I wrote this little bit of a drabble ages ago and thought I should share it on here, too.

Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece and all of its characters.

A Strong and Kind Marine Woman

There was something about staring out to sea that always set Nami into a state of self reflection. She did her best thinking then while gazing off to the horizon. The ocean seemed to ease her mind and answer all of her questions. It helped her discover who she was, readying her mentally and sustaining her physically. Even from a young age it had felt to her that the sea itself had been the very compass in her heart, guiding her towards what she wanted, and towards the people and things she needed.

From the age of ten the ocean had given her direction. It made her realise her dream; she wanted to see the world and map it, seas included. When that dream was dulled by the tragedy in Cocoyashi that fateful day, she looked out to the horizon from Bellmere's grave and decided to set out to sea in search of the means to free her village.

The sea provided her with a steady income, and allowed her to cross paths a man named Luffy; a man that would soon become her faithful and unrelenting captain.

After she initially betrayed their alliance and stole his ship, again she peered out to sea hoping that she could one day see them again, and perhaps one day be free.

Now, as she gazed out to sea from the shores of Punk Hazard, the ocean was helping her to realise something about herself that she had long questioned, encouraging to not be afraid of what she had been hesitant to admit.

It did not occur to her for a long time why she had been gazing at Vivi in the bathhouse of the Alubarna Palace. She was not even abashed that the princess had caught her staring. Nami simply smiled at her, knowing that she cared for Vivi, but thought nothing more of it. It was only after meeting Kalifa that Nami began to question herself.

Why did I think that the CP9 agent was sexy? Why did I think I wouldn't have minded if Kalifa was my secretary?

Those thoughts had scared Nami slightly at the time and she put them to the back of her mind, unwilling to explore what they meant.
Nami hoped she could forget that she'd ever had them.

Then, again, whilst wandering through Doctor Hogback's mansion she had spotted a portrait of Victoria Cindry and voiced her thoughts that the woman was pretty. Why had she never thought that a man was attractive? Her flirtatious ways with the men she came across were simply a means to an end. A way to get close and steal everything she could. She had never thought about entering into a relationship with anyone, and she wondered now if her desire to fulfil her dream was the only reason she was so adverse to marrying Absalom.

The cold wind was biting into her the skin. Her nose was red and numb, but snow flakes still melted on her cheeks. It seemed nothing could chill the warmth that was in her heart, or cool her blood that had been heated by Tashigi.

Usopp may have mistaken her blush for the cold and thought that the strong marine woman she spoke of was Bellmere, but there was another marine woman that Nami had begun to love, and in an entirely different way.

Originally posted on 2nd March 2016.