Chapter 11
Nojiko stood firm, blue hair catching the last light of day. Unlike the villagers who fled at the sight of pirates, she held her ground. Her grip on the staff was tight, knuckles pale.
"Leave," she said. "You don't understand what you're walking into. He'll destroy you."
Luffy stepped forward. No smile. No antics.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I will become Pirate King. Nami is my navigator. I'm taking her back."
The air stilled. Even the wind seemed to hesitate. This was not the boy who laughed through cannon fire. This was a captain who had drawn his line.
Nojiko's voice faltered.
"You don't get it. Arlong isn't someone you can just fight. He's not like other pirates. His crew—"
"They'll fall," Zoro said, hand resting on his sword. His bandages were fresh, but his gaze was sharp.
"Fish or human—everyone bleeds."
Sanji exhaled smoke, eyes narrowed.
"No one locks up Nami-san. I'll send every last one of them back to the sea."
Usopp stepped forward, legs trembling.
"The great Captain Usopp fears no fish-men!"
His voice cracked, but he stood his ground.
Then Silas spoke. He had been silent until now.
"Your sister has carried this island for eight years. She doesn't have to do it alone anymore."
Nojiko looked at them as if they were mad. Perhaps they were.
---
Genzo and Dr. Nako arrived, their expressions shaped by years of quiet resistance.
"If you're truly her comrades," Nako said, "you need to understand what you're facing."
What followed was not a briefing—it was a warning.
"Arlong has the strength of ten men," Genzo said. "His jaws crush steel. His laughter breaks resolve."
Nojiko continued,
"Hatchan wields six blades with six arms. He can fight a dozen at once. Loyal to Arlong."
"Kuroobi is a master of Fishman Karate," Nako said. "His strikes hit like cannonballs. In water, he's lethal."
"Chew fires water bullets," Genzo added. "Fast and deadly."
Then came the name that silenced them.
"Quadshot," Nojiko said. "Four arms. Four flintlocks. Never misses. Sank a Marine warship alone."
The crew responded in kind.
Luffy's grin returned.
"They sound strong. Good."
Zoro's eyes gleamed.
"Finally. Something worth drawing steel for."
Sanji's cigarette flared.
"They'll regret touching Nami-san."
Usopp's knees knocked, but he raised his slingshot.
"Four guns? I've faced worse."
Silas said nothing. His gaze drifted.
---
He was ten again, training under the desert sun. His father watched as he fell into the sand.
"Why do we train so hard, Papa?" he asked.
His father knelt beside him.
"Because one day, someone will need you. Strength isn't for domination—it's for protection."
Later, by the fire, his father spoke of legacy.
"Your grandfather said, 'If I die, let it be chasing the sun.' That's our path. We move toward the light, even in darkness."
The memory faded. The lesson remained.
Silas looked at his crewmates—Luffy, unwavering; Sanji, fierce; Zoro, ready; Usopp, trying.
This was the moment his father had prepared him for.
"Arlong's reign ends here," Silas said.
"He'll learn what happens when he threatens family."
Not crew. Not allies. Family.
Nojiko stared at them.
"You're all insane," she said. But her voice held no anger.
Luffy smiled.
"Yeah. Just enough to save our friends."
---
The sun vanished behind Cocoyasi Village. The Straw Hats stood in the dark, united by a single purpose.
Tomorrow would be war.
Arlong Park loomed in the distance, a fortress of cruelty. But for the first time in eight years, it would face something it had never known:
A crew bound not by fear, but by loyalty.
And a rubber boy who would never let his friends suffer alone.