"A fine blade!" Hawkeye hadn't intended to pay Orochimaru any mind, convinced that East Blue lacked any worthy opponents. But when Orochimaru drew his sword, Hawkeye was taken aback. A Devil Fruit user? Upon closer inspection, he realized it was an exceptionally fine sword, a rare masterpiece. Could this mean Orochimaru was a skilled swordsman?
Orochimaru stood opposite Hawkeye, his expression grave. A blur of motion followed as the Kusanagi Sword clashed against the Black Blade with a sharp, ringing sound that echoed across the deck. The force of their impact rippled outward, the onlookers feeling the chilling aftershock.
Everyone gathered to watch the duel. Compared to Hawkeye's controlled precision, Orochimaru's swordsmanship was almost flamboyant. Yosaku helped Zoro back onto the Merry, where Luffy stood watching.
"Orochimaru knows swordsmanship?" Zoro asked.
Luffy scratched his head, shaking it before nodding. "I guess so. I know he has a sword, but I've never seen him use it." When they were training on the mountain, everyone mostly relied on hand-to-hand combat. Orochimaru often practiced alone with his blade, so Luffy rarely saw him with it.
Everyone watched in awe as Orochimaru battled Hawkeye, his swordsmanship a dazzling blend of ninjutsu and ninja tools. The fight was a blur of motion, and then, just as suddenly, both men disengaged. Orochimaru knew he couldn't defeat Hawkeye in his current state, and Hawkeye sensed that Orochimaru wasn't a pure swordsman, making further combat pointless. (A/N: In truth, the author couldn't write a proper fight scene. facepalm Please forgive this foolish author.)
To the onlookers, it seemed Orochimaru had actually held his own against Hawkeye, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. It was unbelievable!
Nami was stunned. "Luffy, where did you even find Orochimaru? How did someone this strong end up joining your pirate crew?"
The others were equally curious, but Luffy puffed out his chest indignantly. "Hey! I'm strong too! Didn't I tell you? Orochimaru's my younger brother!"
"Ehhh?! No way!" The crew stared back and forth between the two, utterly bewildered. 'This can't be true! (ﾟДﾟ)'
Back on the Merry, Orochimaru was greeted with a barrage of confused and even pitying glances.
Usopp sidled up to him. "Orochimaru... are you really Luffy's younger brother?"
Orochimaru fell silent, resisting the urge to strangle that escaped System again. He nodded anyway.
The Straw Hat Pirates were causing their usual ruckus, while Sanji leaned against the railing, smoking and watching them with a hint of envy.
Orochimaru nudged Luffy. "We're leaving soon. Aren't you going to invite your cook?"
Luffy asked Sanji again, but Sanji refused, still bound by his loyalty to Zeff. Zeff, along with the other chefs, stepped forward and declared Sanji fired, urging him to leave immediately.
Sanji stubbornly refused, declaring he'd die right there if he had to.
Orochimaru pondered for a moment, then a thought struck him—Sanji's so-called dream...
"Bunny-eared girl..." Orochimaru murmured.
Sanji's ears twitched. "I absolutely refuse."
"Mermaid princess..."
Sanji's cigarette fell from his lips, his eyes glazing over.
"I know about the Invisible Fruit."
Sanji whirled around sharply. "Captain Luffy, I'm at your service!"
The chefs at the Baratie Restaurant collectively facepalmed. 'Hopeless.'
Even with Krieg gone, Sanji's resolve had been shaken by witnessing Zoro and Hawkeye's battle. He'd felt guilty about leaving Zeff, the man who had raised him, but now... 'The Invisible Fruit is mine! Cough cough—just kidding!' Sanji still longed to find the All Blue.
Receiving Zeff's blessing, Sanji solemnly bowed goodbye to the Baratie and joined the Straw Hat Pirates.
On the Merry, the crew gathered in a circle.
"Should we charge straight in, or should we charge straight in?" They rubbed their hands together eagerly, especially Usopp. Orochimaru found this odd; it wasn't like Usopp at all. Then it dawned on him: Usopp must feel invincible with him around.
"I won't interfere in your fight with Arlong," Orochimaru announced. "This is your battle. I'll only step in if absolutely necessary. Otherwise, it'll hinder your growth."
With that, he grabbed Zoro by the collar and dragged him back to the cabin to properly treat his wounds. The earlier first aid had only been a quick fix; now he needed to address the deeper injuries to prevent lasting damage.
Watching Orochimaru leave, Usopp collapsed to the deck. "Ah... Captain... My 'can't go ashore' disease is acting up again!"
Having objectively analyzed the situation in Cocoyasi Village, Nami suddenly had an epiphany. She no longer believed Arlong would keep his promise. Would he really spare the village just for money? Nami decided to try and trick him.
"We'll do this... and then that..." Nami muttered, a sinister grin spreading across her face. The others felt like they were witnessing Orochimaru's second coming. Only Sanji, oblivious to the tension, stood there like a fool, shouting, "Even when Nami-chan is bad, she's so cute!"
Thanks to Orochimaru, no one went hungry even after Luffy devoured all the food. After defeating Momoo, they successfully landed in Cocoyasi Village and met Nami's older sister, Nojiko.
They arrived at the Orange Grove, where Nami led them to the hidden stash of money.
As they stared at the blood-stained, scattered coins, Nojiko couldn't help but cover her mouth and sob quietly. The others looked grim. Sanji's hand trembled as he lit a cigarette, while Usopp, having overcome his fear, gazed ahead with unwavering determination.
"Hey... guys... don't look so down," Nami said, forcing a smile. "It's all in the past now, right? We're going to beat Arlong together, aren't we?" Despite knowing Orochimaru had their backs, the shadow of years of terror still clung to her.
Taking a deep breath, the group pooled all their money into a chest, which Orochimaru secured. They then filled it with absurd IOUs, spending the entire night writing ridiculous reasons for owing money, before resealing the lid.
'Alright, it's Nami's turn to act.'
Back at Arlong's headquarters, Nami stood before him. "Our deal for one hundred million Berry still stands, right?"
"Ahahaha... Of course, my navigator! Pay up tomorrow, and I'll spare Cocoyasi Village."
Nami turned away, her fists clenched.
As expected, shortly after Nami's return, Captain Nezumi landed with his Marines, claiming they were confiscating stolen funds—and blurting out the sum of one hundred million Berry.
"How did you know it was exactly one hundred million?" Nami demanded, her anger boiling over despite her suspicions about Arlong's betrayal.
When the Marines dug up the Orange Grove, they found nothing but the box filled with absurd IOUs.
"Marines, are you here to help me repay my debt?" Nami asked with forced politeness, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How very kind of you!"
Furious, Captain Nezumi ordered the search to continue. The Orange Grove was left in shambles, the house's contents smashed to pieces. Orochimaru, meanwhile, found the perfect angle to photograph the devastation.
As soon as the Marines left, Nami seized the opportunity to confront Arlong.
If she hadn't met Luffy, her money would have been stolen for good. The thought filled her with despair, and she stormed toward Arlong, her face twisted with fury.
"The Marines you secretly colluded with just tried to steal my money!" Nami grabbed Arlong by the collar, roaring, "You swore you'd die before breaking our deal about the money! Why?!"
"When did I break our deal?" Arlong didn't even flinch.
"Don't play dumb! You're working with the Marines!"
Arlong hoisted Nami into the air. "Tell me, when did I break our deal? Ah, so your money's gone? Too bad. But a deal's a deal. Unless you can put 100 million Berry right here, I can't return the village to you." The Fish-Men erupted in mocking laughter.
Nami wrenched herself free from Arlong's grasp and stormed away.
To be continued...