Just off the coast of Cocoyashi Island, a small ship carrying the Straw Hat flag neared the harbor.
Standing alone on deck was Nami, her orange hair whipping in the wind, her brown eyes staring blankly ahead. She wore a white dress striped with black that reached just above her knees. Her hands gripped the railing tightly, the sea breeze tugging at her thoughts as much as it did her hair.
Her face was void of expression, caught between sorrow and rage.
She raised her right hand to brush aside the strands blocking her view, then clenched her teeth and whispered through trembling lips,
"Why... Why is this happening to me?"
Cocoyashi Island appeared on the horizon — a small, quiet place, with wooden homes surrounded by palm trees, and a dock barely holding a moored ship, rocking gently with the tide. The sky was bright blue, stretching endlessly above a mirror-like sea, where only a few seagulls cut through the stillness.
As Nami's ship approached, a shout broke the calm:
"She's back! The thief Nami has returned!"
Startled, she quickly turned away, retreating into the ship's small cabin. Inside, circular windows filtered the sunlight through panes stained with salt. She walked to an old metal sink, turned on the tap, and let the cold water wash over her pale face. Droplets fell from a rusted copper pipe, splashing softly. Raising her head, she stared into a cracked mirror. The reflection didn't feel like her own.
Her face was tired. Grim. She tried to smile, once, twice... but it didn't fit. Grabbing a towel to her right, she dried her face and stepped outside.
Waiting at the dock was the village elder, Genzo. His expression was unreadable as he watched her descend slowly.
Nami passed him without a word.
Genzo sighed and spoke gently,
"Welcome home… Nami."
She stopped for a moment, caught the glares of the villagers around her, then kept walking.
One man approached Genzo, confused.
"Why do you treat her kindly, Mayor? After everything she's done—she's a thief."
Genzo turned, paused, and replied before walking off,
"I'm not being kind. But…"
He looked up at the blue sky and finished,
"There are lines written between the ones we see—truths hidden from the world."
---
At the same time, a ship nearly identical to the one Louay had used arrived offshore. Onboard, Zoro lay on his back, gasping for air as two men tried to stitch the gaping wound in his chest.
He groaned,
"Agh…"
"Hang in there," one of them said as he worked quickly, his hands stained red. "You'll bleed out if you don't."
The other looked at him in disbelief.
"I still can't believe you're alive after taking that guy on one-on-one."
"Yeah…" the first added. "Honestly, it feels like you've used up a lifetime of luck already."
Zoro opened one eye, the other swollen shut. His voice was weak and broken.
"Don't… remind me… of that, got it?"
The two men exchanged looks and smirked.
"Yes, yes," they said together, mocking him lightly.
Then one looked toward the island in the distance.
"We need to find a doctor before he drops dead."
---
Three kilometers off Cocoyashi Island, another ship drifted. Small, battered, its white paint peeled from years of salt and sun. It was pulled not by sails, but by a strange beast — a zebra-skinned creature with the head of a bull and twisted horns, its roar echoing across the waves.
Onboard were three figures.
A young man with a long nose and a headscarf, carrying a pointed satchel — Usopp.
Beside him, a tall, blond-haired man dressed in black, his right eye hidden behind a wave of hair, a white tie neatly in place — Sanji.
And at the center, Monkey D. Luffy, the boy with the straw hat.
All three sat around a table, devouring chunks of meat.
Luffy beamed with every bite.
"Hey Sanji! More! Your food is the best!"
Usopp, glancing nervously at the beast pulling them, asked,
"Hey! How long are we letting this monster drag us around? I-I feel like it's going to eat us any second!"
Sanji, cigarette dangling from his lips, placed another plate before Luffy.
"Until we get there…"
His expression shifted, growing serious and poetic.
"…And bring Miss Nami back."
Usopp froze.
'Wait a sec… Nami stole our ship!'
Luffy, completely unfazed, stretched his rubbery arm toward another piece of meat.
Usopp snapped,
"Don't worry, we'll get Nami back — and the ship too, hehe!"
Sanji and Usopp exchanged tired glances, then muttered together,
"We better…"
Then, realizing they'd spoken in sync, they turned toward each other.
"Stop copying me, idiot!"
Luffy burst into laughter, slamming the table with one hand, still holding meat in the other.
"Ha ha ha! You guys are hilarious!"
They both shouted in unison,
"Look who's talking!"
Suddenly, the creature pulling the ship stumbled, throwing them off balance.
Usopp panicked, running back and forth across the deck.
"We're gonna die! Save me!"
Luffy stretched his arm, grabbed the beast's ear, and climbed atop its head.
"Let's go!" he shouted.
Sanji clung to the ship's railing, exasperated.
"I definitely joined the wrong crew…"
Usopp, clutching his head, groaned,
"I should've never become a pirate…"
With Luffy's laughter echoing through the sea, the ship surged forward at terrifying speed, racing toward the port.
"Noooo!" Usopp cried.
---
To the north, where the thick forest gave way to barren land, Louay stood before a massive rock shaped like a buried whale's tooth. Each punch he landed shook the birds from the trees and filled the air with dust. The sunlight reflected off his sweaty skin, his dark hair tousled like a ghost moving through the midday haze.
He looked up at the sound of a ship breaking through the clouds.
He sighed.
"So this is it… Falling from the sky like they fear nothing.
Is it madness? Or does ignorance make them immortal?
And me? I know everything… and still, I stand here."
As the ship descended, Zoro walked along the forest's edge, leaning on one of his three swords. Laughter and shouting echoed through the trees. A massive shadow danced across the ground as the ship pierced the clouds and dropped toward him.
Zoro blinked, barely lifting his head.
"Must be hallucinating…"
Just as he resumed walking, a familiar voice rang out.
"Hey, Zoro!"
It was Luffy.
Zoro spun in shock.
"Wha—Luffy?!"
The ship slammed into him, launching him into a tree which promptly collapsed behind him.
Sanji and Usopp lay sprawled on the ground, dizzy from the impact.
Luffy, of course, was unharmed — his rubber body absorbing the crash.
He ran over.
"Hey Zoro! You still alive?"
Zoro lifted his head slowly, pain etched on his face. Holding his injured chest, he muttered,
"I swear… I'll kill you someday."
Luffy just grinned.
"Looking forward to it."
---
In Arlong's hall — a palace of sea wreckage, its walls made of gray coral, ropes and giant shells hanging from the ceiling — the fishman pirate lord sat on his throne. Dark, massive, surrounded by bat-like sea creatures clinging to the pillars like silent guards.
Nami sat on a wooden chair before him.
"It's been a while… Nami," Arlong said, resting his elbow on the throne's armrest, his fist supporting his sneering face.
"I thought you'd never come back."
Her eyes narrowed with disgust.
"Arlong…"
Silence stretched across the room. Nearly twenty seconds passed before Hachi broke it awkwardly.
"Hey everyone, let's celebrate Nami's return!"
No one moved. Arlong chuckled, then laughed out loud.
"Right, right. Nami is a crucial member of our crew."
The fishmen pirates laughed. Nami clenched her fists, her jaw tight.
'That bastard…'
She took a breath and said with forced confidence,
"Not anymore. I've almost finished collecting the 100,000 Berries we agreed on. In one week, I'll have it all — and you'll leave this island for good."
Arlong smiled again, shifting his position.
"Ah, yes. I always keep my promises."
Nami stood, turned, and walked to the door.
"Our final meeting will be in a week."
Silence.
Then sudden laughter.
Arlong's eyes gleamed with malice.
"If you find the money, that is… Ha ha ha."
He rose slowly, expression dark.
'Nami… I won't let you leave the crew. No matter what.'
---
Meanwhile, Louay kept punching the massive rock.
Grumble
His stomach growled.
He stopped and walked around the rock, grabbing a bag and a bottle of coconut water he had brought from a nearby cave. Sitting down, he pulled out a piece of grilled venison.
He took a bite and a sip. The mix of savory meat and sweet coconut filled his mouth.
But before he could swallow, thoughts flooded in.
'After Arlong steals Nami's money and breaks her… the Straw Hats will storm the fishmen's base. In two days, maybe less.'
He scoffed.
"Hearts that trust once… betray themselves twice."
Setting the food aside, Louay stood.
He raised his hand and slowly clenched it. His index finger glowed with hardened Haki, sheathed in a layer of spiritual steel.
He pointed it at the rock and began carving his plan into its surface.
'If I remember right, Zoro's still badly injured from his last fight.'
His expression was blank.
"That wound wasn't from hesitation… it was from defiance. A wound like that means you challenged what you shouldn't have, given your condition."
He continued,
'Still, he'll barely defeat Hachi. Luffy will beat Arlong — but only barely.
Sanji and Usopp will do their parts too.'
He paused, then resumed carving.
'But they'll be completely exhausted. They'll stay on the island one night, recovering from the battle that will last nearly an entire day.'
Louay stepped back, relaxed his hand, and let the Haki fade.
He clenched his fist again.
"If I'm just watching… then I better watch with eyes that don't blink, and hands that don't shake.
Knowledge is a burden… when you lack the power to change outcomes."
With calm fury, he coated his fist in Haki, drew back, and punched the rock — shattering both the stone and the plan he carved into it.
As fragments rained down around him, the sunset glinted in his eyes.
His long hair danced in the breeze as he whispered,
"This world will keep moving on the same rails… unless I flip the table before dinner is served."
He exhaled, calm once more.
"Two days before the battle. I should start moving now.
But first… I have to finish my training."
He gathered his things in his left hand, turned, and walked away in search of another training stone.
With an annoyed sigh, he muttered,
"Ugh. I have to find another rock now… What a pain."