Straw Hat Luffy: The Black Fist

Chapter 36: Dawn

AN:

Hey there

This is definitely the biggest chapter I've posted and I really enjoyed writing it. It was a fun one. I debated on splitting it into two separate chapters but eventually decided that I liked the way it was and I hope you guys do too!

Thanks for all the love and support and keep the comments rolling in, you know I love reading them!

Update: Saw some comments that resonated with me so I made some small changes and it feels a little bit better to me now, so thanks for the feedback! I might be making some other changes as I continue to work on the next chapter so this is just a little heads up!

Without further ado, Chapter 36!

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Chapter 36: Dawn

Luffy poked at the three unconscious forms lying next to his chair in boredom.

"Where the heck is this guy?!", the boy moaned. He'd been waiting for what felt like forever... He had nothing else to do so he'd dragged the unconscious bodies of his defeated opponents over to his seat to give himself something to pass the time with... What?... He'd never seen a fishman before, and they looked weird!...

Luffy removed his finger from the octopus fishman's forehead with a curious glance. It was a really strange place for a tattoo but, besides that, he really liked it! He thought the sun design was way cool and it kind of made him want one of his own... Maybe he'd get one if he ever got the chance.

The pirate captain shrugged and turned to poke at the other two unconscious figures at his feet, his hand practically vibrating as he reached toward Kuroobi. The anticipation was killing him... Just as the tips of his fingers went to pinch one of the strange fins on the back of the fishman's elbows, a loud rumble coming from the port stopped him and his eyes shifted in its direction.

A massive sea monster suddenly burst through the water and Luffy couldn't help but think he'd seen it somewhere before... However, before he could begin to think on it, his vision was drawn to the figure who looked to be riding the beast, his heart seeming to skip a beat as his navigator's words drifted through his head.

"Who, Nami?", the pirate captain asked again, rain dripping from the brim of his straw hat.

The orange-haired girl took a deep breath. Trust... That was what it came down to. She had to trust in him... Because... He was her friend... And friends trusted in each other. It was just like she'd said back then... "Arlong.", she finally answered with a small sigh, "Really long, jagged nose... You can't miss him...".

"What the hell's going on here?", Arlong spat, jumping down from Momoo's head. His feet slammed into the concrete and his eyes peeled into a glare, his angered gaze shifting through the wreck that was his park.

The fishman growled to himself, the anger in his chest beginning to rise... What the hell had happened?... He'd gone out to go find Momoo because the damn beast wouldn't respond to his calls and it had taken far longer than expected... He resisted the urge to turn and glare at the creature. He'd been so frightened by something that he'd just kept swimming away, no matter what he did to try and calm the beast... He shook his head in irritation, his gaze continuing to sweep through the park.

"You Arlog?", Luffy questioned with a frown, his loud voice carrying through the pouring rain as he stood from the broken throne he sat on... The name still didn't sound right...

Arlong turned toward the voice and what met his sight made the fire in his chest ignite, his whole body tensing in rage. "Who the hell are you?", he seethed, eyeing the three unconscious forms of his crew members resting at the human's feet... It had to have been him that destroyed his park... The thought made his fists clench, his eyes still glued to the bodies surrounding the boy... How had this brat managed to overpower three fishmen by himself?...