Chapter 32
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The Synonym
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[On The Move]
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...
"What are you doing here, Nami?"
"Ah!"
Instead of answering, she pointed at him with an indignant look.
"I finally found you!"
Dan deadpanned at the girl, whose annoyed look paired pretty well with her disheveled appearance—looking like she'd been caught by several branches on the way here as per the scratches covering her and the leaves she hadn't noticed were stuck to her hair.
Which made sense, given that he'd moved the boat quite deep into the forest—far enough that the terrain made the trip genuinely unpleasant and hard to find.
She'd probably had a lot of trouble getting here.
How had she found him anyway?
"Where in the world did you go?" She grumbled, patting the dust off her clothes as she stepped into the clearer part of the forest, fixing her hair with an upset look. "We've been looking for you for an entire month!"
Dan didn't bat an eye.
He'd expected as much, given that he'd left without a word and stuck to the forest and his boat from then on.
"I had something to take care of," he answered vaguely, looking elsewhere.
"What could have taken you an entire month to do?!" She exclaimed, clearly angry.
"..."
"..."
However, after a second or so of silence between the two, she seemed to calm down, heaving a sigh as she averted her gaze.
"Since you weren't there, Bell-mère had to go back to working alone at the farm. Me and Nojiko offered to help her but..." She hesitated. "We don't seem to be of much help the way you were."
"..."
Dan stayed silent.
There wasn't much he could say.
The truth was, he simply hadn't wanted to explain himself, nor spend time convincing Bell-mère about why he was disappearing for a month. The woman worried too much, much to his annoyance. He had gone along with her maternal behavior so far, but he couldn't afford to do so anymore. Not with a deadline on the clock.
So he'd skipped the drama and jumped straight into training, without a second thought or a farewell to the family.
It was selfish. So he had nothing to say to her, nor any excuse to give.
Seeing his silent response, Nami huffed, looking around as if searching for answers in the forest itself.
An entire month—what could he have been doing?
Bell-mère had said he might have found a better paying job, but seeing he was here, in the middle of the forest, that didn't seem likely.
Her eyes moved around and fell on the boat—which, though well hidden, was hard to miss from this distance.
Instantly, her mind deviated from the matter at hand.
"Your boat, it survived?! I heard every other ship was destroyed by those pirates!" She looked at it with wide eyes, already making her way over to examine it.
"I hid it before they tried anything," Dan added, watching her with his hands in his pockets.
"What a relief..." A sigh escaped her as she ran a hand along the hull.
Dan's mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly at the sight.
'For having only boarded it once, she sure is relieved.'
Anyone watching would assume she was the owner, the way she was fussing over it.
'Well, technically I'm not the owner either, am I?'
With a scoff, he waited as Nami continued with the examination, looking deep in thought as she did.
After a whole minute had passed, she finally stopped, giving him a silent glare before shaking her head.
"Forget it. I don't care about what you've been doing... but Bell-mère is worried about you."
She paused, averting her gaze.
"You should come back."
Dan's mouth stretched uncomfortably for a second. He pushed the sour taste of her words aside and remained firm.
"I'm still not done with my business."
"..."
An uncomfortable silence settled between the two.
Then Nami's eyes fell, her hands fidgeting with one another.
"Those pirates... everyone said they're coming back tomorrow. If you're worried about not having enough money to pay, Bell-mère already managed to gather enough for all of us including you, with the help of the villagers. So..."
Dan took in her words for a moment, then let out a faint laugh at the consideration coming from people he barely knew.
Still, he shook his head.
"Tell her I don't need her to cover me. I'll be fine on my own—she should just focus on the two of you."
Seeing his adamant refusal, Nami's eyes drifted between him and the boat.
"You're... leaving, aren't you? That's your business—you're preparing to depart."
"..."
Well, she wasn't right, but she wasn't entirely wrong either.
Once he was done with his business here, he'd be leaving. So all this preparation might as well count as part of that.
"...Yeah. After I'm done here, I suppose I will be leaving," he answered, a wry smile forming.
She walked closer, her tone worried. "You can't! Bell-mère said the coasts are all heavily guarded. The pirates don't want anyone escaping now that payment time is coming. I heard many people from other islands tried to get away in secret, but all of them were sunk!"
Dan let out a small laugh.
"I'll be fine." His eyes sharpened, looking past her. "They won't be able to do anything about it."
Nami watched him, visibly uncertain.
But as she looked at his unwavering face—despite having witnessed Arlong's strength firsthand—a seed of doubt budded in her heart.
If he was this confident... maybe there actually was a way?
She looked down, clearly turning something over in her head. Then—
"Would you... take us with you?"
Dan looked at her, surprised.
That he hadn't expected.
Take them with him and leave the rest of the villagers to fend for themselves?
"..."
Looking at her face, he could tell she didn't feel good about that part either. But she probably also understood that her family had the lowest chances of making it past the third or fourth payment.
The villagers would probably be fine if they left. Probably even relieved someone had gotten away to find help.
Though he doubted Bell-mère would agree so readily.
Regardless... That wouldn't be happening.
Not because he didn't want to, but because there would be no need.
Still, there was no need to seem like a dick about it.
"I'll... think about it."
So he left it hanging.
After all, tomorrow she'd realize that there was never any need to run—unless he died.
But that's how losers think.
"..."
Even so, Nami seemed dejected, clearly reading his vague answer as a likely refusal.
Laughing lightly at her expression, Dan gave her a pat on the head.
"Wait until tomorrow. I'll give you an answer then. For now, there's still one more thing I need to do before I leave."
She looked up at him. "...Something you need to do?"
He smirked slightly. "It's not important. Go back for now."
"..."
She clearly wasn't satisfied with that.
But after a few seconds of further reluctance, she gave a nod.
"Alright."
And so, she turned and headed back into the forest.
—Not before giving him one last glance, though.
"I'll be here tomorrow... you better not have run away!"
And so she went, disappearing through the trees at a run.
As he watched her go, Dan snorted with a smile.
Then his hand settled on the hilt of his sword, eyes lifting to the sunset appearing through the canopy.
'Time to move.'
...
°
°
°
| At the coast around Cocoyashi Village... |
...
-Yawn...-
Leaning on the railing, a fishman let out a loud and long yawn.
Another who was walking by slapped his head, cutting it short.
"Hey, snap out of it—we need to stay alert."
The first fishman shot him an annoyed look. "Huh? What's the point, brother?"
"What's the point, you say? We can't allow any of those humans to escape!"
The fishman scoffed. "We already made enough of an example of every human who tried to escape last month. There aren't many boats left that they can even use, and I doubt any of them have the guts to try anything now anyway."
The passing fishman shook his head. "Regardless, some of them might not have enough to pay tomorrow—so there's a chance someone tries something out of desperation."
The fishman grumbled at the logic. "Yeah, I guess."
He picked up the binoculars at his neck and began scanning.
"Well, guess what—not a single boat in sight."
"Just do your job."
"Hmm."
The passing fishman went on his way.
Meanwhile, still grumbling, the first kept his eye to the lenses, continuing to sweep the water.
No matter where he looked, it was ocean and more ocean, followed by the face of the island when he turned toward it.
Just as he was starting to lose interest—
"Hmm?"
Something blocked the lenses.
Confused, he pulled the binoculars away—and froze.
"A kid?"
A human child was right in front of him, gripping the railing, climbing up the side of the boat.
For a moment his brain stalled somewhere between the sheer bizarreness of it and the complete harmlessness a child ought to represent.
But before he could land on a decision—
—Schk!—
A sword came through his neck from below, hidden by the railing as the kid climbed.
Blood welled up instantly, filling his throat.
Then, using the blade as a lever, the kid somehow swung his entire body up and over in one arc, hurling him backward toward the ocean as he retrieved the sword in the same motion.
The fishman could only stare in bafflement as the water rose up to meet him, consciousness fading alongside the blood, while the kid wiped the blade clean in a single swing and kept climbing.
-Thud!-
Soon, the kid jumped over the railing and hit the deck.
The landing on the wooden planks was loud enough to pull the other four fishmen around.
"...!"
They turned and found a kid—and not their brother.
"Who...?" One stepped forward, brows creasing.
Before he could piece anything together—
—Shiiiiin!—
"AAAARGH!"
The kid crossed the gap in an instant and opened the fishman's chest in one slash, blood spraying out in a fountain.
The others who'd caught the commotion had their eyes going wide.
They didn't need to see anything else.
An enemy had boarded, kid or not.
Weapons drawn, they spread out and surrounded him, coming in from all sides.
"A human brat... how is it possible he killed one of us?!"
"Doesn't matter—kill him first, then bring the body to Arlong-san!"
"Attack!"
The three didn't waste a second, rushing in from every direction.
A moment later, blood splattered across the wooden planks of the ship.
...
°
°
°
| Half an hour later, outskirts of the newly built Arlong Park |
...
"Our base is coming along pretty well, isn't it?" Chew muttered, walking alongside Kuroobi—a fishman in a dark blue gi with a black belt, his hair tied into two firm ponytails.
Both were Arlong's top officers, their strength putting them well above any other member of the crew.
"Hmph. At least those humans are good for something—even if only labor," Kuroobi replied, looking disgusted as he said it.
Chew chuckled, glancing back at the distant building under construction.
A month since their arrival, and the base would be finished soon. After that, it was all uphill.
"Jinbe-san was truly foolish to side with the humans. From here on, Arlong-san will make them fear us the way they always should have."
"That he was. Surrendering to these creatures—even now I can hardly believe it." Kuroobi's expression darkened.
Chew gave him a pat on the back.
"Don't worry. Once we've grown our forces and taken over this sea, maybe Jinbe-san will reconsider. I'm sure of it."
Kuroobi nodded, growing serious. "I hope so... even though we parted ways, the last thing I'd want is to end up fighting him."
Chew sighed, unable to agree more.
"Hm?"
Just then, he caught sight of something far ahead on the dirt path.
A figure, walking toward them.
At first, he didn't think much of it. Probably a human coming to report something—or to beg for more time before tomorrow's payment.
"...!"
But as the figure drew closer, Chew's relaxed expression tightened.
Kuroobi reacted too, his hand moving to the cutlass at his waist on instinct.
Blood. A lot of blood.
The figure was drenched in it.
The first thought was that it was an enemy—maybe a bounty hunter who had tracked them, or a capable marine.
Yet as it came clearer, the tension shifted to confusion.
The figure was human.
But it was also a kid. No older than ten.
And as they registered the age of the approaching figure, another realization followed.
"I know that brat," Chew muttered, squinting.
His mind went back to the day they arrived—almost missing a house because it sat at the outskirts of the village. The kid approaching was the same one who'd paid for the whole family when they'd been about to deal with that ex-marine for daring to fight back against Arlong-san.
But why was he covered in blood?
"...!"
A thought crossed his mind.
Then his mouth curled into a smirk.
"Hah... as expected of these lowly creatures. Despicable as they are weak."
Kuroobi glanced at him, confused for a moment, then blinked as the same realization landed.
"That kid... did he kill his own family to avoid having to pay for them?"
"Most likely. Look—he's even carrying a sword, and it's dripping in blood."
"Utterly revolting."
As the two exchanged their impressions, the kid arrived in front of them.
"..."
He gave each of them a look, then glanced past them at the distant building.
The two officers watched him with a mix of revulsion and mild curiosity.
But before they could ask anything, he spoke first.
"It's only you two?"
"... What?" Chew lifted an eyebrow.
What was with that attitude?
The way the kid had said that... he didn't feel the fear, horror, or desperation of every human they'd dealt with so far.
He felt... disappointed?
The kid exhaled, faintly annoyed, his hand moving to the hilt. "I would have preferred not to do a two-on-one against you both... but no matter. This isn't bad either."
And then—
—Shiiiin—
He drew his sword.
Both tensed.
Something was off.
But by the moment they realized it, it was already too late.
"Might as well kill two birds with one stone... or two fish with one blade."
...
────────────────────────
-To Be Continued...-
────────────────────────
Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll help me make ends meet while doing so.
pḁtreon.com/TheSynonym (Change the a)
───────────
(A/N: Forgot to say it last chapter, but we're caught up, so updates are gonna slow down a bit.)
[On The Move]
────────────────────────
...
"What are you doing here, Nami?"
"Ah!"
Instead of answering, she pointed at him with an indignant look.
"I finally found you!"
Dan deadpanned at the girl, whose annoyed look paired pretty well with her disheveled appearance—looking like she'd been caught by several branches on the way here as per the scratches covering her and the leaves she hadn't noticed were stuck to her hair.
Which made sense, given that he'd moved the boat quite deep into the forest—far enough that the terrain made the trip genuinely unpleasant and hard to find.
She'd probably had a lot of trouble getting here.
How had she found him anyway?
"Where in the world did you go?" She grumbled, patting the dust off her clothes as she stepped into the clearer part of the forest, fixing her hair with an upset look. "We've been looking for you for an entire month!"
Dan didn't bat an eye.
He'd expected as much, given that he'd left without a word and stuck to the forest and his boat from then on.
"I had something to take care of," he answered vaguely, looking elsewhere.
"What could have taken you an entire month to do?!" She exclaimed, clearly angry.
"..."
"..."
However, after a second or so of silence between the two, she seemed to calm down, heaving a sigh as she averted her gaze.
"Since you weren't there, Bell-mère had to go back to working alone at the farm. Me and Nojiko offered to help her but..." She hesitated. "We don't seem to be of much help the way you were."
"..."
Dan stayed silent.
There wasn't much he could say.
The truth was, he simply hadn't wanted to explain himself, nor spend time convincing Bell-mère about why he was disappearing for a month. The woman worried too much, much to his annoyance. He had gone along with her maternal behavior so far, but he couldn't afford to do so anymore. Not with a deadline on the clock.
So he'd skipped the drama and jumped straight into training, without a second thought or a farewell to the family.
It was selfish. So he had nothing to say to her, nor any excuse to give.
Seeing his silent response, Nami huffed, looking around as if searching for answers in the forest itself.
An entire month—what could he have been doing?
Bell-mère had said he might have found a better paying job, but seeing he was here, in the middle of the forest, that didn't seem likely.
Her eyes moved around and fell on the boat—which, though well hidden, was hard to miss from this distance.
Instantly, her mind deviated from the matter at hand.
"Your boat, it survived?! I heard every other ship was destroyed by those pirates!" She looked at it with wide eyes, already making her way over to examine it.
"I hid it before they tried anything," Dan added, watching her with his hands in his pockets.
"What a relief..." A sigh escaped her as she ran a hand along the hull.
Dan's mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly at the sight.
'For having only boarded it once, she sure is relieved.'
Anyone watching would assume she was the owner, the way she was fussing over it.
'Well, technically I'm not the owner either, am I?'
With a scoff, he waited as Nami continued with the examination, looking deep in thought as she did.
After a whole minute had passed, she finally stopped, giving him a silent glare before shaking her head.
"Forget it. I don't care about what you've been doing... but Bell-mère is worried about you."
She paused, averting her gaze.
"You should come back."
Dan's mouth stretched uncomfortably for a second. He pushed the sour taste of her words aside and remained firm.
"I'm still not done with my business."
"..."
An uncomfortable silence settled between the two.
Then Nami's eyes fell, her hands fidgeting with one another.
"Those pirates... everyone said they're coming back tomorrow. If you're worried about not having enough money to pay, Bell-mère already managed to gather enough for all of us including you, with the help of the villagers. So..."
Dan took in her words for a moment, then let out a faint laugh at the consideration coming from people he barely knew.
Still, he shook his head.
"Tell her I don't need her to cover me. I'll be fine on my own—she should just focus on the two of you."
Seeing his adamant refusal, Nami's eyes drifted between him and the boat.
"You're... leaving, aren't you? That's your business—you're preparing to depart."
"..."
Well, she wasn't right, but she wasn't entirely wrong either.
Once he was done with his business here, he'd be leaving. So all this preparation might as well count as part of that.
"...Yeah. After I'm done here, I suppose I will be leaving," he answered, a wry smile forming.
She walked closer, her tone worried. "You can't! Bell-mère said the coasts are all heavily guarded. The pirates don't want anyone escaping now that payment time is coming. I heard many people from other islands tried to get away in secret, but all of them were sunk!"
Dan let out a small laugh.
"I'll be fine." His eyes sharpened, looking past her. "They won't be able to do anything about it."
Nami watched him, visibly uncertain.
But as she looked at his unwavering face—despite having witnessed Arlong's strength firsthand—a seed of doubt budded in her heart.
If he was this confident... maybe there actually was a way?
She looked down, clearly turning something over in her head. Then—
"Would you... take us with you?"
Dan looked at her, surprised.
That he hadn't expected.
Take them with him and leave the rest of the villagers to fend for themselves?
"..."
Looking at her face, he could tell she didn't feel good about that part either. But she probably also understood that her family had the lowest chances of making it past the third or fourth payment.
The villagers would probably be fine if they left. Probably even relieved someone had gotten away to find help.
Though he doubted Bell-mère would agree so readily.
Regardless... That wouldn't be happening.
Not because he didn't want to, but because there would be no need.
Still, there was no need to seem like a dick about it.
"I'll... think about it."
So he left it hanging.
After all, tomorrow she'd realize that there was never any need to run—unless he died.
But that's how losers think.
"..."
Even so, Nami seemed dejected, clearly reading his vague answer as a likely refusal.
Laughing lightly at her expression, Dan gave her a pat on the head.
"Wait until tomorrow. I'll give you an answer then. For now, there's still one more thing I need to do before I leave."
She looked up at him. "...Something you need to do?"
He smirked slightly. "It's not important. Go back for now."
"..."
She clearly wasn't satisfied with that.
But after a few seconds of further reluctance, she gave a nod.
"Alright."
And so, she turned and headed back into the forest.
—Not before giving him one last glance, though.
"I'll be here tomorrow... you better not have run away!"
And so she went, disappearing through the trees at a run.
As he watched her go, Dan snorted with a smile.
Then his hand settled on the hilt of his sword, eyes lifting to the sunset appearing through the canopy.
'Time to move.'
...
°
°
°
| At the coast around Cocoyashi Village... |
...
-Yawn...-
Leaning on the railing, a fishman let out a loud and long yawn.
Another who was walking by slapped his head, cutting it short.
"Hey, snap out of it—we need to stay alert."
The first fishman shot him an annoyed look. "Huh? What's the point, brother?"
"What's the point, you say? We can't allow any of those humans to escape!"
The fishman scoffed. "We already made enough of an example of every human who tried to escape last month. There aren't many boats left that they can even use, and I doubt any of them have the guts to try anything now anyway."
The passing fishman shook his head. "Regardless, some of them might not have enough to pay tomorrow—so there's a chance someone tries something out of desperation."
The fishman grumbled at the logic. "Yeah, I guess."
He picked up the binoculars at his neck and began scanning.
"Well, guess what—not a single boat in sight."
"Just do your job."
"Hmm."
The passing fishman went on his way.
Meanwhile, still grumbling, the first kept his eye to the lenses, continuing to sweep the water.
No matter where he looked, it was ocean and more ocean, followed by the face of the island when he turned toward it.
Just as he was starting to lose interest—
"Hmm?"
Something blocked the lenses.
Confused, he pulled the binoculars away—and froze.
"A kid?"
A human child was right in front of him, gripping the railing, climbing up the side of the boat.
For a moment his brain stalled somewhere between the sheer bizarreness of it and the complete harmlessness a child ought to represent.
But before he could land on a decision—
—Schk!—
A sword came through his neck from below, hidden by the railing as the kid climbed.
Blood welled up instantly, filling his throat.
Then, using the blade as a lever, the kid somehow swung his entire body up and over in one arc, hurling him backward toward the ocean as he retrieved the sword in the same motion.
The fishman could only stare in bafflement as the water rose up to meet him, consciousness fading alongside the blood, while the kid wiped the blade clean in a single swing and kept climbing.
-Thud!-
Soon, the kid jumped over the railing and hit the deck.
The landing on the wooden planks was loud enough to pull the other four fishmen around.
"...!"
They turned and found a kid—and not their brother.
"Who...?" One stepped forward, brows creasing.
Before he could piece anything together—
—Shiiiiin!—
"AAAARGH!"
The kid crossed the gap in an instant and opened the fishman's chest in one slash, blood spraying out in a fountain.
The others who'd caught the commotion had their eyes going wide.
They didn't need to see anything else.
An enemy had boarded, kid or not.
Weapons drawn, they spread out and surrounded him, coming in from all sides.
"A human brat... how is it possible he killed one of us?!"
"Doesn't matter—kill him first, then bring the body to Arlong-san!"
"Attack!"
The three didn't waste a second, rushing in from every direction.
A moment later, blood splattered across the wooden planks of the ship.
...
°
°
°
| Half an hour later, outskirts of the newly built Arlong Park |
...
"Our base is coming along pretty well, isn't it?" Chew muttered, walking alongside Kuroobi—a fishman in a dark blue gi with a black belt, his hair tied into two firm ponytails.
Both were Arlong's top officers, their strength putting them well above any other member of the crew.
"Hmph. At least those humans are good for something—even if only labor," Kuroobi replied, looking disgusted as he said it.
Chew chuckled, glancing back at the distant building under construction.
A month since their arrival, and the base would be finished soon. After that, it was all uphill.
"Jinbe-san was truly foolish to side with the humans. From here on, Arlong-san will make them fear us the way they always should have."
"That he was. Surrendering to these creatures—even now I can hardly believe it." Kuroobi's expression darkened.
Chew gave him a pat on the back.
"Don't worry. Once we've grown our forces and taken over this sea, maybe Jinbe-san will reconsider. I'm sure of it."
Kuroobi nodded, growing serious. "I hope so... even though we parted ways, the last thing I'd want is to end up fighting him."
Chew sighed, unable to agree more.
"Hm?"
Just then, he caught sight of something far ahead on the dirt path.
A figure, walking toward them.
At first, he didn't think much of it. Probably a human coming to report something—or to beg for more time before tomorrow's payment.
"...!"
But as the figure drew closer, Chew's relaxed expression tightened.
Kuroobi reacted too, his hand moving to the cutlass at his waist on instinct.
Blood. A lot of blood.
The figure was drenched in it.
The first thought was that it was an enemy—maybe a bounty hunter who had tracked them, or a capable marine.
Yet as it came clearer, the tension shifted to confusion.
The figure was human.
But it was also a kid. No older than ten.
And as they registered the age of the approaching figure, another realization followed.
"I know that brat," Chew muttered, squinting.
His mind went back to the day they arrived—almost missing a house because it sat at the outskirts of the village. The kid approaching was the same one who'd paid for the whole family when they'd been about to deal with that ex-marine for daring to fight back against Arlong-san.
But why was he covered in blood?
"...!"
A thought crossed his mind.
Then his mouth curled into a smirk.
"Hah... as expected of these lowly creatures. Despicable as they are weak."
Kuroobi glanced at him, confused for a moment, then blinked as the same realization landed.
"That kid... did he kill his own family to avoid having to pay for them?"
"Most likely. Look—he's even carrying a sword, and it's dripping in blood."
"Utterly revolting."
As the two exchanged their impressions, the kid arrived in front of them.
"..."
He gave each of them a look, then glanced past them at the distant building.
The two officers watched him with a mix of revulsion and mild curiosity.
But before they could ask anything, he spoke first.
"It's only you two?"
"... What?" Chew lifted an eyebrow.
What was with that attitude?
The way the kid had said that... he didn't feel the fear, horror, or desperation of every human they'd dealt with so far.
He felt... disappointed?
The kid exhaled, faintly annoyed, his hand moving to the hilt. "I would have preferred not to do a two-on-one against you both... but no matter. This isn't bad either."
And then—
—Shiiiin—
He drew his sword.
Both tensed.
Something was off.
But by the moment they realized it, it was already too late.
"Might as well kill two birds with one stone... or two fish with one blade."
...
────────────────────────
-To Be Continued...-
────────────────────────
Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll help me make ends meet while doing so.
pḁtreon.com/TheSynonym (Change the a)
───────────
(A/N: Forgot to say it last chapter, but we're caught up, so updates are gonna slow down a bit.)
