"...?"

The grip on her arms was strong enough to leave bruises for weeks later-

"...Nyoo..."

-with a smile as sharp as his teeth, with pointed fangs to match the pupils in his eyes-

"Nyoo, Nami...?"

-laughing and crying, he was there and she was gone-

"Are you...?"

-she was dead.

"...okay?"

Nami jumped from her place at Sunny's rail and Hachi flinched back.

She was surprised to find the sun had long since set past the horizon, leaving no hint to the hazy pinks and golds had scattered across the deck only moments before. She had lost track of time.

The octopus man stared at her nervously, hesitantly, and it amused her for half a second because that was how she viewed them for years, lifetimes. But then the amusement gave way to nothing except for the small tinge of sorrow and regret and rage.

"What is it?"

Hachi winced at the bite in her tone but tried nonetheless. "Your crew is inside... We're telling stories and I-I..." One of his many fingers thrummed on his thigh. "I was wondering if you'd like to come and join us."

Nami stared at him in return feigning cool disinterest, but they both knew it was so much more.

It was everything. It was the history of their races, of blood and tears spilled between their kind and the prejudices that only strengthened and solidified in the stains of Arlong's reign. It was the reason for the pinwheel-grave overlooking an eastern sea, for a village that valued tangerines and thieves above all else, for the navy brand on her shoulder that covered the rip in her flesh.

"I think I'll pass, but thanks."

"...Are you sure?"

It only took a look for him to back down and turn away, shoulders hunched in shame. Something flickered in her stomach-guilt?-but she pushed it away immediately. It was one thing to save him, tolerate him, and that was what she could do. Nothing less, because when she said Hachi hadn't been all that bad it was the truth. Sure, he laughed along but he never went out of his way to hurt her. He was just an idiot.

But to act like they were friends was too much, (because that was what it would mean, if she joined him in the same room as her family, her world). It was what Luffy would do and try as she may, Nami couldn't forgive and forget like there wasn't a care in the world. She wasn't strong enough to afford to.

So she turned her back on Hachi (the past) and pressed her weight against the railing (the future), bare elbows on legendary wood, calloused fingertips against her sea-salt face.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry for what I did to you, for what I... helped with."

His voice choked and something in her snapped. She spun around fast, clawing at air till she grabbed hold of his collar. He didn't even try to move out of the way, and it was so far from what he had been.

(What they had been to her.)

"Just let it go! What good does it do to linger on the past?!"

Hatchi stammered, wide-eyed. But she pushed on.

"I moved on, me. Why can't everyone else, too? Why is it so hard to believe that?" She was breathing hard now, and the air bounced off his face and tousled a few stray hairs. She stared hard into his eyes and could see the disbelief there, the hard edge of self-hatred and the crumbs of mistrust towards humans.

But it slowly crumbled away, and all that was left was honest confusion.

"Nyoo... Really?"

Nami almost felt bad when she added an egg-sized bump on the back of his head.

"Yes, idiot."

Hachi whispered and it was louder than the waves. "...Why?"

She looked past his shoulder before releasing him, past the arms that had dragged her out of her house eight years earlier, and stared at the closed door of the kitchen.

While Hachi was no friend of her's (yet) and she certainly wasn't strong enough to forgive him (now), someone in that room was.

And he was strong enough for the both of them.

Nami grinned and tilted her head to the skies.

"Who am I to deny my King?"

A/N:

So this happened. For those who follow me, I know I should be working on Genesis, but the One Piece feels got a hold of me and you can't stop those! *Dodges rotten fruit* Plus, I love drabbles and really wanted to expand my writing style. Especially to what I like to read most (in terms of One Piece fanfics). Watch for another one of these soon, I'll probably create a loading ground for these guys.