Rain was gently dropping, the witness of a long storm's end.

It had taken everything to escape, to navigate through the crushing waves to survive. She didn't know when it exactly ended, the exhaustion taking over, her last memories were fuzzy at best.

But it surely ended because even if she's laine on the uncomfortable wood of her small boat with her eyes closed while breathing unevenly, she still could feel the lack of swaying.
Which meant she was on earth.

Good

She vaguely heard light steps on sand. She couldnt worry about it, she was too deep then. It may have explained why she didn't move when she feelt hands on her. A light touch, careful, nothing implying ulterior motives. A part of her eased.

A small chuckle made its way to her ears and she unexpectedly found the power to open her eyes a little. Sunlight too bright met her and she could barely make out a grin and a straw hat through the shadowy figure upon her.

"It's okay Nami. You're safe now" she thought hearing.

As strong arms lifted her and darkness fell over her, she had one last constructive thought.

How does he know my name...?

When she woke up, she was in the house of a local doctor. He said that a young man carried her unconscious here, even leaving some money for her. She asked for a name but he merely shook his head, the boy didn't leave one. She still asked for specifics so he tried to describe him.

Black hair, black eyes and a straw hat.

It's not enough and yet it appeased her. Somehow she felt they would meet again.

She landed on her homeland island and it didn't take long to feel that something is wrong. Then she perceived it, the noise.
Loud noises could be heard across the fields.
She ran, cold sweat trickled along her skin. She was so afraid to be Arlong's doing.

Who did he hurt this time ? Who dis he kill ?

But as she got near the commotion fear turns into confusion. It was not yells of desperation nor of fighting, it was happy whistles and drunk laughs. When she came into view, she confirmed it.

It's a party.

Some of the villagers noticed her and warmly greet her, with big smiles and slaps on the back. She was definitely lost.
Then Nojiko arrived and joyfully explained what the hell was going on.
And Nami just kept being more and more disbelieving from there.

Apparently a man came from absolutely no where and went straight to arlong park. Some villagers tried to stop him but he obstinately walked to his destination, laughing off the warnings. Ten minutes later, as they sadly expected to see his corpse being delivered by the fishmen, they heard the loud collapse of the building.

Nojiko herself went to check the situation and it is wide eyed she witnessed the massive destruction in front of her.

The crew had been slaughtered.
The remains of the propriety were ruins.
And the man was standing right before the bloody body of Arlong, not even hurt nor winded.

She relates her their meeting.

The man -the boy?- is calm, unperturbed by the blood running down his arms. He's merely watching red sight below him and though Nojiko cannot read his shadowed expression, she thinks there's a story here. Then he finally seems to notice her and turns around to look at her dead in the eye.
She shivers. Her gut tells her there is something unnatural and while his gaze burns a hole into her she cannot help being afraid because such power-
But she doesn't back down. Nojiko doesn't fear, she already lived the worst and she's not a child anymore.
So she strengthen up and calls.

"Who are are you ?" Her voice is firm. Silence stretches for a few seconds and she thinks he won't answer. No, he does something even more unexpected, he grins. Mirth dances in his eyes and then-

"Maa, no one important. But I guess you can call me straw hat, it's the only thing people see these days..."

No one important ? She could scoff at that. She does actually.

"You sure didn't mistake the word ? It is not no one that can beat Arlong and fish men to the ground." She dryly says. He tilts his head to the side like he didn't thought of that.

"Mmh I guess so. Still, it doesn't matter now, you can give them to the marines." With that he laughs and begins to walk away. She doesn't get any of that.

"Wait !" She urges and he stops, "Why did you do it ?" There must be a desperate hint in her voice because he seems to think about it.

"People should freely enjoy the company of their loved ones." he finally reply, "Families should never get torn apart..." The sentence ends in a sad muttering. She can't help but thinks he already lived it. It somehow clenches her heart, she lost her mother and cannot see herself living without her sister.

"Thank you. For everything." She manages to utter, overwhelmed. He seems to get going again but she retains him with a last question.

"Will you come back ?" He looks at her again and inexplicably looks sad. She doesn't have the time to wonder why though, he speaks again.

"In two years yeah, I'll have to deal with some business around here. Could even need for a navigator then, since I was told I am horrible at this stuff." He laughs at his own joke and she smiles a little. The laughter dies and he shares a last grin.

And then, between a blink and two, he's gone.

Nami was sat down in front of the grave of bellmère, a bottle in her hand. She could hear the music from the far away town. No one was even a little bit angry with her, it seemed they all knew what she was trying to achieve. She never felt at peace this much.
It's a miracle, an unbelievable one.

What now ? She wanted to ask.

The answer was easy, to enjoy life with her family, to be happy again. And yet Nojiko last words made her wonder.

He had a straw had, she says, he even called himself that

A young man with a straw hat. First he saves her, and then her family, her village, her island. They could be different persons, but she knew they're not.

"Do you think he's a pirate, bellmère ? He's obviously not a marine." She mused. Before it would have disgusted her, now she was not sure. He could never understand how grateful she is.
So she made a vow.

"Two years, I will have to be the best navigator by then." She swore.

Come hell or high water, she will repay him.