Voyage Chapter 25: Caramel (Patreon)

~Yuji Liberio~

I crossed my arms as I cleaved apart the winds in front of Nue while I flew through the skies towards Cocoyashi Village.

Nue was incredibly fast, as expected of a minibus-sized demon bird flying through the sky without air resistance and a massive tailwind helping it.

I had Alice park herself on the island near Loguetown while she waited for me to put the stomping on the Arlong Pirates. After all, if I took her, she would be nothing but a risk for us.

By my estimates, I would reach her village in an hour at most, and while I sailed through the seas towards the village, I planned what I would do.

I couldn't half ass this. Unlike everyone else I have fought so far, Arlong is strong. I cannot one-shot him like Kuro because he was not a glass cannon like he was. Most likely, it would devolve into a Slugfest.

But I had Bull Zoan, Strength and Cellular Overdrive by my side. I was confident I wouldn't outright lose in a contest of strength against anyone in East Blue.

As I flew, the Conomi Archipelago made its appearance over the horizon, and I realised a slight mistake. I didn't know how to spot Cocoyashi village. And I couldn't just dive into Arlong Park, I may be able to defeat Arlong 1 v 1, but that didn't apply to almost a hundred, if not more fishmen.

And I could see some Fishman around the beach with my eyes if I squinted. I probably was going to get noticed, but it did not matter with my mobility.

Well, regardless, I had to start somewhere. I picked a beach and got Nue to start flying low until we reached the shore, then I unsummoned him. As my feet touched down on dry land I stretched my muscles while groaning.

Flying for several hours on your feet was not really pleasant.

Walking up from the beach and into the village, I couldn't help but chuckle nervously.

"...Holy damn."

A village had been here for sure. Had been being the operative word.

All of the houses were shattered and turned upside down, not only that, but a trench had been ripped through the middle of the street.

Now, I'll admit, my knowledge of One Piece is... choppy. So I did not really remember this town that had literally been turned upside down, but I felt a feeling in my chest.

A certain kind of righteous anger.

I was not a paragon of morals, but this was just disgusting.

Before you see it with your own eyes, you forget how much of a piece of shit the people you are dealing with are. A screen cannot convey the devastation they leave behind.

I walked through the desolate street while looking around. I could still see some corpses, some half-eaten by dogs, of course, manga and anime would not show that kind of gruesomeness. But I saw it here.

Houses, ones that probably housed families, who worked like slaves to pay Arlong. But their efforts to preserve the lives of their brethren were repaid by Arlong deciding to wipe out their village without a second thought.

It was... disgusting.

I walked until I heard a commotion, the voice of a little boy shouting.

"Damn you fishman! You k-killed my father!!! Prepare to dieeee!!!"

A little boy with tears in his eyes and a worn small blade in his hands, charging a large blue-skinned, fat fishman standing a meter taller than I was.

"Kid! Don't! Are you stupid!?"

Chink!

"What are you doing, brat? Don't you know what happened to the villagers here? We had Moomoo trash the place because one of you little humans tried to defy us, fishman. You wanna be drowned?"

The blade did not even break the fishman's skin before he ripped the sword from his hands and glared down at him. But before he was about the boy, I cleared my throat.

"A-hem!"

"Huh? Who're you? You're not one of the villagers here."

The fishman turned to me, leaving the kid to fall on his ass with tears in his eyes.

"You're right, you can call me a traveller of sorts. I'm just surprised seeing a big bloated bastard like you is trying to kill this kid."

"What did you say, human!? How dare you say that while you are just a mere human to a fishman like myself!? You chose the wrong island to come to!"

"Hey, you! Run! He is not fast!"

I heard a feminine voice chime in, but I ignored it as the fishman approached me while rolling his sleeves.

"Actually, I think I chose just the right time. I've got some stress I want to work off, so I'm glad I came across a victim so quickly."

The big bastard threw a punch at me. I knew Fishmen's speed did not match their strength, and the punch itself was rather sloppy too, as expected of a lowlife who cruised through life on their natural strength.

I turned on Strength and let my energy flow as I-

"Huh?"

-Caught the fist with one hand.

10x stronger than a grown man? That is nothing. Kuro was stronger.

"You know, now would be about the time I would be saying a cool or funny quip right now. But no."

My arm dragged him down by his hand, and then I planted my other fist in his gut, making him puke blood.

"I'm just angry right now."

Bam!

I turned my body and landed a high kick with augmented strength to the Fishman's neck, snapping it at an awkward angle and throwing his body away.

No remorse for a remorseless killer.

Not feeling like sparing the downed body even a single glance, I approached the child, and someone seemed to have the same idea as a woman came out of the alleyways, drawing my eyes to her.

It was a woman with tanned skin and distinct soft cotton candy blue hair. She had quite the voluptuous figure. She wore a tank top that showed off a blue tattoo that spanned from her neckline to her shoulder. She walked over to the kid and me with barely concealed panic in her eyes.

"You! Both of you! Do you know what you just did!?"

"Which part? Saving this kid or killing that guy?"

She put her hands on her hips and scowled while the kid looked at the limp fishman corpse in shock.

"You killed a fishman, one of Arlong's men. They killed villages for throwing an egg at one of his men, who knows what he will do when he finds out about this? You two come with me quickly! The more we spend time, the worse things can become."

I shrugged my shoulders and turned to the kid.

"Alright, let's follow the enigmatic lady kid."

"...You... you killed him...! You killed a fishman!"

"Sure did, now let's skedadle, you can process your emotions later."

I grabbed the kid by the collar and held him up aloft by it as Nojiko led us away from the ruined town and up the hills over to a tangerine orchard with a small house sitting in the middle. After looking around, She pushed us inside and locked the door.

"Nice house you have there."

Saying that I dropped the kid off on the couch against the wall while Nojiko gestured for me to sit across from her at the table, sighing and rubbing her forehead all the while.

"Sit, you are new here, right? So you probably have no idea what you just did."

I sat down across her, and I noticed that due to the sweat from walking uphill, her sweaty tank top stuck to her breasts, the semi-transparent fabric showing a little of her nipples.

Nice.

"I reckon I know more than you think I do, but less than you do. So, what's your name and story then?"

She sighed and scratched her brow.

"I'm Nojiko, a tangerine farmer, and the fishman you just killed was a part of Arlong's crew, he is a fishman pirate who took control over this island and controls all of the villages and towns, he forces us to pay tribute, and if we don't, if even a single person cannot pay, he slaughters that village."

Nojiko bit her lip in frustration, likely recalling the fate of her mother with a terrible haircut getting shot in the head.

"And now that you killed one of his men... somehow, he will not let this go, he will chase after you no matter what, even if he has raze a dozen villages. He is a speciesist. He firmly believes that every man is below every fishman."

I craned my neck at Nojiko.

"Is that so? Well, I knew that already. Are you still concerned for me after seeing me put a fishman in the dirt?"

Nojiko shook her head.

"Obviously you are freakishly strong. I cannot fathom how someone could even stand up against a fishman, but even if you can face off against one, Arlong is on a whole other level. If Fishmen are demons, Arlong may as well be a monster."

I leaned with my chin on my hand as I stared at Nojiko, who blushed a little at my face. She had a more mature look and demeanour in comparison to Nami from what I saw.

"So, I take it you dislike this Arlong guy?"

Nojiko looked like she bit into an actual piece of shit as she frowned.

"There is no bastard I hate more than him. I'd give up anything I have to see that bastard rot in hell."

I smirked at her.

"Hearing a pretty lady say gives me some ideas."

Nojiko sighed and waved her hand.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but don't go charging against Arlong to just die, you hear? I've seen dozens of people try. And it never ends with just their deaths."

I put a hand on my chin in contemplation.

...Call me a madman, call me a collector, call me a piece of shit, but I am a completionist at heart. I hate having regrets. I'd rather try out of fear of regretting never trying than never trying from the fear of failing.

If I am having one sister, I'd rather complete the set with the other one.

Fujiko seems fairly competent anyway.

...Ok, I just find her really hot, alright? And her personality is good enough for me.

"Say, you really say anything? How about this? If I kick Arlong's ass and free all of the villages under his rule, would you be my woman?"

Nojiko stared at me, but I remained undeterred.

This is a world of pirates. Sometimes, you have to state what you want plainly.

"Honestly speaking, I'd happily spread my ass if a white knight came here and liberated my friends and family. But no such thing happens. And if you are thinking of going to Arlong's doorstep just because you want to play hero, then go ahead and get yourself killed. I have no time for suicidal idiots."

She glared, but her words were pretty clear, no?

I tsked with my tongue and waved my finger.

"Nojiko, do you know when someone is an idiot? It's when they talk big but cannot back up their words. And me? I'm not an idiot."

My smile and tone of utter confidence seemed to shake her as I smiled.

"You misunderstand something about Nojiko. You seem to have the misconception that I'm somehow weaker than Arlong. Unlike you, I'm perfectly aware of how strong Arlong is."

My eyes shone.

"I came here planning to defeat Arlong in the first place."

She was stunned into silence as I got up from my seat.

"W-wait! Seriously-"

I turned to her one last time.

"Do I seem like I'll stop because you told me to? Nope. Now, wait for me, I shouldn't take more than a day at most. And when I'm back..."

"...You better be ready to be a woman of your word."

With that, I left a stunned Nojiko behind and trounced out of the house with a pep in my step. From this hill, Arlong Park was visible in the distance.

I cracked my knuckles.

Time to go fishing!

A/N: The anime is kinda lighthearted enough that it isn't that blatant, but wow, the fishmen are fucking brutal in Arlong Park. Arlong's crew is literally making Saobody, but instead of being the fishmen being discriminated against and being slaves, they are the ones making people slaves. Massive losers.

Nojiko, Nami's sexy, tanned sister, makes an appearance. And I wanted to convey how much of a beaten-down realist she was and how much that clashed with the unbridled resolve of Yuji. But this lady did not know what she unknowingly promised our boy. Did you guys like her introduction?