A Siren's Journey (One Piece! Various X Reader)

[39] - Arlong Park Arc ~ 9

🏴‍☠️️Ch.39: Luffy's Back in the Game! Nami's Courage and Her Crewmates Treasures!🏴‍☠️️

"Me?" Arlong questions skeptically. "You want to kill me?" Arlong burst into laughter. "Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

Luffy's straw hat shadows the navigator's eyes and her hand clutches my crystal necklace hoping for some form of comfort or protection from Arlong hurtful words.

"How many times have you tried to kill me in these last eight years?"

The villagers of Cocoyashi gasp at this new information. I guess they didn't know of the torment she went through on the inside of Arlong Park.

"You tried assassination, poison, sneak attacks. You must be aware that you mere humans can't kill me."

Nami only glares at the sawshark Fishman.

"Now listen, I won't put you in the ground, Nami, but you can't leave. You'll remain here . . .with us . . .as our surveyor, forever."

Nami's eyes widen slowly at the Fishman's statement.

"But . . .I'm quite good-natured. If possible, I'd like you to be our surveyor of your own free will." Arlong chuckles. "I'm giving you a choice. I will not take pause in having my Fishmen kill every living creature on this island, except for you."

Nami's glare hardens fiercely. I place myself between him and Nami to spare her the pain of just looking at this son of a bitch.

"But that's only if you refuse to come back to the Arlong Pirates and draw sea charts as one of our own. And if you decide to come back with us, I'll be kind and spare the villagers their lives."

Said villagers are shocked at Arlong's leniency, if you could even call it that.

"But . . ."

'Always a 'but' with these kinds of deals.' I growl in my head.

" . . .I can't let these ingrates live, aside from (First Name) of course. She's nothing like these weak human pirates."

I nearly lunge at him like an animal as he kicks a hunched over Sanji, still gasping for breath from his brush with Arlong's Water Bullet.

"They must be made an example of. So, there's only one question: Will you and (First Name) come with me and save the people of Cocoyashi Village or be foolish and refuse my request by fighting alongside them. It's your choice. With them you will be hopeless. With them you will die."

The villagers' shocked silence still remains.

"Nami, (First Name) . . .will you come and stand by my side . . .or not? The decision . . .is yours."

Nami clutches at both Luffy's hat and my crystal necklace, clearly in a fight within herself. If she sides with us, then the villagers could be wiped out, but if she goes with Arlong the villagers will be spared, but she will most definitely lose her freedom permanently.

I shift my tail to wrap around her wrist. She starts a bit, but glimpses beneath the brim of the straw hat to see me grinning over my shoulder at her. My action causes her to nod in understanding.

I relinquish my tail's hold from her wrist and step closer to Arlong while Nami steps closer to the mob of villagers.

"Alright, everyone. We'll fight to the death, got it?!" She shouts with determination.

The entire village of Cocoyashi share her courage and rise up to fight for their freedom and ready to die trying.

I chuckle at Arlong's failed attempt to make the people of Cocoyashi submit. "Still think humans are weak and pathetic, Arlong?" I unfasten my seaweed whip from my hip and let it unravel falling to the ground. "They have a will that's stronger than anything when they have something to fight for. And when they're willing to put their lives on the line for it, that's what true strength is. And I'm going to show you my true strength by not letting a single drop of blood spill from any of them, especially Nami." I crack the whip twice in front of me.