Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, it belongs to Oda.

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Chapter 2

The pen moved across the yellow paper, tracing delicate lines in quick, precise strokes. With a flick of her wrist she drew an arching line. Her hand moved automatically to shade in the surrounding topography, and the arch soon resembled the bay from the last island they had encountered. As she leaned closer to correct a stray mark, images from their adventures in the bay danced in her memory.

With a few more strokes she drew hills. The warm afternoon sun had shone on the small town upon their arrival. It illuminated the whitewashed walls of the houses that encircled the bay and climbed the surrounding hills. She added a sharp line at the edge of the bay. Cliffs. She had squeezed her hand around the cool metal of her clima-tact as she watched Luffy and Zoro face off against their gargantuan opponent at the edge of the cliff. The man they fought had been the town's corrupt mayor. Of course, within minutes the large man had been sent careening through the air, away from the island all together.

The map maker's lips twitched as she began to etch small circles in the bay. She had pulled herself up onto the large rock that jutted out of the bay and crawled across to sit next to Robin. The two of them had laid back on the warm stone, relaxing and chatting as they listened to the splashes and playful shouts of their nakama celebrating their victory.

Nami set her pen aside and took a moment to admire her rendition of the bay. It had been sad to leave the beautiful island, but she had consoled herself with the knowledge that with the Mugiwara pirates, she was guaranteed to see hundreds, maybe thousands more remarkable islands; each likely with their own unique and beautiful sights.

Absentmindedly, she traced her index finger along the bay's curve. Would she still be able to look forward to the wondrous sights and adventures ahead of them with this bounty hanging over her head? She abruptly pulled her hand back and was dismayed to see that she had smeared the freshly drawn boulder.

"Damn!" Nami jumped up, reaching for a clean cloth. Wasting no time, she leaned over the map and carefully dabbed at the wayward ink. She managed to wipe most of it away, but there was a slight stain where the ink had streaked across the bay. It would never again be as perfect as it first was.

Looking at the ugly stain on her new map, Nami felt all of her recent fears and frustrations bubbling to the surface. She swore again and kicked her chair. It wasn't fair. She was sailing the Grand Line, seeing the world, and working steadily to create a map that encompassed it all. And she was finally feeling like she was making progress. As her drawings stacked up, she had been watching her dream become something tangible – real. But they had to go and ruin it.

Nami kicked the chair again and soon began pacing around the small room. It wasn't that she was afraid of being killed or captured by bounty hunters – well not seriously afraid anyway. She trusted Luffy and the others to keep her safe. But how was she ever going to get anything done if she had to always be around her crew in case she happened upon a bounty hunter? And vice-versa – how was everyone else supposed to go about their normal day if they had to be constantly worried about protecting her? Nami groaned.

She had come a long way in the past few years in terms of being able to fight and defend herself. She laid a hand on the clima-tact she had tucked in her clothes. But she could not hope to be able to fend off the kind of bounty hunters that would be attracted by her new bounty.

Nami kicked the chair once more for good measure before yanking the door open and stalking outside. The deck was dark and the air was cool. Nami closed the door quietly behind her and sucked in a deep breath of the brisk air. She had closed herself up in the library immediately after dinner and had stayed for hours. The rest of the crew had likely been asleep for a long while.

Nami rolled her shoulders as she padded across the deck. The night was silent save for the occasional jangle of the sails' metal fastenings and the slow, rhythmic slapping of waves against the sides of the ship. She sighed as she approached the rail. Being out of the confines of the room was already improving her mood.

She leaned against the railing and looked up at the sky. Flickering stars crowded the dark sky, making the expansive space appear paradoxically small. She couldn't help the second sigh that escaped her lips. She loved this ship, this crew, this life. It terrified her to think that this new bounty could disrupt the wonderful life that she and her nakama had built together. She traced a grain in the rail's wood as she stared blankly into the darkness ahead.

"Oi Nami."

Nami jumped at the greeting and turned to peer around the dark deck. Squinting, she was just able to make out a figure lounging against the far wall.

"Zoro?" He shifted to stand and she got a glimpse of green hair. She tapped her foot on the deck annoyed. "Baka! You scared me half to death." Her foot continued its tapping. "What are you even doing out here?"

As he strolled across the deck towards her, his figure became clear and she was able to see his mischievous grin. "My after-dinner nap ran a little long. Though you should be more prepared. You've got quite a bounty now, you know."

She scowled and turned back to the railing with a, "humph".

She stiffened as he wordlessly joined her at the rail. With a sigh, he leaned his forearms on the rail and came to rest against it.

He turned to look at her. "What? No sharply worded comeback?"

Nami pressed her lips together. She didn't have the energy for a verbal sparring match with Zoro now. Instead, she crossed her arms and leaned against the rail, mimicking his stance.

"Huh. You must be pretty upset after all."

Nami responded by pressing her lips together even tighter.

"You shouldn't be."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Nami whirled to face him. She could feel a vein pulsating in her forehead. "I shouldn't be worried that my bounty has been increased by over 100,000,000 beli? And I shouldn't be concerned that this increase apparently wasn't due to my skill, but is instead part of a plan to ensure my capture or killing? And I really shouldn't be the least bit scared that this is all part of a larger attempt to wreak havoc on our whole crew?" Silence resumed its reign as Nami breathed heavily in and out and attempted to regain her composure.

"No." Zoro said the word easily, his tone confident.

Nami glanced at him sharply. Her gaze moved from his shoulders that were set back and relaxed, to his mouth that was upturned in a self-assured grin, and finally came to rest on his keen stare. One eyebrow was arched and his there was a glint in his eyes. He really was the picture of confidence. Standing next to him, Nami began to feel the tension in her own shoulders begin to loosen.

She leaned back on the rail and looked down. "How do you know?"

He laughed. It sounded incredibly loud on the barren deck. "There isn't a bounty hunter out there who is stronger than me. And even if there was, there sure as hell isn't a bounty hunter who is stronger than Luffy."

"I don't want you guys to have to do that – to be constantly looking out for me."

He shrugged, "We're nakama. We'd be doing that anyway. Now it'll just be a bit more often."

Nami glanced at him and then looked back at the ground. Despite the cool, evening air, she felt warm from her head to her toes.

"Thanks Zoro."

He pushed himself up from the rail. "You don't have to thank me." She watched as he turned and began to make his way to the men's quarters. He paused halfway across the deck and called over his shoulder, "Just don't raise my debt any higher!"

Her lips turned up and she couldn't resist calling back to him in a sing-song voice, "We'll see!"

Zoro shook his head and continued walking. Nami watched until he disappeared through the door of the men's quarters. Once the door clicked softly shut she leaned against the rail and turned back to the sea.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate any reviews or critiques :)