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Chapter 24– New Living Arrangements.
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"Oi, Detoro. How much longer will this building take? We have things that need to be done." I look up from the plans I was going over, turning around to see Arlong walking over, his face smiling as he approaches, but his snarly grin frightens the other people around, who quickly scurried out of the way. The workers don't even look at the man, the fish man, as he approaches me, and I notice the men around me quickly finding something urgent to do elsewhere.
You would think after all this time working here without once being shouted at or accosted by any of the fishmen, they would have cooled down by now, but they haven't. In fact, they are even more twitchy and frightened than they would otherwise be, being in such close proximity to their terrorisers. Thankfully no accidents or anything has happened over the last few weeks since we began, which is how it should be since that is what I demanded.
"It will be done when it gets done. No faster, no slower. Now, did you want something else?" I say, turning back around to continue working on the plan for the future Arlong Park. How I hate that name. If I could, I would love to do a shoddy job and fuck it all up so it collapses on them all one day, but apparently, they are taking Nami after it is built, so I can't do that. And also, to be honest, I refuse to make something half backed without proper effort. I might be a shoddy self-taught craftsman, but I still have my pride, and everything I make, no matter the purpose, will always be to the best of my ability. To do anything less would be shameful.
"Come on, Detoro. I have given you everything you asked for, but me and my men are getting tired of not having a place to call home. So hurry it up, kid." He puts his big blue-clawed hand on my head and... starts to ruffle my hair. Immediately I was incensed, not only because of him ruffling my hair like we got along but because of him calling me kid, just like Garp called me it. I don't know what the fuck is going on in this fuckers head, but I know I don't like it.
After that day at Nami's, I have been staying with her and Nojiko at that house, with Genzo coming to check in every day. With Nami and me being in the same sort of situation, she feels like we should stick together, and Nojiko is a lovely girl that feels the same. It was only the next day that Arlong came and ordered for me to start work on Arlong Park, and Nami ushered me to go along with it, telling me to wait until the Marines undoubtedly arrived.
I went along with it because there was a good chance of the marines coming, and I myself am not strong enough to beat them yet, at least not according to the fight I had with Arlong. So far, I have seen both the best and the worst of the marines, if Garp can even be called the best. So the middle ground should at least be someone capable, and right now, I am holding out for them to come. Nezumi isn't the only marine captain around these parts, after all.
So I got to work, beginning with the planning, and after getting the frame of the scope of just what Arlong wanted, I gathered all the builders and workers on the island and got them working on it. Everybody had already paid for the one month, and so I told Arlong that I would only do this if I were in charge without interference if he bought all the materials and if he waived all the workers and their family's payments for the next month's. Surprisingly he agreed, which I did not expect, and then, even more weirdly, he started acting all pally with me and mostly giving me the things I asked for.
And so I have been working on this stupid project for the last few weeks, which infuriated me enough, but to add on top of that, Arlong has been acting all buddy-buddy with me while the other fishmen have all been keeping their distance like I have the plague. Two extremes that have seriously concerned me, though I don't have time to worry over that.
"Do you want this done fast, or do you want this done right? Because if it is the latter, then you will stop crowding us and let us work. These men find it hard to function properly when you and your crew are around." So I tell him, still looking down at the plans, but I am hardly focusing on them. I can't, not when this fucker is behind me acting all friendly, and the weird thing is, I think he actually is trying to be.
"Shahaha! But not you, right Detoro? You aren't like the rest of these weak humans, are you?" Arlong laughs, good-naturedly patting me on the shoulder. At least from his perspective, he feels like he is giving me a compliment and praising me, but from where I am sitting, he is taking the piss out of me and mocking me. But, I have experienced much the same over the last few weeks, so I ignore it with familiarity, not ease, because it is anything but easy for me to restrain myself.
"Whatever. Now can you go? We have work to do and don't come back until we are done, you or your men. We will get stuff done faster without you looming over us." I say, turning around to look him straight in the eyes, showing I am not messing around. In turn, the jovial look- I think that was the look he had, it's hard to tell with all the sharp teeth- on his face turns into a hard stare, no longer so nice.
"How long." No more niceness in his tone, but no anger or anything either. His voice is level, calm and, most importantly, serious. He expects an answer, and no matter how lenient and hospitable he is, he demands results. I don't know what this dude's game is, what he wants here on this little island while bleeding us for all we have, and frankly, I don't care. All I care about is the end of his continued existence, whether that be tonight or two years down the road, as long as it happens. An idiot can only wait a single day for revenge, but a strong man can wait ten years.
"A month. Month and a half. Definitely no longer than two months. It is hard to give an exact time frame since there is a lot to account for, but two months is what we are aiming for. most of our time is going to be focused on reshaping the land and giving you that water entrance you want, big enough for the sea cow of yours." And wasn't that a surprise, discovering a massive fucking seaking was under their control. Just thinking about it gives me shivers, especially after that time when I was drowning, and there were hundreds of the bastards coming to eat me and would have if Garp didn't save me.
If there were one reason other than Nami that would keep me from attacking these fishmen, then it would be this fucking big seaking. Momoo. It is a cute name for the big fish, and I guess it fits as it is primarily white with patches of green, and its face looks like a cow with horns and even a bull ring. So it could be a seabull. Either way, it is big with the power to match its stature. I have seen it in action. And more worrying than that, it is very scarred of Arlong and follows his every order.
"Good. It better be. I am being very magnanimous and generous right now, but don't take my lenience for weakness. If it isn't finished, then that waiver of fees will no longer be in effect, and Momoo has been hungry lately." He says, utterly serious. If there were one thing that would be an effective threat to the people on this island, then it would be Momoo. So Arlong gathered all the islanders and had them witness Momoo rise out of the sea and terrorise a patch of woodland, completely destroying the area. But, of course, everybody wants to survive, and so they will work as hard as possible to avoid such a fate.
"It will be done, don't worry," I assure him with a nod of my head, not backing down. I might have to follow his orders and work for him, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it, and I am not going to make it a smooth ride for him, either.
"Shahaha. Good, don't forget this isn't just for us. You and Nami will be living here as well. You are building your new home." He says, irking me again. Damn bastard, destroying my home and then making me build on top of it, and then even going as far as to say it will be my home too. As if. He destroyed my home. I don't have one anymore. But Arlong has a home as well, his crew. I can tell he cares for each and every one of them, truly cares, which I find hard to believe given how vicious the man is. I wonder if he would be as distraught as I was if I were to take his home from him.
"I don't understand. You only needed me to build this house. Why would you want me to stay here? Haven't I served my purpose after Arlong Park is finished?" Seriously, I hate this man. He knows I hate him. And yet he wants me close to him. He gives me nearly all the things I request and even wants me to live with him after the park is built. Why? What does he want from me?
"Shahaha! Don't sell yourself short, Detoro. You have a lot to offer, more than you know. Be sure to keep me updated. You wouldn't want me jumping to conclusions, would you? Shahahah!" Laughing and leaving me with those ominous words, he turns around and moves back towards the village. More than that, he has left me with confusion because I still don't know what he wants from me. Just what is it that I have to offer?
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"Ah, Detoro. Your back. Just wait; dinner will be ready in ten minutes. There is hot water as well, and the shower is clean, so you can go clean up. I am sure you have had a long tiring day." The voice of an angel calls out as soon as I step inside of the house, and like a breath of fresh air, I can feel my frustration throughout the day settle, at least until tomorrow.
"Ah, Nojiko-Chan. Thank you, you genuinely are a blessing in these dark days." I say to the blue-haired girl, who turns from where she was working over a stove to wave a ladle at me in greeting, sporting a happy smile. I wasn't lying when I said I felt blessed. Well, maybe that is an exaggeration, but even so, in recent times, this girl has lightened my spirits.
Nojiko is Nami's older sister, twelve years old, the same age as me. She wears some red sandals as some incredibly light blue going on teal jean overalls that come up over her shoulders, under which she wears a dark blue shirt. Her face is good-looking, which is as much information as I can give at this point in time as she is just twelve, even if that is the same age as me. On her forehead, she wears a dark red headband with a white design on it. The headband serves to hold back the waves of her blue hair though a lock manages to make it over the barricade and flows down the side of her face.
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Smiling and waving back, I quickly move up the stairs, leaving my dirty shoes near the front door, knowing that I would find them clean and shiny tomorrow morning. Nojiko was just that nice. In this time when I have lost my home, where I have lost my friend and have basically had my freedom taken from me, this girl has welcomed me into her home with no ulterior motives or ambition, purely just to help me.
Or maybe to help her sister as she wanted me to stay with them. I guess Nami is just as kind, but with the power she holds over me I just can't bring myself to see her in such a light because if I do, I might let down my guard, which would come back to bite me in the future. Nami wanted me to stay with them. In fact, she pretty much demanded it, and I had to oblige.
Nojiko agreed after hearing about my circumstances, but obviously, Genzo had a problem with it. A young boy living with two other girls, even without puberty in the picture, the man felt like their father, so obviously, he would have a problem with it. There was nothing he could do about it, though, as Nojiko had already said yes, and Nami was vehemently fighting for it, refusing to let me live elsewhere. Genzo now comes in to check several times a day. Paranoid man, what the hell am I going to do? I am not old enough for anything like that yet.
Having gone up and finished my shower quickly, changing into some clothes that Genzo thankfully brought over for me, I come down to find Nami walking through the door. As opposed to the other days when she would come home nearly in tears, the calluses on her fingers from hours of drawing stinging, she actually has a happy smile on her face. Confused since this is a far cry from how she usually is on a daily basis, I quickly rush down the stairs, and Nami seeing me come down, has excitement rise on her face and opens her mouth.
"Guys, come to the dinner table. Dinner is ready. Make sure you wash your hands first. I am talking to you, Nami!" Nojiko shouts from the kitchen, keeping Nami from telling me whatever had brightened up her mood and making her smile sheepishly. She quickly takes both her sandals off with her feet and leaves them thrown near the door before rushing off to go wash her hands.
I quickly follow behind her into the kitchen, finding Nojiko setting down the plates for dinner and Nami climbing up onto the stool in front of the sink to wash her hands. Not needing to, as I had just had a shower, I quickly moved to take my place, sitting at one of the three chairs around the round table, feeling a bit bad when I noticed Noriko twitch a bit as I took my seat. She does so every time, as does Nami sometimes, and rightfully so since it used to be the two of them and Bellemere, but now I am taking her place. Ignoring that, I calmly sit down and smile at Nojiko, who smiles back in turn and takes her seat as we wait for Nami to come to join us.
"How are the tangerines, Nojiko-Chan? I can help you collect them all if you need me to." I say to fill the silence as we wait to start dinner. You can't just start eating what is in front of you straight away. More than filling your gut, this is about eating together and taking comfort in each other's presence. That is at least for these two girls. As for me, well, I don't hate it.
"It is fine, Detoro-Kun. The trees are small, so I can pick the tangerines just fine. Plus, you and Nami are dealing with a lot. So the least I can do is make things easy for you when you get back here." She whispers quietly so that Nami doesn't hear, smiling brightly at me, though I can't bring myself to do more than a little quirk of the lips. After all, it is not just me and Nami going through a hard time, but Nojiko as well. But for the sake of her sister, she keeps on a smile for her to not add to her worries.
Nojiko is just as worried and troubled as the rest of us, even more, maybe. Her mother had died, her sister had basically been kidnapped and forced to work for the people that killed her, and she also had to live with this random boy as well. Even so, she doesn't let it show, she doesn't cry, and she doesn't complain. Instead, she holds it all at bay, stuffing it down and showing a smile for her sister. Speaking of, Nami has now cleaned her hands and is currently sitting at the table. With a quick thank you for the food, we start to eat, Nami getting stuffed in while Nojiko watches her, and I begin to eat as well.
"Gesh wah happen tuday! Ar virrajah manaed tuh caw da-" Nami excitedly begins while stuffing her face, unable to choose between conversation and food and deciding to do both, which of course, messes both up as not only is she speaking gibberish but Nami is sending bits of food out as she does. Nojiko, seeing this, takes action and pushes up Nami's chin, stopping her from talking.
"Don't talk with food in your mouth, Nami. Remember your manners, plus no one can make sense of what you are saying if you are trying to use your mouth for two different things." Nojiko lectures drawing an irritated look from Nami, though I can tell it isn't a negative thing, more of an exasperated sister thing. Of course, doing the proper thing expected of someone in Nami's station, she plays the role of the annoying little sister, and instead of taking the advice properly, she takes it literally.
Ceasing her talking, Nami looks at Nojiko with her bulging cheeks full of food and then with a look of concentration, her cheeks deflate, and with a loud gulping sound, she swallows all of the food in her mouth. Then, as if in victory, she opens her mouth wide. Finally, she sticks her tongue out at Nojiko as if taunting her while showing that there is no longer any food in her mouth, drawing a quiet sigh from Nojiko that transforms into a tired smile when Nami looks away in victory.
"See, all gone. Now, guess what happened today?" She says a lot more clearly this time, and with some of the excitement bled out this time, she waits for us to guess. The joy on her face is palpable and nearly spreading to the rest of us, and her excitement is very much high, which is weird considering how dire the times are right now.
"Did Genzo-San get you some new books?" Nojiko asks, going along with the game but clearly not serious as books are far from being something that would make Nami happy now. The books she used to get and enjoy were all about navigation, and the skills she derived from them are all being abused and used by her mother's murderer. So, naturally, the only thing that she would get so excited and happy over at this time would be something that would be to the detriment of Arlong and his crew.
"Nope. Any more guesses?" Obviously, I have a few, and as Nojiko goes through the process and continues to give wrong answers, I contemplate about trying my hand. However, I decide to keep silent, not wanting to get too excited and say that one of the bastard fishmen fell over and got a rusty pitchfork through the eye, though I do wish it was something like that. But with me not offering any answers, I shake my head at Nami's question, and not long after, Nojiko does the same, prompting Nami to reveal it finally.
"One of the villagers from Chosa village said that he has managed to contact a marine branch. They said that support would be coming soon. Did you hear that, Detoro? It won't be long till the marines get here and kick Arlong's ass." She says excitedly. Nojiko quickly got infected and was just as happy about this. I, however, cannot bring myself to feel as excited about this as the girls are since, according to my knowledge, the closest marine base is the one that has Captain Nezumi in charge, and he is a weak coward.
Still, I am sure the knowledge that the pirates are fishmen should be told to the marines, and since they come from the Grand Line, then they should know they are ill-equipped to deal with them. Moreover, since the marines are a large organisation then, instead of sending the nearest weakest forces then, they could send stronger, more equipped marines to take down the fishmen. If there is one thing I am sure of, it is Captain Nezumi's cowardliness. Instead of coming himself, surely he would send for other more capable people to take care of it, especially after finding out that the pirates are fishmen.
"That is good. I can only hope that Garp is the one that comes. Then these bastards would be blown away." So I say, remembering the only good marine that I know. He might not be the sharpest tool in the box, but he is the most powerful, and primarily righteous, so I can only hope that he or someone like him comes to answer the call.
"What, Marine Hero Garp! Yes, if he could come, then we would be safe." Marine hero? Well, the guy is stupidly strong, though I don't know how that scales, having not seen much of the world. Still, I find it hard to believe that that barbaric man could be looked up to by anyone after having found out his actual personality.
I guess he must have done some crazy things with that idiot strength of his, and, well, it got spread by the newspapers, and they can't very well find out about how he is through that, can they? Kind of funny, now that I think about it, that most everybody in the world thinks he is an awe-inspiring, dashing hero when in actuality, he is a big silly brute that follows orders... sometimes follows orders.
"Just think, Detoro-Kun. This time next week, we could be free. Arlong will be locked away by the marines, and we could go back to.. how it used to be..." Nami starts before trailing off after mentioning going back to how it used to be, which is, of course, impossible because you can't bring back the dead. I can already see the emotion dwindling from Nami's face. Nojiko notices this as well and quickly begins to talk.
"Good. Arlong will be gone, and so will his crew. Hopefully locked away somewhere dark and cold until the day they die, where they will suffer until they do. And we will be here, living, happy and taking care of the tangerines." Nojiko says, doing her best to comfort Nami and keep her from thinking about it. She does her best, which is more than could be said for any other twelve-year-old. We are the same age, but obviously, I am a bit different than other people my age, but Nojiko herself is doing way more than is expected of her. It is a bit awe-inspiring how mature she is and how well she is handling this, though Nami doesn't seem to respond to her efforts.
"Alright, eat up, Nami. You need your strength for tomorrow, and you need to stay strong until the marines get here." Nojiko says, grabbing Nami's plate and moving it closer to her, encouraging her to eat. Nami, not saying anything, picks up the fork and continues to eat, but there is not much conversation after that.
Soon after, Nami, having finished her food, pushes her plate away from her and, without a word, quickly leaves and goes upstairs, presumably to her room. Nojiko silently sighs before going to stand up, moving her hand to Nami's plate. I quickly reach out and pick it up before she can, prompting her to look at me in question.
"I will wash up today, and I have finished eating anyway. But you have hardly touched your plate Nojiko, so eat up." I say, standing up and picking up my own plate as well before walking towards the sink. Nojiko stuttered behind me, trying to say something before finally speaking up as I reached the sink.
"Don't, Detoro-Kun. This is my job, you two are struggling every day, so the very least I can do is take care of everything else for you." Nojiko says though she doesn't get up from her seat, merely spinning around while still sitting to talk to me.
"Nojiko, I know these are hard times. And this is hard on you as well. You are struggling just as much as we are, even if you try not to let Nami see it. You are letting me live here, so the least I can do is help you out. I know trying to keep a brave face on might seem like a good idea, but you shouldn't keep all the burden for yourself. I will help you out. You are not alone in this." I say, turning on the tap and beginning to wash the plates. I hear some light sniffling behind me, but I don't turn around, and then I hear the sound of a fork tapping against a plate.
"T-Thank you, Detoro-Kun." I hear her say behind me, and I smile, knowing that I have helped her. It is a change of pace from always being angry and letting these rageful feeling stew inside my guts. This... this feels better.
I feel better.