The Atlas loomed like a silent predator against the horizon, its beetle figurehead glinting in the sun. The massive vessel was still an unfamiliar weight on Nami's heart — she hadn't meant to steal something this dangerous. But she needed every edge she could get.
Her island was ahead. Cocoyashi Village. Home. The place she had spent her whole life trying to free. The sight of the familiar coastline brought a lump to her throat, though she quickly forced it down. There was no time for sentiment.
Docking the Atlas just outside the village, she commanded it to anchor with a pull of the crystal levers Tessal had built into the helm. The strange ship hissed and folded its armored plates inward like an insect going dormant. She climbed down with the sacks of treasure and jewels she had stolen from the Straw Hats — her own crew for such a short, bitter time — and slipped into the citrus orchards that stretched beyond the coast.
Here, hidden under the soil and marked by the trees she once played beneath, lay her secret savings. Every coin, every berry, every treasure was meant for one thing: buying her village's freedom. Buying it back from Arlong.
Nami wiped sweat from her brow as she buried the newest haul. The words of her deal with Arlong rang in her ears — once she reached 100 million berries, he would free Cocoyashi. That was the bargain she clung to, the hope that had kept her alive.
But as she tucked the treasure away, a faint buzzing followed her. She spun. Two familiar shapes crouched on the branches above: the Iron Cluster Beetle and the Shield Beetle, their glowing eyes watching her. Tessal's guardians.
Her lip curled.
"Even when I leave, you still follow me…" she whispered. She almost smashed them, but they did not move against her — only tracked her, as if silently promising to protect her from the shadows.
---
Meanwhile, out at sea, another story was unfolding.
The Going Merry cut through the waves, carrying Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, and Tessal. The smaller ship had been released when the Atlas had been stolen — Tessal's failsafe, his "back-up plan." For now, it was their lifeline.
Sanji leaned against the rail, puffing his cigarette. "So… you're telling me that monster ship just deploys a whole other ship when it's taken?"
Tessal, helm fastened over his head, pressed a small panel at his jawline. A soft whir came from within the mask. "I wouldn't worry," he said coolly. "I always have contingencies."
Luffy grinned, as if nothing could faze him. "That Atlas was cool! We'll get it back! Right, Tessal?"
"Eventually," Tessal replied, though his voice carried a shadow that Sanji picked up on.
Usopp broke the tension, bounding over with something clutched in his hands. "Forget the Atlas! Look what Tessal and I made!" He held up a strange device — a glistening insect-shaped communicator. It looked like an earwig, tiny antennae curling like wires.
"An Earwig Radio," Tessal explained. He handed one to Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp. "Insert it in your ear — it links us across distance. A communications bug. Each of you can hear and speak through it. If you're separated, you'll never be alone."
Luffy poked at it with wide-eyed fascination before shoving it into his ear. "WOAH! I can hear myself!" he laughed.
Usopp puffed out his chest. "Not only that! We've also been working on upgrades. Behold—" He raised his weapon. The Revolver Hopper, Tessal's re-forged version of his slingshot, now gleamed with armored plates like a grasshopper's shell. With a click, the legs folded and the weapon reconfigured into a revolver, chambers whirring with insectile precision.
"Grasshopper mode for range. Revolver mode for power. And wait until you see the trick bullets!" Usopp bragged, almost glowing with pride.
Sanji let out a low whistle. "Looks like we got a real little army on our side now…"
---
Back on Cocoyashi, Zoro had already landed with the bounty hunter duo Johnny and Yosaku. His body was still injured, but his will was as sharp as ever. Together they trailed quietly into the village, keeping their eyes peeled for Arlong's men.
And in the orchard, Nami's mask of control cracked when Genzo — scarred, battered, loyal Genzo — confronted her. "Still playing his game, Nami? Still pretending you're his soldier?"
She snapped at him, same as she always did. But deep down, the words stung.
The shadow of Arlong's tyranny hung over the island heavier than ever.
And far out to sea, the Going Merry surged toward Cocoyashi with new inventions, new resolve, and the seeds of a storm that would shake Arlong Park to its core.
---
To Be Continued…