…
We arrived at Cocoyasi Village just after midday.
For most of the morning before we docked, she'd been giving me increasingly aggressive instructions about how to handle the sail while repeatedly insisting that she was not teaching me how to sail.
Apparently there was an important distinction I couldn't see. Then, somewhere between her calling my knot a crime against maritime civilisation and me explaining that it had successfully remained a knot for several hours, she went quiet.
I looked up.
Land stretched ahead of us. Green hills. Trees. A coastline broken by small beaches and rocky edges. I could make out rooftops farther inland, clustered together between fields and dirt paths.
Cocoyas in all its glory…meh, Goat Island shits on this place.
I looked toward Nami. She stood at the rudder with both hands locked around it.
Her shoulders had gone stiff.
There it was again. It was obvious her anxiety was at an all-time high; she was trying very hard to hide it too. Unfortunately for her, though, I was incredibly observant.
Also nosy. Mostly nosy.
"You look constipated." I joked.
Nami's head turned slowly.
"Thank you, Kai." She dismissed.
She looked back toward the island.
I followed her gaze. "We docking at the village?"
"No."
That was immediate.
I raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"We're going around the eastern side."
"Why?"
"There's a small inlet there. We can leave the boat hidden."
I glanced toward the visible rooftops.
"And then walk into the village."
"No."
Mmmh, interesting~.
Nami adjusted our course, taking us away from the obvious harbour.
"We're not going into Cocoyasi."
I stared at her back.
"Nami."
"No."
"You haven't even heard what I was going to say."
"You were going to argue."
"I was actually going to ask where the food is."
"You were going to argue after that."
"Yep"
She sighed. The boat shifted beneath us as we followed the coastline; I watched the village disappear behind a rise.
"You know you could just say that you're avoiding them"
"I'm avoiding unnecessary attention."
"That's the same thing."
"No, it isn't."
"Who are we hiding from?"
Nami said nothing.
That answered that.
I leaned against the side of the boat.
"Nojiko?"
Her hands tightened on the rudder.
"Or Genzo?"
Nami closed her eyes.
She turned toward me with annoyance in her face.
"Ah! I swear to Kami, one day you are going to explain how you know these things."
"One day."
"You say that every time."
"Consistency is vital to my character"
"Kai."
"Nami." I replied.
She stared at me.
I stared back.
She pointed toward the shoreline.
"You are not going near them."
There was no humour in her voice now.
I straightened slightly.
"Why?"
"Because they have nothing to do with this."
"They have quite a lot to do with this."
"No."
"Nami."
"I said no."
She stepped away from the rudder once we entered calmer water near the eastern coast.
"This is between me and Arlong."
I looked at her.
"And me."
She hesitated.
"And you," she admitted. "But not them."
That seemed important. A month ago, I probably would have made a joke, but I've learned restraint since then.
Growth was a beautiful thing.
Nami grabbed one of the ropes and started preparing to bring us alongside a narrow stretch of rocks.
"Nojiko does not need to know what we're doing. Genzo definitely does not need to know. Nobody in the village does."
"You think they'll try to stop you?"
"I think they've spent eight years surviving because they know when to keep their heads down."
There it was. Her voice getting quieter.
I looked back toward the land, and the village was hidden from here.
"I don't want Arlong thinking they helped us," Nami continued. "If something goes wrong, he takes it out on me."
She paused.
"And if he can't take it out on me…"
I understood not everything needed to be spelt out.
I helped bring the boat in, and by helped- I mean Nami told me exactly what to do while becoming increasingly angry that I did not already know how to do it. Eventually, we had the boat tucked between a rocky wall and a patch of overgrown trees where it would be difficult to see from the sea.
Nami jumped ashore first.
I followed.
The ground sank slightly under my boots.
Beautiful, solid land.
I almost wanted to kiss it.
I didn't though cause I had standards.
Nami started walking immediately.
I followed.
"Where are we going?"
"Around the village."
"So we are going near the village."
"Around."
"Near."
"Around."
"Basically inside."
She stopped.
I stopped.
Nami pointed at me.
"Do not make me regret bringing you here."
"You betrayed me, cuffed me with seastone, stole my money and left me with Garp."
"Our money." Her lips twitched; she turned away before I could accuse her of smiling.
…
One of the first things I noticed…loads of orange trees, oh wait no, Tangerine trees.
There were children near one of the houses, an old man carrying a basket.
A woman sweeping dirt from the front of her home.
Normal.
Windows just gently shut when we passed. People noticed Nami and immediately looked away. One man working near a fence saw me walking beside her and stopped moving completely.
A woman standing outside a house pulled her child closer without seeming to realise she had done it.
Nobody shouted Nami's name or ran toward her or asked where she'd been.
They just watched very quietly.
Nami walked faster while I slowed.
She noticed after several metres and turned.
"What?"
I looked toward one of the houses.
A curtain moved.
Then stopped.
"You're fine living like this?"
Nami's expression barely changed.
"We're leaving."
She continued walking.
I followed. All it continued to be was people pretending they hadn't noticed the wanted criminal walking through their village, because acknowledging unusual things was apparently dangerous here, I'd imagine.
We reached the edge of a dirt road leading between several groves when someone stepped in front of us.
Blue hair.
Tanned skin.
Tattoos.
Arms folded.
Oh.
Nami stopped.
"Nojiko."
Well. So much for avoiding her.
Nojiko's eyes stayed on Nami at first.
"You disappeared."
Nami shifted her weight.
"I was working."
"You disappeared for almost a month."
"I've disappeared longer."
"You usually come back alone."
Her eyes moved toward me.
Then travelled upward.
And upward.
And upward.
I smiled and waved.
"Hello."
Nojiko looked at Nami.
"What is that?"
My smile disappeared.
"Rude," I said, offended.
Nami rubbed her forehead.
"Kai."
"Yes?"
"Stop talking."
Nojiko continued staring at me.
I could see her taking inventory.
White hair.
Size.
The mark across my hand.
Then recognition hit.
Her eyes narrowed.
"No way."
Nami's face tightened. "Nojiko."
"I've seen his poster."
Ah. Less good.
Nojiko stepped closer.
"You brought the Branchbreaker here?"
"I hate that name," I said.
Neither of them acknowledged me.
Very disrespectful village so far ಠ_ಠ.
"He's worth fifty million," Nojiko said.
"Yes."
"He killed a Marine captain."
"Yes."
"He attacked an entire branch."
"Yes."
Nojiko looked between us.
Something in her expression changed, maybe trust? Nah, it was definitely more confusion.
I think she'd expected Nami to be afraid of me. Instead, Nami looked one sentence away from hitting me with a stick again.
Nojiko stepped closer to her.
"What are you doing?"
Nami's face closed.
"Nothing."
"Nami."
"I came back. That's it."
"With him?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Nami did not answer.
Nojiko's gaze moved to me again.
"What do you want?"
"Arlong."
Nami's eyes closed.
Nojiko went completely still.
There we go.
Probably should have eased into that.
But if the gods wanted me to ease into things, he should have made me a different person.
"What?"
"I'm looking for Arlong."
Nojiko's voice dropped.
"Why?"
"Because I'm going to kill him."
Silence.
Somewhere behind us, a bird called from one of the trees.
Nami looked furious.
Nojiko looked like I had just started juggling explosives.
Then a voice came from behind her.
"You need to leave."
Genzo.
Pinwheel and all.
He walked up the road with one hand resting near the weapon at his side.
He looked older than I remembered him from the anime. It was weird considering this was years before canon, but still.
He stopped beside Nojiko.
His eyes fixed on me.
"You're Kai Voss."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance"
His face did not move.
Tough crowd I guess.
Genzo looked toward Nami.
"What have you done?"
Nami's jaw tightened.
"I haven't done anything."
"You brought a wanted criminal into Cocoyasi."
He said while hosting the fishman.
"He isn't here for the village."
"That is not reassuring."
"I thought it was a little reassuring," I said.
Genzo ignored me too. I was beginning to notice a pattern.
"Nojiko," he said, "get inside."
"No."
"Nojiko."
"I said no."
Genzo's eyebrow twitched.
Love to see the family dynamics in play. Nami stepped between them slightly.
"Nothing is happening here."
Genzo looked at her.
"Then why is a fifty-million-berry criminal asking for Arlong?"
Nami opened her mouth.
I answered first.
"Because I told you. I'm going to kill him."
Genzo's hand tightened.
"Do you think this is funny?"
"I'm not laughing, am I?"
That seemed to catch him slightly.
I folded my arms.
"I don't know you. You don't know me. I'm not here to convince you of anything."
Nami glanced at me.
"I'm not here to make the village like me either. I came here for Arlong."
Genzo stared.
"So if you want to hate me, be my guest. Do it after I kill the fish-man."
Nami spun toward me.
"Kai."
"What?"
"This is exactly why I didn't want you near the village."
"And yet you still led me right through it? Stop lying to yourself Nami!" I exclaimed
That shut her up. Her face tightened, then she lowered her voice.
"You don't get it."
I looked at her.
"What don't I get?"
"You think you can just walk into Arlong Park and start swinging."
"I can."
"That is not the point!"
Her hand struck my chest.
Not hard.
Just angry.
"Arlong has been here for five years."
I said nothing.
"He controls everything. The roads. The coast. The money coming in and out. He knows who lives here. Who has children. Who can pay. Who can't."
Nojiko watched her quietly.
Nami continued.
"If you attack him and lose, he doesn't just kill you."
Her finger pressed harder against my chest.
"He comes here."
There it was.
"He kills people here."
Another push.
"He burns houses."
Another.
"He raises the tribute."
Another.
"He makes everyone pay because you wanted a fight."
I caught her wrist.
Nami stared up at me.
Her breathing had gone uneven.
"This is not Port Tragedy," she said.
"I know."
"No, you don't."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"This isn't some stupid game where you get to run around laughing because people keep hitting you and your fruit does something weird." She sniffed, "Kai, these people don't come back if you fuck this up."
Nojiko looked away.
Genzo did not.
I released Nami's wrist.
She stepped back immediately.
She was obviously right, heh, it was an annoying habit she had developed recently.
I looked around the village again, then back at her.
"I'm not asking you to believe I care."
Nami's expression shifted.
I continued.
"I'm asking you to point me at him. Please, Nami, believe in the me that believes in you!"
(cookie for whoever gets the quote)
She stared at me.
"You know him better than I do. You know the village. You know what he'll do."
My eyes stayed on Nami.
"So tell me how to stop him from doing it."
Nami's shoulders loosened slightly.
Not completely.
She studied my face like she was looking for the joke.
There wasn't one.
Finally, she looked toward Nojiko.
Then Genzo.
"Not here."
Genzo frowned.
"Nami."
"Not here," she repeated.
…
Nojiko's house was smaller than I expected.
Nice, though.
I had to duck slightly through one doorway, which earned me a look from Nojiko.
She cleared the table; Nami closed every window.
Genzo remained standing; he hadn't stopped glaring at me.
Nami placed a large sheet of paper on the table.
I recognised it immediately.
One of the maps she had drawn during the trip.
She flattened the corners with cups and sat down.
I sat opposite her.
Nojiko leaned against the wall.
Genzo stayed near the door.
Nami pointed at the centre of the map.
"Arlong Park."
The joking stopped.
I leaned forward.
The building was larger than I expected.
The main structure, a courtyard, walls and several smaller rooms.
A large pool connected to the sea through underwater routes.
Nami tapped the northern entrance.
"Main gate. Usually four to five guards."
"How strong?"
"Normal fish-men."
"Meaning?"
"Stronger than the average humans."
"They'll be no problem, next"
She frowned at my dismissiveness. Nojiko covered a smile with one hand.
Nami pointed toward three marked sections.
"Arlong's main officers."
She tapped the first.
"Kuroobi. He's a martial artist. Probably the best fighter there besides Arlong."
"Fish-Man Karate?"
Nami looked at me strangely.
"Yes."
I nodded, a chance to get some adaptations to the fighting style.
She moved to the next.
"Chew. Spits water."
I waited.
"That's it?"
"He can fire it hard enough to punch through things."
"Ah."
"And Hatchan."
She tapped another area.
"Six swords."
"Octopus."
Nami stared at me.
"What?"
"You knew that already."
"How else would he hold six swords?"
"..."
"Continue." I waved my hand.
Her eye twitched.
I loved teamwork （*＾-＾*）
She pointed toward the centre building.
"Arlong usually stays here or sits in the courtyard"
"How often does he leave?"
"For tribute collections. War meetings. Sometimes he goes into the villages himself if he wants to make a point."
"What makes him leave during a fight?"
Nami paused.
"He won't run."
"Good."
She looked annoyed by how pleased that made me.
"There is nothing good about that."
"For planning, yes."
"You really are insane." She scoffed.
"Focus."
Nami breathed slowly through her nose.
Then continued.
"There are usually around twenty fish-men in the park at any time. More can return from patrols."
"Patrol routes?"
She drew three lines.
"One north along the coast. One through the villages. One farther south near the trade route."
"How often?"
"Rotations every few hours."
I nodded.
This was good.
Very good.
Not the Arlong oppression, obviously.
The information.
Nami started marking times.
I watched.
This was different from Port Tragedy.
My eyes moved toward the pool.
Nami noticed immediately.
"That is the biggest problem."
I tapped it.
"How deep?"
"Very."
"Helpful."
"It connects directly to the sea."
Less good.
"There are underwater routes here and here."
She marked them.
"Fish-men can enter through both. There's another channel near the back wall."
I stared at the map.
The pool was huge.
Arlong was not stupid.
If he realised seawater weakened me, he would use it.
Vale had noticed after a puddle.
Garp probably knew immediately.
Smoker had figured it out.
I'm sure if Arlong dealt with enough Devil Fruit users long enough, it would take him about five seconds.
Nami watched me thinking.
"You're worried about the water."
"No."
She smiled.
"A little."
"Kai."
"Fine. Yes."
Genzo spoke from the doorway.
"Then don't go."
I looked at him.
He looked back.
Reasonable suggestion.
Rejected lil git!
Nami tapped another room.
"Money."
My attention returned immediately.
She saw it.
"Oh, for fuck's sake."
"What?"
"You heard money and forgot about drowning."
"I can worry about two things."
"That is not what your face said."
Nojiko laughed.
Nami looked betrayed.
"Nojiko."
"I'm sorry."
"You're not."
"I'm really not."
I grinned.
Nami looked back down.
"Arlong keeps tribute here before moving it into storage. There's another room behind the main hall. That's where most of the berries are."
"How much?"
"Kai."
"Operational question."
"No, it isn't."
"We may need funds after."
"For what?"
"Boat."
"We have a boat."
"Bigger boat," I said, practically stretching my arms to their limits, boasting about the size of our future boat.
Nami stared at me, and I shrugged. She rubbed her nose but continued anyway.
"Do not go for the money until after Arlong is dealt with."
"Fine."
She blinked.
"That easy?"
"Yeah?."
"You're agreeing?"
Nojiko coughed and Nami stared.
I pointed at all of them.
"Is everyone from here just naturally this rude?"
"We do this properly," she said."You do not attack patrols near the village."
"Fine."
"You don't let them retreat toward Cocoyasi."
"Fine."
"You don't chase anyone into the water."
"You're seriously telling me that?"
"Kai."
"Fine."
"If Arlong tries to drag you into the pool, get out."
"That seems obvious."
"You are exactly the kind of person who needs obvious things said aloud."
Again, rude!
I tapped the map.
"You stay out of Arlong's reach."
"I can handle myself."
"I know."
That surprised her.
I continued.
Genzo finally moved from the doorway and approached the table.
He looked down at the map.
Then at me.
"If you fail…"
"I know."
"No."
His voice hardened.
"You don't."
I held his stare.
He pointed toward the village.
"We have buried people because of Arlong."
His hand lowered.
"I don't care about your bounty."
Fair.
"I don't care what you did to the Marines."
Less fair, that story's pretty interesting.
"If you make things worse here, fifty million will not matter."
I nodded solemnly.
"Okay."
Genzo blinked.
That seemed to annoy him more.
"You understand me?"
"Yes."
"You have nothing else to say?"
I thought about it then shook my head.
Then something sounded outside.
A bell.
Nami's head came up immediately.
Nojiko stopped laughing.
Genzo turned toward the door.
The entire room changed.
"What?" I asked.
Nobody answered.
Another bell.
Farther away.
Nami stood so fast her chair scraped backward.
"No."
She moved toward the window and pulled the curtain aside slightly.
I stood behind her.
People were coming out of houses.
Not running.
Moving quickly.
Quietly.
The same controlled fear I had noticed earlier spread through the road outside.
Genzo opened the door.
A man hurried past.
"Genzo!"
"What is it?"
The man looked pale.
"They're coming."
Nami stepped outside.
"Who?"
The man looked at her.
His expression worsened.
"Arlong's men."
Nami froze.
Nojiko came beside her.
"They collected four days ago."
"I know."
"They're not due again for weeks."
"I know."
That was when I understood.
Nami did too.
Her face slowly turned toward me.
The scout.
The one who escaped.
Ah.
So he had made it.
I stepped outside.
At the far end of the village road, people were already moving aside.
Then I heard them, several heavy footsteps and laughing voices.
A group appeared between the houses.
Fish-men.
Big ones.
Weapons resting over their shoulders. At the front walked a broad fish-man carrying a sack.
He looked relaxed. A farmer lowered his eyes.
One old woman quietly placed a pouch of berries on the table outside her house before retreating.
I watched all of it.
Nami moved in front of me.
"Kai."
Her voice was low.
I looked down at her.
"Don't."
The fish-men came closer.
One of them laughed as a villager hurried away.
Another kicked over an empty basket because it was in his path.
My fingers flexed.
Nami noticed.
"Kai."
"I haven't done anything."
"Keep doing that."
Hard request.
The leader stopped in the middle of the road.
He looked around.
Then smiled.
"Change of schedule."
Nobody answered.
His smile widened.
"Boss wants everyone gathered."
Genzo stiffened.
The fish-man reached into the sack and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
My stomach sank slightly.
He unfolded it.
I could see the image from here.
White hair, large stature…oh its me
Nami whispered something extremely rude.
The fish-man lifted the wanted poster higher.
"Apparently," he said, "we've got a visitor."
His eyes moved across the village.
"Sounds like Kuroobi" Nami whispered.
The fish-man continued.
"He's about seven feet tall. White hair and worth fifty million berries. You can't miss him."
His smile disappeared.
"And Arlong wants him alive."
Nami and I looked at each other.
Then I smiled.
Nami's eyes widened.
"No."
"I didn't say anything."
"I know that face."
The fish-man took another step into the village.
"Come on out, Branchbreaker!"
My eye twitched.
God. I really hated that name.
Nami tightened her grip.
I looked toward the map still sitting inside Nojiko's house.
Then toward the fish-men.
Then back at Nami.
She stared at me.
I stared back.
Our plan had lasted approximately four minutes.
Pretty good for us.
…
End of Chapter!
Word Count - 3451