"So, we're going for Nami, but how do we find her?" Usopp asked.
"Yes, we don't even know where she is," Zoro agreed.
"How stressful," Cassidy whispered, leaning her head on the swordsman's shoulder.
"I know someone who does," the captain smiled at his companions.
Everyone turned their gaze to the brunette. Zoro got up from the stairs with Cassidy's help, while they both walked into the ship.
Cassidy frowned as she watched her captain pull a clown's head out of a small bag. She immediately hid behind the cook.
"I hate clowns," Cassidy grabbed her bow quickly, putting herself on guard.
"Hello, friends," that clown laughed cynically, scaring Cassidy even more.
Zoro let out a frustrated sigh. Usopp looked at him blankly and Cassidy let go of her bow to cling to Sanji's arm.
They took his heads out onto the deck and placed them right on top of a barrel, listening and heeding every instruction the clown gave.
"Five degrees to starboard, dear," Buggy smiled at Cassidy, who stuck her tongue out at him.
"Shut up, you piece of animal. I won't listen to you. I hate you," Cassidy said, completely scared.
"To the other starboard side, Captain shit-tastic," he now addressed Usopp, who looked at him clearly offended.6
"And here I thought clowns were funny," the sniper whispered.
"This one is somewhere between scary and embarrassing," Cassidy confessed, taking a seat on top of a barrel.
"What did you say?! Come and tell me to my face!" he yelled at them both and Cassidy gave him the middle finger.
"Hey! Good morning, champ," he greeted the swordsman, who was passing by.
"I know that Luffy made a deal with you to find Arlong," he got dangerously close.
"But if this is another of your tricks. . ."
"What are you going to do? Bleed on me?" he said mockingly, laughing.
He stopped laughing when Zoro took him in his hands and threatened to throw him into the sea.
"Whoa! Hey, no, no! Just because said bleed on me, doesn't mean you'll bleed on me. We have a deal, right?" he spoke nervously.
"I think you should throw it away, moss-head."
"Don't get involved, brat! You want your map back and I want my little body. . ." he continued negotiating.
"How do I know you're not leading us into a trap?" Zoro interrupted.
"Zoro, buddy! Honor among pirates! Right? How about I sing you a nice sea shanty to pass the time," he laughed nervously.
"Oh, there once was a girl with tangerine hair who stole my map and left me stranded somewhere," the clown sang while Zoro brought him closer to a barrel.
"Truly a crafty and crooked young lass, but you can't deny, she had a spectacular. . ."
Before he finished his song, the green-haired man threw him into the barrel, silencing him.
"Was he about to say that Nami had a great. . ." Cassidy murmured confused.
"You too, beautiful!" Buggy complimented, but was silenced by Usopp's strong kick to the barrel.
"Be careful with your words when addressing my little sister, you silly clown," the shooter threatened and Cassidy laughed, getting off the barrel.
"Cassie, come fishing with us!" called the captain, waving his hand towards the brunette.
Cassidy smiled and ran towards the crew, positioning herself between them. She rested her hands on the deck and looked out to look at the sea, she felt a hand rest on her back and turned to see the cook.
"Be careful, Cass."
"Give me your rod, I want to fish," she extended her hands.
Sanji gently removed his hand from the brunette's back and held out the fishing rod to her.
"Is it always so late?" Luffy asked impatiently.
"You've been there for two minutes, be patient," the blonde laughed, his gaze fixed on Cass's profile.
"Sometimes they bite as soon as you drop the hook, and. . . other times, it takes hours. And there are days when you don't catch anything," he diverted his eyes from the chestnut to look at the captain.
"But you're not talking about fishing, are you?"
"I just want to know if Nami is okay," he crossed his arms, resting his elbows on the deck.
"Hey, a talented and beautiful woman doesn't choose to be an ally of a pirate like Arlong. Nami needs a rescue," said the blonde.
"Beautiful woman, huh?" Cassidy said mockingly, clicking her tongue.
"I'm not saying that she is more beautiful than you. . . because you are beautiful, that is, perfect, simply. . ." he was interrupted by the swordsman.
"Her tattoo says something else."
"Well, tattoos don't tell everything. And like any woman, she is a mystery that must be deciphered," Sanji responded.
"Wow, quite an expert on women," Cassidy murmured.
"So womanizing of you."
Sanji opened his mouth to say something, but Zoro interrupted again.
"Nami made her decision," the swordsman assured.
"You don't know why."
"The only thing I want to hear from you is the dinner menu. You don't know Nami," the green-haired man challenged, still with his serious face.
Sanji laughed.
"Looks like you don't either, moss-head."
He crossed his arms.
"Shut up already," Cassidy asked, erasing her smile as she kept her gaze focused on the sea.
"Nami has her reasons," the captain spoke, getting off the deck.
"And I don't care what she decides. . . I want to hear the story myself."
"Land in sight!" Usopp exclaimed, pointing in front of them.
Cassidy handed the rod to Sanji.
"Here you are, expert in women."
She turned around and could hear the cook sigh.
━♡
The Straw Hat crew walked through the destroyed streets of that small village, which was in pieces. It was a complete chaos.
"I had never seen that before," the swordsman mentioned, observing the small hut that was upside down.
"How did they do that?" the cook spoke this time, hiding both hands in his pockets.
"Hey, what if I go back so that the Merry is safe?" Usopp said shakily, tightening his grip on Cassidy's hand.
"Arlong did this," the captain spoke through gritted teeth, clenching his fists.
"Hey! Shit-hats! We agree that Arlong is bad. Why don't you guys stop doing stupid things and give me my body back?" Buggy said from the bag that Sanji had on his shoulder.
"Now, clown. Shut up," the blonde asked.
"Or what? Are you going to make me a soufflé?" he joked, receiving a blow from Cassidy.
"Ouch! Who the hell did that?"
"I'll give you another one if you keep talking nonsense, you arrogant clown," Cassidy insulted.
"Uhh, insult me more, I like your tone when you're angry," he spoke seductively, Sanji pretended to drop the bag by accident and smiled victoriously when he heard the loud moan the clown let out.
"How aggressive," Cassidy laughed, taking the bag in her hands.
"I'll carry it, pretty," Sanji said, taking the bag from Cassidy's hands.
The brunette looked away, blushing slightly at Sanji's tone of voice. She took Usopp's hand tightly again, so they could get back on the path.
"Please! Please listen!"
The pirates observed the commotion and listened carefully.
"We do not have much time. We are short this month. . ." they seemed to collect money in a tiny chest.
"Isn't it enough?" asked a villager, depositing everything he had.
The man in front of him denied.
"Is there time to get more?" the woman asked, but another voice interrupted them.
"No. They don't have it," and there was their navigator with her arms crossed with a severe look.
Luffy was about to approach, but was stopped by the hand of his first mate, who denied.
Nami seemed to argue with a woman with blue hair, who spat near the navigator, showing her hatred. She gave him one last look before walking away from her.
"Do you have something for me?" Nami spoke towards the sheriff.
He extended the chest to her and the orange-haired woman opened it to check.
"It's not enough," he replied.
"Nami, please. It's all there. Arlong has bled us dry. . ."
"Then look for more blood," she responded seriously.
Nami turned around still with the chest in her hands and could see her companions. She immediately approached them.
"Luffy? What are you doing here?" she spoke brusquely.
"I could ask you the same thing."
"This is where I belong," she responded.
"I don't believe you at all. This is not you," the captain assured.
"No, I'm not the Nami you imagined I was," the orange-haired woman denied.
"Nami, if you need us to help you. . ."
"No, I don't want help from you," she interrupted, completely sure, giving each one a look.
"Arlong wanted the map, and I tricked you into giving it to me. And you believed me," she said this time towards the person who was previously her captain.
"I was never part of your stupid crew."
"Namimin. . ." Cassidy whispered, squeezing Usopp's hand tightly.
"Take these clowns and get out of here. I never want to see you again," she spat with displeasure.
Her last glance was directed at the archer, who was frowning.
Finally she walked away from them.
"Eh. . . okay. . ." Usopp let go of his sister's hand and scratched his earlobe.
"I think that came out beyond horrible. Well, then let's go to the ship before the fishmen find us and we get out of here, okay?"
"Something else is happening here," the blonde assured, shaking his head.
"I think she made it very clear that she doesn't want us here," the swordsman spoke.
"You don't know anything about women. They speak in code," Cassidy rolled her eyes at that.
"Of course because you are an expert on Nami, right?" the girl crossed her arms, looking at him with half-closed eyes.
"Are you going to take his side?" the cook frowned.
"I take the side of someone who is not a womanizer, dear friend," the brunette responded, behind her Zoro smiled mockingly.
"But you don't understand it?" Usopp interrupted.
"She is one of them! She is one of the bad ones! Okay? The villagers were terrified to see her!" Usopp said.
"Not all of them, Usopp," the captain spoke, drawing glances from his companions.
"Hey, scar guy!" he walked away from his friends, being followed by them.
The scarred man approached the crew with a serious face.
"Who was she? A while ago, the one with blue hair," he asked without preamble.
"Who wants to know?" he scanned him from head to toe.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I am a pirate. . ."
"Hunter," Zoro interrupted, approaching.
"Pirate hunter. We came for Arlong's bounty."
"You? I've seen men twice as big, with twice as many crew to go to Arlong Park. None of them managed to return," said the man.
"We just want to talk to her," Luffy softened his expression and tone of voice, showing a small, but friendly smile.
"Believe me, you don't want to. But if that takes you out of my village. . . Try the house on that road," he pointed to the forest.
"At the end of the tangerine grove."
Luffy smiled gratefully at him and began to head towards the place.
"Cass," the aforementioned stated with a small Mmm, indicating that she was listening to him, although she was not looking at him.
It's not that he's an expert on women because he's a womanizer, it's just. . . how good he knew about women.