𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 • Roronoa Zoro

chapter seventeen

They burst through the doors of the Baratie, overlooking the restaurant.

"Which one of you is Arlong?" Luffy asked. Miura's eyes instantly landed on the purple skinned fishman.

"Who's asking?" Arlong said, not looking up from the man he was taunting.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I hear you're looking for me."

"Why yes I am." Arlong turned to look at the group, his face faltering for a slip second, so quickly many wouldn't have noticed it, but Miura did. She smirked smugly. "I see you've brought your friend, unmasked."

"I needed the fresh air," Miura said, "And I'm much prettier with it off."

"A human calling themself pretty. Pathetic, yet so typically vain."

"You seem to think you're so superior to humans."

"That's because I am."

"Then why have I beat you and your crew in every single fight we've been in?"

Arlong scoffed, having nothing more to say to Miura. He turned his attention back to Luffy. "So this is the pirate I've heard so much about? You know, I was expecting someone... bigger."

"So was I," Luffy said, Miura pursing her lips together to hold in her laugh.

"Do you know who I am, boy? I'm Arlong the Saw. Even the Marines flee before my flag."

"Right, but Miura doesn't. How'd you find us anyway?"

"An old friend helped me track you down." He clicks his tongue, and a crew member dug into their bag, pulling out Buggy's head.

"Heya, Straw Hat!" He greeted, "Did you miss me?"

"Burpy?" Luffy asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Believe me, it wasn't my first choice, either. But these fine fishy folk persuaded me to point them in the right direction, which ain't easy when you don't have any hands."

"How'd you even know how to find me?"

"I told you. I've got eyes and ears everywhere." Miura saw a wriggling within the lining of Luffy's hat, Buggy's ears popping out and making its way back over to his head. Ew.

"You were listening all along? You heard everything?"

"Everything. And that got old quick, cause you shidiots have no idea what you're doing. Hey, Lips," Buggy turned to the pirate who'd took him out of the bag, "How about a scratch behind the old ear, huh?"

"Sorry, honey," the pirate said.

"Oh, come on! Give a clown a break. I-" The pirate grabbed him, "Oh, wait! No, not back in the bag! It's so dark and wet and sandy!" Buggy's voice was muffled as he reentered the bag.

"Listen here," Arlong said, "I want my map, along with half of whatever you plunder as tribute. And if you bow down to me, I might even let you serve in my kingdom."

"I don't bow down to any man," Luffy said.

"I'm no man."

"Or fish. And you're no king."

"I will be when I get my Grand Line map."

"Then... Luffy said, you're gonna have to fight me for it."

"Then let the fighting begin."

A gunshot was heard, along with a bullet bouncing off of Arlong. They looked behind him to see Zeff, who was soon attacked by another fishman. Sanji instantly jumped to his defense, and Miura took note of his fighting style, not once using his hands in combat.

"Really great fighter," Luffy said.

Sanji was knocked back onto a table, sending the table almost toppling over him.

"Not great enough," Miura said, pulling out her swords. She left Arlong to Luffy, knowing the captain would wanna fight the other captain. She'd also fought Arlong too many times to count. It was boring.

She ran to his crew, mostly using kicks to knock them over, and her swords to knock them back rather than actually kill them. She didn't intend of having any deaths during this fight, she just wanted to hold Arlong's crew off so they couldn't assist him in his fight with Luffy.

She didn't bother to watch their fight, she knew it'd be a hard one for Luffy, she didn't really wanna watch. Instead, she stuck to what she was doing, until she heard Arlong pick Luffy up. She jumped out of the fight in the middle of it, causing two of the fishmen to run into each other and knock themselves to the ground.

She followed Arlong as he threw Luffy right out of the front door onto the dock.  Luffy stood up, ready to fight again.

"I don't know what's so special about you, boy," Arlong said.

"Why don't you come find out?"

For a second, she had a little hope on Luffy getting the upper hand, but it was soon crushed when Arlong threw him to the ground. She was so focused on the fight in front of her, she didn't hear one of the fishmen coming up behind her until he wrapped an arm around her neck, holding her body against his so she couldn't get involved.

"Get off of me, you sea dweller!" She yelled.

"Not until we have that map," the fishman said.

Arlong flung Luffy onto a boat, and he got up, much to her surprise, punching him in the face. He did this a few times, until he finally knocked Arlong to the ground.

"How about a drink?" Arlong asked, before splashing Luffy with water so hard he fell to the ground yet again. He grabbed him, presumably about to throw him in the water, when Nami's voice sounded from next to Miura, making her jump slightly.

"Arlong, wait!" Miura's eyes widened seeing the map in Nami's hand. "I have it. I have the map. I got it for you just like I said I would."

"Nami?" Luffy asked, "What are you doing?"

"I tried to tell you, Luffy. I was never on your crew. I only joined up with you so I could steal the map."

"That's because you only believe what you want to believe. Doesn't make it true."

"Sister Nami's a loyal member of the Arlong Pirates," Arlong said, "She has been for years."

Miura sighed. She knew she'd recognised that stupid orange hair, but she'd never laid eyes on Nami's face until the day they stole the map, so of course she didn't jump to any conclusions. Maybe she should've.

"We have the map, Arlong, let's go."

Miura grunted, trying to escape the fishman, but he spun her around and punched her right in the face, causing her to become dizzy before throwing her in the water with Luffy.

She thought they were gonna drown, she was sure of it, but she soon saw Sanji and Usopp swimming towards them. Usopp grabbed her as Sanji grabbed Luffy, and they pulled them up to the surface.

"Where's Nami?" Luffy asked as the two coughed up the water they'd inhaled.

"She's gone," Usopp said, "She's a member of Arlong's crew."

"No," Luffy said, "She can't be."

Miura sighed. "I'm sorry, Luffy. You really can't trust everyone."