For everyone who read this last year I've decided to go back and edit the whole story. Lots of little changes have been made to this chapter but it's mostly in the wording. I hope this new version is more enjoyable.
I've recently become interested in this pairing again and I've started watching the newer One Piece episodes since I like the new style (though Franky annoys me)
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Beyond the cold walls a wild and turbulent storm raged on and troubled the sea. It was much like her past, Nami thought: wild, painful, and troubled. Still, despite her stormy history Nami considered herself a very fortunate woman. After all, she was an excellent navigator with diamond looks traveling with, in her opinion, the most powerful collection of vagrant and vagabond pirates the ocean had to offer.
So how, she asked herself, had she ended up in the Navy's pre-interrogation dungeons chained to the wall, mildly drugged, hungry as hell, and crammed next to the most efficient fighter in the group?
The answer could be found by re-tracing her more recent history to a quaint little island only two days prior.
The rough and ready Straw Hat crew of the Going Merry had docked on Sulok Island to restock vital—and/or random—supplies as well as to snatch a well deserved and much needed vacation on land. After just a few hours every weary pirate decided that the island was too good for just one day's stay. That night, Nami and Zoro went off into the most inconspicuous looking bar with the intentions of starting yet another drinking war. Nami suggested the contest shortly after dinner, and it had taken very little persuasion to convince the hard tempered swordsman to play along.
A few hours into the challenge a strange man approached them, claiming to have been sent by the harbormaster, and wanted to talk with them back at port about a small problem with the docking of the Going Merry.
Whether or not the drunken pair understood the man's urgent tone they squabbled a good three minutes over who would go. When Nami brought up the objection "But suppose he tries something funny on poor innocent me?" Zoro just snorted and clutched his temples in disbelief. She really was too much sometimes. The man smiled and suggested; "Then, perhaps the good Sir wouldn't mind coming as well? To protect the Lady?"
"Yeah, yeah." He said impatiently while he grabbed for his swords and rose from his seat. Nami smiled gracefully through all the hard liquor she'd consumed and followed the stranger out the door with Zoro fast in pursuit.
Not five minutes into the endeavor Zoro turned with deadly speed and knocked a masked attacker to the ground with the back of Sandai's scabbard. The sneak attacker quickly retreated into the shadows, leaving only the scent of his blood from his bleeding nose behind.
"Nami!" Zoro growled as he took a stance, warning her to be ready. By this time the original stranger was long gone.
"Shit…" Nami cursed as she tried to focus her tipsy eyes on the black surroundings. Slowly a dark purple haze of a cloud began to creep over them. She was the first to go down as the drug took its toll. Zoro fell not a minute later—after much struggling and a fast beating from a mostly invisible opponent. The last image in his head was the cruel eyes and leering gasmask of a Navy officer standing over him. The Navy never played fair.
So that was it, kidnapped by the Navy. And between the regulated drugging and starvation it seemed their only hope was to wait for their crew to come rescue them.
It all seemed so de-humanizing, being drugged as if they were dangerous animals. Nami realized how hard it must have been on Zoro who was a good deal more sedated than she was. The Navy finally seemed to have learned their lesson, they weren't about to take him lightly.
When he wasn't growling to himself or mumbling incoherently about an escape plan the two took up the seemingly endless time by talking. It was a small comfort, and a bit awkward at first, but both decided that it was much more enjoyable than drinking themselves into a bubbling giggling frenzy, and that they should do it more often. After all, it certainly didn't come with any nasty side effects like a pounding head the next morning.
Nami sighed emptily as she rested her head against her aching arm. Both appendages were chained up, like a sagging crucifix, and pained her greatly. Not like Zoro, who was chained down to the floor like a pentagram. 'I guess they figure the ground is stronger than the walls…'
"God…" Her handsome green haired companion nearly moaned. " I feel like shit…" There was sweat on his brow though the cell was cold. "…the fuck they put in those drugs…."
Nami turned her head just a bit and smiled at him with eyes full of sympathy and concern. "Don't think about it." After a moment's contemplation she added in a breathy voice "When we get outta this I'll make Sanji cook us gourmet for a week."
Zoro chuckled; a small cough was hung at the end. "I'd be fine with anything right now. Just no more of those damn pills."
The redheaded navigator's worry increase, she wanted to do something for him, anything. Her feet remained unbound and Nami was planning on using that advantage to take down some unsuspecting guard, but for now she move them to touch her cell-mate's shoulder.
He tilted his head up after feeling the unusual and unsuspected contact. "What?" Was his gruff response before the cell door swung open, interrupting any further response or action, and a fresh guard entered.
"'Come on, pirate scum. Time for ya' candy." The Grunt was missing a tooth on the right side and his treacherous smile seemed even emptier without it. He went to Zoro first, trying to force the pill down the powerful man's throat.
"Stop it!!" Nami yelled in protest, her chains clanking and rattling against the walls. The navigator just couldn't help herself, it was like her emotions and thoughts were overflowing without her consent. "Can't you see you're killing him?!" With the foot that had just caressed Zoro's shoulder she tried to plant a swift kick to the intruding man's abdomen.
The Grunt dodged her feeble attack and succeeded in re-administering the white delirium to a mildly shocked Zoro. His glare then turned to Nami as he proceeded to unhook Zoro's chains. Four more men came in to take hold of each newly freed appendage.
"What are you doing? Where are you taking him?"
No one answered Nami and her furry increased. The feisty but weakened redhead was about to swing another kick when she received a hard smack from the back of first guard's hand. "You'll know soon enough. If he doesn't tell us what we want to know then you will; no matter what we have to do to this pretty skin." The offensive hand now held a light grasp on her chin and a powdered thumb tugged at her lip.
Zoro, who had already been lead halfway down the hallway, could be heard struggling against the chains and strong Navy men as his cloudy brain comprehended the potential danger his friend had now found herself in.
However dark Zoro's suspicions were the man suddenly released her and turned to leave; a violent force in each echoing step. He paused just long enough at the door to slam the metal cage doors shut tauntingly, leaving a worried and helpless Nami behind.
