The Difference A Mistake Can Make
Chapter One
Disclaimer: One Piece is amusingly fun, but unfortunately not mine.
Summary: A teasing fragment of memory has become a frustration to Nami, as she struggles to come to terms with truths she isn't ready to face. There is no time to dwell on the conflict of her heart, not when she and her nakama are fighting for their lives in their toughest battle yet.
Warnings: A/U (ish) – takes place around chapter 477 of the manga, and then digresses from the main plotline (I haven't read farther than that, so I do not know what happens). Minor spoilers for the Water 7 arc, spoilers for the Thriller Bark arc. You have been warned.
"Is it true you mistook me for an angel? Sanji-kun…" Nami lightly brushed blond bangs away from a badly bruised face. With a grimace, she turned away from the unconscious cook to unenthusiastically take stock of their current situation.
The Mugiwara Kaizoku-dan were currently attempting to catch their breath, building up their remaining strength for their next decisive move. At the moment though, things were looking pretty rough for the crew.
Robin-chan was still unconscious from having her shadow stolen by the Shichibukai Gecko Moria; Chopper and Sanji-kun were knocked out the direct hit they had suffered at the fists of "Nightmare Oz Luffy", and their illustrious Captain was still missing.
Nami wasn't sure what had happened to Franky; her intervention had saved him from being crushed under foot, but his current whereabouts were a mystery as their surroundings had become nothing but rubble and ruins. Brook was also conspicuously missing. It was looking pretty miserable for the Mugiwara Kaizoku-dan, but at least they had managed to escape from the battle, if only temporarily…
With most of their crew taken out of commission, and Luffy still no where in sight, Nami knew they would need to regroup; it was just a matter of creating enough of an opening for them to grab their nakama and make a temporary escape. Quick thinking, coupled with acute desperation, had provided the needed inspiration to formulate a getaway plan.
"Usopp! Zoro! We need to get away to reorganize. While I provide the distraction, you guys need to grab Robin-chan, Chopper, and Sanji-kun! Grab Franky if you can find him, and Brook too!" She only hoped her plan would work. With just the shadow of Luffy inside the monstrous Oz, tricking him would have been no problem, but with Gecko Moria added into the equation, it would be a little more difficult she knew.
"No way onna! There's no way I am running away! Are you crazy?!?!" Zoro's voice cut through Nami's thoughts like a knife, and with a terrible glare she turned on him, causing the fearless swordsman to take a step back before he caught himself, embarrassed.
"If you don't move when I give the signal, it will be a fine of 10,000 beri!" A look of abject horror crossed Zoro's face, while Usopp gave an audible gulp and took a step away from the very scary navigator. "Good. When I give the signal, grab everyone and run."
Feeling close to terrified, Nami clasped her clima tact tighter in her hands, thankful she had taken the time to change out of the cumbersome wedding dress into her more casual clothes. It had been a beautiful dress…but completely unsuited to battle. It was at times like this that she wished she had Zoro or Luffy's fearless confidence.
A glance behind her assured her that Usopp and Zoro were doing as she had instructed, waiting for her signal to move; the swordsman was looking less than pleased, a dark scowl plastered across his brow. Taking a deep breath, she slowly edged her way towards the monster known as Oz, praying her courage didn't fail before she had accomplished her mission.
"KiShiShiShi! What do we have here? The 'cat burglar' comes to challenge Oz? Silly little girl! KiShiShiShi!" At least she had the bastard's attention. Assuming a cocky stance she was far from feeling, Nami pointed her clima tact at the monstrosity that was Oz, and the Shichibukai sitting within, and began the first step of her diversionary plan.
"Hey you, Oz! Want to see something neat? It's something I bet you've never seen before, and won't ever get to see again!" Even if most of her captain's 'ego' had left the gigantic monster, she was still gambling on there being even the smallest amount of 'Luffy' within the beast. Her gamble paid off.
"NANI?!?! I WANT TO SEE!!! SHOW ME SHOW ME!!!" Oz began to jump around, waving his arms impatiently. With a smirk, Nami knew it was time to implement phase two of her plan.
"COOL CHARGE!" Holding up one end of her clima tact, Nami gave it a few seconds to fully charge, before swinging it down in an arc directly in front of her, initiating the true purpose of the charge.
"MIRAGE TEMPO!"
A collective gasp went up from the onlookers; Nami had disappeared!
"WOW!" Oz began clapping his hands gleefully, while Gecko Moria merely looked on, interested in what the girl would do next.
"Mirage Tempo: Fata Morgana!" Suddenly there were five copies of Nami, each a different size and shape, spread out so that they stood in a rough circle around the zombie and his master. "Now, are you ready for the next part of the show?" The navigator had her audience entranced; they wouldn't know what hit them.
"In a stable atmospheric pressure—small black clouds that contain sever air currents will remain, and then lightning will eventually strike your heart…Dark Cloud Tempo!(1)" As she spoke, small dark clouds like those seen earlier that Brook had flown threw began building between the five clima tacts held by the Nami mirage images.
Zoro, Usopp, Oz and Gecko Moria all waited with bated breath to see what the fiery haired girl would do next.
With a meaningful look at Zoro and Usopp, the Nami mirages all yelled "Now!"
It took a moment for the swordsman and sharpshooter to digest the command, but then they quickly sprang into action, scooping up their fallen comrades and making a mad dash away from the center of battle. It took but a moment longer for Gecko Moria to noticed his victims getting away and with a yell of rage directed Oz to catch them—but they had forgotten about the instigator of the whole affair, and with a triumphant shout, Nami stopped the Shichibukai and his minion in their tracks.
"THUNDER-LANCE TEMPO!!!" It looked like five streaks of lightning erupted from each cloud, each flowing towards a different clima tact, creating a crisscrossing pattern, until the very air felt charged by lightning. The lightning stuck Oz, and thus Gecko Moria, dead on, immobilizing the great monster, while his scream of rage and pain was terrible as it filled he air.
It was a bittersweet triumph. They had managed to escape for the time being, but time was running out. If morning came before they could defeat the Shichibukai, then Luffy, Zoro, Robin-chan, and Sanji-kun would all be in danger, not to mention the rather eccentric skeleton-man Brook.
Nami wasn't ready to give up, not when her nakama's lives were on the line, but the situation looked bleak. She also had some emotional issues to deal with. While under the sleeping draught the perverted lion Absalom had drugged her with, she had experienced moments of 'waking dreams', where she was aware of some of what was going on around her, but unable to move or act of her free will.
One of the strongest memories she had from one of those experiences was of strong arms, cradling her gently, and calling her name, urging her to wake up. At the sound of that all too familiar voice, she had wanted nothing more than to obey, to banish the worry she could hear clear as day in his tone. She could do nothing though, the power of the draught given to her was just too strong and Sanji's pleas had gone unanswered.
Knowing that it wasn't the time to give into emotional turmoil, Nami couldn't help but glance back at the unconscious blond. His breathing had evened out, but he was in bad shape, as was the little reindeer lying a few feet beside him. Robin luckily was in a more stable condition, but until they could defeat the Shichibukai, there was little she could do for them in terms of medical treatment.
Shaking her head, Nami hugged her arms tighter around herself. It was so tempting to give into her fear and despair, but there was no Sanji-kun to attempt to comfort her, or sprout poetic promises to protect her, or make her laugh with his ridiculous suggestions…what the hell???
Nami's head snapped up as she realized the trail her thoughts had drifted. Since when had she become so dependent on the love-cook's unflagging devotion and support? She had to admit, he made her feel safe, but around such powerful fighter's as her nakama, she felt there was no better protection on the high seas than them. Was it because he also made her feel cherished? As much as she wanted to deny it, his devoted attention did make her feel special; while annoying at times with his persistence, he also never failed to defend her and did his best to protect her from any danger. It was flattering.
No matter how mean or cruel she was to him, Sanji never lost his unflagging devotion to please, was never put off for long after a biting rejection, and never complained about how she used him. Sometimes it made her hate him; he never showed any backbone when it came to her, and it grated on her nerves—but then again, if she was going to be truthful, maybe it was his denial to hit or mistreat a female that really annoyed her.
The whole Water Seven incident involving the woman Kalifa was the main bone sticking in her throat; the woman would have killed him and yet he wouldn't defend himself, sticking to his damned misplaced honor about never hitting a woman. Nami had to resist the urge to hit him after she found out, but in his already weakened state she was forced to refrain. While she was touched to know that he would never lay a hand on her, it was aggravating that he maintained that principle in any situation concerning the opposite gender.
Was it jealousy? Nami quickly squelched the thought. She had no reason to be jealous, not concerning the overly amorous cook; she was confident that he would always choose her over any other vapid girl that came along. Therein lay the problem: Sanji was attracted to almost any pretty girl, and Nami rarely gave him any encouragement when it came to his pursuit of her.
What if someday you actually find someone else to fawn over and protect? What if I lose your easy going affection and staunch devotion; could I lose it, and you? Do I want to let you get that close? If I do, I know that you would be utterly true to me and only me. Could I handle that responsibility, that single-minded commitment? Or am I just afraid; afraid to make myself vulnerable again? Am I just selfish, desiring your affection without any attachment or reciprocation? Why Sanji-kun, why do you do this to me, and now, when I can't afford to the time to sort through my emotions?"
As Nami's continued to struggle with the internal conflict taking place in her mind, she didn't notice how she unconsciously drifted physically closer to the object of her dilemma. She wasn't aware of gazing blankly at his battered figure, or of the brooding look that crossed her features. "An angel Sanji-kun? How could you think that when I am the farthest thing from an angel…?"
She hadn't realized she had spoken out lout until she was startled by a rasping voice that chuckled weakly. "Not an angel Nami-swan, a goddess, and a holy nymph. It was that perverted lion who mistook you for an angel, but Nami-swan, it was the only thing I would ever agree on with that freak."
Nami felt an instant blush race across her cheeks. He had heard her! Embarrassed and equally annoyed at herself, she was torn between her two strongest impulses—fight or flight. When it appeared that Sanji wasn't going to say anything else until she did, she followed the impulse that had kept her alive through most of her career; she fled, away from Sanji and a confrontation and revelation she wasn't ready to accept.
With an attempt at a glare, she threw a "baka" in the blond cook's direction before stomping over to Zoro, where she then pointedly ignored him. Her behavior was a little disconcerting to the swordsman and sharpshooter, but they were wise enough not to bring it up. Sanji too observed her strange behavior silently, though there was a thoughtful look on his face as he regarded the discomfited young woman. Something had changed.
A/N: This idea had been bouncing around in my head for a while, so it was nice to actually get it out on paper. Sorry if it seems a little rushed; it is. I currently do not have a beta for my stories, so I apologize for any grammar, spelling, or syntax mistakes.
(1) This line is actually taken verbatim from the manga—I wish I was creative enough to come up with dialogue as cool
Next Chapter: Sanji's has something to speculate on, while Nami finds herself in even more danger, having gained the interest of the dreaded Shichibukai Gecko Moria himself!