Nami's Despair

"Oh, let's just say I had a hunch. Chichichi." That laugh was just too much for Coby to hold back anymore. He ran out of the house and drew his bokken. There was a group of men outside with Nojiko. Their leader was a seedy-looking man with a whisker-like mustache and a small goatee.

His Marine uniform had an added hood pulled up to show the extra mouse ears on top. With the group was another man who was dressed in an old maroon army uniform. He had scars crisscrossing over his face and arms and a black mustache on his shocked face. A pinwheel spun in the wind from its spot on his hat. Off to the side, Nojiko was held down by two nameless marines.

"You corrupt bastard!" The pink-haired boy yelled. "You're working with Arlong, aren't you?"

"Where did you come from, little boy?" Coby didn't answer. Instead he rushed the officer who drew a gun.

"No! Coby!" Nojiko's yell came too late to stop the enraged pre-teen. Nazumi fired. Coby staggered backwards as the bullet sank into his shoulder with a splash of blood, both the preteen and his blood falling to the ground. The boy grit his teeth so his cry of pain wouldn't reach the marine's ears. His teacher wouldn't cry out, why should he? Coby tried to pull himself up, his wounded shoulder screaming in protest and the blood loss making him dizzy.

"Sir!" one of Nazumi's men shouted, redirecting the man's attention from the shot boy to the marine. "I found it!" The two holding Nojiko and the three holding the other man released them, running over to see their prize.

"Damn corrupt marines," Nojiko bit out, falling beside Coby with the older man on his other side. She could do nothing as the government dogs stole all of her sister's hard-earned treasure.

"We need to get this boy to a doctor," Pinwheel Guy said. He picked up Coby and shot the marines a dirty look.

"Take him into town," Nojiko told the man. "Some of his friends are inside. I'll get them." Pinwheel Guy headed toward the village with Coby in his arms while the woman went into her home. "Coby's been shot. Follow me." The four men complied. They wanted to beat the frick-frack out of all of the government personnel in the tangerine grove, but they wanted to be there for Coby more. The marines didn't see them leave; they were too focused on the money.

____________________________

"Doctor! Help!" Genzo ran into the village as fast as he could while carrying the wounded boy. His shouting attracted a large crowd that met him in the center of town. On the outskirts, just within hearing range was Nami behind a building and Luffy under a tree on the other side.

"Genzo?" the town doctor asked. "What's wrong? What happened to this kid?" Luffy shot up at the sight of pink hair.

"Those damn marines shot him after stealing Nami's money." Genzo answered.

"Coby!" Luffy yelled, pushing his way to the boy. "What happened?"

"Captain Luffy," Coby muttered, the blood loss turning him slightly delirious. "I need to stop getting into these situations. It'll turn into a bad habit."

"Shut up," Luffy told him firmly. "What happened? Who shot you?"

"They... They took it all. They were working with Arlong. The... The Marines. Arlong... He never meant to keep his side of the bargain." The boy passed out, the combined effects of recovering from poison and the blood loss from the bullet wound being too much for his young body.

The young pirate captain didn't know what bargain his friend was talking about, but it wasn't long before the rest of his crew came running in following Nami's older sister. They, in broken and overlapping explanations, explained that Nami had agreed to buy back her village for 100 million Beris, but that Arlong had hired a corrupt marine to steal it all when she was close.

Nami couldn't take it. All that hard work, stolen? It just couldn't be true. She ran off to confront Arlong.

"What will we do, Don Luffy?" Gin asked in his normal, calm manner.

"Nothing," Luffy answered, his eyes shadowed by his hat.

"But Luffy-" Usopp tried to argue.

"We won't do anything," Luffy cut him off. "Not until Nami asks for help. Until then, we wait. It's not our business... yet," he added.

"But the Marines-" Usopp began.

"Will get what's coming to them," Luffy finished, "but they were hired by this Arlong and he's Nami's problem. When she wants help, we'll give it to her."

And so they waited. Coby was carried into the doctor's office and patched up. He woke up an hour later, but he was in no condition to move. The townspeople weren't as calm. They were arming themselves with anything they could find to attack Arlong Park, ready to march to their deaths as storm clouds rolled in from the east. They were all in the center of town, about to leave, when Nami returned, hysterical.

"Stop!" Nami yelled, pulling out a knife. "Please, stop! Don't do this! I... I can get the money again! It's no problem. I have experience, now."

"No, Nami," Genzo told her gently, taking her knife by the blade and dropping it on the ground. He ignored the blood seeping from his fingers. "This is it. We've been cheering for you for these last eight years, but now we know that Arlong won't let you reach your goal."

"But if you fight, the fishmen will kill you!"

"We know," Genzo muttered quietly, much to Nami's horror. "With us gone, you'll be free to follow your dream. Forget about us. We know we're going to lose, but you know what? We'll GIVE 'EM HELL!"

"YEAH!" the village cheered. They hurried out despite Nami's weakening protests as it began to rain, the water coming down and washing over the girl. When they were gone, Nami stood there for a second longer before falling to her knees, the dirt turning to mud around her. She clutched the tattoo on her bicep, tears falling from her eyes and mixing with the rain. The glint of the knife caught her eye and rage filled her.

"Arlong," she whispered in a mixture of anger, desperation, despair, and hate. "Arlong." She lifted the small blade and plunged it into her arm, straight through the tattoo. Wincing, she pulled the knife out, hoping that the rain and the blood and the pain would wash away her torment before she plunged it back in over and over, crying all the while. "Arlong. Arlong. Arlong! Arlong! ARLONG!" She primed the knife to stab her arm once more, but someone grabbed her wrist. She tilted her head just enough to see who it was, tears streaming from her bloodshot eyes.

"Luffy? What... What are you doing here? Why are you here?! WHY?! I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE! Leave. Leave..." Her voice had gone from confusion to rage to utter despair. "Luffy," she finally pleaded. "Help me."

The teen smiled and removed his hat before placing it on her head. "With pleasure." He snapped his fingers and the other men walked out of the doctor's office. Coby was still inside since he was injured, but they'd all agreed that he'd done enough in the fight with Krieg. "Usopp, you know the way. Take us to Arlong Park."

"Aye, Captain."

______________________________

Johnny and Yosaku, beaten and bloody, were sitting in front of Arlong Park when the villagers arrived. The sound of the laughter of the Arlong Pirates flowed from inside the gate. The bounty hunters' clothes were ragged and Johnny's sunglasses had lost their glass. They did not move as the men and women of Cocoyashi approached.

"Move out of the way!" Genzo ordered them. "We have business with Arlong!"

"If you go in there, you'll die," Johnny told them.

"We know that, but we would rather die that live under them any longer."

"Wouldn't you rather live free?" Yosaku questioned.

"Well, of course," Genzo faltered.

"Then just wait for a few more minutes," Johnny finished. "There's going to be a certain group of men that will come and they will free this island from Arlong's control."

"Who? The Marines?"

"Far from it. Here they come." The armed villagers turned to see five men through the haze of the noonday heat, all of their eyes shaded.

The man on the far left was dressed in gray with red designs and a blue and gray headband. He seemed to be around his mid-twenties. His skin was a golden tan and his hair was as black as the darkest night. In his hands were two moving forms of iron. A wind from his moving weapons made his clothes ripple. His aura was like that of a demon from Hell.

The next man was no less terrifying even if he seemed younger. His clothes included dark trousers and a green sash around his waist. Around his torso were bloodied bandages that did nothing to detract from his fear factor and were partially hidden by a dusty, white shirt. His skin was not as dark as the first man's and his dark green bandana hid his hair color. One sword in a white sheath easily rested at his side. If the first man had looked like a demon, this man looked like the demon's hunter.

The man on the far right was the least threatening. Probably a teen, his skin was tan, but his form was thinner than all the others. Black, curly hair spilled out of a light green bandana and unassuming brown coveralls covered his torso and legs. A large, brown, circular satchel rested at his hip and a small green slingshot sat in his left hand. His long nose cast a shadow over his face and goggles covered his eyes.

The fourth man, the second from the right, was the best dressed of the five. He seemed to be the same age as the swordsman, and a black suit, blue shirt, and black tie made up his wardrobe. His walk was relaxed with his hands inside his pockets, a lit cigarette trailing smoke from his mouth. Blond hair covered the right half of his face. As they got closer, it was revealed that his visible eyebrow was a swirl. He blew smoke in small puffs without a care.

The last figure, though probably the youngest, was in the lead. He was clad in an open, sleeveless red vest to show his muscular torso and jean shorts covered his waist to his knees. Sandals followed the pull of his feet, showing calluses that spoke of many miles traveled. His bare arms were lean, small but strong. A scar under his right eye stood out on his face, just under the shadow caused by his wild raven hair.

The villagers parted for these men as they approached, staring at this group with fear and awe at the pressre they seemed to emit. The man in red moved to the gate while his companions formed a semicircle around him. The teen then did something that shocked everyone watching.

He punched the gate, leaving a fist-sized dent in the metal. All sound from within the stronghold stopped, one voice calling out to ask the others what that noise had been. The man punched the wall again, leaving another dent. He punched it a third time, destroying the gate and flooding the surrounding air with dust that dropped visibility to zero. The dust cleared to show the fishmen, all of whom were standing with the exception one, surprised expressions on their faces.

"Which of you is Arlong?" the kid demanded, stepping through the now-ruined entrance.

"That would be me," replied the light blue fishman sitting in the chair. He had a nose like a sawtooth shark and teeth to match. A dorsal fin stuck out of his long, curly, black hair. A red sun tattoo was half hidden by his Hawaiian shirt and the mark of his crew was branded in his left forearm. Green shorts and sandals completed his ensemble. "May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Luffy. And I'm here to kick your fishy, blue ass."