Cassidy ran towards her friend the moment she saw her on the ground with her shoulder bloody from the recent wound she gave herself. Her expression fell when she heard the orange-haired girl's sob.
She rested his palm on his head, right where her captain's hat now sat. Nami turned to look at her.
"Cassie, what. . ." the brunette smiled and hugged her tightly, hiding her head in the crook of her neck.
Nami, somewhat trembling, went around her friend's back and hugged her back.
"Forgive me for not finding you sooner, Namimin. . ." Cassidy whispered, caressing her back.
Nami broke down and hugged her friend even tighter, because yes, she finally found a friend.
"Now come on, I'll heal your arm and we'll kick that Arlong guy," she separated from her and dried her tears, then smiled at her.
"You are my friend and I love you."
"I love you too, Cassie," she smiled as best as she could, still with tears in her eyes.
"Did you hear, Soppi?! Namimin said I love you! You owe me five thousand berries!" she celebrated the chestnut, hearing the tiny laugh of her navigator.
━♡
Cassidy extended the small bucket towards Usopp, who filled it with water and extinguished a small mountain of remains that was still burning. They both sighed in relief and high-fived.
They turned around and returned to their companions when the villagers from Coco Village arrived on the scene.
"What are they doing here?" Nami asked."
"Nojiko told us about your sacrifice," the scarred man responded.
"We didn't know. Do you think you can forgive us?"
"There is nothing to forgive. The Coco village is my home too," said the navigator, holding back tears.
"It's our turn to sacrifice ourselves. We're already tired of living in fear," she spoke firmly.
"Let's march to Arlong Park. If those fish men want to fight. . ."
"It's not a fight, it's a massacre. Everyone will die," Nami interrupted.
"If there is no hope of buying our freedom, then I say we have to die fighting for it," he said again and everyone let out a shout of affirmation.
"No. No, everyone calm down!" the navigator stopped them.
"No, I'm not going to let them do that. This is my fight."
"No," the captain intervened.
"It's our fight. Or not, guys?" he looked at his crew.
"Finally I get to cut something," the swordsman responded.
"How are we going to beat Arlong?" Usopp mentioned.
"We saw what he did at Baratie."
"Everyone has a weakness," Roronoa interrupted.
"What if they are bulletproof?" Usopp asked again tremblingly.
"I'll know when I see it," said Luffy.
"And, when I do. . . I won't hesitate."
Cassidy smiled.
I chose my captain well─ the brunette thought, holding her bow on her back.
"So what are we waiting for?" the archer interrupted.
"Let's kick those fishmen's asses! Come on, Soppi," she encouraged her friend, who was still afraid.
━♡
Sanji put his arm in front of Cassidy, who frowned, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
"She knows how to take care of herself," the swordsman cleared his throat, without looking at the cook.
"I'm just making sure she's safe," the blonde challenged.
"Cass, don't leave me. . ." the brunette was already at Usopp's side.
"Sorry, curlies! But I came here to fight!" she blew a kiss into the air before starting to distribute arrows towards some fish men.
Usopp joined his back with Cassidy's just as he faced another Fishman.
"I've got your back," they both said, giving each other a smile.
Cassidy grabbed Usopp's head and made him crouch before launching an arrow.
"Oops, I think it went through his eye," she scratched her cheek.
"Cass, be careful!" the aforementioned turned around quickly and with a quick movement, the cook kicked the enemy's stomach.
"Cassie, I have an idea," the shooter whispered, leaning his back against the brunette's again.
"Enlighten me, Soppi," she smiled, they both looked at the same target and nodded with a small nod, starting to run towards the forest.
"Usopp, protect her or I'll kick you!" Usopp raised both thumbs at the cook.
"Rather, I'll have to protect you," she said mockingly and increased her speed, escaping from the Fishman with her brother.
Cassidy took a big jump and hid behind a tree, preparing more arrows, she saw Usopp on the other side, who unlike her seemed too scared. He let out a small sigh and finally emerged from the hiding place, observing now two fishmen in front of her.
"Soppi, I need your help," the brunette mocked, taking a few steps back.
"Let's have some fun," the fishmen smiled, high-fiving their hands or. . . fins.
"I like your attitude!" Cassidy smiled, shooting an arrow until it embedded in the fishman's arm.
"But let me tell you, I never missed an arrow."
Usopp started running again and one of the Fishmen chased after him.
Perfect, one against one─ Cassidy thought, as she felt a sharp cut on her cheek.
Stop, flash.
"I would say something like, when I kill you I will roast you and eat you, but do you know something? She hates fish," he made a disgusted face, wiping the blood that ran down her cheek.
"I hate brats like you," the Fishman spat, pointing his sharp weapon at the pirate.
Cassidy smiled, ran towards the fishman and kicked his stomach hard, pushing him a few feet away from her.
"Do you like my little kick? It's a teaching from a friend over there," she made imaginary circles in the air with her index finger, while she smiled.
The fish man spat, to get up and give the brunette another cut, but she quickly backed away and launched the arrow, embedding it between the eyes.
"How disgusting! I never did that! Wakala!" the archer was disgusted, watching how the Fishman fell to the floor on his back, letting out a loud moan.
"Although I did in the eyes of some. . . mmm. . ." she mentioned scratching her chin.
"Don't ignore me, you disgusting human!"
The fish man stood up from the ground, still with the arrow embedded in his nose.
Cassidy was scared and closed her eyes tightly, shooting an arrow into the air. She heard the Fishman's moan and slowly opened her eyes, looking at the fishman lying on the ground.
"That's it! Think before you mess with my little sister, you silly fish!" Usopp exclaimed behind her, who for some strange reason was covered in a red liquid.
"Is it tomato sauce?" Cassidy asked, approaching the shooter.
"That's right, my great strategy was to play dead and when I least expected it, boom! I set him on fire," he puffed out his chest.
"Don't mess with the great Captain Usopp," she put her arms on her hips.
"But you were scared, right?" she tilted her head, mockingly.
"Just a little bit," they both laughed.
"Uh. . . your cheek looks really bad."
,"Ah, Sham's blow was worse," she joked, caressing her forehead, which no longer hurt.
"But hey, I guess this isn't the worst we'll face," she shrugged.
Usopp smiled and they both stayed silent, staring into nothingness.
"Ah, we should go back, right?" Usopp mentioned, crossing his arms.
"Yep, I think so," the archer stated, taking her bow and arrows from the ground.
They both high-fived each other and started walking straight back to Arlong Park. When they were near the place they smiled when they saw their friends there.
"Hello! We are. . ." Cassidy stopped when she observed the number of fishmen lying on the ground, alive.
"Ah! Fins must be missing, ball of. . ." Usopp stopped short, observing the same thing as his sister.
". . .fish. Wow! They've already killed everyone."
"Look, I'll have a scar!" Cassidy pointed to her cheek excitedly, when she felt Sanji's big arms wrap around her tightly.
"You're fine, huh?" he whispered close to her ear, caressing her waist, uncovered by the short garment she was wearing.
"I told you, womanizer. I know how to defend myself," she caressed Sanji's blonde hair.
"Look! Look! Now I'm tougher, do you like it?" she separated from him, pointing again to the wound on her cheek.
Sanji sighed, running his thin fingers over his Cass's wound, which made her wince in pain.
"I like you anyway," said the cook.
"Cassie!" Cassidy smiled when she heard Nami's voice, briefly kissed the corner of the blonde's lips and threw herself into the navigator's arms.
"You're fine," she sighed in relief.
They both separated and looked at the great Arlong Park, which in moments fell to pieces, surprising the crew.
"Is Cap. . .?" Nami nodded at her partner's question.
But there he was, standing on top of all the rubble, covered in dust.
"Nami!" called the captain.
"You are our friend!" Luffy stated with a big smile.
"We are your crew!"
Cassidy smiled, hugging Nami's shoulders.
"And you will never, ever be alone, Namimin," she caressed her shoulder.
The entire crew began to laugh at the image of their captain. They had chosen the right pirate.
"We love you, Cap!" Cassidy raised both thumbs towards the brunette, who smiled at him.
━♡
"And what happened to the clown?" Cassidy asked towards the swordsman, both were eating what their cook prepared.
"As soon as he found his body, he fled. He said something like, Keeta is going to kill me if I don't arrive earlier than agreed," the green-haired man shrugged his shoulders.
"I heard about that pirate, I tried to hunt her down before. Bad idea."
"Keeta has the highest bounty in the East Blue," said Nami, who stopped to listen to the conversation.
"Wait, wasn't that Arlong?" Cassidy was confused, wrinkling her nose.
"Keeta would make mincemeat of Arlong if he proposed it," the swordsman responded, still with his serious tone and countenance.
"Hey, you!" Cassidy spoke to a villager.
"Don't they have bounty signs around here?" she asked, intrigued, the villager denied.
"Oh, I wanted to see what that Keeta person looked like."
"Cassie," Nami called her and motioned for her to come to her, which she obeyed.
"Aren't you still hungry?"
"Umh, nope. Because?" the navigator leaned close to her ear and whispered something, a small thing that made her laugh.
Cassidy nodded and took her small plate, approaching the blonde cook.
"Oh, I'm flattered that a madam as beautiful as you is coming to repeat," Sanji said, smiling at her, and then winking at her.
"What can I say? I like your dishes a lot, Sanji," she extended her plate to him and the blonde served more of his delicious food.
"But I like you more," she took the plate quickly when the blonde almost dropped it from his hands.
"Hey, be more careful with my food."
But he stood in disbelief on the spot, his cheeks completely red and his lips slightly parted.
Cassidy sighed and looked both ways, checking that no one was watching them, but everyone was in their own world, except for Nami, who raised both thumbs with a smile.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" Cassidy asked, but Sanji was still in a trance.
The brunette slowly placed the plate on the table and approached the blonde.
"Cass. . ." the cook cleared his throat, still nervous.
"Shut up, will you?" she rolled her eyes and grabbed the blonde's cheeks, in a quick movement she joined her lips with those of her partner, who separated, somewhat surprised.
Cassidy frowned.
"Ah. . . you would have started there, I thought that. . ." the archer was interrupted by the blonde's strong hand on her cheek and neck, taking her gently, in an attempt not to hurt her wound further.
He pressed his lips hard against Cassidy's, feeling the exquisite taste of her mouth.
The brunette let out a sigh between the kiss and rested her hands on Sanji's chest, beginning to move her lips in time.
It was a slow and clumsy kiss due to lack of experience, but that didn't matter, the only thing that mattered to both of them was transmitting everything they felt for each other.