Tied up on the boat, two fish men found Zoro. They figured that he was banished from somewhere, and brought him to Arlong Park.
As he arrived, Arlong looked down on him.
"Are you that half-fish guy, Arlong?"
"Why, yes I am. However, call me half fish once more and I'll kill you. Us fishmen are just superior to humans in every way. We are stronger, faster. You humans can't even breathe under the water. Puny, worthless humans."
The orange haired woman walks out to the pool, sighing.
"Enough of that opinionated bullcrap, Arlong. You know I'm much smarter than you."
"Nami?"
The swordsman speaks up, baffled at her presence in a place like this.
"Nami, do you know this man?"
"Oh, yeah. He's one of the idiots that I used to get more of my money. Men are all the same, really."
She walks up to Zoro, leaning down to match his level.
"I never liked you, or Luffy."
"That's right! That's our Nami. Cold blooded as ever. Didn't even let her foster parent's death get in the way."
Right then, Nami's face grew dark, and Zoro took note of that.
"I see. Then she won't give a shit if I do this."
He jumps back, sinking in the water. Nami's brows furrow, watching the bubbles rise up to the water before stopping, and along with the bubbles stopping, she dove into the water after Zoro, to save him.
Soon the two come back up, Zoro coughing up the water and Nami catching her breath.
"Nami? Why did you save this man...?"
Arlong asks, leaning forward on his throne. Zoro looks up at her with a shit-eating grin.
"So you really do care about me, quit trying to act so badass."
He retorts, and the orange hair stomps on his back.
"Fuck you, dipshit!"
She picks him up by his neck, glaring.
"Next time, save me faster. I thought I was gonna die!"
"Screw around any more, and you will die."
She sighs, staring him down.
"You're covered in bandages."
"Yep, work of the counselor."
She knocks him to the ground, walking back over to Arlong as he awaited her response.
"Just lock him up. I'll give him a fate much worse than death."
"Arlong! Arlong!"
One of the fishman run up to him, and he turns to his direction.
"What is it?"
"There's a man with a long nose in Gosa that ran away! He's a pirate!"
Long nose?
"He may have gotten to Coco Village..."
"Cocoyashi Village, huh? I've got things to do there anyways. It won't hurt to go."
...
"Arlong is coming!!"
"It's probably got something to do with my weapons."
A unique man said, one with an odd hat with a pinwheel on it.
"Go back home, everyone."
"Genzo..."
"They're here!"
The group of feared fishmen come forth, stopping in front of Genzo.
"You're the one with weapons, aren't you..."
The distinctive voice of Arlong rumbled through the area as he spoke, but Genzo did not falter.
"That is me. I like my collection, is there a problem?"
"Yes, there is. Weapons do nothing but breed evil into your subconscious. There is no reason to look at them."
From behind some buildings, Nojiko and Usopp stood.
"Woah... is that Arlong?"
"Yeah."
The blue haired says, looking back on the conversation brewing.
"I alone control but 20 towns and villages. Who would I be if I let these impure thoughts grow until, say, a rebellion were put into action? You know what I did to Gosa. Failing to pay tribute is a direct act against me."
The marksman listened in, confused.
"Tribute?"
"Verbatim. Tribute is money we give to the Arlong Pirates. We buy our lives on a monthly basis. If there is but one person, even a child, who fails to make a payment, the village is wiped out like it's nothing."
"That's horrible..."
"That is just the way people like Arlong are."
Nojiko explains, and they look back to Arlong and Genzo.
"I need your tribute, so that I may grow my empire!! The Arlong Empire will reign over all of the East Blue!"
He laughs heartily, and Usopp begins to sweat.
"Arlong Empire...?"
...
The woman with orange hair slowly opens the cell door, getting a look at the swordsman captive, who opens his eyes to see her. She was holding a dagger, which was not a good sign, until she used it to cut off the ropes that confined him.
"Get the hell out of here, Zoro. Haul ass, because Arlong will be back soon."
Zoro looks at the floor to see she had dropped the Wado Ichimonji before her leave.
Women are a mystery.
YOU ARE READING
One Piece: Celestial Blood, Part 2
FanfictionWhy does the World Government take, and take? Why are they never satisfied? They are the scum of the earth. Those stuck up Celestial Dragons... who do they think they are? Thinking they're better than everyone else, like the world is just full of in...
