MIDAS TOUCH

10

ARRIVING AT THE VILLAGE THE STRAW HAT PIRATES looked at the remains of the destruction caused by Arlong. "Arlong did all of this... Why?" Sanji asked as they looked at the village. "To punish the villagers and to punish me." Nami's voice cracked as she looked at the state of her home. Usopp, who had been trying to help put out the fires, grabbed a bucket of water and poured it over one of the fires as the villagers approached them.

"What's going on?" Nami asked them as they realized that the villagers stood in front of the crew. "Nijiko told us about the sacrifice you had to do for us." The town's sheriff looked at Nami with hope in his eyes. "We had no idea. Do you think you could ever forgive us?" He asked as Nami looked at him with relief in her eyes. "There's nothing to forgive, CoCo Village is and always will be my home."

"Then it's our turn to sacrifice. We are done with living in fear of them. We're gonna march down into Arlong park a-and if those fishmen want a fight–" Nami interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. "There isn't going to be a fight, it will be a massacre. You will all be killed." The worry was evident in Nami's voice.

"If there's no hope for us to buy our freedom then, I say we die trying for it." The sheriff said as the villagers supported him. "This is my fight." Nami said as she looked at all of them. "No. This is our fight." Luffy said as he gathered the attention of his crew and the villagers. "Right guys?"

"How are we going to beat Arlong?" Usopp asked with worry in his voice thinking about what had happened in Baratie. "We saw what he was capable of back at Baratie, at how easily he defeated us." Feeling a shiver run down her spine Delilah crossed her arms in front of her chest as Zoro spoke up. "Every creature has its weakness."

The straw hat pirates discussed their plan as Delilah directed the villagers to safety. "I know where the map is." Nami said as she returned. "That's good, okay Nami, Luffy and I will go straight to the map as Usopp, Zoro and Sanji will take care of the rest of the fishmen." Delilah suggested as the Zoro and Sanji gave her a pointed look.

"Okay, okay how about you four deal with Arlong's crew and Nami and I will get the map. Is that okay?" Luffy directed his question to Zoro and Sanji who nodded in agreement. "Usopp?" The said boy nodded eagerly as he grabbed his smoke bombs.

The six of them made their way to the door of Arlong Park as they heard one of the fishmen speak up. "Let's pick up the pace already! You know Arlong doesn't like to wait." He said as Luffy walked to the door and knocked on it.

"Always the gentleman, you are Luffy." The straw hat boy turned and winked at Delilah before he turned to the door and broke the door down. "Should've opened the door," Luffy said as Usopp threw one of his smoke bombs. The crew entered the park as the fishmen looked at the crew with narrowed eyes.

"Fishmen! Stand by to repel boarders!" The fishmen stood straighter as Delilah watched Luffy crack his knuckles ready to fight them. Zoro unshielded his sword as Sanji placed one of his feet behind him ready to use his feet for kicking. Nami twirled her staff as Usopp snapped his slingshot ready to shoot the fishmen.

Grabbing her hair pin Delilah grabbed an arrow from her quiver as she aimed at one of the fishmen feeling a smirk make its way up to her face as the fishmen looked at the crew and then back at each other. "Where do we find Arlong?" Luffy asked as Usopp threw one more of his smoke bombs trying to buy time for Luffy and Nami to find Arlong and the map. "He's probably in the map room already. We need to hurry just in case." Nami said as she and Luffy looked at the others before discretely leaving.

The fishmen scowled at the rest of the straw hat pirates as one of them ran towards Luffy. Seeing the action Zoro rushed to his captain's side as he slashed at the fishmen's legs just as Delilah shot an arrow in his back causing him to land on the ground with a grunt.