Nami stared at the bed blankly as she tried to fight the overwhelming feeling of despair creeping up in her. She weakly held over her chest the ragged white robe that was all she was given to wear as she was made to wait for her first "customer." Once he came, her new life of slavery would begin. And now, as much as she had tried to keep her mind silent, it was starting to drift.
'Nojiko...Gen-san...'
She felt her eyes welling up as happy images from her past flashed through her mind. The times she spent in the village, picking oranges with Nojiko and Bellemere, riding on Genzo's shoulders, laughing, being loved...And then the time she had spent with Luffy and his crew, going from island to island, trusting each other, being free...
'...They followed me back to Kokoyashi after I took their ship...' she remembered in a haze. '...I wonder if they've already left for the Grand Line...'
Tears that she had kept at bay for the past few days began to force their way out as she started shivering. She sniffled and her lips twitched into a weak smile.
'I wont see them again, huh...?'
Her expression turned more anguished and her tears began to flow as it hit her again what was happening to her.
"Nojiko...Gen-san...! Everyone!" She sobbed, clutching her shoulders. "...I'll save you...I'll save you..."
Crying, she waited out the remaining minutes before she heard the creak of the door opening and the foot step of some one entering. The memory of how this all began quickly rushed back to her. It was at Arlong Park, shortly after she'd returned to the island.
xx One Week Earlier xx
"So that's how it is." a leering Arlong informed her. "If you serve this human and his customers with your body for the next ten years, I'll release this 'Kokoyashi village' and grant its citizens their freedom! Shahahahaha!"
Nami stood petrified while she stared at the merman and man standing before her.
"Otherwise..." the merman continued, resting onto his elbow, "...I'll just kill everyone in that village right now."
"You-!" Nami gasped, baring her teeth as she rushed forward and grabbed his coat, "You're breaking your promise! You said if I raised the hundred million you'd sell me the town! You said-!"
Arlong effortlessly smacked Nami's face with the side of his hand, knocking her backwards onto the ground.
He continued to smile as he stated, "There's no change to the promise at all. It's just that you've drawn all the maps I need, so you're of no more use. At this point, waiting years for you to pay me with money you don't currently have is just too big of a risk on my part. Don't you think so?"
Arlong gestured to the menacing pirate captain standing next to him.
"On the other hand, my new business associate, this human pirate here, has offered me one hundred million beli in yearly payments over the next ten years in exchange for your services to him. There's far less risk involved with his offer."
Arlong's grin deepened as he glared down at the shaking navigator.
"So you understand now? This is the only way you can purchase that village. Although, of course, I'm not forcing you. You're free to run away now if you'd like..."
Nami's whole body went limp, her face paled and she fell back on her hands.
"Heh heh heh." The human pirate snickered. "The moment I saw her I knew I had to have her. My 'service house' is frequented by barons and nobles throughout East Blue...Those rich bastards will pay mountains for a girl this cute."
Arlong's face fell into a bored expression. "Anyway, he's about to sail out. Decide now."
xx Present Time xx
Nami wiped her tears away and raised her head to face the figure who had just entered the room, clenching her teeth as she tried to stop her shivering and sniffling.
'That's right...I decided...' she remembered as her eyes adjusted to the light pouring in through the door, 'In order to save the village...this is the only wa-'
-Luffy.
"AH-NAMI! So this is where you were!"
xx
While searching Kokoyashi village and the surrounding island for Nami, Yosaku and Johnny had stumbled upon Arlong Park and overheard Nami's discussion with Arlong and the pirate captain. They immediately rushed to gather up Luffy and his crew and, while sobbing and shouting, conveyed to them what had happened to her. The two of them then set off on the Going Merry to follow the pirate ship while the four enraged Straw Hat pirates burst into Arlong Park and, after a grueling battle, defeated Arlong and his crew. A few days later, Yosaku and Johnny returned to Kokoyashi village, picked up the crew, then brought them to the island Nami was taken to. After quickly annihilating the slaver pirate captain and his crew, Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Yosaku and Johnny split up to search the enormous stone fortress brothel for Nami. After trying a few dozen doors and feeling frustrated at only finding naked people, Luffy noticed a large door surrounded by roses with a sign on it reading, "One million per hour." Luffy opened the door and, upon seeing Nami, happily exclaimed,
"AH-NAMI! So this is where you were!"
xx
"L-Luffy?" Nami shouted, quickly standing up.
"You're okay, right? I came to bring you back!" Luffy announced, grinning.
"W-What are you-! Why are you-! How did you get here!"
"Shi shi shi!" Luffy laughed, looking back and forth around the room. "We followed you! But really, this place is so big! And there's naked people everywhere!"
Nami bit her lip and tightened her fists at her sides.
"So then...you snuck in here to get me out?"
"I didn't sneak in, but anyway, let's go!"
A cold bead of sweat formed on Nami's forehead and she continued to tighten her fists, digging her nails into her palms.
"You...Why did you come here!" she snapped, glowering at him.
Luffy gave her a confused look.
"I just said why!" he reminded her, "I came to bring you back!"
"Keh...!" Nami scoffed, anger bubbling up inside her. "LEAVE! I didn't ask you to come here! Hurry up and leave! If anyone sees you...!"
"What?" Luffy asked, frowning. "Don't you want to leave too?"
Nami stomped up to him and pushed him towards the door.
"No! I don't want to leave! I have to stay here! So go!"
Luffy's frown deepened as he stared at her.
"I don't really get it," he declared, folding his arms across his chest, "but you're here because of Arlong, right? And you want to protect that village."
Nami bit her lip again as she continued to glare at Luffy.
'Why! Why! Why did he have to come here! Why, when I'm already prepared...!'
After a moment she hastily nodded and shouted, "...That's right! If you understand, then leave!"
Luffy grinned widely. "No."
Nami's face turned red. She stomped forward again and slammed her fist into his cheek.
"Gergh!" Luffy hollered, "-AGH! Why are you so mad! We're crew mates! I came to get you!"
Nami looked down at the floor and began to shake slightly as she continued to clench her fists.
"And anyway," Luffy continued, "if it's about Arlong, I already fought him an-"
"Eh!" Nami exclaimed, immediately looking back up. She suddenly noticed the numerous bandages, scarlines and tooth marks covering Luffy's body. "You fought Arlong?"
Luffy frowned.
"Of course!" he yelled. "That guy was hurting my crew!"
"Then those scars...you got them from Arlong?"
"Hmm?" Luffy muttered, looking down. "Oh, yeah. That guy bit me. He was strong, but-"
"You really fought him...for my sake...?" Nami asked, looking down again in a haze. "Even though I took your ship...and did nothing to make you trust me..."
"Like I said, of course I did." Luffy huffed, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. "How many times do I have to say we're crew mates before you understand! So now you shouldn't have any more problems since Arlong-"
"I understand." Nami said, her hair shielding her eyes from view. "You don't need to say it...Those wounds are proof enough of what happened. No human could win a fight with injuries like that..."
"Huh?"
Nami raised her hand to the collar of her robe and squeezed it.
"But...It's amazing that you made it out alive...He must have nearly killed you..."
"Ah, I guess I did feel like I was going to be eaten a few times." Luffy agreed. "But there's no way he could have killed me - oh, that's right! Gomu Gomu no Fuusen!"
Luffy abruptly shot his mouth open and sucked in a room's worth of air, inflating his torso to ten times its normal width. The bandages covering him all popped off. He blew the air back out and put his hands on his hips.
"These little cuts don't even hurt anymore!" he said cheerfully.
"You have a pretty strong will." Nami noted with a tiny smile. "But...you shouldn't let this affect you. You were up against Arlong. It's only natural that it would end that way..."
"That's right!" Luffy agreed, nodding. "So you understand! There's no way I could have lo-"
"I've always understood." Nami sullenly stated, her head drooping down more. "You weren't the first. Many pirates, bounty hunters and marines have challenged Arlong in the past. Their fights all ended the same way as yours."
"Eh?" Luffy questioned, scratching the back of his head. "Really? I had a pretty tough time fighting him. He didn't seem that weak to me..."
"Yes..." Nami breathed, the echo of the merman's laugh ringing through her mind. "He's strong...Terrifyingly strong...A monster...! No human could ever beat him."
"Eh? What are you talking about?" Luffy asked as his face contorted in puzzlement. "You keep saying different things. Decide what you want to say!"
"Decide...?" Nami mumbled to the floor, her attention diverted, "...I have decided..."
Luffy huffed again and stomped his foot.
"Anyway, if you want to keep saying stupid things, say them on the Going Merry! Let's go out to sea! We're going to the Grand Line from here!"
Nami released her grip on her robe, allowing it to hang open down the middle as her arms fell to her sides.
"Luffy..." she spoke, tilting her head back up and looking at him with wide, determined eyes, "I can't go on any adventures anymore."
"What...!" Luffy let out, "Why-!"
"I have to stay here. In order to protect everyone in Kokoyashi village...In order to protect all those kind people who brought me up and cared for me...this is what I have to do."
As his confusion increased, Luffy's creased his eyes and frowned so intensely that his rubber cheeks began to droop down off his face.
"...I don't get it. You must be stupid!" he declared. "How is staying here protecting them! Why do you have to stay here! For a while now you've been saying stupid things! You are stupid!"
"Even if I'm stupid, this is the way I've decided to live." Nami asserted, "To protect what's most important to me...Even if I die."
"You don't make any sense!" Luffy said annoyedly. "Haven't you been not understanding something! That guy Arlong! He's not a problem anymore! All the people in that village were really happy and had a big party with really good meat!"
Nami's eyes lit up.
"So...he's keeping his promise...!" she said in realization. "He's leaving the village alone...! Everyone in the village can be happy now!"
"Promise? What? I don't understand you at all!" Luffy shouted, scratching his head with both hands and sweating from the stress of being so confused.
Nami looked down for a moment with a melancholy smile, then faced Luffy once more.
"Luffy, I'm staying here. This is what I've decided."
Luffy narrowed his eyes and gaped at her slightly with a mixed expression.
"...So please, leave with without me."
After another long moment spent staring at her, Luffy said,
"Okay, I understand. If you're that sure, I'll give up."
Nami suddenly felt like her heart stopped. Her pupils dilated and the blood rushed out of her face.
Luffy turned around and took one step toward the door before Nami reached out and grabbed his cheek, clenching it hard enough that it stretched back toward her.
"Wa-waht!" Luffy gurgled, spinning back around.
Tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"Luffy...save-!"
Luffy's eyes widened.
"...save...m-"
Nami cut herself off as her eyes fell over the large tooth mark scar peaking out from behind Luffy's vest.
'No...' she thought. 'It's already too late.'
"...Even though I've always been a tool..." she whispered as her tears streamed, letting go of Luffy's cheek and bringing her hand to rest over her tattoo, "...to lose my body..."
Her lips curled slightly into an out of place smile.
"...to lose my body..." she repeated, "...I guess it's not a surprise...I really don't want this to happen...I don't want it...It's scary...!"
"He-Hey, Nami!" Luffy shouted. "You really do need to leave this place after all!"
Nami flung her hand out and grabbed Luffy's wrist.
'Otherwise...I'll just kill everyone in that village right now.'
"If I run away from here...I'll want to die...!" she exclaimed, squeezing her eyes shut as she sniffled. "I have to stay here...! So...!"
'So...I have to give up my body.'
Nami slowly opened her eyes and looked into Luffy's. She brought her other hand to Luffy's other wrist and grabbed it so she was holding both.
"...Since it's going to happen either way..." she said, "...my first time should at least be special..."
She bit down over her lower lip for a moment as she fought the urge to break down and cry.
"...If it's with you..." she said softly, "...it will be special..."
"Nami?"
Nami ran her hands up Luffy's arms and cupped his shoulders. She stepped closer to him and gently lowered her face into his neck.
"Nami? Eh? Nami?"
"Luffy..." she sniffled. "...You called me a companion...you trusted me...you fought for me...thank you..."
Luffy got a little angry.
"Why do you keep talking about these things like they aren't the obvious things to do!"
Nami smiled against his neck as her tears continued to roll down.
"You're a good guy..." she whispered. "...even though you're a pirate."
She lifted her head off his neck and leaned back to look at him. He looked perplexed and concerned.
"Really soon," she said, looking into his eyes, "my body's not going to be mine anymore...I'm going to have nothing left. Before that happens, could you give me something of my own...Can you let me at least have my own first time..."
"Your body's not going to be yours?" Luffy asked, "Then some one's taking it? If some one is doing some thing bad to you, then just say who it is already! I'll beat them up! Why do you not trust me so much!"
"I do trust you!" she burst out in a sob, "That's why...I want you to hold me...!"
Nami reached her arms around Luffy's side, where she grabbed the inside of his vest and pushed it downward, causing it to fall off his back.
"...and to...kiss me...!" she continued, roughly unbottoning Luffy's shorts and under shorts and pulling them down off him.
"Eh? Eh? What-"
Nami pulled Luffy by his wrist over to the bed, then proceeded to push him down onto it as she pulled her arms out of her robe's sleeves.
"And...!" she exclaimed while she kneeled onto the bed and collapsed onto Luffy's chest, her robe sliding off her at the same time.
"...and...say that you love me..." she sobbed, her imagination already running away with images of what the next ten years would be like.
Luffy stared down at Nami, gawking at her.
"You...! Why do you want me to do those things!"
"Because..." she said as she clenched her teeth and pressed her face against his chest, placing her hands behind her head and digging her nails into her scalp, "...if I can't even have that, I'm just some piece of garbage...just like I've been for the past eight years...! Everyone in the village hates me...! Arlong used me all this time just to throw me out...and now...I'm just going to become garbage here...! If that's all I'm going to be, then I really...don't even want to know anything about happiness anymore!"
Nami grasped the bed sheets to Luffy's side and rolled off of Luffy onto them, facing the wall.
"...If you won't do it, then just leave!" she cried, digging her fingers into the sheets.
Luffy quickly sat up and looked down at Nami, his eyes wide and forehead furrowed in awe.
"You-" he began before she cut him off.
"Shut up! Nothing you can say matters! I already said, if you won't do it then just go! I don't want to feel any lonelier than this...!"
Luffy let out a surprised sound, then fell silent. He scrutinized her for a short period, looking awe-stricken the whole time, then eventually he raised a hand and, still with a serious expression, began counting on his fingers. After a few moments, while holding up one finger, he turned to Nami and asked,
"The first thing was, you wanted me to hold you?"
Nami shook slightly out of alarm. She turned her head just enough to see him out of the corner of her eye. He looked back at her intently. Nami slowly sat up and turned over so she was facing him. Without delay, Luffy brought his arms around her thin frame and, placing his hands on the crook of her back and neck, squeezed her body against his. Their cheeks pressed together. Nami stared wide-eyed ahead of her.
"So now do you not feel lonely anymore?" Luffy asked.
Nami slowly wrapped her arms around his back and relaxed her head onto his shoulder. Her tears began to fall more gradually as her eyelids relaxed of their own accord. When some time nearing a minute passed with no action on Nami's part, Luffy raised a hand off her back and looked at it from his perch over her shoulder. He counted to two on his fingers and stared at them briefly. He then turned his head enough to face Nami's and kissed her hair. Nami gently lifted her head up and came face to face with him. She raised a hand up to his neck and held it there. Luffy glanced downward, then back at Nami. Nami leaned forward, brushing noses with him before lightly pushing him onto his back.
Without giving Luffy time to react, she slid down onto him, weighing his head down as she pressed her lips against his. She broke the kiss after a second and held her head above his to meet eyes. Though her tears had nearly stopped at this point, one fell off her face onto Luffy's. Staring up at her, Luffy said,
"...I don't want you to be this sad."
At his remark, Nami choked and her tears started up again. She bit her lip and dropped her forehead onto his cheek. She squeezed his shoulder.
His hand still in place over her backside, Luffy pulled Nami down onto him and hugged her again. With the passing of another few seconds, she slid her head more against his and put her lips over his cheek, kissing it. She placed a hand on top of his head as she ran her face further down his and kissed his lower jaw, rubbing her hand over his hair at the same time.
With a small motion, Luffy turned Nami and himself onto their sides so they were facing one another.
Nami slid her hand over his chest and stared at it for a moment. She then ran it up past his shoulder and back behind his head. Grasping the back of his head, she brought a leg up over his and began lowering her hips towards his.
"AH...!" Luffy gasped as Nami grabbed him with her other hand. He looked down at what she was doing and then back at Nami, only to have his lips met with hers once again. Nami started sinking her hips towards his and Luffy quickly broke the kiss.
"Hey, wait, Nami!" he exclaimed in a shaken voice. "I know what you're thinking! When I was a kid I also thought a few times that "those two things might fit together"! But Nami! You probably don't know this, but if we do that you'll have a baby!"
Nami breathed out a small, almost comedic sigh, closing her teary eyes and touching them to his throat.
"...That won't happen here." she whispered, proceeding to pull him inside her.
xx xx
A blanket covering them, Luffy lay panting over the similarly panting Nami, his hand clasped with hers.
"Hah...Hah...!" Nami half panted, half laughed as she smiled up at him, lightly squeezing his arm with her other hand. "Luffy..."
After looking down at her for a few seconds with an expression that showed as much confusion with himself as with the person he was looking at, Luffy rolled onto his side. Nami promptly embraced him, bringing an arm around his back and tucking her head under his chin. Some amount of time went by as Nami panted against his neck and Luffy stared at the wall. Eventually, Luffy glanced at his hand and held up one, then two, then three fingers.
"Since we've done this, I guess that has to be true now." he stated, frowning. After a moment, he decided to correct himself,
"No, since we did this then it was true anyway."
He pushed Nami back a bit until they were eye to eye.
"I love you." he declared sternly.
Nami's eyes went wide and her body twitched.
"It's already obvious anyway since we just did this, but anyway, that's the third thing you asked for." Luffy went on. "You have to feel better now! So let's leave this room and go already!"
Nami's mouth fell open slightly out of surprise, but then her expression quickly became one twinged with pain as she remembered where she was.
"...I already told you I can't." she said, sitting up. "...I'm...glad you came here...but I have to stay."
Luffy angrily sat up as well, grabbing Nami's shoulder.
"Why are you still saying those things?" he shouted with a tone of annoyance. "There's no way I'll accept that you won't be in my crew if it's just for some stupid reason that you won't even tell me! You don't make any sense!"
"What do you mean!" Nami snapped back at him, her eyes tearing up once more. "Why can't you just understand that this is what I've decided to do! I've already told you my reasons!"
Luffy's face creased in anger as his level of annoyance increased.
"I don't understand! You keep babbling on about how you want to stay here but all you keep doing is crying! Who would cry in a place they want to be! Why are you so stupid!"
Nami glared at Luffy and squeezed her hand into a fist, then shot up and punched him in the face, knocking him onto his side.
"Bwah!"
"Why do you have to say this!" she exclaimed. "Just leave! I already said this is what I have to do! This is the only way to protect the village! Of course I don't want to be here...But...! I don't have the power to do anything else!"
"Then ask me for help! We're crew mates!"
"No! You'll just die! It's useless! Everything is useless against Arlong! He's too strong! You should know that too! You already lost to him!"
"When did I lose to Arlong!" Luffy barked back angrily. "I keep telling you this! I beat Arlong up! Right before coming here! Why do you keep saying I didn't!"
Nami fell silent.
A moment passed before she asked in a small breath, "...What...?"
"Like I said, I already beat him." Luffy huffed, "I've been saying that the whole time! Are your ears messed up?"
Nami's breath caught in her throat. After a few seconds, she said,
"You're...lying, right...?"
"I don't know how to lie!" Luffy proclaimed honestly. He suddenly glanced towards the door at his jeans.
"Oh, yeah. If you want proof so much, it's right here!"
He stretched his arm out to the jeans, grabbing them and letting his arm snap back with them. He reached into one of the back pockets.
"This thing came off when I was fighting him. That funny tattoo woman-or, I guess she said she was your sister- she said to give this to you for her."
Luffy handed Nami Arlong's nose.
"Eh!" Nami gasped.
At that moment, Usopp's voice came from outside the room,
"Could it be this one?"
The door opened and Usopp stepped in.
"AH! NAMI! I foun-UWAAAAAAAH!"
"U-Usopp...!" Nami exclaimed.
"WHAT HAVE YOU TWO BEEN DOING!"
"Oh! Usopp!" Luffy shouted cheerfully.
"What is it!" came Sanji's voice from outside. "Did you find her? This is the last area we haven't checked yet so if you haven't-!"
As soon as Sanji entered the room, his eyes bulged out of their sockets and he tripped, falling to the floor face-first. Yosaku, Johnny and Zoro ran in behind him.
"What's with all the-AH!" Zoro began before jumping back in alarm.
"Eh-EH-EH!" Yosaku and Johnny burst out together, blushing furiously.
Luffy hopped out of the bed.
"Okay! Since you guys are all here, we can go now! Nami! Let's go!"
Nami stared wide-eyed at the likewise wide-eyed people gathered at the door, holding the blanket over her chest.
"Wha-What the hell is this!" Zoro yelled. "I've spent the past half hour searching two hundred rooms and you-!"
"You all...!" Nami interjected, "You all really beat Arlong?"
"Eh...Y-Yeah!" Usopp said, still gawking at her. "T-The marines took him off to prison already, but-"
"Na-Nami-san!" Sanji bellowed, standing up. "This is just too much of a tragedy! Without ever coming to know my love, you...! You...with this guy...!"
"I was pretty sure Nami no aneki would be grateful when we found her, but...for her to be this grateful...!" exclaimed Johnny.
"Do-Do you think she'll express her gratitude to us too...?" Yosaku asked with a gulp.
A slight smile appeared on Nami's face. After a moment, it grew into a bigger one and then into a huge one as her eyes welled up with tears.
"He's really gone...? It's really over? The village is safe?"
"Yeah." said Luffy as he happily put on his shorts and vest. "Even though I already told you that. Are your ears really okay?"
Without thinking of anything else, Nami broke down crying, squeezing her shoulders as she smiled and laughed. A short while later, she left for the ship with Luffy and the crew, wearing some clothes they found for her. Along the way, they tentatively informed Nami of what had happened to the island following Arlong's demise, while casting extremely odd glances at her and Luffy.
When they arrived at the ship and had finished explaining things, Nami wiped away her final tear and smiled at everyone.
"I understand now. All of you, thank you. Luffy-"
Nami suddenly swung around and punched Luffy in the face so hard he flew into the railing.
"BWAH!"
"What..." Nami muttered as she walked towards him where he sat, her bangs shadowing her face and a vein pulsing visibly on the side of her head. "WHAT WERE YOU DOING LETTING ME THINK THAT!"
Nami smashed Luffy over his head, sending his face crashing into the Going Merry's deck.
"-GYAAAAAH!" Luffy hollered, quickly trying to stand up and get out of the way of her oncoming barrage.
"What...! What are you talking about!"
"...Letting me think you had lost to Arlong...that I had to become a slave here..."
"What! I told you a bunch of times I beat him! You were the one who was wrong for thinking I'd lose! And you told me you understood!"
"SHUT UP!" Nami snapped, kicking him in the face so hard he flew over the railing.
"Guh-WAAAAH!" Luffy yelped before hitting the water.
"You should have noticed!" Nami snapped at him as he splashed and shouted. "How stupid can you be! You're going to pay me back for this!"
Nami huffed and turned around, heading for her room.
"He-Hey, Nami!" Usopp said, rapidly looking back and forth between her and the drowning Luffy, who Zoro had jumped overboard to save, "I don't really understand the circumstances, but Luffy really did fight and beat Arlong for you!"
Nami stopped and turned to him with a huge grin.
"...I understand!"
xx
I wrote this while I had the flu two weeks ago. It seemed like a really good idea at the time, but...Well, in the end I decided to upload it. Review away.