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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

[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.

1/2

[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.]

2/2

[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.

[lordofthesea]

[It pisses him off. He knows her game. So it shouldn't. And yet it does. Well he can use that, too.]

You're right. I don't really need her do I? [He holds her up with a hand wrapped around her throat and puts on the slightest pressure so she screams]

Maybe I should just snap her neck.

[mikangirl]

No, stop--!! Fine! Okay, fine!

[And the electricity crackling at the end of the climatact dies. Nami takes a step forward, as if to follow.]

[lordofthesea]

Why don't you put that thing down? We're nakama, aren't we?

[Not that he's afraid of it but it's annoying to be electrocuted and he's not kidnapping her to be prodded like a damn sea cow]

And come here. [He tightens his grip just a little.] Then we can all be friends.

[mikangirl]

[....dammit.

Has she bought enough time? Does it matter if she has?

She breaks down the climatact into its three sections, holding them out to her side in one fist.]

Let her go and I'll drop this. This is the only threat to you here.

[Once she drops it, he can do whatever he wants.]

[lordofthesea]

[That isn't even a threat. Still... He's a generous fishman, he can compromise. He apporoaches her slowly and then darts out a hand to grab her wrist, squeezing so she will let go.]

Deal.

[And down goes the girl right into the bay. Well hope she can swim.]

Now hold up your end of the bargain. [And he presses even harder. Either the strange weapon will go or her wrist will.]

[mikangirl]

[Nami jerks as the girl disappears under the water with a frightened shriek, her lunge toward the water brought short by Arlong's grip on her wrist. But the girl resurfaces with some pitiful splashing-- she can swim, but not well-- and Nami knows the rest is out of her hands.

The climatact drops onto the ground with a jangle of hollow ringing sounds.]

[lordofthesea]

Syahahahahahaha! Don't look so gloomy. It'll be just like old times.

[Though too much like old times if he stays out in the open much longer. He grabs her wrist and starts off through the docks. Fortunately, there's not a lot of people here and his safe house is close and well hidden. If he can just get her there than he can figure out what to do next.]

[Hopefully before any of that damn crew show up. But on the other hand, killing one or two might feel damned good after so long.]

[mikangirl]

[Nami drags her feet. Not that it makes much difference, given the vast difference in strength, and it's frustrating to know that without the climatact she's near as weak against him as she was two years ago.

With one difference. Her looks back the way she came at the deserted area, and her eyes flick upwards as the last of the bubbles she released joins the dark cloud overhead. Rumours and a landmark. At least it won't take very long at all for her nakama to realise she's in trouble.

She trusts her crew.]

[lordofthesea]

[Yeah yeah. He feels the love. Nakamaship forever and all that. Not that he's afraid but more of a deep abiding concern that keeps him motivated. Nami is being easy about all of this. Too damn easy. Just one threat isn't good enough. He should have held onto the little girl as insurance, damn it all.]

[Though he does make it to the safe house soon enough he's damned if he knows what to do with her now and shoves her down against a pile of crates while he goes to check the door. It doesn't seem like they were followed. Good.]

[

[mikangirl]

[...you haven't planned this out at all, have you? Just saw her and reacted. Clever shark, but none too bright in this regard. That's a point in her favour.

Nami shifts to stand by the crates, casting her eyes aross the gloom in the hope of a weapon. She thought she'd be terrified. It's gratifying to realise she's just angry.]

So what now?

[lordofthesea]

I don't know I didn't think that far. [He sits against the door and folds his arms. Now that he actually looks at her she seems a lot different than she used to. Harder and softer at the same time. Much softer in certain places but in an all too human way.]

Still conning with your assets, are you?

[He'd always admired that about her in a certain way. She was weak and fleshy and to just as weak and fleshy human men she was nothing but live bait--until their wallets are gone.]

I bet you have a hand in all of their pockets.

[mikangirl]

[She bristles at the inference, but Nami just shifts to lean against the crates. Keeping it casual, maybe. Maybe she can buy more time. Hell, maybe she can talk her way out of this.]

Maybe. We rake in a lot of treasure.

[She could've bought Cocoyashi back six times over by now.]

[lordofthesea]

Maybe but you could never hold on to it for very long.

[He grins. Those were good times.]

It could have gone a lot further, you know. [He folds his arms behind his head]

You could have had a small village or two all your own. Besides,

I think you owe us after all the work we did saving your ass. [Especially when she was a kid and helpless as a worm. There had been more than one charting excursion where one of his precious fishmen had risked life and limb to protect her little marshmallow body.]

[mikangirl]

My ass wouldn't have needed saving if you hadn't put me in the firing line in the first place. [Flatly.] And I don't want one or two villages. And there is no us.

[lordofthesea]

I gotta admit it was kind of fun to watch you scream.

[Not that he really would have let anyone touch her. She is his after all. Was his.]

But the way I figure you learned a lot of valuable things from your time with us. No matter how you look at it you owe me. I intend to make you pay.

[Somehow]

[mikangirl]

I owe you?

[She stands up, taking a step forward.] I owe you!? You taught me nothing except that your word is worthless, Arlong! I learned everything I know on my own! Whereas you took everything that was precious to me!

If anyone owes anyone here, it's the other way round.