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[lordofthesea]

[He sees her sitting in the bar. Just like that. And maybe it's not her but it is. He can tell. A shock grips his spine, grits his teeth so that they hum against one another and his hands clench. He recongizes it and hates it. But more importantly. It's her. Sitting there. As if she has any business even still being alive.]

[He comes up behind her in a slow even step, looking around for any of the other impudent humans that had been with her. That had destroyed his crew, his park, his dream. There is only her, though, sitting alone and as he comes up right to her back he restrains himself from knocking her from her seat and sending her sprawling across the hardwood floor.

Just like he used to.]

Comments

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[mikangirl]

[When a tall and menacing fishman with barely controlled fury and some very sharp-looking teeth approaches a bar, you can bet the few patrons here take notice. Nami's more aware of their reactions than she is of the identity of the newest person in the bar even as the bartender blanches and takes a step back and mumbles some excuse about checking stock in the back room.

So, trouble then. Is it Straw Hat trouble? Or just some idiot with a reputation like that stupid Fake Luffy had been wanting to chat up the pretty lady? Heck, it might not even be anything to do with her. Stupidly, then, those first few seconds, Nami doesn't really care. She has confidence she can deal with anything that walks in that door in this part of town. How bad could it be?]

[mikangirl]

[It's a confidence she holds until she catches sight of his reflection in the glass bottles behind the counter, tall and hulking and the light catching on those teeth.

And just like that, she's a child again, vulnerable and inferior. And Nami forgets how to breathe.]

[lordofthesea]

[He can see her fear. If she was in the water he would be able to sense it, vibrating off her body in small waves, making him hungry. He grins as she stills, as solid as granite. This is going to be good. This bitch is going to suffer.]

[He puts his hands on her shoulders, not enough to crush but she defintely knows he's there... He wants to crush them under his fingers. Wants to see her cry. Wants to break her like a dry stick but if nothing else he's learned patience.

A tenuious patience.

Long enough to drag her out of the bar at least]

Got any new maps for me, Nami? [And damn it feels good to say that name.]

[mikangirl]

[For a few moments, there is silence. Nami's like ice under his hands. She fights to remind herself he has no power anymore, least of all over her-- but at the same time she wishes so badly that Luffy or Zoro or Sanji or even Usopp were here with her, for reassurance. For someone to deal with him so that she didn't have to.

It's not going to happen. She's due to meet the others at the ship. They won't come looking for her for a long while yet. Maybe she can hold out hope that Sanji will check in on her ahead of schedule, but--

--no. It's just her, isn't it?

She can take you.

So why is she so terrified?]

...

Hello, Arlong.

[lordofthesea]

[He doesn't like the calmness of her voice. He never has. He's not stupid. He knows the company she keeps. He would have to be blind not to know. Not to hear. But he's never been cowed by any human, no matter how strong. And he's not going to be cowed by her either.]


Just hello? That's no way to greet nakama. But then you always were a callous bitch. That's what I always liked about you.

[and here he laughs because that's one thing he's never forgotten how to do and a few pathetic humans leave because they know better. He's been here just long enough after all.]

[mikangirl]

[Cowards. She wonders if any of them are even brave enough to call in the marines-- then decides that's no good either. Her bounty's only a little below yours now, Arlong, did you know?

Now, there's a grounding thought.

Either way, whatever she feels, however stupid it is to say it when his hands could easily crush the life from her, there's one thing she can't let go uncorrected. Nami reaches forward carefully for the bottle of rum by her glass. Her hands are shaking, but her voice is level. Sweet, even.]

You're no nakama of mine. Unless you're intending to ask Luffy to join the crew?

[lordofthesea]

[Oh no? He's about to say, but then he remembers that tattoo. He doesn't have to look at it to know. It was on the wanted poster after all and he'd shredded it when he'd first seen it and a few humans to who were too weak to be worth the fight.

Now that anger is coming back and his hands squeeze. But he manages to keep his grin cutting across his face.]

That's true enough. But who knows in the future? You leave crews so easily. Your village, too. Do you ever wander what happened to it?

[It's a dangerous game but he's willing to play it if only to get her to-- to-- to get angry. To make mistakes. To cry. He wants to show her her true place. Down on the floor with the rest of the sniveling white human worms.]

[mikangirl]

[Her breath catches at that, tellingly. And Nami wonders how likely it is he's bluffing and when the last time she heard from Nojiko was, and there's a rational voice that tells her he couldn't have done anything in the timeframe he's had, but he's still struck a nerve. The point is he could. He's capable of doing it.]

Are you really stupid enough to go back there? [But her voice is faster now, less calm, and she snaps her response as she jerks the rum bottle closer.] Do you really think they're undefended against people like you now?

[They are. But she hopes he doesn't know that.]

[lordofthesea]

[He's not fooled. He's held hands with fear most of his life and he can sense it even if she didn't broadcast it to most of the bar.]

Those pathetic creatures? Of course they are. They just got lucky. I could take it back any time I wanted. Are you really stupid enough to believe I can't?

[And he feels better now because she is on edge and that will always be in the back of her mind. But it isn't enough. It's never enough. He wants her back. She's his. Always was his. He doesn't let nakama go lightly.]

[He grips her arm, right over the tattoo, pressing hard enough for a bruise.]

I guess you've gotten too cocky and forgotten how strong we are.

[She will remember this if nothing else.]

[mikangirl]

[Her teeth snap together, locking back a hiss, because damned if she's going to show she's in pain in front of him. To that last she's got no response for him, mind racing as to ways she can deal with this. She tries to pull away from his grip, but it's an instinctive struggle. Nami knows he won't let her go.

Time to ask the time-honoured and cliched question, then, buying time:] What do you want?

[lordofthesea]

[Interesting question and one he couldn't answer. To take her back, yes, but not for any purpose but to show her her place. He couldn't trust her and he'd be damned if-- the door opens and he tenses but there is no shout of alarm or challenge or even fear.]

[Not that it would matter if there were. He is not afraid.]

Revenge.

[Though he will have to kill her now or not at all. His mind races. Killing her now, here, would draw too much attention. There are places he can keep her but where and for how long? Damn the mugiwara for reducing him to this.]

[He pulls her bodily from her barstool. Steal first. Think later. There are at least one or two places he can hide her temporarily...]

You're going to give me everything you've got.

[mikangirl]

[Off the stool she comes, feet sliding on the floor briefly before he hoists her up enough that she dangles in his grasp, which hurts like this. Still. She saw his reaction to the door opening- stilled, controlled wariness. He wants to get out of here before Luffy can come. And if he manages it, she's not going to survive the experience.

In his eyes, anyway. Nami has other ideas, thanks very much. She's not a little girl anymore, Arlong. And you're not the big bad monster. You're a coward.

And he's broken the spell, because now she knows exactly what to do.

The bottle of rum slides from her fingers, smashing on the wood.] No other choice, huh? [Still shaky. This time, it's at least half deliberate. Let him think it's because she's terrified.]

[lordofthesea]

Shut up.

[He doesn't want to hear her speak. She's too damn loud and the smashing bottle enrages him for some reason. Her voice trembles and she's afraid but that doesn't mean she won't do something nasty and underhanded.]

[He starts walking toward the door, hoping she won't have time. Maybe he should knock her out first. He pushes open the door. Whoever had been there had long since fled-- and looks back and forth, gritting his teeth into a grin]

Looks like your friends have forgotten about you.

[Though no one who fights that damn hard will forget about anything.]

[mikangirl]

[Nasty and underhanded? Why, whatever do you mean? Just because she dropped the bottle to free up her right hand. Nami dangles and swings in his grip, but that's no impediment whatsoever to the fingers that drop to her belt to snatch up a piece of her climatact from its holster in a blur of movement. By the time he notices, Nami's ramming the edge of it up under his chin. Not so effective at close range. Effective enough.]

Gust sword!

[lordofthesea]

[That's what he means you little sneak thief. He sees the movement and the flash of metal but before he can react she screams something and it's like that damned Mugiwara all over again, slamming him up in the chin.]

[He grunts and stares for a moment at the clouds that have somehow crowded the ceiling. The New World is really damn weird.]

You've got some--

[pretty toys. He wants to say but when he looks down he sees she's gone. He must of let go of her. Damnit.

I'll find you wherever you go!

[He spits out a shard of tooth and wipes the blood from his chin with the back of his hand. Where the hell did she get off to?]

[mikangirl]

[Sorry to cut you off, Arlong. Really.

Oh, who are we kidding. The moment Nami was dropped she was out the door running. Only a few seconds ahead of you but maybe it's enough.

Funny you should mention clouds, really. It's a hobby of hers. And as Arlong turns for the door, there's a rumble of thunder from above. It's his only warning before the bar is awash with the bright heat of electricity, slamming down across the bar, finding the shortest path to the ground. Notably, that'd probably be Arlong.

Well. You did tell her to give you everything she's got.]

[lordofthesea]

[This isn't what he had in mind... The grumble of thunder is a warning and the hairs on the back of his neck raise just a hairsbreadth of a moment before he's blinded and shaking with the singing bolts wrapped all over him. In a flash, though, it is gone and he slumps a little, smoke rising from his clothes as he finally spots Nami.

Centers in on her even.

This is her fault.

He grins. Coughs. Another tooth plicks onto the floor.]

Not good enough, Nami.

[And he charges her.If he can just get her in the water it won't matter. He can take her wherever he wants. If she would just stop getting in the way.]

[mikangirl]

[Getting in the way of her own capture sounds like a lot of good sense, really. And charge her all you like, but there's a reason she stayed in his plain sight. Nami does turn when he blunders out after her, does give a faint scream-- but his oncoming charge tears straight through her as if she's nothing but wisps, leaving him to charge into the side of a building. Welcome to another one of her new tricks. She's had years to perfect this one.]

I don't know. [Give her a few seconds' grace, and she has the advantage. Because she is nowhere in sight.] I think I'm doing just fine.

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[lordofthesea]

[The attack was one thing. Even being beaten is less of a disgrace if you fought well. But this-- Arlong jerks back in surprise as she disappears like cold mist. --this is just jerking him around, making him look like a complete fool]

[And people are staring at him (though not for long) and whispering. His teeth grind for a moment as he looks around for her without trying to look too hard because he knows this is a trick.]

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[lordofthesea]

[But as he's not into making an even greater fool of himself he doesn't go blindly searching. No...]

[And better yet, no matter what tricks you have, he knows you, Nami. He knows what will hurt you more than a slap to the floor.]

[It doesn't take him long to find a little human worm, homless and hungry, picking her up by the back of her shirt where she shrieks and people gasp but don't move. Of course they don't. Humans will devour their own.]

[She cries and tells him to let go, asks him what he's going to do to her and he can only grin.]

That depends on your big sister Nami.

[And he starts to walk away because you'll follow, won't you? No. You don't have to answer. He knows the truth.]

[mikangirl]

[You son of a bitch.

For one traitorous moment, Nami wishes she'd given in to (cowardice? common sense?) and kept running, but the fact was he'd threatened Cocoyashi. She's barely twenty feet away when he picks up the little girl.

Nami doesn't follow. She'll confront, right here. Because there are witnesses, and even if nobody steps in to help, rumour will spread all over the docks and maybe reach the Sunny--

--no, she can go one better.]

Put her down, Arlong! [She appears near two of the onlookers, who yelp in surprise and jump back.]

[lordofthesea]

[Gotcha. Sometimes all you really need in this world is just the right bait.The girl is squealing and kicking at him but it's like feathers brushing against his skin.]

I don't think I will. [He keeps walking, keeping a tight hold on the girl.]

I think you're going to follow me unless you want to see her at the bottom of the sea.

[mikangirl]

Where she'll end up anyway, right? Put her down. [Her climatact is out, crackling with electricity, and between Arlong and Nami that's enough for the rest of the onlookers to take off. Good. That's all she wanted.]

Put her down and I'll follow you.

[lordofthesea]

[He laughs. Though it's just at this old game. Old bargains. Old bets. Cat and mouse. Shark and swimmer. He always had the sharper teeth]

So you can electrocute me once she's safe? I don't think so.

[He looks over his shoulder at her]

Don't presume you have a choice in this.

[mikangirl]

What? [You goad, she goads, and her mouth curls into a snide grin, despite the sweat trickling down her neck.] You don't mean to tell me you're so frightened of being hurt by your poor, frail human navigator that you have to hide behind a little girl? What a mighty fishman you are.