Straw Hat's Guardian

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Nami's Choice and Luffy's Return!

Recap:"ARLONG!!!", shouts a familiar female voice.

"Nami...?", Lambo whispers in shocked as he whirled to see the woman proudly, angrily standing there, with her shoulder bandaged, staff in hand, and straw hat securely on her head.

"Hey Nami.", Arlong greeted casually, "I was just teaching one final lesson to these pathetic little pirates. What are you doing here?"

He chuckled as he continued with that stupid shit-eating grin, staring down at Nami as if she were nothing but a tool for his delight.

"I'm here to kill you."

~

Lambo could hardly move a muscle. It took a lot of effort for him to just twitch a finger. Everything ached, his entire right arm burned, Lambo's right arm wasn't having a good day apparently. He was practically helpless, so all he could do was lye there and watch as Nami stared down the being that brought so much pain in her life.

"Me? You're here to kill me?", Arlong slowly asked, in disbelief before laughing mockingly at the ginger haired girl, "Haven't you learned your lesson yet? How many times have you tried to kill me in these last eight years?"

Lambo looked up at Nami blearily, his fingers digging into the ground as he stared up at her with an unreadable expression. While Nami's was hidden by the shadow the brim of Luffy's Straw Hat casted over her face.

"You tried assassination. Poison. Sneak attacks.", Arlong continued, hardly bothered, while every last one of the villagers looked absolutely devasted with this realization, "You must be aware that you mere humans can't kill me. Now Listen, I won't put you in the ground Nami. But you can't leave. You remain here. With us. As our surveyor. Forever."

With that, Lambo can practically hear the cage slowly trying to encase Nami inside, with Arlong turning the key inside the lock. The way Arlong looked at her, as if she were a mere tool instead of a living breathing human being. It made Lambo honestly sick to his stomach. Nami looked absolutely terrified, and Lambo couldn't blame her.

He had to get up!

"But you know, I'm quite good natured.", Arlong continues to speak, tone slick and coy, "If possible, I'd like you to be our surveyor of your own free will."

He chuckles, looking down at Nami with that wide shit-eating sharp tooth grin of his as Arlong regarded 'his surveyor'.

"I'm giving you a choice.", he declared with a finger pointed at her, "I will not take pause in having my Fishmen kill every living creature on this island, except for you."

Nami's eyes widened as a fearful, vulnerable even, look took place within her eyes.

"But's that's only if you refuse to come back to the Arlong Pirates, and draw sea charts as one of our own.", Arlong states casually, as if he wasn't threatening to commit mass genocide, "And if you decide to come back with us, I'll be kind and spare the villagers their lives."

Everyone gasped, staring at Arlong in shock. Lambo gritted his teeth, that can't be all. It's usually never is with people like Arlong.

"But I can't let these increts live.", Arlong looked down at the struggling Straw Hat pirates at his feet, easily pushing Sanji over on to his side with his foot as he glared down at the trio, "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? Your choice."

"Some choice.", Lambo snarled as he glared up tiredly at the shark Fishman.

Who only glared down at him in disgust, as if Lambo was just an ant beneath his feet. Just annoying persistent pest to the Fishman. With a sadistic grin, Arlong stomped his foot down, hard, on top of Lambo's back. Lambo gritted his teeth as he grunted while Arlong squished his entire torso.