The waves crashed violently against the shore as dark clouds gathered over Cocoyasi Village.
The small fishing boat carrying Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Shiro pushed through the rain until the shadow of Arlong Park appeared on the horizon.
The once peaceful sea had turned wild as if the world itself knew a storm was coming.
The Village of Tears
When they landed, the villagers watched in silence. Fear hung heavy in the air.
Children clung to their mothers, and old men stared at the ocean, whispering one name: Arlong.
Luffy tilted his hat forward. "We're close, huh?"
Usopp gulped. "Too close..."
Sanji looked around. "Where's Nami?"
A woman approached them Nojiko, her lavender hair dripping with rain.
"You shouldn't be here," she warned. "Leave before Arlong finds you."
Shiro stepped forward. "We're here for Nami."
Nojiko's eyes widened. "Then you must be... the pirates she traveled with."
She sighed. "You don't understand. Nami's working for Arlong. She"
Shiro shook his head. "No. She's suffering because of him."
Nojiko froze. That certainty in his tone…
> How could this stranger know so much about her sister's pain?
The Truth Revealed
Inside Nojiko's home, the crew sat as she told them everything how Nami had joined Arlong's crew only to buy back her village, how she endured years of pain and hatred alone.
As the story unfolded, Shiro's hands trembled.
Every word hit him like a blade. He knew this story. He'd watched it before.
But now… he could feel it.
Nami… all those times you smiled at us. You were hiding this.
Rain hammered the roof as Nojiko's voice cracked. "She only needs one hundred million berries more... then Arlong promised to free the village."
Zoro clenched his fists. "And he's lying."
Luffy stood up. "I'm going to crush that fishman."
Shiro rose beside him. His voice was calm, but his eyes burned.
"No. We're going to crush him."
The Night Encounter
That night, Shiro found Nami at the cliff overlooking the sea, drenched in rain, her shoulders trembling.
She didn't notice him at first.
Her knife flashed in the moonlight she was stabbing Arlong's tattoo on her arm over and over, tears mixing with rain.
"Nami!"
She froze, turning sharply. "Shiro... what are you doing here?!"
He walked closer, slowly, eyes filled with pain. "You should've told us."
"Stay away!" she shouted, backing up. "You don't understand! This is my fight!"
He stopped just a few steps away, his voice low and shaking.
"I do understand. I know everything, Nami. About Belle-Mère. About the villagers. About the promise you made."
Her eyes widened, shocked. "How… how could you possibly know that?"
Shiro smiled faintly, though his eyes glistened.
"Because I've seen your story before… I just never thought I'd be part of it."
Nami's voice broke. "Then you know I can't let you get hurt because of me."
Shiro stepped forward and gently took her trembling hand.
"You've carried this pain long enough."
He looked into her eyes the storm reflected between them.
"You don't have to fight alone anymore, Nami."
For a moment, everything went silent just the rain, the sea, and the weight of their hearts.
Her voice was barely a whisper. "Why… why do you care so much?"
He smiled softly. "Because you're the reason I'm fighting. You're the reason I'm here."
Nami's breath caught. Her eyes shimmered with tears she could no longer hide.
> "Shiro…"
She leaned forward, her forehead resting against his chest.
For the first time, she allowed herself to cry freely not as a thief or a navigator, but as a woman who had carried too much pain for too long.
Shiro wrapped his arms around her as thunder rolled in the distance.
"I swear," he whispered, "I'll destroy Arlong with my own hands. You'll never cry because of him again."
The Symbol of Hope
At dawn, the Straw Hats gathered before the gates of Arlong Park.
The rain had stopped but the air was heavy with tension.
Luffy grinned. "Ready?"
Zoro cracked his knuckles. "Been waiting all night."
Sanji lit a cigarette. "Let's show these fishmen what real monsters look like."
Nami appeared beside them, still wearing her orange shirt but her tattoo was wrapped in a white bandage.
When she looked at Shiro, their eyes met briefly.
He nodded. "You're not alone anymore."
She smiled faintly. "Thank you... Shiro."
As the gates opened, Arlong's booming laughter echoed.
"You really came back, little thief... and you brought friends."
Luffy stepped forward. "You hurt my navigator."
Shiro drew his sword. "And you made the woman I care about cry."
Lightning flashed and the battle for Cocoyasi began.