Before I could respond to Luffy's enthusiasm, I sensed another presence approaching through Mantra. Female, moving with determined purpose, and carrying an emotional signature that radiated frustration and protective anger.
'Oh, wonderful. More complications.'
A young woman emerged from the direction of the mikan grove, her blue hair catching the afternoon sunlight. Nojiko, Nami's adoptive sister, and judging by her expression, she wasn't here to wish us luck.
"You need to stop this," she said without preamble, her voice carrying the kind of authority that suggested she was used to being listened to. "Whatever crazy plan you're cooking up, abandon it. Don't interfere with this village."
'And there it is. The concerned family member, arriving just in time to complicate an already complicated situation.'
The opening line was a classic of someone who's convinced themselves that surrender is the same thing as victory.
I'd heard variations of this speech countless times back in my old world—like the student council members trying to maintain the status quo, while the whole Christmas project fell apart around them.
"Whatever you're going to do," she continued, stopping a few feet away from our group, "you won't be able to change Arlong's rule. And, there's no need for you to do anything."
'No need for you to do anything.'
Those words hit me like a slap across the face. Here was someone so thoroughly broken by their circumstances that they'd convinced themselves their cage was actually a sanctuary.
Usopp straightened up beside me, recognition dawning on his face.
"Nojiko?" he called out, and I felt a small surge of satisfaction at having my deduction confirmed.
Sometimes being right about these things felt more like a curse than a blessing. It meant I could predict how this conversation was going to unfold, and it wasn't going to be pleasant for anyone involved.
The others looked confused, clearly not recognizing the name.
"Who's she?" Luffy tilted his head with that characteristic blank expression that somehow managed to be both endearing and infuriating.
"She's Nami's sister," Usopp explained to the puzzled group, confirming what I had already guessed from my Meta knowledge and the earlier 'retrieval' mission.
"Another beauty! Just like her sister! Such elegance, such grace—" Sanji, predictably, transformed instantly into his usual fawning mode. His eyes turned into hearts as he practically levitated off the ground.
'There's always that one person who thinks with his hormones instead of his brain.'
I glanced at Delgado. "Please find the best position for the cannons."
I asked him, my voice high enough that the others would overhear.
'If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right. No point in half-measures when dealing with pirates.'
"Wait! I said I don't want you interfering with this village." Seeing me continuing what I was doing like that, Nojiko held up her hand, desperation creeping into her voice.
Her eyes tracked my movement as I casually flourished my cloak over the cannon,
"Whatever you're planning to do or say," I replied, making the cannon disappear back into my Dimensional Bag with practiced ease, "leaving this island is still our decision."
I let my gaze settle on her face, watching for the telltale signs of cognitive dissonance. "Unless, of course, you want to defend this island's tyrant."
'Let's see how deep that Stockholm syndrome runs.'
The shock in her eyes when the cannon vanished was almost comical.
'Right, forgot that most people in this world haven't seen anything quite like my…well, 'bizarre' abilities. Even the Devil Fruit users tend to be more straightforward in their impossibilities.'
But she recovered quickly when she processed the second half of my statement, and to her credit, she managed a smile.
"I see, You must be 'that bastard,'" she said with what sounded almost like fondness.
"Tsk!"
I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
'Of course, she would go with how her sister described me. Why am I not surprised? I try to give someone honest advice about not trusting pirates—I was a bit harsh with it, yeah— and somehow, I become the villain in their story.'
"Oi, why is there no need to do anything?" Roronoa asked, having apparently caught up with the most important part of the conversation. Trust a swordsman to 'cut straight' to the heart of the matter while the rest of us were still dancing around it.
Nojiko took a deep breath, and I could practically see her marshaling her arguments.
'This was going to be one of those conversations where someone tried to convince us that black was white and up was down, all in service of maintaining a comfortable lie.'
"I'll tell you what's happening on this island," she said, her voice taking on the tone of someone making a deal with the devil. "But in return, I want you to promise not to involve yourselves with this village anymore. Just leave quietly."
'The classic negotiation tactic of someone with no leverage whatsoever. Offer information in exchange for compliance, hoping the other party won't realize they can just take the information and ignore the conditions.'
Luffy, in a rare moment of what might charitably be called wisdom, stood up abruptly.
"I'm not interested in hearing it," he declared with that simple honesty that was either profound or profoundly stupid—I'd never been able to decide which. "I don't need to know Nami's past."
He started walking away, his straw hat casting shadows across his face.
"I'm going for a walk. Let me know when the plan's ready," he called back to me, as if this was just another Tuesday afternoon instead of the prelude to what would probably be a life-or-death battle.
'Sometimes I envy that simpleton. Must be nice to live in a world where you can just decide that complicated emotional baggage isn't worth your time.'
Nojiko stared after him in shock. "What's wrong with him?"
"Don't mind him," Roronoa said with the weary tone of someone who'd given this explanation far too many times.
"He's just that kind of guy." He settled back against a nearby tree, arms crossed. "We'll listen to what you have to say, but the decision's still ours to make."
And with that profound statement, he immediately fell asleep, leaving the rest of us to deal with the emotional minefield he'd just stepped around.
"...but you're sleeping." Nojiko looked bewildered.
""ANIKI!!""
"Don't Just Fall Asleep As Soon As You Say That!!"
'Typical. Drop a wisdom bomb and then check out, leaving everyone else to clean up the mess. I'd be impressed if it wasn't so irritating.'
"We want to hear it," Sanji chimed in, still wearing that lovesick expression that made me want to hit him with something heavy.
"Yeah," Usopp agreed, though his voice carried a weight that suggested he already suspected this story wasn't going to have a happy ending. "We should know what we're dealing with."
Yosaku and Johnny nodded their agreement, with Johnny looking particularly troubled.
"I saw Nami-aniki stab Usopp-aniki with my own eyes," he said, his voice full of confusion and guilt. "But when I saw him running around the village later while we were scouting…it was like…I don't know…just this whole situation looked more complicated than it appears."
'Guilt. The universal constant that drives people to make increasingly poor decisions in the name of atonement.' I could see it written all over their faces—the dawning realization that they'd judged someone without understanding the full picture.
All eyes turned to me, waiting for my decision.
'Of course they did. Because somehow, I'd become the unofficial voice of reason in this group of misfits.' I sighed internally and pulled out the map of Arlong Park that Delgado and the others had added notes to during their reconnaissance.
"I'll listen too," I said, spreading the map between us. "But don't expect much from me. I'm not one of your sister's friends, and I have my own reasons for being here."
'Mainly involving a certain sword that belongs to me and is currently in the hands of some fishman, who may be planning to take over the world with it or something.'
She sighed, and I caught a glimpse of something that might have been understanding in her eyes. "I get it now. I can see why you're all giving Nami so much trouble."
'Trouble? Woman, if what we're doing counts as trouble, then you've got a seriously skewed perspective on what constitutes a problem.'
Because if fixing someone else's mess is giving them trouble, then I think we will need to have a serious talk.
As Nojiko began her tale, I found myself only half-listening at first. I'd heard variations of this story before—the tragic backstory, the impossible choice, the noble sacrifice that only made things worse in the long run.
Instead, I focused on the map, tracing potential places that could serve as a battlefield for our advantage, and identifying paths we could use as escape routes if things went south.
'Because they can go south. They can always do when you're dealing with pirates who've gotten comfortable in their little kingdom.'
Even if I was determined to fight to the end in this battle and get my Barbossa sword back, it doesn't mean that I want whoever is going to fight with me to die too, so a plan for retreat is a must.
But gradually, despite my best efforts to maintain emotional distance, I found myself drawn into the narrative.
Maybe it was the way Nojiko's voice caught on certain words, or the way her hands trembled slightly when she talked about watching her adoptive mother die. Maybe it was just that I'd gotten soft during my short time with this crew.
'Or maybe some stories are universal, no matter what world you're in.'
She told us everything—how she and Nami had been adopted by Bellemere, how they'd grown up in this village, how Arlong and his crew had arrived like a plague of locusts eight years ago.
The extortion, the casual violence, the systematic destruction of everything resembling hope or dignity.
And then came the part that made my chest tighten despite my best efforts: Bellemere's death.
A woman who'd chosen to claim her daughters as family even when it meant signing her own death warrant. Arlong's casual cruelty in forcing two children to watch their mother die for the crime of loving them.
'Some things really are universal. The capacity for both love and cruelty, the way tragedy can bind people together or tear them apart.'
"Nami was forced to join Arlong's crew to protect the village," Nojiko continued, her voice steady despite the tears threatening to spill over.
"And Arlong made her a deal—one hundred million berries for her freedom and the village's. She's been working toward that goal for eight years, taking on every dangerous job, stealing from every pirate crew she could find."
'Struggling alone.' The words hit me harder than I'd expected. 'Of course, she'd choose to handle it by herself. Because asking for help means admitting weakness, and weakness gets people killed in a world like this.'
I sighed internally, recognizing the familiar pattern.
'I'm not the only one here with a loner streak. The difference is, her isolation was forced on her by circumstances, while mine was... well, that's a different story entirely.'
By the time Nojiko finished her tale, the reactions around me were predictably varied but universally moving in the same direction.
Roronoa was snoring softly against his tree, having apparently decided that sleep was more important than emotional catharsis.
"NAMI-ANIKI!!!!"
"DAMN THAT ARLONG!!!"
Yosaku and Johnny were openly weeping, alternating between cursing Arlong's name and praising Nami's strength.
'Manly tears. Because heaven forbid we acknowledge that grown men are allowed to have softer feelings without qualifying them as "manly" first.'
That is a hill all men—including me—are ready to die on.
Usopp had gone completely silent, his usual chatter replaced by a grim understanding that probably hit too close to home.
He knew what it was like to lie to protect people you cared about, even if the scale was different.
And Sanji... Sanji was practically frothing at the mouth with righteous fury.
"I'LL KILL THOSE PIRATES!!" he shouted, smoke literally pouring from his cigarette as his anger mounted. "I'm going to make them pay for what they did to my beloved Nami-san!"
'Beloved. He met her yesterday, and she robbed your captain blind, but somehow, she's become the love of his life. I'll never understand how his brain works.'
Nojiko reached out and bonked him on the head, the sound echoing in the sudden silence.
"Ow! Why…? Onee-sama…?" Sanji asked, rubbing his head.
"Because you want to do exactly what I asked you not to do," she replied, her voice carrying the weight of eight years' worth of carefully maintained hope.
"Nami has already collected the money for her deal with Arlong. If you keep making trouble, you'll just waste all the effort she's put in over the past eight years."
'And there it is. The punchline to this cosmic joke.' I couldn't keep quiet any longer.
"I'm not so sure about that," I interjected, and immediately felt the weight of everyone's attention settle on me like a physical thing.
"Eh? What do you mean?" Nojiko asked, and I could hear the first cracks appearing in her carefully constructed facade of confidence.
'This is going to hurt. But lies that make people feel better are still lies, and lies get people killed.'
"I already told your sister that she's putting way too much trust in Arlong and his crew," I said, keeping my voice as gentle as possible while still being clear.
"There's no way he's going to keep his word."
"You don't know Arlong," Nojiko protested with a calm voice, but I could hear the desperation creeping into her voice. "The only thing that cruel bastard believes in is money. As long as it's about money, he'll never go back on his word."
'Oh, you poor, naive, desperate fool.'
The pang in my chest was getting worse as I realized I was about to destroy the last shred of hope these people had been clinging to for eight years. But keeping quiet would only make the inevitable betrayal hurt worse.
"That's all the more reason why he'll never keep his word," I said, hating myself for the words even as they left my mouth.
"What?" Nojiko's face went serious, and I could see her world starting to shake like it was being hit by an earthquake.
'Here we go. Time to be the villain again.' I stood up, the map crackling slightly under my hands, looking down at her with what I hoped was compassion rather than pity.
"This village is a valuable source of income for Arlong and his crew. Do you really think he's going to give up hundreds of millions in annual revenue for a one-time payment of a hundred million?"
The shock on her face was like a physical blow. I could see her mind racing, trying to find some flaw in my logic, some reason why I had to be wrong.
'But I'm not wrong. I'm never wrong about things like this. It's my curse—being able to see through people's lies, especially the ones they tell themselves.'
"Merchants are the greediest people for money," I continued, driving the knife deeper because someone had to, and it might as well be me, "they'll use underhanded tricks with no remorse or hesitation to protect their business interests. And Arlong isn't even a merchant—he's a pirate."
I let that sink in for a moment before delivering the final blow.
"There's no such thing as a pirate who 'believes in money.' All pirates, with no exceptions, believe in Violence and Violence only."
"These fishmen can stay in this archipelago and extort people because they have the power to do it, and because no one has been strong enough to stop them."
The complete disbelief on Nojiko's face was heartbreaking. Eight years of carefully maintained hope, eight years of watching her sister sacrifice everything for a dream that was never going to come true, and I'd just torn it all down in the space of a few sentences.
'This is why I hate getting involved in other people's problems. Because someone always has to be the one to tell the truth, and somehow, it's always me.'
Before the silence could stretch too long, "Master!" Delgado came running toward us, slightly out of breath.
His usual composed demeanor was replaced by urgency, and I felt my tactical instincts sharpen immediately.
'Finally. Something concrete to focus on instead of emotional devastation.'
"Did you find a good position for the cannons?" I asked, though I could tell from his expression that he had more pressing news.
He nodded quickly but didn't slow down. "Yes, Master, but there's something else." His breathing was labored from running. "The Marines have arrived."
"Did they attack Arlong Park?" Usopp asked, his voice tight with worry.
Delgado shook his head. "No, they headed straight for the village." He looked directly at me. "The ship is from the 16th Branch."
"Now, that makes sense." My guess was immediately confirmed.
'Things should develop faster from here. It is time to move.'
"What does that mean?" Sanji asked, cigarette dangling from his lips as he waited for an explanation.
"They're Arlong's allies," I said, feeling that familiar cold anger settle in my chest like ice. "He's been paying them bribes for years so they'll turn a blind eye to his operations in this Conomi archipelago."
The moment the words left my mouth, Nojiko's face went white as understanding crashed over her like a tsunami.
Without a word, she spun around and took off running toward the village, her feet pounding against the dirt path.
'And there she goes. Racing to watch her sister's dreams die in real time.'
"What's gotten into her?" Yosaku asked, scratching his head in confusion.
I sighed, wondering why I always had to be the one to spell out the obvious.
"Arlong just sent his Marine rats to steal that woman's money. The deal was never real—it was just a way to keep her motivated while he squeezed every last bit out of her efforts."
'Or maybe something else like twisted enjoyment. Eight years of hope, destroyed by a few corrupt officials and a receipt book. If there's a more efficient way to crush the human spirit, I haven't found it yet.'
The fury that erupted from the group was almost palpable. Sanji's cigarette turned to ash between his lips, Usopp's hands clenched into fists, and even Yosaku and Johnny were practically vibrating with rage.
"Those bastards!" Johnny snarled. "After everything she's been through!"
'And now comes the moment of truth. The point where they either commit to this insanity with me or walk away and leave me by myself to clean up the mess.'
"So," I said, meeting each of their eyes in turn, "are you going to fight?"
The response was immediate and unanimous. Even Roronoa, who had somehow managed to wake up at exactly the right moment, gave a sharp nod of agreement.
""HELL YES!!"" Yosaku and Johnny shouted in unison, their earlier guilt now transformed into righteous fury.
'Good. At least I won't have to do this alone.'
"How are we going to do this?" Roronoa asked, his hand already moving to position his sword on his waist sash.
I allowed myself a small, predatory smile. "In extremely simplified terms, we will blast them with cannons first, then engage in close combat after they have been shaken enough."
'Well, this is the bare bones description for what we are about to do. It is simple in concept, as we don't have the coordination or the training for anything more complicated. Moreover, this group lacks a lot of the resources needed to support a battle of this scale, which means I will have to support this on my own…again…'
"Eh? Just that?" Usopp asked
"If it's that simple," Sanji added, "what did we need all that planning time for?"
'Ah, the eternal question of the impatient combatant.'
"Because it is not, I am only simplifying it for you guys to follow, there are more elements to the cannon part, for example," I replied, reaching into my Dimensional Bag. "We're also going to need cover from their ranged attacks, which means we need help from the villagers."
THUMP!
A large wooden container materialized on the ground between us, filled to the brim with cutlasses and rifles. The sound of metal clinking against metal was like music to my tactical mind.
'Nothing quite like the sight of properly distributed firepower to make a plan feel real.'
Usopp stared at the weapons cache with wide eyes. "Do we really need to involve the villagers in this?"
I looked at him steadily, hoping to convey the weight of what I was about to say.
"It's the exact opposite. This is their fight—we're the ones getting involved. These people have been enduring this suffering for almost a decade. Do you really think they're going to accept standing aside and doing nothing while we risk our lives for them?"
'Pride. The one thing that survives even when hope dies. These people have been beaten down, but they haven't been broken. Not completely.'
I continued, pulling a special ammunition box from my storage and holding it out to him.
"Besides, it won't be enough anyway. We're going to need on-field support from a capable sniper."
Usopp took the box with trembling hands. "What is this?"
"Mini-Bazooka rounds," I said, watching him gasp as his face went pale. "The complete power of a bazooka in a single bullet, perfect for taking out anyone who tries to use heavy weapons against us."
'Fear and determination. The two emotions that define every sniper worth their salt.'
"You'll stay back in an elevated position," I continued, making sure he understood the gravity of his role. "Your job is to be fast and precise. Take out anyone who looks like they're about to ruin our day with superior firepower. If you hesitate or miss, we're all dead when we engage the enemy."
Usopp hugged the ammunition box to his chest, his expression shifting from fear to grim determination.
"I-I…I understand."
'Good. He's scared, but he's not running. That's all I can ask for.'
I turned to Roronoa and reached back into my Dimensional Bag, withdrawing a pair of high-quality swords. They weren't a Meito grade, but they were close.
WHOOSH!
I tossed them through the air, and Roronoa caught them with practiced ease.
"What are these?" he asked, though he was already examining the blades with the critical eye of a true swordsman.
"Swords," I replied dryly. "Obviously. You're a three-sword style user, right? If you're going to fight at full power, you need three functional blades."
'And right now, you've got one good sword and nothing else. Not exactly optimal for facing a crew of fishmen pirates.'
Roronoa checked the katanas, nodding approvingly as he secured the swords to his waist. "I'll borrow these, then."
I hesitated for a moment, then reached into the small container in my pocket and took out a bean.
'If I am going all in, then I can't hold back.'
The Senzu bean felt small and insignificant in my palm, but I knew its true value. With a quick motion, I tossed it to Roronoa.
He caught it and opened his hand, staring at the small, unremarkable bean. "And this?"
"A healing treasure," I said, meeting his eyes. "For your injury from the duel with Dracule."
'The wound that's been slowing you down, making you second-guess every movement. The weakness you've been trying to hide from everyone, including yourself.'
Roronoa's face hardened immediately. "I don't need—"
"If you're not ready to give your all," I cut him off, "then you'd better stay here. We don't need someone who is not taking this seriously."
'Pride. Use it against him, make him see sense through sheer stubborn determination.'
The swordsman glared at me for a long moment, then popped the bean into his mouth and swallowed it.
The change was immediate and dramatic—his posture straightened, his breathing deepened, and the thin lines of pain around his eyes simply vanished.
"Holy shit," Johnny breathed. "Aniki, you look like a completely different person!"
"I…feel like one too," Roronoa said, tapping his chest and rotating his shoulders experimentally. He looked at me with something that might have been respect.
"Where the hell did you get something like that?"
'Questions for later. Right now, we have a battle to prepare for.'
"Let me worry about that. You all need to get to the village, inform your captain about the situation, and distribute those weapons among the villagers. I'll deploy the cannons on the hill overlooking Arlong Park and meet you in the village."
I was about to head toward the designated cannon position when I caught sight of movement in my peripheral vision. A familiar figure was running toward us from the direction of the village, orange hair streaming behind her like a battle flag.
"YOU BASTARD!!!" she shouted, her voice carrying clearly across the distance. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!!!"
…
A\N: Well, That's it for now.
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