Summary: An unexpected addition, but not an unwelcome one. The more people that join the fish fry, the better, right?

Warning! Chapters 13-18 were all posted together! Make sure you don't miss any of them!

Chapter 17: How to Gut a Shark in Four Easy Steps

... ...

The first thing the group had done after cashing in Buggy and his officers' bounties was stop by Syrup village. They had made a few quick trips there to check in on Usopp and continue Kaya's treatment after the past several months, but this was the first time they would be taking Usopp with them as a crew member. The teen had been surprised, and worried given this was technically a bit of 'shoving him in the deep end.' He had been reassured, however, by the fact that they weren't expecting him to fight the Arlong Pirates officers or anything. Instead, they were intending to pair him with Zoro to pick off members of a patrol heading to one of the other towns on the Conomi Islands.

There were nineteen such villages, aside from Nami's own Cocoyasi village, and each of them were visited once a month for their 'tax,' by an officer and a small group of fishmen. With such collections due in just a few days, they would be slipping onto the island and using the chance provided to eliminate the two officers, Chew and Kuroobi, who were normally assigned that task. Nami would be easily able to get their schedule by the simple expedient of taking some of the bounty money to pay Arlong Cocoyasi's own 'tax.' Since she was technically an officer of the crew herself, it would be trivial for her to learn which villages the two other officers would be visiting when.

Nami would get in and provide the information, then pair up with Kuina while Zoro did the same with Usopp. Each pair would eliminate one of the officers and his patrol, while Luffy himself dealt with Hatchan. The octopus fishman was regularly set to patrol the other villages at random during the collection period, with no set pattern. Luffy, since he was able to take the form of a falcon, would easily be able to pick him out despite that random factor and eliminate him while he, too, was separated from Arlong. The fact that Nami actually asked for Hatchan to be spared, the fishman apparently having been the only one among the pirates to be unfailingly kind and protective to a young Nami, only made it more important for Luffy to handle him. He was far more capable of handling someone non-lethally than Kuina or Zoro were.

The plan had made Nami far more confident and, in truth, eased Luffy's own concerns about not having a true grasp on how dangerous Arlong and his crew really were. With the three officers and as many as a dozen of the lower-level crew taken out of the picture before they even struck at Arlong Park, the odds would tilt far more heavily in their favor. Particularly as they would all be able to meet up again right before hitting Arlong's base, to double check that nothing had gone wrong. It was thus that they set out to the Conomi Islands with their four-step plan in place.

Step 1) Nami pays Arlong and finds out where the other officers will be.

Step 2) They eliminate those officers when they are isolated from each other on collection day.

Step 3) Tear Arlong's Nose off and shove it up his asshole.

Step 4) Profit! Or, well, free the island at least. Then profit later from the bounties that the WG was still obligated to pay…

... ...

The first part of their plan had gone perfectly. Though it had come with a small, unexpected complication when they had to talk the villagers out of a revolt. Thankfully, even if it grated for him to do so, Luffy was able to trade on his name and Grandfather's reputation to convince the locals to let his group of bounty hunters try their plan first. The fact that Nami seemed decently confident in them had helped, as had the fact that their reputation for taking in a few high-value bounties had begun to circulate at least a little bit. That reputation was under the Five Swords name that Garp had created without asking them, but that was…mostly fine. For now.

It had also given them the chance to meet Nami's sister, Nojiko, as they camped out at the pairs house. To Luffy's complete surprise, he'd quickly realized that Nojiko was actually a better trained fighter than Nami was. Once their course was set, she'd demanded to be included in one of the teams…and kicked Usopp's ass to prove that she was capable of helping. Kuina or Zoro would have taken her apart, of course. But she'd wielded a marine-issue rifle in an acrobatic combat style Luffy had seen before from the small number of female Marines that make it past the lowest ranks. Despite being taken off guard by it, he'd also quickly recognized that many of the stances and moves Nami used with her staff were adapted versions of the same style. When he asked about it afterward, Nojiko smirked at him, but was happy enough to answer.

"Mom trained me a bit, since I'm older than Nami…and we still have her training manuals. They were supposed to be preparation manuals for lieutenants like mom to be considered for farther promotion? I've done my best to learn from them, since I always suspected it would come to violence in the end. Mom actually got the drop on Arlong, had a rifle shoved into his mouth and everything…she just didn't pull the trigger since she didn't realize he could literally bite the barrel off and was trying to scare them off."

Luffy blinked at that. Bell-mère had nearly managed to take Arlong out? An East Blue lieutenant? Then again, that was almost twenty years ago, when the East Blue hadn't been as…carefully pruned back. Rodger and Garp were both from the East Blue, after all. It hadn't always produced mostly weaklings. The Marines had just made a major effort to suppress it in the wake of Rodger, resulting in its current reputation. Still, it did beg a question.

"So…why does Nami use a staff? Shouldn't she have learned from the manuals too?"

Nami…blushed and stare at a wall, even as Nojiko laughed.

"Nami's decent enough in close range…but she can't hit the broadside of a barn with a gun! Absolutely terrible depth perception!"

Luffy blinked, then couldn't help but laugh himself as Nami's blush deepened. He did mentally adjust a few of his plans involving the redhead, though. Along with another little tidbit.

"You know, if you fight, you're going to end up being a target. I don't know if you know this, but…"

Luffy launched into the story of Arlong's past again, for Nojiko's benefit. This time, however, he made a point to highlight for both Nami and Nojiko that the World Government was unlikely to be happy with Arlong's death. And killing him was the only way to be sure they wouldn't release him again. While Luffy's name and the fact they were bounty hunters turning in a legitimate bounty would shield them from official action, others might see some backlash if they weren't similarly protected. Nami was frowning, but Nojiko proved she was insightful but cottoning on almost immediately to what he was suggesting.

"You think we should both join up with you."

Nami's head snapped around to stare at her sister in surprise, even as Luffy nodded.

"I was going to ask Nami regardless. She mentioned to Kuina that she'd once dreamed of mapping the entire world, and since we're heading for the grand line in less than a year, I figured she might want to come. There are risks to that, particularly with that goal, since the WG isn't going to like someone other than them mapping the Grand Line at all. But if she really wants to do it, going with a crew she trusts is the best way."

Luffy could already see sparks of that dream dancing in Nami's eyes. It was still overshadowed by Arlong for the moment. But this Nami hadn't lost hope nearly as much as she would have without meeting Luffy early. That dream was still very real for her and he could see right then and there that she'd be coming with, if they all survived Arlong. That just left her sister to possibly convince.

"As for you…if you don't want to go that far with us, it still might be a good idea to join up with us for a few months while the heat dies down. If you do a few bounties with us, aside from Arlong's, you'll end up associated with our group in the Marine files. Which should shield you somewhat even after we leave. Though if, as I suspect might happen, we eventually get labeled as outlaws because we refuse not to help in situations exactly like this…"

Nojiko's eyes hardened, but she looked thoughtful.

"I'll…consider it. Assuming we make it that far."

Luffy grinned and gave the older girl a confident smirk.

"We will. Count on it."

... ...

Kuina was far calmer than her companion. She didn't blame her friend. Nami, for all that she'd proven to be quite talented with her staff, wasn't a natural born fighter. Worse, she'd been subject to terrorization by the people they were about to confront from a very young age. It would have been far more unnatural if she wasn't afraid, even if that thought made Kuina's blood boil. The anger almost made it to her expression, before she forced herself back to a state of serenity. That control was what separated her from Zoro. Her boyfriend was a man of passions and, when truly pushed to the edge of his talent, it got in the way of his swordsmanship. Not by much, and far less so now that he'd finally grasped the trick behind Observation Haki and realized how much swordsmen naturally drew on Spiritual Energy. But her far deeper understanding of that fact was precisely why he'd yet to ever beat her. In the tranquility of her combat state, she was always just half a heartbeat ahead of him, better attuned to the world around her than he was.

Not that she didn't appreciate that passion of his in other ways. But that was that and this was this. More to the point, perhaps, she'd also just picked up the fishmen coming into range of her Haki. Curiously, she noticed Nami perk up almost at the same time. Was her friend naturally predisposed for Observation? It was something to consider once this was over and she joined them full-time. For now, however, they had a job to do.

"Do you wish to confront them with their crimes? Or simply attack? This is your moment of both justice and vengeance, so we will do as you wish."

Nami quickly shook her head.

"No need for confrontation. The only words I have are for Arlong himself. And best we not risk the chance of any of them trying to run."

Kuina nodded. That was the correct choice, tactically. But some things were more important than tactics, and she'd have cheerfully let Nami get her words in, if she'd felt the need.

"Very well, there are four of them. I will take out one of the weaklings before attacking the strongest. Defeat the other two if you can, keep them busy and prevent them from running if you can't. Prepare yourself."

Kuina half closed her eyes. They were standing right in the road just outside a small village, but had chosen a bit of said road that curved around a stand of trees. The fishmen couldn't see them yet. They would only clear the trees in…three…two…one. NOW! Kuina flashed forward in Soru, Wado Ichimonji flashing from its sheath in a lighting fast iaijutsu strike aimed at the second strongest aura in the group of four fishman. The salmon fishman the strike was aimed for never had a chance, the blade striking his head from his shoulders in a brutal opening move that sent a geyser of blood fountaining over the remaining trio.

Not a drop of it touched Kuina, of course, already having moved beyond them. To his credit, the large fishman named Kuroobi actually did manage to follow her movement, if only just barely. He was stunned for only a moment before roaring in rage and launching himself at her. She didn't flinch, merely dodging smoothly to one side as her Haki indicated. She wasn't quite at the point where she could predict the near future with it…but combined with her own skill at reading opponents, she could read this man's movements with disappointing ease. Oh, he was by far the strongest opponent outside her own group she'd faced so far…but compared to Zoro, Luffy, and the monster that was Garp, he was pathetic. Though not so much that she could finish the fight without putting in at least a little effort.

Thankfully, Nami seemed to have gotten the jump on the other two with the metal staff Luffy had provided her. Its additional heft had allowed her to knock one of them out from behind, and she seemed to be managing well enough with the second for now. With no need to rush to her aid, Kuina stuck to her usual style of cold calculation, her dodges baiting the fishman into a mistake. That mistake came quickly and Wado Ichimonji flickered through his guard, drawing a line across his throat. She tisked as his durable skin turned the blow enough to keep it from being fatal, going on the attack as he recoiled from the shock of the near deathblow.

Kuroobi was better on the defense than he had been on the offense, but he couldn't even begin to match Kuina's speed. She cut a dozen shallow wounds into his body as she got the measure of both his skill and durability. Then, with a smirk, she did something unrefined that she'd learned from her desperate struggles again Garp. The highspeed spinning kick had far more power behind it that the fishman expected, forcing his block high…too high. Her blade flickered in again, making use of that now-too-high guard and her own relative size versus him to stab forward and upward with her blade. The move, meant for piercing armor, bypassed his toughened skin with ease. She withdrew and sidestepped as blood gushed out, the fishman pawing uselessly at his ruined throat, before bleeding out less than thirty seconds later.

Kuina flicked the blood off Wado Ichimonji even as she turned to see a panting and wide-eyed Nami standing over the last of the fishmen, who her Haki was telling her was dead. Nodding with approval, she went to make sure her friend was uninjured, casually stomping on the head of the last living member of the group to make sure he was truly unconscious as she passed…

... ...

Zoro's eye twitched in irritation. On the one hand he was impressed. Usopp had managed to put a round from his new rifle, a design Luffy had called a 'Winchester Repeater' for reasons he'd never explained, through the eye of a moving fishman at 400 yards. On the other hand, he'd targeted the officer, Chew, when he'd done it! The younger man hadn't fired again, likely experiencing the shock typical of a first kill, but it had left Zoro only with the clean up of dealing with three relatively minor fishmooks!

At least the trio were fishmen, and two of them were sword users. Neither was particularly good, but they weren't bad either, worked together well, and their extreme strength certainly let them keep up with Zoro better than most. Even so, and even holding back from using any advanced techniques, the trio hadn't really given him much of a fight. Which was irritating, even if he did understand that Usopp had technically made the right call. Add in the fact that the younger man was likely suffering a bit of a shock at the moment and Zoro would refrain from bitching about it…and possibly buy the kid man a drink? Ugh, he wasn't the right one to deal with this. As long as Usopp wasn't completely losing his shit, Luffy or Kuina could deal with it later…

... ...

Luffy hadn't had any particular trouble spotting Hatchan's wanderings. He'd trailed the fishman, accompanied by a pair of his fellows as an unexpected addition, long enough to get a good idea where he was going. Returning to the hillside where he'd left Nojiko, he shifted from his Falcon form into human form in a perfect transition to land on his feet. That had…taken a lot of practice. But the expression on Nojiko's face was worth it! Aside from Kuina and Zoro, who'd unfairly just quirked eyebrows with cool expressions, she was the first one to see it. Thankfully, she was properly appreciative of how awesome it had looked!

"Did you…practice that just to look cool?"

Damn it! Why did she catch on so quickly! The look of awe had been much better! Luffy wasn't going to answer such silly accusations! Ignoring the amused realization on his companion's face, he pointed back the way he'd seen Hatchan.

"He's headed toward one of the watch posts, with two others. I suspect they are the relief for whoever is out there, and he's just keeping them company. I'll take Mr. Octopus, if you want his hangers on?"

Nojiko's face shifted from amused to firm as she nodded. But then she cocked her head.

"How are we going to catch them? I can't exactly turn into a bird."

Luffy grinned. He'd always wanted to try this.

"Why, you're going to catch a ride, of course. Get on and mind you don't pull the fur!"

Nojiko gawked as he shifted again, this time taking a much larger form. He had to study an animal to some extent to become it…but there had been a nice, convenient source of giant tigers on Dawn Island. He'd studied only the most powerful of them, then enhanced everything about them, to make one of his true Zoan combat forms. Nearly seven foot tall at the shoulder, shaded in the same mix of white and electric blue that all his forms had, he was an impressive sight that made Nojiko take an instinctive step back.

Still, she gathered her courage when he leaned a shoulder down to encourage her to mount up, and jumped atop him. It took her a few moments to find a secure position, which sadly did pull at his fur a bit. But that was fine, honestly. It would be a short but awesome trip! Once she was braced, he took off like a shot, enjoying the involuntary scream his rider let out as they accelerated. After this, she wouldn't think to accuse him of trying to look cool again! She'd just know he was cool!

Of course, a giant fast-moving tiger was not subtle. His prey was able to react to him coming, Hatchan managing to dodge and pull one of his companions out of the way. The other took a brutal hit from Luffy's paw that sent him flying through two trees on the roadside…and then Luffy skidded to a halt and transformed back. He fumbled a bit to do it in a way that let him catch the wide-eyed Nojiko, but he managed by hip tossing her a tiny bit first, catching her and setting her down as he pointed to the remaining minion.

"You deal with him, and the other if he's still conscious. Octo-pirate-man is mine!"

Said pirate was visibly angry, switching from looking worriedly at where his second companion had been sent, to glaring at Luffy.

"You! What have you done! You might have really hurt Trebile! Why, I should hurt you for that! Unless it was an accident?"

Luffy sweat dropped at that, and the change in tone from anger to confusion as Hatchan asked that. He shook his head in denial, not really wanting to take advantage of the fishman's apparent good nature.

"Sorry, Hatchan. Not an accident. Arlong should have thought of the consequences of forcing Nami into a corner. She got help to deal with him. By now, it's likely Chew and Kuroobi are dead. Striking when you were all separated made this almost too easy. Still, Nami said you were the only one of the Ex-Sun Pirates to be kind to her, so if you surrender, I won't hurt you."

Hatchan's facial expression swung wildly for several seconds. Anger, guilt…acceptance? His voice was forlorn as he answered.

"I know what we have done is wrong. But Arlong is a friend. I will not betray him."

There were no more words as the octopus-man launched himself forward. He'd clearly recognized Luffy as a legitimate threat and wasn't holding back. It was almost a pity he didn't routinely carry his swords, as that might have been an interesting fight. As it was, Luffy simply used Soru to meet him halfway, not drawing his own entirely-to-lethal weapons and instead falling back on the brawling 'style' that he'd learned from Garp. His Observation Haki more than made up for Hatchan's additional limbs as they wove through an intricate dance, Luffy landing punishing blows as his opponent struggled to keep up.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nojiko coldly executing the fishmen she'd been left to deal with. Well, he couldn't fault her for that, given what she'd experienced. It did mean he should wrap his up, though. Instead of continuing to dodge, he grabbed one of Hatchan's tentacles a moment later, sending a carefully-metered jolt of electricity through the fishman. It was enough to make him spasm…and leave himself open to a brutal Haki-augmented blow to the head. Hopefully, he wouldn't recognize what had hit him. Or, if he did, at least wouldn't tell anyone about it. Sighing, he let the big man fall as he turned back to Nojiko. It was a bit telling that even she looked a little regretful about the need to knock the octopus man out. But then, he supposed she likely had a soft spot for someone who'd apparently done his best to protect her little sister from Arlong's anger.

"Well, ready for another ride~? We have to get to the meeting point, after all. From what I saw in the air, it looked like the others were already finishing up before we started."

Nojiko smirked at his phrasing…and proved a moment later that she was much more capable of a sultry stalk than Nami was just yet. Luffy gulped, instantly regretting the teasingly suggestive tone he'd put in the comment. At least he could transform again to escape. Sort of. It wasn't like he was immune to the feel of her wrapping her body around him just because he was a tiger, after all…

... ... ...

A/N: So, the main note here...you should be realizing by now that this Luffy isn't as G-Rated as the original. While he's not a murderous psychopath, he's also aware that leaving live enemies behind you to get back up after you've merely knocked them out is...unwise.

The other note here...yes, I made Nojiko more badass. Yes, you guessed right and she's one of the people I'm intending to add to the crew. I could have tormented you by making you wait for next month's release for confirmation of that but...nah. I'm not mean like that. As with Kaya, Nojiko will be getting some serious development to make her into a proper character. Not just an extra body to have around.