Chapter Text
The rooms under Arlong Park were always musty. It’s a consistent smell that’s always seemed to cling to your skin, no matter how many times the fishman may let you bathe or go on “walks”. Straw mattresses, mildew, and molded-over heels of bread, along with a dryness that was unusual to a place inhabited by fishmen. But that was a special case, it was made to be that dry just for you.
It’s not as if the conditions were meant to be pleasant, anyway. The 'walks' were you being chained to a post, or kept by Arlong’s side in the middle of the day, usually when the sun was at its highest, with nothing to shade your sensitive eyes. Arlong enjoyed watching the way you suffered. It’s not as though he was completely ignorant to what a selkie such as yourself needed— though your skin was a mottled gray, resembling the pelt of a common harbor seal as did the rest of your pods, it didn’t mean the sun didn’t burn you after enough time under its rays, or that you enjoyed being out during the day. Your tongue was dry, from the continued deprivation of water and proper food, eyes were in a constant state of watering from how bright everything was around you. Arlong fed you just enough fish— however rotten they may have been— to keep your hair shiny and soft, the way he liked it, and gave you enough food to keep his favorite parts of you soft. But there was never enough to help you gain strength or muscle. If he ever suspected you were trying to grow stronger, the food would disappear until you were so weak you were unable to stand.
You will not run, he had told you, the moment he had taken you from your small island home, just along the calm belt in the North Blue, You will not run or it will be twice as bad for your pod, little one.
A pretty little doll to sit on his lap, to be shown off, and toyed with later if he so desired. Muzzled and chained, clawed hands kept dull, and your pelt hidden away in a trunk somewhere in the park. You held no power here, his captive empress of the sea. Nothing for you to fight back with or a purpose to even try, but there was the promise of your home being destroyed should you even try to escape, reminders of your mothers' screams filled your mind every time the ocean beckoned, your pelt lazily left out on Arlong's bed when he left you after chasing his own pleasure.
But it was for your village. To keep it safe. You had to keep it safe. Your brothers were just pups, your baby sister hadn't even opened her eyes yet when you had left. You had to protect them. Arlong would not hesitate the moment you moved out of line. He would destroy them all, for the crime of trading with humans and marrying among them, like your older sister had. You remember how devastated your mothers looked, holding each other as you were dragged away, a heavy metal collar fastened around your neck, a wail on your lips as your mothers both reached to you for a final time, screaming your name as they were held back by Chew and Kurobi. The last you heard of them was their roars of rage and pain.
It was that same night he broke you in, as you cried silently for your pod’s grief, crying for someone to help. The same night he left a grievous bite along your shoulder to claim you. You are mine and no one else’s, he snarled, smiling with your blood on his teeth as you thrashed beneath him, hitting and trying to wriggle away from him, so small under him, so helpless. No one will have you like this now. He had you map the currents of the waters he dominated. You were a gifted selkie, after all, blessed by the Mother of the Sea, rumored to be able to conduct the waves themselves and make it rain with your voice. That was not true of you, not yet, not when you had only started your training a few months before. Nevertheless, the currents were old friends of yours, swirling around you whenever you swam, invigorating you the longer you stayed in the depths before you were pulled back up by the chain on your wrist.
A good selkie, Arlong purred, a finger brushing over your cheek. Such a good selkie for me, telling me exactly where the undertows form. His nose had cut a groove in your cheek that night, as he had rutted into you, panting and grunting like a wild beast as he finished, leaving you a sticky, bleeding mess, weeping on the straw mattress of the ship's brig after a 'successful' excursion.
So here you were chained, forcefully sitting on Arlong’s lap as Nami walked up to the pirate, a smirk on her lips as she tossed some treasure his way. The Marines had already made lewd comments about you. Ogling your body, laughing at how your lace, nearly see-through top only barely covered your form, and how your shorts hardly did anything to hide the bites along your thighs. You were his pretty little doll, wearing whatever he chose for you, and if you didn't? Well, he wasn't above making you walk around naked, sitting on his lap for all to see, but not to touch, demonstrating your pretty sounds for his crew when you had refused to wear what he chose, begging for something more concealing. How had he responded?
"Isn't my selkie lovely?" Arlong had crooned, shoving two fingers inside you, despite your screams. He had bound your hands above you, shoving a towel in your mouth to quiet your cries, pumping in and out of you. Chew looked over, tutting at the tears running down your face, and the way that you thrashed, hips jutting forward with each harsh pump. Arlong only grinned, his thumb finding your clit and rubbing it in tandem with his fingers. Your hips jutted forward, and your head sagged onto your shoulder as he forced an orgasm out of you, grinning dangerously as you came, spraying all over his hand, whimpering and trying to jerk away from his continuing touch.
"She's yours for the night if you pay enough," Arlong grinned at Nezumi, letting you slump to the floor, numb to the laughter and predatory eyes on your body as the marine began to negotiate.
Nami’s gaze fluttered over you, and you looked away, eyes down. It was an unspoken agreement. You were friends, and allies, due to both of your situations, and you both attempted to make each other's sufferings better. You had spoken with her, in desperate confidence after she had found you the first time, left on a straw mattress in the basement cell under the main building. You were so similar, yet different. But you both acted for others. To keep your pod safe. For her to liberate her village. Forever branded by the monster who had caused your terrors, and forever invisible to the marines who were meant to help you.
The only respite was swimming. Bring dropped somewhere in the ocean, followed by however many of Arlong’s crew, just to keep an eye on you. But they knew you wouldn’t run. You had tried, early into your capture, and your grandfather paid the price, Arlong dropping a necklace that had belonged to him before you after he had pinned you to the wall, declaring that whenever you swam now, you would do it with iron shackles around your wrist, a thick iron chain securing you the ship, only allowing you to swim as far as the chain went, the crew able to pull you out of the water at any given moment, should they so desire, hurting you as they did.
But you pushed it away, shaking off the loss of your pelt, and held your breath as you had been taught by your mothers. Diving deep, deep into the ocean, feeling the waves churn around you, the way they pushed and pulled. You were free here. Able to memorize the dances of the water, and able to trace them out on paper, sloping arrows in deep blue ink on Nami’s wonderful maps. The most detailed currents were around Seal’s Drop, your home village, where you had played for years before you were taken. Sometimes, it was like the shackle wasn't there, when you went deep enough, the pressure making you dizzy in your humanoid form, and it was as if your mothers were swimming beside you, until your arm was pulled, forcing you back into the brightness of the day, laying on the deck as you were taken back to the park.
Nami’s gaze rested on you for just a second before she spoke to Arlong again. Another successful mission, more treasure to be gained, and some small-time pirates duped into helping her, along with getting a brand new ship for the fleet, one that could easily blend in with luxurious boats meant for the wealthy that lived in the east blue. Arlong grinned widely, sharp teeth on full display as he threw his hands into the air, looking down at the map that Nami passed him, a look of awe on his face as he traced out the shape of the Grand Line.
The call for a party had you keeping your head down lower. Parties meant Arlong drinking. Which meant forcing drinks down your throat, and an unpleasant night ahead, with puncturing bites and deep bruises. Your stomach churned at the thought. You would end up sick, no doubt, ending up retching and puking with Arlong having his way as you struggled, whimpering for him to stop. Arlong loosely put his hand around your throat and squeezed just enough to make your breath hitch, pulling you out of your mind.
“C’mon now my little selkie, it’ll be fun,” A malicious grin spread across his lips, sharpened teeth on full display. “Consider it a celebration of your recent success.”
“Of course,” You nodded, only looking at his teeth, avoiding his eyes. He hated it when he thought you weren't looking him in the eye.
“Make the arrangements—” Arlong stood up from his seat, ”And put my darling selkie away in the shade for a bit, she deserves a bit of rest,” a finger ran over your chin, “She’ll need the energy. For now, Nami, come with me, we have much to discuss.” His voice was sickening to you, and his touch made you shudder.
And then the green-haired man was brought in. And his eyes bored straight into yours, even as Arlong held you by your waist, fingers sinking into your skin so hard you knew it'd bruise. And when he’d pushed himself into the water, you couldn’t help but gasp, instinctually jumping forward, stopped by the hand around your waist. You were jerked backward, hitting your head on the corner of Arlong's chair, a small laugh bubbling from his lips as you rubbed at your head, whimpering.
“Awh, did you find him cute?” Arlong had a vicious smile on his face, one finger tracing over the claiming bite he had made, pinching your chin and making you look up at him. “I’ll just have to remind you of who owns you. Maybe in front of him.”
A shiver rolled down your spine, as you watched Nami pull the man from the water, flinching when you saw how hard he had been punched. But the moment he looked up, his eyes were on yours, before focusing on Nami, as the fishman gave news about Cocoyashi, sending her away to do what he needed, and dragging him away.
“Alright, enough fun,” Arlong waved a hand in the air, “You, pet, will have a treat, you can watch him while I’m off on errands,” his hand gripped your chin hard, “And then, I’ll make him watch you tonight.” The malicious grin somehow grew wider, and despite knowing it was pointless, you shrank away from the grip he still had on your waist.
It wasn’t gentle being led to the cells, and you were thrown in with him, eyes on the floor, curled into a tight ball as your chains were fastened to the wall behind you, the green-haired man in the corner across from you, eyes staring right into your soul. You only fell back into your mind, thinking of the kelp forest you and your older sister had learned to swim in.