Chapter 474: To Arlong Park

"So, where to next?" I asked, leaning casually on the mast as the ocean breeze rustled the sails of the Going Merry.

Nami looked up from the map spread across a barrel, blinking away the sunlight. "Loguetown," she said confidently, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "From there, we prepare for the Grand Line."

"Yeah, but before that," Zoro interjected, reclining with his arms behind his head, "we need a cook. I’m tired of eating burnt fish and stale bread."

Nami gave him a brief, flat look before nodding. "He’s not wrong. I heard there’s a sea restaurant somewhere in these waters. We could head there next and see if anyone is crazy enough to join this crew."

Luffy beamed at the mention of food. "A restaurant?! Do they have meat?"

"Probably," Nami said dryly.

I walked over, quiet for a moment as I glanced at the map. Then, without a word, I reached out and took it from her hands.

Her eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?"

I didn’t answer. My eyes scanned the parchment, searching coastlines and markers, memory and instinct guiding my fingers. I knew exactly what I was looking for. My finger stopped near the southern tip of the Conomi Islands.

"There," I said, tapping it.

"What’s there?" Usopp asked, still messing with his slingshot nearby.

"So, Nami," I said, turning to her with a calm, almost casual smile. "Let’s take a detour. Let’s go to Arlong Park."

The shift was immediate.

The playful air on deck turned heavy, like the pressure before a thunderstorm. Nami’s hand froze, hovering near the map as her eyes locked onto mine. She didn’t blink. Her face didn’t change. But the tension in her shoulders, the slight clench of her jaw—I noticed.

Everyone did.

Zoro straightened slightly. Usopp looked between us with wide eyes. Luffy, oblivious as always, tilted his head in confusion.

"Arlong Park?" he repeated. "What’s that? Is that where they have the good meat?"

I didn’t answer him. My eyes never left Nami’s.

"Why do you want to go there?" she asked quietly.

"I heard there are fishmen there," I replied smoothly. "And it’s nearby. It would be a shame to miss the chance to see a different race up close, don’t you think? And besides," I added, glancing at Luffy, "I heard they have great meat."

"Meat?! Nami, sail the ship to Arlong Park!" Luffy grinned, stretching out both arms dramatically toward the helm.

Nami didn’t move. Her knuckles were white on the edge of the barrel.

"Arlong Park isn’t a tourist spot," she said, voice brittle.

I handed the map back to her, slowly.

"I know."

The words settled between us like iron.

Zoro was watching me now—not just casually, but sharply, his eyes narrowed. Usopp was clearly getting nervous, bouncing slightly on his heels, but saying nothing.

Nami clutched the map to her chest. "You know?" she said bitterly. "You know what happens there? What’s happened there? And you want to go anyway?"

I didn’t speak.

She took a step forward, jabbing a finger at my chest. "You think this is some kind of noble detour? Some brave rescue mission? You don’t know anything. You weren’t there. You didn’t watch him kill people like they were insects. You didn’t—"

Her voice cracked. Just for a second.

"Hey, Alex, What is she talking about?" Luffy asked.

"Luffy, If one of your crew members is in need of help but couldn’t tell because she/he thinks we couldn’t help her/him, then would you help the said person?" I asked.

"Of course, it is my crew member after all." Luffy said with a smile.

I turned to the others. "What about you guys, Zoro? Usopp?"

Zoro gave a slow, steady nod. "I don’t need to know the whole story. If someone’s threatening one of us, they’re gonna regret it."

"If it’s not too much of a fight or anything, then I’m in," Usopp added quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, we’re pirates, right? Gotta back each other up..."

He trailed off, glancing at Nami. She still hadn’t turned around. Still hadn’t said anything.

That silence said more than words ever could.

•••

Night fell, casting a calm stillness across the deck of the Going Merry. A salty breeze carried over the waves, and the stars above shimmered like a thousand unspoken questions.

Zoro leaned against the railing beside me, arms crossed, one eye half-open as he studied me in the moonlight.

"So, Alex," he finally said, voice low, "why don’t you tell me what’s actually going on?"

I didn’t answer right away.

Zoro tilted his head slightly. "Earlier, you said we were going to Arlong Park... and from the way Nami reacted, this trip has something to do with her. Doesn’t it?"

I sighed quietly and looked out at the ocean for a moment. "Yeah. It has everything to do with her."

Before I could continue, a whisper of movement caught my attention.

"Usopp," I called without turning. "You can stop pretending to sneak around."

There was a beat of silence.

"I wasn’t sneaking!" Usopp’s voice came from behind a stack of barrels. "I just... happened to be relieving myself nearby. Coincidentally. And I may have heard a few words. Maybe all of them."

He walked over sheepishly, arms folded like he meant to appear serious.

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Fine. Now that we’re all here, give us the story."

I nodded once. "You want the long version... or the short version?"

"Short," Zoro said immediately.

"Short-short," Usopp added.

~~~