Arlong forcefully removes Dio's hand from his shirt; he fears his heart won't be able to take it much longer. Dio responds to this simply by turning heel and heading for the door.
"Wait! I didn't give you permission to leave. I have over 100 men outside that door, there's no escape for you, human." Arlong calls out.
"Useless.. I've put up with this long enough. You shall address me as Dio, or rather, you won't even have to address me at all. I'm leaving this world for I still have unfinished business in mine. I've fought with men much stronger and far more determined than you so don't stand in my way if you value your life." Dio proclaims, hands on his hips and head tilted so slightly upwards to give off the impression that he was, in every way, better than Arlong.
Arlong was left completely stunned. He watches in awe as Dio saunters out of the room, hands still firmly placed on each hip. As Dio opens the door, he is greeted with hoards of fishmen brandishing their swords, ready to take him prisoner. Arlong raises a webbed hand up to the level of his eyes, still not uttering a word; but his men know what this means. And without a beat, Dio was out of sight.
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That night, under the blanket of stars that stretched across the East Blue's sky, Arlong sat at the gates of Arlong Park all by himself. Somewhere in his subconscious mind, he longed to see a towering, muscular silhouette appear in the distance. But alas, Arlong was left with only the sounds of the ocean waves and a swarm of thoughts weighing heavily on him. Why did this mere human get under his skin so much? He's seen men twice the size of this "Dio" and he's never let them go. Arlong never lets anyone go for free.
"Ah." Arlong let out a small gasp as he finally reached a conclusion, though, it wasn't one he was completely satisfied with. It was the way Dio stood up to him. The last human to talk back to Arlong was none other than Nami, and of course Arlong took a liking to her too; she even became a member of his crew. It pained Arlong to realize that he liked a sense of fierce, unwavering confidence. But this Dio person was different from Nami...
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The last thing Arlong could have ever expected to see as he woke up was the man who had consumed his thoughts all evening. He believes he must still be dreaming, so Arlong closes his eyes once more.
"Oi, long nose, don't feign ignorance in the presence of Dio. I'm well aware you saw me. Wake up." Dio demands.
Arlong shoots straight up off the ground and meets Dio face to face. He scans his surroundings to find that he accidentally slept outside the gates whilst racking his brain last night. Dio gives Arlong an impatient expression, crossing his arms and cocking his head to one side.
"Huma.. Dio. I let you leave yesterday, graciously I might add. It's not every day that one faces the Arlong Pirates and lives to tell the tale," Arlong lets out a hearty laugh, "Do you have a death wish or something? I didn't take you as the type to give up so easily."
"Listen here you half fish, half man, you may find yourself amusing but frankly, it pisses me off. The only reason I've come back is because I need something from you, so don't flatter yourself." Dio retorts. Arlong can't seem to hide the joy in his face at the prospect of Dio needing his help, after all, it means he'll stay here longer. Long enough for Arlong to discover why his heart races every time Dio speaks.
"Need something from me? What makes you think I'll help you?" Arlong tries to play it cool. Dio looks to the side, seemingly lost in thought. There's a break in the conversation as silence takes precedent, tension grows ever so slightly in each passing second.
"I'll tell you about places you've never seen on those stupid little maps of yours." Dio begins, bluntly. "Places that exist outside of this universe, even. And in exchange, you'll assist me in getting off this island and back to where I came from. Do we have a deal?" He raises his arm straight out in front of him, palm spread wide open to offer a handshake. Arlong barely needs to ponder the question before he firmly grips Dio's hand and shakes it up and down his vigor.
"Deal." Arlong throws his head back and erupts into laughter; this couldn't have possibly gone better.
YOU ARE READING
The Only Fish In The Sea For Me
RomanceAfter a long battle with an unknown stand user, Dio awakens to find himself on the Conomi Islands. There, he meets Arlong, who shows him kindness after finding his confident personality amusing. Will his kindness turn into something more?
