One Piece One Shot: The Way It Was
By: HeartandSoul123
Nami stood in front of the bathroom mirror, slowly running her fingers through her long orange hair, smiling faintly as she turned her hips from left to right. She noticed how smooth and soft her hair looked, all thanks to the shower she had just taken that morning. Still smiling, she fluffed her hair a few more times before placing her hands below her bust. Blushing mildly, she gently shook her breasts, taking note on how big they appeared in the mirror and how heavy they felt in her hands. Finally seeing how ridiculous she looked, she lowered her hands and brought her towel around to cover up her front. She sighed and grinned at her reflection again.
This wasn't the first time Nami stood in front of the mirror and checked herself out. She actually performed this on a routinely basis after she took a shower and was quite fond of her physical appearance. She loved the way she looked and couldn't pick out anything she would want to change. In her eyes, she was perfect.
During her time away from the crew when she was on Weatheria, she had decided to grow out her orange hair. It was a gamble, but she was pleased with the result. Though she didn't mind at all, her chest had developed even more, and she grew a little bit taller. The compliments she received from various strangers and from the crew was plentiful two years ago, but now, even more strangers, and especially Sanji, would tell her that she was beautiful. The word beautiful meant a lot to her, being a source of empowerment and prestige as well as a feeling she knew gave her extra confidence.
However, she certainly wasn't overconfident with her beauty. Sometimes she did doubt herself and felt inferior to other women, especially to the world renowned goddess known as Boa Hancock, who she thought was incredibly elegant and unmatchable in terms of beauty. But today, she felt additionally attractive and decided to celebrate her bubbliness with a shopping spree. Hopefully, strangers would acknowledge her good looks along the way and compliment her with that word she loved to hear.
"Today is going to be great!" Nami exclaimed at her reflection. She puckered her lips and made a kissing sound before giggling and changing into the clothes she brought with her.
Nami exited the shower room now dazzled in a lovely short pink skirt and matching top with diamond earrings and velvet high heels. She closed her eyes and dramatically whipped her long flowing hair behind her ears. She waited for the sounds of her crewmates. It didn't take long for one particular individual with blonde hair to notice. He came to her swirling around in circles.
"Nami-swwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnn!" sang Sanji who sported pink heart-shaped eyes and a bloody nose. "You are absolutely breathtaking, Nami-dear!"
Nami giggled and brushed at her bangs. She winked at him.
"Thank you, Sanji," she said almost amorously.
"Nami-dear is such a gorgeous delicacy," he whimpered as he bit into his arm to suppress his crying and carrying on.
Nami continued to walk down the steps until she reached the grassy deck of the Sunny. She smiled while looking around for the rest of the crew. Surprisingly, unlike most afternoons, none of them were on deck. Even her crazy and jittery captain was nowhere in sight.
"That's funny," she said softly, carefully checking all the corners of the ship, "Where is everyone?"
She looked up at Sanji who was still admiring her appearance.
"Sanji, where is everyone at?" she asked him specifically.
The blonde cook couldn't stop from gawking at the navigator. He was enjoying her too much to answer.
"Earth to Sanji," she said a little louder. He finally snapped out of la-la land and deviously grinned. She raised an eyebrow.
"They all left the ship," he said with his nostrils flared. "They wanted for us to have a private date, just the two of us!"
Nami felt her eyes narrow and her mouth frown.
"Oh, really?" she replied cynically. "They all decided to jump ship in the middle of nowhere, just to leave the two of us all alone. Well wasn't that something nice of them to do."
Sanji's eyes returned to hearts.
"You mean it?!" he cried. He leapt from up high and stretched out his arms, preparing to give her a smothering embrace. "Nami-swwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"
Nami sighed and prepared to dodge his advance. Though she greatly enjoyed compliments, she thoroughly disliked anyone who tried to touch her inappropriately, especially Sanji who was the prince of perverts.
Before he could reach her, the men's room burst opened with Luffy grinning madly, his head jerking back and forth as his eyes wandered in all directions. Nami swung her attention at her captain, completely baffled by his sudden appearance. Once he saw her standing across the deck with her mouth hanging open, he charged towards her at full speed. She gasped.
"Nami!" Luffy sang at the top of his lungs with a silly grin plastered on his rubber face.
"L-Luffy!" she shouted back. "W-What the heck are you doing…Kyaaaaah!"
He threw himself at her and wrapped his arms around her waist, knocking her down on the deck while Sanji went soaring beyond them, crashing dangerously into the bathroom door. The cook fidgeted in some wooden splinters for a couple of seconds, and then his legs sunk to the ground.
Nami opened one of her eyes and rubbed the back of her leg where it was sore. Luffy was snickering against her stomach, his rubbery arms still wrapped around her waist. He peeked up at her and grinned.
"I got you, Nami!" he cheered victoriously.
She took a few more seconds to sooth her minor injuries before bringing a fist in the air and slamming it directly on his head. Luffy let out a yelp.
"YOU IDIOT!" she roared at the top of her lungs.
Suddenly, the doors all around the ship opened up, including the bathroom door where Sanji had smashed into.
"Is everything okay out here?" asked Chopper quietly, a little frightened by Nami's shouting. The tiny reindeer appeared from the aquarium room, along with Zoro who was scratching his mossy head.
"I can never take the yelling of that Love Cook," the swordsman moaned.
"I was expecting myself to be found first," commented Robin who emerged from her room.
"Sanji scared the crap outta me!" exclaimed Usopp, who was hiding in the deck's lavatory. "He almost gave me away!"
"We've all given ourselves away at this point," said Zoro, fixing the swords on his waist. "Except for…where's Brook and Franky?"
"Present!" came a shout from the crow's nest. It was Brook, along with Franky who barely looked like he could fit in the weight room with such a large mechanical body.
"Is everything alright down there?" shouted Franky. "We heard a crashing sound and a bunch of yelling!"
Nami fixed her now mangled hair which had fallen in front of her face thanks to Luffy's obscene and childish behavior. She then took Luffy by the back of his shirt and tossed him away from her belly. She crossed her arms and glared at him.
"Just what the heck do you think you're doing?!" she shouted at him.
Luffy blinked a couple of times and then nervously grinned.
"I found you…" he said very quietly. "You were standing right in the open."
Nami glared at him even harder and felt herself heating up.
"What?!" she retorted angrily. "Talk sense!"
Luffy rose to his feet and picked up his straw hat which had fallen when he tackled her. He placed it back on his head.
"Everyone else was hiding except for you," he continued. He gulped when he noticed his words were doing him no good. Nami was redder than hell.
"Why would I be hiding?!" she shrieked, her fists balled in pure rage and a small fire igniting from her shoulders.
Chopper cried out in fear and latched himself on Zoro's face.
"Chopper!" he tried shouting while flailing his arms. "I can't breathe!"
Luffy was confused on how Nami didn't know what was going on, so Robin decided to step in and make sense of the misunderstandings.
"Nami must not have been around when we decided to play our game," she presumed. "I take it that's why she was standing in the open."
Nami stared blankly at Robin for a moment and then looked at Luffy. He had his finger close to his nose but pulled it away just in time to prevent her from watching him pick his nostril. She looked over at Robin again and groaned.
"You all were playing a game?" she asked with frustration. A sudden thought crossed her mind and she glared at Luffy again. He swallowed hard.
"I assume you all were playing hide-and-seek then," she inferred, her eyes still locked on the rubber man's. Luffy felt sweat creep along every inch of his body. He nodded.
"How'd you know?" he squeaked. He tried to back away from his navigator, but she stood up and inched her way towards him, closing in every bit of space they had between each other.
Meanwhile, Franky and Brook had descended from the crow's nest and joined everyone else at center deck. Zoro finally managed to get Chopper off his face, while Usopp poked at the sides of the unconscious cook.
Nami forced Luffy against the railing of the ship and grabbed his shirt collar, shaking him roughly. The teen's head swung and bobbled back and forth.
"Then why," she hollered directly at his face, "Did you tackle me?!"
The spectators remained quiet. Sanji moaned from his position. Noticing his distress, Chopper immediately came to the cook's rescue and began to pull away the splinters from his neck.
Luffy gazed innocently at her eyes, his mouth parted opened and his lips quivering slightly. He wanted to say something funny, but he didn't want to die just yet. Instead, he put on his best serious looking face and frowned. Nami hesitated, quite taken aback by his stern façade. Her lips began to slowly part open.
The two of them forgot what they were doing, and were caught just staring into each other's eyes. Once Chopper helped Sanji from his predicament, he joined the other crewmates in watching the navigator and captain stare at one another.
"Did something happen?" whispered Usopp to the rest of the bunch. He went from Luffy and then Nami, slowly massaging his chin in wonder.
"Do you think Luffy's using his hidden power or something?" asked Chopper.
"It can't be," replied Zoro suspiciously.
Robin curiously thumbed her chin while the rest of the crew sat back, unsure of what to do next. Everything and everyone became still.
Seconds went by and then minutes. Both captain and navigator were off in their own world, staring deeply into each other's dancing pupils as they suddenly felt themselves drift closer to one another. Usopp was first to pick up their movement.
"W-What the heck?!" he almost shouted, snapping everyone out of their trances. "They're…they're gonna hit each other with their lips!"
"Isn't that called a kiss?" asked Chopper.
"Y-Yeah!" cried Usopp. "But we don't do that! Crewmates can't kiss!"
"Is that really true?" pondered Robin.
"Kissing is all part of love!" whispered Franky. "Let them do it!"
"I ship it!" claimed Brook eagerly. "Though I never knew Sir Luffy and Miss Nami felt that way about each other…"
"Talk about strange," mumbled Zoro unenthusiastically. "Are they really going to do this?"
The crew held their breath. Nami really wanted to repeat her question, but that had been a while ago and she didn't have the strength to ask. She wanted to be mad at him, but she had lost all that anger staring into his dark eyes. Right now, she was falling straight for her captain all while leaning towards his lips. Her eyelids began to close. Luffy strangely kept both of his wide open while he stared intently at her serene face. None of it made any sense, but they could do nothing about it now.
Sanji felt himself come to.
"W-Where am I?" he murmured, his head aching.
"Sanji!" exclaimed Chopper quietly. "You've made it just in time."
Sanji rubbed his bruised head.
"Just in time for what?" he mumbled, picking himself off the ground.
"Nami and Luffy!" said Usopp, his nose and body shaking violently.
"Nami-love and Luffy?" he repeated the sniper's words. He looked up just in time to see Nami slowly leaning towards his captain's lips. Sanji immediately felt his heart drop and his blood pressure skyrocket.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed from the top of his lungs.
The two dazed crewmates instantly snapped back to reality. Nami gasped, now able to comprehend how close her lips were to Luffy's. Her eyebrows furrowed and she abruptly threw a straight punch directly at his face. Despite everything that couldn't affect rubber, the navigator's punches were always highly effective.
"Nami!" he screamed out in pain while holding his indented rubbery face. "That hurt!"
She quickly brushed the bangs away from her eyes and tried to control her rising temperature and blushing.
"It serves you right, stupid!" she yelled back. She dramatically flipped her hair back, her cheeks revealing all too much.
"Luffy!" shouted Sanji in anger. "How dare you try to take advantage of Nami-sweet!"
He marched up to his captain and gave him a strong kick to his already sunken face, sending him high into the air and out towards the sea. Luffy cried out in anguish, pleading for someone to save him from the lethal drop below.
"Now look what you've done," groaned Zoro as he stepped on the railing and prepared to rescue his soon-to-be drowning captain.
"That was seriously the weirdest thing ever," whispered Usopp as he watched Nami stumble uncomfortably back to her room.
"I thought it was cute until Miss Nami punched him," admitted Brook.
"I thought they were actually going to kiss," whispered Robin with a hint of disappointment.
"I thought romance was in the air," sighed Franky.
"I thought it was really stupid," grumbled Sanji with a hint of jealousy. "Good thing I saved Nami-dear at the right moment."
After a long moment of awkward silence, everyone decided to forget about what had happened and went about their business, not even caring about their game of hide-and-seek anymore. What had just taken place had left everyone in their own thoughts.
Zoro finished pulling Luffy back on the ship, both of them soaked from the salty sea.
"Luffy," the swordsman panted. "What the heck was that all about? What were you going to do to Nami?"
He laid Luffy out of the grassy floor with his arms outstretched. The rubber man stared aimlessly at the blue sky. He wasn't so sure himself of what had happened. He never looked at Nami like that before. He never felt so drawn to her. What had happened was truly mysterious.
"I don't know," he replied honestly.
Zoro smacked his forehead.
"Of course you don't," he exhaled irritatingly. He dried himself off and left Luffy to lay on the deck by himself.
The teen continued to stare at the clouds above, blinking only occasionally.
Nami leaned her back against her bedroom door, gasping heavily and putting a closed fist to her beating heart. Her entire face was burning up and she couldn't get the image of Luffy's lips out of her mind. No matter how many times she shook her head, the thought of his smooth mouth wouldn't disappear.
"W-What the hell came over me?!" she screamed to herself, still breathing hard. "He almost…we almost…"
She stayed rested against the door until Robin made her way inside.
The ship eventually reached land. The crew's destination was a large and prosperous island, with people at the docks and walking along the streets. There were plenty of buildings spread across the distance. It looked like an adventure for one specific person aboard the ship. Interestingly, he wasn't jumping up and down in excitement, but was still lying on the grassy deck in a hypnotic haze. The swordsman was shocked to see him there where he had left him.
"Luffy?" he asked, confused. "Have you been lying here all this time? It's been well over an hour."
His captain nodded.
"Yup," he replied in a simple tone.
Zoro scratched his green hair.
"We're at an island," he explained, his eyebrows raised.
Luffy stared back at the clouds.
"Really? I didn't know," he responded without his usual enthusiasm.
Zoro was lost for words. Never had he seen Luffy act so monotone and plain.
"Everyone ate already," he warned him, thinking those were the key words to shake him from his immobility. To his surprise, it did nothing.
"They did?" he asked dully. "That's nice."
Zoro's mouth fell. Luffy wasn't even interested that all the food was probably now all gone.
"Well then…" he thought about what to say next, "…I'd better get the ship in place…"
With that, he turned around and prepared to dock the Thousand Sunny. Luffy remained as he was, laying on the ground with his arms outstretched.
The rest of the crew soon exited the kitchen.
"That hit the spot!" claimed Usopp as he rubbed his tummy.
"I couldn't agree more!" Franky chimed in. "It was especially nice since Luffy wasn't around taking all our food."
"Speaking of which, does anyone know where he is?" Chopper asked worriedly. "It's not like him to miss a meal!"
"He's probably feeling guilty for harassing Nami-sweet," Sanji gathered.
"He's lying on the floor over there," observed Robin who pointed to his exact location.
Nami kept her eyes underneath her bangs, too shy to look at her captain. She stayed behind Robin as best as she could.
Sanji boldly walked over to his position and hovered over him.
"Well, well, well," he murmured flippantly, "If it isn't our sneaky little captain."
Sanji lightly kicked Luffy's head, careful to avoid stepping on his straw hat. He didn't budge and kept his focus at the blue ahead. The cook realized how off he seemed and softened.
"What the heck's wrong with you?" he asked Luffy with actual concern. "We're at an island and all you're doing is lying on the ground like a bum."
There was a momentary pause as everyone waited for their captain's response. Finally, he stared directly at Sanji.
"I'm hungry," he said innocently.
Sanji slapped his face.
"Dumbass," he reprimanded. "Then you should have came to the kitchen when I called for you!"
The cook walked away while everyone else gathered around the rubber man.
"Luffy, why didn't you eat?" asked Usopp. "It was really good!"
"Are you sick?" Chopper feared. "This isn't like you!"
"Why are you just lying there?" Franky questioned. "It's a beautiful day to be lazy!"
Luffy gave it some thought. When he did, he rolled on his side and then on his feet. Everyone stepped back. He leaned over and picked up his hat, placing it gently on his head.
"It is a beautiful day!" he exclaimed with his normal voice.
The crew exhaled in relief. Nami pulled away from her hiding spot behind Robin and looked at Luffy with so much on her mind. But she had to wonder…if he could act as if the incident never happened, then why should she feel compelled that it did?
After some deep breathing, Nami collected herself and stared off at the island.
"The town looks as lively as ever," she said to everybody as she looked at all the people walking about.
"It sure seems that way," claimed Usopp. "I can't wait to explore it!"
"Yeah!" exclaimed Luffy, pumping a fist in the air.
Nami slowly looked at her captain again before quickly turning away and smiling. She remembered what she had said earlier that morning. She promised it was going to be great day. It was meant to be a great day. Not even that little event with Luffy would deter her afternoon.
With that in mind, Nami prepared to go ashore. Once Zoro set the anchor in place and had everything stationed appropriately, the crew charted out their next adventure.
Nami was with Robin and the two were walking around various shops, looking for anything that interested them for a potential purchase. After a bit of strolling, she heard a few people commenting on hers and Robin's appearances. She couldn't help but grin.
"Do you see them?" one man asked another. "They're gorgeous!"
"Right?!" cried the other. "The orange-haired girl is a babe!"
"I wonder if they're dating anyone," came a third voice. "I would totally envy those guys!"
"Let's go ask them out!" said the first man. "We won't know unless we try!"
Nami smiled to herself as she heard the three men walking towards them.
"Hello, ladies," said the first man. "The three of us couldn't help but notice how beautiful you girls look!"
Nami grinned widely. Robin put a hand to her lips and giggled.
"Why, thank you," Nami said slyly and flirtatiously. "Someone notices."
The three men blushed.
"Who wouldn't notice?!" the second man shouted.
"Only an idiot would pass up two very attractive women such as yourselves," the third man agreed.
Nami and Robin giggled at each other. They really wanted to shop, but at the same time, they both loved hearing compliments about their attractiveness.
"You boys are so funny," said Nami seductively. "I like men who are humorous."
The three of them gulped and felt themselves grow hotter.
"W-We aim to please!" they said in unison.
Nami laughed.
"That's good," she said playfully.
The men were about to go on and ask their question, but they were put on hold by the loudspeakers inside the mall.
"Ladies and gentlemen," came a voice from the speakers, "We are happy to announce that the one and only Pirate Empress and Warlord is here in this very mall for a once in a lifetime opportunity! She is with us today on tour to sign autographs and take pictures with anyone interested! If you're not interested…then you need to go to a doctor! This woman is beautiful!"
Nami and Robin looked at each other, speechless. The three men felt themselves drool.
"Please make your way to the center of the mall's first floor," the voice continued. "I'll be there too!"
There was a click followed by a loud wave of screaming and cheering. People began to rush past them to greet the most beautiful woman in the world.
"Did he just say…Pirate Empress?!" shouted the first man. "As in, Boa Hancock?!"
"That's right!" screamed the second one. "She's the greatest jewel in all the seas!"
"And she's here!" cried the third. "To take pictures and sign autographs!"
"We must ask her out!" they all yelled together. They began to take off.
"W-Wait!" shouted Nami after them.
"Sorry!" they all hollered back. "But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"
The trio vanished past a set of stairs. The two women looked at each other with disbelief.
"Boa Hancock," whispered Nami. "She's here? In some random mall?"
"It is rather unusual," replied Robin. "For a Warlord to be here of all places is rather odd."
The two stayed put for a while and then decided to go to the center of the mall where all the action was taking place. Nami felt a sense of dread sweep across her body and her heart beat faster. Something inside of her made her feel incredibly sad.
"So much for a great day," she mumbled.
"Did you say something?" asked Robin.
Nami quickly shook her head and forced a smile at her, trying her best to seem okay.
"Thank you all for coming," announced the extravagant Pirate Empress from the stage she was standing on. Though she called out to the crowd, no one could barely hear her with all the screaming and crying. People were pushing each other to get as close as they could to the lovely sight in the middle of the mall. Security guards were posted at all corners of the stage to prevent anyone from acting recklessly. For some reason, Hancock wasn't accompanied by her crew. She was all alone, yet completely surrounded by a wild sea of fans.
"This is absolutely insane!" shouted Nami above the swarm of people.
"She is quite an attraction," Robin answered smiling. "This doesn't surprise me."
Nami stopped for a moment and looked at Robin and then at Hancock. Though she really hated to admit it, the Pirate Empress appeared absolutely exquisite. Her long raven hair was brushed perfectly straight and looked smoother than anything she'd ever seen. Her eyes were a strong dark blue which made her look very serious but also very innocent at the same time. Of course, her well-endowed body figure was to perfection, sculpted so evenly that every curve stood out. The outfit she was wearing also revealed her shapely legs which were gleaming in the limelight. The more she looked at her, the more she felt inferior and unconfident.
"I don't see what the big fuss is all about," she grumbled under her breath.
"What was that?" asked Robin a little higher than the crowd's volume.
Nami chuckled nervously and shook her head.
"Please, everyone, settle down and form a single line!" cried one of the security guards. "Everyone will have a chance to take a picture with the Pirate Empress and have an autograph."
It took another few seconds, but after all the people realized that this was getting them nowhere, they eventually settled and reluctantly formed a straight line. The guards sighed with relief.
"Should we get in line?" suggested Robin to her quiet friend.
Nami paused and turned away.
"I don't have a reason to meet her," she sulkily replied as she lowered her head.
Robin finally noticed just how sad Nami seemed. Looking at Hancock, she put together the pieces. She smiled sympathetically and put a hand on the navigator's shoulder.
"Let's go continue our shopping then," she shepherded gently. "I saw a great selection of beautiful dresses while we were going downstairs."
Nami felt herself jolt at the word beautiful and felt even worse. She didn't want Robin to see her suffering, so she smiled weakly and nodded. The two turned around and headed back upstairs, but before they could make it up the first step, Usopp was calling at them from across the room. He was with Zoro, Chopper, Franky, and Brook. He rushed over to them.
"Hey, you guys!" he shouted, still waving. "Can you believe it? Boa Hancock at some random mall!"
Nami sighed agitatedly and turned around with Robin.
"Isn't it just wonderful!" cried Brook as he wiped away his tears. "The last time we saw her, she helped us get away from those marines! And now she's returned! We must thank her by asking what color panties she wears!"
Zoro slapped his face.
"That is not happening," he countered annoyingly. "Besides, I'd rather be somewhere else instead of here."
Franky gave him a puzzled expression.
"Are you not interested in women?" he implored, scratching his chin. "Is man what you seek?"
Zoro felt his face grow hot.
"W-What the hell?!" he retorted. "Don't jump to that conclusion, idiot!"
Chopper and Brook whispered to each other, causing Zoro to turn red. The swordsman started towards the stairs, but Usopp quickly reached for the swordsman's shirt and yanked him back.
"What are you doing?" Zoro snapped.
"Brook does have a point," reasoned the sniper to the rest of them. "About thanking her, not her panties."
"I tried," sighed Brook sadly.
Nami wasn't buying it.
"Why should we be obligated to do that?" she snapped rather harshly. "We don't need to talk with her!"
Usopp shook his head, unsatisfied.
"It would be the right thing to do if all of us thanked her," he explained. "For when she did save us from those marines."
Nami moaned and placed her hands on her hips.
"For goodness sake," she argued, "She wasn't the only one that helped us out of that mess! All of the people we met during those two years, like the scientists I encountered at Weatheria, helped us get away from those marines. So it wasn't just her!"
At that point, Nami was puffing steam. The rest of them felt a little shocked by how rallied up she seemed.
"Does Boa Hancock really not interest you?" asked Usopp carefully.
Nami's flushed face turned even redder. She was sick of hearing and being around the Pirate Empress. She just wanted to go back to shopping. At the same time, she wanted to leave the island and go to bed. Her day was pretty much ruined, and she wasn't feeling like herself anymore. She felt alone and too unsure of herself.
"Why would I be interested in her?!" she hollered back, her voice beginning to break. "She's a woman! I prefer men!"
"But she's so pretty," whispered Chopper. He didn't want that to be so audible, but unfortunately Nami heard him.
"So what?!" she barked crossly. Chopper squealed and jumped onto Zoro's face again. The swordsman swatted the air around him while screaming at the tiny reindeer to let go. Nami clutched her hands together in tight fists.
"You all have seen pretty women before!" she cried out. At that moment, the people standing in line had become less noisy and some of them at the back were watching the commotion. Usopp realized how disorderly Nami was acting and tried to get her attention.
"Hey, Nami!" he whispered loudly. "You're making a scene!"
The orange-haired girl refused to stay quiet.
"I don't give a damn!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. More people turned around in line to watch the enraged navigator. Hancock herself stopped signing an autograph and looked up to where all the shouting was taking place.
"Isn't that…" the Warlord whispered shiftily while squinting her blue eyes at the orange head of hair.
"Everyone acts like she's the most beautiful woman ever," she resounded on, "But she's not even that pretty! She's way overrated and so full of herself! She's no Pirate Empress. She's just some wannabe! A washed up has-been. The fame's gotten to her head and now she's acting like a complete idiot!"
All of the people in line had their jaws hanging down to their knees, their eyes bulging from their sockets. The same went for some of the Straw Hats. No one could believe what Nami just said.
The sound of clapping and laughter ended the deadly silence. Boa Hancock was laughing hysterically while giving the navigator a round of applause for her bold words. Then, the mighty Empress scowled directly at Nami. She returned it with a glare.
"That was quite daring of you," said the Warlord as she stopped clapping and crossed her arms. "But we both know that if I used my Devil Fruit abilities on you right now, you would surely turn to stone."
Nami gulped a little but held her ground.
"Oh yeah?" she spat back, knowing fully well how Hancock's powers worked. "How do you figure?"
Hancock grinned as she tilted her head back and flung her raven hair behind her ears. She pointed a finger at Nami and with her other hand, rested it on her side. The navigator raised her brow.
"No matter what you say about me," she said directly at the ceiling, "You cannot deny…that I am beautiful!"
Hancock leaned her head forward and winked at the crowd. The men and women cheered with hearts in their eyes. Surprisingly, Nami didn't even bat an eye. She only groaned.
"See, this is what I mean," she sighed aggravatingly. "You're so full of yourself."
The fans turned and glowered at Nami. She swallowed hard.
Hancock gasped and clutched her chest. It was rare to see someone immune to her charms. She was now furious but was also livid over how Nami insulted her. It was time for revenge.
"I have the right to be full of myself," she scoffed sourly as she shot a deathly stare at her. "But I can't say the same about you."
Nami's heart was racing in fear. She didn't like where this was going, but she had to defend herself.
"What are you talking about?" the navigator countered. She felt her feet growing colder and her body getting hotter.
Hancock chuckled as she closed an eye and flipped her hair.
"You're nothing special to look at," the Empress acknowledged as she looked at her from top to bottom. "Maybe a nice figure, but you're still pretty shameful."
Nami crossed her arms, unimpressed by Hancock's reasoning.
"That's all you got?" she snapped, smiling smugly now. "Seems to me you've got nothing to point out. I don't have any flaws."
Hancock peered at her from her stance and giggled. Nami gulped again.
"You have no flaws, huh?" she asked intuitively. "We'll see about that."
Nami felt confused. She was a little frightened as well. Hancock wasn't a Warlord just because she was a beautiful sight. She would also be a powerful adversary. The Empress's former bounty was proof of that. The navigator feared the black-haired beauty would lash out and attack her.
However, Hancock cackled dauntingly and glared at the poor girl, this time with seething rage.
"I've figured out who you are," she said in an irate tone. "You're that so-called Cat Burglar and a woman after my beloved's heart!"
Both of Nami's brows raised, as well as the rest of the crowd and crew.
"I-I'm what?" she inquired with a stutter. Hancock glared at her angrily.
"How dare you…" she snarled as her teeth clenched tight, "How dare you try to take away my future husband's love!"
Nami's entire mouth fell straight to the ground.
"W-What the hell are you talking about?!" she shouted. "I never tried to take anything away from you, you psycho!"
Hancock jumped from the stage and cleared a path from the surrounding crowd which had grown completely quiet. Nami immediately began to backpedal to the other Straw Hats. Brook began to clap his bony fingers in eagerness, while Robin walked over to her navigator's aid. Zoro gripped his swords just in case as Usopp and Chopper hid behind him, trembling in terror.
Hancock stood just an inch away from Nami and Robin, her face pinched with scorching fury. She was a good bit taller than both of the women which made her look even more threatening.
"The time I spent with Luffy was incredible," she reminisced to both of them. The two girls felt their brows go up as they looked at each other, confused as ever by Hancock's random comment.
"The time you spent with Luffy?" Nami quietly asked. Her stomach turned inside out at the thought of Luffy and his tasty lips. She closed her eyes briefly to shake away the memory.
Hancock gripped her fists in anger. Her teeth clenched.
"But no matter how much time we spent, it will never be enough compared to you two!" she referred to both Nami and Robin. The girls were again completely lost.
"W-What the hell are you trying to say?!" Nami blurted out in frustration. She was beginning to think that Boa Hancock had a few, if not all, of her screws loose.
"Shut your ugly mouth, you ugly bitch!" Hancock growled at her.
Nami felt herself sink at that awful word. She hated knowing that someone thought of her in that way, and she especially loathed to be called it. She managed to keep her cool and faced the intimidating presence with newfound courage.
Though, the courage she felt quickly dissipated when she noticed Hancock grinning deviously.
"I know how we are to settle the matter," the Empress explained with an uneasy tone to her voice as she flicked her long black hair behind her shoulders. Nami could feel herself slowly simmering to a higher temperature at her cockiness.
"Oh yeah?" she mocked sarcastically. "And how do you plan to do so?"
Hancock grinned again and snickered.
"Let's play a little game, shall we?" she voiced slightly higher to gather the crowd's attention. The other Straw Hats were listening intently as well.
"A-A game?" Nami stammered, this time caught off guard. "What do you mean?"
Hancock turned towards the surrounding people and winked at them. A majority of the males clutched their hearts and fell over backwards, fainting as they did. Nami grumbled under her breath.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the Warlord continued, "It has come to my attention that I am no longer the most beautiful woman in the world."
The horde of people around her gasped and began to panic.
"W-What are you talking about?!" cried one of the men.
"Of course you are the most beautiful!" came another.
"There's no doubt about it!" chimed in one more.
"Don't say such things!" screamed a woman. "We love you, Boa Hancock!"
"We love you!" sang the entire crowd.
Hancock could feel herself rising from all of the support.
"You see," she whispered hauntingly at Nami. "They adore me."
Nami closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I don't care," she insisted halfheartedly. "They can adore you as much as they want for all I care."
Judging by the way she replied, Hancock knew she had the navigator in the palm of her hand.
"But you do care," she retorted sinisterly.
Nami was starting to feel annoyed all over again.
"I just told you…" she began, but was cut off by Hancock's hand.
"I'm so glad you all think highly of me!" the Empress addressed her fans. "But this orange-haired brat thinks otherwise. As you heard her moments ago, she thinks I'm repulsive!"
Nami gulped hard as hundreds of angry eyes were upon her.
"How dare you!" shouted one man. "Stupid girl!"
"You're the repulsive one!" argued some woman.
"Compared to Hancock, you're nothing!" spat another. "Just ugly trash!"
"Disgusting bitch!" barked a group of men. "Go home already, you wannabe slut!"
With every insult, Nami could feel herself sinking further into the ground. Tears were beginning to cloud her vision. She tried with all her strength not to cry, but it was starting to feel impossible. She refused to let the Pirate Empress see her breakdown. She couldn't let her win.
"Aw, is the little baby going to cry?" ridiculed Hancock as she giggled to herself. "Go on, let's see it."
Right when Nami felt a tear reach the very corner of her eye, Robin placed herself in front of her navigator. The tears began to fall, but thankfully, her comrade was there to protect her.
"What do we have here?" snarled Hancock. "The other bitch who tried to steal my dearest."
Robin spread her arms out to further shield Nami's sobs. The other Straw Hats took the hint and came forward, creating a wall between their navigator and Hancock.
"Thank you, guys!" Nami sniffled as soft as she could.
Robin looked sternly at Hancock with a fierce resolve, still holding her arms apart.
"That's enough," she asserted firmly. "You've made your point."
Hancock laughed.
"I haven't made anything," she remarked decisively. "In fact, I haven't revealed the game we're about to play."
Robin lowered her arms and stared at Hancock, ready for her challenge.
"Go on ahead then," the archeologist urged.
Nami had finally managed to collect herself enough to stand next to Robin's side. The rest of the crew were right behind them, ready to give the girls a hand should they need it.
Hancock faced her fans again and grinned. The crowd began to chant her name, eagerly anticipating her next move.
"Everyone," she echoed loudly so that even the fresh batch of customers upstairs could hear her, "These two women behind me claim that I am not the most beautiful woman in the world."
The crowd began to boo and shout at the Straw Hats.
"I never said anything of the sort," whispered Robin. Nami slapped her head, prepared for the worst.
"In fact," Hancock continued to lie, "They think they are the beautiful ones. More than me."
The men and women around the room began to whisper frantically while they took turns glaring at the orange-haired girl and her crewmate. Nami was almost ready to burst.
"So," the Empress rambled on, "We will have a contest, right here, right now to determine who is the most beautiful out of the three of us. Everyone will cast a single vote for the one woman they think is most beautiful. In the end, the woman with the most votes wins and she will be known as the most beautiful woman in the world!"
Nami's mouth fell. Robin crossed her arms.
"W-What?!" the navigator screamed. "I never agreed to this!"
Hancock chuckled under her breath.
"What's the matter little girl?" she teased. "I thought you were confident in your so-called good looks."
Nami's light brown irises shook as she gripped her fingers together.
"O-Of course I am!" she hollered back.
Hancock snickered some more.
Though Nami didn't know exactly why, she was actually terrified to partake in this contest. Something inside her head told her she was going to lose to the Pirate Empress. Something else told her that no one would vote for her. Maybe not even the crew. She stared at the floor below as fear crawled under her skin.
The Pirate Empress instructed the security staff to bring three chairs to the center of the stage. Each chair was to be set next to the other in a horizontal line facing the viewers. Once they were in place, Hancock took a seat in the middle and signaled the other women to follow. Nami and Robin slowly began up the stage.
"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Nami whispered to herself. As she was walking up the small steps, she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Robin's.
"Good luck," the raven-haired woman encouraged. Nami feebly nodded and whispered the same set of words back at her. The two girls took their place next to Hancock.
The Pirate Empress laughed, causing Nami to look at her.
"Say goodbye to your confidence," the Warlord scorned. "After this, you'll never want to look in the mirror ever again."
Nami shivered but placed her fists on her lap. She wasn't going to respond, nor was she going to let the woman beside her intimidate her. She just had to beat her. She had to prove that she stood in front of the mirror after every shower for a reason. She was convinced she was beautiful. She just knew it. With this in mind, she softly sighed and prepared herself for the crowd ahead.
The people surrounding the stage were instructed to form a single line. The rest of the Straw Hats, minus their cook and captain, followed suit. In no time, the first person in line was ready to cast his vote. Nami's mouth parted slightly. She noticed immediately it was one of the men whom she ran into earlier. It was the same man that had complimented on her and Robin's looks. She felt a little more relieved.
"Go ahead and choose, darling," Hancock coaxed in the sweetest voice the world had ever heard. Though one person thought otherwise. Nami's eyebrows furrowed and she frowned.
"That's not fair!" she shouted. "You can't try to persuade him!"
The Warlord pouted and put a finger to her lips, trying very hard to look innocent. The man in front of her was buying the act.
"But why ever not?" the Empress murmured softly. "Please…don't yell at me…I'm gonna get scared."
The man had pink hearts in his eyes. He liked the precious demeanor of the Empress and paid little attention to the other dark-haired woman and even less attention to the enraged navigator.
"I'm sold!" he exclaimed. "Boa Hancock is by far the most beautiful!"
One of the security staff pulled a marker from his jacket and placed a dash under Boa's name on the giant whiteboard provided. Nami felt herself shake as he drew the line.
"You basically stole that guy's vote!" she barked.
Hancock wasn't at all upset. In fact, she was quite satisfied.
"That's the nature of the game, dumbass," she reprimanded the younger girl. "Either play smart or don't play at all. If you don't play smart, you'll lose."
Nami was literally glowing hot red.
"Fine," the navigator rasped through her teeth. "I'll play it that way."
Hancock chuckled and faced the next voter. Nami did the same. Robin remained silent with a smile on her face.
The next participant was a friend of the first and the same guy who had also complimented Nami and Robin prior. He looked the girls over intently. He noticed how attractive they all were. He was stuck for the longest time. Then, he noticed the orange-haired girl waving at him.
"Hey, there again," she said flirtatiously. She gave him a wink. The man blushed.
"O-Oh, I remember you," he struggled to say.
"Don't rush," she continued to lead him on, "Or you won't pick the right woman."
Hancock groaned. Robin giggled.
"I've think you've got this one," the archeologist acknowledged.
Nami grinned and then stuck her lips out, blowing a kiss towards the guy. He nearly dropped over with hearts in his eyes.
But right when it seemed like she was going to get his vote, Hancock motioned at the man's direction. He looked over at the Pirate Empress who began to slowly loosen her top, revealing her tasty cleavage. The man began to drool.
Nami noticed and turned dark red. She was about to reach for her top as well, but then stopped. She realized she didn't want to go further than blowing an air kiss. Her head slumped forward and she sighed.
Eventually, the man made up his mind. While slobbering, he pointed at the Warlord.
"I choose, Boa Hancock!" he cried.
Boa's fans cheered behind him. Nami moaned, feeling utterly defeated even after only two votes. Robin continued to sit very still, all while smiling.
While the security guard drew another tally for the Pirate Empress, Hancock began to cough aggravatingly. Nami raised her brow.
"Men are so disgusting," she mumbled under her breath. The navigator was shocked.
"W-What are you talking about?" she wondered curiously. "You think men are disgusting?"
Hancock cleared her throat some more. She did so with a pained expression. The people in line began to chatter amongst themselves, concerned for their idol.
"I hate all men…except for him," she said with both an angry and soft voice. "It sickens me that I have to play this stupid game."
Nami's mouth opened in shock.
"Then let's just end it now!" she whispered loud enough for Hancock but low enough so the people couldn't hear their conversation.
Boa's eyes lit up with indignation. She grit her teeth together.
"I have to play this stupid game!" she mumbled back. "I must destroy you…you ugly bitch!"
Nami could feel herself getting worked up again. However, something was bothering her.
"Who…who is that one exception?" she had to ask. She already knew the answer because Boa revealed her feelings earlier, but she wanted to be more than sure for some reason.
"Exception?" Hancock repeated, confused.
Nami nodded.
"You said, 'except for him.' Clearly, there is one man you like?" she whispered intriguingly.
Nami was taken aback when Hancock's cheeks grew noticeably rosy.
"H-H-Him," Boa gushed silently, bringing both her hands to her face. "M-M-My only true l-l-love."
The Pirate Empress was looking more like a little schoolgirl with a crush than the beautiful figurehead she was cut out to be. Her unusual demeanor caused Robin to listen to their side conversation. Nami was just baffled beyond belief.
"W-Who is he?" she pressed on, wanting desperately to hear his name. The image of her captain was slowly beginning to form in her head, complete with his goofy smile and trademark hat.
Boa shyly caressed her cheeks.
"My only love," she said with heightened enthusiasm, "Is my honey boo…Luffy-baby!"
Nami felt her heart jolt from the mere mention of her captain's name. She was also quite flabbergasted by Hancock's unusual labeling.
"L-Luffy," she stuttered aloud. By now, the line of people began conversing to one another, wondering when the contest would continue.
"My Luffy-love," Hancock sang in a cheerful tune. "I love him so very much."
For some strange reason, Nami felt a small sensation inside herself, almost like anger. It was the same feeling she would get when someone found more treasure than she did. Kind of like…jealousy.
"Why do you love Luffy so much?" she asked carefully, trying still to be as quiet as possible so that the line wouldn't hear them. The people in front of them were looking a bit anxious.
Hancock gave Nami a stern stare. It made the navigator jump in her seat.
"It should be obvious!" she hissed back. "Luffy is the most handsome man to ever walk the planet! Not only that…he's charming, elusive, strong, caring…he's everything a woman desires!"
"E-Everything a woman desires?" Nami choked. She thought about what Boa had said…and it was all pretty accurate. Everything she described about Luffy was almost spot on, even though he acted so dimwitted and immature all the time.
"Yes, you idiot!" the Empress continued to shriek. "Luffy is the perfect man! Whenever I look into his beautiful night eyes I feel like I died and went straight to Heaven…I'm not myself at all! In fact, I'm enchanted! When he looks at me with his gorgeous gaze…I can't say a single word…I just feel so drawn to him! I only want his love! When he looks at me, I only want to kiss him!"
At that moment, Boa flung her head towards the ceiling, crying in pleasure while placing her hand against her forehead. The thought of Luffy's face and his succulent lips was far too much for the Pirate Empress.
Nami thought about what the Warlord had said and slowly felt her jaw sink. She realized everything that Boa had said was not just pretty close…it was all actually very true. It was exactly how things played out when Luffy had stared into her eyes after she forced him against the ship's railing. The way he looked at her was extremely captivating and made it impossible to turn away from. She couldn't understand why she was so entranced, but now knew that something about his eyes and the way he looked at her pulled her closer to him. Closer to his body and his wonderfully smooth lips. The thought of his sumptuous buds made her flush bright red.
"Luffy," she whispered gently, raising a hand to her beating heart. She realized she desperately wanted to see him again. She wanted to see him now more than anything.
Her face lit up. She wondered if he was somewhere in the mall…maybe he, like the rest of the male crewmembers, would be around to vote. Maybe he would potentially vote for her. She wanted him here, to make her smile and to let her know that she was the most beautiful girl in the world.
"Please come soon," she said to herself.
Finally, after Hancock had stopped swooning, the contestants were able to continue on with the show. At that point, Nami was no longer interested in what the people thought about her, or who they would choose. She didn't care if they thought she was ugly or if they thought she was attractive…what she really wanted was her captain's opinion. She needed to hear his voice and his answer.
Before that could happen, the line had gotten considerably shorter. Nami was so busy thinking about Luffy, she hadn't paid any attention to the voters. When she finally came to her senses, she realized that Hancock had every single vote to her credit. There were more than a hundred tallies under her name. Not a single mark was under hers or Robin's. However, the archeologist didn't seem to mind one bit. She was still smiling.
Nami faced forward and was now looking at Usopp, who was standing ahead of the other crewmates, except for her cook and captain. There were only a couple more strangers after the crew.
"Usopp," she said almost astonished. She had completely forgotten about him.
The sniper grinned at her.
"Don't worry, Nami," he assured her. "You've got my vote."
Nami opened her mouth in surprise, which slowly changed into a smile. The guard taking down the votes pointed at the three women.
"Which do you think is most beautiful?" the man asked the sniper.
Before he could say something, Boa began to chuckle.
"What's the point in the rest of this?" she scoffed aloud. "I've already gotten enough tallies. I've clearly won; we should have ended this a long time ago. I am the most beautiful woman alive!"
The small amount of people that were behind the Straw Hat crew nodded in agreement and exited the line, knowing that their idol had wrapped things up.
However, Usopp wasn't going to budge.
"Well, I didn't get to vote," he countered strongly. "Plus, I think there's two other women here who are a whole lot prettier than you."
Hancock's jaw dropped. Nami and Robin sat in awe.
"Ya know, I was gonna vote for you," the sniper said grimly. "And I was gonna thank you for the time you saved us from those marines. But now I see that you're really an evil person. You're egotistical and stuck up. And you hurt my crewmate's feelings. I find that very unattractive."
Boa began to sink her teeth on her lower lip. She didn't want to lose his vote, even though she would win the contest without it. But she especially didn't want Nami to get it either. It was time to act.
The Empress sighed and stared deeply into the sniper's eyes. Usopp's lips shook as he choked on what he was going to say next.
"I'm sorry for being such a meanie," she whimpered pathetically. Her voice was heavenly for the sniper's ears.
"W-W-Well," Usopp quivered. "I-It's really not your fault."
Nami tried to get his attention, but he was too fixated on the luscious goddess in front of him.
"So," the Empress whispered gently. "Who again is the most beautiful woman in all the seas?"
Usopp gulped and felt his heart racing. The crew behind him and his two crewmates in front of him waited for his next reply. It didn't take long.
"The most beautiful…is you," he answered almost against his will.
Boa cheered and clapped her hands. All of his other crewmembers sighed. Except for Robin. She was still smiling to herself.
Usopp looked at the navigator and pouted.
"I'm sorry," he said pitifully as he joined the rest of the voters who already voted.
Nami exhaled lightly.
"It's how you feel, I guess," she replied solemnly as he walked past her.
Boa took the opportunity to mock her opponent.
"See," she spat wickedly, "Not even your dear crewmates will vote for you. And once my honey boo arrives, I'm sure he'll vote for me. No…when he arrives, I'm sure he'll rush for my arms and sweep me off my feet!"
The image of her love holding her tight made the Warlord moan in delight. Nami exhaled annoyingly as she focused her eyes at her lap.
"When Luffy gets here," she whispered faintly, "He'll come for me and only me."
Nami immediately blushed at her Freudian slip. She never meant to say that at all.
Luckily, Hancock was still groaning to herself for her to hear what Nami had just said. But Robin heard everything. It made her smile even more.
Next up was Chopper. Nami and Robin both waved at their furry friend.
"Nami," whispered the tiny doctor. "You'll get my vote for sure."
She quickly looked over at Hancock who was still fantasizing about Luffy. She grinned.
"Quick, Chopper," she pleaded. "Who do you think is most beautiful?"
Nami still didn't care what anyone except her captain thought about her, but she just wanted one vote to rub it in Hancock's arrogant face.
"The most beautiful woman here," the reindeer responded, "Is Nami!"
The crowd gasped in shock. Hancock immediately stopped her carrying on and frowned. The guard in charge of the tallies reached for his marker, but right as he was going to place a line under Nami's name, the Warlord stood up.
"A rodent has no say in this contest," Boa announced. "Its vote does not count."
Nami's mouth dropped.
"What the hell?" she retorted. "Just let him have a vote! His name is Chopper by the way!"
"And I'm not a rodent either!" protested Chopper. "I'm a doctor…and a reindeer!"
Hancock whipped her hair behind her shoulders.
"I don't care what it is," she said without paying mind to what they told her. "Anything that isn't human has no say. You're disqualified, rodent."
Chopper eyes began to tremble. Nami gave him a small smile.
"Don't listen to her," she assured him. "And thank you."
The young doctor nodded and walked over to Usopp who consoled him.
"I guess that means I have no say," came Brook's voice. "Since I'm technically not a human anymore."
Hancock was taken aback by the talking skeleton. But she then recognized him by his wanted poster and wasn't too frightened.
"Well…" she tried to find an answer. "You were a living human at some point. Your vote does count."
Brook's eye sockets glimmered brightly.
"You mean it?" he cried happily. "Then how about this. Since you all are such beautiful ladies, the first one to show me their panties is undoubtedly the win—"
The musician was interrupted by Nami's foot, which sent him flying into the opposite wall. The orange-haired girl grumbled to herself before settling back down in her chair.
"I actually approve," Hancock murmured as she adjusted the length of her dress. Clearing her throat, she stared at the eye of the green-haired man who had taken the skeleton's place.
"Roronoa Zoro," the Empress said curiously. "The formidable swordsman is here to vote for me."
The first mate stared at Hancock for a passing moment before looking at Nami. The navigator gulped and found herself struggling to wave at him. Right as she was about to, he shifted his gaze at the archeologist next to her. He looked at Robin for a long time. She stared at him back, smiling the broadest she had the whole day.
"The best looking woman," he said sternly. "Is Nico Robin."
Both Nami and Hancock's mouths fell.
"R-Robin?" the navigator squeaked, glancing at her fellow friend.
Robin beamed at Zoro.
"You really think so?" she whispered, trying to hold in her excitement.
He nodded approvingly.
"It's just as I see it," he replied, a smile forming from the tips of his lips. Robin noticed instantly and began to tear up.
"Thank you," she said while she blushed. Zoro smiled at her and took his place with Usopp and company. They instantaneously asked why he voted for the archeologist.
Nami continued to stare at Robin in pure amazement, while Hancock bit her lower lip, angry as ever. She couldn't believe someone other than herself would be voted for most beautiful. It made her even angrier seeing the guard draw a tally under the archeologist's name. Still, there was one other woman who had no tallies. It was really only her who bothered the Empress. But something even more stressful was killing the Warlord inside. There was still no sign of her lover.
"Where are you, Luffy-dear?" she whispered worryingly as she began to swing her head around her shoulders.
The Empress was about to stand when a sudden cry echoed throughout the entire mall. All three women sat in shock. Zoro rubbed his face, groaning. Usopp sighed. The rest of the crowd began to look around in a heated panic.
From out of nowhere came a spinning blonde-haired cook with rosy heart-shaped eyes and a bloody nose to match.
"NAMI-SWWWWAAAAAANNNNNN!" he cried aloud. "ROBIN-DEEEEEEEAAAAARRRRR!"
Sanji stopped short and whipped his bangs, grinning.
"Your prince," he said coolly, "Has arrived."
The cook continued to smirk until his gaze rested upon Boa Hancock. For a split second, he thought he was staring at just another pretty lady. Then, at second glance, he knew he was staring at the most beautiful woman in the world. His eyes began to tremble and his heart began to pick up speed. Soon, his entire body began to rumble.
"S-Sanji?" Nami asked nervously. She noticed the trail of blood coming from the cook's nostrils was pouring even faster. She couldn't believe this was happening.
"B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-OA," he stammered heavily. "H-H-H-H-H-HANCOCK?!"
The cook leapt back in shock before his entire body turned into hardened rock. Even the little hearts that replaced his eyes were now solid stone.
"Sanji!" cried Usopp, Brook, and Chopper at the same time. Zoro could only shake his head in disappointment.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Nami mumbled beneath her breath. "This isn't the first time."
Hancock giggled.
"Oh my," she mused. "I didn't know I was that beautiful. Oh well, that's another one for me."
The guard nodded and placed another mark underneath Boa's name. Nami watched as he did so and groaned. After a moment gathering herself, she slowly looked at her knees.
"I don't care anymore," she abruptly convinced herself. "But Luffy…where are you?"
Suddenly, Nami felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Robin's.
"It's your lucky day," the archeologist grinned. She pointed across the room. Nami quickly pivoted her head at the direction Robin was pointing towards. When she saw what was in front of her eyes, she immediately smiled brightly, her heart racing faster than ever.
"LUFFY!" she cried eagerly. Her shout was so loud that it caught everyone's attention. She didn't care one bit.
Luffy looked around at the crowd of people, then at the three women at center stage. Judging by his frown and raised eyebrows, he was completely dumbfounded.
"Nami…Robin?" he said slowly, wondering why his two female crewmembers were sitting in the middle of the mall.
His navigator immediately beamed from her seat and was about to shout out his name again when suddenly, she was quickly thrown off course by the hysterical Warlord next to her.
"LUFFY-DARLING!" screamed Hancock in the most dramatic voice of all time. She lunged from her seat and scurried over to her prince charming. Luffy's expression changed from confusion to shock.
"H-Hammock?" he stuttered nervously. It wasn't hard to remember the Empress at all, in fact, she was easy to point out due to her irrational behavior whenever she was in his presence.
The moment Hancock began fangirling, Nami felt her temperature rise. Her cheeks began to fester heat while she sat in her chair with her fists clenched on her lap. She had no clue why she felt so angry, but seeing the Empress cry out to Luffy had her extremely vexed.
But matters only got worse. Boa raised her arms in the air and then threw them around the rubber boy. Nami felt a strong surge of electricity charge through her skin. She felt her teeth grind together as her eyes glowed a devilish red. This was more than she could take. It was the last straw.
"Stop touching him!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Once she had finished her sentence, everyone in that room stayed motionless, including Hancock who shot her a look. Even Luffy glanced over at her with his mouth open.
"What the hell did you say?" Boa growled precariously.
Nami stood up from her seat and closed her hands tightly.
"He doesn't want your grubby hands all over him!" she protested, even though she was unsure if Luffy actually enjoyed Boa's hug. She definitely did not.
Hancock smirked and giggled while she wrapped the rubber boy's head closer to her bosom. Luffy had a blank look on his face, but it was somewhat obvious he did not care for her advances. Nami only watched the Warlord, and she was really getting close to outright attacking her.
"If you don't let him go," the navigator warned as she slowly pulled out her weapon, "Then I will hurt you."
The crowd gasped. The Straw Hats dropped their mouths. Sanji's mouth was already left open since he was still a stone statue.
Hancock burst out laughing while forcing Luffy in her chest. The boy began to flail his arms.
"You dare threaten me, worm?" Boa laughed as she swung Luffy in her goods. The poor rubber man saw nothing good about it.
Nami took notice, and she felt enraged and worried for her captain.
"Stop suffocating him!" she demanded in panic. "You're hurting him!"
Hancock laughed on and on.
"Why don't you take him from me?" she mocked, giving the navigator a haunting glare. "Although that would be your greatest mistake, little girl."
Nami wasn't waiting any longer. She leapt from the stage with her staff in hand. Robin got up and joined her. The Straw Hats, except Sanji, hurried over to their side. The crowd of people could only wait silently. The security staff grabbed their guns and prepared to protect the Warlord.
Nami pointed her weapon at the Empress. Once she did, Hancock instantly released her hold on Luffy's head. He began to gasp for air and started coughing. He also fell to the floor.
Hancock lifted one of her legs in the air, ready to strike her orange-haired rival. The security guards were behind her, guns raised just in case. Nami was ready to retaliate with her crew right behind her.
"So, you're ready to die," Boa snickered wickedly. "Good, it'll be one less ugly rat in this world and one less wench after my boo-boo's heart."
Usopp cracked a smile.
"Boo-boo," he chuckled to Chopper. The reindeer giggled.
Nami stepped about a foot in front of her crewmates. She decided this was going to be her fight. She was a little afraid, but more excited to finally put a lightning bolt into the Warlord's body. A crispy Empress would be no beauty at all.
Right as Hancock sprung from her stance, Luffy lifted himself off the ground. He turned around just in time to see the Empress hurling her leg directly at Nami. The speed of her bound was incredible. Without any hesitation, he dove at his crewmate, throwing his arms around her waist and protecting her from the oncoming attack. The Warlord was thrown off balance trying to avoid him. She was instantly shaken to the core. She almost hit her precious boo-boo.
Nami came down with a thud, though it hurt a lot less than the kick she was about to receive. The force of his dive caused him to be thrown into her tummy yet again. His arms were still protectively wrapped around her waist. Unlike the first time this happened, she was relieved to have him holding her. Something about the way he held onto her and had his face against her stomach made her blush.
"L-Luffy," she stuttered, amazed and surprised at the same time.
He released his hold on her and looked up, grinning.
"I got you, Nami," he said cheerfully. She quickly took note how pure and sincere his smile was. It made her blush much more.
"You saved me," she said softly. "I would have never stopped that kick…"
Luffy continued to grin as he stood up, picking up his dropped hat in the process. He gradually helped her to her feet. Suddenly, she felt her knees buckle and almost fell down, but he was able to smoothly reach for her arm and braced her back up. While doing so, she unintentionally placed her hands on his chest for support.
She wasn't sure why she felt so weak. Maybe it was because he was acting so sweet. Maybe it was because he saved her. Maybe it was because she was so happy to have him there by her side. Whatever the reason, Nami was blushing immensely.
"Are…are you okay, Nami?" he asked, concerned that she was so red. He helped steady her again with his hands on her shoulders. She began to shake in his grasp.
"I…I'm okay, Luffy," she assured him. Having his lovely hands on her shoulders felt perfect. But even with that wonderful feeling, she had her eyes closed shut. She wasn't ready to look at him. Again, he noticed something was wrong.
"Are you sure?" he whispered empathically. "You're shaking. And you're red…"
Nami smiled weakly and tried to nod her head. She couldn't.
"Look at me," he said tenderly. "I need to know you're okay."
She couldn't believe she was hearing such words from her captain. She always knew he was a caring figure, but she never knew he could be this gentle.
"I…I'm okay, Luffy," she attempted again. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop shaking. She couldn't stop blushing. Having him in front of her with such a compassionate demeanor was too much to handle. She wasn't upset at all. She was only feeling excitement.
Nami started to open her eyes. Just then, Luffy lifted a finger and lightly placed it under her chin. She immediately shot both eyes open. Of course, there to greet them was a pair of black circles.
"W-What the heck-a-dee-do-da is going on in here?!" cried Usopp in a muffled voice. The entire room couldn't agree more. Everyone was either deeply fascinated or deeply confused. Boa Hancock was on the floor, sobbing. She was still heartbroken knowing that she almost kicked her beloved.
"I don't know, but apparently the cook likes what he sees," Zoro answered him, grinning. Sanji was still a stone statue with hearts in his eyes.
Speaking of eyes, Luffy and Nami were still gazing at one another, just as they did on the ship. Both of their lips were parted slightly, light breaths exiting only occasionally.
"This…this is what she meant," she whispered, still mesmerized. She remembered what Boa had said once someone was captured by Luffy's enchanting gaze. It was happening to her now.
Luffy raised his brow.
"What meant who?" he mumbled with very little effort. His eyelids narrowed as he felt something push him closer to his navigator.
"I meant you," Nami replied feebly. Her sentence didn't come out right, but it was too late. She was ready to answer his gaze. She was ready to do whatever his eyes demanded, even though she hadn't a clue what would happen next.
He was close enough to feel her breath.
She was close enough to feel his warmth.
Their lips were only a couple of inches away from each other. Every breathing person in that room held their own breath, anxious.
Luffy lifted his hand to her cheek, still staring at her brown eyes. Nami was shaking unbelievably.
He touched the side of her face. She almost fainted.
"Nami," he whispered softly. "You look really good."
A sudden rush of adrenaline surged right through her.
"W-W-What?" she stammered.
He giggled.
Nami barely broke from her trance to ask what he meant, when, Hancock suddenly jumped to her feet and scampered over to Luffy. She was bawling.
"Luffy-sweetest!" she moaned, tears streaming down her cheeks. Nami pinched her eyes closed and grit her teeth, annoyed beyond all doubt.
Luffy appeared to be calm at first, but then his eyes narrowed. When Nami opened her eyes, she could instantly tell.
"Hancock," he said correctly, his eyes never losing their ember. He looked a little angered.
The Empress blushed and ceased her weeping.
"Y-You said my name," she gushed, holding the sides of her face.
Luffy closed his fists together. Nami continued to watch him.
"You almost kicked her," he growled, the tone of his voice sounding much like a ravenous beast.
Hancock's mouth parted.
"I-I was only trying to protect you," she tried to justify her actions. He wasn't buying it.
"No one tries to hurt one of my crew and gets away with it," he said sternly. He started marching towards her. Nami covered her mouth with her hands, speechless.
Remarkably, Boa began to walk backwards instead of going towards the man she adored. She was almost afraid of what he'd do next.
"So," he continued on strongly, "You're gonna have to answer for what you've done."
"Luffy-baby," Boa whispered upsettingly. She closed a small fist to her heart. She was now terrified.
Luffy stopped just a foot in front of her. His eyes were shaded by the brim of his hat. The guards had their guns pointed at the rubber man. He wasn't at all bothered. Nami almost felt like stopping him. Though she really wanted to know what would come next. Everyone wanted to know what would come next.
He placed a hand on his straw hat and grinned.
"I want you to apologize to Nami," he said a lot calmer.
Hancock's lips began to tremble. Nami felt a little disappointed, but also amused by his request. Some of the people sighed with relief. Zoro shook his head. Robin giggled. Chopper and Usopp looked at one another. Brook and Franky did the same. Sanji continued to look like Sanji.
"Y-You want me to say sorry?" Boa whimpered sadly.
Luffy smiled.
"You do and I'll forgive you," he put simply. As he crossed his arms, Nami felt like rushing over to him so she could unfold them and then give him the biggest hug ever, one greater than the one Hancock had forced on him. She was now convinced he was the sweetest person on the planet.
Boa gave his proposition some thought. It seemed like an easy thing to do and it would take minimal effort. However, her pride was at stake. She still strongly hated the orange-haired woman and despised everything about her. She also hated that Luffy was protecting her, even though she was aware that Nami was his crewmate. She just couldn't bring herself to apologize, not even by his request.
"I can't say sorry," she stated grimly, "To an ugly woman like her."
Nami hesitated from where she was standing. She felt the disgusting word hit her again. The feeling of being called ugly in front of her captain was not only embarrassing, but horrible as well. She could only stand with her head held low.
Luffy was not about to let Hancock get away with insulting his navigator.
"You're wrong," he said firmly.
Hancock and Nami looked at him at the same time. Everyone else followed. The power behind Luffy's voice was immense.
He grinned before shifting his focus at Nami.
"She's beautiful," he said in the most convincing tone anyone had ever heard him speak.
It took a while to digest his two simple words, but once she did, Nami felt a smile spread across her entire face. Her body began to tremble again as her heart began to beat a million times per second. Tears started to cloud her vision as she tried to say something…to thank him for telling her that she was in fact…beautiful.
Someone in the audience began to clap their hands. Then another came after. And soon, there was a thunderous applause coming from the majority of the people in that room. Even the Straw Hats were cheering on their captain and navigator. Sanji was giving his own support from his encased slumber.
Nami was so ecstatic she couldn't find the strength to wipe away the tears that were falling down her face. Luckily for her, Luffy was able to help out by bringing a finger to brush away the droplets. She giggled at his touch.
"You…you really mean that?" she wondered, somewhat unsure if he was being serious.
Luffy chuckled and nodded hastily.
"I do!" he replied happily.
Once he affirmed his decision, Nami threw her arms around him and pulled him in a warm embrace, sobbing gently in the crook of his neck. Luffy smiled and returned her hug. The crowd gave their approval by clapping some more.
Meanwhile, Boa had fallen into shock upon hearing Luffy's response. She fainted and was fortunately caught by the security team who immediately began medical procedures. Even Chopper offered his assistance, despite being a "rodent."
"I guess Nami gets his vote," Robin giggled merrily as she took one of the markers and with her Devil Fruit powers, placed a tally mark underneath the navigator's name. Though both women were unable to beat the Empress in terms of votes, the two felt they were the true winners of the evening.
"Wait a second," said Franky out of the blue. The cyborg raised his sunglasses from his eyes.
"What's wrong, Franky?" questioned Usopp.
Franky looked at the tally chart at the center of the stage. He began to whimper and sniffle.
"What is it?" Usopp asked, concerned.
Franky frowned.
"I didn't get to vote," he whined somberly. Usopp comforted him for a while before spotting a grey statue in all the commotion. He gasped.
"We gotta get Sanji back to normal!" he cried. "Hey, Hancock! Make yourself useful!"
It was getting dark on the Thousand Sunny. The sun had already set and the moon was beginning to take its place. The crew had quite an eventful day and everyone found that they were exhausted. While some headed off to bed to get some sleep, others, such as Luffy, stayed awake. The rubber man found it extremely difficult to fall asleep. While feeling incredibly satisfied, he also didn't feel quite like himself. Never did he ever think he would call Nami beautiful, even though he thought so for a long time. It just sort of happened on its own. The thought of her amazing brown eyes continued to swirl in his mind, as well as her adorable smile. It made him grin at the sea ahead.
"Someone looks happy," came a voice not too far from him. The sound of that voice made his grin wider.
"You're still up?" he asked casually, turning his head to face his orange-haired companion. He scooted over to make room for her on the railing. She accepted his invitation and made herself comfy.
Not answering his question, she faced the sea and smiled. Luffy watched her for a while before following her gaze. A moment passed by. Both listened to the lullaby of the waves below.
Nami wanted to ask so many questions, but she was so nervous and she wasn't sure how to go about things. She wondered if he felt the same way.
Right as she was about to ask something trivial, Luffy spoke.
"I always believed that," he said softly, still focusing his eyes at the water.
She opened her lips slightly.
"Believed what?" she whispered quietly. She turned her body to face him.
Luffy could only smile brightly as he turned and faced her. She nearly fell off the railing seeing his perfect night eyes. Her heartbeat was starting to gain momentum.
He giggled.
"I was right," he said promptly. Nami gulped and raised a brow.
"Right about…" she began tensely.
He leaned in close and started towards her lips. She nearly leapt from her own skin, surprised by his advance. However, just when she thought she would touch his lips with her own, he brought his hand behind her hair and moved towards her ear. She frowned, disappointed, but was also curious.
He smirked while next to her face.
"You are beautiful," he whispered in her ear. "Especially in the moonlight."
After he said that, he slowly leaned back and grinned.
Nami blinked a couple of times before blushing. She saw that his hand now rested on the railing. Feeling excited, she rested her own hand on top of his. Luffy quickly looked at her eyes. She returned his gaze and smiled.
"Prove it," she whispered affectionately, her heart now ready to explode. She wondered if he would take the hint.
Luffy paused for a moment and then giggled. It caught her off guard.
"Well," he said happily, "Your eyes are a pretty color. Your hair is too. You smell really good, and you always look nice in whatever you wear."
Nami hesitated and then dropped her head. He didn't get it at all. But she had to laugh. His response was cute.
"What's so funny?" he asked seriously. "I really mean all that."
Nami giggled a little more and watched his eyes. The warm and captivating feeling of his stare was starting to build again.
"I know you do, Luffy," she returned jubilantly. She felt herself moving closer to him. A strong force channeled throughout her body. She was ready to answer his gaze.
Luffy crossed his arms and pouted.
"Prove it," he said, keeping the best poker face possible.
It didn't last very long. Nami grinned as she placed her hands on his face and leaned forward, swiftly placing her pink lips on his soft mouth. His eyes immediately shot wide open as he sat with a stunned expression. Sensing his uneasiness, she gently caressed his cheek as she deepened the kiss. After a minute passed by, she slowly pulled away, opening her eyes and smiling. Both of their heartrates matched perfectly, as well as the color on their faces.
"There," she said, satisfied.
Luffy felt the sides of his face burning. His mouth was left hanging open. He wasn't sure what to say.
"N-Nami," he stammered.
She giggled, trying best to stay composed.
"That's my thank you," she whispered. "For saying I was beautiful."
Luffy pondered her words and then grinned. He placed his hand back on hers.
"You're welcome," he said warmly as he moved even closer to her. She too moved closer to him.
For just a little longer, they stayed cuddled next to each other to enjoy the beautiful night.
The End
I really hoped you enjoyed this "short" one shot. It took quite a bit of time and wasn't supposed to be this long. But I got so into it and had to finish it. No more one shots for a while. I'm going to finish up Charm Everlasting and then I'll move onto the next project. Thank you very much for reading :)