"What the hell were you thinking?!"
With a loud smack, Nami punched Ha Shiro square in the face.
Beside him, Zoro—who hadn't even done anything—got caught in the crossfire, kicked several times for good measure.
"Wha—what did I even do?!" Zoro yelped, clutching his head.
The reason he'd been dragged into this mess was, of course, Ha Shiro's fault. Using his strange hair techniques, Ha Shiro had tied him up just to keep him from interfering.
"Lock these two idiots up!" Nami snapped, her expression as cold as steel.
And just like that, both Ha Shiro and Zoro found themselves imprisoned.
It didn't take long, though, before Nami appeared again—her face still cold, but her eyes complicated. She untied Ha Shiro's bindings without a word.
"Nami, you really can't give up on me, can you?" Ha Shiro teased with a grin.
"Just… go. Hurry up and leave," she said softly, turning away.
He watched her lonely back disappear into the distance, his grin fading slightly. "Ah… heartache needs proper treatment. Guess I'll wait for the story to unfold."
He left Zoro behind, heading toward the village. His next target was none other than Nojiko, Nami's older sister. She'd make a perfect "client," and Ha Shiro wasn't one to miss opportunities.
As for Nami… he'd reappear at the right time.
"Hello, beautiful lady! Could you spare something for a poor, starving barber? I haven't eaten in three days…" Ha Shiro clutched his stomach dramatically, even adding a pitiful growl for effect.
And just like that, he slipped into Nojiko's house.
Meanwhile, Luffy and the others were heading toward the same village, riding on the back of a massive manatee.
"So, you came here for Nami too?" Nojiko asked curiously as she handed him food. "You must be that barber, Ha Shiro. Nami mentioned you… quite a lot."
"Oh? So my fame precedes me, huh? These oranges are amazing, by the way." He popped another one into his mouth, savoring the sweet juice. "Mmm~ absolutely divine."
"Beautiful lady, how about I give you a quick trim? You'll love it—guaranteed satisfaction."
Despite her initial protests, Nojiko eventually gave in, half pushing, half laughing, as Ha Shiro went to work.
"The first trim for Nojiko. Physical energy increased by seven hundred and sixty-nine," he muttered under his breath, smirking. "Heh. Experience gained."
Just then, a young boy burst in. "The Navy's coming!"
Ha Shiro straightened up immediately. So the main plot begins here, huh?
Before long, he met up with Luffy and the others.
"Hey, Ha Shiro, you're here! Where are Zoro and Usopp?" Luffy asked.
"They're doing their own thing. I came to back you up first." Ha Shiro's gaze flicked over to Sanji, his brows twitching. He didn't say more.
"This is Sanji, our cook," Luffy said cheerfully.
"Oh," Ha Shiro replied flatly.
"What kind of attitude is that?!" Sanji barked.
The two glared at each other, seconds away from a fight—until Zoro showed up.
"Oh, Zoro," Ha Shiro said casually.
"Huh? Nami?"
"Let's go," Nami said coldly. "I'm not your companion anymore."
"She's a witch… she killed Usopp…"
A heavy silence followed.
"Hey, I'm gonna take a walk," Ha Shiro said suddenly, slipping away. Luffy followed without a word.
Ha Shiro walked in thought, his expression unreadable. If I act too strong, I'll stand out too much… better to hold back a little.
"Maybe I'll just say I got hurt by Mihawk… no, that's too obvious. Maybe I'll say I ran out of stamina—ugh, none of this works. Whatever, I'll figure it out later."
Lost in thought, he froze when he saw Nami kneeling in the dirt, tears streaming down her face as she raised a knife toward the tattoo on her shoulder.
"Shave—!" In an instant, he was beside her. "Stop! What are you doing, Nami?!"
"Ha Shiro? You—go! Please, just go!"
Seeing her like that, broken and trembling, Ha Shiro's face darkened. "It's okay… you still have us. Right, Luffy?"
He gave her a gentle smile.
"Please… help me, Ha Shiro, Luffy…" she sobbed.
"No problem!!" Luffy shouted.
That one cry ignited everything.
Everyone gathered and charged toward Arlong's base.
"Nami, don't worry. I'll take care of that tattoo. It won't even leave a scar."
While the others fought, Ha Shiro quietly stayed behind with Nami. He couldn't fight openly—but he could still play his part. Using his hair ability, he slowly drew out the pigments of the tattoo bit by bit.
"Are you sure it's okay not to go help them?" Nami asked anxiously.
"It's fine. Leave it to Luffy—they're strong," he reassured her with a smile.
"But it's been so long…"
"Alright, alright. I'll take you to the fight," Ha Shiro said, scooping her up in a princess carry.
"H-Hey! I can walk by myself—!"
He ignored her protests and kept walking.
By the time they arrived, the battlefield was a mess. Luffy was down, Sanji and Zoro were both beaten bloody.
"Damn it… guess I have to step in after all."
Ha Shiro raised a hand. "Puppet—go."
Behind him, a shadowy humanoid form emerged—dark and shifting, like something out of a nightmare.
The shadow charged forward and punched Arlong square in the jaw.
"What the hell is that?!" everyone gasped.
"It'll hold him off for a minute. Plenty of time for me to… collect some experience," Ha Shiro said, grinning slyly.
As chaos unfolded, he nonchalantly continued trimming the hair of nearby villagers.
"First trim… +29 stamina.""+65.""+10."
"Ahh, that's the good stuff," he murmured, enjoying the steady rise in power.
Suddenly, his shadow puppet shattered. Arlong lunged toward Zoro and caught him by the throat.
"Zoro—substitution!"
"Wait, what?! No—ahhh!!"
Ha Shiro barely managed to pull him out in time.
"Whew… alright, Luffy, it's your show now. I'll handle cleanup duty."
He turned toward the crowd. "Alright, everyone, line up! Quick haircut—on the house!"
Click~ Snip~
While Luffy fought for their lives, Ha Shiro kept trimming away—collecting strength, energy, and "experience."
By the time Arlong finally fell, Ha Shiro's stamina had grown by hundreds.
As the village erupted into celebration, he quietly went about his "business," even throwing the corrupt Marine officer to Nami's feet like a piece of trash.
Later that night, under the moonlight, he knocked on Nami's door.
"Nami, are you coming with us?" he asked softly. "Or… is tonight our last night together?"
She smiled faintly. "Heh. What do you think?"
"I came here for one reason," he said. "Take off your clothes."
"Wha—what?! Ha Shiro, what are you—!" Nami panicked, covering her chest.
"Relax. Just your coat. I've got a gift for you."
When she hesitated, Ha Shiro simply moved closer and slipped it off himself.
"D-Don't do this…" she whispered.
He ignored the flustered tone, pulling a strand of his black hair and weaving it in the air. The strands wrapped around her upper body, forming a sleek, dark blouse that shimmered faintly in the light.
"This is armor—made from my hair. It'll protect you. The yellow thread's the core—just pull it, and it'll come off instantly."
Nami touched the armor in awe. She didn't know it, but through that hair, Ha Shiro could faintly feel her heartbeat.
"With this, I'll feel safer knowing you're protected. Wear it from now on, okay? I'm heading out. Goodnight."
He turned to leave, his shadow stretching long under the moonlight.
Watching his lonely back disappear into the dark, Nami's lips trembled.
"Ha Shiro… thank you. I…"