"Where is my Devil Fruit?" Leo asked flatly, cutting through her grief without hesitation.
Nami flinched, her tears still falling but looking at those firm crystal blue eyes, she couldn't stop herself from answering. "…It's with Arlong. I… gave it to him."
Without another word, he grabbed the unconscious Captain Nezumi, without a care if he was truly out cold or just pretending and slung him over his shoulder before turning away.
"That treasure is mine now," he said as he walked. "Carry it. We're going to Arlong's base."
Nami's eyes widened, but beneath the despair, a faint ember of hope flickered as she recalled the stories from the newspaper about how strong he was.
Usopp, unfortunately, had to carry the treasure crate alone as he struggled, barely managing to drag it as he followed after Leo.
"But why are we taking that Marine along?" Usopp asked, curiously.
"He still has some… that's why he's alive," Leo replied.
At those words, Nezumi's body gave a faint shudder but he kept up the act, pretending to be unconscious.
As they moved across the island, they soon ran into Luffy, Sanji, Zoro and his minions who were walking in the opposite direction from Arlong park.
One by one, villagers also began to join their little group led by sheriff Genzo.
Some carried makeshift weapons, sticks, farming tools, anything they could find. Others simply followed, their faces tense but determined. By the time they reached the main door of Arlong park, nearly forty people had followed behind them.
Leo glanced back once, mildly annoyed.
'What the hell are they following us for…?'
Usopp quickly filled Luffy in about Arlong, while Nojiko stepped forward and told the rest of the crew about Nami's past, her deal with Arlong and everything she had endured.
Tears. Anger. Sympathy. Myriad emotions rose within the crew.
Leo, however, only felt a faint discomfort at the sudden shift in mood.
"…Hey, Leo," Luffy said, snapping out of his anger. "You didn't let me finish Don Krieg back at Baratie. Don't interfere this time. I will be the one beating Arlong."
Leo's gaze drifted briefly to Nami walking behind them, who had her head lowered.
"I wasn't planning to help anyway," he replied calmly. "I'm here for my Devil Fruit. I'm not a saint who goes around solving someone else's problems."
"I was going to pay you wi—"
"It's about trust, Nami," Zoro cut in. "Something you never had on us from the start and so did I." Nami froze, stunned by his bluntness.
"I would ne… I'm sorry," she said quietly. For the first time, she realised her mistake—she had used them since the start, just like Arlong had used her.
"Hey! Don't you bastards mess with my Nami-swan!" Sanji snapped from the side, already fired up. "She's an angel she can do whatever she wants, got it?!"
Zoro didn't even bother responding.
At last they reached Arlong Park looking at the massive gate.
"Gum Gum… Jet Pistol!"
Without warning, Luffy's arm stretched back all the way across the road, and soon advanced with fearsome force.
The simple fist blasted forward smashing straight into the stone doors of Arlong Park and tearing it apart.
For a moment, everyone fell silent, unable to comprehend how someone with such a small frame could wield that kind of strength.
'He's as strong as he is stupid,' Leo thought, watching him walk ahead.
"You guys wait here," Luffy said, ordering the villagers as he stepped forward while Johny and Yosaku made sure Luffy's orders were complied.
"We'll deal with those dirty fishmen." Luffy walked straight inside Arlong Park, cracking his knuckles, eyes already locked onto the group gathering fishmens.
Leo also slipped a recording snail, one he had taken from the Marine ship into Johny's hands, quietly instructing him to use it when he started his act.
"Who's Arlong?" His gaze swept across the crowd before settling on the tallest one among them.
"Who's asking?" Arlong replied, in a cold tone.
'So he has my Devil Fruit… better keep an eye on him.' Leo thought.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy," he said, Luffy said pointing at himself. "The man who'll become the Pirate King."
"How dare you make our navigator cry… I'm here to kick your ass." his declaration echoed across the Arlong park.
Zoro stepped forward behind him, followed by Sanji and Usopp. Nami trailed after them, quieter, while Leo remained near the entrance, leaning casually against the broken gate, observing.
Arlong pirates didn't take the threat lightly as dozens of fishmen rushed forward at once, weapons raised.
"Stay out of the way, shitty fishes—" Sanji snapped, already kicking.
"How dare you, puny humans, lay hands on us—the superior race?" one of them roared.
Zoro didn't waste words. Despite the pain tearing through his chest, he stepped in, blades flashing as he cut through the approahing wave.
Soon half of Arlong's underlings were sent flying by the pirate duo but Arlong didn't move, he simply stared at Luffy who approached him.
The next second, a punch landed on his face. The impact sent him crashing straight into the wall behind him.
"You… treacherous humans…" The octopus named Hachi growled. "Momoo! Get out here and crush these intruders!"
A massive sea cow surfaced from the massive pool in front, towering over the group of invaders.
The villagers froze seeing the beast siding Arlong Pirates but the Straw Hats didn't care.
To them, it looked more like food than a threat.
"Follow Momoo's lead! Show them the might of Arlong Pirates!"
Remaining Arlong pirates, seeing their enemy morale drop, ran forward.
"This is getting annoying," Luffy shouted.
He planted both his feet into the ground, forcing them deep into the concrete. His body twisted, coiling like a spring…
Then he grabbed Momoo by horns and all hell let loose.
"Gum Gum… Pinwheel!"
Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp dropped low as Luffy spun violently, dragging the massive creature with him like a sweep. The sheer force tore through the entire courtyard, smashing everything in its path leaving half the Arlong Park shattered.
After its work was done, he hurled the poor cow straight back into the ocean.
"Come fight me yourself, coward!" Luffy declared, his fist raised high.
For a moment, the battlefield fell into silence.
With most of Arlong's underlings wiped out, things looked almost even, where both sides stood with their main fighters still up… if Leo wasn't counted.
But that balance didn't last long.
***
Author's Request: Please leave a like, comment, review, or share your thoughts so I can know the Support & Collections I'm receiving isn't from bots. And if you're enjoying the story, don't forget to donate power stones as well.