Part 10 - Who ordered sushi? 13/??

After listening to Arlong's response, Johnny and Yosaku immediately agreed that the fish-man clearly needed to work on his voice and facial expressions. Arlong lied quite smoothly, but the expression on his face and the tone of his voice gave away the pirate completely. And, as expected, he recognized the guys right away. Most other pirates in his position would have panicked or, at the very least, been deeply concerned, but Arlong didn't even flinch. Johnny and Yosaku couldn't help but feel irritated. How many more incredible feats would their family have to accomplish before everyone, without exception, started taking them seriously?

"Just for the record," Nami said, raising her index finger, using one of Luffy's phrases, "you're not going to help me, right?"

"As I said, I'd love to help, but the situation is such that I'm powerless right now," Arlong tried to pull off a regretful expression, but, as with all other emotions, he didn't quite succeed.

"Great!" Nami's face lit up with that angelic smile again. "Then, boys," she said, turning to Johnny and Yosaku, "follow me." At first glance, it might have seemed that Nami was heading for the exit, but her real destination was a spot to the left of the entrance, next to the wall surrounding Arlong Park. "Stick it here," she said, looking at Johnny, pointing to the concrete right at her feet.

The guy stared at her in confusion for a second before realizing exactly what Nami wanted from him. He had been carrying a beach umbrella under his arm the entire way from her house, and now, as per her order, he promptly stuck it into the designated spot. The concrete, of course, was no obstacle for him.

"And you, place the bag here," she told Yosaku, pointing to the shadow cast by the umbrella Johnny had just opened, "and bring me a lounger!" Her finger pointed to the very center of the gathering of fish-men, who were now extremely puzzled by everything that was happening.

Johnny and Yosaku, slightly thrown off by Nami's chaotic demands, looked in the direction she was pointing, then just as quickly turned back to her. On the opposite side of them, there were plenty of free loungers, but Nami was now pointing to the only occupied one. And it wasn't just occupied by anyone, but by Arlong himself. If Luffy were in the girl's place right now, the guys wouldn't have hesitated about such orders... but Luffy wasn't around, and they were still receiving alarmingly similar commands.

 "She's done for," Johnny concluded.

The guy was looking at the girl in front of him with the same expression people have when watching a Sea King attack an unlucky ship—on one hand, it's terrifying and people are dying, but on the other hand, you just can't look away.

"At least she'll never be as strong as Luffy," Yosaku tried to find something positive in the situation, but his words were undermined by the clear note of uncertainty in his voice.

"Get me a lounge chair, now!" Nami pointed once more in Arlong's direction for emphasis.

Johnny and Yosaku sighed heavily and reluctantly moved towards the fish-men crowding around Arlong. After Nami's outburst, their fighting spirit was all but gone. They had long since realized that the girl had chosen the Dark Path of Power, but seeing undeniable proof of it was a hundred times worse than any speculation. On the other hand, nothing particularly surprising had happened. Considering that Nami had spent even more time with Luffy than Zoro — who nearly always followed Luffy wherever he went — the outcome was predictable from the start. All in all, the guys recovered pretty quickly.

"I wonder, if we kill and cook them, would they taste like fish or meat?" Johnny's curiosity got the better of him… or maybe he just wanted to forget the last few minutes so badly that he was willing to talk about anything.

"Haven't you ever tried fish patties with meat?" Yosaku, as usual, didn't get hung up on such questions. "If not, try it, and you'll find out what fish-men taste like," he added nonchalantly.

"And if we eat them, would that count as cannibalism or not?" Having received an answer to one question, Johnny immediately pondered another.

"Look up the exact definition of 'cannibalism' in the dictionary, and you'll find your answer."

The guys had to pause their conversation when they were blocked by two representatives of the fish-men race as they approached. Johnny and Yosaku stopped and tilted their heads up in unison. They had never complained about their height, but most fish-men still towered a head above them. People of average height, like Luffy, would be staring at their navels.

"Where do you think you're going so quickly?" one of the fish-men blocking their path asked, placing his hands on their shoulders. "If you have something to say to Arlong-san, say it to us first."

"How about I show you a magic trick instead?" Johnny asked instead of answering.

"A magic trick?"

"Yeah, you'll like it, I promise! Now, watch my hand carefully…" And with those words, Johnny tried to rip out the fish-man's heart… or at least he honestly tried to do so. In reality, Johnny ended up holding two broken ribs, a piece of lung, and a part of the heart, while being drenched in blood from head to toe.

"Did you just try to rip out his heart?" Yosaku smirked. "Idiot! The heart is almost in the middle of the chest, not on the left side like everyone says. You've killed so many people and still haven't figured that out?"

"I kill them, not dissect them," Johnny replied grumpily, shaking off his "catch" from his hand. A second later, the fish-man he had killed collapsed to the ground. "Besides, I think Luffy hit the same spot I did… maybe these fish-men have their hearts in different places than normal people?"

"No, you're just an idiot… And when did you see Luffy rip out someone's heart?"

"Oh, that was a long time ago. Remember the fight with the 'Trump Family'?"

"Of course."

"And that dumb broad with the Logia Fruit who killed you?"

"I might not be able to die, but trust me, it's hard to forget someone who killed you… And how does that woman relate to our topic?"

"Well, after she killed you, Luffy ripped her heart out. Imagine, she's standing there, still alive, but with a hole in her chest, staring dumbfounded at her heart in his hand. It looked cool, though kind of creepy. Ever since then, I've always wanted to try it myself. But before, I didn't have the strength, then I forgot, and just now, I suddenly remembered, so I decided to give it a go."

The method, of course, isn't foolproof and requires some specific conditions to get a reliable result, but you know how you can tell for sure if someone has serious mental issues? Just tell them you ripped out their enemy's heart and watch their reaction. If the person starts smiling and looks pleased or grateful after hearing this, you can be sure that they indeed have serious problems. Big ones. After Johnny's words, Yosaku looked like it was a holiday for him. Draw your own conclusions, as they say.