Thank god you're fine, my baby

With Krieg defeated and his crew gone, the chefs of Baratie cheered. Tom went to Zeff amidst all the cheering and said.

"So, I defeated Krieg. Are you gonna uphold your part of the deal?"

Luffy heard that and came running.

"No! I was the one that beat him! You just have to let me go old man and we're square."

Luffy nodded to himself, thinking he made perfect sense. But it seemed not everyone thought so, as Tom said.

"Technically, I landed the last hit. So, I beat him."

"He was already defeated by that time. Your kick doesn't count."

"Are you saying the guy who was about to drown you was 'defeated'? Your words don't make any sense."

"You're just a shameless guy who's trying to steal my credit."

"What did you say!? I saved you three times you know!"

"When did you do that!? You're just lying!"

Zeff looked at the two young pirate captains who had started bickering and said.

"I don't care. Do whatever you want."

"Yahoo! I'm free!"

"What!? That's so irresponsible of you old man! And you, you work for me now!"

Tom's words fell on deaf ears, as Zeff just went back into the restaurant and Luffy ran away in celebration.

**********

The next day, Tom had a very early breakfast and lounged around on the deck of Going Merry. When the others had finished their meals and came out, he noticed Sanji was coming along.

He yawned after seeing Sanji and the other chefs cry while saying goodbye. Scratching his ears, Tom said.

"Let's get going drama queen."

"...."

As he broke the emotional scene, his crewmates deadpanned at him, with his vice captain reprimanding him.

"Whatever, I got a ship to recover."

With the Merry departing, Tom thought of taking a nap before he reached his ship. Unfortunately, he was kicked awake by Luffy.

"Oi Tommy, where are we going?"

"...."

"I need to get my crewmate back as well."

Tom tossed a compass to Tyke after glaring at Luffy and said.

"That'll lead us to my ship. I don't know if your crewmate is there or not."

"What?! No! You stopped us from chasing Nami! So you should find her!"

"Stop being unreasonable! I don't care about your crewmate! I only care about my ship!"

Luffy pounced on Tom when he heard that and started a tussle. Tyke examined the compass and went to the wheel of the ship, ignoring the two captains, something that most of the people who were present did.

Usopp looked at Luffy and Tom who were scratching and biting each other and turned to Yuuki to ask,

"What type of compass helps you find your ship?"

Yuuki turned to Usopp and said an utmost serious expression.

"It is.. a magical compass."

"Hoh."

As the day passed and they were on course, Jonny and Yosaku had a bad feeling and asked if anyone had a map. When Tyke lent them one, they grew scared after realizing where they were heading to. Tyke looked at the map and asked.

"What's so scary?"

"W-we are going straight to Arlong park!"

"That's why Nami-aniki was so fixated on Arlong's poster!"

Seeing Jonny and Yosaku freak out, everyone came around them and they started to talk about the fish-men who had occupied an island and were reigning terror.

"Fish men? Oh, I'm feeling hungry now."

Sanji looked at Jerry's stomach growl and said he would go make some food, with Jerry following him, saying he would help.

Jonny and Yosaku looked at the two who disappeared and the rest who were mostly messing around with no fear and shouted.

"This is important! Take it seriously! Arlong makes Don Krieg look like a joke!"

"I am taking it seriously."

The two of them looked at Tom, who looked pretty beat up with his clothes torn and hair all scraggly. Well at least he was better than Luffy who was tied up in a knot and was struggling to free himself. Tom continued with a very serious expression,

"That little brat.. he never came to help me in the kitchen."

"...."

When they realized their words were falling on deaf ears, they decided to just leave it be as they did not really have a choice anyway.

When mealtime arrived, all of them gathered at the dining table. Zoro, who had just woken up from his nap, looked at his captain whose face was completely filled with scratch marks and snickered.

As Luffy thought of exacting his revenge by stealing Tom's food, they all heard a howl from outside.

When they came out to see where the roar had come from, they saw Jerry strangling a big sea monster. Noticing everyone had come out, Jerry looked at them and grinned.

"Look! I found food!"

As everyone alternated their looks on Jerry's innocent smile and the creature's tearful expression, Tom said.

"We already have food. Just tie him up for now."

"Oh."

As Jerry looked at the sea animal with regret after he heard that, Usopp, who was hiding behind Zoro said.

"I don't think we have enough room on the ship for something that big."

Thinking that what Usopp said made sense, Luffy decided to let it go. He went towards it to get a closer look before letting it free.

The sea animal drooled as it smelled the big piece of meat in Luffy's hands, an action which did not Luffy it seemed, as he immediately punched it and sent it flying.

Scared of what might happen to itself, the animal ran away back to its home. Seeing that the situation was taken care of, everyone went back in to eat.

Tom turned to Luffy after the animal had run away and said.

"You idiot, if you cut it up it can probably last a couple of days."

"Hmph."

Seeing Luffy just go back in without any sort of rebuttal, Tom was surprised, which turned to anger when he watched Luffy eating his share of food.

**********

Nami, who had arrived at her hometown the day before, was having quite a bit of trouble.

It stemmed from the unique safe that was on the Flying Mammy. She could not find where the keyhole even was, and the material of the safe was too hard to just try and break it open.

If she could get it to open, she would probably get a lot closer to her target of a hundred million. She could probably even sell this safe for a good amount through the right channels if she was able to open it.

But unfortunately she was unable to do anything and grew frustrated. She decided to take a walk to clear her head after hiding the safe.

Sitting at her mother's grave, she looked out into the distance and dreamed about buying back her village, as she only had seven million left to gather.

As her thoughts slowly drifted to the crew she joined, the one she betrayed, she unknowingly started feeling bad and buried her head into her arms.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she got up and decided to take a look at the ship she stole and see if she could find any clue on how to open the safe.

**********

As they got closer, Jonny and Yosaku got even more worried and started chewing their nails away. Tom looked at them and said.

"Geez you two, don't you call yourselves pirate hunters? Stop being scared of a pirate."

"But you don't know how scary he is! He is so much different from someone like Don Krieg!"

Looking at the two who were trying to start an imposition again, Tom just walked away. Jonny's and Yosaku's mouths just hung open in shock as they had people ignore them sometimes but they never had someone who had simply walked away without another word.

Tyke, who was standing on the main deck was looking through binoculars towards where the compass is pointing. Letting the binoculars down, he had a surprised expression as he could see their ship.

"Heh, what's so surprising?"

When he turned, he saw his captain standing next to him with a smug look. Any amazement he had just built up for his captain disappeared as he threw the compass back to its owner and asked.

"What now?"

Catching the compass, Tom glanced around him and saw his other two crewmates who were busy doing dumb things together with Luffy and Usopp. Turning to Tyke, he said.

"Let's just get our ship and leave. Stupidity might be infectious."

"...."

As Tom rounded up his crewmates, they got closer to their ship and he noticed that it was properly docked. He also saw someone standing at the docks, presumably guarding the ship as they immediately shouted at them and jumped into the water.

"Did they look weird to you too?"

Just when Tom asked everyone who had gathered on the main deck, the two who jumped into the water jumped out and landed on the ship. The first thing everyone noticed was the skin color and their faces which resembled fish.

"Why are you here?!"

"We're here to get my crewmate!" (Luffy)

"I just need my ship. You give it to me and I'll leave. Deal?" (Tom)

"Tommy! You need to help find Nami first!" (Luffy)

"I don't care about your stupid navigator." (Tom)

"Don't call her stupid!" (Luffy)

The two fish-men just looked on as the two who just talked started fighting. They decided to knock everyone out first and take them back. Arlong would definitely know what to do with them.

Thinking along those lines, the two fish-men jumped down and tried to attack. They were unsuccesful as they were met with a boot and a fist respectively and were promptly knocked out.

After Usopp and Yuuki separated their captains, they tied up the two fish-men and anchored their ship. Tom went to his ship right away and started inspecting.

Seeing no damage to the main deck, he went inside and started checking each room. His heart dropped when he went to the room the safe normally was in.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked again but the only thing he saw was a hole in the room where the safe used to be.

'She took my safe?'

Gritting his teeth, he got onto the main deck and looked for Luffy, who was lying down on the ground. Tom jumped at him immediately and started choking him.

"What the hell!?"

"You bastard! Nami stole my safe! Give it back!"

Luffy did not know what Tom was talking about and started to fight back. Seeing their two captains who had started to fight again, both the crews sighed and went to break them up.

When Tom was struggling to get out of Tyke's grasp his feline senses picked up the smell of Nami. Turning to Tyke, he questioned.

"Was that woman here?"

"..Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me then?!"

"...."

"How long has it been?"

"It's been a few minutes."

"Alright, let me go. I'm calm now."

As soon as Tyke let Tom go, he rushed off somewhere brushing past a blue haired woman. The new arrival, Nojiko, looked at Tom who was running and turned to the people present and asked.

"So you're Nami's crewmates?"

"Not all of us." (Tyke)

"What's it to you?" (Zoro)

"I'm Nojiko, Nami's sister."

As everyone looked at Nojiko who did not really have any similar qualities to Nami, Sanji said.

"No wonder you're so beautiful~"

"You all-"

Nojiko cut her words short as she smelled something burning, something almost everyone present did apparently, as they all turned towards the smell at the same time.

They were left stunned at what they saw. Jerry was trying to roast the two fish-men who were knocked out earlier. Nojiko screamed in horror at the scene and rushed to put out the flame.

After she put it out, she sighed in relief and grabbed Jeery by his ear and screamed.

"What the hell are you doing kid?!"

"I thought they would taste good.."

Nojiko looked at the boy who hust ignored her and looked back at the fish-men.

When the fish-men noticed Jerry drooling at them, they started shaking in fear and tried to get out of their binds. Looking at them and realizing the irreparable damage that was already done, Nojiko said.

"Leave the island."

"I'm here for Nami. I'm not leaving."

Looking at the straw hat wearing boy, Nojiko took a deep breath to calm herself down and said.

"She won't leave… It's impossible for her to."

"Why?" (Zoro)

"I'll tell you why. Please leave after that." (Nojiko)

"I'm not interested. I'm going for a walk." (Luffy)

"Wh-" (Nojiko)

Nojiko was stunned at Luffy who walked away. Looking at Nojiko, Zoro smirked,

"He's just a little quirky. Don't think too much."

**********

On the other hand, Nami got her treasure taken away by a marine who was sent by Arlong. When she and Genzo, someone she knew from childhood, tried to stop them, the marines shot at them.

Tom looked at the scene while hiding on the roof and clicked his tongue.

'Why does everyone have a sad backstory!?'

After the marines went away with the treasure, Tom looked at Nami who was helping an injured Genzo towards the village and decided to follow the marines.

**********

Captain Nezumi thought he hit the jackpot as he was going through the loot he 'confiscated', which was more than ninety million beri. As he was giggling to himself that he could keep thirty percent of it, he heard a ruckus behind him.

"Keep it down!"

Yelling without even turning back, he got back to counting when he heard someone talk next to him.

"Quite the haul."

"That's right, isn't it?"

It was only after Nezumi answered that he realized he did not really recognize the voice. Turning next to him, he saw a blue haired man with a smile that would put even his corrupted self to shame.

"Wh-"

Anything he wanted to say did not come out as he was swiftly knocked out.

Looking at the trunk which held a lot of money, Tom clicked his tongue and closed it. Looking around, he found his safe and went closer to inspect it.

After finding no trace of damage on it, he was about to take it back to his ship when he heard a huge splash which rocked the marine ship that he was on.

___________________

Author's note : First of all, why did I not upload the last few days? No excuses tbh, I just procrastinated. I'll probably add in a couple of OC fish men and buff up Arlong a little for the upcoming fight.