Seven Days
Chapter 2: All About The Game
One week stuck in the wilderness of an island they didn't know. Had she been stuck with Usopp, it would have been a nightmare. No offense to their quirky sniper, but Luffy and Zoro definitely had the upper hand should anything bad arise. As the shock slowly began to wear off, Nami came back to her senses, and became all business.
"Well don't just sit there all day. We need to get going if we're ever going to make it back," she snapped. She stood up abruptly and brushed off a few flecks of mud that the river bank had coated on her legs. Disgruntled, she rubbed her now muddy hands on Zoro as he stood up. He glared at her.
"Do I look like a fucking hand towel?"
"Do I need to answer that?" she purred and laughed lightly. Her breath was shaky and it was obvious she was just trying to bring back a piece of normalcy in the situation. And what better way to do that then to tease him like she always did?
One minute she was thanking him for saving her life and the next she was ordering him around and rubbing mud all over his shirt. Despite their situation, her quick recovery helped to put him at ease. He definitely preferred Nami bossy and confident. He could handle that Nami.
Though it appeared effortless, it took quite a bit of strength for Zoro to haul himself up from the ground and he nearly stumbled when she wiped her hands off on him. He had been through far worse than this, but the chilly spring air coupled with the frigid water made the pain much more intense than he had expected. That and the fact that a woman had momentarily rendered him incapable of defending his friend, and himself for that matter, had deeply unsettled the swordsman. Zoro was always in control, always collected. He didn't like being made into no more than a puppet, even for an instance, to some psychotic witch.
Ignoring the shock of pain that radiated up his side and into his shoulder, Zoro knew he appeared completely calm as he firmly planted his feet on solid ground before checking his swords for injury. The sheaths had taken quite a beating in the rapids but the blades were left unscathed. His touch lingered on Wado for just a moment longer before he finally gave Nami his full attention. She was still shivering, and he resisted the urge to do so himself. At least if they were moving they would warm up, and dry in the process.
Zoro moved to head into the woods.
"Wrong way idiot,"
Nami hissed, she was already heading in the opposite direction up the river. He growled and hurriedly caught up with her. Although he thought his sense of direction pretty good, he followed her anyway, she was the navigator after all. As they walked, he could feel her gaze land on him occasionally, only for her to look away whenever he caught her staring. It was obvious that they were both avoiding the awkward topic of what had transpired between them earlier.
Nami was the first to break the silence after about half an hour of walking.
"Your wound needs to be treated."
He had assumed she wouldn't notice, which was of course ridiculous. Even though his stomach band covered the puncture, the white cotton of his shirt had quickly begun to soak up the fluid and stain the fabric a dark pink.
"I'm fine."
But of course the navigator didn't listen. She moved off ahead of him into a patch of wild flowers. Confused, Zoro stayed where he was until she came back with a purple bundle in hand. He watched with curiosity as she popped the plant into her mouth and chewed a few times before suddenly tugging the stomach band down and his shirt up and off, eliciting a hiss of discomfort from the man.
He didn't need to look down to know that the wound was bad. Nami's suddenly pale face and the brief flicker of fear in her eyes was enough to tip him off. Zoro wasn't worried though. He had survived a strike from Mihawk's blade, he was confident that he could handle a blow from a river rock.
"What are you doing?" He asked just as she spat the chewed flower into her hand and applied it to the wound. This time Zoro was prepared, and he bit back the grunt of pain that threatened to leave his lips. Nami didn't answer at first she just continued to apply the damp plant to the laceration.
"Lavender is a natural antiseptic," she finally explained, "it may not be enough to stop infection from setting in, but it will at least slow the process down. "
He was listening but his eyes trailed to her mid-section when she suddenly untied the knot at the back of her shirt and began tearing the fabric from the belly-button down. He watched as she stretched the material to its limit before wrapping it around his middle and effectively fashioning a cloth bandage. If they left the wound exposed the insects would have a hay day. He was already a temptation for wild animals as it was.
There was regret in her expression as she finally stood straight to survey her handiwork. It was easy enough to guess why she felt remorse. He had been injured trying to save her. But Zoro saw things differently. He owed his life to Luffy. If it hadn't been for their Captain, he would probably never have made progress fulfilling his dream. And if a man had no dream to fight for, living became pretty mundane and pointless. And although he would deny it if anyone pointed it out, he had developed affection for each of his crew mates. They had become family, despite their differences, and Zoro would have done the same for any of them.
"Better not charge me for this," he growled lowly.
He forced his tone to sound condescending, if only to wipe that sad look off of her face. It worked, and he almost smirked when she immediately shot him a glare and her posture became rigid.
"Gee thanks for patching me up, Nami. Oh you're welcome Zoro, it was nothing," she snorted before turning on her heel in the direction they had previously been travelling. He would have laughed had she not started walking fast enough that he nearly had to jog to keep up with her.
"Just for that, I SHOULD charge you."
Rolling his eyes, Zoro simply tugged on his shirt and righted his stomach band. He wouldn't say it out loud, but the wound did feel a little better. At least if she stayed angry with him, it would keep her mind off of the fact that they were being hunted by a witch and it would take them at least a week to get back to the others, if not longer.
"Put it on my tab," he shot back cheekily and just barely dodged a blow from her clima tact. It always amazed him that she could keep such a thing in her cleavage without it being obvious.
"You're such an arrogant-"
She swung at him and again he dodged the attack, readying himself for another. Her cheeks were flushed with anger and he had to wonder if her strong reaction was a result of fear for his health or for their situation.
"Mentally challenged-"
Another swing, this one Zoro blocked with the blunt side of his swords. He was a little surprised at the force behind the strike. The woman was stronger than she looked.
"Moron!"
Her cheeks only flushed more as she calmed down and it dawned on her that he was grinning like an idiot.
"Thanks, Nami."
The gratitude was so sudden and so cockily delivered that she wasn't sure how to react. Had he been purposely pushing her buttons to get a rise out of her? It was obvious that his intent had been to distract her from their dismal predicament and to allow her to vent some of her frustration at the risk of injuring himself further. The thoughtful act completely took her off guard. It wasn't like Zoro, or at least not like the Zoro she had always assumed him to be, uncaring and unaffected. She opened her mouth to say something, only to close it again in confusion before she huffed and turned away from him, this time walking at a normal pace so that he could follow without irritating his wound.
[][][][][][][]
"Sanjiiii…."
Their forlorn Captain sat on the ground of the village square trying his best to appear starved.
"We're not eating until Nami-san returns. That moss-head bastard had better be keeping her safe."
The cook furiously puffed on his cigarette, chewing the end between clenched teeth. It had been well over the hour that the two had promised to return from gathering water.
"I bet they found some meat. They're eating without us!" Luffy bemoaned his suffering while Usopp paced back and forth in front of him.
"Or they were attacked and eaten by a giant island monster! Like the time when I discovered an uncharted chunk of land in the East Blue and defeated a-"
"I'm sure the journey just took a little longer than anticipated. Swordsman-san is with her so I'm sure that Navigator-san is just fine," Robin interrupted while flipping through the worn pages of an island guide. It was well written and very thorough. She didn't want to concern the others, but if the book was accurate, Zoro and Nami should have returned hours ago.
"Kouta-san!"
The hysteric cry of a frightened child interrupted the conversation of the crew. All eyes turned to the child in question as the boy came running to a man dressed in ragged cloth. In response, most of the village had gathered in the square to see what all of the commotion was.
"She got them! The witch got them!"
The boy was out of breath and clearly shaken up and the tall beggar placed a firm hand of encouragement on the child's shoulder.
"I just went to get some water and she was there. They went over the cliff!" the child shrieked pulling at the beggar's robes. "Do something Kouta-san!"
The child was on the verge of tears and his mother stepped forward to envelope him in comforting arms while the rest of the village erupted in a stream of whispered conversation. Overhearing the discussion, Robin was immediately interested. It was taking a leap, but she guessed that the individuals mentioned were their missing crew mates.
"A witch?" The archeologist questioned innocently and all conversation immediately ceased. It was as if the villagers were just now realizing that there were outsiders here. The beggar regarded the crew with thoughtful eyes before finally stepping forward from the group.
"That's the creepy old man from earlier!" Chopper piped up before hiding behind Luffy when the old man grinned in response. Their Captain was not intimidated, however, and after only a moment of silence, he tilted his hat back to sniff the air.
"You stink, old guy."
Instead of appearing insulted, the man bellowed with laughter before suddenly removing the tattered and smelly cloth and tossing it aside while simultaneously removing the false rotted teeth. The man beneath the filthy disguise was quite a contrast to the beggar they had assumed him to be. Dressed in a pristine blue suit, he appeared even larger than originally thought, standing easily at six foot five inches tall with a solid chest and well developed arms. Neatly trimmed chestnut hair was dusted with hints of gray and warm honey-brown eyes danced with both regalement and anguish.
"I'm afraid your friends have been targeted by the witch," he told them. The smooth timbre of his voice offered both authority and comfort, but his words did not. Sanji was the first to snap, biting his cigarette in half out of irritation before stepping forward and grabbing a fist full of the man's suit jacket.
"What do you mean Nami-san has been targeted by a witch?!" Sanji snarled.
"And Zoro!" Chopper interjected. Gingerly, the large man disentangled himself from the angry cook and straightened out his suit.
"Ten years ago this place was known as Coppice Island."
The way he said it made it clear that the name transition was not cause to celebrate.
"Our large supply of fresh water and lumber was widely popular among pirates and other sea-goers. We traded with many of our neighboring islands, mostly medical supplies and exotic foods."
Kouta smiled fondly at the memory of the flourishing community.
"There were villages all over the island and harbors all along the coast. This place was peaceful, an escape from the terrors of the Grand Line" The village itself was well structured, with sturdy buildings and clean streets. But it certainly didn't look like a once thriving trade community.
"Most of the pirates paid us in gold or other treasures. For the most part the travelers we had come in contact with had been friendly. Rather than turning the gold in for cash we stored it in the island's capital city as an emergency supply."
"You were robbed…" Robin guessed with accuracy because the man nodded and turned his eyes downcast and his posture tensed. No wonder they had all ignored the crew until now. They figured that if they kept their heads down and appeared uninterested and without money, no one would have a reason to cause trouble.
"So a witch robbed you?" Luffy interrupted with a mouth full of food garbling his words.
"What are you eating?!" Sanji yelled and followed the stretched rubber arm until he found Luffy's hand buried in their purchased food supplies. Having been caught, Luffy quickly snapped his arm back to normal length and shoved a large chunk of ham into his mouth, chewing with puffed up cheeks and an innocent expression.
"I said no eating the food until Nami-san gets back!"
A few hard kicks later and Luffy sat cross-legged with several bumps and bruises on his head, face and torso.
"Sorry," he grumbled in a dazed voice.
Kouta had paused to watch the odd scene unfold. Despite his childish antics, something about the Captain gave off an air of trust and goodness. They were definitely not like most pirates. In all honestly, the young man reminded him of another pirate he had previously had the pleasure of crossing paths with back when the island was still a thriving harbor town. Gol D. Roger.
"Rumor had gotten out about our stored treasure and the island was attacked by a group of pirates. They called themselves The Witch Pirates. The crew was made up entirely of women, and our town was well supplied with strong men so we foolishly assumed that we could easily defeat them."
"The Witch Pirates," Robin spoke mostly to herself but all eyes turned to the woman who of course had her nose in a book.
"Their leader was said to possess devil fruit powers that allow her to temporarily control a person's movement," she offered quietly. Her face stoic as she waited patiently for the old man to continue.
It was no surprise that the archeologist knew these things. She was constantly reading and her mind seemed to absorb the information with ease.
"Yes. She ate the Puppet Puppet fruit. We were so easily beaten. They stole the treasure, destroyed our irrigation system and burned the villages one by one."
These honest working people who had once populated the entire island had been reduced to a few hundred, to one village.
"But you refer to her as The Witch, is there only one left?" Usopp spoke up this time, absorbing every detail of the story. He could use it later on as one of his own heroic tales.
"The gold was what they wanted. After they got it, we thought they would leave. But the Captain wanted to stay. She gets some sick thrill off of manipulating powerful people. She dismissed her crew and has been living in the woods ever since."
The twisted woman got off on controlling those more powerful than her. Finally stepping out from behind their captain, Chopper eyed the ragged attire that Kouta had previously shed.
"Is that why you were dressed like a beggar?"
The little reindeer questioned. The man definitely seemed powerful and would easily be a target of the witch himself, although disguising himself seemed cowardly. The man suddenly smiled.
"I don't believe I ever introduced myself. My name is Kouta, and I'm the mayor of Coppice Island."
He paused dramatically to allow the Straw Hats to absorb the information.
"I've been dressing like a beggar to spy on the witch, to find her weakness. She usually leaves people she deems as weak alone."
"And did you find anything?"
A wild grin lit up the man's face.
"Her powers don't work at night. You see, her powers only allow her to manipulate a person's shadow, so when the sun isn't present, she's just an ordinary woman."
Movement to the left of the group caught everyone's attention.
"Luffy, where are you going?"
Their captain stopped in his tracks to turn and face them, his straw hat tilted down and his eyes shadowed by the brim.
"I'm hungry."
Usopp and Sanji both gaped.
"But Nami and Zoro are missing!"
The captain grinned widely.
"They're fine. It's Zoro and Nami."
It was incredible the amount of faith that the captain had in his crew, but in Nami and Zoro especially. He knew that as long as the two were together, Nami would get them back, and Zoro would ensure that it was done safely. Of that he had no doubt. His stomach growled impatiently as Sanji sent another swift kick in his direction.
[][][][][][]
Late afternoon came quickly and Nami's feet were beginning to ache. Her shoes were not exactly ideal for climbing over boulders and wading through the occasional stream. They had been hiking for hours and it still felt like they weren't making any progress. It would take them days to get back to the crew, maybe even longer if they ran into any sort of obstacle. Not to mention she was hungry. Luffy had eaten her breakfast this morning and her stomach was beginning to protest.
"My feet are killing me," she groaned, mostly to herself.
Zoro expected her to ask him to carry her like she usually did, but instead he was met with an angry growl from her stomach.
"I think we should get something to eat and take a break," he said and stopped meaningfully in front of her forcing her to stop as well.
He could have kept going, but they both needed food, and he didn't want to push her too far. They were in a dangerous situation and normal people would be terrified. They needed to keep a clear head and wearing her to her limit would prove disastrous. You wouldn't know it without really digging deep beneath the surface, but Zoro was actually very caring. It showed in the way he treated Chopper, in the way he protected Nami, and in the way he suddenly jumped into the river without warning.
They had come to another area where the river became more like a lake, with calm currents and deep beds. Completely confused, Nami could only watch as he disappeared beneath the surface, only to resurface a moment later lugging a huge fish. He tossed the thing onto the shore before hauling himself up after it, and Nami grimaced while the creature flopped helplessly in the dirt.
"You expect me to eat that?"
She had gotten so used to being spoiled by Sanji that the idea of eating roasted fish without seasonings, sauces, or plates seemed barbaric.
"Gotten learn to fend for yourself, Sweetheart," Zoro rumbled sarcastically before decapitating the fish with one smooth strike of his blade. Nami could only watch in amazement while the swordsman gathered wood and started a fire with ease, setting the fish to cook to the side on a stick. For a man who couldn't tell North from South, he was certainly at home in a survival situation.
While she continued to stand there like an idiot, Zoro tugged off his stomach band and shirt and set them aside to dry by the fire. Sitting down on a nearby rock, he removed his shoes as well before glancing over at his comrade.
"What?"
She was looking at him as if they had never met before. It was rare for Nami to see him in an environment where he was more than just the person constantly saving her. In this situation Zoro was her protector, provider, and friend. She was well aware that he could have kept going, the man had more stamina and endurance than seemed humanly possible, and yet he stopped to allow her to rest.
He was being thoughtful, and it was a trait that she had never previously taken the time to notice in the swordsman before. Had her eyes been open, she would have noticed the way he treated their doctor, the way he handled small children, and the fact that he always did as she asked, not because he had to. They both knew that the debt she threatened him with wasn't serious.
"Nothing, I guess I'm just tired."
Moving over to the fire, Nami warmed her hands over the flame. Her clothes were mostly dry but the air grew colder as the day became late. After a while she moved to sit next to Zoro and removed her own shoes, wincing as she leaned over to massage the abused appendages.
"Ouch."
She grimaced when Zoro spoke and leaned forward to inspect her feet. They were slightly swollen and her delicate skin had been rubbed raw in several places where grains of river sand stuck to the fabric of her shoes and rubbed against her. He gave her ankle an experimental squeeze and frowned when she jerked in pain.
"We're camping here for the night," he said stiffly.
There was no room for argument in his statement.
"I'm fine, Zoro."
Wringing out his pant legs, his dark colored eyes studied the ankle he had squeezed.
"You sprained your ankle, probably when you went over the cliff. You fell at an awkward angle."
The fact that she had been walking on it for the last few hours concerned him. She had said nothing of the pain and her stride had seemed completely normal. Of course, with his own injury he hadn't exactly been paying attention as much as he should have.
"I can keep going."
Her tone was defensive, but Zoro didn't bite.
"If you rest it tonight, we can make up the lost ground tomorrow."
That seemed to settle things and Zoro set to work cutting up the fish, and in the flicker of the firelight, Nami smiled.
[][][][][][]
The air grew several degrees colder as the sun went down, and even the heat of the fire couldn't keep the chill at bay. It was the kind of cold that breeched the barriers of clothing and bit the skin. With a satisfied stomach, Zoro had already redressed and moved to lie down on the ground. His swords rested just off to the side within arm's reach and he supported his head with one hand. Nami wasn't fairing as well.
Huddled close to the fire, she still couldn't stop herself from shivering. Her teeth chattered painfully whenever she opened her mouth to speak, and eventually she found herself curled into a ball to conserve warmth. It wasn't working. Spring was almost worse than winter. The days could be sweltering while the nights could turn so cold they stole your breath away.
Glancing through the lingering flames, Nami frowned when she noticed that Zoro wasn't shivering at all. At first she assumed he had already fallen asleep, at least until he suddenly spread his other arm out to the side, opening himself up in invitation. Normally the action would appear suggestive and result in added debt or a punch to the head, but Zoro wasn't like most men. She knew without the need for words that he was offering her a little bit of warmth so that she could sleep, and she took it.
Getting up from the ground, she slowly made her way around the makeshift fire pit where Zoro remained in wait. His eyes were still closed and she couldn't help wondering if he was feigning sleep to make her feel better about the situation. The man was definitely full of surprises. Still trembling, Nami curled up into his side and almost automatically his arm wrapped around her in response. It only took a few minutes for her shivering to subside, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that Zoro's body temperature was slightly higher than an average person's, cocooning her in warmth.
"You smell like sweat," she muttered after a moment. She directed the statement at him but she knew he could pretend he didn't hear it. All the same his hand flexed slightly over her stomach but that was the only response she got from him for several minutes.
It was an insult but they both caught the underlying tone. It was the navigator's way of saying thank you without directly acknowledging his kindness.
"You don't exactly smell like mikans yourself," he grumbled lowly. If he wanted he could claim he was talking in his sleep.
She did, but he wouldn't openly admit it. It was the swordsman's way of saying you're welcome, and Nami finally drifted off to sleep with surprising ease, lulled by the sound of soft snoring.
[][][][][][]
The woman was definitely the swordsman's weakness. He seemed like the type to know if he was being watched, and yet he remained unaware of the searching eyes hidden in the shadow of the forest. With the sun already well below the tree line, her devil fruit powers would be of no use here, and she would prove to be no match in a physical fight.
"When do we strike, Captain?"
A gruff male voice interrupted the silence, but the group was far enough away from the couple that their presence would remain a secret.
"Don't be hasty. We wait for the right moment."
Though she had dismissed her fleet of female crew members long ago, she enjoyed manipulating strong men in particular. They were difficult to break, and the challenge was what she thrived on. Eventually, they all broke. After burning most of the villagers around the island, several of the strong men they had enlisted to protect the communities had fallen under her spell. The woman didn't live alone in the wilderness. She had to have a few boy toys to jerk around, after all.
"They won't get very far too fast with a bum ankle and an injured protector."
Turning away from the couple, the group of six disappeared into the foliage just as the fire burned out completely.
"It's all about the game, boys…. It's all about the game."
[][][][][][][]
A/N: Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! It was encouraging to see such positive feedback from one single chapter. I'm going to strive to update this story twice a month, but it may have to be one update per month as I do work a full time job. Kudos and thanks once again to my wonderful friend and beta Oceanwind. She has truly spared you all from some ghastly errors and even added to the humor.
fmdevil: Wow thank you! I'm so glad that you find the plot solid as well as the characters! I try very hard to keep them all in character.
Guest: I'm afraid that you read into that sentence wrong and I hope that I cleared that up for you in this chapter. Nami was in shock, gratitude is normal in that kind of situation but I can assure you that I have no intention of rushing their relationship. I have never been a fan of insta-romance. It really takes away from the anticipation and plot.
I wish that I could individually respond to all of you right here but I intend to through private messaging. I like to thank each of my reviewers individually. Thank you all again for your continued support and encouragement! This chapter was meant to be more informative than exciting, but I can assure you that chapter 3 is already in the works and it is stuffed full of action. Happy reading!
- Brittany.