Chapter 64: Arlong Pirates (2)
—
It was already afternoon. The sun was in its lowest sky. After finishing the meal, Hashirama had to get something to drink. He didn't think he would find soda here, so he decided to try the nearby bar.
...Or at least that was the excuse Hashirama used. In truth, he was to meet up with Karoo and receive the scout report from her. When she went off into the bush, that was the mission Hashirama handed her.
Of course, Nami didn't accompany him despite his invitation for a drink. Nojiko wanted to come, to introduce him to the other islanders, but Nami didn't let her go with him. In the end, Hashirama went out alone and Nami took the opportunity to jump on her sister.
"Nojiko! What were you doing interrupting me every time I was about to tell him to leave? You know how dangerous it is for him! He can die!"
Nami shouted at Nojiko who was smiling as she stood near the door, just having finished seeing Hashirama off. Nojiko turned around and her smile vanished. She moved to the wardrobe, and opening a drawer, she threw a paper at Nami.
"I was right when I thought you didn't know who he was. Well, you're always traveling, so you probably missed it. Our island only gets monthly newspapers, and luckily that incident happened just before the paper was supposed to come. I don't know about the others, but I recognized that friend of yours right away."
Nami wanted to correct her that he was no 'friend' of hers, even if he was her benefactor. However, as she opened the newspaper right away, her voice caught on the end of her throat.
Senju Hashirama.
Bounty, 100 Million.
Nami's jaw slowly came hanging. She looked up at Nojiko, who shrugged her arms.
"I was worried about his intentions when I first saw him. But he doesn't seem like a bad guy at all."
Speaking of which, amidst the lunch and the flirting, they forgot to ask him why he was even here. Why did he save Nami and decide to drop her here? Why did he come here, in the first place, when he is such a big pirate from the Grandline?
"I think he is here after Arlong, Nami. Don't you remember what Bellemere used to say? Pirates often hunt one another. It's weird why he is all the way here from the Grandline, but that's not the point. Arlong is worth 20 million, so I think this guy is here for Arlong's head."
Nami heard Nojiko speak while she put the bounty poster to the side and started to read the news beneath it. The denying hope that was rising inside Nami's heart suddenly deflated.
"Hey, you didn't read the news related to it, did you?" Nami looked up with a frown. "The bounty isn't for his strength or anything. It says he kidnapped some kingdom's princess. The bounty is for that."
...If she continued reading, she'd find the feats that mentioned the defeat of a Warlord, but Nami didn't have the patience to read that far.
Nojiko suddenly paled. She truly hadn't read about it. Her previous hope that the villain that has been taunting this island will finally be taken out by a bigger villain vanished in thin air.
"...You think he was trying to kidnap me?" Nojiko asked, flinching as she recalled his flirting.
Nami scoffed. "No way. You're no princess. If he was here for kidnapping, he would have grabbed me when I was out in the night. I don't think he has any bad intentions. But it could be that he is really after Arlong."
Nami explained her theory. That maybe he was here to test his strength, by taking on this low-bounty pirate out in the wild that was Arlong. Since his 100 million bounty wasn't based on his strength, she theorized he was here to test how strong he truly was.
"That was just a theory, though. In any case, my point is he isn't here to harm me or you. If he was, I would be the first one to report him to the marines. Still... he is a criminal. It's tempting..."
Nami has been saving up for 100 million for eight years. Today, she had the chance to make a call to the marines and claim 100 million. Sure Arlong would take the money away, but that's exactly the point—as that'd pay Arlong his share that he had demanded a decade ago.
So it was very tempting.
"To just put him behind the bars and get the 100 million. But..." Nami bit her lips and sighed aloud. "F-fuck...! He still saved my life. I have to get him out of here."
Nojiko breathed in slowly and nodded. She was glad her sister had finally made a sensible choice after years.
"Nami, it will be bad if Arlong finds out about his bounty, worse if he knows that bounty doesn't indicate his strength. Let's go and find him. We need to make him leave right away."
Nami agreed. The two sisters decided and then quickly rushed to the door—but in front of it, they froze.
"...Sahaha. Hey there, girls. Long time no see."
Nami's heart dropped at the voice.
A blue-skinned giant man stood before the door. His hand was grabbing the door frame, and he was leaning down to look inside—due to his height. His sharp teeth were flashing as he widely grinned at them, chuckling deeply.
"I heard it all, pity isn't it? So your lover boy is just a no-name with a big bounty but no power to back it up? Shahaha, didn't you bring me a tasty snack, Nami?"
Nami took a staggering step back, as Nojiko helped her from falling to her butt. Both girls' expressions had turned as pale as a sheet.
"Why do you look scared? Girls, girls, come on, you're safe with me. I wouldn't hurt you."
Arlong chuckled as he lowered his head and stepped inside the house. He grinned down at the short girls, chuckling again as he spoke.
"Tell you what, if you presented him to me formally, like a gift, I would have taken him as your payment of 100 million. I lived up to my promise. But now, he will just die by my hands—and you will continue saving up money. Hey, you didn't tell me you were saving? How much did you save until now?"
"A, Arlong! G-get out of the house! How dare you step inside?!"
"Huh? To be so rude to your Captain?"
Arlong shook his head at Nami's threat.
"I was gonna proceed with this quietly, but now I want to take this to the public."
Arlong laughed and whipped his arms at the girls. His large hands grabbed the girls by their waists easily. With two hands, he picked up both of them and started to walk out of the house.
"L-let us go!"
"Bastard!"
The two girls struggled, but that died out when Arlong stepped outside and they saw the other fishmen who were outside the house. It was the entire group. They paled as Arlong chuckled and spoke.
"I am going to announce publicly to the islanders what their dear Nami has done. That although she had a clear chance to save them all by selling the pirate for 100 mils, she didn't. Her sister, too. The two of them were too charmed by a random guy to save the lives of everyone here. I wonder how they would react?"
Nami and Nojiko looked on the verge of tears. Nami growled.
"D-don't you dare! Blame me, but not Nojiko! Don't you stain her name!"
"Nami, Nami, Nami-! You don't get it. Your sister is the main culprit here. She knew who he was from the beginning, yet she didn't report to me. No, she wished he would take me down. Me, Arlong!!"
Arlong straightened his neck and laughed at the sky. He laughed loud, amused, and angrily.
"Now, keep your mouths shut. Both of you need punishment. But Nami, you are my mapper, I can't punish you. So I will punish your sister. After I expose you both to the islanders, and after I kill that human that you bought here—I will have a talk with your sister. I will let you watch if you're willing... Ah, joking! I will make you watch it anyway! Inferior bitches!"
Arlong squeezed his hands around their waists, causing them to groan in pain. The two girls could do nothing after that, as Arlong and his group walked to the open road of the village.
The road that the two girls believed would be the most traumatic place in their memory after this day.
**
**
**
If you wish to read [the next 20] chapters right away, visit my Patreøn.
Link: Patreøn.cøm/Master4thWall