The journey back to the base had been quiet – at least after Hiro had managed to silence Nami's outraged protests by stuffing her mouth with his handkerchief.
Once there, he dragged her into an interrogation cell, cuffing her to the chair before finally removing the gag.
"Feeling more cooperative now?" he asked, taking a seat across from her.
Nami glared, shifting her jaw with an irritated look. "I don't see what you think you're going to get out of this. You know I work for Arlong, right?" She angled her shoulder toward him, displaying the tattoo with a kind of defiance that only thinly veiled her uncertainty.
In the waters near the Conomi islands, No one dared to disobey Arlong, Arlong had all officials of Marines on his payroll, either with money or with fear, Arlong controlled these waters in its entirety.
The reason why she was so shocked was because she hadn't thought that any Marine officer would have the balls to arrest a member of Arlong Pirates right on their Home Island, that too from the village closest to Arlong Park.
Hiro leaned back, arms crossed, smirking. "Arlong, huh? A fishman pretending he's king of the ocean in a puddle of his own making. Please. He's just another lowlife pirate who got lucky. I could crush him."
The boldness of his words caught Nami off guard.
She'd never heard a Marine talk this way, least of all about Arlong. The fear the fishman commanded was real, ingrained in the hearts of everyone on Conomi Islands. "Do you have a death wish?" she asked, a spark of both fear and admiration in her gaze.
"Death wish?" He leaned forward, his eyes glinting. "Let him come. He's nothing. You, however…" His tone softened, but there was a sharpness in his voice that sent a shiver down her spine.
"And you should be focusing on yourself before worrying about me, don't you think so" he said as he rested his palms on her shoulders.
As soon as his hands made contact, her entire body shuddered as Nami felt an ominous feeling.
"I know who you are, Nami. All those millions in stolen goods, all those lives you've swindled. The fact that Arlong even let you stay alive is impressive." Hiro said deviously with ulterior motives hidden behind his words.
"You…you don't know anything about me," she stammered, suddenly defensive.
"Sure, I don't. But I do know one thing." He said, tightening his grip around her shoulder as she stiffened, feeling the weight of his presence. "There's only one place for people like you…Impel Down."
The name dropped like a stone, her blood turning to ice. She knew about Impel Down – the prison that lay at the bottom of the sea, where criminals were sent to rot, tortured for decades.
Her heart raced, her breath quickening as the implications settled in. "No…you wouldn't…"
"Oh, I would," he said, feigning a thoughtful look. "The warden down there? He's known to melt insubordinates. So, tell me, Nami…how long do you think you'd last?"
She bit her lip, her face a mask of horror as tears began to well in her eyes. She'd fought tooth and nail to keep Cocoyashi village afloat, scraping every coin she could to free her people from Arlong's grip.
If she disappeared, everything she'd worked for would vanish. Her people would be left with nothing but Arlong's cruelty.
"Please," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Please don't send me there. I'll…I'll do anything…"
A cold smile spread across Hiro's face. He leaned in, letting her desperation settle fully before responding, his tone soft but laced with intent. "Anything?"
Advanced Chapters @Patreon.com/Imperial_Writing