Raphael: <>
System: []
******
A few hours ago, during the raid on the 16th Branch
Luffy agreed to Isuka's terms—he'd do one thing for her in exchange for the code to open Captain Nezumi's safe.
Once they shook on it, Isuka input the code and swung the safe open. Just as Luffy had expected, it was crammed full of bellies and glittering piles of jewelry. Without wasting a second, he swept everything into his inventory—every last coin, gem, and golden trinket. He also grabbed a few paintings, specifically the ones that didn't feature Nezumi's smug, punchable face, and several bottles of high-end liquor he knew Zoro would be thrilled to get his hands on.
Then he paused, shrugged, and, because why not, added the expensive furniture... and the massive silver safe itself.
Isuka watched in disbelief as the room was stripped of nearly everything valuable. "Why don't you just take the walls and ceiling while you're at it, huh?" she snapped, one eye twitching in irritation. What little he'd left behind was nothing but trash—gaudy, tasteless junk plastered with Nezumi's ugly mug. Honestly, that offended her more than the looting itself. "And how the hell are you even doing that? Stuff just poof—gone," she added, throwing her hands up in disbelief.
"It's just one of my many talents," Luffy replied with a grin and a nonchalant wave. "Anyway, now that I'm done here... how about we move on to that 'one thing' you wanted?"
Isuka's demeanor shifted in an instant. Her expression turned serious as she gave a short nod. "Follow me."
She turned and exited the room, Luffy falling into step behind her. But as they stepped into the hallway, she abruptly stopped and glanced toward the far corner, her brow furrowing.
Luffy followed her gaze, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Want me to take care of it?"
Isuka didn't look at him. "No need, I don't care," she said coolly, and with that, she continued down the hall, walking toward their destination.
******
As they neared their destination, Luffy's brows knit together in a frown. The path ahead led unmistakably toward the underground prisoners' dungeon. If not for his Observation Haki assuring him there was no ambush lying in wait, he might've assumed this was a setup. Still, his instincts kept him tense, his body primed to unleash crystalline hell at a moment's notice.
Isuka noticed the subtle change in his posture—the way his shoulders squared and his gaze sharpened. But she said nothing. She knew he could sense it wasn't a trap, and deep down, she trusted he wasn't the kind of man to stab someone in the back.
When they stepped into the dungeon, Luffy gave the place a quick once-over and scoffed. It was practically deserted. The cells were empty, the air stale and stagnant, with only the faintest trace of life lingering far off at the end of the corridor. He wasn't surprised. A weasel like Nezumi wouldn't waste effort locking up criminals—not when he could take bribes and let them roam free. And if he ever needed to scare a population into submission, a few civilian casualties would do the trick just fine. Who needed a functioning prison when fear was cheaper and easier?
"So," Luffy said, stepping up beside her, "mind telling me why you're still stuck in this shithole.
"That's none of your business," Isuka shot back, her voice sharp.
"I was just making conversation," Luffy said with a shrug. "Someone like you with at least a basic grasp of Haki could be way more useful in Paradise. Or even stationed in Loguetown, instead of wasting a Logia there."
"There's no need to slander Captain Smoker," she snapped, eyes narrowing. "He's doing a fine job crushing the new pirates coming out of the East Blue."
"Yeah, sure. Real impressive job taking down a bunch of greenhorns. Most of 'em haven't even seen a Devil Fruit, let alone a damn Logia," Luffy replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "But hey, at least he's helping keep up the East Blue's reputation as the weakest of the four seas."
"It's not just him," Isuka countered, her tone turning defensive but tinged with pride. "You forget about Marine Hero Garp. The East Blue is his hometown, you know. He goes back and forth between here and the Grand Line—and every time, he wipes out whatever pirate scum he comes across."
Luffy cast a sideways glance her way, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You sure seem to know a lot about Garp."
"Not really," she replied, her tone cooling again. "I just overheard Vice Admiral Tsuru chewing someone out back at the training camp. They were pissed about being stationed in the East Blue," she added, her expression darkening as Tsuru's face flashed through her mind. "She told us that, as Marines, we sometimes have to stomach bitter experiences without losing sight of what really matters... what the true mission of the Marines is," she said, the words laced with venom. "Back then, I didn't understand what she meant. But now I do."
Luffy chuckled softly. "Oh yeah? Sounds like you've had some real eye-openers." He tilted his head toward her, eyes gleaming with interest. "Wanna share? I'm all ears."
"No, thank you," Isuka said curtly. "Besides, we're here."
Finally, they reached the far end of the corridor and came to a stop in front of the only cell that radiated even the faintest trace of life. Luffy stepped forward, peering inside, and what he saw made his blood run cold. All the cheer drained from his face in an instant. His eyes widened, mouth parting slightly in disbelief, a hollow sort of horror sinking into his gut.
Inside the cell, chained to the wall by thick iron shackles, was Nami.
Her arms were raised above her head, wrists rubbed raw from the heavy restraints. She looked nothing like the vibrant, fiery navigator he remembered from his previous life. Her body was emaciated, skin ghostly pale beneath the dim torchlight. Her breaths came shallow and uneven, and her eyelids fluttered like she was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. Every now and then, she stirred slightly—just enough to prove she was barely alive.
Seeing her like this sent a violent surge of rage boiling up in Luffy's chest, especially as memories of Nami's sunny smile flashed unbidden through his mind, which felt a world away from the frail figure shackled before him.
But he forced himself to stay calm. Blowing up at Isuka wouldn't help, and deep down, he knew this world didn't align perfectly with the one he remembered. There were too many inconsistencies, and he needed answers before jumping to conclusions.
Still... seeing Nami like this had already snapped something deep inside him, and someone was going to pay for this.
Unaware of the storm raging beneath Luffy's calm exterior, Isuka sighed and looked toward the girl in the cell, her expression darkening with a flicker of regret. "That's Nami," she said quietly, folding her arms across her chest. "Some poor girl from Cocoyasi Village. I don't know all the details, but from what I've pieced together from gossip around the base, Nezumi threw her in here about three months ago with no official charges."
"Three months..." Luffy muttered, taking another steadying breath.
"That's why I want to hire you," Isuka said, her voice firmer now, trying to meet the weight in his silence. "Break her out. Take her home. Back to Cocoyasi. That's all I'm asking." She turned to him, expecting a nod, maybe a smug reply. Instead, she was hit by the sheer force of fury burning in his eyes. The look startled her for a split second, but then she found herself quietly relieved. At least the boy standing in front of her still had enough humanity left to feel something for the girl in that cell. "You've already been paid," she added, trying to regain control of the conversation. "Just get her home safely. That's all."
"That's all, huh?" he repeated, shaking his head with a low, bitter laugh with no humor behind it. "Sure. I'll take her back to Cocoyasi. But then what? When your precious captain comes back and finds the cell empty, where do you think he'll go first? He won't be looking for me—he'll go straight to her village. And this time, he might not stop at just throwing her in another cage. Maybe he makes an example out of her. Maybe someone else in that village pays the price."
"So tell me," Luffy continued, his voice colder now. "How exactly do you plan to protect her then? What are you going to do when that mouse-faced bastard comes storming in with a squad of Marines and the full weight of his rank behind him?
"I... I..." Isuka stammered, caught off guard. But then a thought struck her. "I could have him removed from his post. I know someone high up at Headquarters."
"And what if you don't?" Luffy pressed, stepping toward her, eyes locked on hers with quiet intensity. "What if your contact ignores you? What if they drag their feet or decide it's not worth the trouble? Would you stand against Nezumi then? Would you raise your sword against another Marine if that's what it took to protect an innocent?"
Something shifted in her gaze, the hesitation melting away under the weight of his question. Anger flickered across her face—not at him, but at the reality he'd forced her to confront. She met his eyes without flinching and stepped forward. "You think I chose to be a chore girl in this corrupt, rotting base?" she asked, her voice taut with frustration. "I've raised my sword against a fellow Marine once and for the right cause, I'd do it again."
Luffy studied her for a moment, then a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth—wry, but sincere. He clapped a hand on her shoulder, his tone softer now. "I knew I had a good feeling about you. You've got guts, I'll give you that. Why don't you come with me? I could use a feisty personality like you on my crew."
"No thanks," Isuka said, brushing his hand off and rolling her eyes. "I'm happy right where I am."
"Your loss," Luffy said with a shrug, though the amusement never quite left his voice. His expression then turned serious again as he turned back toward the cell. "Now then. Let's get Nami out of this hellhole."
Isuka nodded silently at Luffy's command and reached for the keys to Nami's cell, but before she could slide one into the lock, a sharp clinking sound cut through the stagnant air of the dungeon. With a startled jerk, she turned just in time to see the cell bars clatter to the floor in a clean heap of severed iron. She turned and saw Luffy standing in front of the cell, one hand extended and a crystalline dagger gleaming faintly in his grasp as he stepped calmly over the fallen bars and into the cell.
A moment later, he was in front of Nami. The closer he got, the more his expression darkened. Every step revealed another wound, another bruise, another silent cry etched into her skin. Her wrists were red and raw from the heavy shackles; her legs trembled weakly, unable to support her weight even if they'd been free. Cuts—some fresh, some barely scabbed over—ran across her arms and collarbone. She looked half-alive, somewhere between a fading dream and a lingering nightmare.
The sight clawed at Luffy's composure like barbed wire. His rage, which had been simmering under the surface, now surged up like a wave crashing against the inside of his skull. Each injury, each scar, told a story he didn't want to hear. And each detail fueled the growing fire in his gut with an overwhelming urge to strangle that mouse-faced bastard even more.
"Isuka, help me out," Luffy said, his voice rough but steady as he knelt beside Nami. His eyes never left her bruised frame. "Hold her still while I cut the restraints. In her condition, even the wrong angle could snap a bone."
Without hesitation, Isuka dropped to her knees beside him. Carefully, she slipped one arm beneath Nami's shoulders and the other beneath her knees, cradling her as gently as if she were made of glass. "Got it," she said softly.
With quiet precision, Luffy brought the dagger to the chains, slicing through iron links as though they were paper, and a moment later, a few soft clicks echoed through the chamber as the last shackle fell away.
The moment she was free, Luffy dismissed the dagger and pulled a soft blanket from his inventory. He draped it over Nami's fragile frame, tucking it gently around her before slipping his arms beneath her and lifting her into a princess carry. She felt weightless, far too light for his liking.
As he held her close, she stirred faintly against his chest. Her lips moved without force, barely forming words. But he caught them—soft, slurred whispers clinging to fading consciousness. She was calling out for Bell-mère... and for Nojiko. Luffy's grip tightened slightly as he looked down at her pale face. "I've got you now," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
"Luffy, this is where we part ways," Isuka said, halting just outside the cell. Her voice was steady, but there was a weariness underneath it. "I'm ready to face the consequences for what I've done here, but the longer I can keep our alliance off the record, the better. For both our sakes."
Luffy paused, shifting Nami slightly in his arms to glance back at her. "I get it," he said with a nod, his tone neither disappointed nor surprised. "Still... you sure you don't want to reconsider my offer? Someone like you could go far with us."
Isuka's lips tightened, her expression unreadable. She didn't answer immediately. Vice Admiral Tsuru's teachings echoed in her head like ghosts. Finally, she met his eyes and shook her head. "No. I don't," she said, firm now. Then, with a hint of playful defiance curling her lips, she added, "And next time we meet, we might be enemies—so don't expect me to go easy on you," with a teasing wink.
Luffy chuckled, a low sound that carried a surprising warmth. "Then I guess I'd better step up my training," he replied. He turned to leave, but after a few steps, something changed. Isuka felt it immediately—an invisible shift in the air, like pressure dropping before a storm. The warmth was gone. In its place, a chill that prickled against the skin. Luffy stopped, his back to her, and when he spoke again, his voice was razor-sharp.
"By the way," he said, slow and deliberate, "if I ever run into Nezumi again... I'm going to kill him. Slowly."
The venom in his voice made the hairs on Isuka's neck rise. It wasn't a threat. It was a promise, delivered with ice-cold clarity.
She hesitated, then drew in a slow breath. "I won't stop you," she said at last. "But you do realize what that means, right? If you kill a Marine captain, the higher-ups will cover for him. His crimes will vanish from the records, and you'll be hunted personally with an agenda to avenge one of our own."
There was no hesitation in Luffy's response. Only scorn. "Wow," he scoffed. "You say that with a straight face and still choose to stay loyal to people who'd rather cover up filth than clean it." His gaze narrowed slightly, not in anger, but in disappointment. "You keep talking about justice, but you're still wearing the same uniform as the man who tortured this girl."
Isuka looked away, her jaw tightening. She wanted to argue, but the words wouldn't come. Tsuru's ideals, once her guiding star, now felt more like chains. Her silence stretched out, heavy and bitter.
Luffy looked forward again. "Anyway, I'm fine with being hunted. If sticking to my principles means becoming the villain in someone else's story, so be it. And in my opinion, anyone who'd hurt an innocent girl like this... doesn't deserve to live."
For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Isuka let out a breath, a dry laugh slipping from her lips. "You know, Luffy... why don't you come with me?" she said, half-serious. "The Marines could use someone principled and passionate like you."
He turned just slightly, enough for her to catch the smirk tugging at his mouth. "No thanks. I'm happy right where I am," he said, echoing her earlier words with a lightness that made her eyes narrow in reluctant amusement. Then, without another word, he turned again and began walking away.
But after a few steps, he stopped once more. This time, he didn't turn. His voice came over his shoulder, calm but leaden with something heavier than rage.
"Oh, and Isuka... it wasn't pirates who burned down your village."
The words hit her like a slap.
He continued, voice steady but laced with quiet weight. "It was Vice Admiral Draw. And if you don't believe me, ask your old instructor. She might have the answers you've been looking for."
Then he walked away for good, carrying Nami in his arms, the soft blanket still wrapped tightly around her. Isuka, on the other hand, stood frozen, a dozen memories crashing into her all at once. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, her mind spinning as Tsuru's face and teachings blurred together with the cries of her parents and the village lost to fire.
******
"And that's what happened," Luffy said as he looked around at his crew.
It was late into the night following the raid, and everyone was gathered on the deck, seated in a loose circle beneath the stars, listening as Luffy explained how he'd ended up rescuing Nami, who was still unconscious, resting in the girls' quarters.
"Damn... I knew the Marines were scum, but this..." Uta muttered, her voice low with disgust. Her fists were clenched tightly in her lap, and her expression was sharp with fury. But when she looked back at Luffy, some of that edge softened. "You did the right thing, taking her in."
"Yeah," Kuina added, her arms crossed as she leaned back against the mast, scowling. "But someone's gotta make that bastard pay. For what he did to her. For what he's probably done to who knows how many other girls."
"Don't worry," Luffy said, his eyes fixed on the horizon. The sea stretched out before them, dark and endless. "He'll get what's coming to him. Sooner than he thinks."
Reiju tilted her head, one brow raised. "You're talking about Cocoyasi Village, aren't you?" she asked. "You really think, out of all the islands under the 16th Branch's jurisdiction, he's going to show up there?"
"I do," Luffy answered without hesitation. He turned slightly, a small but knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Call it intuition. Or maybe something more. Either way... I've got my reasons. And I think the pieces are already moving. That mouse-faced bastard's fate is going to bring him straight to his doom."
Zoro let out a snort and tipped back a flask of wine he'd looted from Nezumi's personal stash. "You really believe in something as dumb as fate?" he asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "What's next, you gonna tell us you're a god sent to liberate the world?"
Luffy burst into laughter, the sound echoing off the waves and into the night. "No, no, I'm no god," he said between chuckles, shaking his head at the irony. "But I do think that fate has a wicked sense of humor and brings interesting people together in interesting places to spice up the world."
His crew smiled, some more skeptically than others, but the tension that had lingered since the dungeon story eased just a little. After that, they chatted for a little while longer before one by one, the crew peeled away to their quarters or their posts, leaving the deck quiet once more.
All except for Zoro, who remained leaning against the railing beside Luffy, arms folded and his expression unreadable. The swordsman was unusually quiet, staring out at the moonlit sea with a thoughtful frown.
"Something on your mind?" Luffy asked, glancing up from where he sat.
Zoro took a moment before responding, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah... How did you know it was a Marine who burned down that girl's village?"
Luffy blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Wait... how do you know I said that?" he asked slowly. "I don't remember telling anyone."
Zoro just shrugged, entirely nonchalant. "We all saw it in the flashback."
"You... saw it... in the flashback?" Luffy repeated, each word slower than the last. He stared at Zoro, trying to determine if he was joking, but Zoro's face was as serious as ever. Luffy sighed heavily and ran a hand down his face. "Zoro, for the love of god... stop breaking the fourth wall."
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "What wall?"
Luffy groaned. "If you keep this up, that stupid meme's gonna come true. You'll wander off during a toilet break and end up in Naruto or Attack on Titan. And then I'll have to waste a whole damn side story just to go drag your mossy ass back."
Zoro blinked once. "That explains the talking raccoon with the huge ass gun I passed last week..."
Luffy stared at him in horror. "What?!"
But Zoro had already turned away, casually taking a swig from the wine he'd pilfered from Nezumi's stash. "Anyway. I'm gonna get some sleep. Wake me when it's my turn to watch the ship," he said, already strolling off like none of the bizarre conversation had happened.
Luffy watched him go, face in his hands. "I swear... one of these days, I'm just going to put a GPS tracker on that idiot."
******
It had been two days since Luffy and his crew raided the 16th Branch, and in that time, Isuka had barely left her quarters. She kept herself locked away, avoiding the others on base. Not that anyone noticed or cared, since the entire outpost was steeped in silent dread, each Marine more concerned with their own fate than the absence of one newly arrived choregril. Everyone was waiting for the inevitable: Nezumi's return and the storm of fury he'd bring with him once he discovered the wreckage left behind.
But none of that mattered to Isuka.
Not when her mind had been consumed by one sentence that refused to let go of her: "It wasn't pirates who burned down your village. It was Vice Admiral Draw." Luffy's words hadn't just surprised her—they had shattered the foundation of everything she believed in.
And the worst part was... it made sense.
Logically, it made sense. She had seen Draw's reckless disregard for civilian lives firsthand during that infamous battle against Fire Fist Ace. That incident was the very reason she had been demoted to this dumpster of a base—because she had dared to prioritize saving civilians and called out Draw's reckless actions, questioned the needless destruction he caused, and in doing so, unknowingly bruised the ego of a powerful man.
What made it all worse—the part that still twisted like a knife in her gut—was that Ace, the so-called pirate, had fought to protect the civilians alongside her. While Draw rained destruction on friend and foe alike, it was Ace who shielded the innocent. It was the pirate who showed more justice than the Marine.
And yet, despite everything—despite the logic, the memories, the buried suspicions—her heart still refused to accept it. The man who had once saved her life, the man whose back she had followed into battle, whose ideals she had believed in so fiercely... could he truly be the one who had destroyed her home? Could the very person she had admired all these years be the reason she had no family to return to?
And then there was Luffy. A stranger. A pirate. Someone she had never met before that day—and yet he had spoken with absolute certainty about the darkest truth of her life. How could he have possibly known? How could he understand something she had spent years trying to bury?
But that question, like so many others, was quickly swept away by the storm raging inside her. Doubt. Grief. Confusion. Rage. The truths she had believed in were crumbling, and she needed answers soon before losing her mind.
Finally, she made up her mind and decided to heed Luffy's advice
She crossed her room, pulled out a small Den Den Mushi she had swiped from one of the administrative offices shortly after being assigned to the base, and set it on the desk. For several minutes, she just stood there, staring at the snail-phone in silence as her fingers hovered over the dial, then retreated, then hovered again.
Finally, she took a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and punched in the number.
After a few seconds, a familiar voice answered on the other end. "This is Marine Vice Admiral Tsuru. Who is this?"
"Hello, Instructor Tsuru. It's Isuka," she replied, struggling to keep her voice even, to sound composed.
"Oh dear, it's you," came the older woman's warm, familiar voice. There was a touch of concern in it, laced with affection. "How are you holding up? I imagine things are a bit less chaotic than they were in the Grand Line?"
"Yes... it's been quiet," Isuka said, though her thoughts were anything but. The words she had spent days preparing scattered the moment she heard Tsuru's voice. The old Marine had raised her students like her own children—part mentor, part mother, part friend. And now, asking a question that could shatter that image made her hesitate. For the first time in a long while... she was afraid.
"I understand, dear. And don't worry—I've been pushing for your reinstatement. But the complaint Vice Admiral Draw filed against you is... thorough," Tsuru sighed. "He claims your actions directly allowed Fire Fist Ace to escape. Under normal circumstances, it might not have carried so much weight, but Ace being one of Whitebeard's commanders? That's what made the situation much more serious on your end."
"I was saving civilians!" Isuka snapped, emotion cracking through her voice. "Doesn't that mean anything anymore?"
"Calm down, dear," Tsuru said gently, though her tone grew a little firmer. "I know where you're coming from, I do. And believe me, you're not being condemned for saving lives. But not everyone sees things through that lens. To the higher-ups, your decision compromised a golden opportunity to capture a high-value target. And that... that's what turned the tide against you."
Isuka closed her eyes, feeling the lump in her throat grow heavier. "I see..." she whispered, gripping the receiver so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Instructor Tsuru... please be honest with me. What's your personal opinion of what I did that day?"
The line went silent for a long, heavy moment.
When Tsuru finally spoke, her voice had softened to a quiet murmur. "Isuka... as your former instructor, I'm proud of you. You followed your conscience and chose to protect the innocent. That takes strength. But as your superior officer... I'm disappointed. You had a chance to assist in capturing a key figure in the world's most dangerous pirate crew, and you let that chance slip through your fingers. You could have helped neutralize the threat first, then turned to the civilians. I respect your heart, truly. But in this job... sometimes a few lives are considered an acceptable loss when weighed against the capture of someone like Ace. That's the brutal truth of it."
"I understand..." Isuka said softly, her tone suddenly became flat, almost eerily calm, like the eye of a storm. There was a long pause. Then, without emotion, she added, "But tell me something, Vice Admiral Tsuru... who really burned down my village?"
To be continued...