[zolu] ❇ fate and destiny

[4] fate

∽↭↠☾a/n☽↞↫∽

Woohoo, I'm alive!... hopefully. Here we are, nearly four months later with the next chapter. This one's going to be slightly shorter than the other chapters, mainly because I wanted to save all the more important parts in the fifth and final chapter. With important meaning—hella fluff and hopefully a satisfying ending to end this series.

Also, this chapter gets fairly existential and borderline angsty.

∽↭↠☾end of a/n☽↞↫∽

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"Where the hell is the damn exit?!" the green-haired swordsman looked around the fenced yard. Unconscious fishmen littered the floor with fresh wounds adhering their bodies. The male looked around, scratched his head, and sat on a concrete throne.

His arrival on the island hadn't been the best experience. A group of fishmen intruded on the small seafaring vessel with him, Usopp, and Johnny onboard. Some rope later, the three were bound and taken to Arlong Park. There, they confronted the orange-haired burglar, who was more than annoyed at their persistence.

Despite the hate-driven atrocities the woman claimed to do, the swordsman found her lie obvious. She was visibly and audibly disturbed by the thought of betraying her family and townsfolk. An open book she was, and the knotted string between the lines unraveled slowly.

After calling out on her dishonesty, the green-haired male jumped into the water, only to be saved by the woman that had sided with the Fishman Pirates. One who claimed she'd take from her townspeople out of selfish desire. One that joined the torturers of her home. She would convince no one, and no listener would be blindly assured of her white lie.

The swordsman was imprisoned and later freed by the orange-haired girl, who instructed the male to leave and never return. Her words were cold and bitter, but her front could tear down at a moment's notice. He complied with her request and now found himself finding the exit.

He swore they moved it. Somewhere, anywhere, he didn't know, but he was sure about going in the right direction. Curing his boredom by cutting down fishmen for exercise felt great for his strained body. Though, it had ended quicker than he wanted.

An octopus fishman with three pairs of arms and the logo of the sun tattooed on his forehead arrived at the park. He immediately saw a green-haired man staring off into space with a look of discontentment. Stepping over to him, the swordsman registered his presence, shifting his eye to footsteps approaching him.

"Who are you?" the green-haired male spoke, clearly unamused by the visitor. He folded his arms behind his head and lounged on the uncomfortable stone throne.

"The name's Hatchan. Officer of the Arlong Pirates," the fishman responded, with more confusion than distaste at the intruder's attitude. He had been fishing before returning and was not expecting a human in their territory. The only one he was accustomed to was Nami. "Ah, you must be a guest!"

"Uh, sure. Take me to Arlong," the swordsman took advantage of his gullible nature. As much as he hated to assume facts about one's life, the human octopus seemed blind to the bodies of his brethren coating the courtyard.

He was reasonably sure defeating the almighty oh-so-feared Arlong would be a breeze. The members of his pirate crew hadn't impressed the green-haired swordsman in the slightest. It was more like exercise for the debilitated man, who needed to stretch and soothe the primal desire to fight again.

Soon, he was on an odd passenger wagon carried by the octopus fishman who strapped the vehicle behind his back like a horse. They headed toward Cocoyashi Village, the last known location of the fishman pirate captain.