As Usopp slowly found his way back to consciousness, he felt something he had never felt before…. And it was really embarrassing.
There was no doubt that he was seasick, he could feel the sense of a ship rocking beneath him and each and every movement made him want to hurl. His head was no help either as a constant thumping kept him awake, like a big hammer constantly mashed towards his forehead. His body as well felt sore and stiff and at last Usopp let out a groan.
"USOPP!" A familiar voice sounded and Usopp groaned.
"Nami?" Usopp asked as he slowly opened his eyes, but became confused as opening his eyes didn't seem to make any difference, everything was still black.
No wait, there was a little bit of light which just revealed the outline of Nami above him.
"Thank god you could wake up already!" Nami exclaimed. "You got to be kidding me?! Have you any idea how long i've just been sitting around here worrying for you! THAT'S ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND BERRIES FOR MAKING ME WORRY!" she shouted. "And one hundred thousand more for leaving me alone for so long!"
"Huh.." Usopp asked. "Where?" he asked and groaned then suddenly his eyes widened as the previous nights events came back to him, he had been targeted and put down with Nami! So they had to be. "NAMI!" he shouted sitting up only to regret it immediately as a nauseating feeling overwhelmed him and he was about to vomit for sure. "Urgh…."
Nami swallowed. "We are… in some sort of ship." she commented. "I think in he cargo."
"What?" Usopp asked trying to stand up only to trip over as a chain around his foot held him back and Usopp landed flat on the ground. "Hey what the hell?!" he shouted and fumbled with his ankle to suddenly feel the chain under his fingers and then his eyes widened as he felt something else and he lifted his hands to his neck where he felt a cold metal collar. "Is this?" he asked. "A SLAVE COLLAR?!" he shouted. "Hey get that off me! I'm no ones slave i'm a free pirate!" he shouted only to fall down again urgh.
"Usopp be careful!" Nami shouted as Usopp felt her hands on his shoulders. "Don't do anything stupid, these collars can blow up you know." she stated and Usopp halted then he swallowed.
"Nami…. We are on a ship right?" Usopp asked quietly.
"Yes, I believe so." Nami replied.
"Headed for where?" Usopp asked.
"I.." Nami swallowed. "I don't know, and I can't even check… Usopp. They took my log pose." she admitted.
"What?" Usopp asked.
"And that's not all… my clima tact." Nami swallowed. "It's gone."
And Usopp's eyes widened as he sat up then he went to his side. "MY SATCHEL!" he shouted. "Oh no! No-no-no!" he shouted.
"Usopp?" Nami asked.
"I… I got everything in my satchel!" Usopp exclaimed. "My Kabuto, my bullets, my seeds, my tools!" he was almost breaking together in tears. "No, they got to be here somewhere! Without my satchel I…" he swallowed and groaned again.
"Usopp stop, I don't think you'll find your satchel in here." Nami stated. "They must have taken it."
"But Nami!" Usopp exclaimed. "Without my satchel I can't do anything! I'm useless like this!"
"That's not true." Nami then stated. "You used to make your way just with a sling shot and led bullets, once upon a time all I had was a wooden staff. You think Zoro would stop fighting just because he lost his swords?"
And Usopp halted then he swallowed. "Yeah you're right, sorry." he swallowed then groaned. "Urghh.."
"Are you okay?" Nami asked.
"Yeah I just feel… Really really sick." Usopp groaned.
"Hey don't you dare hurl on me." Nami exclaimed.
"I… I'm sorry." Usopp groaned as he turned away, as far away as he could and finally vomited.
"USOPP!" Nami shouted as she instead of moving away from him moved closer, holding up his back to make sure he wouldn't fall down into his own vomit.
"So… Sorry." Usopp groaned trying to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm not used to having hangovers." he admitted. "God I feel like crap.." he admitted falling down in sitting position. "I wish this stupid ship would stop moving."
And Nami swallowed. "No i'm sorry. This is all my fault."
"Wait what?" Usopp asked. "How? How is this your fault?"
"If I hadn't insisted on an extra round, that we kept drinking." Nami swallowed. "We are straw hats! We made it to the new world, it shouldn't be possible to take us down this easily. It happened because I was stupid and just wanted to drink all night. I'm sorry Usopp, pirates should never be slaves I know that I just.."
And Usopp's eyes widened as he realized, Nami had spend most of her childhood being a slave only it had been for Arlong.
Whether the sign had been a tattoo or a collar it was all the same, she was bearing the mark of a slave for the second time in her life, which was two times to many.
"Hey Nami, it's going to be okay." Usopp assured. "We are not alone, not really. You know how Luffy is, he'll cross the world to get us back. All though, we better make sure he doesn't have to." he stated then looked around. "We need to find a way to get these collars off, I do think our best chance of escaping is right now while we are being transported."
Nami swallowed then exhaled deeply. "I have spend time trying to study how to lockpick these things." she admitted. "Ever since Saboday, when Caimi was forced into one. I really hate these things so I wanted to find a way to remove them if ever needed."
"Really?" Usopp asked. "Nami that's fantastic!"
"Problem just is…" Nami swallowed. "If I make just one little mistake, the whole thing will blow up. And right now it's to dark, and I don't have a lock pick."
"Damn, why did they have to take my satchel." Usopp murmured. "There's both a flash light and a pick in it! Also tools to make any kind of pick you could need."
"I think you just answered your own question." Nami sighed deeply. "We need to look for an opening." she then stated. "See if we can find anything that resembles a lock pick and swipe it, they have to take us outside some time right?" she asked.
"Yeah." Usopp nodded. "We better make sure we wont get separated, urhm… Wait a second." he frowned then tore in the bottom of his pants to make a long string of cloth and Nami blinked as Usopp took the cloth and held it up. "Here give me your hand." he asked.
"what are you doing?" Nami asked offering Usopp her hand.
"I'm tying us together, this way they can't remove us from each other even if we are sleeping, one of us will be bound to wake up." Usopp stated. "We have to stay together, no matter what!"
"Yeah, good idea." Nami swallowed.
"So that's our plan right? Swipe what-ever can be used as a lockpick, wait until we are somewhere it's light and escape right?" Usopp asked-
"i'm afraid so, it's the only plan we got right now." Nami admitted.
"It's good enough. We'll make it work." Usopp assured. "I'm sorry Nami I really don't feel good, i'm going to lay down a bit." he stated laying down, forcing Nami to lay down to as their hands were tied together.
Nami sighed deeply, but then finally positioned herself in a much more comfortable manner so her head was now resting on Usopp's chest and she sighed deeply, drawing comfort in one of her best friends being there.
"Who knows maybe we wont even have to escape." Usopp commented. "I could just imagine Luffy crashing through the ceiling right now, the entire crew up there already being beaten half the dead."
"That does seem very likely." Nami admitted. "Except.. It's to quiet." she commented glancing up. "If the Strawhats were here, it would be really loud and noisy. But I just hear this ship creaking… and the ocean outside. It's never this quiet when the strawhats are around."
"Well it would be anti climatic if they came right now, gotta do it at the right moment." Usopp stated then yawned, putting a hand on Nami's head resting it on her soft hair. "Don't worry it'll be fine, either they'll come get us or we'll escape on our own. One or the other, the most important thing is that we aren't alone."
"Yeah." Nami sighed deeply feeling Usopp's warm body under her fingers and his hand on her head which was in fact all very nice. "You're right about that." she affirmed.