One Piece - Lionheart of the Sea 18 (Patreon)

Hey everyone, and welcome to my new One Piece fanfiction. This chapter will mark the end of the fight with the Fishmen and the Cocoyashi arc. I plan on wrapping everything up in this chapter in a satisfying way. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Eiichiro Oda, Shueisha, Toei Animation, and Fuji TV. Please support the official release.

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"Pirate" Regular speech.

"Pirate" Thoughts.

Finger Pistol Attack names.

(Pirate) Words said previously.

"PIRATE!" Shouting speech.

[Pirate!] people talking at the same time.

"Pirate" people talking over communication.

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Lion Trumps Shark

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—…

"I'm here to kill you."

Nami stood tall in front of the villagers, with Light's hat on her head, as she made her declaration. Nami had a fierce look of determination at the Fishman leader.

"Me?" Arlong wondered with a grin. "You want to kill me?"

"Nami…" Nojiko whispered with concern. She certainly didn't expect her sister to put in an appearance.

Nami put her head down and let Light's hat shadow her eyes. She already knew there wasn't much she could accomplish by being here. But she showed up anyway for them, her friends, and her village, and to see the end of the man who's tormented her for 8 years.

"Shahahaha!" Arlong guffawed. "Haven't you learned your lesson yet? How many times have you tried to kill me in these last 8 years? You tried assassination. Poison. Sneak attacks. You must be aware that you mere humans can't kill me."

Nami glared deeper at Arlong in response to his mockery.

"Now, listen..." Arlong began as his focus was on Nami. "I won't put you in the ground, Nami. But you can't leave." Arlong narrowed his eyes. "You remain here, with us, as our navigator—Forever." He watched Nami's eyes widen. "But as you know…" Arlong continued. "I'm quite good-natured. If possible, I'd like you to be our navigator of your own free will." Arlong chuckled. "I'm giving you a choice." Arlong raised a finger in the air. "I will not take pause in having my Fishmen kill every living creature on this island. Except for you."

"That sadistic bastard." Sanji voiced his grievance. "It's like he's telling her no matter what she chooses, will end up killing everyone here."

"He's just trying to mess with her head again." Zoro figured, just as revolted.

"But that's only if you refuse to come back to the Arlong Pirates and draw sea charts as one of our own." Arlong proposed with a finger pointed at Nami. "And if you decide to come back with us, I'll be kind and spare the villagers' lives. But I can't let these invalids live." The said 'invalids' Arlong referred to was Light, along with the rest of the crew. "They must be made an example of. So, there's only one question… Will you come with me and save the people of Cocoyashi village? Or be foolish and refuse my request by fighting alongside them?" he gestured to Light and the others. "It's your choice. With them, you'll be hopeless. With them, you will die. Nami, will you come and stand by my side or not? The decision is yours."

Nami had to decide what was more important. The friends that she has grown fond of or the people of her village. Both were hard decisions.

"Not fair!" A villager shouted.

"No matter what she chooses, he won't set her free!" Another chimed.

The weight of the decision caused Nami's body to shake. Nami thought about earlier when Light stopped her from stabbing her shoulder. Then, her tearful plead to Light to help her as he gave her his straw hat. They were all doing this for her and remembered Light's promise to her earlier.

"What do we do, Captain?" Gin asked, not liking the direction this was taking.

"Nothing." Light replied, not concerned in the least. "She's got this."

Nami's expression steeled as she made eye contact with Light. She gave him a smirk which only caused a look of acceptance to cross his face. Nami spun around to face her fellow villagers.

"Alright, everyone!" Nami addressed each and every one of the villagers who wondered what she was going to say.

"We'll fight to the death!" Nami made her choice. "Got it?"

They all smiled widely as the villagers raised their arms in the air.

[YEAH!] Was the resounding answer of the villagers.

"You really thought she would let him mess with her head again?" Light questioned his crew as though he had already expected this outcome. "She came here fully resolved for a fight."

"That's new." Silk commented with a small smile. "I never thought I'd see her, of all people, choosing to fight."

"Sometimes, that's the only real option." Zoro reasoned.

"What a bunch of fools." Arlong hissed menacingly, recapturing their attention. "You think you can actually beat me?!"

"We wouldn't be here unless we did." Light answered back, still not intimidated. "Now, it's your turn to fall."

Arlong glared up at him before he snarled. "Do you not understand my anger?" He then looked around. "I saw my brothers crushed like worms! You'll realize soon enough. You should've quit fighting long ago."

"What you saw was your just punishment." Light coldly counterargued.

Arlong only looked angrier. "What?"

"You feel anger after witnessing your brethren crushed; wake up! How many times have you done the same thing!" Light angrily accused him. "How many lives have you hurt or taken? Brothers, sisters, parents, neighbors, friends, or even strangers, it didn't matter to you who they were; you just crushed them anyway." He listed down as the hateful looks from all the villagers behind him showed that he was speaking for all of them. "This is 8 years of retribution raining down on you! What makes you think you have any right to abhor this when you're guilty of the same crime on an insanely higher scale!?"

"What right do I have? Fool!" Arlong spat at his accusations. "The lives of my brothers can't be compared to those of humans, who are no better than insects! The one who will bring down retribution will be me!"

Light bit down on his teeth so hard he only chipped a tooth. "Forget it; someone like you will never understand."

After a few minutes of silence, Arlong finally spoke. "Do you know what the biggest difference between you and me is?" He asked conceitedly.

"Ambition?" Light guessed seriously as he cracked his knuckles. "Conviction? Strength? Or is it Pride?"

"All true, but the biggest difference is something else…" Arlong's eyes turned white in rage. "SPECIES!" He screamed, and he lunged forward to try and bite him, but Light easily dodged it. Again and again, Arlong tried to bite like a wild animal, but Light moved back; they went at it until Arlong finally grabbed hold of his head and slammed him against a pillar. He would've bitten him here, but Light had dodged harder before and sidestepped out of the way so that Arlong bit the pillar…

"Oh man, that had to be painful!" Usopp commented. "His teeth must be shattered—"

CRUSH!

…And shattered it into pieces.

Usopp, as well as Johnny and Yosaku, had their jaws dropped by Arlong, crumbling the pillar with his teeth.

"He bit through the stone pillar!" Johnny cried out in amazement.

"Wow… If he bites you… He won't just leave a mark… He'll bite you right through your bones." Gin said, impressed.

Arlong turned back to sneer at him as if he had just proved a valid point.

"You see?" He asked him mockingly. "This is the inherent power of Fishmen. I feel sorry for you humans for having been created with such… Limited powers." He slowly walked towards him, still taunting him the whole time. "We've been on a different level since the beginning of time. You are inferior… It only makes sense for you to bow before us." He stopped and stood before him as he proclaimed. "You're so weak! Your presence on this planet is deplorable!"

"Weak…?" Light muttered quietly with little reaction.

"Don't you think your time has come to an end?!" Arlong demanded again. He chuckled as if he were told a funny joke, "I'll show you! Show you the real difference between you and I!"

Light walked to the side and stopped in front of a different stone pillar as he looked back at Arlong. "You think that we're weak just because you can bite through a pillar?"

"That's right, Every member of the human race is ignorant and weak!" Arlong proclaimed without a doubt. "You can't even crush a pillar with your jaws!"

"But… I can do this."

CRUSH!

Now, Light proved a point of his own. He placed his hand on a stone pillar, similar to the one Arlong destroyed, and gripped hard on it. First, his fingers broke through and dug into the solid stone. Then he gripped harder as the whole thing started to crack, and in no time, the whole pillar broke apart and came crashing down.

This time, it was Arlong, along with some of the spectators, who were silenced by Light's demonstration of strength.

"Who did you say was weak?" Light mockingly asked Arlong.

"That's just like him." Silk said from experience. "Any time there's a demonstration of strength, he just can't help wanting to one-up whatever the last guy does. It's a bad habit."

"Well, it shut up that dumb shark, so I'm not complaining." Sanji replied casually.

Arlong went back to glaring at Light while he smirked at him. "Why get so caught up in details? Teeth, fingers, it doesn't really matter how you break it as long as it's broken." He reasoned nonchalantly. "Besides, strength isn't really determined by who can smash what, but by who wins in battle." Light confidently sized himself up. "And as the future King of the Pirates, I don't plan on losing to someone like you."

Arlong picked up a piece of the stone pillar and tossed it up and down like a ball in his hands. "King of the Pirates…? Don't be foolish. A puny human like you couldn't possibly conquer the Grand Line." And like that, he crushed the rock with little effort. "What good are you if you can't even breathe underwater?!" He then flew at him for another bite as Light dodged it again.

"Is breathing underwater some unwritten requirement? Because I don't remember any of the other great Pirates having that ability either." Light pointed out while dodging.

"It's one of the biggest and most obvious flaws of the human race; in this world surrounded by oceans, you're completely helpless in the water while we thrive in it! That's why you'll never compare to a Fishman Pirate!" Arlong roared while constantly attempting to bite his teeth into his flesh.

Light sighed and decided he had done enough dodging. Thus, he stopped moving. As he did that, Arlong moved in like a shark about to tear apart its prey. But Light saw his attack coming so clearly that he might as well have been frozen. Light waited until he was close enough and struck first. Light delivered a powerful blow across his face, shattering Arlong's teeth.

"He broke them?!" Genzo exclaimed in amazement.

"Unreal!" Usopp gasped in awe.

"Are you sure you don't want to double-check that theory? Which one of us can't compare?" Light pulled his arm back and stood over his foe. "All you ever do is talk about how superior you are, but it's all just entirely based on the idea that you're a Fishman, as if being a Fishman automatically means you'll win. You have been around long enough to know that the world of Pirates isn't that straightforward. A person's race is never a deciding factor on who is stronger; in fact, sometimes it hardly plays a part at all."

Arlong chuckled from where he lay, his hand over the place where Light struck. "Is that so? You believe that race isn't a factor in any of this? That me being a Fishman and you a human is completely irrelevant?" He asked as he sat up. "And to that end, you're saying that the superiority that Fishmen have over humans is idle thought that holds no merit?" He sounded angrier as he went on.

"Everything about our history backs what I've said; you want to believe that Fishmen will always beat humans, but look around you." Light pointed to their surroundings. "Your crew lost to mine, your slaves have risen up against you, and I've just demonstrated my strength is greater than yours. How much does it need to be spelled out for you to accept it?"

"Accept what? All I hear is you getting too carried away. Or do you truly believe this is over?" Arlong questioned. Light glared at him as Arlong held his hand to his mouth, still to his broken teeth. "My brothers might have fallen, but as long as I'm still here, you all are as good as dead—And I can always go out and enslave more towns and villages to replace what's lost here. And most of all, don't think you've accomplished anything from breaking my teeth!" Arlong shouted out, and within seconds, he regrew his teeth.

"Whoa…" Gin said, taken aback. "Didn't see that coming."

Zoro gasped out as well. "He's got new teeth?" He said in shock.

"I'm a shark." Arlong reminded him. "New teeth will grow one after the other. And with each set, I will grow stronger and stronger." Within seconds, his teeth had regrown, and, using this, he pulled his teeth out to create hand-held castanet weapons for each hand.

And he put them to use by moving in on Light, intending to rip him to shreds. But Light wasn't even fazed as he stuck his arms out and collided his fists with Arlong's teeth. Just like before, Arlong's teeth shattered under the power of Light's hands.

Light raised one of his fists up. "No matter how strong you grow, they're still stronger—These knuckles o' mine."

"You fool, don't get bold simply because you broke my teeth." He then smiled. "Now listen, sharp as my teeth are, they're only useful when they come with powerful jaws like mine! THEY'RE DEADLY!" And with that, he bit down on Light's arm.

Or he tried to, but Light merely swatted him away like a fly. Despite his blow having no weight behind it, it still knocked Arlong back a step.

"And they're still ineffective." Light added to Arlong's claim, and the Fishman was getting angrier as the fight went on.

"This is getting pretty one-sided." Sanji noticed while lighting a cigarette.

"It's not all that shocking, though, considering it's the Captain." Zoro pointed out.

"True, I'd be more surprised if he was having trouble." Sanji agreed.

"Arlong, it's apparent that nothing I say is going to convince, so I guess I'll just have to show you." Light concluded. "Try whatever trick you have up your sleeve, any attack you have confidence in, anything you can think of to try and kill me, and in return, I'll show you how unless it all is; maybe then you'll accept what I've told you."

"I think I've heard enough." Arlong held out his arm and opened his hand. "A human's foolhardiness seems to know no bounds. You honestly believe I need to resort to tricks to end your life?" At that point, a handful of water started to drip from his palm. "Let me show you the true power of the Fishman race!"

Arlong swung his arm as though he was through something, and streams of water shot toward Light. They were different from the bullets that Chew had fired before; these were more condensed and sharper, like senbon. Light fluidly moved aside and let the water attack sail past him, but when they hit the wall behind him, the wall exploded under the power of the water.

"What the hell did he do?!" Usopp cried out in astonishment.

"He did that just by throwing some water?" Sanji looked on in disbelief.

"Shahaha! Do you humans get it now?!" Arlong cackled as he picked up some more water. "I don't even have to touch you to kill you. You're so fragile that I can finish you just by playing with some water!"

"And yet, I'm dry as a bone." Light reminded him. "Maybe you should work on your aim before you start bragging?"

"Well, don't mind if I try again!" Arlong hurled more water at him.

Light looked down and noticed one of the discarded Swords from a previous fight lying on the ground next to him. So, Light kicked the Sword up, held it in his hand, and spun it around in order to swat away that shot of water.

Now Arlong was the one left surprised at how Light rendered his attack moot. "I guess Swords aren't so fragile that you can break them by "playing with some water", Arlong."

Arlong didn't take kindly to being insulted and swung his arms continuously, sending a hail of sharpened water projectiles at Light. Light didn't even need to move his body as he used his Sword to block and deflect every single drop of water Arlong tossed at him. Even though they came faster than bullets and in greater numbers, it was hardly a challenge for Light at all.

In a few minutes, Arlong's onslaught had stopped, and his frustration only increased as he became aware that he had once again failed to damage Light in any way, while Light couldn't be happier at his success at further damaging Arlong's ego.

For his next move, Light let go of the Sword.

"I've played with you long enough; now it's time for me to go on the offensive." Light decided.

"You filthy human, don't you dare—!"

BAM!

Before he could finish that sentence, Light was right in front of him and punched Arlong across the face. Arlong's head was rocked by that last blow as it was heavier than all the other hits Light had used until now.

"Where'd that speed come from?" Arlong thought, surprised at how he could just lose sight of his opponent like that.

Unfortunately for him, that was just the beginning, as Light had fully transitioned from defense to offense and was coming in strong in his assault. He closed the distance again and punched Arlong square in the face, followed by a punch across the cheek and, after that, a shovel punch to the stomach; once Arlong doubled over from the last blow, Light crouched down and hit him with an uppercut to the chin, Arlong's legendary jaw saved him from being taken out, but his head was launched skyward. His body was lifted up a few feet off the ground, with his body defenseless. Light let loose a barrage of punches all over his torso before finishing it with a killer blow in his ribs.

That last punch sent Arlong flying and launched him away in the direction of Arlong Park until he crashed into the second floor.

It was quiet for a while, and some people were wondering if it was over. When the small cloud of dust and rubble had started to clear, a hand reached out, and Arlong dragged himself out of the building as he stood over the hole made in the wall.

It was a surprise to see he was still standing, but many of them were surprised as Arlong's eyes snapped open, and they held a fierce yet animal-like rage.

"Did you see the intensity in his eyes!" Genzo exclaimed.

"It's the same expression that Sea Kings make before they go berserk." Sanji noted uneasily. "The Captain must've really pissed him off."

"I guess he finally went over the edge." Zoro said as the red veins stood out in those cold eyes. His head swirled around wildly, trying to find him.

"His eyes…!" Nami gasped; the fear was evident in her eyes, her hands to her face. "I've never seen them like that…"

It was true. She had shivers of cold going through her at seeing those horrible eyes. Here, he was no longer playing around; he was now out for blood. He was dead set on killing Light, even if he had to destroy everything else on the island to do that.

"YOU WRETCHED HUMAN!" Arlong shouted with fury in his voice. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!"

He roared violently and then punched through the wall nearby. But judging how indifferent he was to this, they couldn't help but wonder if this was what Arlong had planned from the start. Now he fumbled his hand around for a moment inside; he knew the building well enough to know exactly what he was reaching for. And when he pulled his hand out, they saw just what it was that they stared at it. It was a giant black pole with six saw-toothed patterned black blades, resembling a shark's saw-like teeth with a katana's handle.

"THE SAW BLADE!" Nami screamed.

"THAT THING'S GIGANTIC!" Johnny screamed as Yosaku screamed in terror.

With a battle cry, Arlong was now determined to end it as he jumped down from the second floor and brought down his saw blade upon Light. Light was no longer in that spot when the attack hit, and Arlong's weapon tore through the ground like a Warhammer. Light reappeared a few steps to the side, and Arlong raised his weapon to prepare for his next strike.

"That's an interesting weapon; I'd wager it was made specifically for you. Unfortunately, I don't have anything like that." Light held out his arm and pulled his signature knife from his sleeve. "So, I guess this'll have to do."

"Is he planning on using that knife to fight Arlong?" Nojiko wondered, hoping she had the wrong idea.

"That's insane; he can't possibly make Arlong's gargantuan weapon with that little thing." Nako panicked.

Yosaku, Johnny, and Usopp were a little nervous but knew what that knife was capable of, so they had more faith.

"That's the same knife he used to take on Don Krieg." Johnny remembered.

"And anytime he's used that knife, I've never seen the fight last for that long." Usopp pointed out.

"So that means Big Bro Light is serious about ending it soon." Yosaku realized.

Arlong bared his fangs and lifted his saw blade over his shoulder. "You're insulting me! You honestly think you can match my great weapon with that old, brittle piece of junk!?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Light twirled his knife in his hand. "Why don't we put it to the test?"

"Grr… DIEEEEEEE!" Arlong made a mad dash at Light.

Once Arlong was right on top of him, he brought down his massive weapon again. This time, Light didn't dodge it; instead, he raised his knife to meet Arlong's blade.

KATCHIN!

The shock almost snapped the madness out of his eyes as Arlong's blade was not only stopped, but its entire forward momentum had been halted, and even more than that, Arlong couldn't push even further, as though there was a powerful weight blocking his weapon's advance that he couldn't power through with all of his strength.

"W-What…? What is this…?" Arlong even had trouble finding the words to describe his bafflement.

Among those watching, the crewmates who had all fought earlier had different reactions to this turn of events as Gin spoke first. "Haven't we seen something like this before?"

Sanji nodded and looked at Zoro. "Yeah, the same thing happened when you tried fighting Hawk Eye. He stopped you using a pocket knife, too, right?"

Zoro seemed a little miffed at being reminded of that, but he didn't deny it. "I was shocked as well when it happened, but once my head calmed down, I was able to make sense of the whole thing. When two men fight using weapons, the one whose blade is of a greater quality can still lose if the difference in overall still is wide enough."

"And considering the difference in quality between a one-of-a-kind oversized Fishman weapon made in the Grand Line and a pocket knife that was found in a junkyard, the difference in skills must be mountain-sized." Silk summarized.

Arlong pulled back and swung his saw blade again at Light, and just like before, Light blocked it effortlessly. This continued as Arlong kept attacking and swinging his weapon around, and Light kept stopping his attacks. The sounds of their weapons clashing echoed throughout the battlefield. The two combatants were as parallel as their weapons; the calm and composed Light was in stark contrast to the wild and ferocious Arlong.

"I won't be stopped by some human scum!" Arlong howled as he kept advancing.

"You think you're in a position to be calling anyone scum?" Light countered while stepping back.

"HUMANS ROBBED THE LIFE OF SOMEONE PRECIOUS TO ME!" Arlong bellowed through his onslaught. "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE THEM!

Those words seemed to strike a nerve in Light. "I never planned… On asking FOR FORGIVENESS!"

Light's hand flashed forward, and he hacked and slashed at Arlong faster than he could see as minor cuts opened up all over Arlong's arms.

"Gaaahhhh!" Arlong let out a cry of pain as his blood spilled

Light finished the job with a massive swing that pushed Arlong away like when he was punched. This last blow knocked the weapon out of his hands and smashed him through a stone pillar. As he lay on the ground, Light approached and stood over him.

"Remind me again, how many precious someones had their lives stolen by you?" Light asked. This time, he was the angry one as he faced Arlong with contempt. "After all you've done, how dare you call "US" unforgivable."

Arlong didn't say anything in response, but Light turned his back to Arlong and put away his knife as he started walking away. Now, a lot of them were confused as to what he was doing. Light stopped after reaching the edge of the water canal and faced Arlong's direction again.

"Do you remember what I told you before? I said I would destroy your Pride." Light reiterated. "Now, I'm going to take the least thing you have confidence in and shatter it to pieces."

After saying that, Light leaped over the edge and jumped into the water before letting his body submerge under the surface.

.

.

.

[Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!] Practically everyone watching felt their eyes bulge out in astonishment.

"What's he doing?!" Yosaku cried out.

"Has he lost his mind?!" Johnny pulled at his hair.

"Why?! Just why would he do that?!" Usopp was in full-on panic mode.

"This is crazy; no matter how strong he is, it's possible to beat Arlong underwater." Genzo remarked.

"Why? He was so close?" Nojiko believed that Light had just thrown away his opportunity to win.

"Shaha… HAHAHAHAHA!" Arlong shot up and laughed his head off at what he had just witnessed. "AS ALWAYS, A HUMAN'S STUPIDITY LEADS TO THEIR DEATH!"

Arlong ran as fast as he could to the canal and drove underwater as though a valuable treasure was done there. The others only felt their concern increase as they saw Arlong take the bait and rush in after him.

"That moron." Sanji became miffed. "What's he thinking pulling a stunt like that?"

"Facing Arlong underwater is too reckless; what's he trying to prove?" Zoro questioned.

"He might be a whole lot stronger on land, but not only is Arlong at his best underwater, but the Captain also can't even breathe down there; no matter how you look at it, this was a bad idea." Gin voiced his thoughts as well.

"All of you…" Silk spoke softly, getting their attention. "Shut up and watch."

Despite everything, Silk was the only one there who didn't seem worried, surprising them. She had known Light for much longer than anyone there, and that meant she knew what he was capable of far better than the rest of them. That's why she had no doubt that he always did things for a purpose, and this would be no different.

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Deep beneath the water's surface, Light floated around in the water. He could see that he was close to the sea floor of the Arlong Park canal; he stayed there holding his breath while waiting for Arlong.

Shark Dart!

SLASH!

Like a torpedo looking out of nowhere, Arlong surprised Light by shooting out and slicing through the water with a level of speed that was leagues above anything he showed on dry land. His attack was simple. He used himself as a leveling missile with his nose in front to pierce and slice through his intended target. Light barely managed to avoid it, and Arlong sliced through a large patch of his sleeve around his shoulder.

With that, Arlong appeared in front of him, looking as comfortable as can be in the water, and had the most extensive possible grin on his face.

"Let me guess; you didn't expect me to be that fast?" Arlong talked like normal despite being underwater and stared him down like a hunter who had cornered his prey. "It must be so hard for you pitiful humans. You can't even breathe underwater; your body must feel so heavy, and you'll drown soon. Unlike us, Fishmen, you're just filled with weaknesses; it's what makes your whole existence as a race so unnecessary!" Arlong ranted fervently. "That's why I'll wipe out every single one of you humans from this earth, and I'll start by putting you out of your misery!"

Arlong swung his fist at Light—But to his complete and absolute shock… Light caught his fist.

"What?!" Arlong gasped.

Light looked up at him with a smirk and raised his other hand as he made a fist and coated it with Haki—Color of Arms. His black iron fist shot forward, having lost none of its usual speed from being underwater, and decked Arlong across his cheek.

Arlong's head was knocked back from the punch as he was still in shock. "…Haki?"

Even after punching him, Light didn't let go of Arlong's wrist and simply pulled him back. With a smirk still on his face, Light prepared to lay down a solid and extended beatdown on Arlong.

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Back on the surface, for what felt like the hundredth time, everyone was surprised again. Blasts of impacts and shockwaves kept exploding out of the water's surface as though a large amount of little bombs were detonating down there.

"What's happening?" Genzo stood there gaping.

"Captain?!" Usopp called out.

BAM!

Finally, it stopped, and a large object shot out of the water while being launched into the air. A lot of them feared it might be Light, but as it started coming down, they got a close enough look to see that it was, in fact, someone else—It was Arlong.

No one knew what to make of it; the giant Fishman had literally been knocked out of the water and was now falling back down to the ground before he hit the dirt like a sack of rice. Arlong's body rested on the ground, covered in bruises and coughing with a mouth filled with blood. He remained like that, quivering like a small fish taken out of the water and struggling to live. It was a pitiful sight, one that the people of Cocoyashi village had never seen. None of them ever dreamed that they'd see the powerful, imposing creature that felt like something out of a nightmare could ever look so vulnerable.

What had happened down there? That was the question on everyone's mind.

Shortly after Arlong hit the ground, Light followed and climbed out of the water himself, soaking wet but unharmed. Light inhaled a deep breath of air. "Haa… Good thing that didn't take too long."

"Kuh… You…" Arlong coughed and painfully raised his head to face Light. "How did you…?"

"Beat you?" Light finished his sentence with a shrug. "Sure, I couldn't breathe down there, and you might have beefed up a bit, but the overall difference between us is just that big that being underwater couldn't bridge that gap."

Arlong looked as though his whole worldview was collapsing before his eyes. "Impossible."

"Oh, Arlong, just give it some thought." Light gave him an unmerciful smirk. "Imagine it; could an ordinary Fishman defeat Gold Roger just because they were underwater?"

He couldn't accept it, no matter what. He just couldn't come to terms with all this. Arlong closed his eyes and looked down while he closed his fists, and his whole body shook. He wished he still had the strength to scream his lungs out to show how he was feeling. This was all too much for him to bear. But everyone watching understood clearly. The fight was over.

"I said I would destroy the last thing you had faith in, and now I have, so there's only one thing left." Light walked over to the side and picked up the same Sword he discarded earlier before he stood over Arlong again. "I'm going to kill you."

Arlong's eyes shot open at those words as he looked up at Light and saw that he was completely serious. It finally dawned on him he was about to die. He wanted to fight back and be defiant, but at this point, there was not one thing he could do.

"If you have any last words, speak them." Light coldly raised the Sword up like an executioner.

Arlong closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He couldn't comprehend it. How? How did all this happen? How could he have been beaten by humans? How could everything he had built up over the years come crashing down on him like this? None of this was supposed to happen. "Brother Ti…"

But despite everything, Arlong didn't want his last moments alive to be nothing but lamentation and regret. Thus, he opened his eyes again and faced Light, saying the words he truly believed in no matter what.

"Even if you kill me now, the grudges and hatred of my people will live on forever." Arlong proclaimed seriously. "As long as you humans remain in this world, our mission to wipe you all out will never end; there will be those to stand up and continue the mission of my and my brothers' mission. And as long as our grudge remains, the day of retribution for all of you humans will one day come!"

SLASH!

With his last words spoken, Light swung his words over Arlong's neck and decapitated him. With his head separated from his body, Arlong's head sailed through the hair before it landed in the water and sank down to the bottom. His headless body lifelessly collapsed to the ground, and Light tossed away the Sword. Now, for real, this time, it was truly over.

"Go to hell, Arlong. And take your grudges with you."

No one spoke as they all stared at him—Though he didn't say a word, their eyes were all drawn to him as if he had shouted.

Light then took a deep breath and yelled out. "PEOPLE OF COCOYASHI! THE BATTLE IS OVER! I GIVE YOU YOUR FREEDOM!"

His declaration echoed up and through the sky, and then Nami finally lost all control of herself as she began sobbing without any shame. She was standing there, crying her eyes out. It was over—It was finally over.

When she first met him, she had been so sure that he was just like any other Pirate… But she soon came to respect him as a leader. Though she gets angry at his irrational thinking and short attention span, she has come to care for and trust him very much as her Captain. He had been something of an emotional anchor for her during the crisis… A savor, A hero.

It slowly dawned on all the villagers what had just happened, as they were screaming in joy, cheering, and crying. Finally, their nightmare had ended. And the loudest thing they heard through all of the cheering was Johnny and Yosaku screaming out.

[BIG BRO WON!]

"He won?"

"He won!"

"We won!"

"ARLONG PARK HAS FALLEN!" Someone yelled out. Soon, the whole village cried out in joy as they cheered. Finally, after eight long years, they were all finally free.

Nojiko was so happy that she hugged Genzo.

"Nojiko…Is all of this really happening? Surely this is a dream." Genzo said as the villagers started gathering around Light to express their joy and gratitude, too happy to be free.

"You did it, Captain! You deserve the praise!" Usopp shouted out, celebrating as well. "But if wanna share some of it, I'd be glad!"

"Jeez." Sanji said as he watched everyone. "Next time, be quicker about it."

"He really took his time, not that I blame him." Zoro leaned back, relaxed.

Gin looked at Silk. "You were right not to be worried. You knew he had it all under control."

"The Captain is that kind of man." Silk said knowingly as she looked in his direction. "I learned a while ago—No matter the occasion, never count him out."

"After seeing that, I don't think there's any reason not to believe you." Gin proudly gazed at his Captain.

Nami made her way through the crowd and stopped in front of Light. He noticed her right away and smiled at her while she did the same.

"I kept my promise." Light spoke to her.

"Yeah." Nami had an uncharacteristically soft expression as she removed his hat from her head and placed it back on his head where it belonged. "You certainly did… Captain."

Light's eyes widened a bit. That might have been the first time Nami had called him "Captain" rather than his name.

Everyone cheered and danced where they were. It was the happiest they'd ever been. Joy, relief, freedom, liberation. Everything they had always wanted, and now here it was.

"Okay, hold it right there!"

Came a voice that halted the fanfare. Everyone looked to see Captain Nezumi and a few dozen Marines behind him aiming their guns at everyone. Everyone glared as Nezumi laughed. "Chichichichi. What a lucky day today is! Very nice. I saw the entire fight, and I must say good work. I can only assume your victory here was some kind of bizarre accident; I never thought the Fishmen would lose to a bunch of no-name Pirates like you and your crew. However, now that Arlong is out of the picture, I'll be taking all the money I was supposed to give to him in addition to all the treasure in Arlong Park." He then pointed at Light. "And also, I'm placing you under arrest for threatening me earlier."

Everyone looked ready to kill Nezumi when he said that. Light turned toward Usopp and gave him a signal, which Usopp immediately understood as he brought out his slingshot.

"Everyone, drop your weapons. Colonel Nezumi of the Marines gets all the credit!" He said before he started bursting out into laughter.

Special Attack: Lead Star!

Nezumi stopped laughing when one of his men dropped his gun. But he wasn't the only one. Usopp demonstrated his superior sniping abilities by launching his lead projectiles at the hands the Marines were using to hold their guns and effectively disarm them. It didn't take more than a few seconds for Usopp to disarm them all.

"What's going on here!?" Nezumi demanded to know as he looked around.

But while he wasn't looking, Usopp came in to finish the job; he ran up to Nezuki and brought out an iron hammer.

Usopp Hammer!

BOINK!

Nezumi was seeing stars after Usopp hit him over the head with his hammer. He was lying on the ground with a big bump on his head, and his eyes were swirling. Before any of the other Marines could do anything in response, Zoro and Sanji sprung into action and quickly knocked out the rest.

Each of Nezumi and his Marines received a beating from getting hit with a sword, smacked with a chain, kicked in the face, punched, and hit with a hammer all at the same time. Light, Zoro, Silk, Sanji, Gin, and Usopp stood over the annoying colonel and his Marines, who gained bruises from the beatdown.

Now Nezumi and the rest of his men were piled on the ground, with Nezumi barely awake and the rest of them unconscious.

"Go on and try it…" Nezumi mumbled with a swollen face. "You'll be sorry; I can promise you that."

"He's still talking?" Sanji questioned.

Light tapped Usopp on the shoulder. "Nice work, Usopp."

"Ha, well, you shouldn't be surprised; after all, the great Captain Usopp is always ready to step up against any Marines who try to start something with us." Usopp bragged about himself.

Nami approached the beaten Marine colonel and crouched to his level.

"This here is for trying to shoot Nojiko and also for destroying Bellmère's tangerine orchard." Nami stated as she smacked her staff across Nezumi's face, causing him to fly toward the water with a splash.

"Colonel!" A marine shouted.

"Thanks, Nami!" Nojiko grinned. "That felt good."

"A THOUSAND MORE, AND WE'LL CALL IT EVEN!" Genzo shouted angrily. Nezumi resurfaced as Nami sauntered to the water's edge and tugged the man's whiskers, yanking them hard from his face.

"What you're gonna do is help clean after those Fishmen!" Nami demanded. "Then, you're gonna help rebuild the town of Gosa, and you won't lay a finger on any of the money or valuables in Arlong Park! That's the island's money! Got it!?"

"Yes!" Nezumi muffled his words. "I'll do anything you say!"

"Nami, that's enough." Light leaned next to her. "I'm pretty sure he gets the message. Better not to overdo."

"You Pirates, I'll—?!" Nezumi froze when he got a good look at Light.

He noticed something about Light that he had never seen before: on his shoulder—The spot where Arlong had torn the fabric of his jacket earlier—There was a tattoo, a tattoo of the head of a lion facing forward.

Nezumi looked at that tattoo with some kind of recognition, as though he was only now taking a good long look at Light. "Y-You're… I know…?!"

Sanji blinked. "What's gotten into him now?"

"You think that last blow rattled his brain?" Gin theorized.

Right after, Nezumi and his marines were sent swimming away. However, Nezumi still had some words he wanted to say.

"I'll get you, you Pirates!" Nezumi shouted. "Light is your captain, right!? Well, mark my freakin' words! I know who you are now! Major things are gonna happen cause you made me angry! I swear you'll regret this! I'll get my revenge! Just you wait and see!" He and his men swam further away from the place.

"Major things are gonna happen?" Sanji repeated.

"I seriously doubt I'll regret this." Light dismissed his threat.

"EVERYONE!" Nako announced to the villagers. "NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO KEEP THIS TO OURSELVES! WE NEED TO TELL EVERYONE ON THIS ISLAND WHAT HAPPENED HERE TODAY!"

Nojiko watched the villagers run back to Cocoyashi to give the good news. Nojiko smiled as she watched Nami make her way to join her friends.

Nojiko kept her smile as she watched her sister have a genuinely happy look on her face with people she could call her friends. She observed the group with Genzo and Nako with smiles of their own.

"Good job, Nami." Nojiko said with a smile.

"To think our island would be saved by unruly Pirates." Genzo muttered. "The world is strange."

"Now it's done." Nako said, staring up at the sky. "The spirit of Bellmère can finally be at peace."

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Cocoyashi village, once ruled by 'Sawtooth' Arlong with an iron fist, decided they were gonna party for 3 days straight as they were all finally free from the Fishman's rule. Everybody danced, drank, sang, and ate until they couldn't anymore. Nojiko sat alone on a bench as she drank from a tankard. She gave a satisfied huff with a small smile on her face.

"Nojiko!" The voice of Cabo rang out as he ran to meet her.

"Hey, you," Nojiko greeted.

"Have you seen Arlong Park, Nojiko?" Cabo asked excitedly. "It's been totally trashed!"

"I know, it's great," Nojiko agreed with a grin.

"I have to meet the guy who did that!" Cabo exclaimed. "He must be totally awesome! I heard he's still in our village! Do you know where I can find him?"

"The guy with the Straw hat." Nojiko pointed out with a wink.

"You're our savior!"

"Our hero!"

Light was immediately crowded by almost every single villager once they saw him as they dragged him over to one of the many tables that were covered with multiple platters of food and enough booze to knock out an army. Light was brought to the front of the table as a villager shoved an empty tankard in his hands, and a female villager filled it for Light with a wink. Light wasn't really used to this kind of treatment, as most of the attention of the whole island was on him. It was a bit like how it was after he stopped Morgan, but on a much grander scale.

"Go on, drink up, hero!" A villager insisted.

"Isn't this a bit much?" Light decided to ask.

"Not at all! This whole party's happening because of you!" Light realized arguing was futile and raised the mug to his lips with a smirk.

"Ah well…" Light said and chugged the booze in a few gulps. Forget pacing himself; with all the battles he's had so far in this journey, he was gonna take full advantage of Cocoyashi's hospitality. The villagers cheered as Light sighed contently after the drink. Light laughed with the cheering villagers as he wiped the leftover booze from his mouth. They told Light that he could have whatever he wanted since he was the 'hero'. Light didn't raise an argument at this point as long as it made everyone happy, and they all enjoyed the party.

"It's him?" Cabo didn't expect to recognize the man in question. "He's more… Normal-looking than I was expecting."

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Nojiko replied as she took another swig of her drink. "Right now, he's like an ordinary guy, but in a fight, he's like a one-man army."

Nako spent a good few hours patching up the ones with more severe injuries. Johnny and Yosaku slept in beds sleeping like a couple of happy children.

….….….….….….….…….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…….….….….….….….….….….….….….

Meanwhile, Nako's current patient was the green-haired Swordsman who was busy screaming in agony. Nako was astonished that this guy was even still alive with a massive cut across his body that was currently being sewn closed.

"You dumbass!" Nako exclaimed. "Did you think this would heal on its own?! Seriously, Pirates are supposed to be smarter than this! Don't you have a ship's doctor?"

"Doctor? I suppose that's a good idea!" A certain straw hat agreed. Light was at the open window with a bottle of ale in his hands.

"Captain…?" Zoro muttered.

"But if we find one, it'll have to be on the Grand Line." Light mentioned.

"Why's that?" Zoro questioned.

"Because I'd prefer our doctor was also a capable fighter." Light stated matter-of-factly.

"That's true..." Zoro agreed with the sentiment.

"By the way, old man? Where's Nami?" Light turned to ask Nako. "I haven't seen her around."

"Well then…" Nako thought for a second. "There's only one place she'd go."

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Nami sat in front of Bellmère's grave with a smile on her face. She was accompanied by Genzo as he hung back to give her space. For once, her smiles were filled with joy now that she was free from Arlong. She thought about what she could do next now that she and her island were free. Nami already had an inkling of what she wanted to do.

"Why are you still here, Nami?" Nojiko's voice rang out. "Your friends have been looking for you." Nami turned her head as she gave Nojiko and Genzo a smirk. Nami could at least pitch to them about what she wants to do.

"Hey, Nojiko, Genzo…" Nami started. "If Bellmère were still alive and I wanted to become a Pirate, do you think she'd let me do it?"

"What do you think!?" Genzo exclaimed in disapproval. "Of course, she'd never let her precious daughter go out to sea with a bunch of treacherous Pirates!"

"Yeah, she'd let you." Nojiko said with a smile to herself.

"Nojiko!" Genzo continued to argue.

"But if she had said no, that wouldn't stop you, would it?" Nojiko asked. Nami cheekily stuck out her tongue.

"Nope!" Nami agreed with a grin.

"I see." Genzo muttered, pulling down his hat—The man who watched Nami grow up belted out in laughter.

"What's up, Genzo?" Nojiko frowned at the man.

"You certainly are Bellmère's kids," Genzo commented. "Nami, you've already made up your mind about this..."

Nami's mind was already made up. She was going to go sailing the seas with Light and the others. Just the thought of going on an adventure with her friends to make her dream come true made her beyond happy.

"There's no use fighting it." Genzo remarked. "Live your life. It's what Bellmère would've wanted."

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Meanwhile, even though everyone was still celebrating, there was still one last thing the islanders felt needed to be done. The crew and pretty much everyone who lived on the island gathered in front of the gates of Arlong Park, which still stood tall despite the ruler being dead.

Light stood in the front while Usopp and a few villagers were behind him. Each of them had a bow with a flaming arrow and was ready to launch.

Light waved his arm and gave the signal. "Loose!"

With that word, all the arrows were launched. Because of the short distance, they quickly hit the building in different spots, and just like that, they ignited them as fires started and spread around until Arlong Park was completely on fire. The flames spread and grew, and it wouldn't be long before they consumed the whole building.

All the islanders started to cheer. Even though Arlong was gone for good, they didn't truly feel that everything had been settled while this building still stood. For years, Arlong Park had been a "Demon King's castle" to them, and watching it burn away would give them the closer they needed.

"Gotta say, I've only been here once, and even I'm happy to watch it go." Sanji smiled while watching the fires.

"I think once was more than enough for me." Gin commented.

"Either way, now every trace that the Fishmen were here is gone." Zoro noted. "Now they can finally put all this behind them."

"I'm a little surprised Nami isn't here." Silk noticed. "I would have thought she'd have wanted to see this more than anyone."

"There's no need." Light spoke, still watching the flames. "Nami doesn't need to be here; she has her own way of moving on."

Finally, the flames reached the top of the building and reached the flag. Soon enough, the flag of the Arlong Pirates caught fire and started to burn away into embers; the mark that represented Arlong's ambition, just like Arlong, would soon be nothing more than a fleeting memory.

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Sometime later, on a different Island where Nezumi had run off, the rat man in question was inside a Marine and contacting Headquarters.

"Hello! Hello!" Nezumi shouted over the transponder snail.

"Yes. This is Marine Headquarters." The Marine on the other line responded.

"Headquarters, right… Good, hello!" Nezumi continued to yell. "This is Colonel Nezumi of the 16th Marine Branch calling Marine Headquarters! Code #00733. I have a request!"

"There really is no reason to shout; I can hear you." The Marine on the other line calmly informed him.

"Listen! There's a Pirate who wears a Straw hat. His name is Monkey D. Light! I hereby declare that he and his six crew members are enemies of the government! They managed to take down the reportedly invincible Fishman Arlong in his home base! Based on the large threat they pose, a large bounty has been placed on their Captain!" Nezumi demanded more than requested. "But that's not all! Their Captain… I believe he is the perpetrator of the Goa incident from over a year ago!"

"What…?" The Marine on the other line was taken aback by that accusation. "Are you certain about this?"

"I'm positive!" Nezumi insisted. "Not only does he match the description, but he has the mark. When I saw the sigil on his shoulder, I knew without a doubt that it must be him! I'm sending a picture now!"

"All right, we're receiving it now." The Marine said.

The marine at HQ was looking at Light's picture before remembering something.

"This is…?" He thought before his eyes widened in shock. The picture was of Light facing off slightly towards the side with a smirk on his face; the picture reached up to his collarbone. "Alright. We'll inform the higher-ups." He said before hanging up. He then grabbed the picture before running through HQ, sweat forming on his face as he ran. "There's no mistaking it. His features match the descriptions we've gotten, and as Colonel Nezumi said, he has the mark!"

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After a while, the sun started to set, and Nami went to Nako and was in his office. She was lying face down on a bed without a top. Nami asked Nako if he could take care of the tattoo on her shoulder. Hoping he could get rid of it.

"I'll do my best." Nako tried to assure her. "But you do realize this is a tattoo. There's bound to be some scaring leftover when I'm done." Nami gave a mirthless chuckle.

"I was stupid." Nami expressed. "I knew it wouldn't come off." The tattoo from Arlong reminded him that he believed she was his to own. But she remembered a certain day after Nami escaped from a group of Pirates and stole their treasure; she returned to her house and saw Nojiko with her own tattoo, claiming she was just like her. It was a fond memory as they each shared a laugh that day. Nami smirked and thought about something.

"Hey, doc?" Nami said. "I think I want a new tattoo." She lifted a sheet of paper in between her fingers. "Something like this?"

The next thing Nami had to wrap up was to head back to her home. Nami stuffed all the treasure she had into a sack and left it there for the Cocoyashi villagers to have. Nami stood in her childhood home, and it brought old memories of her, Nojiko, and Bellmère. Nami had an odd feeling that someone was watching her. She turned and saw Bellmère, sitting at the table with hands clasped in front of her, smiling at her. Nami knew it was only her imagination but smiled at the vision of her mother.

"Well, Bellmère…" Nami started. "We finally made it. It took 8 long years, but we're finally free. The village and me. It's just like you told us when we were children, "Be brave and smile, and nothing will be able to stop you". So true. Arlong's gone, and now everybody is so happy to be free." Nami turned to face Bellmère with a smile. "And me, I'm finally gonna leave this island. But don't worry. I'll be okay. I'm going with good, strong people like you. And this last map…."

Nami stared at the rolled piece of paper clutched in her hand.

"And this last map is all that I have left to remind me, but none of that really matters anymore, right? 'Cause now, I'll start again, and every map I draw will be for me. Nobody else. Oh, you see!" Nami couldn't contain the excitement in her voice. "This time, when I see the world, it will be with all of my friends. You know that's what I've always wanted. Anyway, I'm just trying to say goodbye." There was sadness in Nami's voice. "I don't know if I'll be back."

Nami held tight to the map and wiped a tear from her eye as the imaginary Bellmère was gone from the table.

"I'm going now." Nami declared. "Okay." Nami made her way to the doors. As she opened them, she felt something give her a shove out of the house. Nami gasped as she looked behind her and saw nobody around. Nami figured that shove was from Bellmère, who was really there listening to her, which made Nami laugh happily.

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More time had gone by, and it was a dark night. Genzo was by himself and still not enjoying the celebrations. He was on a cliff that overlooked the ocean. A bright moon was reflected in the sparkling sea below them, and he was still in front of the very simple grave raised there by a wooden cross that belonged to Bellmère. Genzo had poured an entire bottle of sake over it as if the one who was buried there could enjoy it as well.

"Bellmère…" Genzo began. "Your daughters are strong young women now. You'd be so proud." He finished pouring down the cross and grinned. "It's like I'm standing right in front of you again. We're not going to waste a single moment now. So much has been lost. Every one of us has had to make terrible sacrifices, which is why I don't care if I look like a fool. I'm happy for the first time in a long while."

It was very peaceful for a few quiet moments, but that soon ended when he heard a voice. "So this is where you've been."

Genzo had also jumped and spun around to see who it was. To his surprise, Light had appeared before him. The torn part of his jacket had been fixed up. "It's you?"

"When I asked around on where Nami might be, a lot of people said she'd probably be here with you and Nojiko." Light explained his reason for being here, and he then turned away. "Guess I missed her."

"Wait, boy!" Genzo suddenly shouted, stopping Light so that he would look back, and they looked over at him.

"What is it?" Light asked curiously.

"Listen, boy." Genzo said, still not looking away, but his voice was very serious. "I know Nami is going away with you. She has her mind set on becoming a Pirate, and that… Is dangerous business. And I'm fine with that; it can't be helped." But what he said next was different. "But if any of you do anything to hurt her… I will kill you." Genzo said, his voice deadly serious.

Light didn't respond; he merely frowned while his eyes were covered by his hat, and he let out a small breath. He turned around to leave again. "Ridiculous."

"Hey!" Genzo yelled at the top of his lungs. "ANSWER ME!"

"Why?" Light questioned him with boredom. "Do you think yelling will intimidate me?"

"Why then?" Genzo became mad, so much so that a vein appeared on his forehead. "Why won't you swear to me that you won't hurt her?"

"You expect me to tell you what you want to hear after threatening my crew and me?" Light pointed out the oddities in his logic. "How did you think I would respond to that?"

"You…" Genzo stopped for a bit. "I just… I just want to know that she'll be safe."

"And did you figure that, if she's not, you'll kill me? Do you even hear yourself? You couldn't do anything against Arlong, but you say you'll kill me? If you had the power to make good on that threat, all of this would have been settled years ago, so you're basically threatening me with nothing." Light informed him logically. "How am I supposed to take that seriously?"

Genzo looked down, now more upset with himself and his own powerlessness. "Then, what am I supposed to say? How can I know she'll be safe from now on?"

"You can't." Light bluntly informed him. "Out there, at sea, it's a great big world. No one, even if you're the strongest in the world, you can't ever be safe all the time; that's something you have to accept when you set sail."

"Yes, I know you're right, but still…" Genzo still looked distraught. He then looked at Light with a serious expression. "Tell me, what do you think of Nami? What kind of person is she to you?"

"She's moody, stubborn, pushy, obnoxious, stingy, self-centered, narcissistic, and a complete pain in the neck." Light didn't hold back. "Somedays, she's so frustrating I just want to pull my hair out."

Genzo just stared at him for a second before he had a small smile. "True, you're absolutely right; that girl is more than a handful. Honestly, I couldn't have said it better myself."

"All the same, she's a member of my crew, my Nakama." Light went on. "If you truly knew what that meant, then you'd know that you have no reason to worry."

Genzo moved his cap back down so that they couldn't see his eyes, but a satisfied smile tugged at the scarred man's lips—As if he just had a tricky question answered for him. With that over, Light walked away to leave for real this time.

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The day finally came when the crew was gonna set out from the Conomi islands and continue their adventure. Zoro climbed up the rope ladder while holding a crate.

"That's the last one, right?" Usopp asked as he took the crate from Zoro.

"Yep," Zoro said as Gin gave the swordsman a hand and pulled him aboard the Going Merry.

"We got everything?" Light wondered.

"Yep!" Usopp answered.

"Everything's accounted for." Silk answered.

"All right!" Sanji declared. "We're stocked up with everything we need. I think we're good to go."

"You know, we've only been on this little island for a few days, but it feels more like a lifetime." Usopp voiced.

"Hard battles do that to you." Light commented.

Johnny and Yosaku stood by their ship with their arms crossed.

"We can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us." Yosaku expressed. "But we gotta go back to our regular jobs as bounty hunters."

"So, this is goodbye." Johnny added. "I hope we get to meet again someday."

"See ya around." Zoro smirked at his old friends.

[Goodbye!] The bounty-hunting duo bid farewell to the Pirates. They were going back to hunting Pirates and also decided to reside on the island.

"Now it's time for us to get going!" Usopp suggested.

"But we can't leave yet!" Sanji affirmed. "We gotta wait for Nami!"

"Well, maybe she's not coming?" Zoro guessed.

"What? Why not?!" Sanji shouted at Zoro. "If you tried to hit on her again, I swear I'll break your freakin' neck! You got it!?"

"Why would I do something like that?" Zoro questioned.

"I literally don't believe that's even possible." Silk responded dryly to that theory.

"She might not even be coming," Usopp figured. "After all, she has achieved her goal; Nami doesn't have to be a Pirate anymore; she might be better off if she stayed here with all her friends and family."

"Interesting idea, but she didn't really strike me as the type that would want to settle down." Gin argued with his idea.

"What about me, dammit!" Sanji shouted. "Without Nami on board, I have like 49.36% less reason to stay with you people on this stupid pirate ship!"

"I'm assuming a large portion of that percentage is Silk?" Light figured.

"Obviously, what reason other than the ladies would I have to be on this ship!?" Sanji exclaimed emotionally.

[What about the All Blue?] Light and Gin thought at the same time.

Light then looked over the ship and saw Nami in the distance. "Hey, there she is."

Upon his words, the crew—Sanji especially, looked over the edge to see that Nami had indeed arrived. All the villagers noticed Nami as well. She stood all the way at the hill, her hair shadowing her eyes.

"SET THE SAILS!" And suddenly, she started sprinting toward them as if she was being chased by something.

"I don't get it." Usopp said, watching her sprint toward them. "Why's she running?"

"She said to set sail." Light noted as he went over to the sails.

"But what's going on?" Silk asked as Zoro and Usopp both looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"NO!" Genzo suddenly cried out as he Nojiko and the doctor all looked surprised at Nami. "She's planning on leaving without letting any of us thank her or say goodbye!"

"Set sail!" Light yelled, and they did as Zoro pulled up the anchor—Soon, they were moving away from the dock.

"Wait! Don't go!" Someone screamed.

"They're leaving!"

"Stop! At least let us say goodbye!"

Nami didn't respond to any of their words as she continued to sprint with the citizens trying to stop her. Genzo fought his way through to the front. "NAMI!" He yelled. "COME BACK HERE! YOU CAN'T LEAVE THIS WAY!"

"So." Sanji said to Light. "You sure you wanna let her leave like this?"

"It's her decision to make." Light told him.

"That is true." Usopp nodded as they sailed farther and farther away, with Nami now in danger of being left behind. But they didn't need to worry. Nami started to run between them all zig-zag, diagonal, up and down… She ran past all of them, slipping away without any trouble—Thanks to her years of stealing. Once she passed the doctor and her sister, she jumped, almost flying through the air, and just barely made it to the ship.

"WHY?!" Genzo cried out as she landed on the Merry's deck. Breathing hard, she didn't move for a moment before she pulled back her shirt to show dozens of wallets and coin purses falling out. At that, they all checked their pockets and realized that she had stolen from each of them.

She was pulling out some of the money; she kissed it before looking back with a smug smirk. "Thanks a bunch!"

"DAMN! YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Genzo shouted as their jaws all dropped.

Usopp whispered to Zoro darkly. "Great. She hasn't changed a bit."

"I'd watch my back if I were you." Zoro agreed, giving Nami a shady look.

"YOU LOUSY PICKPOCKET!" Genzo cried out. "WE'LL MISS YOU!"

Nami felt her heart warm at that as she began to scream out, waving goodbye. "GOODBYE, EVERYBODY! I'LL MISS YOU! TAKE CARE!"

Nami stood there the whole time, smiling at the disappearing land, and she looked up to the cliff where she could make out her mother's grave. She then turned to the rest of the crew and said. "Now that that's over, I say it's about time we head off to the Grand Line!"

Everyone cheered and started to laugh together—Glad that was finally over. Light, however, was not amused. "You damn fool!"

BOINK!

"Ouch!" Nami cried out as Light pounded her upside the head. "What was that for?"

"Don't play innocent with me; I don't know what you were expecting, but we do not abide by pickpocketing our own townspeople on this ship!" Light scolded her like a child. "Have you no sense of shame?!"

"It was just a joke." Nami defended while averting her eyes.

"Well, here's another one." Light took out a brown sack and stuffed all of the stolen wallets and purses in it.

Light then stood on the stern of the ship and swung his arm back before he tossed the sack with all of his strength, and it sailed through the air before it landed back on the shore of the island in front of the people.

"Huh?" Genzo went up to the sack and opened it up. "What? It's all of our money?

"They returned it?" Nojiko blinked in confusion.

"You think it was him?" Johnny asked knowingly.

"Oh yeah, must have been Big Bro Light." Yosaku agreed with a smile.

Back on the ship, Nami snapped at Light. "What did you do that for!? That was my money!"

"You stole it!" Light reminded her.

"Yeah, when I steal something, it's mine, so that was mine!" Nami reasoned with her own twisted logic.

"Well then, why don't we turn the ship around so you can steal them again?" Light suggested.

Nami halted, and she quickly quieted down. "No, that's fine."

Silk just looked at her with half-lidded eyes. "Anyone else starting to have second thoughts about bringing her own?" Most of them agreed with the sentiment as Gin let out a groan, Zoro facepalmed, and Usopp pinched the bridge of his nose.

….….….….….….….…….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…….….….….….….….….….….….….….

—…

And that's the chapter. First of all, you'll notice some similarities between this fight and how Light fought Krieg. Considering how much stronger he is than them, this is the only way the fights can be structured. If Light had gone all out, he would have crushed Arlong in just a few seconds, but that wasn't his only objective. This was him getting payback for Nami and the villagers, so he took his time smacking Arlong, letting all of them feel avenged and enjoy the catharsis of watching Arlong feel as powerless as he made them.

And now that Arlong is gone, everything in the East Blue has been settled, so the crew will be heading for the Grand Line. As for all that stuff with the Marines and the Goa incident at the end of the chapter, that'll be explained in the next chapter.

Anyways thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. If you want more, leave a review. If you like the story, click the follow/favorite, and as always, have an awesome day.