I'm just lost. Can you guys tell me the way back?

"Why do you have to involve us, especially me?"

On the little boat, besides Uta and me, Johnny and Yosaku were rowing like crazy on the side. They were rowing so hard because they had been promised to be free earlier if they helped me with something.

In response to Uta's bitchy attitude, I told her, "I know what you're doing in your room... and aren't you already bored? I now give you the opportunity to enjoy our first assignment as Marines."

"If you want to defeat the Arlong pirates, you should bring Captain Hina with you."

Even though we are already very close to Cocoyasi Island, our ship has to make a detour a fair distance away, so we have to row for a sufficient amount of time, and another reason why there are only four of us in this small boat is that...

"Fish Man has complete control over the islands and waters in this region. Therefore, the presence of Captain Hina and his crew will only bring about unwanted trouble."

Uta was rendered speechless at this point and turned her gaze away. I'm sure Uta understands the horrors of Fish Man and their advantage in this sea because, with that factor, I am not sure whether Captain Hina can eradicate the Arlong pirates before her ship sinks.

"It's true, as lil bro here said, Fish Man is very strong, especially when they are in the water, and around Cocoyasi Island, there are many secret whirlpools that cause ships to sink easily."

Johnny, who rowed with all his might, made a comment, and soon after, his friend Yosaku also said, "At that time, we accidentally met Nami drifting in the whirlpool around this island. We didn't think that she was a cunning thief cat."

We are getting closer to the coast when we notice in the distance that a ship with a marine flag has just come out from the arch above the water and is rumored to be the place of the Arlong pirates' headquarters.

Uta exclaimed, "Look at that. Apparently, there are other marines beside us here," but I furrowed my brows ever-so-slightly, and soon I seemed to remember something else.

"Yeah, but there's something very strange about this situation."

Because there are so many episodes and chapters in the One Piece series, I also forget many things, including a minor point such as this one, but I have a different strategy that I can use to my advantage.

-

"So this is where we'll have to wait, lil bro?"

"You guys are our only hope of getting off of this island, so I was counting on you being here. Don't make any attempts to flee!"

Yosaku quickly responded frantically after hearing the warning I gave. He said, "Don't worry, even if we want to run away, the Fish Man will surely find us, and I'm sure they will eat us alive."

Johnny and Yosaku then stood guard at the beach while crossing their machetes with each other. They promised to wait for Uta and me until we got back.

"Oh, by the way, why did you wait until now to start wearing that straw hat again?... Even though you kept it all this time," Uta asked, pointing at my head, and I answered casually:

"I dunno. I feel like putting it on now."

What I said was true, and I didn't dare wear it as long as I was at the marine headquarters. I knew it would only cause me harm, especially if they connected my straw hat with the Hito Hito No Mi Model: Nika.

After walking a bit in a fairly dense forest, Uta and I were then surprised by the appearance of a village that was destroyed without any sign of people, but when I wanted to go further, Uta suddenly raised her hand in front of me while speaking in a low voice:

"Wait a second. I think I detect someone coming closer."

While we were concealing ourselves behind a building that had been destroyed, we were startled to hear the sound of footsteps followed by the voice of someone talking to each other:

"Uwahh, look at this place. I still can't stop thinking. The once bustling village full of life has now become ruined and desolate like this."

"Hahaha, that is the consequence these human beings will face if they disobey Arlong's orders."

"That's right, I don't feel sorry for these humans, considering that they have repeatedly done the same thing to us, Fish Man."

When Uta and I peered through the wall wreckage, we saw three humanoid figures with fish-resembling body parts. The figures were standing near the entrance. They appeared to be deeply involved in a conversation about Arlong and several other intriguing topics.

"So the name of this village was Gosa, and because of their tardiness in paying tribute to Arlong, this village was ultimately obliterated..." Uta muttered something, and then, before continuing, she furrowed her brows and said:

"But I still didn't expect, on this small island, there really is a Fish Man race. I thought you were just talking nonsense before."

All I did was shake my head before coming out of our hiding place and approaching the three Fish Man. At first, their reaction was cautious, but they put their weapons down when they realized I was just a child.

"Huff, what was I thinking, don't scare us brats!... what are you doing here?" asked one of them irritatedly.

"I'm just lost. Can you guys tell me the way back?"

"Not only adult humans, but even smaller humans like you are really troublesome... you can just walk straight there and then go home."

Although these Fish Men were annoyed, they were kind enough to lead the way for me. This may have been because they did not perceive me to be a threat. Yet, they were still giving serious threats:

"Next time, make sure you don't get lost. If you cause us any more trouble, we might just eat you alive."

These Fish Men may believe I am frightened, but I know how evil they are. They do not consume human flesh. This is just a stereotype that humans have held about the Fish Man race for a long time.

'Or maybe they really will eat me if they are in a state of urgency and hunger... who knows,' I thought, and right at that moment, I heard Uta's voice coming from behind me saying:

"What's taking you so long?... Do you want to do it or not? I can't stand it any longer.

The Fish Man became vigilant once more, and even though they saw another child this time, they regarded Uta and me with suspicion because this situation was strange. One of them tried to question us:

"Are you trying to tell me that you guys want to escape? Now that we've reached this point, I can't simply let you guys go before I take you to Arlong."