I watched over the ensuing battlefield whilst atop the sluice gate. The strange creature from the depths of the ocean hovered beside me, simply looming at the fishmen and humans beneath it. The same as me. For some reason it didn't want to fight for either side. A strange creature, but it suited my own needs.
Ignoring the chef and swordsman beneath me, my attention was instead focused on the civilian army gathered at the entrance of Arlong Park. The fishmen besides Arlong's trusted officers seemed to have been shellshocked by the explosion not taking the opportunity to attack the civilians. Instead they were both watching the matches I had arranged… Not that I want to sound disappointed but… is this really as far as your will goes? Depend on the stronger to carry the weight? I thought bonds were supposed to mean more than that.
I sat. My elbow propped on my knee and hand nestled under my chin lazily resting my head as the ongoing confusion continued beneath me. After Nami has freed these people, won't she choose to be with them? This will be the last time I see her, the last time I see her motivations, this outlook on life. Bonds are the most important… If that's the truth, then I want to see the culmination of such an idea. What will happen when those bonds are shattered? What will happen when they survive? Can such ideas continue in this cruel world? What are the consequences of those ideals?
I want to see it all.
I've already seen Nami's devotion to saving her 'family'. But so far, I've only heard words from the other side. Talk is cheap.
They wanted to fight for freedom.
Then fight they will.
"What are you all sitting around for?" I addressed the audience below me, the last embers of the marine ship smouldering, the sound of the burning, collapsing ship forcing me to speak with a louder voice than usual, for fear of being drowned out by the surroundings.
The townsfolk looked towards me. Few fishmen paid attention, instead turning to their deceased and injured companions. Attempting to tend to wounds or sitting stock-still with a despaired expression.
"Will you continue to rely on others to save you once again?"
"Oi, Ayanokouji!" The swordsman shouted towards me, his swords clashing against the octoman's.
"The numbers are in the fishmen's favour, if you stay still, that is. Do you plan to leave your freedom and future in the hands of someone else for another 10 years? Did you not already suffer throughout that time?... Or perhaps… is your will to fight this frail after all?" I let my words permeate for a moment. A few of the younger, brasher villagers looked at the weapons in their hands and back at the ensuing bloodshed. One trembled slightly before renewing his vigour, stepping forwards suddenly and sprinting towards an unassuming fishman.
"Haah… haaah… Take this!" One of the younger men from the village speared his pitchfork towards one of the fishmen sat on the ground. The fishman was reticent, his webbed fingers red with the blood scattered across the floor.
"RAAARRGH!"
The pitchfork sunk into his chest, blood pooling and falling to the ground. The fishman screamed violently before gripping the weapon by its handle. His eyes an eery blood-red. Slowly unsheathing the weapon from his flesh and angling the pole upwards. The man was raised into the air along with the weapon.
"Huh?" A dumfounded sound came from the man. Before the fishman threw the pole at full strength towards a wall.
The sight was gruesome. The human clung to the cobbled wall, his feet floating off the ground, the pitchfork's pole penetrating through his stomach all the way to the other side of the wall. Slowly, he wailed and grasped at the surface of the blood-stained stone to try and pull himself off, the man struggled for a few seconds before puking blood and listlessly dropping his head. The other onlookers gazed with fear. Their eyes slowly tracing back to the fishman responsible for the sight.
They really do have exceptional strength. This is what you chose to fight against. You should always keep that in mind. I didn't mind how many lives were extinguished here, there were a few specific individuals I had in mind. Everyone else, they made these choices. There had to be consequences, whether the choice they made was correct or not.
"NOOO!" A woman of similar age screamed, dropping the torch in her hand and running towards the man. She cried loudly, urging the man to wake. Attempting to pull the spear from his chest. Nothing was working. After a moment of this futile spectacle, she turned to the fishmen with a renewed vengeance. Her eyes scanned the floor.
I threw the sword nestled in my belt towards the ground. Right before her feet. She gazed at it longingly for a few moments.
"Ayanokouji, whose side are you on?!" The green-haired samurai shouted from below.
"Isn't that obvious?" I am providing weapons to the humans, you know?
"No, not really! If you're with us, then get down here and help!" He complained whilst parrying a few strokes of the octoman's six swords.
"I lack the strength at the moment. Besides, I thought I already told you. This isn't something you should be struggling with, world's strongest."
"You're going to get them all killed."
"They have the choice to fight or return to the lives they had before. They could even continue to place their hopes in you lot to finish this fight for them and watch on the sidelines. However, I don't subscribe to that train of thought. If you want something, you should work for it. And accept the consequences that come with it."
"But-!"
"By disagreeing you're telling me to take any agency these people have and choose their fate for myself. They will be forever dependent on others to survive in the future. I thought you of all people would disagree with that choice, Zoro." I would sooner teach a man to fish than fish for them my entire life. It was a matter of competence. Every person should be capable of living through with the decisions they make. At the very least they had the ability to make their choices themselves.
"There's a difference when they're so clearly outmatched!" The blonde newcomer shouted from beneath with bated breath.
"They've had 10 years to solve this problem. Create a plan or some other method to get out of this situation. Instead, they placed all of their hopes on a single child and made her bear the burden. Understand me when I say this. Every single instance of unhappiness and misfortune in a person's life is due to their own inability. By being weak you allowed this to happen to yourselves. That is all."
"10 years… You?" I shook my head slowly side to side. "Wait, that means Nami… It really wasn't you that took the ship?"
"Think for a moment. If I really wanted to take that ship; what was stopping me from doing it the moment I stepped aboard?" We pretended I served as a non-threat whilst aboard. But that small conflict in the forest taught Luffy and Zoro better.
"Tch- cocky bastard. If that's the case, stop Nami's friends from being slaughtered. I'd say that's a good enough reason to step forward now!"
"Would friends allow you to work like a slave for 10 years? All for their own freedom? I understand sacrificing the few for the many, but I thought ethics would dictate a small child shouldn't be put through that for others." The reality is… I don't care. Child or not. Old or not. Wealthy or poor. Fit or diseased. All life is equal in its meaninglessness. That isn't to ascribe life to a nihilistic viewpoint. Even Nietzsche was misunderstood in his views. Sure enough he viewed the meaninglessness of existence but rather than wallowing in pity and misfortune he instead stated that humans should live and exist in spite of that inherent lack of value. Make their own values and persist in life despite no grander purpose.
I think therefore I am. There is no greater meaning or grand goal in life. But that didn't mean there was no reason to cling to it in and of itself. Even this place's objectively pathetic state deserved recognition for what they endured to survive. In the same way that it didn't matter if Arlong subjected them to servitude, it also didn't matter if I used them for my own means. To satisfy my curiosity, that's good enough reason as any isn't it? It wasn't like I inherently sacrificed them. They made their own choices for their own futures. I simply wanted to watch the outcome. I was a non-participant, a simple spectator in the stage play I had stumbled across.
The crew of the straw-hatted fellow. They were involved, tethered to the fiery navigator and her past by bonds of companionship, shared dreams, friendship. In comparison; I was only here by coincidence. That was it. If a different ship had come along, I would have gone along with them. Anything to escape Gaimon's paradise and see the rest of the world. I was not tethered by any strict morality, no friendships or companions, no family ties or responsibilities like my old restrictive world.
Here in this grand age of piracy… I am free.
As a free man, I want to witness the different path I could take.
There's nothing more to it than that.
The actors are all in place.
My eyes followed each of the villagers as they handled their weapons with a renewed vigour. Prepared for the coming war cries and bloodshed.
Show me something that moves me.
Please.
[Piracy?]
I ran as far and as fast as my legs could take me, jets of water intermittently bisecting the surroundings. Wildlife sprinted madly, shrubbery vaporised, trees felled. The fishman that had followed me was destroying everything in his path as he rushed towards me. With but a few spurts from his mouth. He had yet to stop and refill his ammunition(?) Was he using it sparingly? Or was he just using his saliva? In that case… He's got infinite ammo! That's unfair, I have to carry all my gear, this guy just decides to spit and beat his enemies.
Getting split in half by super pressurized spittle… That's no way for a warrior of the sea to go out.
A stray spurt flew past the side of my head, immediately cutting through the end of my bandana. With it the goggles had fell from my head. My goggles… It was a death trap to go back for them… But…
The memory flashed back in my mind.
Mum…
Are you really going to let someone beat you at range? Isn't this all you're good for, Captain Usopp?! What the hell would your old man say? Running around the world, sailing the seas, trying to live the free life, having great ambitions… Didn't they all come with this sacrifice? So then what the hell are you playing around for?
Diving into the woods, I hid from my enemy behind the thick trunks of the plentiful trees.
No, but I'm really not playing around… If I mess up here, I'm dead.
There's no arguing with that. I can't ask him for a timeout. I can't beg for forgiveness. It's simple, he'll kill me. That's it; my story will be over. No more lies would fall from my mouth. The legendary fib that was the great seafarer with 1 million followers would die in this unremarkable place. An island that will never be remembered, deeds that will be forgotten immediately and life will go on for those that I left behind… As if I never even existed…
Kaya… Mum... My old crew…
I didn't want to think about it. I never wanted to dwell on it. I made our goodbye short and sweet, because I couldn't handle anything more than that. To gain one thing, a man had to give up another. My father made the same choice in the past… Was he… happy with that decision? My Mum never held a grudge, I didn't understand in the past, but she knew he wouldn't return, despite my constant assertions that he would. She had already made peace with that fact.
And as her health deteriorated and her life began to fade… I begged the world for his arrival.
Everyday.
'Pirates are coming!' I would scream. Even if it was just once… I wanted that beautiful lie to come true… Just once, before she finally passed…
It never did.
I clutched the slingshot close to my body, my hand wavering between the internal folds of my satchel.
What I looked for out there; was it more important than the things that I willingly left behind? What if I never see any of them again? I'm not strong, not smart, not brave. I'm not like the other guys; they have their own skills and dreams. I don't even know what mine is. 'Become a great man, an honourable warrior of the sea.' What does that even mean? It was completely at odds with me as a person, would I ever be able to act with single-minded focus, unafraid of consequences? I doubted it. I was always filled with cynicism, it lurked behind every action I had ever taken.
I was all talk. I made the promise to myself; I would rescue the Going Merry. That gift left by Kaya, hell or high water awaits, I won't let it be destroyed. But as soon as I had seen those plumes of smoke, smelled the rust, blood and iron in the air. The loose limbs strewn about the floor. It was enough to destroy my fighting spirit. Those marines, they probably had families, some of them would've had kids, lovers, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. In a single afternoon… Not one of them would reappear.
My jaw tightened violently, teeth gnashing together. Grinding, creating a discomfort that wouldn't serve to stop me. I hated myself.
In that moment, filled with blood, guts and tragedy. The first thought I had in my mind; 'Thank God. That ship… it isn't the Going Merry.' As I watched debris fall apart and the vessel gradually sink into the depths of the sea below.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are. Chu." His back was close to a small stream which followed the path we had ran down. He was taking his time… almost guarded. Why are you so cautious, this is me we're talking about you know?
With him taking this much caution… I might be able to run. I can distract him by throwing something and then making a break for it. If I run far enough into the forest he might not follow, if I'm right about his worries…
But then what happens after that? He returns to Arlong Park? The others are already facing off against the fishmen. Ayanokouji was free… but would he even help us? We don't even know if he was the one that caused this entire situation. He seems to be against Arlong right now, but that didn't make him an ally…
Worst case scenario… This guy will provide long range support for the fights. That'll be enough to turn the tides. No, think further than that Usopp. It'll be the same as Captain Kuro. They're pirates. If left unattended what would be the most cruel and effective strategy, they could use…?
Hostages! If I let him go. He could take any number of the civilians hostage, threaten to kill them if we don't stand down. Without anyone standing in his way, it would be all too easy to massacre the villagers.
Did that mean… I was the only thing standing in the way?
Knowing all this… Even if it's conjecture. Having made these connections in my own mind and then running… That'd be the same as killing them myself, wouldn't it?
If I turn my back on them now… There's no way I can be the same after it.
…
A crossroads. That's where I stood.
I could return back there. Acknowledge my weaknesses, understand that I was out of my depth and give up on that dream and stand with the people I love, see them all again…
Or I could take up the mantle of hero now. And risk being extinguished without ever reaching my dream. Perhaps no one will remember my name, it might be a thankless task. This might be an enemy the others could defeat without any trouble, a single blow… But to me it means everything…
One option. That's all there really was from the start.
Her sunny smile was ingrained in my memory. Even now I'm sure Kaya was studying to cure her disease and protect Syrup village in her own way. She was doing her part. If I returned like this… It didn't matter if they would accept me. I could never live with myself. I would be living a lie.
I was content with that in the past. I created grand stories and narratives to entertain others and save myself from the crushing weight of my own dissatisfaction. Figuring it didn't matter if they were all lies, maybe in the future I could retroactively make them real… never really worrying about how difficult that would be.
I'm not smart, I'm not strong. I'm not even brave enough to face these guys head on.
That's why…
If I must, I will continue that delusion.
A delusion. A lie all to myself. One that resounds so deep inside it festers and transforms into the irrefutable truth.
If Captain Usopp isn't enough, then I just need to become someone else, don't I?
This island… Imagine it the same way as back in Syrup village. Luffy, Nami, Zoro… They didn't arrive.
Nobody is there to save them.
Just me.
Captain Kuro and his gang stand on the shore steadily walking towards Kaya's mansion. Left unheeded, they will arrive… and Kaya will be no more.
This village probably has its own Kaya. Its own Usopp. Arlong and his fishmen, they were Kuro and the black cat pirates.
That foolish kid screaming about pirates, lying about his strength, about his exploits. He doesn't have the ability to take those pirates out, he can't protect anything by himself, not as he is.
No saviour will come.
…Right?
That was when I heard a tune playing in the trees, dancing along the breeze. A voice flew freely, composed yet grandstanding.
"I was born on the island of snipers~!"
"I never miss my mark~ lulu- lala- lu!"
"Whether it's a mouse's eyeball, lock on. Or even your heart. LOCK ON!"
"The hell-chu?"
"The man who hails from the land of snipers!"
"Lulu lalala lulu~"
"Sogege, soge, soge, SO-GE-KIIN-GUUUU~!"
A mysterious figure stood atop the branches dancing along the trees with the breeze freely. Looking down confidently at the fishman. A small cloth tied around his neck, draped over his nose and mouth.
A town in trouble. Civilians in dire need of help.
Such a story needed a hero. I could only hope the one I conjured was enough to save them.
"There you are, made it a lot easier to find you now. All that running fry your brain, whelp?"
"Silence. You speak to the one and only king of snipers. You stand before justice itself. For every last one of the civilians you have harmed, I'll have you pay for your transgressions."
In that moment, the only hope that remained in my heart was to one day become a man capable of looking through those same eyes. To look a villain in the face, unwavering in my own ambition and to defeat him all myself.
But that was a story to create another day.
Today was the day for the reveal of the very real… the true king of snipers. The man who would save this town and start his own legacy.
The great sniper king.
Sogeking.
---
Word count: 3366
I struggled a bit with this chapter in particular. Maybe this isn't something Ayanokouji would do. Perhaps I had taken it too far and made it too dark. Possibly. Perhaps the straw hats wouldn't want anything to do with him after this. It's possible.
I find Ayanokouji's actions here both admissible and on the boundary of believability. That he wants others to live with their own choices and have agency is true. That he wants to see the other route he could take in this new world. That he would allow lives to be extinguished for that sake.
The question is if the others can come to forgive this apathetic and heartless attempt at altruism.
I guess we'll just have to see.
Hopefully, you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know any thought you have in the comments below. Sorry it's late as well.
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