belatedly she began to wonder about the seaworthiness of her vessel. True she'd done a thorough patch job, still she wasn't sure how long it would actually last - especially were the weather to turn or she be laden down with excessive amounts of treasure.

Nami's focus pivoted to the direction of the sea breeze. She could already feel bad weather coming within the next hour or so. She'd get caught in the middle of it if she didn't change course, which caused her to worry again about the length of the journey. Right in the midst of her doubts, a thought she'd been suppressing for the past several hours finally broke loose and cavorted through her head like a wild horse.

The memory of being pinched and prodded while trapped under the weight of an evil chortling bastard, the hideous thought of how far it would have gone if Beckett and her men hadn't been there, the look of horror on Beckett's face when she saw Nami's tattoo, all of it churned together into a burning knot in the pit of her stomach. Abruptly, she leaned over the side of the boat and retched.

No matter how much money it was, she couldn't risk the trip. Nami steered back toward Cocoyasi to return home in failure.

000

The two rings and one gold chain hit the bottom of her treasure cavern with a sad thud like spare change tossed into a beggar's cup. She was glad Nojiko was not home; she was too ashamed to face her sister with such a meager payout from all those days spent in a city full of pirates.

Likewise, she had no desire to head back to Arlong Park, but had nowhere else to go other than back to her shabby little boat. Deciding it was still preferable to the company of the fishmen, she headed back to sleep in her cabin.

She was awakened to the sound of bumping on the hull. Nami sat up with a start and rushed out to see what was happening.

"Hey! What's going on," she shouted down at the water.

A moment later Aka-Mushi's head popped above the surface. "Oh. I didn't realize you were on board; I just saw your boat tied here and figured you'd already gone back to Arlong Park."

"Even if I had, why would you be poking around under my boat?"

"Well, I was already down there anyway, but even from far away I couldn't help seeing how bad the seam of the chine was looking - like when you see someone that has a big, ugly gash across their face - you can't help but notice! I could see it was filled with something, but whatever sealant was used ain't working so well. You must've taken on a lot of water - lucky you made it back!"

"Yeah, I'm so lucky," snarked Nami, hoisting herself onto the dock and stomping off.

Nami's already low spirits sank even further as The Park loomed into sight. Stealthily as possible, she crept through the side gate hoping not to catch any attention. To her slight confusion, the patio area - by far the most popular spot for the crew to congregate - was virtually deserted. A loud snore erupted from one of the lounge chairs at the far end of the pool, but otherwise nothing stirred. The girl stepped cautiously under the shade of the porch, eyeing Arlong's empty chair. Amidst the eerie desolation, she heard voices drifting through the entryway.

She found the officers, along with several other prominent members of the crew gathered with Arlong around a table inside the armory. Nami couldn't make out what they were talking about as they all babbled over each other, but something about the gathering filled her with unease. Hurrying past the doorway, she was abruptly halted by a sharp bellow.

"Hey Nami!"

Her lips pulled back in a grimace. Slowly she turned back to find all eyes fixed on her.

"Back already," inquired Arlong incredulously, his mouth twitched into a slight smirk, "I trust you had a successful trip."

"I'd say it was educational," Nami crossed her arms defiantly.

"I'm sure it was." There followed a wave of chuckles from the fishmen.

"Well, it's just lucky that you showed back up when you did, because I have just the job for you!"

"Job?" She frowned around at them, then at the suspicious books strewn over the table.

Arlong rose from his chair and guided her in with a sweep of his arm. "We were just discussing a very important element for our eventual conquest of East Blue. We need you to make a special chart for us with this data."

Nami stared dubiously at an open reference book. "Dawn Island? Navy Headquarters? What's all this about?"

"We need to be able to navigate the fastest route through these seas when the time comes," explained Hitchin, "It's important to have a strategy."

"You're already planning to attack the Navy and take over more islands," exclaimed Nami, staring around at them in amazement, "Don't you think you're getting a little carried away? You don't even have a fleet like Don Krieg!"

"Krieg!" Spat Kaneshiro, "Each of us is worth ten of his men!"

"Speak for yourself, I'm worth twenty," scoffed Kuroobi.

"Now, now," Arlong gave Nami a patronizing smile, "Let me worry about strategy and you can worry about drawing us the world's best charts, okay?"

"Nyu, yeah - it'll still be a while yet before we're ready take on the Navy; we're just getting prepared for when that day finally comes," Hachi attempted to assure her.

"Shaddup, Hachi," grumbled Choo.

"Look, I just got back from a long trip and I'm tired. Can't this at least wait until next week?"

"Oh, this shouldn't take that long for a cartographer as talented as you," the captain insisted, shoving the stack of books toward her, "you can rest right after you finish this map."

Sitting sullenly at her desk up in the sweltering apex of The Park, Nami glowered down at her preliminary plotting. "So, I should let you worry about strategy, huh," she muttered. "You'll decide who to attack and when and I'll just draw your charts for you, is that it?" She dipped her quill in the inkwell and placed it to the parchment, "We'll just see about that."

"Finished it," she announced two and a half hours later, walking out onto the porch where Arlong sat drinking with Hachi, Choo and Kuroobi.

"That's what I like to hear," boomed Arlong, draping his massive arm around her and dragging her into the inner circle. He picked up a bottle, pouring a round for the table. He then took an extra glass, drizzled a finger of amber liquid into it and handed it to Nami. Arlong and the other three raised their glasses. When Nami didn't move, Arlong grabbed her wrist, bringing her own glass together against theirs in a loud clink.

"Cheers, Nakama!"

"To the rulers of East Blue!"

"To fishman dominion!"

Everyone threw back the shot except Nami who dubiously chose to sip hers.

"Guugh!" She shuddered.

The fishmen guffawed.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," promised Choo.

000

Although it was the last thing in the world she wanted to do, Nami decided to get an early jump on her cartography duties in preparation for her next span of time off the island. She jotted off several maps first thing in the morning while the temperature was tolerable, then spent the rest of the afternoon in the groves with Nojiko helping with the harvest as she fretted to her sister about the major transportation obstacles she still needed to solve before her next trip.

When she returned again to Arlong Park that evening to get more work done, she discovered the same sawshark-man missing. What normally would've been a welcome relief was now an aggravation in light of her urgent desire to discuss her damaged boat with him while she still remained in his good graces.

He stayed gone the following day as well.

The third day from her return back to the island, Nami was once again at her desk in full surveyor mode. With reference books open around her and their data still fresh in her mind, the child closed her eyes and began the process of mentally converting raw measurements into identifiable features. The boundaries of the coast came slowly but ever sharper into focus, crisp and jagged with currents flowing intimately around each crag and shelf like a silk scarf running through her fingers. Once her mind's eye captured the entire picture, she was ready to begin.

Reaching for parchment and a ruler, she jumped as a muffled boom suddenly reverberated up from the floor and through her chair. Silence followed. She wondered if someone had knocked over a heavy piece of furniture somewhere downstairs. Nami slowly sat back as an odd feeling of unease began to settle in the pit of her stomach.

Seconds passed and she heard the distinct thudding of someone coming swiftly up the stairs.

Nami whipped around in time to see the door thrown open and the specter of Arlong filling the entry - his lips pressed into a long grim line across his face.

She could tell from his damp appearance that he'd very recently been submerged and her suspicions he'd been off island were all but confirmed.

"You're back," she queried hesitantly.

To her deepening dismay, his mouth formed a slow smile as he stepped into the room. "I am - from a very long trip as a matter of fact. Guess where I went?"

"How should I know," retorted the girl with a shrug.

"Well let's just look and see if we can figure it out together," he stepped up behind her chair, pulling a rectangle out of his open shirt and unfolding it. Nami immediately recognized the navigational chart she'd drawn days earlier. "Because I thought I'd asked for a map of the coast of Dawn Island, but there seems to be a few errors on this one you gave me...inlets that lead to nowhere, phantom islands, sheer cliffs where a beach and a settlement should be - it's almost like you deliberately drew the opposite of the information we gave you."

He tilted his head as he stared down at her, his flimsy smile immediately collapsed. "Is that what you did?"

Nami felt her mouth go dry. She fidgeted with her compass, unable to hold his intense gaze any longer. "So that's where you went, huh," she replied weakly, "well, I did make it in a hurry; there might have been some mistakes..."

"Cut the shit, you little bitch! How dare you draw fake maps," he exploded, slamming her head against the desk with a swipe of his hand.

Nami saw spots and thought she might pass out. She struggled to pull free, but Arlong held her head like a ripe melon he was about to crush in his palm.

"How many others have you drawn wrong," he roared, his long, jagged nose cutting into her cheek as he loomed inches from her face. "Tell the truth, because if I find out later..."

"None," she squealed, "that's the only one - I promise!"

"Clearly you don't appreciate how well I treat you, Nami," the pressure against her head intensified until she thought it would split open, "because things could be a lot worse - and I mean A LOT worse than they are now. You may have lost your mother, but don't you still have a sister? What if something bad were to happen to her too?"

Nami immediately stopped struggling, falling limp as a rabbit in a dog's maw.

"There are so many human vermin living on this archipelago, and their lives are such fragile things. I can scarcely guarantee the safety of every lowly little worm if I can't even trust you to do your job properly." He pulled back slightly, regarding her changed demeanor, his hand easing gradually off her throbbing skull, "Do we understand one another?"

"Yes," she nodded against the desk.

"I'm glad to hear that. If you were a man, or even slightly less puny, I'd have you flogged, but you probably wouldn't survive the kind of lashings we fishmen give. Besides, I need you working. So as punishment you'll do double your regular workload for the next three days to make up for the three days of my time that you wasted on this," He held up the chart which he balled up and hurled to the floor. "They'd better be perfect, by the way, and no meals during that time - only water."

"Okay," she murmured huskily.

Nami didn't move again until long after she'd heard the door slam behind her. She struggled to steady her hand as she finally attempted to lift quill to parchment. A tear at the edge of her eye threatened to break free, but Nami quickly dashed it away. She'd made a promise not to cry anymore and it was time to start keeping that damn promise.

Slamming the quill down and spattering ink everywhere in the process, the girl got up and abruptly opened the window to get some badly needed fresh air. As she sat gulping the oxygen in long deep drags, she considered her circumstances once again. No money, no boat, no hope of ever getting any help, meanwhile the source of all her grief lounged without a care several storyes below. She thought about how quickly all of her and everyone's troubles would vanish if Arlong were dead.

"But how," she muttered softly.

The answer would come, she assured herself. For now, there were many, many charts to be made.

With one final stroke of her quill, Nami gratefully concluded the single longest week of her life. She'd successfully completed every last map demanded by Arlong. Her wrist and hand still throbbed through the bandages she'd wrapped protectively around them, and wooziness swept over her as soon as she climbed out of her chair and unsteadily onto her feet. Regardless, it was finished.

She opened the door. A bloated puffer fish of a guard sat in the hallway, asleep in a chair facing her room. Nami walked past him without a glance, and he did not stir. She made her way down to the bottom floor and out onto the porch. Dusk was already beginning to paint the sky in shades of pink beyond the gates.

Arlong, engrossed with tallying numbers in a ledger, did not look up as she approached his chair. She watched him reach distractedly into the bowl of fruit in the middle of the table, pick up a large honeydew, and bite casually into it. After several moments observing him chomp and slurp his way blithely through the think rind of the fruit, she finally gave a small cough.

The captain's head swiveled ever so slightly in her direction.

"Finished," he asked around a mouthful of melon.

"Finished," she responded blandly.

He plopped the remainder of the melon on the table and wiped the juice from his chin as he shut his ledger with a snap. "Am I going to find any surprises in these," he leaned toward her wearing a stern expression.

"I stand by them," she crossed her arms adamantly, "Grade me right now. Pick any one you like and plot a course on it!"

He smirked as he leaned back with a sigh. "Maybe not tonight - but me 'n the boys'll still audit your work from time to time for anything that ain't on the level." His glance then landed on the half-eaten honeydew, and he sat momentarily back up, reaching into the bowl and tossing an apple to Nami. "Alright, you're free. Go do wherever you want."

The girl caught the fruit and casually strolled away. She waited until she'd rounded the corner of the building before tearing ravenously into it, devouring core and all.

More than anything, she longed to visit Nojiko, but several days after Arlong's pointed threat against her sister, Nami still wasn't in the right headspace to speak to the older girl. Nojiko's uncanny intuition would immediately pick up on her mounting desperation and, at the moment, she simply wasn't sturdy enough to withstand Nojiko's concern. There was nothing her sister or anyone else could do to fix the situation, therefore she would not burden her.

She exited through the side gate into the rice paddies and trudged toward the dock where her boat had been tied all week. She dreaded the thought of finding it sunk halfway into the inlet with no one to bail the excess water out of the hull. With no certainty that a trip would even be possible for her at this point or even indefinitely, her alternative plan was looking increasingly attractive.

During her week of constant mapping and near starvation, she'd thought out a multitude of plans for Arlong's demise. Most of them were only wishful thinking, but a few seemed plausible. She'd finally settled on what she thought was the best option, eager to take the preliminary steps just as soon as she checked up on her boat.

The fishing vessel was gone. Nami jerked her head around in shock, wondering if she'd somehow forgotten where she'd moored it. There was no other possible place. Had it sunk after all? Had it been stolen? Getting down on hands and knees at the edge of the pier, she gazed into the dark blue abyss, but found nothing there.

"Well, I doubt anyone sailed off with 'er," she reasoned aloud to herself. "And if they did, they couldn't have gone very far. So, what the hell happened?"

Nami picked up a rock from the shore and hurled it into the water with all of her might. She reached for another and another, flinging rocks at the indifferent ocean. She pulled her arm back to send a particularly heavy one flying when a head suddenly popped up beside the dock.

"Hey, you wanna watch where you're pelting those things?"

She dropped the stone in surprise at the sight of Aka-Mushi once again.

"You? What are you doing always hanging around here," she demanded.

"What are you always doing around here," he returned.

"My boat used to be docked here in case you don't remember," she shot back, "you wouldn't happen to know where it is by any chance?"

"I know exactly where it is," the young pirate nodded.

Nami balked at the unexpected reply. "You do? Where? Is it down there?"

"Ha," he gave a short laugh, revealing a row of small, rather sharp teeth. "Not hardly! It's not even deep enough here that you wouldn't see the top of the mast sticking up out of the water."

"I already know how deep it is here," grumbled the surveyor sheepishly, "but it is starting to get dark... anyway, tell me where it is!"

Aka-Mushi hoisted himself onto the dock and tromped soggily past her. "C'mon, I'll show you," he waved a dripping hand over his shoulder at her without looking back.

They walked into the trees along a narrow footpath before coming back out again at a nearby beach. Nami looked around uncertainly until she noticed a large shape in her periphery further up the shore. She gasped.

Her boat sat on raised props in the sand. A smattering of discolored smudges decorated the hull.

"Yeah, I know it's not pretty, but she'll float a lot better now," he explained as Nami ran over to inspect the incredible sight before her eyes.

She ran her hand along the marks, which were completely smooth.

"I reefed out all the old junk and refilled the holes," Aka-Mushi continued behind her, "like I said, it may not be pretty but at least she's seaworthy. I could see if there's some paint that we could-"

Nami jerked back around to face him. "You repaired my boat?"

"Um, yeah. That's what I been-"

"I don't believe it," she cried, jumping up and grabbing him around the middle before she could even think about what she was doing. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I love you, Aka-Mushi!"

She didn't see the deep crimson that flushed his cheeks through his already ruddy complexion. Carefully disentangling himself from her arms, he cleared his throat awkwardly, "Uh, yeah. What did you think I was doing with 'er?"

"I dunno," she swiped the mirthful tears from her eyes, "dismantling her to make a shed for Arlong maybe."

"No way! I like boats - I'd never do something like that! You don't know how much it hurt my heart to dismantle the Shark Superb, but orders are orders."

"So, is that why you did all this," she asked, gesturing to the fishing vessel, "because you like boats?"

"Well yeah," he shuffled his feet in the sand, "I mean I joined Arlong-san's crew because I wanted to become a full-fledged shipwright and also 'cause I wanted to see more of the world...it didn't turn out exactly like I expected, but..." the betta fishman seemed to catch himself and hastily pivoted. "Also, we're crewmates, so I wanted to help you...I guess."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Well, you're crazy enough to steal from pirates, so you'll need all the help you can get."

The girl sighed. "That's true. I'm terrible at it."

He started, "I didn't mean you couldn't do it; I'm just sayin' you've got a big pair - uhh no, I mean, I respect you! It ain't like it'd be easy even if you were grown - an' you're still just a little kid!"

"And how old are you, exactly," she scoffed.

"Fifteen - and still nowhere near a master at my trade!"

She turned back to observe his handiwork with a loving pat on her boat's hull. "As long as this baby can take me to Beersdee, it's good enough for me!"

"She should take you anywhere in East Blue you wanna go," insisted Aka-Mushi, walking up and placing his hands squarely against the middle of the keel. With a loud grunt, he lifted the boat off the props and carried her gingerly toward the waves just like introducing a rehabilitated sea turtle back into the wild.

Nami, well aware of the strength fishmen possessed, was no less impressed.

"Meet you over by the dock," he called back to her in a strained voice as he walked deeper into the water with his oversized load.

Nami watched him until his head disappeared under the ocean, she then hurried back to the path cutting through the woods. She reached the platform in time to see her craft sailing for the dock.

Moments later, Aka-Mushi re-emerged and tied the boat to the dock.

"There," he declared breathlessly, leaping onto the platform beside her, "You're all set."

"You have no idea what a load off my mind this is," sighed Nami, leaning against the nearest beam, "Like I said: thank you."

The fish teen merely grunted and turned away, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "So, I guess you'll be heading out to steal more loot soon."

"That's the plan if I can be sneaky enough," she rolled her eyes wearily at the thought.

"Hey, maybe I could give you some advice," he suddenly glanced down at her.

She looked back at him in surprise. "Sure. What is it?"

"Instead of hiding or sneaking around, why don't you just come right up to these pirates? I mean, you're one, so you oughta know how pirates think and how to trick them."

She frowned at being called a pirate but didn't bother addressing the insult. "Who's gonna take a scrawny brat seriously," she countered instead.

"You got Arlong-san to listen to you, and he hates humans," the boy was quick to point out.

"That's only because he needs me to draw maps for him," she replied dully.

He slowly rolled his shoulders until they emitted a loud pop, "Na, I think it's also 'cause of how bold you are. Show that same attitude to other pirates and they'll see you've got something to offer 'em."

Nami stared thoughtfully off into the dusky sky which had grown considerably darker since she'd first met up with Aka-Mushi. She'd completely forgotten her other chore in the woods, but that would have to wait until morning.

"Did you to eat yet," the fishman abruptly asked.

Nami shook her head, "Not really."

"I'm starving. We should go up to the galley and get something."

She didn't see a reason not to, so together they returned to Arlong Park for supper. Most of the crew was already present in the dining hall and, to the girl's surprise, greeted her hospitably considering she could count on one hand how many times she'd ever joined them for a meal. After eating better than she had all week and draining the stein of beer she was offered, Nami wandered sleepily back to her freshly reefed and recalked boat for the evening.

She thought again about Aka-Mushi, wondering exactly what to make of the earnest, meddling shipwright's apprentice. Never did she fathom she'd ever find one of the pirates who'd participated in the pillaging and murder of her neighbors and loved ones even remotely likable. Despite the seemingly selfless favor he'd rendered her, she couldn't fully trust or forgive him and made a mental note not to let her guard down around the disarming youth.

Crawling inside her snug compartment like a small bear ready for hibernation, Nami closed her eyes and fell instantly asleep.

000

Hoping to learn anything new about the situation on Beersdee, Nami was slightly disappointed to find nothing in the papers addressing the anticipated Navy raid on the island, but she assumed the government must already have made their move by now and were keeping it out of the news for some unknown reason. She hated the missed opportunity but decided it best to try elsewhere for her next target.

When nothing swashbuckling related jumped out in the news, Nami quickly turned her attention to the important task she'd been unable to complete the previous evening. Tossing the paper aside, the girl departed her vessel for the woods.

Whenever she and Nojiko hadn't been helping Belle-Mere with chores, they'd been spent the majority of their free time exploring the forests bordering the orange groves and the village. She knew every nook and cranny, including all the plants that grew there. Though no herbal expert, she'd made the startling connection recently between one particular plant she'd read about while visiting a bookstore in Threadsville and the clustering white flowers that sprouted sporadically through the underbrush beyond her house. She even remembered Belle-Mere mentioning how toxic they were once when she'd pointed them out. Nami was fairly certain the weed native to her island was one and the same as the deadly plant in the book she'd picked up.

The girl's heart thudded with excitement as she laid eyes on the deceptively sweet-looking blooms adorning the stalks along the trail. After picking a generous proportion of leaves and flowers and pressing them into a small jar provided by Nojiko, she trudged back to The Park. Nami paused in the hallway outside the cartography room to pick up a bottle of rum that sat trustily next to her guard's chair. Once she'd filled the jar to the rim with alcohol and screwed the lid tightly on, she slipped it stealthily into a corner of her bookshelf to quietly marinade as she toiled a few weeks longer at her desk.

"Just a few more weeks," she whispered to herself encouragingly, "Just hang on for that long."

000

Although she'd embarked on the journey with waning resolve, Nami found herself returning triumphantly to Conomi after her first truly successful venture. She comforted herself that if "plan A" somehow fell through, she could still rely on her budding talent at robbing pirates to save her village - despite her hopes still strongly riding on the former.

She'd arrived on a whim at an obscure island, in many ways similar to her own. Pirates had set up temporary residence in a certain town and, whether intentionally or not, had attracted the admiration of a gaggle of local boys. Suddenly inspired, Nami donned the baggiest clothing she owned and wrapped a bandanna around her head. Already grimy from traveling, she passed well enough as a boy to slide seamlessly into group. Within six days, she'd selected a member to hero-worship, latched on, and learned key information from him, including where the crew stored their treasure. Now with several bucketfuls of coins riding home with her, Nami began to believe her luck might finally be turning.

After re-routing her return course to avoid a storm, she decided to pass the extra hours counting her treasure. Amid the third bucket, Nami paused as a shadow suddenly blocked out the early dawn light. An impressively tall ship with three levels floated in the middle of the ocean to her port side and Nami gaped at it in wonder. On the lowest level deck, a boy in white shirt and dark trousers leaned against the railing and coughed as he took a drag from a cigarette. He looked up as Nami's boat passed by and their eyes met. He gave her an enthusiastic wave which she immediately returned, thinking it odd how she could feel such an instant connection with someone she'd never see again in her life.

Even the cartography room seemed sunny and less oppressive as she checked the jar of rum on her bookshelf. The container looked exactly as it had when she'd left, but its mere presence reassured her like a magic talisman. Gripping it for a moment, she silently infused all hers and the village's hopes into the amber liquid.

Throughout the following week the jar's presence on her shelf brought comfort whenever the numbness in her fingers or the shooting pains through her forearm threatened to grind all work to a halt. When a misstep landed her a punch to the face rather than a chest full of gold during her following excursion, Nami pulled herself out of the dirt and smiled as she thought again of her precious rum jar.

She returned to Arlong Park, bruised and tender, but in high spirits.

"Damn! Who gave you those racoon eyes, Nami," remarked Choo when she strode through the entrance and straight for the galley.

"Oh, you know, just some scab who didn't like when I told him bilge water smelled like perfume compared to his breath," quipped Nami without a pause, to a smattering of appreciative chuckles.

"I taught her that one," Pisaro guffawed from a nearby card table.

She stuck out her tongue at them before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Nami!" the girl spotted Arlong at the far end of the pool sitting under a pavilion and waving to her as she walked outside sometime later, "Come have a drink with me!"

The girl frowned, plodding over to meet him. "You realize I'm only ten years old, don't you," she admonished as he pushed a whiskey toward her.

"All the more reason to make up for lost time," he smirked back, giving her cheek a hard pinch. "Besides, you look like you could use a drink!"

Nami stared down into the shot at her black eyes and shrugged. "It's just - what do you call it - an occupational hazard. I'll learn from my mistakes and do better next time."

"Y'know Nami," he laid his heavy arm across the back of her chair and stared thoughtfully upward at the roof of the pavilion, "I want to let you know how proud I am of your determination - seems you really are going to make an excellent little pirate. I like to think I had something to do with that."

She offered him a smile that never reached her swollen eyes, "You sure did, Arlong."

"Here's to your future success," he raised his glass and clinked it against hers. They both downed their shots.

"You know, Arlong," she said, wiping her mouth, "you never did throw me a party like you said you were going to."

"Huh," he glanced over in surprise, "when did I say that?"

"Well, maybe it was Choo," she admitted, "but I do remember someone promising me a party if I came back alive after my first trip...well, I've come back from three trips now and still no party yet."

"You want a party," asked a grinning Arlong, "I'll throw you one right now."

"No not now, wait until the end of the week - before I go on my next trip," she insisted.

"Why wait till then?"

"Because it'll be like a grand sendoff - and besides, I don't wanna party all night right before I have to make charts all day!"

"Alright, alright, at the end of the week then," he agreed with a wave of his hand, reaching for the bottle to refill their glasses.

Of course, the naive young surveyor had no way of knowing what fevered affect her off-handed suggestion to Arlong would have among the listless crew. The words 'throw a party' uttered under the pavilion where Nami and Arlong sat, echoed down into the deep waters of The Park's pools and spread like chum, whipping the fishmen into a frenzy.

Take, Commander of Parties, was already coordinating with the Head of Banquets, Shioyaki, before the girl even got up to turn in early for the evening. Pisaro and Hitchin soon joined in the planning with their own contributions and, before long, half the crew were committed to making Nami's party the biggest blow out the sleepy island had ever witnessed.

000

While Nami sat at her desk staring numbly at yet more jumbles of numbers on one of the thousands of pages she'd seen all day, indistinct, raucous noises continuously rang out below from her open window until she wanted to scream and hurl her reference books one after another through the shattered glass down at them.

She was so frazzled she nearly knocked over her inkwell when the door flew open later that afternoon revealing her guard, Gil, standing on the other side staring back at her.

"What," she demanded in bewilderment.

The rotund fishman pointed down, "Yer needed..."

"Needed for what," she eyed him leerily.

He looked at her as if she were the stupid one, "For yer party, acourse!"

She blinked, in an instant remembering her request from several days ago. Part of her hadn't even believed Arlong would actually follow through, much less summon her out of her cell without so much as ensuring she'd met her quota for the week - which she decidedly hadn't.

"Oh. R-right," The exhausted girl struggled to recover from her initial shock, "I'll be right there. Just let me straighten up a few things, first."

The chatter grew louder as Nami made her way down the stairs and paused before the doorway leading outside. With a final, steadying breath, she stepped through the opening and into a throng composed of the entire Arlong Pirate crew.

She was suddenly assaulted with applause and loud cheers as Hachi swept her up in one of his six arms and dropped her on top of a massive, heavily laden, banquet table that took up virtually the entire seating area of the porch. Tiki torches lined the perimeter walls. Past her shouting crewmates, she could see Pisaro and a small group of his fellow musicians gathered together on the westernmost walkway, tuning up their instruments. On the end of the opposite walkway sat a table filled with booze manned by a single fishman bartender.

The dazed Nami almost lost her balance until a large hand came up to support her. "Here she is, brothers! Give it up for our fearless, treasure-hunting surveyor - the one making our conquest of East Blue a reality!"

The roar was deafening. Without Arlong's palm against her back, she would have collapsed under the weight of such horrible praise.

"How about a speech, Nami," suggested Kuroobi.

"Yeah! Speech, speech," echoed Hachi, pumping the air with three fists.

"Speech, speech, speech," the crew thundered, picking up the chant.

Nami raised her hands to quiet them. "Alright, you want a speech? Well listen up! Not to get too warm and squishy on you, but someday when I'm fabulously wealthy I know I'll think back on my time with this crew - and about how lucky I am to be rid of all of you! Thanks a million, nakama - that's all!"

She jumped down to a mixture of laughter, applause and jeering. The band started up and soon rhythmic calypso music filled the park. After filling her plate with every seafood item from the banquet table that would fit, Nami found a perfect, out-of-the-way corner to gorge in peace, only to be blocked by Choo.

"What are you doing, silly girl - Chu," he reprimanded, "We're all sitting over here." The sniper pointed to a collection of chairs where Arlong, Hachi and Kuroobi were already seated beside the pool. She followed him over, still puzzling how she'd managed to go from barely tolerated human scum one day to fully accepted officer with parties thrown in her honor the next.

"Nyu, eating this takoyaki really takes me back to when we were kids," Hachi announced around a mouthful. "Do you remember when we tried to open that takoyaki shop, Kuroobi?"

"Vaguely," shrugged the ray-man without looking up from his food.

The octopus tried again, turning instead to their captain. "So, Arlong-san, do you think you'll build another headquarters once we take over more territory?"

After taking a long swig from his bottle of rum, Arlong swiped his arm across his chin and smirked, "Not to talk shop at a party, but eventually. And, of course, I'll need men to run all of them too."

"Ooh? What men did you have in mind for that?"

Arlong fixed his swordsman with a blank stare.

"Us, you dumbass," said Kuroobi, nudging his friend with a finned elbow, "we are officers, aren't we?"

"Oh right," laughed Hachi sheepishly, "I forgot!"

"It's a shame Nami'll be too busy living it up as a lonely rich lady in a backwater village, or I'd consider letting her run the original Arlong Park after I've moved on," the sawshark regarded the cartographer out of the corner of his eye as he lifted the bottle again to his lips.

"Don't be ridiculous," grumbled Nami, biting into a piece of fried eel.

"Agreed," Kuroobi muttered distastefully.

All at once, a loud gurgling splash erupted out of the pool as Momoo's gargantuan form emerged and towered inquisitively over them.

"Hachi, did you feed Momoo yet," drawled Choo.

"Nyu, not yet. I thought he'd like to have his dinner with us!" Hachi rose abruptly and walked over to a whole pig roasting on a spit beside the perimeter wall. Lifting the large carcass one armed, he flipped it high into the air, spinning ass over snout, until it was only a speck in the sky. The ecstatic sea beast leapt after the morsel snapping his teeth and plummeting in a huge tidal wave that engulfed the entire patio.

"Shahaha! Dammit, ya spilled my drink, Momoo," Arlong shouted after the water ebbed. He uprighted the bottle lying beside his chair, finding only a swallow left inside.

A dripping and disgusted Nami laid aside what remained of her now soaked food and stood up, wringing out the hem of her dress. "Well since I'm through - I'll go get you another one."

"What a doll," he beamed at her.

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Hey, while you're up, how about bringing me one," Kuroobi suggested.

"I could use a drink too - chu."

"Look, I've only got two hands..." but she tromped off nevertheless to retrieve three rums, ignoring Hachi's offer to get them on account of having six hands.

On her way over to the makeshift bar, she passed groups of crewmates who greeted her - many of whom openly despised her only months ago. The eel-man, who'd been her first jailor when she was thrown into the brig immediately following her abduction, boisterously raised his glass to her as she walked by. Added to the thrumming tropical music and the garish decorations, how the rollicking fishmen now treated her all churned together in a dizzying, surreal haze.

Nami gripped the edge of the table in an attempt to ground herself as the bartender turned her way. "Three bottles of rum, please," she requested.

While waiting for him fetch her order, the girl jumped at a swift tap on her shoulder.

"Hey nakama, how's the boat been treatin' ya?"

"Aka-Mushi!" she exclaimed, unable to rationalize the mixture of relief and gratitude she felt at seeing him all of a sudden, "it's amazing - I can't believe how much better it sails now."

He flashed a toothy grin so unlike any she'd ever seen Arlong wear that they might as well have been two entirely different species of things. "How do you like your party so far," he inquired further.

"I've never seen anything like it," she replied truthfully.

"Well, I'd say you've earned it," he declared with conviction, "I think it's about time you got some credit for all the work you do around here."

"Still, it feels so strange to be celebrated by a bunch of pirates."

The boy stared at her a moment, then burst into loud laughter.

"What's so funny," she demanded, heat immediately rising to her cheeks.

"Are all humans as weird as you," he snickered.

"Hmph! You're the weirdo!" Presently, she looked around and realized the three bottles she'd ordered were sitting right in front of her.

Aka-Mushi also eyed the drinks. "I'm guessing those aren't all for you," he ventured.

Nami sighed, "No, they're not."

"Heading back to sit with Arlong-san and the other officers, huh," he surmised with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"You could sit with them too if you wanted," insisted Nami, "you'd be just as welcome as I am. Maybe even more so!"

"It's not that," he shook his head, his elaborate dorsal fin bobbed back and forth in front of his face like a long leaf blade, "I just thought maybe..."

"Aka-Mushi! How long does it take to fetch us more ale?" Across the pool, Kaneshiro stood in a circle with several other comrades and fixed his chatty underling with a stern glare.

"Oh yeah!" the teen dipped his head apologetically toward them, "It's coming right up!"

Several glasses of ale were served to Aka-Mushi on a tray which he balanced above his head in one hand. He gave Nami a thumbs-up before hopping into the water and swimming across to Kaneshiro and the others.

Nami watched him until he rejoined his mates. She then took the three bottles from the bar and started walking. Halfway back to her seat, she paused and gave her surroundings a furtive glance. Everyone's attention appeared diverted, but she still couldn't be sure there wasn't a pair of eyes on her somewhere in the mass of revelers. The girl nervously adjusted her armful of drinks as she deliberated the next move.

All at once, she felt a noticeable shift in the surroundings. The rumbling chatter died down as groups of fishmen turned their attention toward the open East Gate. Hitchin was the first to emerge through the village-facing entry, followed several paces behind by a reluctant trail of women whom he brusquely motioned inside.

Nami counted roughly two dozen young, relatively attractive females trickling into the party. She recognized none of them in particular, but they all possessed a familiar quality she could place as 'local' - most of them likely from surrounding villages or possibly other parts of the archipelago. Some looked morose, while others appeared terrified, but clearly none showed up to the festivities of their own volition.

Their presence, on the other hand, was to the fishmen what blood is to piranhas. Like a batch of freshly baked cookies, the women were snatched up and divvied out among the various groups. Some were immediately pulled out to the poolside-turned dancefloor by the nearest men within arm's reach. Hitchin draped himself possessively around the waist of a pleasantly plump brunette. When he leaned in to kiss her, she hastily ducked.

Nami seized the opportunity while she was certain nobody was paying attention. She pried the cork from one of the rum bottles with her teeth, took several quick swigs, then fumbling into her pocket, retrieved the jar she'd hidden for a month in her room. Her heart pounded as she carefully replaced the missing rum with her special infusion, making sure not to allow any plant matter to seep past the neck. With shaking hands, Nami crammed the cork back in place and hurried off to fill her drink orders.

All of the senior crew members remained where she'd left them, albeit with their eyes closely trained on the unfolding events.

"Just look at those idiots making fools of themselves over some human girls," sighed Choo, absently taking the rum Nami offered him.

"Hmph, and Hitchin's the leader of 'em," Kuroobi scoffed, slapping a stupidly giggling Hachi beside him.

Arlong said nothing. He remained leaning languidly back in his chair with hands behind his head but wearing an uncharacteristically moody expression. Nami stood holding his rum out to him for several seconds before he eventually noticed her.

"Funny, I don't remember requesting that a bunch of women I've never seen before be at my party," she remarked as he finally took the bottle.

"Well, at least you got a party at all," Choo promptly reminded her, "Be more grateful, you little cat."

"Speaking of which - why didn't you get yourself anything, Nami?" Inquired Arlong, brushing aside her comment and zeroing in on her empty hands instead.

"Because I had all I could handle just bringing yours over here," she countered, "I'll get my own in a minute - you can drink without me." Then, in a hasty attempt to appear casual, she glanced back at the banquet. "Besides, I think I wanna try some of that takoyaki Hachi was talking about..."

So far so good, she assured herself grimly, even though plenty of time still remained for everything to go horribly wrong. A multitude of previously unconsidered scenarios cropped up to torment her: What kind of effect (if any) would the toxin even have on fishman physiology? Could the results be so immediate that she'd be exposed on the spot? What if the plant added a funny taste to his beverage? What if Arlong didn't drink enough of the poison? Her mind continuously raced.

Nami took a deep breath and still another. Grabbing a skewer of octopus balls and a glass of ale, she gradually wandered back over to the group. By now, several more had joined Arlong and his officers in something of a philosophical discussion.

"...pathetic. Not only can't they breathe underwater, but they also couldn't even survive a second under deep sea pressure; humans are our inferiors in every way possible," Arlong was pontificating to his crew. "It ain't even a matter of aggression, brothers - nature dictates that we inherit the earth!"

Nami watched with bated breath as Arlong placed the bottle to his lips and tossed it back.

"Oh, I agree, Captain," Kaneshiro nodded thoughtfully from where he stood behind Arlong's chair, "and I think all the boys share your sentiments, but some of 'em still needs their satisfaction, ya know."

"And I don't begrudge 'em that! I want my men to take whatever pleasure this world has to offer," the shark-man continued, gesturing toward the revelers on the patio with his bottle that appeared to Nami nearly a quarter empty, "But I also want 'em to remember how we're the pinnacle of evolution and can't ever be compatible with humans!"

There were murmurs of agreement all around the group.

"Well if that's how you feel," Nami piped up, "then I guess I'm not fit to be on this crew or draw your charts - after all that big talk about putting me in charge of territories too!"

"Aw, now, now - don't be sore," chuckled Arlong, snagging the back of her dress as she turned to leave and pulling her unwillingly to him. "Present company is an exception!" He tousled her hair roughly as the others laughed.

Yuck it up, you bastards, she quietly seethed against his armpit, you may not have many more chances.

The evening rolled on for several more hours. The liquor flowed and the pirates grew increasingly rowdy. Momoo repeatedly doused all the outdoor lighting and partygoers while terrifying the local girls. Nami had no idea how long it went on and was thoroughly done with all of it long before it was over. Drifting from one group to another, always with Arlong in her periphery, the girl eventually settled down in a vacant lounge chair and nodded off.

The next thing she became aware of was a throbbing pain in her left leg. Nami drifted back into consciousness to find Gil, her enormous, part-time door guard, laying on the ground fast asleep with his head pinning her appendage against the side of the chair.

After finally managing to pry her lower limb free and once the tingling had subsided enough for her to stand up, she gazed blearily around at the wreckage of her party in the early dawn light.

Shattered bottles littered the patio like sparkling confetti. A few fishmen, here and there, scattered the walkway as well. Aside from Gil, the musicians lay passed out in a heap together with their instruments. Pisaro (at least she thought it was him) hung halfway off the walkway, headfirst into the pool, where he softly blew bubbles.

Nami walked gingerly around a tower of large tables stacked up into a pyramid. Hachi had arranged them that way when he'd climbed up to the top to command Momoo to perform tricks for food. The octopus-man now occupied the second-floor balcony, snoring loudly on his stomach, with his three left arms dangling through the bars. The only other semi-conscious person around, besides herself, was a mackerel crawling out of the pool in order to take a piss against the wall, before promptly crawling back in again.

She didn't see Arlong. Likewise, no trace remained of the women who'd been forced to attend - Nami hoped they'd all made it safely back to their homes. The majority of the Arlong Pirates, it seemed, were sleeping off their hangovers underwater. Fortunately, due in part to possessing a ridiculously high tolerance for alcohol, and also because she'd had less than most of the pirates, she felt no ill effects from drinking. The girl now faced a difficult choice.

Did she sail or not: Nami pondered which course to take. She still had no idea if and when her poison would ultimately affect the sawshark and desperately wanted to be around to witness the results, on the other hand, she worried how it might look if she didn't depart as expected - no need to draw unwanted attention. Therefore, after weighing her options, she reluctantly resolved to head for her boat.

000

Although she hoped the trip would be her last due to Arlong's sudden death, she couldn't afford to be too optimistic. Nami was relieved she'd at least packed and loaded everything, as well as chosen her destination, ahead of time; she was too exhausted to worry about any of that now. She yawned, spreading out her chart and utensils to plot the course to steer, and found she could barely keep her eyes open the moment she stopped moving. Too many all-nighters in the cartography room, alternated with long, difficult voyages, were starting to take their toll on her body. Partying late into the previous night certainly didn't help.

I'll just rest my eyes a bit, she decided, crossing her arms over the map and laying her head down.

When she opened them again, the sun had already arced its way to the opposite end of the sky. Nami bolted upright, unable to believe she'd slept through nearly the entire day. Worse still, she felt groggy, achy and completely drained rather than refreshed. With no desire to depart at such a late hour, she considered heading back to Arlong Park - but despite her wish only a few hours ago to personally witness Saw-Tooth Arlong's demise, she was suddenly seized with a vague dread at the thought of returning there. Being surrounded by suspicious, human hating cut-throats the moment their boss inexplicably keeled over, probably wouldn't be ideal, she finally concluded.

Nami closed her eyes, allowing the wave of panic to subside. When she opened them again, it was to the northeast, toward home.

To her surprise, she ran into Genzo at the end of the path leading to the house. She offered him a timid wave, having neither spoken to nor seen him in the months since he'd ordered her out of his sight and forbade her ever returning to the village. The Sheriff responded with an icy side-glare from under his cap before brushing past her on his way toward Cocoyasi.

"Nami?" Nojiko looked up in surprise at the approach of her prodigal sister. "Long time no see!"

"Hey," said Nami, eyeing an empty pair of tumblers with melting ice cubes sitting beside Nojiko in the vacant spot on the bench beneath the porch. "Seems I just missed your company."

"Oh yeah, Gen-san came by for a visit and to check up on me," replied the older girl, "He does that from time to time."

"Yeah, I saw him," Nami nodded matter-of-factly.

Nojiko, gave her sister a quizzical look, "Did he say something to you?"

"Nope."

"You know," Nojiko gently suggested, "It would be easy for me to tell him the actual reason why you're working with the fishmen..."

"No, you don't," objected Nami fiercely, "You know why I can't get him or anyone else involved in this - besides, things've..." she trailed off, glancing evasively at the ground.

"Things have what," pressed her sister.

Nami looked anywhere but at the other girl. "Nothing. Just keep quiet about what I'm doing, okay?"

"What is it you're not telling me." Nojiko's eyes narrowed suspiciously at her. "Where have you been for the last month? I don't even see you when you come here to add to your stash, even though I can definitely tell you've added to it. Why have you been avoiding me?"

The ten-year-old kicked pebbles with the toe of her shoe. "Y'see, there's been a lot of stuff happening recently, and I needed some time to work through it all. But now, well I don't want to speak too soon, but things might be about to turn around..."

"Turn," Nojiko quirked an eyebrow. "That reminds me - what was all that noise about, coming from the pirate headquarters last night?"

"Oh that," Nami sighed, "They were having a party for me."

"And why in the world would they do that," queried an incredulous Nojiko.

"It's kind of a long story," hedged Nami, "but it's also one of the things I've been working out."

Nojiko brusquely stood, collecting the glasses beside her, "Then I think you'd better come inside and start telling me all about it."

They sat together at the table and Nami obliged her sister by telling her everything, beginning with the fake map incident and ending with her poisoning of Arlong at the party. Nojiko gripped her chair on multiple occasions and bit back several outbursts before the story concluded. The moment Nami stopped speaking, the older girl immediately filled the silence with an abrupt exclamation:

"What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking it would be really great if Arlong was dead; don't you agree?"

"Not if it means you winding up dead right along with him - I'd rather see that piece of shit live to a ripe old age!"

"What kind of attitude is that?" Nami shot back, "There's nothing worth gaining without some risk involved!"

"What if someone had seen you," berated Nojiko.

"They were too busy ogling those women from Gosa," the younger girl scoffed, "No one was paying any attention to me."

"...And even if he were to die, what about all the other pirates," continued Nojiko, "Do you really think they'll just leave us alone? They'll probably elect another captain to take his place in no time and it'll be business as usual."

Nami shook her head. "You don't understand - Arlong's drive holds that whole crew together. Without him, I don't think they'll have the will to take over East Blue. I'm telling you: it'll be a devastating blow to them!"

Nojiko let out a defeated sigh. "Well, what's done is done, I guess. But what are you going to do until then? Aren't you worried about them suspecting you?"

"Tomorrow I'll head out to sea like I normally would. Then, by the time I return, hopefully he'll already be a stiff."

The lavender-haired girl gave a grim nod. "I think that, at least, is a good idea: You shouldn't be anywhere nearby when they figure out their captain's been poisoned."

The room fell into a brooding silence. While Nojiko got up to prepare dinner, Nami exited the house, heading into the groves. She walked past the rows of trees and through the surrounding shrubbery until she reached the steep drop-off overlooking the coast. She sat down at the head of Belle-Mere's grave.

"Sorry I didn't bring any flowers," she apologized, "but I do have something to give you: Belle-Mere-san, I promise you, no matter what it takes, I'll make Arlong pay for killing you. Just you wait and see..."

After seeing her sister safely off the following morning, Nojiko returned home to prepare for another day at market - which entailed the meticulous loading of as many orange crates as would fit into her over-taxed cart, and the arduous journey of lugging them into town.

She'd made it through the easy downhill portion, bracing now for the big push needed to make it up the steepest incline between home and the village square. Belle-Mere always handled the hill with a running start, Nojiko and Nami pushing from behind, and a loud bellow as the wagon rolled up to the highest point of the trail with scarcely a lag. Nojiko long suspected her foster mother of merely humoring her and Nami's meager contributions toward actually getting the cart over the hill. She hoped someday to become as strong as Belle-Mere by using the elevated point as a marker for her progress.

Nojiko wanted to shout her own war cry, barreling fiercely up the path like Belle-Mere hilariously used to, but a large lump in her throat warned her that if she started screaming now, she may not be able to stop. Losing all momentum, the cart ground instead to a slow halt before the incline. She stood staring defeatedly at the road ahead for several long seconds before a swarthy, scarred arm reached out and grabbed the handle from her.

"Gen-san," she exclaimed, swallowing the tightness in her throat as the mustachioed man carted the oranges steadily up the steep hill for her, "what are you doing all the way out here?"

"What am I doing out here," he echoed in disbelief, "I wanted to find out what Nami had to say to you yesterday! How is she?"

Nojiko hid her smile at his paternal concern. "She's...doing alright, I'd say."

He turned to her expectantly, awaiting more details. Nojiko deliberated on how much she should tell him, knowing even Genzo's self-restraint had its limits when it came to Nami's recklessness.

"She's gone out on another voyage to earn money."

"Well, I figured that much," he grunted as they reached the top of the hill, "but we haven't had any news from her in over a month now, and after all that commotion the other night - I've heard from the authorities of several other villages that some girls were abducted by the fishmen."

"She told me a little bit about that too," Nojiko nodded.

"Now Nojiko," he fixed her with one of the classic scowls she and Nami had grown up associating with him, "don't be coy - tell me everything!"

She frowned back up at him as they approached the bottom of the hill, "If I do, you have to promise not to do anything rash in response."

His mustache twitched in annoyance, "Don't be ridiculous - now tell me!"

She figured it was as close to a promise as she was going to get from him. "Okay. So, Nami's gonna try and kill Arlong."

Genzo halted so abruptly he was nearly clobbered by the rolling cart.

Nojiko gasped, trying to catch the stray oranges that toppled from the crates and bounced off Genzo's head.

"She's what," he roared, veins popping from his neck, "HAS SHE LOST HER MIND?"

"Gen-san, shhhh!" The girl glanced furtively around before continuing, "She's convinced that the pirates will leave the island if Arlong isn't around anymore."

"She's going to get herself killed," muttered the man, brushing a hand anxiously across his scarred face. "I can't let her go through with this."

"It's already done," Nojiko informed him. "She poisoned him at their party two nights ago and now she's gone as of this morning."

"Now if only she'd stay gone for her own good," he barked, giving the cart handle an angry wrench as they continued their trip into town. He turned an apologetic look on the dejected girl as they reached their destination several minutes later.

"I didn't mean to upset you with what I said earlier, Nojiko."

"I understand," she sighed, "I felt the same way when she told me."

He placed his rough hand reassuringly on her shoulder. Nojiko knew it must be especially difficult for the top law enforcement officer to stand on equally helpless footing with the impoverished orphan girl he was meant to protect, but they were all in the same metaphorical boat - Strong and weak alike.

"Good morning, Gen-san, Nojiko-chan," the market owner greeted while they unloaded oranges and Belle-Mere's eldest daughter began setting up their old stall just like her mother used to on so many previous market days.

"Good morning, Taza-san," replied the girl. Genzo tipped his hat in response, but immediately noticed his old friend Dr. Nako standing nearby and quickly excused himself. Nojiko knew, without having to ask, exactly what the pair of them were going to discuss.

"Your tangerines are looking beautiful," the middle-aged woman praised her sincerely, "I know Belle-Mere would be so proud!"

"Thank you," she beamed back, "I can only hope so."

"I wanted to ask you," she leaned in, lowering her voice, "If you've had any news recently from that poor sister of yours!"

"Oh, well, you know Nami - she's still hanging in there."

Taza clutched a hand to her large bosom. "We've been so worried - George and I," she said, referring to her husband, "after all that racket the other night from those..."

Nojiko had to strain to hear her as she mouthed the words 'damned monsters' next to the child's ear.

"It just breaks my heart knowing she actually believes the whole village hates her - I only wish there were some other way!"

"Me too," said Nojiko, and she sorely meant it. Not for the first time, she questioned the village's decision to collectively shun Nami. Though she understood their hearts were in the right place, she also knew her obstinate little sister was never going to abandon the island no matter how poorly everyone treated her.

Images of Nami's weary, hollow expression from only hours ago still haunted Nojiko who longed to somehow encourage her that she wasn't alone - even that knowledge, however, was likely to burden the young pickpocket. Being hated was unpleasant, but Nami far preferred it to the possibility of anyone sticking their neck out for her and getting hurt.

The busy Taza soon bustled off to speak with other merchants and Nojiko returned to setting up. She quietly resolved to continue keeping everyone's support a secret while praying that her sister's plan would soon abolish the awful necessity.

000

The octopus-man shifted awkwardly in the seat normally occupied by Arlong. The fingers of one hand drummed restlessly on the tabletop beside him while in another he held a bunch of grapes which he popped absently into his mouth as he read from a letter.

"Nyu, I don't know," he said aloud to the empty chairs, scratching his head with yet another hand.

"What don't you know," asked Karoobi, presently emerging from the pool and plodding up to him.

"Hm? Oh! Someone from one of our villages is writing to Arlong-san, begging for an IOU on this month's tribute money because his kid is sick, and they've had to spend everything they have on medical bills...But what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Just throw it away," The ray-man scoffed. "It's not that difficult, Hachi, everyone knows the rules: they either have the money on time or they die, and we destroy the whole village. Screw the sob stories about sick kids - we're pirates. Remember?"

"...Nyu, right."

"By the way, how is Arlong-san - seen 'im lately?"

"No, I haven't. He's with the Doc right now," a troubled Hachi pointed up at the captain's suite on the second floor.

Leaving his friend to sort out the administrative work, Karoobi made his way up the stairway, giving the door to the right of the landing a tentative knock.

"What?" came a snarl from within.

"It's me, Karoobi," announced the lieutenant, "I was just reporting back from my rounds."

"Get in here!"

Karoobi pushed the door open and crept inside.

A shirtless Arlong hunched like a gargoyle on the edge of the bed as the crew's doctor, a nurse shark-fishman named Renado, took a step back, closing his case with a snap. "Well, it's not a virus - but I don't think it's a typical case of food poisoning either. I still can't pinpoint the exact cause yet, but I'd advise you to continue drinking lots of fluids and try getting some solids on your stomach too if you can manage. Meanwhile, I'll mix up a solution that'll help flush out your system."

Arlong's loose hair hung in dark ragged curtains down his bare shoulders. He growled out from around them at the doctor, "Even if I could keep anything down, there ain't nothing been going through my system for the past three days!"

The ship's doctor nodded curtly, exchanging a look with Karoobi, "I'm currently running more diagnostic tests, but I'll be back up later to check on you and bring your medicine once the two of you've finished conducting your business." Captain and lieutenant watched him as he brusquely made his leave.

The ray-man winced as he took in Arlong's pallid gray appearance. "Still no improvement?"

"Fuck, it's worse. Feels like I'm being stabbed repeatedly in the guts," Arlong rumbled, pulling his legs up and propping himself against the headboard. He cast a dark look at Karoobi, "So what do you have to report?"

"Nothing much out of the ordinary," stated his subordinate, "All of those humans tend to clam right up whenever you approach them, but I did manage to uncover a few pieces of contraband we can add to our armory. I then made a very vivid example out of the culprits, which I doubt will soon be forgotten. Otherwise, all's quiet around the villages."

"Any word from Choo on the surrounding seas?"

"Haven't seen 'im," Karoobi shook his head, "I'm guessing he hasn't gotten back yet from patrolling."

"Alright," Arlong closed his eyes and brushed a hand along his forehead, back through his sweaty, unkempt hair, "Send him up when you see 'im."

"I will." Karoobi started for the door, then paused, giving him a backward glance. "Arlong-san? This mystery illness - have you thought perhaps there might be some foul play involved?"

The sawshark cracked open one bloodshot eye, fixing it on him. "By who? I don't know how anyone, aside from one of my own brothers, would ever have the opportunity to poison me. And even if he hated me, which one of my men would ever stoop to such a gutless and cowardly method?"

"I might be able to name one," retorted Karoobi.

000

"Land ho!"

With the island in sight and swiftly approaching, the Navy captain trudged onto the deck in preparation to disembark. He squinted through his spyglass, scanning the large gate glinting in the distance from its conspicuous position on the coast for the usual octopus gatekeeper. Moments after anchoring, a nonplussed Nezumi glanced to either side of the closed gate beyond the outer courtyard, but neither the octopus nor any other fishmen immediately appeared.

Exchanging a glance with one of his ensigns, the captain suppressed an aggravated sigh at the slight. Making the trip to such a backwater island was inconvenient enough without those damned pirates standing him up. He was just about to order their departure when a blue, puckered face suddenly bobbed up out of the water to their starboard side.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Captain - chu!" The fair-haired fishman leapt up the side of the ship in one bound, taking the rail and crouching on his haunches before the startled Naval officer.

Captain Nezumi suppressed a flinch at the mind-boggling feat, doing his best to maintain an unaffected smirk. "Not a problem; we only just arrived."

"Arlong-san offers his apologies as he's currently indisposed. He sent me to greet you and to extend his sincere gratitude for your continued cooperation." The lanky fellow reached behind his back and pulled out a small water-tight pouch from his waistband, handing it to the Navy officer.

Nezumi opened the satchel, counting out the hush money in a matter of seconds. With a hooded smile he nodded to the still dripping fishman, "Please send my greetings to your captain - as always, I appreciate his contributions, chi chi chi!" His eyes slid speculatively through the outermost entryway toward the closed gate once again. "Although, I do hope everything is alright - this is the first time he's failed to meet me himself."

"Chu," The pirate responded almost before Nezumi could finish, "Of course! Everything is fine - it was simply a matter of unfortunate timing." His distinctly rosy cheeks appeared to flush a slightly deeper crimson, but his smile never wavered. The two men were left staring at one another for a few awkward moments before the enormous rogue finally broke eye contact to spit absently over his shoulder, his expectoration hitting the water with all the force of a bullet.

"Well, I know what a busy man you are, so I won't keep you any longer - chu. I'll be sure and send along your greeting to Captain Arlong as soon as I see him."

"Very well, then. Until next month."

The Navy captain watched the fishman give a final nod, then rock backward off the railing and plop deftly back into the sea, disappearing under the waves. He shuddered as he turned back to his men. "Pull anchor and let's get the hell out of here."

With the island growing smaller in the distance, the ensign sidled up beside him. "Did that whole encounter seem a little odd to you, Captain?"

"More than a little," remarked the mousy man. "I didn't even get invited into that garish fort they're all so proud of. I don't know what's going on over there, but something's definitely fishy - and I don't just mean the pirates themselves."

He let out a sharp sigh before continuing pensively, "At least if our arrangement with that saw-nosed leviathan falls through, for whatever reason, I'll still have my connections on Beersdee."

"Beersdee, sir?"

"Yes, those fools Beckett arrested on Stringers nearly two months ago - the Cleaver Pirates - they have their headquarters there."

"I didn't realize you were also in business with them, Sir."

"We were able to reach an agreement: I'll allow them to continue unloading their product in my harbor so long as they understand they'll damn well pay me for the privilege from now on - chi chi chi!"

The ensign made no reply as the waves lapped steadily in their wake. At last, Nezumi cast a regretful look back at Conomi's main island. "Still, it would be a shame to lose out on all the extra income that Arlong character provided. I had a feeling that was a deal that could have lasted for years - a once in a lifetime opportunity for someone like me out here, forced to patrol the sticks. I only hope that whatever issues that Grand Line creatin is having, he's able to sort them out!"

000

The sight of her home approaching in the distance after nearly three weeks abroad brought mixed emotions. More than anything else, a sense of provisional dread hung over the island like a fog that might quickly dissipate depending on the outcome of her attempted coup several weeks ago. She attempted, yet again, to prepare herself for the worst-case scenario while Arlong's status still remained a mystery. The moment she stepped out onto the dock the truth would reveal itself all too quickly and she'd be left dealing with the consequences of either success or failure.

Though her trip had been relatively profitable by previous standards, Nami was not pleased with the amount she'd managed to rake in after lingering for nearly twice as long as she usually would at her destination. Her one attempt to join a pirate crew with the enticement of a fake treasure map ended abruptly with the snatching of the counterfeit and being knocked to the floor by a couple of knaves. She'd pulled their wallets in the process; however, it was a small consolation prize. Pickpocketing along the harbor and in bars made up the bulk of her earnings during the two weeks she spent ashore, but it still wasn't enough. Somehow, she needed to figure out how to steal more treasure - provided Arlong still remained alive.

Nami docked, carefully scanning the horizon for anything out of the ordinary before stepping out onto the platform. She didn't know what she should expect, but the surrounding coast as far as she could see remained deserted. Before anything else, she needed to secure her cache, so the girl grabbed her money bag and slunk into the woods, taking the longer but far less noticeable route to Belle-Mere's groves.

Amidst patrolling the perimeters of Cocoyasi, a restless Kuroobi stopped short at noticing the familiar fishing boat moored in the distance. He'd half expected the little wench not to return at all, but he supposed she couldn't help coming back to admire her handiwork. She would regret that mistake.

The last time he'd laid eyes on Arlong, only hours earlier, the captain had already fallen into a delirious, fitful sleep from which no one could awaken him - this following weeks of unrelenting muscle spasms and agonizing abdominal pain. The deeply disturbing situation had the ray-man wondering whether he might actually succumb to the poison after all - a truly disgraceful death for a proud fishman like Arlong.

Infuriated and unable to confront the responsible party, he'd resorted to taking out his frustrations on the inhabitants of the island, bullying villagers and damaging property - tactics that didn't sit well with his own code of honor despite (or perhaps because of) the inferiority of his human victims. Now, however, the very brat he'd been itching to get his hands on had the gall to stroll back into town and he felt a renewed resolve stir within him.

Kuroobi's sharp ears pricked at a soft rustle over his left shoulder; swiveling around, he spotted her skirting the village on her way back from wherever she'd gone skulking off to. Darting silently as an assassin, he slipped easily into step with the girl just as she reached the rice paddies.

His appraising eye locked with hers as she abruptly registered his presence. Following a brief jolt of fear, to be expected from such a deeply suspicious girl, her typical mask of cool disdain slid firmly into place.

"What's your problem, Kuroobi," she demanded flippantly.

"Long time no see, Nami," he retorted. "You sure have been gone a while."

"And what of it?"

"I don't suppose you're worried about what Arlong-san will say?"

Again, he gauged her response.

The mask didn't budge. "Not particularly. Anyway, what business is it of yours? The deal I made was between me and Arlong."

"Was? Shouldn't it still be between you and Arlong-san?"

She turned sharply to him. "I don't even know what you're babbling about."

Kuroobi leered down, thinking he noticed a small crack forming in her insolent little facade. Crossing her path to loom directly over the girl, he stared hard enough to piece through her soul. "I'll just bet you don't."

Craning her neck to meet his gaze, her brows knit together as she slowly crossed her arms. "I gather something happened to Arlong?"

"You tell me, Nami."

"How should I know; I've been gone for weeks! He seemed fine when I left - what happened?"

"He was poisoned," the ray-man said simply, holding her in his cold gaze.

"And you think I did it?" She squinted disbelievingly at him.

"Of course, it was you. There's no one else it could possibly be but you. And, what's more, Arlong knows it was you!" He lunged down at her, his hands longing to squeeze the breath and all that undeserved smugness right out of her. The girl's eyes widened at the sudden movement, but she didn't budge. Possibly fear froze her in place, but without Arlong's express permission, no one on the crew - not even an officer like Kuroobi - could lay a finger on Nami for any reason. Both of them understood this, and now he'd just overplayed his hand. The charade shattered, Kuroobi's deadly appendages dropped uselessly to his sides again and he glared impotently at Nami.

Wisely, the human child suppressed any outward gloating, knowing full well she wasn't entirely out of the danger zone. Instead, she offered her seething crewmate a bemused frown, "But how could there not possibly be anyone else that would poison Arlong? It isn't as if he has no enemies."

"None closer than you," he quipped back, "No other despicable human on these miserable islands has access to Arlong-san - only you."

"So, when did he start showing signs of poisoning anyway?"

"Probably about a couple of days after you left, just enough time for you to have slipped him something - most likely during that party you wanted so badly."

"Well if that's the case," the girl calmly reasoned, "there were plenty of strange women you just randomly invited to that party. Why couldn't it have been any of them?"

"Because Arlong-san didn't have anything to do with any of them," he spat.

"Do you know that for sure," she squawked as she rose up on the balls of her feet, hands planted on her hips, "Were you with him the entire night?"

Kuroobi's fists clenched reflexively at his sides, "Quit trying to deflect! It was you - that's all! And, no matter what happens with our captain, you're never leaving this island again! Not ever."

The treacherous burglaress immediately quieted down as the stark reality of her situation slowly sank in.

Now came Koroobi's turn to sneer. Propping his own arms akimbo so that the fins on his elbows jutted out like blades, he stared down at the sobered surveyor. "So what do you have to say now? Do you still wanna deny everything? Or maybe you'd prefer to go ahead and take credit where it's due - hmm? It's the same to me, either way."

"I say 'kiss my ass', Kuroobi; I don't confess or deny anything to you!"

"Have it your way," He jabbed a webbed finger toward The Park, "Now march."

What else could she do? The trapped girl allowed herself to be guided the rest of the way through the paddies back to headquarters to face her fate. Upon their entry through the East Gate, they were met by a growing throng of their own crewmates milling together outside the building's main entrance. Some, such as Hitchin and Kaneshiro, were openly weeping. Karoobi and Nami exchanged identical shocked glances with one another as the spiky head of Hachi suddenly bobbed into view.

"Kuroobi, Nami - Nyuuu," The six-armed swordsman pushed through the crowd to meet them, tears also coursing down his cheeks, "Kuroobi, you won't believe it!"

"Aw shit, Hachi, what is it? Don't tell me..."

"You won't believe it, but there's just been a breakthrough!"

"Wait...A what?"

"Arlong-san - he just woke up and he's no longer shaking or hallucinating! He's in his right mind again!"

"Are you serious? When did this happen," his friend demanded to know.

"Nyu, just a few minutes ago when I went up to check on him - he was sitting up and speaking! You don't know how relieved I am about this - I'm so bad at governing!" He again dissolved into tears.

Kuroobi's mouth fell open. "Ca-can I go see him?"

"I don't see why not," replied a sniffling Hachi, dabbing his eyes while seemingly unable to restrain his other arms from flailing extatically in every direction, "The Doc just kicked everyone out of the room, but I'm sure he'd like to see you. You should both go."

Kuroobi's hand landed firmly on Nami's shoulder. "That's just what we'll do."

The room was dimly lit, with the curtains pulled against the blazing late afternoon sun. Nami recoiled as the stale smell of sickness and body odor assaulted her nostrils, even as she fought back hyperventilation at the thought that this could be the last room she ever entered. Arlong knows it was you, Kurobi's taunts echoed in her mind, you're never leaving this island again! Her slowly adjusting eyes fell upon the ghastly specter of Arlong sitting in the middle of the bed, cupping a large mug in his palms from which he took slow, deliberate sips. The crew's doctor, who stood closely by, looked up at their arrival.

"Kuroobi-san and Nami - welcome back," stated the physician with a weary edge to his typically gruff voice.

Arlong turned his head sharply at the sound of her name and the girl's insides withered as he peered out at her from a cave of his matted black hair. Kuroobi's ever-present hand gripping her shoulder shoved Nami further toward the figure on the bed.

"Thanks. We're all here now," replied the manta ray without taking his eyes off Arlong.

"Renado, would you give us a minute alone," Arlong's papery voice rasped at the doctor.

"Alright," The nurse shark agreed with a hesitant sigh, "I think you'll be fine for the moment, Captain, just don't overdo it. You still need rest in order to build up your strength."

Arlong grunted his acknowledgement as the old sawbones walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Silence fell over the room as, slowly, Arlong shifted position and reached his arm toward the bedside table to set his mug down. A nearby flickering lamp illuminated the shockingly lean musculature on his once bulging appendage - the heavy gold bracelet he always wore hanging loosely off his wrist. Nami's glance traveled disbelievingly down his protruding spine to where his hips jutted sharply above his slack waistband. She could understand now why Kuroobi appeared so uncertain about Arlong's chances. She'd come so goddamned close to killing him!

"Arlong-san, it's great to see you up. How are you feeling?"

"Like I need to take a leak," he rumbled.

"Oh. So do you need me to uh...give you som-"

"No. Forget it."

"Well, hopefully your stomach's doing better."

"I don't want to talk about my fuckin' stomach, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." He cast his gaze quickly down at Nami, "Anyway, what's important is that I brought the little witch back with me. I thought you might want to go ahead and take care of her - or if you'd rather wait, I could-"

"Did she admit to anything?" Interrupted Arlong.

Kuroobi balked. "Did she what?"

"Did she ADMIT to it," Arlong annunciated, staring blankly ahead at the drawn curtains.

Kuroobi gave an incredulous snort, "Well obviously not, but what difference does that make?"

Arlong's head whipped suddenly back to the petrified surveyor. "What do you have to say for yourself, Nami? Did you poison me?"

Truly how much did Arlong value her skills as a cartographer? The magnitude of that question and all it entailed brought a shudder to her very core. Peering reluctantly back into his savage glare, Nami forced herself to read the unspoken message relayed there.

"How dumb would I have to be to break our agreement and try to murder you, then waltz right back here again almost immediately afterward? I would hope I could come up with a better plan that that," she gulped as the words spilled out of her mouth.

Kuroobi's head swung from Arlong to Nami and back as he scrambled to grasp what was going on.

"That's a fair point," the captain nodded, then turned slowly toward the window again. "Alright. You can go now."

"But, Arlong-san..."

"I said GET THE HELL OUT," his roar shook the room.

The moment they'd fled Arlong's wrath and retreated back to the safety of the courtyard, a livid Kuroobi rounded on her. "Don't get too comfortable just because you miraculously got a reprieve today, Nami; I'm always watching you! Arlong's gonna live and he isn't always going to be this delusional from illness. I guarantee I'll make him see what a treacherous witch you actually are!"

Nami stuffed her hands in her pockets to hide how badly they shook. "Get a life, Kuroobi," she huffed, stepping around him and marching away to the furthermost pavilion beside the gates where she could curl up into a ball in one of the oversized chairs and quietly have a nervous breakdown.

She'd gone in with eyes wide open (or so she thought) while plotting out Arlong's assassination. Ultimately, she'd even been ready to put her life and any meager hope of rescuing her village on the line after weighing it against the imminent liberation of everyone throughout the archipelago. One thing she hadn't counted on was Arlong's outright dismissal of such an audacious attempt on him life.

Certainly, there would be consequences for her failure - there had to be - but the worst part was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Would he now revoke all her privileges, locking her permanently up in the cartography room to rot, she wondered. A new thought sent a shudder down her spine, jarring her chin against the knobby knees pulled up to her chest: what if, instead, he took his vengeance out on someone else - someone like Nojiko? Nami hadn't planned for this contingent.

She damned Kuroobi and his eternally suspicious nature for drawing attention to her. She damned herself for coming so close only to potentially destroy everything and everyone she'd worked so hard to protect. Most of all she damned Arlong, who by all rights should be dead if he weren't such a monster.

Gradually, as all the celebrating fishmen dispersed and the courtyard grew dark, Nami remained at the big table, a lone witness to the moon rising over East Blue like a silver coin forever out of her grasp. She held up her hand, imagining its hard, cool surface pressing into her palm as, slowly, she closed her fist around it.

Three and a half weeks later, the promised boat was nearly complete. An anxious Nami regularly checked in with Aka-Mushi, persuaded to finally abandon Nami's hopeless old fishing boat in order to assist his master with building the new vessel, who was almost more excited than she was to walk her through the daily progress. Unfortunately, the abundance of input she'd offered on its design went largely disregarded by Kaneshiro, who insisted on constructing it to his own specifications. the new sloop, nevertheless, remained a significant improvement to what she'd had - even with its lack of size and storage space.

Though it nearly killed her to take such a long hiatus, she believed the investment would prove well worth the wait. Treasure was calling her name - a very specific treasure in fact - and Nami had put the Cleaver's cockboat to good use in the interim while gathering the needed information for her next big heist.

Although the little rowboat wasn't able to take her the entire way to Stringers, she did manage to travel as far as the nearest island just outside Arlong's territory where she took a ferry the rest of the way. Arriving just outside Threadsville, Nami attempted to reacquaint herself with the city she'd avoided setting foot in for nearly three years. She'd been naive and inexperienced the first time she'd visited, but she was determined to use everything she'd learned since then to her advantage.

She now moved purposefully through the streets, her clothing and demeanor resembling that of a local rather than the bumpkin tourist she'd been in earlier years. She frequented many of the same places as before without bothering to tarry for too long in one place - gleaning whatever she could from the surrounding conversations. After spending a couple of days soaking up intel and taking notes, Nami felt confident she'd gained several new leads.

One conversation she'd eavesdropped on while in a bar stood out to her in particular:

"I'm an officer of the Gally Pirates, Babe. You should stick with me; I'll show you a good time!"

Nami glanced up from her crab legs over at a table in the corner. A lanky man with a saber hanging from his sash leaned in close to a bosomy woman sitting across from him, his gaze trailing down her half-buttoned blouse.

"Ohohoho," the woman threw her head back and giggled, "Does that mean you have lots of loot, then?"

"Hell yeah, I've got an entire hoard of treasure!"

"Ooh? I hope it's within easy reach rather than buried under an 'X' somewhere," she tossed back a shot and winked suggestively at him.

"Welll, it ain't buried, but it is hidden in a cave guarded by a sea king," he declared before slamming down his own drink and glancing over to see if she was impressed.

Nami promptly dismissed the ridiculous statement. Even the fishmen were afraid of sea kings, and although she'd heard of the Galley Pirates (in fact, she'd read in the paper that they'd recently robbed a merchant ship) she'd be willing to gamble every berry to her name that they weren't getting any sea king to guard their treasure.

For some reason, however, the stupid statement continued repeating in her head for the following several days. The young thief spent much of the journey back to Cocoyasi mulling it over. Somehow the image of a cave and a sea king reminded her of something she'd seen or read somewhere. All at once, in the midst of rowing it struck her like a bolt out of the blue.

The moment she reached home, the girl rushed to the cartography room and threw open the door. She instantly went to her stacks of filed charts, riffling through them until she pulled out a map of an obscure section of ocean where a chain of tiny uninhabited islands dotted the otherwise smooth seascape, resembling an outbreak of back acne. The most notable feature of the otherwise bleak and rocky archipelago was one large sea stack which reared out from the waters near the biggest island, looking very much like a charging sea king. She also noted with growing excitement, that a cave did indeed exist along the coast near said outcropping. Maybe it was just coincidence, but Nami was still willing to stake a six-day trip on the hope of major treasure. Preparations began almost immediately.

On the day of her planned departure, Nami, Aka-Mushi and Kaneshiro stood together on the doc. Anxious to board and get her trip underway, Nami fidgeted with her large sack of supplies. The shipwrights, however, had insisted on a ceremony for their craft's maiden voyage and the girl watched impatiently as Kaneshiro brought out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses which he poured and handed to Aka-Mushi and herself.

"Well, first of all," the goldfish-man began, "we're gathered to say a few words as we hand over this boat into the care of our surveyor for the purpose of taking her wherever she may go in East Blue and for the transportation of whatever valuable cargo she may gain during her travels. She's a sturdy vessel and under the proper hand she should be able to take on whatever challenges the seas throw out - just as any craft built by fishman skill should. So, treat 'er well and she'll do the same for you!"

Nami gave a solemn nod, tapping her foot as she stared down into her glass.

"And now with that, what's the boat's name?"

The girl glanced up in surprise as both of them stared expectantly at her.

"Oh! Uhhhh, The-The uh, B-B-Berry Bandit?"

Aka-Mushi snickered while Kaneshiro merely shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Very well - Here's to The Berry Bandit, and her long successful career!"

They each drank - she and Aka-Mushi from their glasses and Kaneshiro straight from the bottle which he then tipped over the side of the doc, pouring out a portion into the water.

"Great, so can I start loading now?"

"Not so fast," interjected Aka-Mushi. He picked up a second bottle which Kaneshiro had also brought along and handed it to her. "You have to break this across the bow!"

"And don't mess it up - if you don't get it on the first try then it's bad luck," warned Kaneshiro.

"I can help you out if you don't think you can do it," offered Aka-Mushi.

Nami gripped the bottle possessively, "No thanks - I'll do it."

She strode up to the bow and took aim. Closing her eyes, she imagined Arlong's sneering face before swinging back and smashing the bottle against the sharp corner. The glass and spray went flying as Nami turned her head away from the explosion.

The pair of attending fishmen clapped in appreciation.

After Kaneshiro left and the young adventurer was finally allowed to board her new vessel, Aka-Mushi hung back and chatted as she loaded her supplies.

"Is this going to be a long trip," he asked, leaning against the mast.

Nami emerged from the cramped cabin after stowing her goods. "It'll be the longest one yet, but if I'm right, then it'll be worth it."

"I'm glad we could finish the boat in time for you to make it," he said with a crooked smile.

"Me too. I know I said it already, but thanks again for all your hard work."

"Uh-huh," he shifted awkwardly, then suddenly plopped his hand on the top of her head, giving her hair a fond ruffle, "I really do hope something good happens for you very soon."

She squinted up at him in uncertainty, but the betta just as quickly pivoted in another direction. "Well, I'm also off to get some supplies from Stringers for repairs needed around The Park - so safe travels!" He gave her a final wave as he dove off the side into the shallows below, leaving her to ponder the enigmatic farewell.

Nami never knew quite what to make of Aka-Mushi. He was always a bit off: constantly marching to the beat of his own drum and not feeling the need to explain himself. She recalled yesterday when he'd abruptly asked to borrow the paper she was reading, even though she'd never previously seen him take any interest in the news before. She'd almost asked him why, but then shrugged and handed it to him since he rarely gave any straight answers anyway.

With a shake of her head, the girl dismissed her weird friend for the time being. Pulling out her own borrowed chart from the increasingly extensive catalogue upstairs, she sat down to go over her course one more time before shoving off.

000

A warm breeze billowed through the bonfire, over which turned a slowly roasting side of beef. Gathered under the nearby pavilion, a group of fishmen played cards by the rays of the dying sun as Arlong absently manned the spit and sipped rum while listening to their banter.

"Rummy!" Choo announced, slapping his hand down on the table to a chorus of groans from the others.

"AGAIN," exclaimed an incredulous Kuroobi.

"Nyu, okay everybody, lay your cards down," sighed Hachi, pulling a pencil from behind his ear to tally the amounts.

"What can I say," shrugged the smelt-whiting, leaning back in his chair with a smug smile, "It's a gift!"

"Yeah. Who's in favor of a different game," Hitchin suggested, tossing his own cards down in a huff.

Kaneshiro shook his head. "I'm already out of money; I'd better call it a day." The goldfish pushed his chair back from the table and stood up. "Is it alright if I square up with you later?"

"Sure, I know where you live," Choo smirked back.

The shipwright paused as he walked past the occupant of the seat on the other side of Arlong's spit roast. "Heh, I never pegged you as a man of letters - since when do you read the papers, Gil?"

The puffer fishman offered a frown from over the top of the newsprint to his offending crewmate. "Why shouldn't I? Someone's gotta keep up with current affairs."

"Is this some strange new trend," Kaneshiro shrugged around at the rest of them, "I also saw Aka-Mushi of all people with his face in the paper the other day."

"Yeah, he's the one that gave it to me," Gil snapped the pages for emphasis.

"Hmph, that boy," a cloud seemed to pass over the shipwright's gruff features, "I wish he'd hurry up and get back from Threadsville already."

"Threadsville?" Hitchin perked up.

"Yeah. He offered to go buy some supplies for me, but that's been two days ago."

"I just got back from there and I didn't see him," replied Hitchin, "even though fishmen usually stand out in these parts."

"Dammit, he'd better not be goofing off! I knew I should've just gone myself," quipped Kaneshiro.

"You don't think he was arrested by the Navy do you," gasped Hachi.

"Not a chance," Arlong chimed in. His eye, however, was fixed on the front of Gil's paper as he spoke. "Could I borrow that from you, nakama?"

"Uh, sure, cap'n," the large pirate folded the pages and handed them to Arlong.

The sawshark flipped the front page open and began swiftly skimming the article of interest.

A curious Hachi walked up and peered over his shoulder, reading the headline aloud. "'NAVY THWARTS CRIME RING WITH AID OF SUN PIRATES'. Nyu - Any mention of Jinbe-san in there?"

Arlong made no reply, turning to the continuation page for further reading. He abruptly tossed the paper back to Gil a minute later and stood up. "I think I'd better go out and look for Aka-Mushi myself."

The rest of the fishmen gawked at their captain in mild surprise.

"D'you really think that's necessary," asked a slack-jawed Kaneshiro, "I'm sure he'll be back any time now."

"Somehow I doubt it," remarked Arlong cryptically.

"You're leaving right now, Arlong-san," interjected Hachi.

"Yeah. Choo - you and Hitchin come with me."

Immediately, the pair stood and followed after him.

"Cap'n! What about yer roast," cried Gil.

"You eat it," Arlong shot back over his shoulder.

A befuddled Kaneshiro sat down in the seat previously occupied by Arlong as Gil crossed over to inspect the piece of roasting meat beside him. "I don't get it, what just happened?"

Hachi, equally confused, glanced across at Kuroobi who scowled suspiciously back.

000

She'd known going into it that this would be her longest voyage yet, still she hadn't realized just how long a week at sea would actually feel. Sailing through unfamiliar waters for days on end without a speck of land in sight was unsettling enough to make her doubt her own navigation skills. What if she'd made a crucial miscalculation at some point along the course and she was now doomed to drift forever over a vast ocean until there was nothing left of her but bones bleaching in the sun?

Nami attempted to reassure herself that she was exactly where she should expect to be at this point in the journey. She merely had to hold on and wait for the allotted time until land would inevitably appear.

Appear it finally did near the end of the sixth day, to her great relief. Nami gazed through her spyglass with giddy excitement at the craggy 'sea king' looming before the rocky cliff face. Although she wanted more than anything to immediately leap onto the shore and bolt for the entrance to the pirates' treasure cavern, the tide was rising, and night was coming. Nami hunkered down for one more evening on the tiny sloop.

The waters surrounding the main island were turbulent and rocky. Nami pulled the boat in as closely as she dared, taking note of the currents and locations of submerged hazards as she calculated how much room she'd need in order to turn around. She used a small raft to reach the shore. By now the tide was well on its way back out and she could see the entrance to the cave where the treasure was supposedly hidden gaping from the cliffside like an open maw.

Nami hiked up the rocky beach to her destination, a satchel of carefully packed supplies slapping against her hip. The opening was pitch dark and narrower than she'd expected - not even large enough for her to step into fully upright. She fished into the bag, taking out her lantern only to nearly drop it on the rocks as a scream wrenched from her throat.

Not more than an arm's length within the yawning blackness sat a skeleton against the cave wall, knife handle protruding from its ribcage. Nami's hand flew to her mouth as she backed slowly away from the craggy tomb. Crawling blindly into a dark, dank pit was disturbing enough, but she couldn't imagine what horrors were waiting inside if this was the first thing she encountered. Desperately, she wondered if there was another cave on this or any of the other islands that might possibly be the one she was looking for but, of course, the dead man more or less confirmed where the booty ought to be.

"Don't think about it. Think about the treasure," she repeated to herself several times. "Just think about all the millions of berries you'll be bringing home with you."

...If you survive.

She took a deep, steadying breath and thrust her lantern before her like a shield as she stepped toward the opening. Without looking directly at the skeleton, she eased herself carefully inside, making sure that no part of her accidentally brushed against it. The thought alone of the pile of bones collapsing on her inside the tiny space almost drove her shrieking into the ocean.

She pressed further onward, doing her best to avoid jutting points of rock from the ceiling while the jagged tunnel zig-zagged and slowly broadened, her path inclining upward. Nami used the slippery rocks to scrabble up until she finally reached a spacious cavern.

Her lantern light barely penetrated the darkness stretching in front of her. The girl hugged the wall as she carefully navigated the space. Puddles on the rocky cavern floor gleamed in the light's reflection, reminding her that the ocean continued to have a heavy hand in shaping the subterranean lair. After walking for several minutes, examining the surroundings for any sign of hidden loot, she ran across the entrance to another tunnel. As she leaned inside, Nami detected the faint rush of waves beyond. She frowned and continued along the perimeter of the wall until she came upon yet another similar opening, then another.

Based on the geography of the island and the location of the various cave entrances along its beach, Nami deduced that all of them must actually lead to this same large cavern. Therefore, the cavern was almost certainly where the treasure would be hidden. She returned to her search with renewed vigor, scanning with her lamp for anything that might appear out of place.

After another hour of combing the darkness for any sign of pirate goods, Nami came up empty. She knew her wick would soon burn out and the tide would come up again in a few more hours, but she hadn't intended on the process taking so long. There was still the business of actually accessing the treasure and transporting it back to her boat once she found it.

She stood staring uncertainly down at her feet as she puzzled what to do. Was she searching the wrong place after all? Perhaps it was one of the other islands. However, this was the only one with the noted sea king-shaped stack - it was definitely the right island. Maybe she hadn't searched carefully enough, or maybe they'd come before her and removed the treasure already. Maybe there was never any treasure to begin with. Nami gritted her teeth in frustration. She decided to continue searching until her wick was used up.

Search she did, every inch of the floor twice over and even along the walls and ceiling. She shuffled down each entrance leading off from the cavern as well, finding nothing except what she'd suspected - that all lead back out to the beach. Nami swore, wiping cold sweat from her brow as she stared once again around the craggy cave.

"Where are you," she demanded aloud of the treasure. "I didn't come all this way to go back empty-handed; I swear I'll find you!"

The lamp light flickered as if in response and Nami groaned. Unless she wanted to wander blindly through the rock-strewn hollow, she needed to leave now. She could return to her boat, replace her wick and think about her next move. She considered using one of the other tunnels to exit the cave - at least then she wouldn't have to squeeze past the dead man guarding the entrance closest to her boat.

Why was a dead man left there in the first place, she randomly wondered. Did the pirates kill one of their own and leave him to guard the place? Were that so, what would be the point if there was no treasure to guard? Or was he some kind of traitor abandoned there, who eventually took his own life rather than slowly starve to death on this barren island? Why did the tide, which came up twice a day, not eventually wash the bones out to sea?

Why am I thinking so much about a dead guy, she huffed, turning to leave.

Nami paused mid-way down the nearest passage. Something bothered her about the skeleton - aside from the obvious. Somehow, she felt there was something important she was overlooking. Her stomach dropped, but she couldn't avoid it - she had to go back and examine on final area of the cave.

Her heart racing, Nami stared eye to empty socket with the hideous death's head. A ragged bandanna still clung over its skull with (she gulped) strands of hair sticking out from under it. She ran her flickering light down the ribs, unable to pick up anything unusual. A shredded tunic and pants draped the bony form. The teen gave the torso an experimental nudge with her foot and immediately felt a pang of guilt for her disrespect - even if he was just a damn pirate - what if his ghost decided to haunt her?

The skeleton rocked gently to one side and rolled back into place; It seemed to be pinned by something. Nami looked around the wall it rested against, running her fingers along the rough surface until she noticed a ledge of rock that ran right above the corpse's head and down to the cave floor. With her fading firelight, she determined that the dead man's clothes were mashed beneath the bottom of the rock, effectively holding him to the spot.

"Then, this must be able to move," she mused aloud to herself, pushing at the stone which didn't budge. she pushed harder, wrenching and clawing at the rigid obstruction to no avail. With a final mighty tug, Nami's light at last extinguished just as she lost her balance and fell flat against the skeletal remains. Her scream rang through the cavern, sending flocks of of gulls on the beach flying in all directions.

000

Hitchin sweltered beneath the scarf and hat he wore on such a blazing hot day, but better safe than sorry. The masses of humanity packed into the plaza didn't help matters either. The pirate pushed his way through the typical throngs of tourists, scarcely giving the famous scaffold of The Pirate King a second glance as he hurried back from his rendezvous. He paused only to gobble down the last of his ice cream cone, receiving an instant headache, before rushing off to rejoin his comrades.

With Loguetown under Navy control and their high recognizability, Arlong and Choo remained on the outskirts while Hitchin did what he did best - gather information. They looked up expectantly at his arrival back at the crossroad.

"No dice," announced Hitchin, "My sources haven't seen or heard anything; he clearly hasn't tried to reach out to the Navy. I doubt he even stopped here longer than it took to grab a quick snack - if that."

"I didn't really expect he would," an exhausted Arlong stood and stretched, "He probably wants to go right to the source."

"He'd have to be pretty stupid to think the Navy would listen to him," grunted Choo, "Still, you never know what sort of trouble an idiot like that might cause for us - chu."

"Alright, let's go," said Arlong, catching his second wind. Only a short stretch remained between them, and The Red Line and Aka-Mushi was still at large.

Flanked on either side by his men in a V formation, Arlong skimmed through the eastern sea at a speed that rivaled the lightning streaking across the stormy sky above. Although the mischievous shipwright had a two-day lead, the sawshark knew these particular waters well, and with the aid of Nami's charts, was able to navigate the most direct route possible to the Grand Line entrance. One way or another their paths would soon cross.

Despite the depths at which they traveled; the turbulence of the waves still managed to batter against them even without slowing them down. Arlong gazed up as another gush of warm water rolled him toward the surface. A familiar silhouette suddenly appeared against the eerie storm-lit waters above.

"Hey Aka-Mushi, hold it right there!"

The figure above paused abruptly, then shot for the surface.

Arlong, Choo and Hitchin quickly followed, allowing the wave to carry them after their wayward crewmate. The betta rode the crest of the breaking wave like a pro - propelling himself toward the looming Reverse Mountain at break-neck speed. Unfortunately for him, Arlong and company had been surfing the "green room" since before he was even a gleam in his parents' eyes and had no trouble keeping up with the teen fishman.

After crashing back into the sea, Aka-Mushi attempted yet another tactic to shake them.

"Now he's putting up a screen," exclaimed Hitchin, swatting away the wall of thick clumping bubbles suddenly swarming before their faces.

"Ha," scoffed Choo, dispelling the bubbles just as quickly with a jet of water expelled from his puckered lips. The trio continued their pursuit toward the impending Grand Line current leading up the mountainside.

"So, this is how you repay me for pulling you outta the slums of Fishman District, huh? I let you come along on an expedition to conquer the world and become a king, and instead you betray me and rat out your nakama to that government dog," Arlong bellowed after him. "You're a traitor to your race - just like he is!"

The fugitive teen abruptly slowed down. He turned directly to face his accusers, panting raggedly as the three closed in around him. "In the three years I've been in this crew, I seen a lotta things," he said between breaths, "and now that I seen the world for myself, I know that it ain't just like you said it was. I never wanted to be no king - I just wanted to be a part of something bigger'n me. I wanted to build things - not destroy 'em!"

"What did you think that building an empire MEANT," Arlong shot back, "You can't create without first destroying!"

Aka-Mushi slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess I know that now. Sorry for being such a dumbass - but I can't be a part of it no more."

"Oh, it's much too late for that, I'm afraid," sneered the shark-man, "You don't just leave the Arlong Pirates, matey - when you join, you're in for life!"

The betta shifted his attention between each of the other fishmen forming a semi-circle around him in the turbulent waters. Another clap of thunder rumbled above them, putting a fine point on Arlong's words.

"Fortunately," the sawshark went on, "I am a fair man and I hate shedding fishman blood needlessly. We won't do anything to you as long as you agree to come along quietly back to Arlong Park. Once we return, you'll be given a trial, and the entire crew will vote on what should happen to you. It's the best option you're going to get, Aka-Mushi, because I guarantee you won't be making it over that mountain to Jinbe-aniki." He glared meaningfully at the defiant youth.

Aka-Mushi's jaw set; his expression hardened. "I ain't going back. I've come too far to find the one man that can stop you, and right now he's restin' up with his crew just on the other side of these peaks," he gestured behind himself. "You'll have to kill me."

"We could arrange that," replied Choo darkly.

"Don't be stupid, boy," cried Hitchin, "you'd throw your life away over a bunch of miserable islanders who'd happily kill you with their bare hands if they could? You think you know what humanity is like? You don't know the half of it! If you'd sailed with us back when The Boss was still alive, you'd-"

"Shut-up, Hitchin," snarled Arlong. "He's already made his choice! He's obviously a man that knows his own mind; he doesn't need a lecture ..."

The shipwright's glance automatically shifted as they argued. Seizing the moment, he darted sharply south, veering away from his course and taking the three pursuers by surprise.

"What the - where the hell does he think he's going now," exclaimed Choo in bewilderment.

"Well, don't just float there, after 'im!" Hitchin yelled as they hastily dove in the same direction.

"Wait a minute," bellowed Arlong, abruptly taking note of the settling waters. "It's a trap; don't follow him!"

Choo was quick to pick up on the captain's line of reasoning. "You're right - chu! He's heading straight into the Calm Belt."

"Is he insane," marveled Hitchin.

"Maybe," Arlong replied, "but we don't need to worry about him anymore - he's already a dead man."

The three remained treading water at the edge of the storm, watching grimly as the boy's form grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

He didn't come here to die, he reminded himself as a school of sea kings appeared in the distance. Aka-Mushi paid them no heed as he skimmed the still waters, his eyes fixed straight ahead. The Grand Line was so close he could almost touch it; all he had to do was keep swimming until he made it - or didn't make it.

The sea kings were growing closer now. Despite his relatively small size and smooth movements, they'd taken notice of him.

Well, shit.

A mouth the size of all Arlong Park gaped open in front of him with teeth larger than himself. There was no avoiding it. Aka-Mushi closed his eyes, picturing how Nami looked the last time he'd seen her. He knew she'd grow into a beautiful woman in a few years; he was only sorry he wouldn't be around to see it. Fortunately, she was also brave and smart and she'd find a way to gain her freedom even if he couldn't help her. He had no doubt about that.

His tears mingling freely with the salty water, he smiled as darkness closed slowly over him.

000

The skeleton lay cast into a heap at the mouth of the cave. Meanwhile, Nami worked feverishly, striking repeatedly at the rock with a hammer she'd brought along for repairs while doing her best to avoid the flying chips of stone hitting her in the face. A small hole gradually began to form in the far-left corner. The slight girl paused a moment to catch her breath, swiping the sheen of sweat from her brow before testing the coin-sized opening with the claw end of her hammer. She managed to budge the huge rock ever so slightly from its groove before it rocked firmly back into place.

Releasing an exhausted sigh, she waited a few more minutes before attacking the rock yet again. Following another grueling hour, the hole was finally large enough for her to peer into. She could make out a small alcove just beyond the obstinate barrier in the faint sunlight trickling through the cave's opening. Her heart pounded both from excitement and exertion while the tide outside rolled steadily over the beach.

Nami reached both hands along the edge of the opening and tugged at the great stone with all her might, rocking it back and forth several times before it at last tipped over, crashing against the other side of the cave wall as it narrowly missed crushing her.

She scarcely registered the sting of her scraped and bleeding palms as she re-lit her lantern and scrambled through the hidden chamber. There, nestled in the very back of the small cavern, sat what she'd been hoping for. Nami nearly wept as she threw her arms around the sturdy wooden chest, embracing it like a dear friend. It was heavy too - a very good sign - as she found herself unable to lift it. No matter. She dug again into her satchel and came up with a small set of pins.

For what felt like hours, Nami worked on the lock - which despite the relatively dry conditions created by the rock sealing the area against the tide - had still managed to form some considerable rust. Just as she was about to lose hope, she felt a decisive click. Her hands trembled as she lifted the heavy lid.

Water sloshed around her ankles as she gazed in wonder at the glittering pieces inside. She ran her hand slowly over the cool metal disks, letting them slip through her fingers and tumble back into the chest with a soft clinking sound. Nami remained mesmerized until a particularly strong wave battered the rocks inside the little alcove. Reminded of the quickly rising tide, the young thief hastily whipped out her sack and began scooping treasure into it by the handful until she could barely lift it.

After transporting the first load back to her boat and returning for the second round, Nami raced against the tide as it steadily swallowed the hidden passage. She felt fairly confident that she could get the entire stash in four trips even if she might have to wait for the waters to recede in between. Dumping out her third deposit, Nami paused to take a breath and froze as her eyes spotted an ominous shape on the horizon. She dove for her spyglass - just as she'd feared, there was a ship making a beeline for her location.

Nami glanced panic-stricken down at the empty bag in her hand, then back at the cave entrance. Seems she would be forced to leave the remaining treasure behind, between the rising tide and the need to beat a hasty retreat.

"Dammit!"

She flung the sack to the deck in frustration but couldn't bring herself to pull up the anchor. Waffling only a moment, the girl gritted her teeth and dove back into the water onto her raft. She paddled back to shore - dashing through the waves and into the cave. The water inside the hidden room came up around Nami's waist as she held her breath and ducked under to grab what remained.

Nami came up gasping for breath only to repeatedly dip back down for another clumsy gathering of coins into the bag.

Just one more round, she told herself each time until her hand couldn't find any more pieces. The water nearly reached the top of the shallow room by the time she pressed her nose against the roof for one final breath before swimming out.

She struggled with her load, having to drag the sack along the bottom as best she could while floundering to her raft. Mustering strength she didn't even know she had, Nami managed to get one hand on the raft while hoisting the bag and herself onto it. The ship was significantly closer now and she had no doubt that they could see her too. She paddled frantically out to her boat, watching as the ship turned starboard side toward her location. A spray of grape shot scattered over the waters around her - one metal ball narrowly missing her cheek. With a scream, she ducked low and kept paddling.

Another burst of pellets shot out over the boat as she leapt aboard, hitting the mast and deck and sending splintered wood flying in all directions. There was no time to think - she had to move, and it had to be toward the island rather than away.

Pulling up anchor, the boat lurched forward with the rushing tide, sending her straight for the towering sea king stack. Nami steered with all her might to avoid crashing into the great rock. The crag-infested shallows could easily ground her boat, but the pursuing pirate ship would certainly not be able to follow her. Using a combination of what she knew about the surrounding sea floor and pure instinct, the cartographer navigated the whirling currents. She managed to use the wind to her favor and narrowly avoided scraping submerged boulders while traversing the coast like a minefield. Fortunately, the island was small and quickly circumvented.

Once she swerved opposite the galleon and around the island, making a wide arc as she hit open waters, the pirate ship was already much too far in the distance to fire upon her anymore. Although they most likely would still come after her, Nami felt great relief just to be back out at sea in one piece with a boatload gold.

She gazed out into the distance as the wind blew against her. She could tell a storm was picking up and knew approximately how long it would take before it arrived. Just like seemingly everything concerning this expedition, it was all about timing. Nami was confident she could pass through before the squall fully formed, and if the ship did decide to give chase, they'd bear the brunt of the storm.

Nami watched with relief when the predicted thundershowers materialized in her boat's wake. Whether the pirates ever did decide to pursue her, she was never quite certain, but she knew with this she was finally home free. The following week's travel went by much quicker than the previous one as Nami busily appraised and converted the gold into berries. Based on her most conservative estimation, it was the equivalent of roughly 10 million - the most enormous haul she'd ever pulled in. Even though there was still so far to go, she couldn't help the joyful tears that stung her eyes.

She didn't think she'd ever been more grateful to see her home finally come into view. Her thoughts soon turned to the practical matter of transporting her treasure from the boat to the grove. The girl was still in the process of working out semantics as she pulled up to the dock; she didn't immediately notice Kaneshiro standing on the beach near the base of the path which led into town.

"So you made it back after all."

She glanced up with a start from tying off her line. A smile for the gruff shipwright graced her lips. "I sure am, and I have you to thank for that - she's a very sturdy vessel indeed, and probably saved my life! I've also gotta thank Aka-Mushi as well."

The goldfish-man was silent for a long moment. For the first time, she noticed his bedraggled appearance: his eyes were red and glazed, and his clothing rumpled - an imprint in the sand behind him made her wonder whether he'd spent the night on the beach, while a nearby bottle sticking out of the sand indicated what might have led up to it.

"There's something I should tell you," He hiccupped.

000

Nojiko was not at home, so Nami took it upon herself to borrow the wagon that they'd always used to carry their produce into market with. She doubted her sister would notice it missing for an hour or so. After lugging her extremely valuable cargo up to the grove, she paused a moment to catch her breath, checking one last time to see if perhaps Nojiko had returned in the meantime. No such luck.

Nami sighed.

The cascading gold rushed into her underground trove, burying what was already there and more than doubling the size of the mound. What would have filled her with delight only a short time ago, now left her feeling as empty as the large void within her coffer that still remained to be filled - and perhaps never would be.

Kaneshiro's words played over in her mind as she trudged through the brush and out to the cliffside where Belle-Mere rested.

"Aka-Mushi left the crew. When Arlong-san and the others tried to go get him, he ran away and was eaten by sea kings. He ain't coming back."

"What do you mean 'eaten by sea kings'? Why - Why would he go and do something like that?"

"Why indeed. You tell me."

She sat down beside her mother's graveside, taking note of the fresh bouquet of flowers placed there - most likely by Nojiko. She wished she could be more like the older girl: thoughtful and giving and able make beautiful whatever she put her hand to. The only thing Nami ever seemed to bring anyone was grief. She'd vowed years ago never to rely on help from anyone else, but somehow that meddlesome Aka-Mushi had wormed his way into her affairs and declared himself her ally, and because she was weak, she'd allowed him to do so before she even realized what was happening. Now he was dead.

"I really hope something good happens for you..."

"Hey Belle-Mere, guess what? I just made 10 million berries! All combined, I only have 85 million left to go! I know that may sound like a lot, but I'm going to earn every last bit of it, I swear... all by myself. I'm not afraid 'cause I've got you watching over me and that's all I need..."

She suddenly felt something wet hit her knee and glanced down to find fat drops falling steadily onto her lap. Nami slowly sank onto Belle-Mere's grave, holding on desperately until the storm passed.

"Well, aren't you at least going to come out here and show me how you look," called Nojiko from the front room.

"I guess..." replied an unenthusiastic Nami from the hallway where she stood before the only full-length mirror in the house. A few moments later, the recently turned fourteen-year-old shuffled out to present herself.

"Oooh, nice," smiled the lavender-headed girl, admiring the ensemble, "Very sophisticated."

She stood up and walked in a slow circle around her younger sibling. "And is that a bra you're wearing, Nami? I'm so proud of you!"

"Aw, shut up," Nami crossed her arms, "I've only just gotten big enough boobs to fit into a bra!"

"I don't know about that," laughed Nojiko, "You've had a jiggle to your walk for a while now."

"Anyway," the other girl rolled her eyes, "I needed some older-looking clothes if I want to be taken seriously by pirates - nobody wants a little girl in a sun dress on their crew."

"What pirates are you trying to impress," Nojiko raised an eyebrow.

"The ones with lots of loot," she put her thumb to her index finger and stuck out her tongue.

"Well, just make sure they don't want you as a wench rather than a crewmate," advised Nojiko.

"I don't care either way," shrugged Nami, "whatever gets me to their money."

"Don't say that so flippantly," her elder sister scolded her. "Still, I'm surprised you're not more excited about new clothes; you usually love buying them."

Nami sighed, "Eh. I guess I'm just tired from my trip."

"Well, I've got your laundry ready to go," Nojiko pointed to the basket of neatly folded and stacked garments.

"Thanks! Do you mind if I also take a bath before I go?"

000

Nami stepped out freshly bathed and carrying her bundle of laundry down the front path. Her stomach churned at the thought of having to return to Arlong Park - especially now when she knew that Aka-Mushi would not be there. The burden suddenly seemed unbearable without his simple presence as a point of light in her otherwise dreary existence as Arlong's prisoner.

More than anything, she longed to believe he'd somehow survived the Calm Belt and made it back to the Grand Line. Maybe she'd even see him again someday. According to Arlong and the others, Aka-Mushi had left to find a former comrade of theirs in the hopes he'd help overthrow Arlong (because of course he'd do something so reckless, the big dummy!) but none of them had witnessed his actual demise. Therefore, she still had a shred of hope to cling to.

While Nami had no reason to doubt their story, she still couldn't believe that any former comrade of Arlong's (even an enemy) would give the slightest fig about what the sawshark did to the inhabitants of a few small islands in East Blue. Not even the Navy cared enough to lift a finger for them. The world was a very big and dangerous place full of important people who simply couldn't be bothered with the troubles of one small...

The girl suddenly froze and turned sharply toward a rustle from the trees. She saw a head of dark hair dart quickly toward the woods. Nami shot after it, dropping her laundry on the ground.

"Hey!" She shouted at the retreating figure.

Through the palms and shrubs, she saw the long-haired individual slowly come to a stop. The woman turned to face Nami.

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing, sneaking around here," demanded the young pirate.

"We've met before," replied the other, taking a step toward her, "I saw your boat docked down at the pier and wanted to see if you lived here."

"What business do you have with me? I don't know you," quipped Nami.

"Look, I'm sorry for spying, but I wanted to talk to you; I have for a while now."

"WHO ARE YOU," shouted Nami with growing impatience.

"I'm - I'm," the flustered woman struggled with her words, "you've seen me at Arlong Park before - at that party they had a while back...I was also there that one other night too."

Nami frowned thoughtfully for a moment, her eyes then widened in realization. "You're that woman from Gosa Village!"

"I am from Gosa," she affirmed.

"Okay. But I can't imagine what you'd want to talk to me about."

"Well, I'm just wondering what sort of miraculously dumb luck you must have, seeing as the last time I saw you, you were standing over Arlong with a knife, and yet here you are - still breathing."

"Yeah, no thanks to you."

The woman's admittedly beautiful features hardened. "If you'd actually stabbed him, we might both be dead right now!"

The teenager crossed her arms. "What exactly do you want?"

"First of all, I want to understand what you're up to," the woman said bluntly. "Everyone knows you joined his crew for the money, so then why would you turn around and attack him like that?"

"What's it to you," shrugged Nami, "you writing a book or something?"

The Gosa villager sighed as if she were dealing with a very young, very stupid child, and Nami imagined setting her long silken hair on fire. "No, but how do you manage to get away with it? Does he not know what you tried to do? I'm asking because you seem to have some sort of sway over him."

"Well, I'm definitely not going to bed with him," snapped the girl.

She watched the barb hit home; the woman flinched before quickly firing back, "Where do you get off judging me? I only spent one night with him - you're worse than a whore, you traitor! I don't expect you to understand, but I have three children to feed, and my husband died from injuries after fighting those monsters when they first took over! I'm desperate - that's the only reason I'm talking to you!"

It was Nami's turn to flinch. She regarded the woman more closely, noting the wild, hungry look in her pale eyes, framed by her long, purple-black hair. Being well acquainted with desperation, she could spot it as easily as a cold sore on the pretty face.

"Okay. I'm sorry," the deflated teen stated flatly. "What do you want? Money?"

"That's only a temporary fix," rasped the woman in a voice hoarse with unshed tears.

"Well, that's all I have!"

"I recently sent my kids to live in the orphanage in Cocoyasi Village because I couldn't afford to pay for them and myself anymore. Now I can manage the tribute a little better, but I wish I were dead! I can't stand the thought of them being stuck in there - they don't understand. They think I abandoned them!" Her voice broke as she went on. "What's worse, they'll probably be split up and adopted to outside families and we'll never see each other again!"

Nami's stomach clenched as she watched the woman finally burst into tears. She remembered all too painfully her own tearful reaction when Dr. Nako told her and Nojiko that they'd have to abandon Belle-Mere and their home because their foster mother couldn't afford to pay their survival money. Simultaneously, she recalled the story of how fiercely Belle-Mere resisted the pressure to put she and Nojiko in the orphanage when they were little.

"I know it's hard," Nami swallowed, "But you still have to hold out hope and tell your kids to do the same - just keep surviving and better times will come."

The woman stopped and stared at her as if she were a lunatic. "Is that what you believe?"

"Yeah."

"But obviously you also believe that in order for anything to happen, you need to do more than just 'hope'; that's why you were holding that knife back then."

"What exactly are you getting at?" Nami's brow furrowed.

"I'm asking - no I'm begging for you to help me make a deal with Arlong so that my kids can live with me again! I'm willing to do anything!" She took several steps toward the girl before falling to the ground in front of her. "Please. Please. Please!"

"Stop that already," the disturbed surveyor demanded, "I can't make Arlong do anything - no one can! I don't have any power to help you - I'm sorry."

Slowly, the tousled Gosanite sat up, her once pretty face now glistening with snot and tears. "Are you saying you aren't even willing to try and help us," she sniffed.

"I don't even know what I'd say to him. Just because I'm alive after sneaking into his room with a knife doesn't mean he listens to me - all the more reason for him not to! And the same goes for you! Don't expect Arlong to help you, in fact, stay as far away from him as possible from now on. The only thing that can persuade him is money."

Watching as the wretched woman struggled to compose herself, Nami reached inside her shirt, pulled out a roll of bills and laid it on the ground in front of her. "One last thing - DO NOT EVER come around here again!"

000

By the time she reached The Park, Nami's already dark mood was as black as it could get. The crew by comparison, was surprisingly mellow as she passed through the gate. Many sat leisurely around the compound as the sun slowly sank, drinking and singing while Pisaro played a shanty on his squeeze box. The girl meandered across the walkway to find Taka and Shioyaki sitting on either side of a barrel with their legs dangling into the pool. Gaylord, the eel-man swam up and was handed a mug.

Intrigued, Nami abruptly took a detour from her intended course, walking up to the barrel and the fishmen.

Taka lowered his own mug after a long swig. He turned to give her a once-over, "You gonna drink with us tonight, Nami?"

"Yeah, I think I will."

"Well, grab a draft," he replied.

She took her beer off to a secluded corner of the courtyard where she could sit silently with her thoughts. After sipping and staring blankly out across the wide East Blue for several long minutes, Nami found her psyche still circling the drain. Finishing the last of her draft, she thought another might help slow the spiral. She got up for a refill only to find, upon her return, Kuroobi and Hachi settled into the previously empty area.

Her eyes met those of the octopus-man as Hachi raised two of his three right arms. "Welcome back Nami!"

Glancing behind her, she spotted Arlong emerging from the cellar carrying two large casks on either of his shoulders. She turned back toward the officers, deciding she'd rather deal with them, and with a curt nod, sat down several paces away to imbibe her second mug.

"Looks like we're going to get some storms tonight," mused Hachi to no one in particular after a long pause.

Nami gave the overcast sky a brief glance before returning to her cup. "No, we won't. It's going to blow out to sea." She heard Kuroobi scoff.

"You think you know everything," he sneered.

She cut her eyes at him. "You think I'm wrong?"

"I think you make up more than half of what you say," maintained the ray-man.

"Then, maybe you'd like to make a bet."

"That's another thing," declared Kuroobi, slamming his mug down with a slosh, "everything's always about money with you!"

"You're just now realizing that?" She rolled her eyes.

"Nyu, if we're betting, I'd like to get in on this."

"We're not!"

Nami gazed moodily again at the sky, "No, the weather's easy to figure out. It's people who are the mystery." She glanced back to see both of them staring at her.

"Except for you guys, of course. You're as simple as they come," she smirked.

Kuroobi returned the smirk. "Why don't you figure out what I'm thinking right now, then."

She took another long drag from her cup, "Hmm...probably something like: ' I'm Kuroobi. I hate humans. And even though I'm a level 40 black belt in fishman karate, Arlong never listens to me!'"

Hachi chuckled, "That's pretty good!"

Kuroobi, however, lunged at Nami faster than she could even perceive his movements. He halted mere inches from her face, crouching over her like a sharp-finned oni. She reflexively flinched from him, heart thudding in her chest as she stared back into his fierce round eyes.

"I suggest you don't laugh at my level 40 black belt - because being on the receiving end of it is no laughing matter." Nami gulped as, abruptly, he straightened up and strode off toward the entrance of the fort.

"What a sensitive jerk," she muttered into her mug once she'd regained her ability to speak steadily.

"Don't be too hard on him," Hachi defended his friend. "He wasn't always like this; he's just got some...well, trust issues ever since we left our last crew - Nyu."

"It's not like I care either way what his problems are," sighed the girl as she finished off her second drink.

Hachi sighed also, but more of a wistful sigh. "This pirate life gets troublesome, y'know. Sometimes I think I'd like to retire from it and settle down somewhere..."

She eyed the mug in his hand. "Are you drunk already?"

"Nyu, no. I'm just thinking of what might have been."

Nami deliberated for a few moments, then against her better judgement she asked, "So, what would you do if you weren't a pirate?"

For someone who supposedly devoted so much time to contemplating a hypothetical civilian's life, Hachi took a long time to answer the simple question. "Hmmm...I'd probably like to have my own business - a shop or a stand maybe. I make a pretty mean takoyaki," he grinned. "And there's also a girl..."

Her eyes widened in genuine surprise. "A girl?"

"Yeah, she's a real beauty," his demeanor took on a dreamy quality as he spoke. "Someday I hope to be worthy of her hand in marriage - all six hands to be exact."

"...Is she an octopus-woman too?"

"Not just an octopus-woman, nyu, the most gorgeous octopus-woman in the world!" He suddenly became very animated, "The first time I laid eyes on her I swore that if I ever married anyone, it would be her. She's the only one for me!"

Nami watched him wave his arms around while gushing over his prospective bride, still unsure why she'd gotten herself mired in such a ridiculous conversation. At last, she shrugged, "Well, here's to the future I guess." She raised her glass only to recall it was empty.

"I'll get us more," offered Hachi, taking her glass and walking over to the tap.

The girl drank far more that evening than she'd ever drank in her life, gradually loosing count of how many she'd gone through as a warm buzz slowly enveloped her like a fuzzy blanket. She suddenly found Hachi inexplicably hilarious and laughed uproariously at all his antics until the six-armed man fell asleep in the middle of a story about his battle with a giant sea chicken. Nami leaned back, resting her own eyes for a moment as the squeeze box continued along with Hitchin and Renado's off-key singing.

The music faded into a hazy background rumble as thoughts of the woman from Gosa came floating once again to the surface of her mind like a drowned corpse.

I have three children...help me make a deal with Arlong!

"I told you I can't, now leave me alone," she grumbled aloud as Hachi let out a loud snore beside her. "I've got my own problems; I can't be worried about your damn kids. Besides, did you ever think maybe they'd be better off getting adopted and leaving this godforsaken island?"

I wish I'd been adopted by rich people!

Her eyes stung and her hand went to her cheek as she remembered Belle-Mere's ringing slap. She closed her eyes and saw the sobbing mother of three swimming before her in the darkness. Nami gripped her hair in both fists, gritting her teeth.

Arlong's grating laughter carried over the music to her corner of the yard. The teen glanced across the pool at the group of pirates milling around the saw-nosed captain. She could tell from his sweeping gestures and punctuating shouts he was on one of his drunken tirades. She'd already heard all the greatest hits before - they all centered around the same tired ideas of fishman strength and human inferiority, but if she wanted to get an audience with him sometime tonight, she knew she needed to go ahead and make her presence known.

Am I really doing this? She asked herself incredulously as she stumbled toward the entrance to the fort - but it was already happening, and she didn't have enough faculties left to inhibit the wild impulse driving her forward.

"Fucking guy," she heard Arlong ejaculate as he threw his mug down, shattering it over the pavement.

"What are you gonna do? It happens!" Taka threw up his hands in defeat, sloshing beer down his own chest, "Don't beat yourself up, Arlong-san!"

"I love all my brothers, and I'd die for them," declared Arlong dramatically with scarcely a pause, "so what sort of a 'brother' receives that kindness only to spit in your eye? What sort of scum does that? And all for the sake of filthy low-born humans, no less?"

Nami came to a stop just beyond the gathering.

"It's simply defective thinking," rumbled a miserable-looking Kaneshiro, who sat off to the side and stared vacantly into the water, "He was too young to understand - he never saw all the things we saw."

"That don't absolve him," shouted a surly Arlong.

"I know it don't," murmured the goldfish, taking a swig from his flask and falling silent.

"Look, I think it goes without saying that any fishman who betrays his own brethren is beneath contempt," the ever-helpful Hitchin chimed in, "but let's not let that ruin our evening, gents; let's just enjoy the fellowship of our true brothers that are here with us tonight!"

Several mutters of assent rang out from the assembly of pirates.

Nami felt her fingers slowly curl into fists at her sides as Arlong snorted and grabbed a second glass, raising it up, "Too right, Hitchin! To hell with him and all other traitorous fishmen!"

Other crew members shouted out their approval, but one high-pitched voice in particular rose above the bedlam.

"Cheers to that! To hell with 'em all! To hell with all fishmen who betray their brothers and lie down with humans!"

All heads turned toward Nami as she crossed the walkway to where Arlong sat. "To hell with hypocrite fishmen who pretend to do everything for the sake of their nakama only to lie and steal from them!"

"Huh? Who the hell did that," someone in the crowd asked.

"Yeah, what are you talking about," demanded another.

"Hey Nami," Arlong abruptly stood and lumbered toward her. Before she could fully focus on him, the captain's hand swung back and knocked her across the face. The slip of a girl went tumbling to the ground in a heap. Her hands immediately flew to her stinging nose where she found blood gushing from her nostrils.

"How 'bout you quit being such a bitch and settle down for a little while?" He loomed over her with a grin full of razors.

"Yeah Nami," snickered one of the crew, "just relax already."

A round of chuckles pelted her as Arlong returned to his seat. The surveyor picked herself up and slowly slunk off to the only place she had left to go - the cartography room.

000

The storms did indeed travel east of them as she'd predicted. After spending a sleepless night on the floor beside the open window, watching the night sky slowly turn to dawn, Nami gradually fell into a fitful doze. Starting awake once again from a half-remembered nightmare, she jostled her head against the windowsill. Her temples throbbed as she sat dizzily up, but Nami suspected her discomfort had more to do with the amount she'd drank the previous night than her sleeping habits.

Not only that, but it had also caused her to shoot her incredibly stupid mouth off and place herself squarely back on Arlong's shit list. Her blood still boiled as she remembered the things he'd said about Aka-Mushi, but she resolved right then and there never to show her anger to Arlong ever again. Dealing with him required as much finesse as she could possibly muster, and with a few careless words, she might have shattered what little trust the diabolical shark-man still had in her.

Although not particularly hungry, she knew she needed to get something on her stomach before getting to work. The morning was already nearly over, and Nami hoped with luck that she would have the galley to herself. Either way, she had no intention to linger longer than it took to grab something quick and bolt back up to the cartography room.

Nami froze as soon as she walked through the door and saw none other than Arlong himself standing at the counter. She started to back out again, but the captain had already noticed her.

"Oh, you're back," he muttered absently, returning to the clutter of items he'd been engaged with before her arrival.

She frowned as she watched him pour tomato juice into a glass of beer. Nami proceeded to grab herself a bowl and spoon, scraping the sides of the pot until she had scrounged up a small serving of rice porridge. "Obviously I'm back," she deadpanned, "I was here drinking all last night just like you were, wasn't I?"

Arlong gave a non-committal grunt, his back still facing her as he continued to putter at the bar.

She gave him an appraising glance, noting the same rumpled shirt he'd worn the previous day along with his disheveled hair, minus the customary hat he was almost never without. He looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed. "What are you making over there?"

Just a little hair of the dog," he replied as she heard an egg crack and then another one.

To her surprise, he plonked two glasses onto the table - one in front of himself and a second beside the chair adjacent to him. Nami looked around before gradually realizing the other was intended for her. Considering the circumstances, she thought it best to indulge him as she slowly slid into the chair.

The egg yolk stared up at her from the bottom of the red liquid like a leery eye. Arlong, meanwhile, chugged down his own in several large gulps, swiping dribble from his stubbly chin before turning to her. "What are you waiting for? Drink it - you'll feel like a totally different person afterward."

"Is that a good thing," she remarked, taking a small sip.

He blinked and leaned toward her, "Where'd you get that shiner?"

She scowled disbelievingly back at him as she set her glass down with a thud, "What?"

"Are ya deaf," he shot back, "I said, who smacked you?"

Now it was her turn to stare; did he seriously not remember what happened last night - including the accusations she'd lobbed at him in front of his crew? Nami could scarcely believe her incredible stroke of luck.

"Just some bastard - it's hardly even worth mentioning," she shrugged, grateful when he asked no follow up questions.

A long paused followed in which the girl thought yet again about the woman from Gosa Village. She snuck a glance at Arlong as she nibbled porridge and nursed her beverage. He sat with the knuckles of one hand slowly massaging his forehead, apparently still waiting on that "totally different person" effect to kick in; she hoped it was killing him. Despite getting a mulligan on her earlier drunken outburst, Nami suspected it still wasn't a great time to approach the hung-over shark-man on the same touchy subject. On the other hand, if not now, when would she ever do it?

Nami cleared her throat. "There was something I was meaning to ask you about," she began, having no idea how else to broach the subject.

His pale eyes fixed squarely on her as he lowered his hand from his brow. "Y'know, there's something I've been meaning to ask you too," he abruptly blurted, batting her question aside with one of his own, "You were friends with Aka-Mushi, weren't you?"

Momentarily stunned, she paused while attempting to wrap her head around his random line of interrogation. "I - No, not really, but why are you asking?"

"I've seen the two of you talk on a number of occasions; I know you had a certain rapport with one another. Did he ever mention anything to you about his decision to mutiny?"

"No. He never said anything to me," she replied, meeting his gaze evenly.

Arlong leaned in closer, his nose leveled like a serrated blade at her face, "Is that right? Then, did you happen to suggest anything to him that might have encouraged him to betray us?"

"I don't even understand the whole situation," she shrugged back, "all I know is that he tried to leave, and you chased after him all the way to where? The Grand Line? His reasons for leaving were or his own; they had nothing to do with me."

The fishman didn't answer but continued to appraise her for several long seconds. Nami, feigning disinterest, returned to her porridge.

"Alright, if you say so," he finally conceded, settling back into his chair. "So, what was it you were going to ask me?"

Her fingers tightened around the spoon as she took a steadying breath. She looked up from her bowl back into Arlong's cold, mistrustful eyes and her request immediately died in her throat. "Never mind. I've already forgotten it."

She went back up to the cartography room feeling tired and numb, still uncertain if she'd made the right decision. Several days would pass before she heard the news.

000

Genzo knocked on the door of his friend Nako's place bright and early, however this was not a social visit. The doctor soon answered and motioned him inside.

"Sorry to barge in on you first thing in the morning," Genzo leaned wearily against the wall as the other man crossed to his desk where a steaming cup and an open folder full of typescript pages awaited.

"Not to worry; I've been up before dawn. Can I get you anything," Nako offered automatically, "Tea? Coffee?"

"No, I'm alright," the sheriff replied with a yawn. "I was just making my way back from Gosa Village and thought I'd check to see what progress you'd made on your examination."

"I was just finishing up on that," returned the doctor, stacking the pages together against the desk before holding the completed folder out to Genzo. "It's as you suspected - death by drowning. No other injuries or foul play detected."

Genzo grunted grimly as he flipped through the pages of notes, then glanced back up at Nako. "I have her almost positively identified as a Gosan woman by the name of Ardelle. Seems her neighbor became concerned when, out of nowhere, this woman gave her a large wad of cash as back payments for all the money she'd lent her over the years when she couldn't meet tribute. When I checked her home, she wasn't there, of course... But I found a letter."

"A suicide note," inquired Nako, even while he already knew the answer.

"It was to her kids," Genzo grimaced beneath his mustache, "Apparently, she has three children here at the orphanage in Cocoyasi."

"Damn it all to hell," sighed Nako, his fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose, "These goddamn fishmen! I hate that it had to be one of them that discovered her floating out there off the coast."

"At least he bothered bringing her ashore to be identified," Genzo supplied. He straightened back up and closed the folder with a snap. "The neighbor agreed to come by this morning and identify her. Once that's done, I'll have the task of breaking the news to her seven, five and three-year-old."

"For crying out loud, man! Stay and have a cup of coffee," exclaimed Nako, "or something stronger if you need it!"

"I'm going back home to sleep for a couple hours before I have to get back to work - it's been a long night and it's going to be an even longer day."

"Alright, take it easy, then; I'm sure we'll talk later." Nako saw the sheriff out and slumped wearily back down at his desk. The burden of last night's grisly discovery and the added tragedy he'd learned from Genzo moments ago would cling to him throughout the day even while he saw to his living patients. It was going to be a long day indeed, and as much as he'd like to, he couldn't afford a nap or to drink anything stronger than coffee.

"Oh wow! I've never met an actual pirate before, tee-hee!"

The slob on the other side of the table put his glass down with a belch and grinned back at her, displaying several gold teeth. "Well, lucky you, little lady! The name's Mitsy 'The Chair' Braggs of the Clobber Pirates! Bounty: nine and a half million!"

"That's so much! Are you a dangerous person; should I be scared?"

"Those are two different questions," he laughed, not answering either of them.

Nami laughed as well, guzzling down her own beer.

"For someone who's never met a pirate before, you sure know how to drink," Braggs mused, "How old are you, anyway?"

"Does it matter," the girl swiped her mouth and grinned, "Anyway, my dad's a brewer; I was raised on hops."

"Well, ain't you full of surprises."

"So, as a pirate I guess you must have traveled to lots of interesting places, right?"

"Sure, we get around," he laughed, "You looking to get somewhere?"

"I just want to see the world and meet all different kinds of people."

Braggs leaned back on his stool, narrowly catching himself before he lost his balance. "The world's a mighty big place, y'know - seeing all of it would be damn near impossible."

She shrugged blithely, "This is my first time away from home, so I'll take whatever I can get; it's not like I know any different." She burst into a fit of giggles.

The flamboyant pirate captain studied her for several moments over his beer. "Do you happen to know any wrestling moves?"

"Ehh," the question took Nami momentarily by surprise, but she quickly recovered, "Well, I'm pretty handy with a staff."

"Yeah alright," he nodded, "You're cute enough. Wanna join our crew and travel the world?"

"What? You mean, just like that I can join the Clobber Pirates?" Nami took great effort to keep a straight face as she made the gushing exclamation.

"Sure," Braggs motioned for the barmaid to bring over a second round, "Welcome aboard, nakama!"

And just like that, Nami became a member of the Clobber Pirate crew.

Over the next three weeks, the new recruit acquainted herself with the ins and outs of the ship. Much of their routine involved traveling from town to town along the coast and picking fights. Looting often occurred as well, but Nami got the feeling that the money was only secondary to the over-the-top wrestling-style of fighting the pirates employed against their victims. A gladiator of a woman named Mistress Marlingspike had been assigned to Nami as a mentor, but in reality, most of the girl's time was spent performing the chores no one else on the ship wanted to do. She didn't mind too terribly when it meant she also had an excuse to hang around the hold where all the pillaged loot was stored.

Whenever she was alone, Nami secretly sorted through the items, purposefully picking out both the lightest and most expensive articles and stowed them together in a sack. She collected every bit of paper money she could find, followed by any jewelry or small gold articles, until the bag was full, and she could only just lift it. Once everything was collected, she stashed her haul securely behind a stack of stolen paintings in heavy gilded frames to await just the right moment.

Nami finally saw her chance during an evening raid.

The raiding boat was dispatched into the inlet of the latest coastal city. Nearly half the crew piled in - itching for a brawl and any prize they might find along the way - including one short, dumpy robed figure squeezed into a corner of the vessel as it headed for shore. Once the rowdy pirates spilled out onto the unsuspecting town, the hooded figure slipped off amidst the confusion. A nearby rowboat soon departed from the pier heading east.

A breathless Nami peeled off her outer garment, tossing the bag concealed beneath it into the bottom of the vessel. She rowed with all her might until the silhouette of the pirate ship disappeared into the darkness, Using the stars and her own keen sense of direction, she navigated her way back to where she'd started.

With relief, she found her boat still moored where she'd left it. Nami lugged her loot aboard just as the sun cracked the horizon. The girl closed her weary eyes, silently counting her money in the first peaceful moment she'd had since her arrival weeks ago. Although she wasn't quite home free, the young treasure-hunter reflected on her string of luck over the past month and a half. Somehow, over that short amount of time, she'd nearly doubled her stash, and she didn't want to stop now. With that, she knew she needed to hunt bigger game.

Nami felt she was finally ready to take a crucial next step in her cat burgling career. Ever since she'd read about the mysterious disappearance of a famous bounty hunter who'd gone missing off the island of Oykot, Nami had been fascinated with the lawless location. She'd learned years ago that Belle-mere had once visited the place during the Navy's failed attempt to establish martial law there. Now it was a no-man's-land run by bandits where pirates retired to live large.

Initially, she'd eschewed any plans to visit this potential gold mine out of fear that it was out of her league but, in light of her most recent successes, she now felt the time had finally come to turn her efforts toward the fallen land.

"Welcome back - as if you had a choice."

Nami dismissed the crabby greeting. She knew Arlong's snark was largely due to her long absence from the cartography room, and she didn't care.

"I hope you're ready to be up to your pretty little eyeballs in work," he remarked with a smirk.

"No sweat, Cap'n," she smirked back as she passed him on her way upstairs. Nami could draw charts practically blindfolded at this point; she no longer worried about being unable to finish her quota regardless of how long she tarried from home.

While her pen swept back and forth across the parchment, Nami's mind was already on her journey to Oykot.

000

Nami rubbed her bleary eyes, blinking slowly at the horizon. She fumbled for her spyglass and peered out. At long last, land had materialized in the distance; she was almost there.

She jumped up and consulted her coastal chart. Nami had drawn the map herself and knew all too well the hazards of merely reaching the shore. She also needed to decide precisely where she was going to anchor. The coast was surrounded by dangerous shoals which could wreak havoc on her keel or even ground the boat if she wasn't careful.

Another sight orbiting the distant island sent an even deeper sense of dismay and slight thrill to her innards - that of multiple war ships gathered along the coast. Pirates didn't need to worry about keeping a low profile in a place like this and openly did their business in broad daylight. She could only imagine what any one of the same cretins might do to her on a whim if they so chose. A whole island of pirates: she'd never felt quite so outnumbered before. Nevertheless, she'd already weighed these facts and decided to take her chances; she couldn't turn back now.

The island grew ever closer as Nami decided on her point of entry along with several alternative routes in case things didn't go according to plan. She noticed a pinnace also traveling her direction. Trailing by roughly a quarter of a league, it had to have been moving very fast as she hadn't noticed it merely fifteen minutes ago. She brushed any initial concerns aside, reminding herself there were many vessels coming and going in Oykot's surrounding waters with their own business to attend to - a small boat like hers was likely to be beneath anyone's notice.

With the larger vessel only continuing to gain, however, the lone girl's growing dismay became harder to dismiss. By the time she started steering toward the shore, the craft sat directly on top of her. She quickly snatched up her spyglass to see a group of sea-ragged scallywags staring back at her.

Shit! They really were after her! Nami hadn't bargained on this. There was no way she'd be able to out-maneuver them. The girl forced down the rising panic threatening to claw its way out of her throat. She wracked her brain for what to do even as the ship swiftly closed the rest of the gap between them, a couple of the men leaping overboard to climb aboard her own vessel. She breifly considered defending herself with the staff, but there were too many of them and nowhere for her to escape; she'd only end up angering them and causing herself even more trouble.

She knew there was nothing of value to them on her boat other than maybe the parcel of money she always brought with her on every voyage she took.

"Take it," she said, tossing the small leather pouch onto the deck at their feet, "it's all I have. Please don't hurt me!"

One of the pirates retrieved the satchel, inspecting its contents while the other leered back at her.

"Don't be so frightened, pet," he grinned through a mouth full of black teeth, "Just do exactly as you're told, and you'll have nothing to fear."

"What do you want from me?"

While the first pirate promptly began ransacking her supplies, the second one spoke again. "You're coming with us."

Nami swallowed. "If it's money you're looking for, I'll have you know that my family is very wealthy. Just send word to my father back in Cocoyasi Village and he'll pay you whatever sum you ask for my return."

"You need to be quiet now," interrupted the scoundrel as he stepped toward her.

Nami squealed as his hand shot out and snatched her by the top of the head, pulling her face up toward his own. His grin widened as the back of his leathery hand ran along her cheek and down her neck.

"Alright, Lampey, don't go spoiling this one," groused his companion, re-emerging from the cargo hold, "Remember, we'll get a better price if she's still a virgin!"

"I'm just having some fun," snapped the other, "There's no harm in getting a little feel of the merchandise before we sell it!"

"Don't act like you'll stop there," scoffed the first, "Now shut up and bring her aboard. You can get yourself a whore once we make landfall!"

Nami suddenly regretted her decision not to fight back. She thought she would rather die attacking them than face whatever horrors they now intended for her. The girl stomped down on the man's foot, attempting to break out of his hold only to receive a swift punch to the gut.

"Now don't try any of that, you little bitch. I will get serious if I have to!" He lugged the breathless teen by her hair over the side of the boat where he flung her to yet another awaiting pirate clinging off the side of the small ship. A terrified Nami was hauled like a bundle of stolen goods onto their vessel.

"Oh? What's this?" The pirate who'd pulled her aboard reached his hand into her waist band and pulled out Aka-Mushi's disassembled staff. "Looks like she was packing after all!"

"Packing what - some sticks?" chortled another. "Toss 'em overboard!"

"No wait," interjected a third, younger pirate, "that looks like some good quality workmanship - I'll take those." He quickly pocketed Nami's weapon.

"Will you just listen to me," the girl shouted as she was tossed into the ship's hold, "Let me write to my father! He's the leader of the whole archipelago! He has more money than God! He'll pay you for my return - I swear!"

"Shaddup!" The door slammed closed in her face.

Panic could be choked back no longer as Nami crouched in the darkness, defenseless and trapped. She felt the ship lurch forward; in a matter of minutes, they'd reach the shore, where things would get even worse for her. Her desperate mind raced to concoct an escape plan.

Frantically, she felt around in the darkness for anything that might serve as a weapon the moment the door was thrown back open. Her hands brushed across rows of casks, but nothing immediately useful appeared. Nami then moved toward the floor, fingers scraping the boards in search of any stray nail or splinter of wood she could use.

While still employed in her desperate salvage, she felt the boat come to a bumpy stop. The men above began speaking and Nami strained to listen to what they said.

"Better get those barrels unloaded..."

"First ya need to do somethin' with that girl down there."

"Yeah, we'll take her to The Madam's place first thing - I'm sure she'll fetch us a nice price."

"Let me take her."

"You? What does a greenhorn like you know about bargaining? Obviously, as captain, I'm going to personally see to the most valuable cargo in the hold! You go grab the barrels with Lampey and Tibbs!"

"...By the way, the name's Bane Murdock, not 'greenhorn'."

"Huh? What did you just say?"

"I said, my name is Bane Murdock."

Something fluttered within Nami's gut as she heard this statement. With a flash of realization, she recalled the name of the presumed dead bounty hunter who'd gone missing months ago in these very waters. Could it possibly be true? What was he now doing working on a pirate ship?

"Am I supposed to know who that is," snarked the voice which presumably belonged to their captain.

"Fortunately for you, there's no crime in being an idiot..."

"What?"

"...But there is a small bounty to be collected for killing you, so I suggest you stand aside."

"I knew it! He's a bounty hunter - we never should have trusted him!" The crew erupted above. "He's been lying all this time!"

"I don't care who the fuck he is," the voice of the captain suddenly boomed above all the rest of them, "You're the idiot - making threats when you're surrounded by pirates - whad'ya think you're going to do - Huh? Take us all on?"

The planks above thundered violently all at once. Shouts and screams of men rang out as Nami sought cover behind the nearest cask. After several minutes, the upper deck grew quiet again and the girl wondered if they'd all managed to kill each other, although she knew it was a fat chance. She heard the creak of the door as faint light spilled into the confined space that she'd crammed herself into.

"You can come out now."

Nami made no move whatsoever.

"Or don't. Whatever."

She shifted cautiously, peering around the barrel she'd concealed herself behind. The stubbly face of the same young pirate who'd taken her staff stared down from the opening.

"They're all dead. Well, a few leapt overboard, but you're about as safe as you're going to get either way, girlie."

At last, Nami stood and faced him from across the hold. "Are you really Bane Murdock," she asked flatly.

"So, you know me?"

"From the papers."

"What the hell is a skinny little girl like you doing traveling alone to a place like this?"

Nami scowled. "Well, what the hell is a bounty hunter doing in a pirate crew?"

"That's an interesting question," he appeared to warm to the subject, "Up until only a few days ago, I had amnesia after a shipwreck. I was conscripted into this crew while stranded at sea and I've had to pretend not to know anything up until this point."

Nami slowly made her way toward the door, peeking out to find the carnage he'd left in his wake. "You really did take on all those men alone!"

"Yeah," he absently twirled the cutlass in his hand; Nami was fairly sure it had belonged to the man he'd been shouting with only moments ago. "I've got quick reflexes.

"Oh, by the way..." He reached into his shirt opening and handed her the parts to her staff. "Here - you might find a use for this at some point if you're going to hang around this island."

"Uh, thanks," she replied, taking it back from him.

"So, is any of that bullshit you were spouting about earlier actually true?"

"What bullshit?"

"Y'know, about being rich and your father being the head of an archipelago?"

"No not really," she confessed.

"Yeah, didn't think so," he snorted, "anyway, best of luck to you." He turned and headed for the rowboat, leaving Nami standing among the dead pirates strewn over the deck.

"Hey, wait a second - where are you going?" She scrambled after him, grateful to see her boat tethered and bobbing along behind the pinnace rather than adrift at sea.

Nami carefully sized up the rookie bounty hunter as the two rowed to shore. She'd read several articles about him and already knew something about his mottled past and whirlwind career. For instance, she knew he was a native of Loguetown, a place already famous for producing Gol D Roger, who'd accordingly left his Navy dominated hometown to escape the oppressive authority there. Although he'd enjoyed great success during his two short years as a professional bounty hunter, his rapid popularity among his many female fans had more to do with his smoldering good looks and bad-boy persona.

"A lot of people will be very happy to learn you're still alive," she said to him as they approached a rocky stretch of beach.

"Will they," he asked in mild interest.

"You've got a big following - didn't you know?"

"And are you among them," he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I just follow the news," she replied wryly, "actually it was you going to Oykot that got me thinking about coming here myself.

"So, I ask again, why is a lone girl like you traveling to a place like this? If you follow the news, then surely you should have known better." He rammed the boat into the sand bar with a thud, stepping out into the shallows.

Nami scrambled up after him, "Well, to make a long story short, I'm a hunter of sorts too - a treasure hunter. I want to get my hands on the money of one of the biggest pirate names in all East Blue, and this is where Butler the Betrayer calls home."

He spun around to face her, "you've got to be kidding," he said incredulously.

"Am I safe in assuming that's also who you had your eye on, "she continued as if he hadn't spoken.

When he merely shook his head and turned away, she trotted after him. "I think we should team up. Hear me out - I know I'm not big or strong, but I've easily robbed over a hundred pirates already. I can steal the loot while you take care of Butler and get your bounty - I'll even split everything I find with you."

"Not interested," he replied without turning around. "You should take this opportunity to get back on your boat and go back to your home; don't waste the chance I've given you."

"Look, thank you for saving me back there - I owe you - but I'm not going back empty-handed," she declared.

"Well, you're not coming with me either, so get outta her, kid."

"I get the feeling you don't believe me when I tell you I've got skills," she frowned without breaking her stride.

"It doesn't matter," he sighed, "I don't need any help and I certainly don't need you getting in my way."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," countered Nami, "I'd imagine Butler is surrounded by henchmen a lot stronger than those pirates you just took out. You're going to need some finesse to get to him. You might be able to gain his bounty, but his riches are a totally different matter. If his lackeys don't get to them first, then the Navy definitely will -what a waste that'd be!"

Finally, he turned back to face her. "Just out of curiosity, what makes you think you have the slightest hope of leaving here alive - much less getting your hands on any of Butler's money?"

"Because I have loads of finesse! Haven't you been listening? I've been doing this for four years - twice as long as you've been bounty hunting, with all due respect!"

"You sure talk big for a little brat."

"I'm not a brat, I'm a lady, dammit!"

"Hold it," a voice suddenly boomed at both of them. A corpulent official sauntered down the beach, pointing accusatorily. "You have to pay a fee to disembark here!"

"Yeah whatever," sighed the pirate slayer as he dug into his pocket. His lips puckered. "Wait. Where the hell's my...?"

"Looking for this?" Nami stepped up, handing his wallet back to him.

He glared at her for an astonished moment before swiping it away and looking inside.

"Don't worry, it's all there," she assured him, "I just wanted to show you a sample of what I can do."

Bane angrily forked over his money to the official who collected it before waddling on his merry way again. He then rounded on the girl, "Some lady! Pulling that little stunt won't convince me to let you tag along. Now for the last time, GET LOST! Before I stop being so nice."

Nami glowered after him as he stalked off. "Fine, I'll do it without you! I was born here, y'know; I don't need you telling me what I can or can't survive! I'll bet Butler guts you like a fish!"

Abruptly, he whirled back around to face her. "Hey!"

She flinched, preparing to run.

"That reminds me: what village did you say you came from again," he asked her inexplicably.

"What village am I from? ...I'm from Cocoyasi!"

"Cocoyashi," he repeated the name pensively, "why does that sound so familiar?"

She shrugged, "It was taken over by fishman pirates several years ago, but that isn't well known. I doubt you would have read it in the papers."

"Saw-Tooth Arlong!" He suddenly exclaimed, snapping his finger.

"So, you do know about that, huh?"

He gave a low whistle, "Now that's a bounty that'd make anyone in this sea sit up and take notice."

"And yet, I've never seen anyone try to get it," said Nami flatly. "It's not like Arlong's hiding - you can literally walk right into his house."

"You talk like you know a lot about it." He frowned at her.

"I'm part of his crew," she replied. When the other continued staring in flat disbelief, she pulled up her sleeve past the shoulder - exposing her tattoo. "Here. Take a good look."

Bane stepped over, grabbing her arm to examine the dark mark of Arlong. "Well, I'll be damned! And what do you do for him exactly?"

"I'm his surveyor. I draw all the charts for the crew - including the ones I used to get here."

"Does Saw-Tooth also send you out on voyages like this one to gather data?"

"No. He doesn't send me anywhere, but he does allow me to go off on my own from time to time."

"So why are you all the way out here trying to steal treasure? I'm sure your crew's got more than anyone on this entire island does."

"Arlong and I have an agreement. I'm going to buy my village back from him as soon as I can earn 100 million, and he'll set me free."

"That raises even more questions than it answers," he chuckled bewilderedly.

"Well, I don't have all day to stand here answering random questions," she huffed, "So if you don't have any intentions of teaming up with me, then I'm going to go out and get that treasure on my own."

"Wait, wait, wait," he sighed, stepping in her way, "Don't go doing anything rash. Maybe we can come to some sort of agreement where we both get something that we want."

She crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

"First of all, how do you feel personally about Saw-Tooth?"

Nami gave a dry snort. "How would you feel toward a murdering, extorting, soulless monster who took everything from you and enslaved you?"

"So, it's safe to say you wouldn't care much if something happened to him," he smirked. "Alright, hear me out then - I'll let you come along and try to steal treasure as long as you agree afterward to take me back with you to your island and help me get close to your Captain. How does that sound?"

The girl pursed her lips thoughtfully. "If I agree, tell me what you intend to do to him."

"Well, I obviously can't take him alive," chuckled Bane.

"I get that, but how would you go about doing it? What makes you think you have the slightest hope of killing Arlong?" She said, tossing his earlier question back at him.

"Well," he shrugged, "it seems like we have plenty of details to iron out. Why don't we walk while we discuss plans?"

000

She hadn't meant it merely as sarcasm: Nami really did wonder what the brash young bounty hunter thought he was going to do to neutralize Arlong - never mind kill him. Had she believed him possible of such a thing, she would have taken Bane all the way to Arlong Park and straight up to the shark-man's suite without a second thought. However, being somewhat more wary after her own two failed assassination attempts, the teen had no intentions of making another disastrous blunder by bringing an overconfident and inexperienced mercenary home with her.

Uncertain of what she should do, Nami decided to wait and see how the steak-out went. They would spy on the compound, it was decided, and try to figure out its weak points. Anything could happen between then and her return to Cocoyasi; there was still much she needed to learn about the bounty hunter known as Bane Murdock.

"Looks completely sealed up to me," remarked Nami as Bane took his turn with the spyglass. "Any suggestions?"

The man initially said nothing as he lowered the device and leaned thoughtfully back against the wall of the burnt-out building which loomed over the pirate's palatial estate like the giant charred skeleton of a vanquished foe.

"I think we should go in for a closer look," he finally replied, rising to his feet.

The young thief watched warily as he climbed out the window and down the thick trailing vines winding their way up the ruins. Several seconds later, she heard him drop the rest of the way to the ground and sprint off toward Butler's abode.

Nami winced before jumping up and following after him down the stairwell.

When she caught up to him, panting, Bane was making his way steadily along the outer wall.

"Someone's going to see us out here," she hissed at him.

"Maybe they will and maybe they won't," he said unconcernedly, rattling the grate along the bottom of the wall as he tested it.

"Uh," Nami pointed toward the top left corner of the structure where a surveillance den den mushi perched, "yes, they will."

Giving the grate a final kick, Bane turned and stalked toward the front entrance.

"What have I gotten myself into," groaned the girl, plastering herself against the wall. She looked on as the star she'd hitched her wagon to stood directly in front of the heavy entrance gate and began shaking the bars.

"HEEEEYYY! Butler, you Betraying Bastard! Open up if you're in there - I wanna talk to you!"

He continued like this for several seconds before a shot exploded directly above his head, hitting the gate. Three guards swooped in to confront him.

"You're gonna have to deal with me first, Chuckles," barked the first guard, pointing his still smoking musket at the raucous pirate assassin.

"Alright, then climb outta your cage and come face me," Bane taunted.

"You must really wanna die, asshole," shouted another, "Hurry up and kill him!"

"If anyone's going to kill me, it's gonna be The Betrayer - I got a bone to pick with him," Bane spat fearlessly back in their faces.

"What the hell are you talking about," demanded one of them.

"He knows," insisted Bane, "I'm here to talk to him, not you morons! HEY BUTLER! I know where the 50 million is and you're not going to keep me from it! I want my share! Are you even man enough to talk to me or what?" He continued shouting as even more guards rushed the gate.

Nami slowly realized he was creating a diversion. How he prevented being shot down on the spot, however, was a matter she could only chalk up to sheer dumb luck. Her thoughts turned quickly back to her own role - which was never fully explained to her - and she noticed the bent grate sitting wonkily in its frame where Bane had kicked it. It was most likely covering a water drain and was certainly too small even for her to fit into, still she wondered what use she might put the potential security breach to while Bane thew the compound into momentary turmoil.

In a sudden burst of inspiration, she remembered her bo which the bounty hunter had returned to her. She reached behind her back, deftly assembling the weapon as she continued sizing up the unstable ledge created by the bent grate. The wall was definitely too high for her to clear, but if she could somehow get purchase on that small metal outcropping which came up to her knee, she might just be able to vault the rest of the way to the top.

Her heart raced: this wasn't something she'd ever tried with her staff before, and it most definitely wasn't what the weapon was intended for. She'd most likely fail straight away only to suffer serious injury - it was idiotic to even consider.

What would Aka-Mushi think if he could see me standing here trying to figure out how to launch myself over a pirate's garden wall?

You got this; you're a natural with that staff, she heard his voice reply in her head.

Nami closed her eyes and shook her head. She saw Nojiko working tirelessly in the groves behind her lids. She also saw Genzo and Dr. Nako and the faces of many other friends and neighbors from back home conjured out of the darkness. She felt the grip on her staff tighten while her body, as if of its own accord, shifted into a ready stance.

Nami took several decisive steps back, holding the long wooden pole out before her like a spear. Her legs lunged forward as she took aim at the spot. All the while, images of her loved ones rushed in a steady stream across her mind. The pole hit the top of the grate while she swung her body upward and sideways. The wall, a jagged composite of concrete and seashells, sped dangerously toward her as her right thigh and hip abruptly collided with the corner of the serrated ledge.

Following a horrible scraping sound, Nami caught hold of the top of the wall with one arm and her legs, raking her whole right side across the merciless mixture of shell and gravel as she scrabbled to keep from falling backward. She lay stunned and panting for several moments on the ledge before daring to sit up. Her knee-length shorts and shirt were shredded on one side, and she could already see blood beginning to soak into them, but she didn't have time to think about that right now.

Getting shakily to her feet, she noticed a surveillance den den mushi gawking straight at her. Nami swung her staff at the unfortunate creature, sending it flying over the other side of the wall. She then looked down to see the grounds spreading out below. Fortunately, she spotted a clump of bushes nearby and aimed for them as she leapt gracelessly into the compound and her possible death.

Why did I ever agree to this?

Yet another person's blood was on her hands; why didn't she ever learn?

I wasn't as if you could have stopped him, another small voice tried to rationalize, but Nami wasn't hearing it. She hadn't even tried to. Instead, she'd allowed herself to be pulled along knowing full well what an impossible longshot the plan was. Only wishful thinking had lulled her into the belief that any assassination attempt on Arlong would be successful.

Never again, she vowed belatedly as she hastily filed the markings off her snail and removed the receiver. She found a remote patch of woods and shoved the creature into the damp hollow of a fallen tree trunk where she could be sure it would happily remain. She quickly ran back to Arlong Park.

By the time she returned, bursting through the East Gate, the fishmen had already managed to put out the majority of the fire. Bane's broken body lay sprawled on the ground while Arlong towered above him, soaked and tattered, illuminated by the moonlight and the fading embers. Several other crewmembers arrived from the waters, having seemingly just learned of the unfolding events.

"Arlong-san! What's going on? Who's that? Why's the fort on fire?" They peppered their wordless leader with questions.

Nami came to a stumbling halt as she approached the soggy form of the deceased man she'd spoken to only twenty minutes earlier, staring momentarily transfixed into his lifeless eyes.

"W-w-what happened here," she stuttered through the lump rising in her throat.

Arlong's gaze suddenly turned on her, withering her insides. His skin appeared blistered and discolored beneath his singed and tattered clothing. She quickly began to piece together what had happened as she meekly took a step back.

Once the fire was out, the other pirates slowly gathered round the dead man.

"A bounty hunter?" Shioyaki mused aloud.

Hitchin crouched down, holding the man's head up by the hair. "Yeah, he looks kinda familiar to me - what's the name of that guy that went missing a little while back? Morlock..Bates?" He snapped his finger, trying to conjure up the name he was searching for.

"Bane Murdock," Nami heard herself say. She did her best not to crumple beneath the scrutiny of every eye immediately leveled at her.

"Yeah, that's it," nodded the remora-man.

"Leave it to the teenage girl to know," scoffed Shioyaki.

"Can you believe the balls on this guy," Take exclaimed, "Who the hell did he think he was? What a fool!"

All at once Arlong threw his head back and burst into a wild peal of laughter. "So, here's the bastard who's been skulking on the outskirts of the archipelago - I was wondering when he'd finally get around to visiting!"

Nami's eyes bugged out. How long had he known of Bane's presence and when did he found out?

"Wait a minute Arlong-san, are you saying you knew this guy was here all along and you still let him sneak in and set you and The Park on fire," gaped Gaylord, the eel-man.

"This?" Arlong gestured to himself, then at the blackened face of the fort, "This ain't nothing!"

"Is your hand bleeding," asked Hitchin.

Arlong barely spared a glance at his oozing palm before undoing the front of his pants and jetting a stream of urine onto Bane's head.

Nami looked on in abject horror as the dead face was spattered by Arlong's piss in the final act of humiliation.

"So it goes for all human filth who try to defy their betters," jeered the shark, giving the corpse a kick in the ribs once he'd finished. He turned and sauntered toward the front of the charred building as the others looked expectantly on. "Drag his carcass down to the town square - let those damned villagers figure out what to do with their fallen savior."

"Will do, Captain," muttered Take.

"And where the hell's Kaneshiro?"

"Pisaro's already gone to fetch the rest of the crew, including all the officers," Hitchin stated.

"Excellent," Arlong turned back around, wearing a defiant smirk, "cheer up brothers, we rule this place! And soon, we'll rule this whole fucking ocean!"

She had to hand it to him - Arlong could rouse his men even under the dourest circumstances. The gathering of fishmen immediately picked up the boisterous shout, roaring their triumph into the smoky night. She, on the other hand, felt an old familiar dread sinking to the bottom of her stomach.

Arlong's cold stare the moment she'd entered the courtyard rattled her very core. He may not have known, but he highly suspected.

She looked on regretfully as Take dragged Bane's body away. Despite whatever personal opinions she had about the brash bounty hunter and his decisions, he didn't deserve this kind of treatment. Desperate for something to do, Nami walked toward the smoking fort and began collecting the sooty blankets scattered like shrouds over the ground, when something caught her eye near the edge of the pool.

The baby den den mushi was certainly worse for wear after having endured the brunt of the explosive fireball. Nami, who'd been with Bane when he'd first acquired the surveillance creature, had every reason to believe it held incriminating evidence against her in its memory banks. She hastily reached down to retrieve it before anyone else noticed.

"What you got there, Nami?" The girl jumped as Hitchin appeared behind her. "That looks like a cameko."

"Uh yeah, I guess. It's all burned up, though. I was just gonna throw it away..."

"Give it here," he snatched it from her hand, "Arlong-san! Come take a look at this!"

"Where'd this come from," demanded the shark as he examined the small, singed animal.

"I found it laying on the ground," admitted Nami, "Probably dead."

"That's a surveillance den den mushi," Hitchin declared to the captain, "I'll bet that bastard tried to record his attempted assassination of you for proof."

"Like a snuff film? How gross!" scoffed Nami, "Let's get rid of it!"

Once again, Arlong fixed her with a caustic look. He turned back to Hitchin, "How can we view the footage?"

"Uh, well, I guess we'd need a proko for that," Hitchin replied.

"Fine, let's get one."

"Okay, but they're not that easy to come by in these parts," supplied the remora, "it might take a while."

"I'm sure you can manage it," grinned Arlong. He relinquished the den den mushi back to Hitchin, "And make sure you take care of this thing in the meantime - don't let it die on us."

"Ehhh, I'll - yeah ok, Captain," the flustered fishman replied, pocketing the snail.

"Arlong-san!"

The splash of numerous pirates leaping onto the gangway suddenly filled the park. Nami spotted Kuroobi, Choo and Hachi along with dozens of others arriving belatedly to the scene.

"What the hell happened," exclaimed Kuroobi, squinting through the smokey darkness.

"Didn't Pisaro fill you in already," asked Arlong. His head whipped around until he spotted the goldfish-man he was searching for. "Kaneshiro! Come take a look at the damage."

The shipwright, however, was already rushing toward the fort. "Someone! Bring me a light," he demanded.

"Nyu! There should be one in the study..." Hachi hesitantly approached the burnt-out doorway.

"No don't! I'll just grab one of those blasted torches," grumbled Kaneshiro, sprinting off to get one.

"Captain!" Renado called, striding from the pool directly over to Arlong, "You need immediate medical attention!"

Arlong looked at his agitated shipwright, then around at the rest of his bewildered crew. "Alright, let's make this quick," he groused, allowing the doctor to lead him to one of the pavilions.

With that, Nami was left frantically wondering what her next move was. Hitchin had already rushed off before she could swipe the den den mushi back and now she'd lost track of him in a compound teaming with angry fishmen scrambling in every direction. The entire scene reminded her of a trodden-on ant hill. She thought back on Bane's astute observation: Arlong's arrogance was indeed his biggest weakness. Regardless of the shark-man's dismissive attitude toward the incident, this was truly a demoralizing event for a crew and captain who'd always seen themselves as untouchable.

Following such a humiliation, Arlong was certain to prove even more dangerous than ever. Nevertheless, Nami needed to get ahead of his delayed reaction to the shocking (and almost successful) attempt on his life if she wanted to come out on the other end still intact. Above all, she needed to get her hands on that surveillance cameko before her true level of involvement was revealed.

Dawn would arrive soon enough. The troubled teen once again began clearing the debris from the courtyard as crewmates continued to rove furiously across the grounds.

000

There was no sleep to be had by anyone for the remainder of the night and into the next morning. Only sheer anxiety and adrenaline kept Nami going through it all. Kaneshiro had announced that the damage to the castle was primarily superficial in nature thanks to the quick action of the crew members who'd smothered the flames.

Arlong, meanwhile, tarried at the pavilion only long enough to have his wounds tended before immediately calling the crew together for a rousing speech on the endurance of fishmen and their destiny to inherit the earth. After whipping the crew up, effectively dispelling the somber mood, he assigned out tasks to the majority of them before calling a meeting with his officers (excluding Nami).

The girl watched the foursome from the corner of her eye as they huddled near the entrance, speaking in hushed tones while she attacked the blood stains over the pavement with a scrub brush. Her mind cycled through an inventory of items in Bane's possession that could possibly implicate her once discovered. She wasn't sure where he'd ultimately stowed his 20 million, but it seemed inevitable that the fishmen would eventually discover it - a thought which sickened Nami. Nothing else in particular occurred to the conspirator that might directly trace back to her involvement; she could only pray she wasn't overlooking anything.

Nami looked up sharply as she observed the gathering begin to disperse. The three officers headed off, Hachi and Choo diving toward the South Gate while Kuroobi -sparing her a nasty look over his shoulder - headed out the East Gate. She watched Arlong pace across the patio and flop into one of the lounge chairs.

Tossing her scrub brush back into the bucket, Nami got to her feet and plodded over to the brooding sawshark.

"Is it safe to go inside by any chance," she asked, sidling up to his elbow.

His eyes cracked open, swiveling toward her, "Why do you care to know?"

"Well, I do have a quota to meet," she reasoned, "and I think I've already done everything I can do out here."

For the first time, he seemed to notice the surrounding yard, "You been cleaning?"

"Only since I got here," she replied evenly.

"Well, ain't you an industrious little helper," he snarked.

"Arlong, why are you picking on me," she sulked, "I'm a member of this crew too; I'm also affected by this."

His gaze, sharp as chips of blue ice, lingered on her for a long moment. "Nami," he finally grinned, "why don't you just come out with it? I ain't stupid. Did this Bane Murdock coax you into bringing him here - possibly through force? I won't be angry so long as you're honest with me."

"I can see where you might get that idea, but I know better than that by now," she quipped, "There's no way I could ever believe that man was strong enough to stand a chance against you. I'm not stupid either, y'know - I know no human can defeat you."

Arlong chuckled, "Well, I'm glad you've finally learned your lesson, because if I find out otherwise, I'll have no choice but to teach you the hard way." He reached out his large hand, swallowing her head in a friendly pat that, with one swift clench, could crush her skull as easily as a soft melon.

Nami's stomach knotted at his touch.

All at once, Arlong's sharp eye cut toward the teen's badly scraped arm and leg. He grabbed the hem of her tank top, yanking it up.

"Hey!" she cried; hands clasped over her exposed breasts.

"What happened here," he asked, tracing a finger down her scab-encrusted midsection.

"I scraped myself - what of it," she demanded.

"Quite a scrape," he muttered, carefully studying her torso, "what were you doing?"

An irrational part of her believed he somehow already knew everything - that he could see straight through her and was just waiting for her to fall into his trap.

"Stealing treasure, like I always do," she answered evasively.

"Where from?" He pressed.

"What's with the questions," she complained, attempting to pull her shirt out of his fist, "it's not anything unusual - I'm always getting injured! 'What pirates' doesn't even matter!"

"Where did you go," he continued, dragging her face closer to his own, "Why won't you just tell me? I wanna hear what happened."

"Arlong-san!"

The shark-man jerked his head in the direction of Kaneshiro's voice. The goldfish crossed the yard, balancing an enormous stack of lumber above his head.

"I've collected enough lumber for the repairs," he announced, dropping the pile in a heavy thud on the ground.

Arlong's grip on Nami loosened as his attention shifted toward the shipwright's latest contributions. "Ah! Good to see the town's people chipping in to help out in our time of need."

"They sure did," smirked Kanesiro, taking a swing from his flask, "Now we can get to work."

"Nami was also wondering if it was safe to get back to work," remarked Arlong, turning back to her with a grin.

"Like I said, the fire didn't have a chance to do any serious structural damage," Kaneshiro waived dismissively, "so feel free to go inside."

"Any word from Hitchin yet," pressed Arlong.

"I don't think he's returned yet, Captain. He did say it could take a few days..."

Shaken, Nami gladly took the opportunity to leave the fishmen to their conversation and retreat upstairs, away from Arlong's suspicious and unpredictable demands. With everything so up in the air it was too risky of her to hang around and inadvertently give away damning information about herself - especially if Hitchin did succeed in finding a proko.

Once upstairs, she set to work at a hectic pace, a mind swimming with desperate schemes to prevent the surveillance footage from ever being played and one eye on the horizon.

000

"What the hell is wrong with you fishmen," shouted an outraged Genzo at the ray-man who'd pinned a gasping Dr. Nako against the front of his own office building.

"I suggest you stay out of what doesn't concern you, sheriff," Kuroobi spoke down to the enraged policeman in a dangerously calm tone.

"You kill a man and dump his body in the middle of our street first thing before the sun is up," continued Genzo uncowed, "then, immediately afterward, you start stripping our lumber supplies. Now you're outright attacking our citizens in broad daylight! Didn't you just get your damned extortion money? What more do you want?"

"Gen-san!" A concerned Nojiko ran up to his side. Meanwhile, a large gathering of villagers was quickly forming around the altercation.

Kuroobi glanced around at the restless crowd, his dark eyes daring any of them to try something. His glare returned to the man who'd first called him out, "Let me remind you that we fishmen conquered and rightfully own these islands and everything on them. We've graciously allowed you humans to carry on with your everyday lives, but that's at our sole discretion. That means that when I walk down this street - my street - I'd better not catch some upstart old fart giving me a side eye." With that, he ground the elderly doctor even harder against the wooden siding until Nako gasped in pain.

"Leave him alone; you're nothing but a bully," cried Nojiko as Genzo hastily stepped in front of her.

Kuroobi smirked as his gaze fell on her. "As it happens, I actually did come here for a specific reason: to get some information on the agitator who tried to burn down our park last night. I wonder if you'd know anything about that, tangerine girl."

"Are you referring to the dead man," shot back Genzo, "because he was a complete outsider that had nothing to do with anyone on this island!"

"Let her answer," Kuroobi demanded, finally dropping a wheezing Dr. Nako to the ground and rounding on the sheriff, "What are you - her father? She's old enough to speak for herself."

"What are you implying that I know," rejoined the sixteen-year-old, standing her ground as Genzo continued to shield her from the fishman.

"Oh, I'll bet you know a lot of things," the pirate walked casually around the fuming Genzo until he loomed directly over her. "Doesn't that little sister of yours still visit your house quite a bit? I'm sure she also faithfully tells you about all of her schemes?"

Nojiko swallowed hard. "That girl quit being my sister after she decided to become one of you! She may come by my house from time to time, but it's only for practical reasons and we barely speak. She certainly isn't telling me about any schemes."

"I wonder about that," sneered Kuroobi. "If I were to ask her directly, she'd probably say something similar. But what would happen if I brought you back to Arlong Park and threatened to feed you to Momoo? I bet we'd get some answers then."

The crowd, including Genzo and Nako, began to buzz like kicked a hornet's nest.

"If you wanna take Nojiko-chan, you're gonna have to get through all of us first," a man shouted.

Kuroobi glanced around to find the owner of the voice, but the villagers stood unified in one mass of humanity against him, and he could not discern any individual agitator. The shrewd ray-man could sense the growing shift from fear and confusion to smoldering rage among the gathered. Although he had no concerns about his own ability to wipe out the lot of them, he wisely discerned that using such excessive force would inevitably come at a steep price.

Worst case scenario: he abducted the girl and Nami truly didn't care enough to save her own sibling, allowing her to be devoured rather than divulge any damning evidence against herself. Kuroobi could easily imagine her being so cold-hearted. Meanwhile, he'd have needlessly goaded a riot during a time when the spirits of the crew were already low. Many villagers would have to die, affecting their finances and causing fishman morality to slip even further. Arlong would be furious with him for taking such actions on his own.

His glare shifted across the monolith of angry villagers. "Everyone loitering in this street right now had better to get back to whatever business you have while you're still able to leave of your own accord," he snarled, giving the lavender-haired girl a final meaningful look before stepping away from the doctor's office and striding past the throng.

Attempting to glean any useful information from Cocoyasi's inhabitants had always been a lost cause. Kuroobi, who'd only ventured into the village at Arlong's bidding, already knew who was responsible, as did Arlong, who needed to finally get over his infatuation with the cunning cartographer and wise up to the real danger Nami posed if left to her own devices. He hoped this time his old friend would finally listen to him and restrict her to the map room permanently - or at least until she'd fulfilled her usefulness and could be disposed of.

While uncertain whether her mouthy, tattooed elder sister actually was Nami's weakness, Kuroobi resolved to keep a close watch on both girls until he knew for sure.

000

Nami popped her head through the open window as soon as she heard the cries greeting Hitchin's return. Nearly five days had passed since he'd left The Park in search of a proko. Quickly abandoning her charts, she trotted down all four flights of stairs to find the crew members gathered round their nakama as he entered through the South Gate rowing a small boat. Sitting across from him in the vessel was the largest den den mushi she'd ever seen.

"Nyu, looks like your mission was a success," exclaimed Hachi, pulling his craft over to the edge and removing the giant snail.

"What took you so long," Choo wanted to know.

Hitchin released a weary sigh, "I told you they were hard to come by, but I got back as quick as I could!"

"Well, wouldn't y'know Arlong-san ain't even here right now," chuckled Pisaro, "so we're still gonna have to wait a little longer."

"I wonder what he actually thinks he's gonna learn from that cameko," mumbled Kaneshiro from one of the lounge chairs.

"After all this trouble, I'm interested to see what it shows too," Hitchin remarked with a stretch. "There been any more excitement around here while I was gone?"

"Sure! You won't believe what we discovered on that bounty hunter's boat," laughed a herring fishman. "Almost twenty million berries!"

From her space in the doorway, Nami quietly ground her teeth as the fishmen bantered about their unearned windfall which should have been sitting in her own trove at the moment.

"Why don't we go ahead and start setting up the projector, so it'll be ready when Arlong-san gets back," suggested Take.

"There's no rush," shrugged Hitchin, turning toward the fort, "Besides, I'm starved. I'd like to grab some grub first."

"Excuse me!" Nami chose the very moment Hitchin walked through the doorway to simultaneously slide past him in the other direction. She was more than a little disappointed in the next instant when her seamless pull came up empty. She turned back around, scrutinizing the remora as he plodded heedlessly toward the galley. One way or another, she needed to locate the surveillance den den mushi and lift it off him while there was still time.

"Welcome back, Hitchin! How would you like a rum and orange juice?"

The fishman in question raised his eyebrows at her, a pork leg halfway to his mouth as the surveyor plopped a glass in front of him.

"I just came down to make one for myself and I thought you might like one too."

"Uh, thanks," he grunted, taking a bite before picking up the orange-tinted alcohol.

She took the seat beside him on the bench holding up her own glass. "Cheers!"

Together the two of them drank.

"Not bad," remarked Hitchin, smacking his greasy lips.

"It's definitely my favorite," Nami replied. She leaned her head back a moment to enjoy the cool breeze coming through the open window. When she straightened up again the pirate had fixed her with a slightly perplexed expression.

"What's gotten into you, anyway? You seem to be in an oddly cheerful mood."

"Oh, do I?" She slid the strap of her tank top back into place and flipped her hair off her neck, "I guess it just feels nice to take a break from hunching over a desk all day."

"No doubt," he smirked, taking another sip.

Nami's eyes skimmed down his half-buttoned shirt and slacks with the cuffs rolled up mid-calf. She saw no apparent indication of a den den mushi stowed anywhere on his person. When she glanced back up again, it was back into his own quizzical gaze.

"So where did you finally end up finding a proko," she quickly asked in an attempt at casual conversation.

"Well, as you probably already know," he began, immediately warming to the subject, "I have lots of connections - including some in the Navy, which owns the majority of all exotic den den mushi to be found in these waters. That being said, they're usually not too keen to let them go..."

She'd already thoroughly searched through the crew's quarters and various belongings only to come up empty. If Hitching didn't have the snail physically on him, then she had no idea where it could possibly be.

"...and there it was, in the middle of the wreckage, heading straight to the bottom. So, I grabbed it, threw it into one of the dinghies, and rowed back here."

"Wow, you took on that whole pirate ship by yourself," she leaned forward, managing to muster some genuine admiration.

"It wasn't such a big deal; I've done it plenty of times before," he smirked into his glass.

Nami's brow furrowed, "But do you know for certain that it'll be compatible with the surveillance den den mushi?"

"Of course it will," he scoffed at the question, "Don't you think I know what I'm doing?"

"It's not that!" She blinked up at him, "I've never even seen one before, so I'm not quite sure how it operates. Did you have to bring the baby with you to make sure?"

"No, I didn't bring it," Hitchin returned to his ham, "I was swimming the whole first half of the trip and that snail can't go underwater."

"Ohhh, then that's why you had the proko in the boat when you came back! So, what did you end up doing with the cameko while you were gone?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her, "Since when are you so fascinated with den den mushi all of a sudden?"

"You make everything sound interesting when I talk to you, Hitchin - you know so much," she forced a smile, certain he'd find her flattery as convincing as Hachi's signature got-your-nose magic trick.

"Oh, you really think so? Well, I guess you're right," he chuckled, much to her astonishment. "I am somewhat of a tech-expert if I do say so myself..."

"Hitchin!" Choo abruptly burst into the galley.

The reactive remora-man glanced around in alarm, "Eh? Wha-what?"

"Arlong-san's back; hurry up - chu!" He marched unceremoniously back out again.

"Yeah, okay," the other fishman got to his feet to follow, he turned to Nami, "We can talk more later - let's go."

The girl swore under her breath but mustered a nod, following after him.

Nearly all the crew appeared to be gathered, with others gradually trickling in from the water. Arlong, still dripping from wherever he'd returned from, stood in the middle of the patio with an equally wet Kuroobi next to him. The large den den mushi had been positioned facing the wall on the opposite end of the courtyard, a small table sat beside it - presumably intended for the baby den den mushi to sit on.

"There you are, nakama;" grinned Arlong at Hitchin's appearance, "We're all waiting to watch the movie! Where's the cameko?"

"Welcome back, captain - mates..." Hitchin, the man of the hour, gave a dramatic bow to his public as if ready to unveil a long-awaited masterpiece to fellow aficionados. His glance cast around those gathered until it fell upon one individual in particular. "Gil! The cameko - you've still got it don't you?"

"...You mean the snail you gave to me before you left," the pufferfish slowly replied.

"That's the one," answered Hitchin with a snap, pointing at his sluggish crewmate, "where is it?"

Gil thought for a moment, then reached behind his back, pulling something out of his sash. He approached and extended the battered creature towards Hitchin. "I kept it in a safe place like you asked," he explained.

Nami couldn't have been more stunned if she'd been slapped. Had it really been on the big lug the entire time?

"Great, let me just get this set up now," Hitchin got to work connecting the two snails.

She could feel her heart trying to hammer out of her chest as she, along with Arlong and everyone else, anxiously awaited whatever footage was stored within the cameko's memory. For the hundredth time, she attempted to guess where the slimy little spy might have been stationed in the house. Almost certainly it would have been facing into the living room where Butler's death took place as well as where she'd sauntered in from the back patio. How long did the film last? Did it also include her escape with Bane on its footage?

"How's it coming," Arlong, who'd settled into his chair, asked after a few minutes.

"Aaand we're good to go," announced Hitchin with a final flourish. The pair of snails sat side by side with the large den den mushi's eyes suddenly flickering and lighting up.

Nami was utterly screwed.

From the proko's glowing eyes, a scene projected onto the fort wall. Nami immediately recognized the view into Butler's den and kitchen from high above the stairwell.

The crew erupted into cheers as the long-anticipated show finally began. The girl glanced over at the small surveillance creature which let out a soft sputter. At first it appeared nothing would happen on the monitor after serval minutes passed with no movement whatsoever, then all at once, a familiar blonde head appeared into the picture.

Several of the crew hooted as the bikini-clad woman descended the stairs, holding a hat in one hand and a towel in the other as she plodded away from the snail's location and made a right toward the kitchen.

"Aw come back, baby," cried Shioyaki.

"Shahaha," laughed Arlong.

The footage once again lapsed into a lull with only the elderly housekeeper popping in and out of view as she tidied the house. The fishmen gradually began to talk amongst themselves, however Arlong's attention remained doggedly fixed on the projection in front of him.

Nami didn't realize how tightly she was clenching her fists until she felt her nails stabbing into her palms. She longed to kick over the table holding the surveillance den den mushi and bolt from Arlong Park as swiftly as her legs would carry her. Of course, she couldn't do either of those things. She was trapped - completely surrounded by the enemy.

Once again, the snail let out an almost inaudible sputter. Nami's eye traveled to the small animal before shifting slowly up the towering form of Kuroobi standing watchfully behind her. The Ray held her in his dark scowl for an intense moment before her attention was promptly drawn back to the front by a wave shouts and applause.

"Alright! She's back!"

"Aw, but she's all covered up now!"

Nami's stomach dropped like a stone as she beheld her own likeness moving across the side of the wall. The stolen robe wrapped around her, while the wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses completed the haphazard disguise. Dry-mouthed, she watched herself scurry toward the stairs and brusquely out of the picture.

"Are we even sure that's the same broad," muttered someone uncertainly, "She don't look as shapely."

"Who knows? Maybe he's got a harem," snickered a second.

No one had recognized her yet, but Nami was not out of woods. She knew what was coming next. When she descended those stairs again there would be no mistaking her identity or who she'd come with.

Watching the housekeeper head up directly after her own retreating image, Nami glanced around for any last-ditch distraction she might employ to prevent her inevitable ruination. She suddenly found herself hoping for the fire-damaged porch roof to collapse on top of them.

The girl's head snapped up as the crew promptly erupted in shouts and boos. Nami attempted to steady her own breathing as Bane, along with Butler's armed guards entered the picture.

"Hey Hitch - what's with the sound on this thing," complained Pisaro, "we can't hear anything they're saying!"

"I'm not sure," admitted the projectionist, "maybe it's an issue with the proko; it did get exposed to some saltwater."

Despite her desperate situation, Nami watched in somber astonishment as her recently defeated co-conspirator skillfully overcame his half-dozen attackers using their own weapons.

"Damn..." muttered Choo under his breath.

Damn indeed.

Time was running out. There was no chance for her to sabotage the cameko with Kuroobi standing like a guard dog between her and the slimy little invertebrate. She was left with no option but to lean on every ounce of charm and appeasement she could possibly throw at Arlong.

He won't kill me; she tried assuring herself...even though he can certainly do plenty to make me wish I were dead.

After what seemed an eternity, Nami looked miserably back up at the projection. The dead lay strewn across the living room as the fishmen muttered excitedly over the massacre they'd just witnessed. Any moment now, the snail would capture her descent down the stairs alongside Bane.

"Eeeeegh!"

Nami jumped, eyes darting in every direction for the source of the alarming, high-pitched wheeze.

"Eh? What's wrong with this thing," demanded Arlong, sitting up and scowling at the softly screeching den den mushi.

"I-I don't know," offered Hitchin, leaning down to examine it.

Bane's head reappeared in the picture just as the proko's glowing eyes began to flicker. She watched him cross into the living room and spotted the very top of an orange head right as the baby den den mushi abruptly coughed and keeled over, toppling off the table. The proko's eyes went dark in response; the footage instantly vanished as their link broke.

The young thief stood frozen in disbelief as the pirates around her muttered in annoyance at the interruption.

"Hitchin! What the hell happened?"

"I have no idea, Captain! The cameko just went down all of a sudden - Hey Gil!"

"Yeah," replied the puffer-man, taking a step forward.

"What did you do to this thing? I told you to look after it while I was gone!"

"I did look after it," exclaimed Gil, "I kept it with me all the time!"

"You didn't take it in the water did you," frowned Hitchin.

"Nope! I remember what you said, so I left it with someone else if ever I went into the water," declared the rotund fishman, "and then I took it right back when I returned."

"And did you remember to feed it?"

"Acourse! ...Mostly."

"Forget it!" sighed Arlong, angrily getting to his feet, "Renado - where are you?"

"I'm right here," the crew's doctor gruffly replied from the corner of the patio. He pushed his way through the men and stood before the captain.

"Take a look at this damn thing and tell me what's wrong with it," he snatched up the fainted den den mushi, shoving it at the nurse shark.

"I'm a doctor, not a zoologist," groused Renado. Nevertheless, he inspected the animal closely for several moments before handing it solemnly back to Arlong. "He's dead."

Arlong gazed nonplussed at the lifeless snail in his hand, then back at Renado, "Are you sure?"

"Fairly certain!"

"But how did it happen," insisted Kuroobi. His glance flicked predictably in Nami's direction.

"As best as I can tell," sighed Renado, "it was probably a combination of the fire exposure, not being properly taken care of, and I'm sure constantly being crushed against Gil's salt-encrusted skin and clothes didn't help matters either."

A heavy silence fell over the gathering, only for Arlong to burst into unexpected peals of laughter.

"Well, that's how it goes, then," he chortled, his crew gradually taking up the guffaw until it echoed across the courtyard.

"And our captain easily beat that upstart bounty hunter," crowed Hitchin, relieved at Arlong's apparent dismissal of the cameko failure. "He probably thought he was invincible until he came against us!"

"You got that right," cackled another, "what else is there to see? I just wish we coulda watched the part where Arlong-san kicked his ass!"

As the fishmen continued joking and laughing, two notable exceptions did not join in the mirth. Kuroobi remained scowling down at the deceased snail while Nami gazed traumatically at the now blank parapet as if expecting her own image to reappear upon it at any moment.

000

Over the next day, Nami's nerves gradually recovered once she'd fully processed the night's incredible occurrence. The merciful gift she'd been given with the cameko's sudden death had also provided her just enough cover to successfully put Arlong's suspicions to rest and clear her name once and for all. At last, she no longer had to live under the constant threat of damning evidence being brought down upon her. She no longer had to continually suck up to Arlong and the other members of the crew and could go back to actually sailing across the sea in search of treasure.

With renewed determination, she awoke bright and early to begin packing. Although she'd failed to secure Bain's share of the loot before Arlong's men got their hands on it, she took heart knowing there was only 30 million left to go. At her current rate, she was on schedule to hit her goal within the next year.

While carrying a few remaining articles to her boat, the girl spotted Arlong walking along the beach in her direction. Nami thought nothing of it. The mercurial fishman was known to make random appearances on days when she set out. She crossed over the dock, stowing her remaining supplies inside her boat before stepping back out to find him standing on the shore, staring back at her.

"Looks like I caught you just in time," he called out as she walked onto the platform.

"Yeah? What is it," she asked.

Without responding, Arlong leapt into the lapping waves, reappearing by the side of her boat. Nami watched in dumbstruck horror as he calmly punched his fist through the hull and began ripping the craft to pieces as if it were no more than a toy made of matchsticks. Sputtering to find her voice, she finally shrieked aloud.

"S-Stop! Arlong STOP! What are you doing?"

Arlong didn't stop until the boat had finished sinking to the bottom along with all of Nami's supplies and personal belongings. He then hopped casually onto the platform.

"Why," she choked out, barely holding back a sob as he crossed the dock and stood in front her.

"Now, now," he chuckled, ruffling the top of her head, "There's no need to be so upset. The only reason you ever had that boat in the first place was because I gave it to you. Don't you understand by now that everything you have - including your very life, belongs to me? I don't have to give you an explanation."

Much to her chagrin, hot tears began spilling down her cheeks. Nami wrenched away from him and sprinted toward the beach.

"You can't win 'em all, kid," he shouted after her retreating form, "You gotta lose sometimes!"

The hours stretched on. Renado came in to check on her and to bring her some watery rice porridge. He then had her drink some medicine which tasted like rot gut. The girl lay silent and miserable for a while longer, her lids growing heavy. All at once:

"Nami, Nami, Nami..."

The rumbling voice struck her in the back with all the force of a bag of rocks, jarring her wide awake. The inevitable moment had come. Swiping her hand across her eyes, Nami slowly arched her back in a cat-like stretch as she rolled over to face the jagged-nosed fishman.

"That you, Arlong," she mumbled huskily.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're bound and determined to get yourself killed." She could hear his annoyance as his wide grin gleamed like a sickle in the dim light of the sick bay where she remained confined.

"Aw, lighten up," she brushed the hair lazily from her face as she stared up at him, "This is no worse than other times - it just doesn't happen quite as often as it used to."

"You never got yourself shot before," he retorted.

"Were you worried about me," she batted her eyes.

He gave a short laugh, "Well, it makes no difference now, 'cause you're back and your cartography duties have fallen off considerably in the meantime. So, your travel plans will have to go on hiatus at least until that gets rectified."

"I'll knock that out in no time," declared the girl with a wince. "Then I'm coming for those damned pier bandits and getting my money back with interest."

"Pier bandits eh," repeated Arlong thoughtfully, "well as always, there's plenty of sharks out there."

He tilted his head as his eyes traveled down her bruised and bandaged body, "And you can hold off on the bold claims - 'cause you're going be to stuck in that bed for a few weeks before you can even get back to your maps. Like it or not, kid, you're here for the long haul."

"Like hell," she mumbled fighting against the cocktail of drugs in her system, "I'll be upstairs tomorrow and back out at sea in another week."

"Ha - we'll just see about that," he sneered, "Now, shut up and go to sleep. We'll talk more tomorrow."

Nami had no more energy to argue. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the growing drowsiness as Arlong exited the bay. She now knew at least with a large degree of certainty that Arlong didn't intend to outright ban her from sailing, however it was cold comfort somehow. Despite her bold claims so readily derided by him, her body felt every bit as weak as her spirit was willing. She soon slipped off into oblivion.

The brooding sawshark veered out to the patio where his three other officers milled around the table, drinking and eating fried squid as they awaited their captain's arrival. Several other fishmen also lounged in the vicinity while many others took their meal in the mess hall.

"Have a seat, Arlong-san," greeted Hachi.

"How's Nami," inquired Choo between sips.

Arlong sighed, taking the glass handed to him by Hachi and helping himself to some squid. "Spunky," he replied tersely.

"That's one way of putting it," Kuroobi snorted.

"Well, that's a good sign, isn't it," remarked Choo.

Arlong gave no response, taking a long draft of ale.

"Nyu, I'm glad her spirits are up," Hachi announced blithely, "that means she should recover quickly and be able to get back to making her maps before you know it."

Kuroobi scoffed, "She'd probably already have them finished by now if she didn't always get to run off for weeks on end."

Arlong calmly swallowed his bite and took another drink before turning to the ray-man. "I'm aware of where you stand on the issue of Nami traveling, Kuroobi, but I'm also wondering what the rest of you think." His glance darted around the table.

Choo and Hachi looked at each other in surprise. The smelt-whiting fishman gave a shrug, "I've never felt strongly about it one way or the other - chu. I don't honestly care."

Hachi, however, seemed to give the matter some serious thought before replying. "Nyu, I think Kuroobi may have a point - if Nami keeps stealing from dangerous pirates, she could get killed. Plus, if she stays home and keeps working as our surveyor, she'll not only be safe, but we'll have the entire East Blue charted and be able to take over more territory all that much quicker."

"How many years now have we squatted on this podunk island," insisted Kuroobi, "How far along are we in our quest to take over this ocean?"

"Further than you may realize," Arlong defended, "but it ain't only about maps - we're playin' a long game that's gonna take years to plan out and lots of money! Our best strategy right now is keeping under the World Govornment's radar while all the pieces are moved into place!"

"I get it," argued Kuroobi, "but what advantage do we gain by allowing Nami to constantly leave Conomi? I'd be so much easier just to keep her here permanently."

"Because we made an agreement on The Almighty Berry - and you know how I feel about that."

"Forget about money - why keep an agreement with a stupid human brat who's already tried to kill you on multiple occasions," the ray-man demanded.

Several pairs of eyes flicked in their direction at the sudden outburst.

Arlong's glare bored into his subordinate until even the obstinate Kuroobi began to squirm ever so slightly under it. "That's my business," he replied finally in a low voice.

The ray dropped his eyes back down to the table, grabbing a handful of squid. "Alright, I've said the last I'll say about it then," he muttered, stuffing his mouth full.

The table fell into a brief silence as they ate and drank. Gradually, Arlong spoke up, "To your point about the maps - I do think we need more production; that's why I'm heading out in the next few days to gather some critical data to bring back for Nami. We're heading into the next phase of our plan."

"That sound promising," replied Choo, "let us know if we can help."

Arlong drained the rest of his glass and stood. "More to come, gents," he grinned.

The three watched him stroll away through the East Gate.

"I wonder what the next phase will be," mused Hachi.

Choo, meanwhile, cut his eyes at Kuroobi, "I can't believe you're still harping on that Nami-plotted-to-kill-Arlong crap of yours - chu! Even Arlong-san has rejected those accusations outright."

"I can't believe the rest of you refuse to see the truth when it's so obvious! You believe she's a harmless little minx at your own peril," shot back Kuroobi.

"Nyu, is there anything that would ever convince you to trust Nami," returned Hachi.

The ray-man smirked, "Maybe if I ever saw her do anything that remotely showed any solidarity with the crew - but she's only interested in herself and making money."

"Who cares what her motivations are - her maps are going to allow us to rule this ocean," argued Choo.

Kuroobi got to his feet as he gave his head one last cynical shake, "Let's hope so, because no matter how brilliant she is at cartography, she would betray us all in an instant if given half a chance. Brute force is a good way to subjugate your enemies; it ain't always such a great way to pick your crew members, though."

000

Genzo sat at his usual prominent station in the town square, just as he'd always done for the past fifteen years. Though nowadays he was the authority in name only - a scarred, aging civil servant occupying a now meaningless office - for some reason the villagers still looked to him as a sort of figurehead. Always the first responder whenever there was trouble, he presently slouched lost in his own miserable thoughts over an urgent matter he had absolutely no control over.

The shocking news was reported to him by a couple of fishermen the other day and Genzo had initially rushed to the scene along with Nako only to find Nami's empty vessel moored to the dock. Presumably, the fishmen had gotten there first and pulled the battered child off the boat, back into the fortress of Arlong Park. The blood stains over the deck stood as a testament to whatever brutality the poor girl had faced.

Still without a hint about her wellbeing a day later, Genzo was nearly desperate enough to march directly down to the fishman fort and demand answers. Of course, that would solve nothing and most likely cause even more trouble for Nami. He had no choice but to stand by and wait for the situation to resolve itself. Meanwhile, he debated on what he should tell Nojiko.

The girl in question, as if somehow summoned by his thoughts, promptly appeared out of the side street, making a beeline straight for him.

"Gen-san," the seventeen-year-old broke into a jog as she approached his station.

"What is it, Nojiko," he stood up at her approach.

"Is it true," she urgently demanded, "Was Nami seriously injured like they're saying?"

Genzo's heart plummeted to his stomach; He mentally kicked himself for not speaking up before the inevitable scuttlebutt reached her. "I-I didn't see her for myself," he admitted.

The girl let out a breathless sigh, "There has to be some way to find out how she is!"

"I've been thinking about it constantly, but I've decided that she's okay," Genzo swallowed audibly, "I'm sure that Arlong wouldn't let anything happen to his prized cartographer, while us showing up at their door demanding information on her would almost certainly damage her hard-won reputation with the pirates. As difficult as it is, I think our best course of action is to wait."

Nojiko slumped against the wall of the small shack. "I'm so sick of waiting, Gen-san! I never even see Nami anymore - she's barely been by the house for months now and I'm worried that this obsession is going to undo her. She's all alone where no one can reach her."

"I know," was all that Genzo could reply. "I can't tell you how frustrating it is for me; I'm supposed to be the one looking out for her." He exited his hut to place a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled on that fort for any sign of her and I'm also going to carefully monitor these fishmen until I learn about Nami's status. I promise I'll let you know the minute I find out anything."

The lavender-haired girl managed a weak smile, "I guess you're right. What other choice do we have? I'll do my best to wait until I hear from you - thanks, Gen-san."

He watched Belle-Mere's eldest daughter head back up the hill toward her orchard, a stone growing in the pit of his gut. He felt utterly useless knowing all he could do was secretly support a young girl who bore the singular burden of buying back all of their freedom. Were it not for the sake of that one child he'd have already died fighting those monsters; it was only her selfless devotion to the villagers that kept him living docilely under Arlong's webbed thumb.

Nevertheless, there was only so much obedience he could muster for the vile despot and his band of cut-throats. Perhaps he could not openly defy them, but Genzo needed some sort of outlet to channel his spite for the fishmen that didn't involve drinking himself into a stupor nearly every night to drown his impotent rage.

A strange idea flitted across his mind, and for a moment the sheriff's mustache quirked in a devious sneer. He knew of at least something he could do. Resolutely, he retrieved the pen and a small booklet he kept on his person at all times for police work. After jotting down a brief note, he tore out the page and headed for the post office. He wanted to renew his correspondence with an acquaintance on Stringers Island who owned a vast inventory of swords and weapons: Genzo now hoped to rebuild the collection previously confiscated from him when Arlong took power.

A part of him knew this impulse would likely lead to serious trouble somewhere down the line, but Genzo would deal with that when the time came. His ability to keep the rest of the town's morale up depended on asserting his own self-determination in the face of fishman oppression. With a renewed determination in his step, he strode on his way.

000

"What are you moping about," demanded Renado to the silent surveyor as he replaced her bandages.

She inclined her head ever so slightly in the direction of his voice. "I'm not moping; I was just thinking," she mumbled, "about where I might find a map to the Grand Line."

"The Grand line," repeated the nurse shark incredulously, "you can't be serious."

"I am," she replied matter-of-factly. "Do you know if we have one?"

"If you haven't made it yourself, then we don't have one," he responded, stepping away from her freshly re-bandaged back to return his ointment to the correct shelf. "We don't need a map to the Grand Line."

"But I do," she rolled around to face him, pulling the sheet back over her bare shoulders, "Where can I get one?"

He gestured at her body as a whole. "Girl, if this is what happens to you while sailing the East Blue, then take it from me - you wouldn't last one day in the Grand Line!"

"This just happened because I was unlucky - which isn't very often," she defended.

"Do you know what they call the Grand Line?" He suddenly leaned in close to her, "They call it the Pirate Graveyard. Most of the fools who sail in there never make it back alive. Even the biggest names in this ocean are nobodies the moment they enter - The Grand Line chews them up and spits them out! One lone girl doesn't stand a chance in hell."

"So maybe I won't go alone," she countered, "I'll find a strong crew to go along with."

He gave a humorless laugh, "It won't matter if you don't even have a map or the proper navigational equipment. Good luck finding one as well - Grand Line maps are almost as rare as devil fruits in these parts."

Nami sat up indignantly, "But I did see one! During my last voyage I saw a crew who had one, so I know you can get them!"

"A fat load of good it'll do them too if that's true," harrumphed the crusty ship's doctor, turning to leave, "Now, lay back down and forget about the Grand Line!"

Nami sank back to the pillow as the door banged shut behind him, but she didn't forget.

Several days later, after Renado released her from bed rest, Nami went looking for Hitchin. She found him on the beach chatting with a mackerel-man named Sawagi who sat mending a net. Hitchin himself leaned on a large beam as he gestured and prattled on to his distracted crewmate. Nami strutted down the coastline toward them, her hair and her skirt billowing freely in the breeze. Both men soon noticed her approach; Nami raised her hand in greeting.

"How's it going, fellas," she smiled as she reached them.

"Ah, Nami," grinned Hitchin, "So you're finally out of the clinic, eh?"

"As of this morning," she affirmed.

"Feelin' better now," asked Sawagi.

"It's no big thing," the girl waved the question off, "I'm ready to get back into the swing of things."

"How are your wounds healing," Hitchin inquired.

"Well, I got my bandages off." She raised her shirt to reveal the fading bruises over her torso.

Both fishmen leaned in to inspect the patch of skin before Nami abruptly dropped her shirt back into place. She turned to Hitchin, "Are you busy right now?"

"Uhh," the remora seemed to collect his thoughts for a moment until his eye fell on the beam still resting against his right palm. "Actually, I'm right in the middle of bringing this wood to Kaneshiro."

"Mind if I walk with you," she gazed back up at him.

"Not at all," He gave a final nod to Sawagi before motioning her along, "Let's go."

"So, I was wondering if you knew whether the Navy has maps to the Grand Line," she asked him after a pause.

"The Grand Line? Sure, if anyone's got a map that leads there it'll be the Navy " responded Hitchin as he ambled across the sand, "Why?"

"D'you think you could get one," she pressed, "since you're so connected and all..."

"I don't know; that seems like a lot of trouble. What do you need with a Grand Line map anyway?"

"I want to know more about it. I'm interested in maps - especially how the East Blue connects to other parts of the world. So, why shouldn't I have one? I'm a cartographer, aren't I?"

"If Arlong-san wants you to have one, then he'll get you one. Why don't you ask him," Hitchin countered.

"I just thought this was more your specialty," she insisted, clasping her hands together as she employed her most pleading expression, "isn't there something you could do for me?"

Hitchin gazed thoughtfully back down at her for a moment.

I'll pay you back with my body.

Belle-Mere's joke at Genzo's expense popped unbidden into her head as she locked eyes with the slouchy fishman walking beside her. Nami suppressed a shudder as she envisioned the consequences of his response to such an offer. She wasn't nearly that desperate, however if she could satisfy him with a simple peep show, Nami might consent for the possibility of getting her hands on a chart to the Grand Line.

Before negotiations could go any further, Nami's legs abruptly gave out from under her and the girl collapsed like a pile of driftwood onto the sand.

"Woah there!" Hitchin's beam dropped with a thud as he leaned down and placed a hand on her back, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she quickly responded, pushing herself up onto her elbows. "I don't know what just happened."

"You probably overdid it - you did just get off bed rest," he admonished her.

Nami twisted around, grabbing onto Hitchin's wrist in order to pull herself up. Her bust brushed against his open palm and the teen leaned in closer, her stare meeting his own. "Couldn't you at least give me the name of someone I can speak to about getting a map?"

Hitchin gulped. "Well..."

000

Despite her stubborn insistence to the contrary, Nami quickly found that there were indeed limits to sheer determination. Not long after her discussion with Hitchin, the surveyor went up to her cartography room to begin cranking the massive pile of source material awaiting her into charts only to stop midway into her first map due to the throbbing pain in her shoulder. Nami took a coffee break and busied herself with other tasks until the ache subsided, however as soon as she felt well enough to continue the pain quickly returned.

No matter how conservative she was with her movements, Nami's entire right arm was in agony by the time her second chart was nearly complete. The girl groaned, knowing she couldn't continue the way she was. When she went down to Renado's office to request some painkillers, she was briskly told to stop working on maps for at least two weeks before being promptly dismissed.

Two weeks!

There was no way she could remain stuck at Arlong Park for two weeks - especially when she wasn't even being productive. She couldn't even return home to convalesce with Nojiko thanks to stupid Kuroobi and his relentless suspicions. Nami looked around at the already bloated collection of volumes surrounding her - it wasn't as if everything would suddenly stand still and wait for her wounds to heal. She'd already heard talk about Arlong preparing to make a journey of some significance to collect key data for her while new tomes were coming in every day from other crew members. It would take months before she could slog through the backlog.

Meanwhile, she was so close to reaching her goal, even after losing the eight million. She couldn't stand the thought of staying away from the sea for so long. All the time she'd spent bedridden her mind kept returning to the events that had led to her current predicament, replaying all the mistakes she'd made. Her mental state only slipped further into darkness as doubt crept in to condemn her.

A disheartened Nami went down to her boat to inspect it for leaks and other damage. Just as she feared, there were many places in need of caulking. She'd have to address them soon or else abandon the vessel for something more reliable. Nami approached Kaneshiro for assistance, but the shipwright was too wrapped up with making repairs around the fort to bother with her boat, so she did her best to patch it herself.

Before long, dizzy and exhausted, Nami collapsed in her cabin where she slept until evening. She awoke sore and to the despair that she'd accomplished nothing of any significance. Staring blankly out at the dark water, she wondered how long it would be before she could sail again. With only 15 million left to go the careless waves lapping against her stationary vessel tormented her even more than her throbbing shoulder.

She felt a heavy thud as the boat rocked with the weight of someone boarding.

"Ah, so there you are," Arlong's abrasively barnacled voice resounded behind her.

Nami gave no acknowledgement of his presence.

"Well, I'm heading out for a few days come tomorrow. Anything you'd like me to bring back for you?"

"A boat that doesn't leak," she responded dully.

"You don't need to worry about that for a while," dismissed the shark-man, "On top of that, I don't want to hear about you trying to draw any maps before I get back. You need to follow Renado's orders and rest for a couple of weeks. You can get started on your work after that."

With no energy left to argue with him, the girl sighed as she stared out at the water.

Arlong snorted. "The treasure will still be out there once you're caught up - so stop sulking."

"What if it isn't," she quipped, "nothing is ever certain; for all I know this is the only chance I'll ever get."

"It can't be helped," he teased flippantly. "Everything has to be so dramatic when dealing with a teenage girl. Now, behave yourself. Or else." He uttered a final chuckle before stepping off the side and disappearing into the night.

She found he meant what he'd said when she approached the cartography room the following day to find Gil stationed outside the door - this time preventing her from entering rather than leaving. Nami spent the remainder of the day puttering around her boat and napping.

Later, she visited Kaneshiro in the lumber yard where she attempted yet again to coax him into repairing her craft until the aggravated goldfish-man threatened to scrap the vessel if she didn't quit pestering him. For the remainder of the week, Nami kept busy by scouring the papers on anything pirate or Navy related. After convincing Gil to let her back into the cartography room on the condition that she wouldn't draw maps, she organized her data for quicker access in preparation to dive seamlessly back into production.

She also managed to slip in a brief visit with Nojiko (and Belle-Mere). She did her best to assure the older girl she was doing fine even though Nami doubted her overtly upbeat act fooled her elder sister. With each passing year it became more obvious to Nami that she would never be fine again until every last berry was earned, and her village liberated once and for all. Until then, the best she could do was relentlessly put up a brave front while Nojiko duly played along.

Nami emerged mid-morning from her cabin, rubbing her stiff shoulder after a mediocre night's sleep. The first thing she did was check the boat's rail where she'd left a coin the night before. A paper now sat in its place. The girl smiled in satisfaction as she eagerly tucked the pages beneath one arm and disembarked for the mess hall.

Most of the food was already picked over by the time she arrived, nevertheless, Nami managed to scrape together a decent enough breakfast. She found an out-of-the-way seat at the corner of the table where she could read and eat in peace.

Nami perused through the latest bounty updates, finding nothing of great interest. She turned the page. Almost right away a headline jumped out at her and Nami shoved her nose into the paper, reading avidly:

"PIRATE CREW KILLED IN BAFFLING EXECUTION"

"Captain Nezumi of the Navy's 16th Branch reportedly took credit for the total eradication of a small band of pirates occupying the port town of Grapple off the Organ Islands' southeastern border. According to sources familiar with the incident, the crew known as the Long Pier Pirates attempted to raid the Naval vessel which crossed into their waters late Thursday, instigating harsh retaliation from the 16th Branch. While the Navy crew sustained no casualties, there were no known survivors among the pirates.

"I never saw any actual fighting," stated local business owner Sandy Plume, who was tending her beachfront shop at the time the fracas, "but something made me look out across the pier at one point and I saw the waves crashing red on the shore..."

The girl blinked in disbelief at a small photograph interrupting the article showing the badly damaged but unmistakable pier where she'd encountered the pirates who'd robbed her only weeks earlier. Nami hastily read on.

"...The Navy gave no statement regarding the whereabouts of the Long Piers' vessel of which no trace has been found. It is believed by locals to have been confiscated by the authorities. Captain Nezumi was not available for comment at the time of publication."

She set the paper aside as she distractedly took a bite of porridge. The shock of learning about the sudden brutal deaths of the men who'd beaten and robbed her was overshadowed by the strange circumstances surrounding their grim demise. Something about the story wasn't adding up. It certainly didn't sound like the Navy to kill so swiftly and stealthily, nor did she understand why such low-level pirates would try to attack a superior Naval force.

At last, dismissing the cryptic article, Nami returned to her paper, reading the remainder of it before heading back out to bathe and do some laundry while Nojiko worked in the grove. After leaving home, she returned to her boat where she crawled back into her cabin and brooded until she fell asleep once again. She awoke to her stomach gurgling, but Nami had little interest in food and no desire to emerge from her small dark fortress. Her thoughts retuned obsessively to future plans while she ran out her time tethered to Conomi. Gradually she willed herself to sit up, sliding out the door in search of a snack and perhaps something to help lull her back into unconsciousness.

Her heart sank as she trudged through the East Gate to the loud exclamations of several fishmen. She hoped she hadn't unwittingly walked in on some kind of celebration. She had no appetite for forced merriment today.

Nami balked in surprise to see Arlong hopping up onto the gangway from the pool amid shouts and cheers.

"Welcome back Arlong-san," greeted Hachi, " did you have a productive trip?"

"Very productive and very interesting," replied the shark-man as he walked over to his chair and received a bottle from Shioyaki. "What did I miss around here?"

"Ah, nothing," Choo assured him, "This place is as dull as ever."

The fishmen crowded around, exchanging quips with their captain as he guzzled his rum. Nami mentally counted the days since he'd first left, realizing with a start that it had already been seven. Quietly, she slipped off to get her own bottle of rum. When she attempted to slide back by, Arlong was quick to spot her.

"Hey Nami! Where're you rushing off to? Sit down and have a drink with us - I know you ain't got nothing better to do! Shahahaha!"

The girl grimaced before turning around. "Well, I probably could've had a decent amount of work done by now if you hadn't kept me out of the map room," she remarked.

"Don't worry, you'll have plenty of work to keep you busy soon enough," he winked, "I brought back lots of research material that I want you to concentrate on exclusively as soon as you're fit to start back."

Nami wordlessly uncorked her rum, taking an extra-long swig.

"Oh, that reminds me; I also brought back another surprise for you."

Reluctantly, she looked back up into his leering face. "You don't say," droned the teenager.

Arlong abruptly jumped to his feet, waving her along, "Come on, I left it outside the gate."

"Ooh, how interesting," offered Hachi as he and many of the other fishmen followed along with them.

Nami looked apprehensively around as they approached the South Gate, but She observed nothing out of the ordinary.

All at once, Arlong leapt into the water, pushing his way through the thick metal doors before disappearing under the surface. Several minutes later he reappeared through them once again, lugging something large behind him into the outermost courtyard. She gaped at the pair of towering masts leading down to a handsome ketch.

Arlong hoisted himself aboard amid a round of clapping from the others.

"What d'ya think," he asked Nami, "is it an improvement to what you've already got?"

"Is that for me," she marveled disbelievingly, "you got me a boat?"

"You asked me for one, didn't ya?" he snorted.

"But where did it come from?"

"What do you care? It's yours now - unless, of course, you don't want it."

"No, I'll take it," she quickly cut in. "Uh, thanks."

The girl felt someone grab her by the back of her shirt.

"Ally oop, Nami," cried Pisaro, tossing her toward the sailboat.

She cried out as she hurtled toward the deck only to be caught midair and dropped onto her feet by a laughing Arlong. Nami spared him a dark look before inspecting her new vessel. Her mind whirled as she studied the planks pocked by grapeshot and dark dubious spatters. Something felt oddly familiar about the craft. She stepped toward the rail and spun slowly around, facing Arlong as he leaned indolently against the lofty mast. In his place, an image flashed before her mind of a group of five grimy men.

Realization dawned like a cold clear morning and Nami immediately knew the fate of the Long Pier Pirates and their missing boat. It actually made much more sense than the absurd story from the paper.

Finally, another chapter down! Hopefully, it doesn't disappoint: 

The instant the small clock on the shelf began clanging Nami immediately stopped in the middle of the line she was drawing, dropping her pen to her desk. After shutting off the alarm, she automatically stood up, drained the dregs of her cold coffee and plodded out the door. She made her way down to the galley where she soon ran into Kuroobi who was also heading in for his evening meal.

"How many maps did you draw today, Nami?" he promptly pestered her.

" Twenty-three and three quarters," she responded without looking at him.

"Still not back up to your peak speed I see," he remarked.

"Eat worms, Kuroobi," responded an unamused Nami to his derisive chortle.

She crammed herself between Gil and Gaylord the eel, snatching whatever she could off the table to fill her plate and eating it without tasting anything.

Once finished, she tromped out to the courtyard where the dying light of dusk glared straight into her eye as she approached Arlong's chair, The captain was already well on his way to getting drunk as he laughed raucously with Hachi, Shioyaki and several others.

The girl sidled up to the shark-man's arm, waiting to be noticed. Before long, his mirthful gaze found her.

"What a nice surprise! Our industrious little surveyor has finally come down to grace us with her presence." He draped his hand across her shoulders as she suppressed a wince. "To what do we owe this honor?"

"It should please you to learn that I've finally caught up with my workload," she announced.

"Oh? Have you," He leaned in close enough that she could smell the rum on his breath. "Remind me again how long it's been."

"Four months, three weeks, and five days," she dead panned, "Not that I'm counting."

Arlong and the rest of them laughed as if this were the funniest joke they'd ever heard. Gradually regaining his composure, the shark swiped a tear from the corner of his eye, "Well, I guess that is a long time to be doing nothing but charts day in and day out - even for you. Congrats, nakama!" His hand now reached out and swallowed her own in an impromptu handshake.

"Thanks," stated Nami. "So, I'd like to start going back out to sea again."

"Do you think you're still up to the task? You've been out of the game for a long time now."

"Of course I am," she clapped back.

"Well alright - in that case I'll come up there tomorrow morning and take a look for myself."

With that, Arlong's attention turned back to reveling while Nami left to make preparations on her boat.

The following morning rolled into afternoon before Arlong ambled up to Nami's room and gave his seal of approval on her progress. The girl was getting ready to leave with or without it before the disheveled fishman finally made his appearance. She could not depart quickly enough from Conomi - her long-suffering nerves wouldn't withstand one more day cooped up in the oppressive atmosphere of the cartography room.

She inhaled deeply of the salty air as she made her way to Threadsville port. Already, she was feeling a bit of the crushing oppression of the past five months begin to lift with the gusty sea breeze. She had little to go on besides the scant information she'd managed to squeeze out of Hitchin, but she hoped to find a certain Navy man hanging around the harbor once she arrived.

Based on what she'd been told, he frequented an establishment she'd passed through on a couple of occasions years earlier - including when she'd made her first trip out to Threadsville. Nami remembered the place well - she'd liked their crab legs. It was also a popular pirate hub.

When she walked in it was already early in the evening. She scanned the bar to find a couple of stools occupied by brooding old men, otherwise the place was empty. She wondered if she'd picked the wrong day to visit as she found a seat in the back of the house facing the entrance. Nami made her order and waited as she recalled the various conversations she'd eavesdropped on while dining here. She'd also successfully picked a few patron's pockets back when she was still just a greenhorn. Nearly 85 million berries later, that seemed like an age ago.

Nami looked up sharply as the door clanged open and a group of Navy men made their way into the eatery. She eyed each one while the six of them took a larger table near the front. None seemed to fit the description she'd been given by Hitchin which was something of a relief since she felt very uneasy about approaching an entire gang of them. The girl returned to her plate, glancing up any time she heard the door open. Gradually, she finished her meal as the house slowly filled with patrons, but still no appearance from the individual she was waiting for.

Not wanting the night to go to complete waste, the treasure hunter migrated up to the bar where she discovered to some surprise that she didn't have to pay for a single drink and had no shortage of men to talk to. She selected a well-dressed privateer to chat with, learning everything she could about his exploits while she decided whether to rob him now or let him lead her to his ship where more riches might await.

"Excuse me while I go powder my nose," she said to him.

When Nami returned a few moments later, armed with a plan to steal his treasure right out from under his nose, she was suddenly struck by a new face seated in the first booth from the bar. Forgetting all about the pirate dandy, Nami walked right by him and approached the man sitting alone in the booth.

"Officer Petty Calvadori?"

He looked up sharply from his beer and his black eyes traveled down her form. "Who're you?"

"My name's Nami - I'm a colleague of Hitchin's..."

A spark of recognition flitted across his face as he leaned back, "Oh yeah, I remember you now."

"You do? Have we met somewhere before?"

"Not officially, but I know who you are. I was there that night when you tried to rob the Cleaver Pirates several years ago; you've certainly grown up since then!" He gestured a large meaty palm at the empty seat across from him. "By the way, it's Petty Officer First Class Calvadori," he corrected her as she took the seat.

"Sorry about that!" She took in the broad, squat man before her, red in the face and heavy-jowled. She wondered how the acquaintanceship between he and Hitchin had first begun. Despite whatever else she thought of him, the fishman's ability to acquire allies was not to be underestimated.

"So, what brings you here now?" He frowned as he settled back into his beverage.

"Actually, I'm here about acquiring a chart and I was hoping you could help me," she plunged ahead.

He stared blankly back at her for a long moment before responding. "What kind of chart?"

The girl leaned forward. "One for The Grand Line."

Calvadori's head snapped back. "Is that all; you want a map to the Grand Line?" He chuckled loudly into his glass.

Nami did not smile back. "Yeah. Is that something you can handle?"

"Well, that's probably one of the more unusual requests I've ever gotten," he glanced up thoughtfully before looking back at her. "I might be able to get one - but it won't come cheap."

"I'm willing to pay," she assured him.

"Just the trouble alone of getting one would set you back at least 5 million."

"FIVE MILLION? For a map? That's outrageous!"

"That's the price," he shrugged, "take it or leave it."

"I'll give you 500 thousand in cash, and that's my final offer!"

"Forget it. I won't budge on my price."

"What makes you think I have anything close to that kind of money," she demanded.

"Whether you do or don't isn't my problem. But there was probably a couple of million in that sack you swiped from the Cleavers back then," he pointed out to her, "and you've been at it ever since then, so I'm guessing you can probably afford it by now."

"Don't act like you know me," Nami bristled, "and anyway, I certainly don't carry that kind of money around with me."

"I can give you up to three days to get it," he offered her, "but after that I'll already be en route to Navy HQ, and I won't be back in port for another month."

Nami shook her head. "There's just no way I could pay 5 million. I'd be better off finding my own map."

Calvadori raised his thick eyebrows at her but merely shrugged in return. "Well, if you really feel that way, then best of luck to you." He returned once again to his drink as she got up from the booth.

Nami looked once again toward the bar, but the pirate she'd been talking with was no longer there.

000

Her stop off in Threadsville did not last long, nor did much come of it. She tried her hand again on another nearby island with similar results. After being out of the treasure stealing enterprise for several months (as Arlong had so helpfully noted) she indeed felt out of her element. Suddenly she struggled to find leads where they used to practically fall into her lap. Pirates in the area also seemed scarce, while the ones that remained were so low level, they were hardly worth pocket change. Nami finally had to accept defeat - ending her week after sailing sadly back home empty handed.

The subsequent week of map-making was sheer drudgery. Only daydreams got her through the hated work while holed up at Arlong Park. With each stroke, she imagined she was creating her own chart to the Grand Line from which she'd immediately set off to steal a fortune from the strong pirates who plundered there. While she wasn't drawing charts, she read the paper avidly in search of any lead or hopeful prospect only to come up empty. Nami lay on the floor of her sweltering room at night wondering if she'd be able to find another Grand Line map or if she'd truly missed her opportunity.

"So, back when you crossed the Grand Line to come to East Blue," she spoke up as she joined Hachi one day on the outermost gate while he fished, "what do you remember about the route you took?"

"Nyu, that was a long time ago," remarked the octopus, scratching his head, "but I seem to remember there being a mountain involved..."

Nami leaned toward him expectantly. "What about a mountain?"

"We had to cross over one," he responded, suddenly turning his attention toward a bite on one of his lines.

"Cross over? What do you mean?"

"Just what I said...Nyuuu! This is a big one - we'll be feasting tonight!"

While Hachi fought with his fishing pole, she couldn't wheedle any further information out of him. He probably wasn't the best person to ask anyway, she decided.

She had to be careful, however, as she didn't want it getting back to Arlong that she was interested in entering the forbidden waterway. After his fury following her near fatality from her last misadventure, she had no doubt he'd forbid her from leaving East Blue if he ever found out about her "Grand" plans.

As if he could stop me, she emptily reassured herself.

She decided instead to work on getting her body back in shape. During the dark days of the past few months, she'd had little energy or time to put toward practicing her bo skills, which would be crucial for her future plans. Nami went out to the deck of her ketch to brush up.

Before long, she was already winded. She paused to catch her breath and was startled to see Kuroobi standing on the dock, watching her.

"What do you want," she demanded suspiciously of him.

The ray-man shook his head, "I've seen seaweed with more grace than that."

"That's great," the girl huffed. "Any other brilliant observations?"

He took a step forward, his arms crossed over his broad chest, "If you actually plan to fight pirates with that thing, you'd do well to hone your craft - otherwise you may not make it home at all next time."

"Well, what do you think I'm doing," she griped as his harsh but valid statement sank its icy claws into her gut.

"Since you don't have a sparring partner," he sighed, "I could make myself available - but I won't go easy on you. If you don't think you're up for it, feel free to refuse, but this is my only offer."

Nami scoffed. "Why would you make me an offer like that? So, you can kill me and make it look like an accident?"

"Just because I don't trust you doesn't mean I want to kill you," he smirked, "You are still useful to our crew."

"Funny. That hasn't always been your opinion."

"Look, it's still my job to watch out for you as a crewmate, and the best way I can do that is to ensure you don't die at sea."

Nami continued staring cagily back at him. All her mental faculties emphatically insisted there was no reason to trust him. Still, another small but plucky part of her knew she desperately needed to get stronger, and if there was any chance Kuroobi could help her it might be worth the risk.

"Okay, but not on my boat," she finally responded, "I don't want you accidentally destroying it."

True to his word, the fishman was not easy on her. Nami spent the majority of the time face down in the sand while Kuroobi appeared bored as he effortlessly sent jab after jab toward her. His rapid-fire hits scarcely made contact at all even as all her best defenses were inevitably batted aside.

"Pffft! Pathetic," she heard him mutter as she struggled to catch her breath down on the ground.

"So, what made you decide to pursue martial arts," she sat up, still panting, "Was it your only option because you're so ugly and unpopular?"

Kuroobi sneered and Nami immediately saw her opportunity, swinging her staff toward the back of his legs. The swipe struck but failed to topple the sturdy fishman. Kuroobi angrily kicked the staff away as she rolled unsteadily back to her feet.

"It almost worked - if only I were a little stronger," she smirked up at him.

"A little stronger? Hmph! Resorting to cheap insults to try to win is what cowards do," he snarked.

"You have your style, I have mine," she quipped back.

Kuroobi let out a sigh of pure exasperation, "I knew this would be a waste of time!"

Nami didn't much care if the ray-man didn't want to continue their practice sessions. She didn't enjoy it any more than he did, and she felt she'd already gained some valuable lessons from their one-sided sparring match.

She set out the following week, hopeful but unsure of her prospects. Realizing the local scene was dry, she sailed for some islands she'd never been to before and found villages which had apparently been so ransacked by pirates in the past that they'd heavily fortified their ports and viewed any newcomers with deep suspicion. When nothing came of that visit, she headed quickly back out to sea in search of pirate ships, but the waters were strangely empty. Nami herself felt like a solitary scrap of jetsam drifting aimlessly over East Blue.

Weeks passed as the weary traveler grew increasingly anxious over her lack of success or direction. She gradually found herself staring contemplatively down into the not so small fortune stashed beneath the orange trees. Silently she counted it out, fingering the edges of a sack she'd brought along with her.

"What'cha doin'? Making a deposit?"

Nami jumped at the sound of Nojiko's voice. "I didn't realize you were home!"

"Would you rather I wasn't?"

"No! Of course not - I just get a little jumpy whenever I'm out here."

Nojiko stared back at her for a moment, then frowned slightly at the open treasure vault, "So, what are you doing if you're not adding anything to it?"

"I guess I'm thinking about...making an investment," she finally responded.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind," Nami waved her sister off, "it's just a plan I'm working on to make more money."

"Oh? Let's hear it," pressed the other girl, "Maybe I could help."

"Don't worry about it," insisted Nami, turning her back to Nojiko, "I'll take care of it."

000

The man looked up in surprise when someone slid unbidden into the booth seat directly across from him. Nami gave the officer a quick nod as she crossed her arms, businesslike, over the table.

"I'm glad I found you again," she said, "I wasn't sure when you'd be back."

Calvadori squinted at the comely young pirate, "What exactly can I help you with?"

"Are you still able to get me a Grand Line map?"

Calvadori took a long gulp from his glass before gazing back at her, "That depends - do you have the 5 million I asked for?"

She leaned in, her lip curling distastefully. "...I do."

"As soon as I have that money in my hand, I'll bring it to you."

Now it was the surveyor's turn to stare him down, "You won't just take my money and never come back, will you?"

He grinned. "I want to remain on good terms with the rest of your crew, so I don't think robbing you would be a smart move on my part."

Nami sat back, still frowning but without any further protests. "So, when can I expect to see you with my map?"

"I should be returning in about another week," he replied.

"Perfect," stated Nami.

The deal was sealed and money exchanged hands. Nami felt slightly queasy parting with 5 million of the hard-earned berries she'd put aside for Cocoyasi, but she repeatedly reminded herself that she'd soon earn it back with interest.

The week passed excruciatingly slow for Nami. She couldn't depart fast enough for Threadsville once the time came. Her heart pounded as she entered the bar and found Calvadori seated at his usual booth. She slid in beside him, scarcely able to contain her excitement.

"Well, did you get it? Did you get it?" She bounced in her seat impatiently as he reached into his white coat.

"I've got it right here," he assured her, slipping the rolled-up chart out and placing it in front of him on the table. When Nami reached for it, he quickly placed his beefy hand over it.

"What gives," she demanded.

"You still owe me another five," he informed her.

"What," she cried. "Like hell I do!"

His heavy jowls quivered as he shook his head, "You don't understand - I had to use the first 5 million just to convince the right people to give me access to the map; I don't have anything left over afterward. That's why I said it would take 5 million just for me to get the map, and now that I have, I'll need another five for my trouble."

"You tricked me," she spat back, "I never would have agreed to pay you 10 million for a map! What a rip-off! Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Like I said before - you're free to try and find one on your own, but most pirates that have one have already crossed into the Grand Line, and they don't tend to come back." He smirked at her, "What good would it do you even if you had one? You might be better off just forgetting all about it."

"I'm not going to forget about it," she snarled. "I want my money back!"

"Sorry, it's not refundable," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"So, you're planning to cheat me after all," she fumed.

He grinned and shook his head. "No. I'll still give you the map - but only for 5 million."

"I already gave you 5 million and I don't have another! Now I want it back, you crook!" She slammed her fists down on the table.

"Look who's calling who a crook," he chuckled dismissively. "Can you afford to be picky? If you don't have the money right now, I can keep it for you until you get it. Take your time; I'm not going anywhere." The Navy man lifted his glass, draining the remainder of its contents.

Nami fumed as she boarded her boat. She'd thought about simply swiping the map off of him, but as much as she hated Calvadori, she also hated to make enemies with someone of the nearest Navy branch with so much clout and who already knew too much about her. She was now far too invested into the Grand Line map to walk away - and Calvadori knew it. Her only choice was to gather up yet another 5 million to seal the deal. Nami felt ill at the thought of going back to the grove for more treasure; she didn't think she' be able to look her sister in the eye if Nojiko also happened to be there.

Although it took the larger part of a week, Nami finally returned to Stringers with the second payment demanded of her. Impatiently, she waited in the harbor for Calvadori to show up. When the petty officer gradually arrived, Nami met him on the dock.

"Nice Ketch you've got there," remarked the Navy man as he joined her, "You really must be doing well for yourself."

"It was a gift," replied Nami crisply.

"I'll bet it was," he laughed in return as she glared daggers at him.

"The map," stated the girl, holding out her hand.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I trust you brought the five we agreed to."

"I did. However, I want the map first."

"Alright, have it your way," the thick-set man relented. He reached slowly into his coat and brought out the tightly rolled parchment.

Nami snatched the chart away from him, unrolling it for closer examination. She immediately noted that it was a coastal navigational chart of the Polestar Islands which extended across a short stretch of sea to a strip of land with a large mountain near its base. Nami instantly remembered the strange mutterings of Hachi about encountering a mountain when the Arlong Pirates had first entered East Blue. Everything about the chart appeared legitimate to her keen cartographer's eye as she slowly rolled the map back up and stared up at Calvadori.

"Satisfied?" He asked her.

"I guess so," came her response. She turned back toward her boat, "Let me go get the money."

Although the map she'd acquired didn't start until the Polstar Islands, which were in the farthest southwest of East Blue, Nami wanted to waste no time in traveling there. However, she knew she'd need a few other maps to help her most efficiently navigate her way, so she had no choice but to return home yet again. Once she finally got back, depending on circumstances, she'd likely have to wait another week before venturing out again, but at least it would give her a bit more time to prepare for the long journey.

Unfortunately, as soon as she entered Conomi's coastal waters, she met a party of fishmen returning from their never-ending explorations of the ocean floor with a fresh slew of data for her translate into maps.

Arlong welcomed her back, peppering her with the usual questions on her latest exploits.

"We'll see," was all she would reply, "I've got something cooking on the back burner right now."

Nami carefully tucked the Grand Line chart into a hidden crevice of her bookshelf for later study. She'd yet to thoroughly acquaint herself with the document as she wanted to pair it with a few of her own maps for a more complete picture of the journey.

Work was grueling through the following week: when she wasn't drawing charts, she was making extensive repairs to her craft. Every time she had a few minutes to pull out her maps and study over them, she promptly fell asleep. Ultimately, she didn't get to plot a course ahead of time, but Nami wasn't too concerned about it. She felt certain she could figure it out along the way.

000

After all the disparaging lectures she'd endured from various sea men, the day of departure found her doubting not for the first time whether she was truly prepared to enter the Grand Line. She felt fairly confident in her boat's sturdiness as well as her sharpened bo skills; she had all her maps and supplies as well as a decent amount of money. There wasn't anything she could think of that she might be missing, yet somehow, she couldn't shake the feeling that something critical was being overlooked. Perhaps, she reasoned, it was because she'd barely even opened the actual map to the Grand Line yet. Before officially setting sail, the girl decided to pull out her charts for review.

Just as she sat down on the deck, spreading the charts before her, a large shadow fell over the fortune seeker. Nami turned to see Arlong towering above her from the dock. Her heart skipped a beat as she hastily shifted herself in front of the telling coastal chart.

"Well, you look like you're ready for a very important trip," he smirked down at her.

"Every trip I take is important," she informed him.

"Where is it this week," pressed the shark, peering over her shoulder at the maps spread over the deck.

Nami peered suspiciously back up, uncertain of why he was taking such a keen interest in her journey. "Just another one of the hundreds of islands in East Blue," she responded not untruthfully.

"Hopefully not somewhere you're not capable of handling yourself..."

"What do you mean by that?" Her hackles rose like a stray dog defending some scraps, "I've handled myself just fine going on six years now!"

"I wonder about that," he remarked flatly. "Don't forget your little dust-up only a few months ago."

"I haven't," she sniffed. "Believe it or not, I've grown since then."

"I can see that," he said, giving her a once-over, "but you're still very weak even by human standards."

Nami jumped to her feet. "Fine, if you think I'm so weak then give me a gun!"

He shrugged, "Unfortunately, I don't have one on me. But you're free to take whatever you like from the armory - so long as you note it in the logbook."

"I'll keep that in mind," she muttered, the memory of when she last "borrowed" a weapon from the armory rising ominously back to mind. "Well, if you'll excuse me now - I need to finish up so I can head out." She hastily gathered up her maps and headed for the cabin.

"Just remember - your first responsibility is to this crew. So, hurry back where you belong and don't go taking any stupid risks."

Before disappearing through the doorway, she raised her arm in a backwards wave. "Sure thing, boss."

Satisfied that she had everything she needed, the girl set off moments after Arlong walked away. She had no idea how long she'd actually stay in the Grand Line, but she intended to make the trip worth her trouble. If it took months, she'd stay until she'd earned back the millions she'd lost; maybe she'd even manage to make the 100 million goal. The look on Arlong's face would be priceless the moment he realized she'd bought her freedom and would never be setting foot in his shitty cartography room again.

Even though she'd brought maps for the stretch of sea ahead of her, Nami already knew the waters well enough to know she was on course. Her mind raced with plans. First, she'd head to the Polestar Islands where Loguetown was located - another big pirate town based on everything she'd heard and read. From there, she'd re-stock her supplies before whipping out her coastal chart to the most mysterious ocean route in the world. Nami tore her eyes from the horizon at the thought of the hard-won chart; it was finally time to familiarize herself with its contents.

She ducked into the cabin, bringing all her charts out once again and spreading them out over the deck. Nami's eye traveled across the ocean charts to the coast of the largest Polestar Island, memorizing its currents and eddies. Slowly, she moved on to the strange topographical wonder straddling a series of waterways via the Red Line. She frowned as she attempted to make sense of what she was looking at.

All at once, the girl felt a shift in the current beneath her boat. Nami rose to her feet only to nearly loose her balance as the ketch rocked unsteadily. She dashed to the bow to see what was happening only to spot a massive black shadow spreading out like an enormous ink cloud below the water's surface. She watched it span far beyond the width of her boat as it sped past in the opposite direction, turning the sea dark beneath her. She couldn't see where it ended.

Even as she gawked disbelievingly down into the ocean, she heard the sound of water breaking behind her. Nami whirled around to see what at first looked like a mountain peak rising out of the water until she noticed a large back fin protruding from it. The breath retreated from her lungs as she realized what was gliding past her. More of it presently emerged and Nami's gaping eyes followed the long serpentine body all the way back to the bow of her boat. Suddenly, the vessel she was on began to wobble and rise up as she registered with horror that she was sitting squarely on the leviathan's back.

The monstrous sea king turned its neck slowly in her direction as if noticing the small watercraft for the first time. Nami's legs immediately took charge even before her frozen brain could register what was happening. Before she knew it, she'd leapt over the side - bouncing off the monster's dark grey scales before landing in the ocean. Moments later, the house-sized head dove for the ketch grounded on its dorsal fin.

Even as her head rose above the water, Nami heard the deafening snap of enormous teeth clamping down on the unfortunate boat like a cat might a tiny beetle. Pieces of the hull rained down around her, but nothing else remained of the once proud pirate vessel. The indifferent monster glanced around for a moment, checking for anything else it might devour. Seemingly not spotting her among the bits of debris, it gradually slid back beneath the surface and continued on its way through the open waters.

Nami was pushed away by the displaced water as it departed. She bobbed motionlessly as the thing retreated and for an indeterminate amount of time afterward before her gasping breath finally returned to her. Now that she could scream again, she realized she'd been fortunate to be momentarily mute, or she'd likely have shared the same fate as her boat.

Once she'd gotten her trembling under control enough to move again, Nami scrambled for the largest piece of hull she could find and looked desperately around at her grim situation. Everything was gone. All her supplies, food, money and maps were now sitting inside the belly of a rogue sea king.

Around her was nothing but ocean as far as the eye could see. She knew approximately where and how far away she was from Conomi; she'd been sailing for a little over an hour. There were no islands nearby and she had no reason to expect to see any passing crafts in these parts. Resolutely swallowing down her growing sense of despair, Nami began paddling back in the direction of home while trying not to think of what other predators might also be lurking in the sea, waiting to devour her before she ever reached land.

Nami had no idea how long it would take to swim back to Conomi: likely she'd be submerged deep into the moonless night and through the next morning - provided she survived that long. But survive she must - no matter how bleak the circumstances became.

If you can survive, then happy times - lots of 'em - will come your way.

"Belle-Mere-San," she groaned, "please help me."

Not fifteen minutes later, a busily kicking Nami spotted a very ominous sight in the distance. A shark fin. Immediately she stopped, falling completely still in hopes of loosing its interest. Regardless, the fin continued circling the area around her as others began to join. Nami closed her eyes and clutched desperately to the splinter of wood she rested on, praying for deliverance.

When she opened them again, something large - though not nearly the size of a sea king - shot like a submerged missile toward her. Believing a shark was charging her, the girl pulled up her knees and let out a shriek as it suddenly popped up out of the water directly in front of her.

"There you are - chu!"

Nami gaped in uncomprehending amazement at the familiar puckered face bobbing before her.

"Ch-Choo? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I happened to be off island, and I saw a sea king of all things - chu! And it was traveling from the same direction as where you set off earlier this morning. Luckily, it veered away from Conomi...and also from me. So, I thought I'd better go check to make sure you were still alive." He eyed the soaked, stranded girl and the growing school of sharks, "Seems it's a good thing I did."

"It ate my boat," she wailed, "I-I have to get another one! Choo, could you drop me off at-"

"Chu! I'm taking you back to Conomi and that's it. Besides, there's no other island nearby to take you to and I'm no ferry service."

"But if I go back now, I'll be stuck! I have to make money!" She plead as he plucked her off the remanent of the hull and tossed her across his back. "Look, I'll make a deal with you - I'll split whatever I make with you!"

"Give it a rest," he sighed, already jetting back toward the archipelago with the unwilling sixteen-year-old.

Nami gritted her teeth against the bitter, angry tears threatening to spill out. She was still alive, and that meant all hope wasn't lost. But at the moment, all she could focus on was everything she'd lost over the past couple of months - 10 million berries, her boat, nearly all her worldly possessions and her once-in-a-lifetime chart to the Grand Line - with absolutely nothing to show for it. Even worse, she now had to go back in utter failure and face a disappointed Nojiko... And a gloating Arlong.