"Big Bro Arlong… does it hurt…?"
Nojiko asked with a worried frown.
Arlong: ＜(?????)
"Whether it hurts or not, who do you think knows better?"
"It hurts!" Nojiko pouted, looking wronged.
?(?`^′?)?
"Oh~"
Affection +3
…
Arlong pulled up Nojiko's stats.
Beauty: Nojiko (Ordinary Human) Skills: Hand-to-hand combat, Farming, Cooking Weapon: None Affection: -99
Arlong: ...
…
Meanwhile
Zoro was blocked by a river.
"That damn woman gave me the wrong directions on purpose! She must be one of Arlong's goons!"
"And where the hell am I? Not a soul around…"
"Hm!"
Zoro's instincts flared. His sharp gaze snapped toward the water.
Ripples spread across the surface.
Something was moving fast—heading straight for him.
That's…
A clay pot?
Zoro blinked in confusion.
(⊙_⊙)?
The pot reached the shore, and Hatchan (Hachi), cadre of the Arlong Pirates, popped his head out.
"You're new around here, little bro. Navy? Or a guest?"
Hachi asked with his usual goofy grin.
"Guest?"
Zoro hesitated. Well, an uninvited guest still counts as a guest, right?
"Where ya headed? I can give you a ride!"
Hachi didn't suspect a thing and sounded super enthusiastic.
"That'd be great, thanks."
Zoro nodded. "Take me to Arlong Park. Some idiot gave me bad directions earlier."
"No problem!"
Hachi thought Zoro was just another visitor and agreed instantly.
He invited Zoro into the clay pot.
"Hold on tight, guest! Setting sail!"
Hachi dove under and carried the pot away from the shore on his back.
"I'm Hachi! What's your name?"
Hachi poked his head out of the water.
"Roronoa Zoro."
The name sounded familiar, but Hachi scratched his head, shrugged it off, and started chatting casually.
…
"NO!!!"
Nami jolted awake from a nightmare.
An inexplicable dread gripped her heart—like something terrible had happened.
She hurriedly threw on clothes, accidentally pulling at her wounds as she leapt out of bed.
"Hssss—!"
She sucked in a sharp breath.
o_O !
"Damn Arlong, stinking Arlong—don't you know your own size?! Have you never heard of being gentle with girls?!"
Cursing under her breath, Nami stormed out of the room.
No sign of Arlong.
She stepped into the courtyard outside the tower. The sky was dim.
All she saw were drunken fishmen sprawled everywhere—no Arlong, no cadres.
"Don't tell me he went to Cocoyasi Village…!"
Panic surged. Ignoring the pain, Nami stumbled toward the village.
She swore to herself:
"Arlong, if you dare touch Nojiko or Gen-san, I'll drag you to hell with me!"
Just as Nami left, Zoro swaggered in.
"Hey! Anybody here?"
"Nami! Luffy sent me to bring you back!"
"Who the hell are you?"
A groggy fat-headed fishman mumbled, eyes barely open.
The next second, a cold blade rested against his throat.
"Where's Nami? And where's your captain Arlong?!"
The icy question snapped the fishman wide awake.
"I-I don't know!"
Zoro didn't waste words—he slashed.
Blood sprayed as the fishman's chest split open and he flopped over dead.
"Wasting my time."
Zoro muttered, then kicked another fishman awake—a golden dragonfish this time.
…
By the time Nami reached Cocoyasi Village, night had completely fallen.
The village was eerily quiet.
Seeing the collapsed house, Nami sprinted home.
"Nojiko, you better not die before me!"
Soon she stood in front of her house, hand on the door—but too terrified to open it.
She was scared of what she might see…
She quickly assembled her three-section staff, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.
"Waaah…"
A woman's sobbing echoed inside.
Nojiko!
Rage exploded.
"Arlong, you lying bastard!"
With a furious roar, Nami charged into the bedroom.
There, with his back to her, Arlong was on the collapsed bed, "bullying" Nojiko.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Blinded by fury, Nami swung her staff down at Arlong's head.
Nami Affection -5 -5 … → 0
CLANG~CRACK!
The ironwood staff—hard as steel—snapped at the joints and flew apart.
Arlong was completely unharmed.
Well… his hat got a little dented.
Nami: 0ДQ
Her weapon was supposed to be nearly indestructible—yet it couldn't scratch him!
Her hands went numb from the impact.
"Nami, perfect timing."
Arlong turned and flashed a toothy grin. "You showed up at just the right moment."
Nami's face darkened. "Let Nojiko go. If you've got the guts, come at me…"
Nojiko suddenly snapped at Nami: "Get lost! Don't interrupt me and Big Bro Arlong!"
Her tone dripped with disgust toward Nami.
Anyone who didn't know better would think the sisters hated each other.
Nojiko Affection -2 -2 … → 0
What the hell!
Both back to -100 affection?!
Arlong silently flipped a table in his mind.
Whatever. -100 or +50, same difference. He'd fix it later.
"So, Nami, your big sister says scram. What now?"
Arlong teased.
Nami clenched her teeth, glaring murder at him.
She tossed aside the broken staff and the three pieces of clothing she'd been wearing.
"Very good!"
Arlong was extremely pleased.
He started to get up, but Nojiko grabbed his arm.
"Big Bro Arlong, please… you promised you wouldn't hurt Nami."
Nojiko Affection -0 -0 …
"Don't worry. I don't hurt my own women."
Arlong gently pried her hands off and said softly, "You rest for a bit."
Nojiko stared blankly at Arlong. For some reason… his face didn't look so ugly anymore.
(」?ヘ?)」
Nojiko Affection +1 +1 +10 …
Nami Affection +1 +2 +2 …
Arlong had the sisters scoot closer so he could compare.
Same height, same leg length, same body type—aside from their faces, they were practically twins.
"Nojiko, are you okay?!"
Nami brushed damp hair from Nojiko's forehead, voice full of worry.
"I'm fine…"
Nojiko shook her head lightly. "In a bit you might—"
"It's okay. I've already been through it."
Nami's cheeks flushed at the memory.
Nojiko turned her face away in embarrassment.
Nami Affection +1 -1 +1 …
Nojiko Affection +3 +3 … -5 -1 …
Affection points bounced up and down like a rollercoaster.
Until deep into the night…
The two little kittens curled up in Arlong's arms.
He had killed Bellmere—they should hate him with every fiber of their being.
Yet for the first time in years, they felt… safe.
A sense of security they had never known.