Years had passed, Lydia was no longer a little girl anymore. She was a growing woman. 16 years old. They say during that time you would be old enough to marry, but Lydia didn't want to marry.
(I know this isn't realistic (also don't own it) this is just an idea what she looks like now))
Every morning before sunrise, and every night after sundown, she would wait by the docks for her best friend Buggy to return. But one night would change. She would no longer wait for him...in the village that is...
One night while she was asleep, her mother woke her and heard screams from the villagers. They were being under attack, but by what?
"Lydia, quickly! You must leave. It isn't safe here anymore. Pirates are here, they're destroying the village... and they're no ordinary pirates. They're the fish men. They despise humans. You have to go now, run!"
"I can't leave you both!" Lydia panicked to her folks once she got up, but it was too late, the door swung open and two mutant fish came in. Lydia shivered seeing them. The two mutants grabbed her mother and father from her and dragged them outside.
"No! What are you doing to them! Let them go! MOTHER! FATHER!!" Lydia cried.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!" One of the fish man yelled as he smacked her across the face.
"Don't. We need to take her to Arlong. This might be the one he's been looking for," the other one with a head like a hammerhead shark said.
Lydia whimpered as they then grabbed her and she tried to break free from them. But they held her down and tied her hands behind her back, "No! Stop! What are you doing!? Why you doing this!??" Tears stream down her face as they did this to her.
"You'll find out, if you're the one he's looking for. If you're not and just a regular filthy human... then you can join your parents and die," the one who looked like a shark smirked.
She shivered once they lifted her up and pushed her to the docks. In the village all the buildings were on fire and bodies everywhere on the ground. The ones standing and causing this were more members of the mutants. Fear ran all over Lydia. Seeing her home completely destroyed and no longer safe was now gone.
They finally came to a ship and threw her on the floor boards infront of another mutant. A instinct told her he must be the leader of these mutants.
The fish man stood up. He was big, and had the nose of a swordfish. When he spoke he had a deep voice and was very intimidating, ".... I've been looking for you for a long time, little girl."
Lydia shivered. Her lips quiver by the tone of his voice. She never seen or heard off this mutant before, but sensed he was part of the mutants her real parents were trying to protect her from. She didn't dare look up at him. She felt his hand on her chin and yanked her up making her look up and he examined her. He then noticed the locket around her neck and smirked seeing she was infact the girl he had been looking for.
"....well, let's hope you've been worth the wait," he smirked wickedly, "you're mine now, do you understand that, little girl?!"
Lydia whimpered shaking. "Please, no...let me go...if you don't, my captain will cut you into pieces!"
She could see he looked surprised at that, "your captain? You're not a marine or a pirate....you don't have a captain."
"No, but I do, and he will come find me. He promise he would come back and take me away. Once he sees I'm gone, he will hunt you down!"
Arlong then let out a deep, sinister laugh, "I think you've read too many fairy tales, little girl. I'm the ruler of the east blue! No one would dare oppose me. Nobody's coming for you...and if they do. I'll destroy them."
Lydia shivered. "Please...please let me go..."
"It's not going to happen so stop whining. You're my property. Accept it. You don't belong with these humans. You're not part of their filthy world."
Lydia shivered. She realized now she wouldn't see Buggy again. But they promised.
"Start the ship!" Arlong shouted, he then turned to Lydia, "You're coming to your new home."
Arlong had an entire area in the Conomi islands named after himself "Arlong Park" that's where all the fish men lived. And now this was going to be Lydia's new home too. Because Arlong owned the whole of the Conomi islands, the people who lived there, and now Lydia, as his property.
Lydia was thrown down by Arlong and she shivered and looked back at the village. She teared up. Her memories, mostly of her, Buggy and Shanks returning to her. "...Buggy..."
The entire crew then set the sails and left the burning village in the night.
The next morning, a ship came to the abandoned quiet village. The crew belonged a young boy that once visited this village when he was just a teenager. The crew tend to the ship as the captain set foot to the peaceful village that was now a complete graveyard island. Not a single soul in sight...alive.
An elegant, quiet young man with striped hair came and stood beside him.
"The village has been leveled, captain. No signs of life so far."
"I can see that, Cabaji," Buggy replied calmly, hiding his sadness as best he could, "I want all hands on shore, searching for any survivors."
"Aye captain," Cabaji nodded and obediently hurried off to give the order to the rest of the crew.
As Buggy stood on the beach looking at the flaming ashes of the village he knew from so long ago, he absently twisted the worn friendship bracelet on his wrist. It barely fit him anymore, but he'd never take it off. Friends forever. That's what they had promised. He then remembered the cottage. While the others kept looking for survivors or tending the ship, he walked through the village to the cottage farm. The crops he noticed were destroyed by the fires. The cottage itself was destroyed. He sighed seeing there was no way someone could be in there, suddenly he froze looking down seeing two burnt skeleton remains. His face under his face paint turned pale. No! It couldn't be them. He growled angrily and stormed away, heading back through the burnt remains of the village. He knew who had to be responsible for this level of destruction. His crew liked to be destructive, but they didn't destroy everything or killed everyone. No. The only pirates he knew who would do this would be the ones who despised humans.
Well. He would be sure to avenge the two who had died who mattered to him. Before he went back on board, he noticed something on the shore. It was Lydia's matching bracelet. It was on the shore and that's when he realized she had to been taken. This fired him up. She lost her real family, and her human parents. Now she was taken away from him before he returned?
As he walked up the gangway and boarded the Big Top, Cabaji rushed to meet him.
"No survivors found, captain."
"No, they won't be any. We all know HE has a beef with humans."
"You mean—?"
Buggy nodded, "Yup. Arlong. He's responsible for this. I want all hands on deck, now. Weigh anchor, full sail ahead..."
Cabaji swallowed. He was a formidable fighter, but he was dreading knowing where their destination would be.
"Where are we headed, captain?"
"Oh come on, you really need to ask, Cabaji? East-south east.... the Conomi Islands."
"Arlong Park?"
Buggy jogged up the stairs to the top deck and took the helm, "damn right."
"But captain.....going up against Arlong, for revenge—?"
"It might be for more than just revenge, C. You're not questioning the orders of your captain are you?"
Cabaji lowered his head, "no captain."
"Good. Because I'm in no mood for arguing today."
The entire crew did what they were told by Buggy. He looked down the bracelet and held in his tears remembering that brave little girl. Without thinking he tucked the bracelet inside his vest-shirt, so he didn't lose it. If he couldn't find his best friend from all those years ago, then he'd at least always have something to remember her by.
He knew the voyage would take months. Having to stop off for supplies when needed, like fresh water and food, would slow them down. That was without having to dodge marines and pirate hunters, and other pirates looking for a fight. But he would try to get to Arlong Park as soon as possible.