Chapter 8: Now That’s Orange (8)

"Man, losing all the blood sure made me spout some embarrassing shit," Brody pouted before filling his heart and soul with a delicious fried chicken breast. The night was still young and while Nami and Nojiko were sleeping, the entire village was once again abuzz. This time, the 'Pirates' took proper measures as Brody was entirely done with Arlong and the Straw Hats took care of the rest once he left the area.

The 'monster' that everyone was so scared of was actually a cow sea beast... the one Brody gave all his food to last night before eventually wandering over to Nojiko's farm today. There were few survivors this time around and even the marines were tied down. But the main problem for the village was how to make sure that the other marines they eventually call to arrest the crooks believe them.

To any fresh set of gaze, it would look like Cocoyashi Village banded with other pirates to take out one pirate group AND a batch of marines...

Fortunately, once Nezumi was stacked. Stacks of bills that amounted to millions of belly were just lying in his pockets. Talk about dumb luck. But while Genzo worried that it still wasn't hard evidence, the pirates that were still free enjoyed themselves.

Brody, Luffy, and others couldn't care that much about it in the first place, and even if Arlong did survive after having some of Mohmoo's milk that stopped the bleeding, Luffy still ended up punching the man once again.

Well, Brody was kind of satisfied that the mystery of how the fishmen healed so quickly was cleared. Mohmoo belonged to the species of sea beasts whose milk readily increased the activity of a Fishman's body and that's why Arlong and his men even brought Mohmoo from Grandline, or so Hachi claimed before being tied down, too.

This gave way to another mystery. Mohmoo was a male specimen. So what was the 'milk' exactly?

Brody shook himself out of these thoughts and relished the dishes that only affirmed his desire for a cook to eat as lavishly as he did tonight!

"Speaking of losing blood," Zoro drank from the bottle while looking at Brody who had freshened up, "Have you eaten a Devil Fruit, too? You don't have a single scar..."

"I don't think I've eaten one," Brody replied in a muffled tone while eating, "Else I wouldn't have been able to swim around. Besides, no point in wasting your brain cells over my body. I'm built differently from you guys."

"Tch," with his cheeks inflated even when he hadn't done all that much, Luffy clicked his tongue, "That's mine!" His arms stretched out to grab the last piece of chicken breast but the 'punk' clearly forgot that he had been meeting his match and even more for a while as Brody picked Luffy's hands and bit on them instead!

"Ow!!!!"

"Idiots! Stop shouting, you'll wake Nami and Nojiko-san!" Sanji screamed while fueling the flames to the highest while preparing something else for them to eat.

"Then you should stop shouting, too..." Usopp rubbed the back of his head.

"It's fine... I woke up a few minutes ago," Nojiko stepped out while rubbing her bruised neck with an uncomfortable expression. She and Nami had been largely patched up by the village doctor so her face was almost covered in bandages at the moment.

"Ah~ Nojiko-san~!" Sanji whimpered while swirling and suddenly having a dish prepared in his hands, "I prepared something soothing for you to eat!"

"I thought... we only had chicken..." Brody muttered as he looked at the rather well-garnished plate hands to Nojiko as his lips parted and drool escaped through.

"Must... try some..." Luffy stared at Nojiko hungrily, too.

Unfazed by their antics, Nojiko smiled, "Brody... can we speak privately?"

---

"This is your mother's grave? Bellemere, huh... she clearly did something right while raising the two of you," Brody smiled before his glance landed on the plate of sweet treats in Nojiko's hand who blinked and offered them, "Would you like some... Captain?"

Brody's expression froze for a second and he frowned, "Really? You're in?"

A little surprised herself, Nojiko questioned in return, "Why is it that you sound more... surprised? I thought you wanted me..." the pause seemed rather intentional as the woman continued, "in your crew."

"Well, let's see... I invited Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Hachi, Genzo, and Mohmoo... only you accepted it. By the way, I'd love some of it," he picked up the honey treat and bit into it as the sweetness practically slathered every corner of his tongue, "Oh... mmgh... really need a cook."

"I can be a cook," Nojiko readily agreed.

"Don't be a fool," Brody scoffed, "Didn't you not want to be helpless anymore? I'll train ya... when I have the time."

"So... what should I do? Nami is a navigator—navigator—"

"Did she agree?" Brody inquired quickly as Nojiko shrugged, "Maybe that could be my job? Inviting others to the crew reasonably? Anyway... about your partner... does she have a defined role?"

"Oh," he grinned, "A medic. She's quite great. Can't wait for you two sisters to meet her. Anyway... when do you guys want to leave? I will have to adjust the plan accordingly since... truth be told, having two of you ride me during the travel would be more of a hassle. So I was thinking of... borrowing a boat from my good friends~!"

Nojiko hummed loudly while looking at the grave. "I think... no, I have a plan, Captain... but that would make me exercise my right as an Elder Sibling which snatches away anything that the younger sibling can ever hope to accomplish... would it be the right thing to do?"

She stared at Brody for a while as he looked into the distance with the moonlight reflecting over his body. A lot more serious, Brody whispered, "Is your plan the kind that would kick the competitors in nuts?"

"I wouldn't put it that way since Luffy and others did help the village but... yes." Nojiko looked a little ashamed of herself and wondered how easily she had fallen so low to try and fulfill his wishes. And why? All he did was save her and her sister from a possible life of enslavement that could have only ended with their lives...

"Do it!" Brody grinned.

"Hmm... then you must help me carry a few things from my home including Nami herself. She's too tired to even turn during her sleep... sigh... under the seventh tree in the third row from the corner most window of the cottage..." Nojiko began explaining her plan as Brody grew impressed by the end of it and the thought of a raging Bendy Boi and Twirly Brows made him all the more excited.

As such, while almost all villagers remained awake to keep a lookout for the Fishman and Nezumi, they had also called for Marines and prayed for the best. But things shifted and moved quietly as the Straw Hats slept in Nojiko's cottage itself.

---

"Oi! Luffy, wake up!"

Zoro shouted as Luffy slowly woke up after the umpteenth tap on the top of his head and yawned, "What? Is it breakfast time already?"

"Marines have surrounded the cottage!" Zoro hissed.

"Hah? Did that mouse marine guy do something again?" Luffy blinked.

"That's not it..." Sanji 'calmly' drank his tea, "The marines have captured Nezumi, his men, and the Fishmen. The Fishmen actually confessed about everything readily. But..." breaking apart the handle of the cup as it crashed onto the table, Sanji sobbed, "Nami-san left with that red-haired bastard!"

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"What?!" Luffy shouted in surprise.

"So? Where to next?" Zoro inquired, "Oh, and Brody also stole one of the spare boats we used to arrive on the island.

---

"Mmgh~!" A satisfied groan escaped Nami's lips as she stretched her arms and sat up, "Ah... waking up to the ocean is best." She narrowed her eyes pleasantly and then grew stiff.

Ocean?

Nami looked around and rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming or anything. The distant chirps and caws of birds, the soothing sound of tides, and... the sight of her elder sister on another, wildly larger man's lap as he paddled the ship looked all too real.

With her lips parting in surprise, Nami looked highly sleepy to even understand the situation and just questioned, "If I jump down this boat and drown... would I wake up from this nightmare—"

A tide hit them, making the boat rock up as Nojiko yelped and scooched back into Brody while Nami heard a familiar... jingle.

It was smooth.

It was the sweetest sound ever.

Nami slowly turned back, her neck and body ached at the action but the boat had a small compartment while she was sleeping on the surface of the boat and taking up the rest of the area... maybe that was why Nojiko had to sit where she could find some accommodating space. But all these thoughts rushed out of her head as she saw the small compartment filled with stacks of Belli, golden bricks, coins, expensive decorative materials, and a few luxurious paintings all fit into the small space.

"This... isn't a nightmare..." Nami whispered, "This is the most beautiful dream!"

---

Once Nami calmed down, she was more than annoyed and had a LOT to say.

"I can't believe you two really thought that bringing my stash of belly that I saved to free the villagers and adding it with your loot from Arlong Park would convince me to join you!"

Nojiko, still on Brody's lap, looked at him and then they looked at Nami once again who had a red crown on her head, necklaces, rings, and bracelets of gold decorating her body, and the other half of the boat fully layered by stacks of Bellies to sit on.

"Nami... you're not convincing us of your anger at all..." Nojiko sighed with a smile as Nami glared at her elder sister, "Why are you still sitting on him?"

"Well, first, with you sleeping, I didn't really have much space so Captain, again, offered to be responsible for my comfort and provided me with a seat... and now, you covered the ship with money. I don't think I can sit anywhere but on our Captain's lap at this point." The fact that Nojiko looked rather calm about it didn't help Nami at all as she crossed her arms and huffed.

"You two broke my trust!" Nami complained, "I can't believe you thought kidnapping me was the right move!"

"Now, now... Brody has something to say, too," Nojiko chuckled while he nodded.

"First of all, let me say that you barely weigh a thing so, if you want to sit here, you can do so whenever you like," Brody smiled while rowing the boat with ease, "Second, and most obviously... the money you had saved will be yours and so will Arlong's loot. So? What do you say, I can make you even richer if you join us."

"No... sigh, you two don't get it... 90 something Belly I had saved up was... for the village. I intended to leave it with the villagers."

Brody and Nojiko blinked. This really came as a surprise and he offered, "Want me to row back to the village?"

"Don't be a fool!" Nami hissed before... stroking the gold, "This is fate... why should we go against it."

"But!" Sharply looking over at Brody, Nami continued, "JUST 100 million isn't enough..." with a smile greedier than Brody or Luffy when they encounter food, Nami licked her lips, "I want to clean out your entire crew~!"

"Done," Brody agreed readily as his enthusiasm stumped Nami for a second who then eventually nodded, "Fine... I will join Devil Back Pirates... and you can rest assured, I'll never betray you."

"I wasn't worried about that," Brody chuckled while Nami questioned, "Why is our crew called Devil Back?"

"I named it after my goal," Brody smiled, "Maybe I will eventually reach him... or have it. Anyway, now is the time for you to meet your crewmate. Meet Nojiko, your elder sister... and the new Finance Officer of the crew. She is the one who will dedicate expenses— be it personal or dedicated to the crew!"

Nami's smile froze up while Nojiko's broadened ever so slightly.

Brody gave an even more impish grin as he observed how Nami realized that she had been fooled and laughed, "Welcome to the Devil Back, Navigator-san... now, how about we go to Loguetown~?"

Nami deflated while Brody took out fruit from the nearest sack as they had prepared some rations and bit on it, making Nojiko and Nami shiver as they couldn't imagine eating the peel, too.

"Damn, that's good ora— tangerine!"

"Actually, Captain," Nojiko, again, shuffled a bit where she sat while turning to look at him with slightly upturned eyes as if trying to cause a knowing reaction, "That's an orange."

***

Current Crew of Devil Back Pirates:

Captain: Brody

Medic: ??

Finance: Nojiko

Navigator: Nami.

The question is, do I make it an all-women harem ship or include some guys?

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