One Piece pirates salty life

A slender half-moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale silver light over Kokoasi Village. The air was still, yet filled with an unspoken excitement — a sense of freedom newly earned.

News had spread swiftly through the surrounding villages. The tyrannical reign of Arlong and his gang had finally come to an end. The villagers of Kokoasi had sent word far and wide: the fish-men menace was defeated.

At Arlong Paradise, all the surviving fish-men were bound tightly and handed over to the newly arrived Marines. Fortunately, unlike the ruthless and corrupt Colonel Mouse, the new Marine officers seemed far more trustworthy. The black sheep of the Marine forces were absent here tonight.

Curiously, the cute manatee and the octopus Hachi, who had been mercilessly dismembered by Zoro during the fight, were nowhere to be found. Originally, they had planned to include the manatee meat in tonight's celebratory banquet. After all, Leo — Nami's steadfast companion — had insisted that manatee meat was delicious. But in the wake of their victory and liberation, these details seemed trivial. What mattered was freedom.

The villagers had gathered every morsel of food left in Arlong Paradise, carrying it all back to the town square. There, under the gentle glow of the moon and the flickering light of torches, they began a grand feast.

"Let's sort out the rest after sunrise," someone said, voice filled with exhaustion and relief. "For now, let's celebrate. Everyone here is family. No one will steal from each other."

Years of enduring humiliation, pain, and oppression finally melted away beneath the joyful noise. The grand banquet became a night of uninhibited laughter and tears. Men, women, and children who had hidden their true feelings for so long were now free to express everything — crying and laughing like madmen.

Zoro sat quietly with a large glass of wine in his hand, opposite Sanji, who was smoking a cigarette after the feast, his face flushed from food and drink.

"Burp~ I'm so full," Sanji sighed, pretending to be cool but clearly satisfied. "Sometimes it's nice to eat until you just don't want to move."

Zoro smirked, though he wiped a drop of sweat from his brow. "Hey, Sanji…"

Just then, Luffy approached, a huge piece of meat clutched in his mouth, and several more giant slabs of barbecue in his hands.

"What was on that cantaloupe we had earlier?" Luffy asked vaguely, chewing as he spoke. His eyes gleamed with curiosity and hunger.

Zoro stared in disbelief at the three enormous pieces of meat in Luffy's grasp. "How can you eat so much? Your hands are full of meat!"

But Luffy paid no attention, eyes fixed on Sanji.

"Uh, that was prosciutto cantaloupe," Sanji replied casually, his voice almost lazy. "Like the name says, it's cantaloupe topped with prosciutto."

"Raw ham and cantaloupe?" Luffy's mouth hung open in amazement. "Where did you get it?"

Sanji shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows? The whole village is having a buffet. I don't even know where it came from."

Luffy's eyes lit up. "I'm going to find more!"

Without waiting for a reply, he dashed off, leaving Zoro to quietly sip his wine.

Meanwhile, Sanji, feeling full but playful, hurried toward the group of beautiful village girls, loudly proclaiming he was ready to go out and have fun. Pink hearts seemed to float around him, his usual charm on full display.

---

Nearby, Usopp stood atop a makeshift stage, holding a paper tube fashioned into a loudspeaker. He belted out an off-key song with pride, proclaiming himself "Captain Usopp, the slayer of the fish-man leader."

The villagers below, already caught up in the night's jubilations, cheered him on enthusiastically.

"Captain Usopp! Sign my arm!"

Even though Usopp's singing was rough and scratchy, Nami and her companions felt moved. In this moment, his voice — no matter how imperfect — sounded like the sweetest melody, a celebration of their hard-won freedom.

---

Away from the festivities, under the ghostly moonlight, Ajian stood quietly in front of Bell-mère's grave. His fingers gripped a bottle of fine wine, which he poured solemnly over the stone cross, an offering to the woman who had cared for Nami.

"Ahem, excuse me," came a soft voice from behind.

Ajian turned, slightly startled. There stood Leo, his figure wrapped in the moonlight like a mysterious white veil. Elegant as always, he exuded calm and grace.

"You're Nami's partner, right? What brings you here?" Ajian asked, puzzled.

Leo's companions should have been celebrating in town. Why come to the graveyard at such an hour?

Leo extended his left hand, revealing a tattered doll, battered but oddly enchanting. It seemed pieced together from white cloth scraps, with two mismatched buttons sewn on as eyes and a crooked stitched mouth. There were faint stains of red — perhaps from the maker's blood.

"Take this," Leo said quietly. "I don't want anything to go wrong in Nami's hometown after we set sail."

Ajian frowned, unsure what to make of the doll. "What is this?"

"Ever heard of magic?" Leo smiled knowingly.

"This is a legendary magic doll. It took me a lot of effort to make."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"If trouble ever arises in the village, just take it out and throw it on the ground."

Ajian's expression darkened as he studied the strange doll in his hand. The blood stains unnerved him. His eyes flicked to Leo's fingers.

"What are you looking at? Don't tell me you don't believe me," Leo snapped with a hint of annoyance.

Just then, a violent bolt of lightning struck the sea nearby. Fish floated belly-up, an ominous sign that sent a shiver down Ajian's spine.

"Why are you so sensitive? I didn't say anything," Leo said, folding his arms with an innocent grin.

He then pulled out a box from his coat. "Here, one hundred million Baileys. Use it to rebuild the town. This is what Nami wanted."

Ajian blinked in surprise.

"I took the money she saved over the years — you know, the funds she 'borrowed' secretly. Still, it holds commemorative value."

Without waiting for a response, Leo dropped the box and disappeared into the shadows, vanishing as swiftly as he had come.

Ajian was left confused, joined moments later by Ken and a slow-moving Luffy, who was still hunting for more meat to devour.

---

Back at the ruins of Arlong Paradise, Nami searched anxiously, her slender frame tense and alert. Suddenly, a figure materialized behind her — a shadow in a suit jacket — as silent as the night.

Leo's hand touched her shoulder gently but without a sound.

"Ha!"

Nami jumped, nearly dropping the wooden stick she carried. She spun around, eyes wide, holding the stick defensively.

"Ahhh! Leo, you scared me to death!" she gasped, her voice a mixture of fear and anger. "Don't you know scaring someone could kill them?"

She glared at the ever-elegant, ever-annoying man before her, who simply smiled and shrugged.

"You seem quite alert," Leo teased. "By the way, what are you looking for?"

Nami's eyes darted nervously around, avoiding his gaze.

"It can't be the box with the hundred million Baileys, right?"

Leo's brow arched in mock suspicion.

"Cough cough! What are you talking about! I was just… just looking for the sea chart! That's it!" Nami stammered, clearly flustered.

"Oh~ So you're here hunting for the sea chart. I came to invite you to the party."

"If you're busy, take your time looking for it," Leo said, voice light and teasing.

He turned to walk back toward the town, casting a sly glance over his shoulder.

"Leo! You're so annoying!" Nami called after him, stomping her foot.

"Wait for me!"

She hurried after him, knowing full well he was teasing her — and guessing that the box was already hidden safely out of sight.

---

The carnival roared on in the town, filled with laughter, music, and the bright sparkle of hope. The people of Kokoasi Village were free at last, celebrating their liberation with everything they had.

For Nami and her companions, the dawn would bring new adventures — but tonight, the only thing that mattered was the joy of freedom and the bonds forged through struggle.

Øóffer going on for diamond tier

pàtreøn (Gk31)