Hey guys.
Good news.
My grandpa is fine now and we're back at home.
The only medication the doctor has written for him is electrolytes or ORS, to maintain his body fluid.
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I have added a character in this chapter. Do not think too much of it.
It's only going to be for two or three chapters.
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Thought of the Day:
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that stupid people won't be offended
----Morgan Freeman.
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Here's what Yuji actually looks like in my story, just without any scars.
PIC<-----
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Attendance Please:
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Luffy, Yuji, and Zoro left the ruins of Arlong Park behind.
They met Usopp on the dusty road leading to the barn.
"Took care of that other fishman," he said, trying to sound casual.
Luffy nodded. Zoro grunted in approval. Yuji gripped Usopp's shoulder once, and that single gesture conveyed more than words ever could.
They continued walking, their boots crunching against the gravel, until the barn appeared before them.
As they drew closer, sound filled the air around them.
Laughter and tears.
The kind of noise that emerges only when hope, buried for so long, finally claws its way back.
Inside, the barn had become a sacred place. Men held their wives and children, people they had feared they would never hold again. The air was thick with tears, shaky prayers, and the rough, broken sounds of families reuniting.
And there, in the midst of it all, was Sanji, smiling softly with his guard completely down, as villagers patted his back and offered their blessings.
Then the Straw Hats walked in, and every head turned.
The joyful noise faded bit by bit, like a candle slowly burning out.
Genzo stepped forward, his pinwheel hat casting sharp shadows across his weathered face. When he spoke, his voice was clear and sincere.
"Is it true that Nojiko wasn't with the others?"
And just like that, joy turned into fear.
Women held their children tighter. Men who had been crying with relief moments earlier now stood stiff, the threat of another loss darkening their eyes. Nojiko was still out there, still taken.
Yuji stepped forward, his voice steady and clear. "Yes, but don't worry. We made Arlong talk." He paused, letting the words sink in. "He told us that Marine Captain Nezumi took her to his base. She's likely being held there."
A moment of stunned silence.
Then a man from the crowd spoke up, disbelief in his voice. "Wait... you made Arlong talk? You actually beat Arlong and his crew?"
"Not all of us," Yuji said, gesturing toward Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp. "Thank these three."
Usopp rubbed the back of his head, suddenly very interested in the barn's rafters. "Well, I didn't do that much, just one Fishman. Zoro took care of most of them, and Luffy beat Arlong."
Just one fishman, a monster that had terrorized their village for nearly ten years. The sheer absurdity of it spread through the crowd, and for a long moment, no one spoke.
These were children, children who had accomplished what grown men and women could not even attempt.
Their view of the world cracked, shifted, and began to rebuild into something new.
Genzo cleared his throat, bringing everyone back to the present. "So... what will you do now?"
Luffy hummed, then replied in the same casual tone someone might use when suggesting dinner plans. "We'll go to the Marine base, beat up the Marines, and bring Nami's sister back home."
It was a simple and direct plan.
Genzo straightened. "Then let me come with you. You kids brought back our people and freed us from those fishmen. It's the least I can do."
A fire ignited.
"Yeah, let us come with you!" a man shouted. "We're tired of being cowards. It's time to fight for ourselves!"
"He's right. You're strangers, yet you have carried our burden. We are the adults here, and we allowed children to do what we should have done years ago. Let us help."
One by one, voices rose, a tide of people ready to storm the gates of hell itself.
The Straw Hats exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Then Sanji spoke, his voice carrying the weight of reality.
"We appreciate your help. We really do. But we're about to raid a Marine base. You know what happens when you go against the Navy: you'll be labeled criminals, bounties will be placed on your heads, and your families will suffer."
Murmuring began almost immediately.
Genzo's voice cut through the air. "Then what about you kids? Doesn't the same apply to you?"
Zoro smirked. "That's the thing, old man. We're already pirates. Going against the Marines has always been part of the deal. It's nothing new to us."
The word landed like a thunderclap.
"But... you helped us," a woman's voice said, trembling with confusion. "How can you be pirates? Pirates are bad. Evil. Like Arlong."
Then a child spoke softly, "Pirates took my dad away. Pirates are monsters."
The silence that followed was the heaviest of all.
And then, Luffy smiled.
His bright, open, and endlessly free smile.
"We're dream chasers," he said. "We defy the world. That's what pirates are, people who go against the way things are and carve their own paths. We don't follow rules someone else made; we follow our dreams."
The villagers stared in silence.
Genzo stared intently.
Something cracked open in that barn, something that had been sealed shut since Arlong's boot first pressed down on their necks. Genzo looked at the boy and thought of Nami, remembering how she had never, ever stopped dreaming.
'Looks like she found crazy people just like herself.'
He cleared his throat. "Fine. If that's what you've decided, we won't stop you. Just... promise us one thing: bring Nojiko home safely."
Luffy's expression remained unchanged, but his voice deepened, carrying a weight that made the air feel heavier. "You have our word. We'll bring Nami's sister back, no matter what it takes."
Genzo nodded slowly and solemnly. "Then go. The 16th Branch is west of here, about half an hour from the island."
The Straw Hats turned without another word and ran, their boots pounding the earth.
The Going Merry greeted them like an old friend, her sails snapping eagerly in the wind. They pushed her hard, spray kicking up over the bow, the sea hissing beneath her hull. No one spoke much; there was nothing to say, only the steady rhythm of a crew moving as one.
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16TH MARINE BRANCH—EAST BLUE
Captain Nezumi sat in his office, twirling his whiskers, slowly, deliberately, rat-like, and fixed his gaze on the woman trembling in the chair across from him.
"So," he purred, "what was your name again?"
"T-Tina," her voice was barely a whisper.
"Ahhh, yes. Tina." He savored the name like wine gone slightly sour. "I believe you know why you're here."
She nodded frantically, tears already gathering at the corners of her eyes. "Yes. My husband, he's a merchant. He was falsely accused of being a pirate and captured by soldiers from your base. Please, I'm here to pay for his release. He is innocent."
"Tina, Tina, Tina," Nezumi said, shaking his head with feigned sympathy. "I'm truly sorry to hear that. And I'm sure your husband is innocent. I'll personally see to it that those soldiers are punished for such a mistake."
"Th-thank you." Her breath hitched with fragile hope. "So, he'll be freed?"
"Ah." Nezumi leaned back, pressing his fingertips together. "About that, if he'd been accused of being a bandit, I could release him immediately. But a pirate... well, you know how we Marines feel about pirates. Justice must be served. People like you depend on it. But don't worry, I can speak to Headquarters. An investigation will be opened to prove his innocence." He paused, letting the words hang in the air like a blade. "It will just take time."
"How much time?"
He pretended to think it over. "Weeks. Months. Perhaps... years. Who can say?"
"Years?" The word burst from her. "But our livelihood, our lives, depend on his work!"
"Oh dear, I really am sorry." Nezumi rose from his chair, circling the desk with the slow, careful steps of a predator. He came to stand behind her, placing both hands on her shoulders. His fingers trailed down her back, light as spiders. "But if you want... I could make it happen in just a few days."
He leaned close to her ear. Despite the afternoon heat pressing against the windows, the room suddenly felt cold.
"You'd just need to do a few... favors for me."
His whisper curled around her like a serpent.
"You'll do it, won't you? After all, you're a devoted wife. You would do anything for your husband's freedom."
Tears slid down her cheeks, and her shoulders shook. Yet, she nodded, a small, fragile motion.
Nezumi grinned, a grin that belonged to something that lived in the sewers.
"Good. Now, show me how truly devoted you are."
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OUTSIDE THE OFFICE
Muffled sounds leaked through the door, sobbing and low, rhythmic grunting. The two marines standing guard exchanged glances and chuckled.
"Captain's having fun," the first one said.
The second grinned as a sharp cry came from within. "Sounds like it. Hey, when's he going to let us have a turn with that blue-haired girl? It's been days."
"Patience. He let the rookie go first, didn't he? Speaking of which, have you noticed how long that kid stays in there? Hours. Five hours last time. Stamina freak."
"Lucky bastard," the second marine said, shaking his head. "Me, I'm done in six or seven minutes."
"Ten for me on a good day."
They both laughed, the easy, hollow laughter of men who had long since forgotten they were supposed to be the good guys.
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INSIDE NOJIKO'S CELL
The rookie carefully set the tray down, ensuring the bread did not touch anything damp and that the cup of water was within easy reach. Nojiko watched him closely, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"How long can you keep up this act?" she asked quietly, breaking off a piece of bread. "They think you're... you know. But here you are, bringing me meals and keeping me safe. Sooner or later, they'll find out. And then my fate will be sealed, and you'll be punished too."
"I know," the boy murmured. "But I'll protect you from those monsters for as long as I can."
"Why?" she searched his face. "Why do you care so much? I'm a stranger to you."
Silence stretched between them. When the boy finally spoke, his voice was hoarse.
"When I joined the Marines, I thought I'd finally do some good, save innocent people, be someone's hero." A bitter smile flickered across his lips. "Then I was posted here, and I realized the world isn't black and white. These people wear the coat of justice, but they're worse than any criminals: bribes, blackmail, and the things they do to women..." His fists clenched, knuckles turning white. "Sometimes I think about just killing them all, every last one. But then I'd be just like them."
He looked up at her, and in his eyes was something both fierce and fragile.
"I want to be someone who saves people with a smile, someone who, even in pain and grief, makes others feel hope when I am near. I want to be someone whose back, when seen by others, tells them that no evil can touch them as long as I am standing."
Nojiko stared at him, and then, slowly, she smiled.
"That's really beautiful." She paused. "By the way, I never asked your name."
He blinked, then offered a shy, hesitant smile of his own. "Izuku."
She held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Izuku. I'm Nojiko. And I believe that one day you'll achieve your dream. Because to me... you're already a hero."
His face flushed a deep red. His hand trembled as he shook hers.
Then—
BOOM.
The walls shook, and dust rained from the ceiling. Somewhere in the distance, an alarm began to shriek.
"What's happening?" Nojiko gasped.
"I—I don't know!" Izuku's expression flickered as he glanced at the shaking ceiling. "Maybe the base is under attack." He met her eyes with sudden, intense focus. "This is it, your chance. When the chaos spreads, I'll create an opening. There's a ship at the north port, small enough to handle alone."
"What about you?"
His smile was heartbreakingly calm. "Someone needs to stay behind. Buy you some time."
"No." Nojiko grabbed his arm. "You're coming with me."
"Please, miss," he gently pulled free. "Don't take this from me. If I can save even one person, then my duty is fulfilled."
Before she could argue, another blast shook the building, and the cell door rattled in its frame.
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THE GOING MERRY—OFFSHORE
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Usopp operated the cannons with a sniper's precision, his eye fixed on the sight, each shot striking a new target. Gun emplacements exploded in showers of wood and metal. Watchtowers crumbled. Sanji supplied him with cannonballs like a machine, his expression cold and focused.
"We're about to reach the docks," Zoro announced, drawing Wado Ichimonji. The blade caught the sunlight. "There are dozens of armed soldiers at the front gate."
Luffy cracked his knuckles, the sound resembling snapping branches. "Alright. Let's beat up some Marines and bring Nami's sister back."
He grabbed Merry's figurehead, stretched his rubbery arms back, and launched himself across the water like a human cannonball. He crashed through the front gate, sending soldiers flying like ragdolls.
"That idiot," Zoro muttered. Then he leaped, landing in the middle of the chaos, his sword already singing.
Usopp turned the cannon, squinting through the smoke. "Taking out their heavy guns."
Yuji nodded. "Make every shot count."
The Going Merry touched the dock, and the remaining Straw Hats stepped into a world ablaze. The trail of destruction that Luffy and Zoro had left behind was staggering, crumpled bodies, shattered barricades, and craters in the earth.
"Damn," Usopp breathed. "They're really not holding back."
"This is no time to hold back," Sanji said, and then he was gone, his legs slicing through the marine ranks like a blade through wheat.
Yuji and Usopp followed, cutting down anyone who attempted to stop them.
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Luffy ran through the corridors, with Zoro following closely behind. Marines attacked them in waves, but each wave was swiftly defeated.
They tore through the base like a natural disaster. Doors splintered, walls cracked, and the building itself seemed to flinch as they passed.
Then they found the cell block.
They kicked the door open and then stopped cold.
Those cells did not hold criminals or pirates.
Women and children huddled together, flinching away from the sudden light, mothers shielding their little ones with their own bodies. The stench of fear and unwashed despair hung in the air like a thick fog.
Zoro's grip tightened on his sword until his knuckles cracked. "What the hell...?"
Luffy's face grew very still. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the hollow cheeks, the bruised arms, and the eyes that had forgotten what hope looked like.
"This place is rotten," he said quietly. "No one here is a Marine. They're just monsters who prey on those weaker than themselves."
He turned to Zoro, fire blazing in his gaze.
"Zoro, free them. We're taking them back to Nami's village."
Zoro was already in motion. His blades sliced through bars and chains as if they were made of paper. "Didn't even need to ask."
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THE HALLWAY
Izuku's footsteps echoed as he ran, with Nojiko close behind him. They turned a corner, and there he was.
Captain Nezumi.
The rat-faced captain surveyed the scene with narrowed eyes: the rookie, the prisoner, and the direction in which they were running. His sword slid from its sheath with a sound like a snake uncoiling.
"What's this, rookie? Are you trying to free her?"
Izuku stepped in front of Nojiko, his body acting as a shield. "I'm not your soldier anymore. You're a sick man who preys on the innocent. No more."
Nezumi laughed, his voice high and cruel. "I see. So you're rebelling against me now, trying to be a hero. But you're wrong, there are no heroes in this world, boy. Once I kill you, I'll have my fun with this one." His gaze slid over Nojiko. "Shame, really. I wanted a taste of her sister too. Maybe I'll ask Arlong to lend her to me after this is over."
Nojiko lunged forward. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY SISTER!"
Nezumi's sword thrust forward, aimed at her heart—
SQUELCH.
The sound was damp and conclusive.
Nojiko's eyes went wide. Izuku stood before her, Nezumi's blade buried deep in his stomach. He had pushed her aside and taken the hit.
"Haaah..." Blood bubbled at his lips. He dropped to his knees.
"NO! IZUKU!"
"Pathetic," Nezumi sneered, leaning down to Izuku's level. "Throwing your life away for a nobody. You could have enjoyed her. Instead, you chose to die like a fool. But don't worry, I'll make sure your sacrifice means nothing. I'll take her right here, right in front of you, before you bleed out."
Nojiko's tears fell hot and fast. "Please... let him go... I'll do anything..."
Nezumi grinned. "See? That's all it—"
He tried to pull his sword free, but it wouldn't budge.
Izuku's hand was clamped around the blade. Blood poured from his palm, slicking the steel, but his grip remained ironclad. His head lifted slowly, and the eyes that met Nezumi's were not those of a dying boy.
"What is the meaning of life to you?"
His voice was raw, scraped from somewhere deep within.
"What is the meaning of innocence to you?"
He rose, inch by painful inch. The sword shifted inside him, yet he rose anyway.
"What is a woman to you?"
He stood. He bled. He burned.
"What is justice to you?"
Nezumi stumbled backward, still gripping his sword and struggling desperately to pull it free. But it was like trying to extract a blade from solid stone.
"Nojiko is not an object to be used," Izuku said, his voice now ironclad. "She is a person. Every woman and child you have tormented is a person. And that is enough."
He headbutted Nezumi with a crack that split the captain's forehead open. Then, with a grunt of pain, Izuku pulled the sword from his own stomach and advanced forward.
"No... stay back... I'm your captain... don't come near me..."
Nezumi tried to crawl away, but Izuku grabbed his leg. In that grip was the weight of every terrible act this base had ever witnessed. He drove the sword through Nezumi's chest and into the floor beneath him.
THUNK.
"AAAAHHHH—"
Nezumi's scream echoed through the hallways, reverberating off walls that had witnessed countless other screams yet remained silent.
Izuku turned unsteadily to face Nojiko. His smile was the faintest, most fragile she had ever seen.
"I saved you."
He collapsed, but she caught him before he hit the ground, pulling his arm over her shoulder as her tears mixed with his blood.
"Yeah," she whispered, her voice cracking. "You saved me."
Behind them, Nezumi lay pinned to the floor like an insect in a display case, his screams fading into wet gurgles as Nojiko led Izuku away.
Neither of them looked back.
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Like the chapter, then please share your powerstones with me.
See you in next chapter.
Peace out.