Luffy's crew pressed forward through Cocoyasi Village, their steps resolute. Led by Luffy, the six pirates passed through eerily quiet streets. Despite having been there before, the village felt deserted, its residents seemingly scattered. Scanning their surroundings, they soon spotted a crowd gathered at the village's entrance, opposite their approach. Something was happening.
Silently, they drew closer, weaving through startled villagers who parted for them. As they neared the front, an unsettling scene emerged: Genzo faced five fishmen, each of a different aquatic species, their glares menacing. The air crackled with hostility, a near-tangible threat. The crew cautiously approached, assessing the situation.
Voices carried as they neared, and while the others strained to listen, Luffy seemed unfazed. "Some punks took out our crew. Not villagers—we know that. You're hiding them. Where?" a fishman demanded.
"Don't know. No one's come here," Genzo replied.
"Lying won't help. Keep it up, and your lives are on the line," the fishman growled.
"Can't say I know what I don't. No reason to lie," Genzo said.
"You—don't mess with me!" the fishman roared, seizing Genzo's collar. His superhuman strength lifted Genzo effortlessly, dangling him like a fish on a hook.
Villagers gasped, but their murmurs didn't go unnoticed. Luffy, expression unchanged, closed the distance. "Our woken crew said humans from outside attacked them right off Cocoyasi. You're telling me none of you saw them?" the fishman shouted. "Forgot how scary we are? We'll remind you!"
"I said I don't know—" Genzo grunted.
"Hey," Luffy called casually, slipping through the crowd.
The fishman turned, spotting Luffy—a stranger's face, unfamiliar among the villagers he knew. This is the guy, he thought instinctively. Releasing Genzo, who collapsed, the fishman ignored him and loomed over Luffy, face inches away. Even Luffy, fearless as he was, grimaced slightly at the intrusion, though not from fear.
"You the punk who touched our crew?" the fishman snarled.
"Move. I'm in a hurry," Luffy said.
"Huh? Mocking me, kid? Know who you're messing with?" the fishman spat.
"Don't care. Move, or I'll make you," Luffy said.
"What? You little human—try it!" the fishman roared.
In a flash, Luffy's fist smashed into the fishman, sending him skidding across the ground before he could finish. The strike was so swift, the boom lingered in the air. The remaining four fishmen stood stunned, unable to process what happened. They glanced at Luffy, then at their fallen comrade, then back at Luffy's snapping fingers, realization dawning—he'd done it.
Fear and rage twisted their faces. Clenching fists, they lunged at Luffy. "You!" one shouted.
But Kiri moved faster, closing on the nearest fishman with a paper sword in hand. Without hesitation, he drove it into the fishman's gut, doubling him over, then slashed five times in a blur, shredding the foe. The fishman collapsed, unconscious, as the bloodied paper fluttered to the ground. Kiri turned, smiling at his crew.
The fishmen, reeling from the rapid assaults, fixated on Kiri's exposed back. One charged, seeing an opening. But before he could strike, an unseen force sliced his chest in a diagonal gash. No swordsman was near, no one stood before him—yet the wound was real. Glancing up, he saw Silk, her blade drawn, already swung. As he bled, she swung again, an invisible kamaitachi—a cutting gust—slashing him oppositely. The force knocked him back, unconscious, crashing to the ground.
In less than a minute, two fishmen—supposedly superior beings—fell. The remaining two trembled, one muttering, "What… what are these guys?"
"Pirates. Obviously," Sanji said, delivering a sudden heel drop to another fishman's head, slamming him into the ground. The bone-rattling blow knocked him out instantly, Sanji relaxing as if it were routine.
The last fishman, panicked, scanned the scene. Five had come; now he stood alone, his crew felled by humans—weak, inferior beings in his mind. Luffy stepped forward, his face deadly serious. The fishman collapsed to his knees, overwhelmed. "Where's Arlong?" Luffy asked coldly.
"Hii!" the fishman squeaked, scrambling up and fleeing into the night, stumbling in terror.
Luffy didn't pursue, staring after him. Kiri stepped beside him. "Probably that way. Keep going, and we'll find him."
"Got it. Let's move," Luffy said.
"Alright, everyone, let's go," Kiri called, turning to the crew.
They followed Luffy, Zoro wearing a bored scowl, Sanji chatting cheerfully with Silk, and Usopp wiping cold sweat. Their casual demeanor, as if nothing extraordinary had happened, struck even the villagers as oddly normal.
"Silk-chan, you're strong! That a Devil Fruit?" Sanji asked.
"Yeah, the Kama-Kama Fruit. I can make kamaitachi," Silk said.
"Strong and cute? You're a dangerous beauty," Sanji said.
"I-I'm not cute," Silk stammered, blushing.
"Even that's adorable!" Sanji bellowed.
"Quiet, Sanji! Your shouting'll bring enemies!" Usopp snapped, his self-proclaimed cowardice fearing a counterattack.
Zoro, silent till now, spoke. "They already know. That guy ran to get backup."
"What? Seriously? Luffy, charging straight in's risky! We need a plan to—" Usopp started, then turned to Kiri. "Kiri!"
"Sorry, Usopp. Plan's to charge in," Kiri said.
"What? I demand a strategy meeting!" Usopp pleaded.
"Denied. Captain's not stopping," Kiri said.
Usopp's protests were brushed off as Luffy marched into the darkness, undeterred. Only Genzo, among the stunned villagers, found his voice, nearly letting them slip away. Stepping forward, he faced the six as they paused. "Wait! Where are you going?"
What were they planning? Knowing Nami didn't mean they could act freely. Confused, Genzo demanded answers, driven by concern for her. Luffy replied, "To Arlong's place."
"What for?" Genzo asked.
"My business. I'm a pirate," Luffy said.
"Pirate or not, that doesn't matter. Do you know this village's situation? How hard Nami's fought? Don't act recklessly," Genzo said.
Luffy met Genzo's gaze silently, unflinching. Genzo pressed, "You said you want Nami as a crewmate. A pirate."
"Yeah," Luffy said.
"Can you protect her smile?" Genzo asked.
"Of course," Luffy said.
He gripped his hat's brim, tilting it down. Genzo, pondering, chose his words carefully. He knew the village couldn't win freedom alone. They'd endured, keeping Cocoyasi as Nami's home, bearing pain for years. Relying on pirates felt shameful, but letting Nami suffer more was unbearable.
Gritting his teeth, Genzo bowed slightly. "Please save her. We can't anymore… She shouldn't have to fight. Forget us—just set her free."
His face, hidden by darkness and his bow, was unseen, his voice raw. "One thing," he added, stronger now. "If Nami joins you and cries because of it, I'll hunt you down. Never forget that."
His words, not fitting a plea, were his unfiltered truth, laced with regret. His voice rose. "Got it?!"
The sound faded into the quiet, villagers nodding in shared resolve. Nami was their heart. Luffy, unmoving till now, grinned. "Old man, wanna bet?"
"Bet?" Genzo asked.
"Yeah. If I beat Arlong, Nami's mine. If you beat him, I won't take her. Live here in peace," Luffy said.
"What? But Nami—" Genzo started.
"We're pirates. We don't move for others, we plunder, and whether Nami cries is her choice. I don't decide that," Luffy said.
Genzo stood stunned as Luffy continued. "Pirates live free. I do what I want. I'm not beating Arlong for you—I want to. Nami decides her path."
"But…" Genzo faltered.
"If she comes with us, I swear she won't die," Luffy said.
Arms crossed, Luffy stood with his five crewmates, boldly facing the villagers. "We're not here to save Nami. We're stealing her. Want to protect her? Do it yourselves. I'm taking her sailing."
Genzo and the villagers gaped at their audacity. Young but fearless, they refused pleas, demanding action. Genzo, realizing his complacency, sighed, a strange relief settling in. The villagers shared his frustration—eight years of Nami's exploitation mirrored their suffering, with no chance for revenge. If they could fight back, nothing would be sweeter.
Their faces hardened with resolve. Genzo spoke for them. "Fine. We won't beg. We'll protect Nami ourselves."
"Shishishi, got it," Luffy said.
Genzo turned to the villagers, their expressions united. They'd prepared weapons, ready to die fighting if the fishmen pushed Nami too far. The time had come. "Everyone, grab your weapons! We face the fishmen! No more of their tyranny!" Genzo roared.
"Yeah!" the villagers shouted, fists raised.
Luffy, grinning, led his crew onward, pausing to address two followers. "Yosaku, Johnny, protect the old man and his people."
"Got it!" Yosaku said.
"With our lives!" Johnny added.
"We're going ahead. Hurry, old man, or it'll be over," Luffy said.
The six vanished into the dark. As villagers rushed to Genzo's house for weapons, he watched their backs. Saviors or mere pirates? He couldn't tell, driven by their momentum, his face bitter.
Eight years ago, Arlong Park, a towering structure, rose on the village's outskirts. Home to Arlong's crew, it dominated the Conomi Islands, including Cocoyasi. The recent destruction of Gosa, a defiant village, lingered in memory. Arlong, a sawshark fishman with a 20-million-beri bounty, ruled unchallenged in the East Blue.
Change came when a fishman stumbled into Arlong Park, tripping in his haste. "Arlong-san! Trouble! We found those guys—four more of us are down!" he gasped.
Arlong, seated, fixed him with a piercing stare. His sawshark features—jagged nose, towering frame, blue skin, and a sun tattoo on his chest—radiated menace. The fishman froze, breathless. Arlong, a species supremacist, cherished his kin, making his rage at their defeat inevitable.
"So, humans dare defy us?" Arlong said.
"Y-Yeah. Not villagers, but humans. Definitely," the fishman said.
"Hmph. Lowly humans challenging fishmen? Laughable," Arlong said, chuckling darkly. His calm was more terrifying than expected rage, hinting at deeper fury. Leaning back, he spoke with venom. "What do we do? They're probably coming here," the fishman said.
"Perfect. Crush them. And wipe out Cocoyasi while you're at it," Arlong said.
His crew hesitated. The village paid taxes—losing it, after Gosa, meant less income. Kuroobi, a ray fishman and officer, crossed his arms. "Sure? That's another revenue loss."
"Time to expand our territory anyway. And kill Nami. She's onto my plans. A fine navigator, but no use alive. Let her die with Cocoyasi," Arlong said, grinning, his sharp teeth gleaming.
Kuroobi nodded. "Understood. We'll end them all."
"Do it, brothers. Shahahaha!" Arlong laughed.
Under his cackle, the fishmen marched toward Cocoyasi, targeting the villagers, and Nami, once their ally. In the dark, a silent advance began.
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