The courtyard of Arlong Park lay in ruins. The once imposing fortress now bore the scars of battle. Cracked stone, shattered weapons and the unconscious forms of defeated Fishmen scattered across the ground.
Only Arlong remained, locked in brutal combat with Luffy.
With a roar Arlong lunged forward. His massive fist aimed at Luffy's head. Luffy sidestepped, his rubbery limbs stretching, as he countered with a Gomu Gomu no Pistol. His fist slamming into Arlong's jaw crushing his teeth, blasting them away and sending him staggering back.
Arlong snarled, wiping blood from his mouth, while his teeth grew back. "You're going to regret that, human."
He readied his massive weapon the Kiribachi, a sawblade sword nearly as tall, as he was. The jagged teeth gleamed menacingly in the sunlight.
With a mighty swing, Arlong brought the Kiribachi down toward Luffy, who raised his arms in defense. The blade clashed against Luffy's forearms, the force of the blow sending shockwaves through the ground. Luffy held firm, his rubber body absorbing the impact, but the sawblades dug into them drawing blood.
With a determined shout, Luffy twisted his body, the tension in his limbs building. "Gomu Gomu no Whip!" he cried. His leg stretched out and slamming into Arlong's side, knocking the Fishman off balance.
Arlong growled, his grip tightening on the Kiribachi. "You're starting to annoy me."
He charged again, the Kiribachi slicing through the air. Luffy ducked and weaved, his agility keeping him just out of reach. With each missed swing, Arlong's frustration grew.
Seizing an opening, Luffy launched himself forward using Gomu Gomu no Bullet. His fist connected with Arlong's nose. A sickening crack echoed as the cartilage shattered, blood spurting from the Fishman's face.
Arlong roared in pain, dropping the Kiribachi, as he clutched his broken nose. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
He lunged at Luffy, jaws wide open. Before Luffy could react, Arlong bit down on his shoulder. His sharp teeth piercing flesh. Luffy screamed in pain. Blood dripprd from the wound.
With a surge of strength, Luffy punched Arlong in the side, forcing him to release his grip. Arlong kicked Luffy into the giant building, before he stumbled back, bloodied and bruised.
Arlong snarled, his eyes wild, as he grabbed Kiribachi again and followed Luffy into the building.
Inside the tower, Arlong found Luffy in a room filled with maps and navigation tools. Charts covered the walls and a large desk sat in the center, littered with compasses and rulers. Visibale bloodstains covered parts of the table and a chain.
"This is where Nami worked," Arlong said, a cruel smile on his face. "She is my most valuable asset."
Luffy looked around, his eyes narrowing. He saw the bloodstains on the desk, the worn-out pens, the shackles on the wall. This wasn't just a workspace, it was a prison.
"You used her," Luffy said, his voice low and filled with anger. "You forced her to do this."
Arlong laughed. "She was mine to use as I pleased."
Luffy's fists trembled. He grabbed the desk and hurled it across the room, smashing it into pieces. He tore the maps from the walls, crumpling them in his hands.
"This ends now!" he shouted.
Arlong roared and jumped at Luffy with his Shark Darts move, but the Straw Hat captain was ready. He leaped into the air, his leg stretching high above him even shattering the ceiling and stretching beyond.
"Gomu Gomu no Axe!" he cried, bringing his foot down with tremendous force. The blow struck Arlong, driving him through the floor. The tower crumbled around them, debris falling in all directions.
As the dust settled, Luffy stood amidst the rubble, breathing heavily. Arlong lay unconscious beneath the wreckage, defeated.
Outside, the villagers and the remaining Straw Hats watched in awe, as the tower collapsed. Nami clutched the brim of Luffy's straw hat, tears streaming down her face.
"He did it," she whispered. "He really did it."
The dust of battle still hung in the air heavy and smoky, as the battered ruins of Arlong Park stood in stunned silence. The massive stone tower lay in rubble, the symbols of tyranny now broken and scattered across the courtyard.
Standing at the center of the wreckage, Luffy, bruised and bloodied, clenched his fists and shouted with all the fire in his soul.
"Nami is my comrade!" he bellowed, voice echoing across the battlefield. "We're going to sea together!"
The words cut through the silence like thunder.
From the sidelines, Nami fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. For so long, she had carried the weight alone. She fought. She stole. She suffered. She did everything to save her village. Now, someone had finally freed her. Declared to the world, where she really belonged.
"Luffy…" she sobbed, pressing the straw hat close to her chest. Her shoulders shook not from fear anymore, but from the joy of being saved. Of being seen. Of no longer being alone.
The villagers watched, dumbstruck, before cries of happiness erupted among them. For the first time in years, their fear turned into laughter, their despair into tears of relief.
Cassandra stood tall among the crumbled remains of the coral fortress, Kiribachi shattered underfoot. This piece of garbage was beneath her. She casually walked to where Arlong's body lay slumped in the rubble, barely conscious after the devastating final blow.
Without a word, she grabbed the massive Fishman by the arm and dragged him across the wreckage. His blood left a trail on the cracked stone. The villagers parted as she walked, silent in awe.
She threw his broken form to the ground in front of Nami.
"He's yours," Cassandra said, unsheathing Shigure from her side. "You've earned the right."
She held it out to her.
Nami stared at Arlong, breathing hard. Her hand reached out… trembling. Then she stopped. The rage that once consumed her, the hatred that defined her for so many years, it flickered. Her fingers slowly closed around the hilt… then let go.
"No," she whispered. "I'm done letting him control me. I don't need to kill him to be free."
Cassandra didn't look disappointed. She smiled and nodded, returning the blade to its sheath.
"Then maybe someone else should do the honors," she said, turning to the crowd.
She faced the villagers, eyes gleaming like steel. "He took your homes. Your families. Your freedom. You can start rebuilding right here, right now with justice."
There was a silence. Then, the grizzled voice of Genzo rang out from the crowd.
"Move aside."
The old sheriff stepped forward, eyes full of tears and fury. He held no fancy sword, just an old pistol he managed to hide and the weight of ten years of pain.
"For Bellemere. For everyone."
He aimed the pistol directly at Arlong's skull.
Arlong opened one eye. For the first time, there was fear behind those shark-like pupils.
"You humans—"
Bang.
The shot echoed across the island.
Arlong's head snapped back and his body slumped for the final time.
The villagers surged forward like a tide, howling with fury and vengeance. The remaining Fishmen were injured, weak and defenseless. They were dragged from the rubble. Some begged for mercy, others snarled defiantly.
Cassandra turned her back. She didn't need to watch. These people had earned their moment.
Only one managed to escape in the chaos.
Hatchan, bloodied and scorched from Cassandra's blade, limped toward the water. His six arms dragged him through the ruins. He cast one last look at the carnage, then dove beneath the waves vanishing into the ocean's embrace.
"Do you think it is necessary to kill them all?" Luffy who is not used to see this kind of bloodshet asked Cassandra a bit confused.
Sanji, Nami and Nojiko looked at Cassandra with curious eyes.
"Normally no. If you want to let your enemies live, that is your choice, but you have to consider the people you leave behind. What if the enemies return after you left and take revenge on the villagers? They would be slaughtered or worse."
This answer gave Luffy alot to think about, but for now he grinned and said: "I think, that I don't want to kill."
Sanji, Nami, Nojiko and Cassandra just smiled at the still naive but good hearted captain.
Minutes later, silence returned.
Smoke still rose from broken walls. Blood stained the coral stones, but the tyrants were gone.
The villagers, exhausted but elated, slowly made their way back to the village.
The sun began to set over Cocoyashi Village, casting a warm orange glow over the broken remains of Arlong Park. The smell of salt, smoke and scorched fishmen still lingered in the air, but the oppressive weight that had crushed the island for years had finally lifted.
The villagers returned with the Straw Hats, dragging tables and benches out into the main square. A feast was hastily thrown together, using what supplies had survived the destruction. Sanji, now clearly proud to be the Straw Hat cook, took immediate charge of the grill, barking out instructions while flipping fish, steaks, searing vegetables and flambéing everything with the flair of a professional chef.
"You, old man! Pass me that garlic! No, not that one. Do you even know what garlic looks like?!"
Cassandra lounged near the edge of the square, arms crossed and legs stretched out on a barrel. She sipped from a mug of ale, letting the warmth settle into her body as the villagers danced and sang.
Children ran around waving wooden swords, mimicking the fight they had witnessed that morning. Genzo, his face still grimy from battle, sat near the firelight speaking quietly with Nami.
"You did it," he said, voice heavy with emotion. "You really did it."
"No," Nami said softly, shaking her head. "Luffy did. Cassandra did. Sanji… all of them. I just held on long enough."
Genzo reached out and squeezed her hand gently. "Your mother would be proud, you know."
Nami's breath caught. Her eyes filled again, but this time with something softer.
"She died because of me," she whispered.
"She died because she loved you," Genzo said. "And because she believed you were strong enough to live."
Nami leaned against him, burying her face in his shoulder. "I hope I never let her down."
Cassandra was looking at the scene with a smirk on her facen, when Sanji set a platter of food down beside her. "Here Cassandra-chan. I made this especially for you."
Seeing Sanjis simp behaviour was still strange for Cassandra, but even stranger was his unexpected moodswing to beeing serious.
"Too sentimental for your taste?" he asked.
"I'm not heartless," Cassandra said, smirking. "I just prefer watching other people cry over doing it myself."
Sanji chuckled. "Yeah, well, I think you've earned a break from being the scary sword lady for one night."
"Oh, don't worry," she said, leaning toward him. "I'm still scary. Just better fed now."
Luffy, meanwhile, was already asleep with meat in both hands, snoring loudly under the table like a baby.
The stars had just begun to come out when Nami and Nojiko went to what was left of their home. Namis left arm was now in bandages. The ugly tattoo of the Arlong Pirates gone. Now her iconic windmill tattoo with tangerines adorns her arm and shoulder.
Both looked at the burned trees and the broken craits.
"I am sorry it ended like this." Nami said. She would have cried, but for today she was all out of tears.
"Not your fault. I am so happy this nightmare is over." Nojiko shook her head reassuring Nami that everything was alright.
"Will you go with them?" Nojiko asked.
"Yes. I really want to go to sea with them." Nami blushed a bit, admitting her feelings to her sister.
Seeing Nami like this, Nojiko said determined: "I will come with you."
Namis looked at her in utter confusion.
The next day.
Nojiko stood on the pier, a large sack slung over one shoulder and a potted tangerine tree sabling in each hand.
"I'm coming too," she said, without hesitation. "The farm is gone. Nami is all I have left. I want to stay with her."
Nami stood at the pier still processing last nights decision. "Nojiko…"
"You need someone to keep you grounded," Nojiko said simply. "And maybe to smack you when you steal too much."
Cassandra stood up and walked over to her, one eyebrow raised. "You sure about this? Life at sea isn't as fun as it looks."
"I've lived under tyranny for years. I'm not scared of some waves."
Cassandra grinned and clapped her hand firmly on Nojiko's shoulder. "Then welcome aboard."
Then, without warning, she cupped Nojiko's ample chest with both hands and gave a gleeful squeeze.
"A fine addition to the crew, in more ways than one," Cassandra teased.
Nojiko shrieked. "Hey!"
"What the hell, Cassandra?!" Nami shouted, storming over.
Cassandra grinned wider. "You're just jealous I didn't grope you in a while."
"Like hell I am!" Nami snarled.
"Let me fix that then—"
Before she could move, Nami smacked her across the face with her fist. "Hands off, pervert!"
Everyone roared with laughter. Even Genzo cracked a smile.
"C'mon, it's a compliment!" Cassandra shouted as she ducked the next swing. "This crew needs curves and chaos!"
Sanji just sighed, watching the chaos with fond exasperation and jeleaousy burning in his heart. "I pity any navy ship that crosses us."
When the time for departure came Nami stood at the village edge with a bag of gold in her hand.
"I stole for all of you," she said to the gathered villagers. "This gold is for all of you to rebuild."
The villagers said nothing, just looking at her with a mix of awe and affection.
She placed the bag in front of Genzo.
"I'm giving this to you. But I'm also taking these."
With an innocent whistle, she walked away dragging a pair of bulging coin sacks clearly stolen from the villagers pockets.
"Hey!" someone shouted.
"Just a loan!" she yelled. "I'll pay it back. Someday!"
"You little thief!" Genzo hollered, but he was laughing now, then his face grew dead serious looking at Luffy.
"If you make my girls cry, I will come for you Straw Hat!"
Luffy´s face was serious for once and he said: "I will protect them both!"
The Straw Hats gathered on the deck of the Going Merry.
"This," Nami said, "is a new chapter."
Cassandra stood at the bow, one leg on the railing.
"So," she said. "Loguetown next?"
Luffy grinned from the helm, his hat tilted low. "Let's go see the town where the Pirate King died!"
With the wind in their sails and the sun on their backs, the crew sailed away from Cocoyashi.
Together.