The Boy on the Barge

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

Summary- On her first day on her new job, Nami begins an unlikely relationship with a homeless boy. Modern AU.

Ch. 1- Nami Meets Luffy

"Jeez...where does this guy live, anyway?"

Nami stood in the middle of the alley, holding a bag that had two cartons of fresh-cooked yakisoba with extra soy sauce and bacon, made by the chef of the restaurant she worked for, Sanji. It was her first day on the job as the delivery girl, just to help make ends meet. She had already delivered several orders of yakisoba, and this one was her last stop...except for one problem.

She didn't know where to take the food.

"I know I'm at the right address," said Nami as she looked down at the receipt, "but this is just an alley. Where am I supposed to be going?"

Just then, she heard something peculiar: the soft, slow strumming tune of a ukulele.

"Huh?" Nami muttered as she looked around. "Where's that coming from?"

Growing curious, she walked through the alleyway, following the sound of the music before she came upon a canal, where she found a small barge. It was rather old-looking, too, with a clothesline tied from the roof of the cabin to the bow, and she could see several shirts and short pants being hung out to dry. As she went to get a closer look, Nami saw someone lying in a hammock, gently swaying back and forth.

It was a young man, at least 19 years old, with short, scruffy black hair, wearing a yellow shirt that had the kanji for "freedom" on the front, a pair of black shorts, and an old, tattered straw hat over his face, but Nami could see a smile on his face as he plucked the strings of the ukulele, playing a soft, mellow tune, which made her smile, too. Soon, his song came to an end and the sound of clapping hands startled him into sitting up. As he put the straw hat on top of his head (which revealed that he had a stitched-up scar under his left eye), he soon spotted Nami, who clapped her hands in applause. The boy blinked at her in confusion for a moment, but then he grinned before he stood up from his hammock and made a gracious bow.

"Thank you, thank you!" he exclaimed.

"That was a nice song," Nami said. "Did you make it up?"

"Pretty much," the boy answered. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I came to deliver this yakisoba," Nami replied as she held up the bag of fried noodles, "but I think I might have gotten lost-"

"Oh, my food!" the boy exclaimed.

"...Your food?" Nami repeated.

"Yeah, I ordered that a while ago!" the boy answered. "Man, I've been waiting forever!"

"Well...it was hard to know where your address was," Nami said. "Sanji didn't tell me you lived on a barge."

"Oh, yeah," the boy replied. "It's kinda hard to get any grub delivered to my place when you live way out here...but anyway, why don't you come on up?"

"Oh, I-I can't," said Nami. "I gotta get back to work soon-"

"Come on, I insist!" the boy interjected.

"...Well...okay," Nami said as she walked up the gangplank. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Who, me?" the boy asked before he gave her a broad grin. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meet ya!"

"...Luffy, huh?" Nami asked, a small smile forming on her lips. "I'm Nami."

"Nami..." Luffy repeated. "That's pretty!"

"Oh, it's nothing special," Nami replied.

"Well, I think so," Luffy said as he sat down on his hammock and reached into a cooler, from which he pulled out a can of orange soda. "Soda?"

"Thanks," Nami replied as she took it, wiped off the top with her shirt, then popped it open and took a sip, the fizzy soft drink gliding down her throat and cooling her off from the inside out. "So...do you know Sanji or something?"

"Oh, yeah," Luffy replied as he opened up the carton, revealing the still-steaming yakisoba inside. "He's one of my friends. He used to bring me food from his job, but he got in trouble because I couldn't pay for it, before. I can, now, though."

"You have a job?" asked Nami.

"Well, more like jobs," Luffy said as he slurped up some noodles. "Mmm...stuff like moving boxes, babysitting, dog-walking...small stuff, y'know?"

"I see," Nami replied, but then she heard a creaking sound coming from her left, causing her to look over and gasp upon seeing a very large, white dog with pricked up ears and pink eyes. "Whoa!"

"Hey, buddy!" Luffy greeted as the dog walked over. "Don't worry, that's my dog, Blizzard. He won't hurt ya!" He put some of the yakisoba in a bowl before he placed it on the deck, which the dog began to eat.

"He's pretty," Nami said as she pet the dog, as well, which he allowed. "What kind of dog is he?"

"A wolf-dog," Luffy replied as he pet the dog on his back. "I got him a while back. He used to live on the streets, but now he lives here with me."

"I see," Nami replied. "So...you live out here, by yourself? Don't you have family?"

"Well, there's my grandpa and my brothers," Luffy began, "and my little sister and her dog, but they live kinda far. They still try and come and see me, though!"

"And...why would you ever wanna live out here?" Nami asked.

"Why not?" Luffy asked. "It's nice and peaceful! Plus, I gotta have somewhere to live since I can't really afford a place of my own. So, I found this place. Spruced it up a little and called it home."

"...And...you're really happy this way?" Nami inquired.

"Sure!" Luffy replied. "I mean, I'm not totally alone. I got Blizzard here with me!"

Blizzard looked up at Luffy, who gently scratched behind his ears, which caused his tail to wag.

"...If you say so," Nami said.

'He looks so happy-go-lucky...not a single care in the world,' she thought. 'It's...kind of charming, actually.'

Suddenly, she heard the ringtone of her phone, which she pulled out of her pocket and swiped her finger across the screen to answer.

"Hello?"

"Nami, it's Sanji. Where are you? You were supposed to be back, 45 minutes ago."

Nami gasped. "Crap!"

"Hi, Sanji!" Luffy called.

"...Lemme guess, Luffy invited you to come and sit with him?"

"Uh...yeah," Nami replied, sheepishly.

"That idiot...I know he means well, but really..."

"I'll be back, soon, Sanji!" Nami said. "I'll see you later!"

"Hurry back! I don't know how much longer I can stall the old man."

On that, Nami headed down the gangplank and ran back to where she left her bike.

"Bye, Luffy!" she called. "I wish I could've stayed longer!"

"Well, when are you not working?" Luffy asked.

"Well...I get off, later tonight!" Nami answered.

"How about you come and see me tonight, then?" Luffy asked.

Nami paused for a moment, then turned to look up at him.

"Sure," she said. "I'll see you later, then."

"It's a date!" Luffy grinned. "Shishishi!"

'...A date, huh?' Nami thought before she made an outward chuckle and headed off to her bike.

XXX

"So, wait...his name is Luffy?"

"Uh-huh."

"And he lives...on a boat?"

"A barge, really, but yes."

Nojiko sat on the couch, watching her sister go about her bedroom. She had just gotten home from work (where she got a bit of an earful from Zeff for being late) and was now getting ready to go see Luffy tonight as they had planned. As Nami was getting dressed, she had told her older sister about her meeting with Luffy.

"Nami...I'm not one to judge," Nojiko began, "but...are you sure about this? Going down to the canal to meet some boy you just met?"

"He's not that bad, Nojiko," Nami answered.

"I'm not saying he is," Nojiko said. "I'm just worried about what might happen while you're out there. Don't you want me to at least you walk you there so you won't be alone?"

"I'll be fine, Nojiko," Nami reassured. "I promise."

"...Call me if something happens," Nojiko told her, sternly. "I mean it."

"Yes," Nami answered. "I promise I will."

XXX

"Luffy! I'm here!"

Nami approached the barge, the street lamps providing some much-needed light. The moment she drew near, the first thing she saw was Blizzard sticking his head over the railing, wagging his tail as he saw her approach.

"Hi, Blizzard!" Nami greeted as the wolf-dog walked down the gangplank and nuzzled his face against her chest, causing her to laugh as she scratched at the sides of his neck. "Is Luffy here?"

"Hey, Nami!"

She looked up to see Luffy, who was holding a mop in his hand.

"You made it!" he said. "I just finished cleaning up around here! I figured since I was having company..."

Nami chuckled.

"How courteous of you," she quipped, causing Luffy to laugh.

"Anyway, come on up!" Luffy replied. "Dinner's just about ready!"

"You made dinner, too?" Nami asked.

"It's nothing too fancy," Luffy said as he headed inside the cabin. "Just the instant stuff, y'know what I mean?"

"Well, you didn't have to make me dinner," Nami replied as she sat down on the chair.

"Sure I did!" Luffy said as he came outside with two cups of instant ramen. "After all, you're a guest here!"

Nami smiled as she took her cup and chopsticks, then began to slurp up the noodles.

"Mmm...this is good," she said.

"Thanks," Luffy said. "So where do you live, Nami?"

"Oh, I live in an apartment building in the middle of town," said Nami. "Nothing too expensive, just one of those places where middle-class people live. I applied for a job at the restaurant Sanji works because...well, I gotta pay the bills somehow. I can't rely on my Mom and Dad and older sister forever."

"So you're breaking out, just like me?" Luffy asked as he sat in his hammock. "That's pretty cool!"

"I guess so," said Nami. "Not that I'm complaining or anything. It's just...a little lonely there, sometimes."

"Doesn't your family visit?" Luffy asked.

"I kinda live pretty far from them," Nami began, "so it can be hard for them to come to see me when they want to."

"Huh," Luffy muttered. "That's kinda sad. I don't live that close to my family, either, but I still try and see them. Aika gets pretty sad when she doesn't see me for a while."

"What's she like?" Nami asked.

"Oh...you couldn't ask for a better little sister," Luffy replied with a bit of whimsy. "She's just so sweet and loving and she acts she doesn't have a care in the world. She's so outgoing and silly and..." He chuckled as he wiped his eye. "Sorry, sometimes I...I get a little sentimental, you know?"

"I understand," Nami said. "You said you had brothers, too. What are they like?"

"Well, there's Ace," Luffy answered. "He's kinda brash, but he has good manners...and he kinda has a temper. Then there's Sabo. He's a bit more even-tempered than Ace is...but he still get pretty nasty, sometimes, especially when someone makes fun of me or Ace or Aika."

"And...your grandpa?" Nami inquired, causing Luffy to paused in his noodle-slurping. "What about him?"

"...Uh...I'd rather not talk about my grandpa," Luffy said, nervously.

"Is he that bad?" Nami asked.

"He's...kinda the reason I moved out," Luffy answered. "Well...more like he kicked me out."

"You got kicked out?!" Nami questioned.

"Ah, I don't really care," Luffy said. "I'm doing fine, right here."

Ruff! Blizzard barked, getting his master's attention.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed as he pet the wolf-dog. "Right, Blizzard, sorry...I meant we're doing fine."

"Are you really sure about that, Luffy?" Nami asked. "You don't even feel a little mad at your grandfather?"

"You kidding me?" Luffy asked as he lied on his hammock. "Him kicking me out was actually the best thing that ever happened! I'm happier than I've ever been! I have my own place and I live by my own rules. I can sleep till noon and not having anyone bother me and I can eat the things I want and not worry about anyone taking the snacks I called dibs on."

"But...aren't you lonely out here?" Nami asked.

"Why would I be?" Luffy asked back. "I got Blizzard and my friends come and see me, once in a while."

Nami stared at Luffy, who just kept slurping up his instant noodles...and for some reason, her hands clenched tightly into fists.

"...I get it, now," she said.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered as he looked up.

"This all a joke to you...isn't it?" Nami asked.

"Wait, what?" Luffy asked.

"You can't be serious about any of this, can you?!" Nami questioned as she got up in his face, causing him to yelp as he almost fell out of his hammock while Blizzard stumbled back, his tail between his legs.

"W-whoa!" Luffy cried. "What's gotten into you?!"

"There's no way you're as happy as you say you are!" Nami shouted. "How could you be?! You live out here, by yourself, on some old boat!"

"Well...yeah-" Luffy started.

"Don't!" Nami interjected. "Don't you stand there and lie to me!"

"But I'm not lying!" Luffy argued, his face contorting into one of anger. "Why are you yelling at me, all of a sudden?!"

Nami gasped silently.

'Why...am I yelling at him?'

"...Oh, my god...I-I'm sorry!" Nami apologized before she turned and headed down the gangplank. "I-I gotta go!"

"Wait!" Luffy called after her. "When can you come back, again?!"

Nami froze before she turned to look at him with a look of shock...while he stared at her in worry.

"...I...you..." she stammered. "W...why?"

"...Because I wanna see you again," Luffy replied. "Isn't it obvious?"

Blizzard blinked at his master while Nami gaped up at Luffy...but then she sighed.

'...This guy's an idiot...'

As the wind blew up her long, orange tresses...she smiled up at him.

"How about...I see you tomorrow?" she asked...which caused Luffy to grin back at her.

"Sure!"

Originally, this was going to be a one-shot, but I thought it'd be better as a short chapter story. Maybe 3 at best.

Review, please!