The scent of salt and sea filled the air as Dez lounged on the deck of his ship, a worn cigar perched between his lips and one boot resting atop a crate. He'd cleaned his guns, fed himself, and locked up Krieg and Gin below deck. With the Baratie shrinking in the distance, all he wanted now was silence, maybe a breeze, and a stiff drink to match.
His peace didn't last.
A loud clang echoed from the side of his ship, followed by the sound of rope latching on. Moments later, Luffy, Zoro (bandaged and still sore), Usopp, and Sanji climbed aboard without so much as a "hello."
Dez raised a brow, staying right where he was. "You always board ships uninvited?"
"Hey, Dez!" Luffy grinned, full of energy like nothing had happened. "Can we get a ride to Cocoyashi Village? We gotta pick up our navigator!"
Dez exhaled smoke through his nose, his gaze turning toward the red-orange horizon. "The orange-haired girl I saved from that pirate earlier?" he asked. "She went missin' not long after the fight started. That's your navigator?"
"Yup!" Luffy beamed.
"So…" Dez stood and flicked the ash from his cigar. "She stole your ship and ran off. And you're still calling her a crewmate?"
Luffy scratched his head, completely unbothered. "Yeah. She's still our friend. Just took a detour."
Dez blinked slowly. "You're either the most loyal idiot I've ever met… or just an idiot."
Usopp chuckled nervously. "Bit of both, really."
Dez's gaze shifted to Sanji, who was lighting a cigarette of his own. "And you? What convinced the fancy waiter to join the chaos?"
Sanji smirked, exhaling a slow drag. "I go where the dream takes me. Gotta find the All Blue somehow."
Dez gave him a dry nod. "Huh. Guess we're all chasing something."
He turned toward Zoro next, sizing up the swordsman's bandages. "Sake's below. Left side cabinet. Don't drink it all."
Zoro gave a small, satisfied smirk. "No promises."
"Kitchen's yours too," Dez added, jerking his chin toward Sanji. "But if you touch my spices, we'll have problems."
Sanji raised a hand mockingly. "Wouldn't dream of it, Captain."
Dez rolled his eyes, heading to the wheel. The wind had shifted—steady, fast, and warm. He pulled the wheel slightly and adjusted the sail with practiced ease.
"A good wind's coming," he muttered. "Next stop—Cocoyashi."
The ship groaned and cut through the waves with purpose, four pirates and a lone bounty hunter chasing separate paths aboard the same deck, for now.
---
The Dead Calm sliced through the open sea under a pale-blue sky, her sails full and her crew, temporary as they were, settled in their own rhythms. Usopp was napping beneath the mast, Zoro leaned against the railing, nursing a bottle of sake, and Sanji was humming a tune from the kitchen below deck.
Dez stood at the helm, one hand on the wheel and the other resting near Dusk. The wind had a certain bite to it, one that stirred old memories and recent whispers alike. His eyes narrowed.
"Cocoyashi…" he muttered under his breath.
He reached into a nearby satchel and pulled out a worn logbook—his personal notes, bounties, rumors. He flipped through pages until he landed on an entry marked with a faded ink stamp: Cocoyashi Village – Eastern Blue Sector. Subject: Arlong Pirates.
A low grunt escaped him. He turned toward the deck where Luffy had climbed onto the railing, arms stretched wide as he soaked in the breeze.
"Hey, Straw Hat."
Luffy twisted around with a grin. "What's up?"
Dez closed the book and lit a cigar, letting the smoke drift slowly before speaking.
A few months back, I came across some intel about Cocoyashi. Said the place was under the thumb of a crew called the Arlong Pirates. Fishmen. Nasty types."
"Fishmen?" Luffy tilted his head. "What's that?"
"Humanoid, gill-breathing monsters. Strong as hell—some say ten times stronger than the average man. They hate humans, too. Especially their captain, Arlong. Word is, he's got a bounty on his head." Dez paused. "Not a big on,e though, which always struck me as weird. Man's got a whole village locked down, but the Marines barely batted an eye."
Luffy clenched his fists, a flicker of frustration on his usually carefree face. "He's hurting people?"
Dez nodded, eyes narrowing. "And he's smart about it. Keeps things low-key, local. Doesn't stir up enough trouble for the World Government to notice. But he's been active for a while now."
Zoro looked up from his bottle. "Fishmen, huh. Never fought one before."
"You're in for a workout," Dez replied with a grunt. Then he looked back at Luffy. "That orange-haired girl—your navigator. Have you ever noticed a tattoo on her?"
Luffy blinked. "Yeah… on her shoulder, I think. Looks like a swordfish with a saw nose."
Dez's expression darkened. "That's Arlong's mark. His crew all wear it. If she's got it… then she's connected to him. Could be she's working for him. Or worse… owned by him."
Sanji had stepped onto the deck with a cigarette of his own, having heard the last part. "Tch… that bastard," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "I knew there was something wrong with how quiet she was when I first saw her."
Luffy stayed quiet for a moment, gaze locked on the horizon. Then he smiled—not his usual carefree grin, but one filled with resolve.
"Doesn't matter," he said. "She's our navigator. We're going to get her back."
Dez watched him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "You've got guts, Straw Hat. You're gonna need 'em."
The sky darkened slightly as clouds rolled in from the east, the wind shifting just a bit, carrying with it the scent of land… and something more. Oppression. Salt. Blood.
Cocoyashi was close.