"FUCK YOU!" Nami screamed furiously, hurling a bottle of sake at the swordsman's head. Zoro managed to dodge it just in time, but it shattered on the wall behind him causing glass and booze to rain down on the forlorn man.

"Nami…baby. Don't get so angry! Look—I'm sorry I took the money, but it's no big deal right? We have everything we need right here on the ship." Zoro took a cautious step forward and placed his hand on the navigator's slender shoulder, trying desperately to console her.

Things between the couple had been rocky for the past few weeks. Zoro just couldn't shake the feeling that Nami was pulling away from him, even hiding something from him. Recently, she'd been spending a lot of time alone with Robin, or sneaking around the ship, seemingly trying to avoid him. It hurt the swordsman to see her act so coldly, but even more than that…somewhere deep inside, it made his blood boil.

Nami shrugged away from Zoro's touch, then buried her face in her hands and began to weep silently. Zoro felt the knot in his stomach twist tighter as he watched her, little droplets of sake falling from his grassy hair. Up on the main deck he could hear the sounds of Brook's guitar and the jovial laughs of their fellow crewmates. Tonight, they were feasting, drinking, gambling. Zoro ran a hand through his wet hair and sighed repentantly.

"I thought I would win. I thought I would surprise you with the extra beris and you would be happy." He chuckled darkly and shook his head. "But Law outsmarted me. I hate that bastard, how the hell could he possibly know the exact number of marshmallows Chopper could stuff in his mouth before—"

"Shut up!" Nami cried, pounding her fists against the swordsman's strong chest. "I can't believe you would gamble away my savings on some stupid bet! Idiot! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" she yelled, still flailing her arms against him.

Tenderly, he grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her close to him, feeling her small frame shaking with the force of her sobs. He frowned. 'Something is definitely going on with her'. The pair had argued their fair share in the time that they had been together, but this was different. Nami was fiery and relentlessly strong willed. Zoro couldn't understand why she was falling apart like this when in the past, she would have simply whacked him on the head and threatened to make him pay her back at some ridiculously high interest rate. He stroked her hair lightly, and pulled her deeper into the embrace. "Sorry" he whispered. "I'm so sorry, I love you."

Zoro could feel Nami begin to calm down a bit, and as her breathing became more steady she leaned her forehead against Zoro's body and let out a deep and troubled sigh.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea after all."

Zoro froze, feeling like someone had just stabbed him through the heart. He gritted his teeth and griped Nami by the shoulders, pulling her away from him so he could look her in the eyes.

"What did you just say?"

Nami stifled a sob and shook her head mournfully. "I-I just don't think that I can do this. We can't do this."

Zoro felt an unfamiliar chill of panic run down his spine as the navigator's words washed over him. He griped her shoulders a little tighter and searched fruitlessly for the right words to say. As strong and indifferent as he was, he had a real soft spot in his heart for Nami. He loved the women beyond all reasoning, and he always had. When she first joined the crew they bickered constantly, but as he came to learn more about her, he realized that she was everything that he lacked, everything that he couldn't achieve on his own—a missing piece of his life that he'd only just discovered. He'd assumed that she'd felt the same, but now it seemed that the weight of his misguidance was dragging him into an abyss. He looked into Nami's tear-filled eyes and felt his heart crumbling in his chest.

"Nami, let's go back to the party. We'll drink the night away and talk about this in the morning."

"No. I can't. Are you serious right now? You're unbelievable…"

"Please. I don't want to fight. I made a mistake. I'll make it up to you."

"It's like you don't even care. You're an asshole. I was crazy to think that we could play at this love story forever. On a pirate ship no less."

Zoro narrowed his eyes, and Nami shuddered under the blaze of his dangerous aura.

"Play at?" Zoro said, slowing backing the petite woman against the wall. "Was this just a game for you?"

Nami shook her head meekly, suddenly preoccupied with a piece of broken bottle underfoot. "Of course not Zoro. You know I love you, and the crew, and our shared dream. I just want this to work…somehow." Zoro looked down at his woman, at her tear streaked face, her wet bosom. He wanted her. He wanted to make it all right for her so she would never have to shed those tears again. Slowly, deliberately, he cupped her chin and made her look into his eyes.

"We will make it work. No matter what happens, I'll protect you, always."

Zoro brushed his lips against Nami's, and as always it sent a wave of electricity pulsating through their bodies. Nami moaned softly, and Zoro took full advantage, drawing their bodies closer together and deepening the kiss. After a breathless moment, the pair separated and Zoro quickly began to ravish her neck with the urgency of a man trying desperately not to lose it all.

Nami's anger faltered under the man's intensity, and she quickly resigned herself to his ministrations, her knees buckling underneath her. Zoro lifted her with ease, allowing the navigator to wrap her legs around his waist. He bit down on her shoulder hard and thrust against her so that she could feel his growing arousal. Nami let out a strangled cry as his hardness rubbed against her most sensitive place.

The couple locked eyes for an intense moment, both gasping for air in the heat of their passionate embrace. "Take me to bed" Nami said breathlessly. Zoro obliged without another word, and carried the navigator down the hall to their shared room. Once inside he dropped her onto the bed and began to remove his soaked robes.

Nami watched silently as the fabric slipped onto the floor and the pale rays of moonlight streaming through the window played across the man's taunt muscles and rugged scars. As he removed his sash, the feral look in his eye made her breath catch in her throat.

"Strip."

Nami did as she was told, first unbuttoning her skirt, then loosening the string of her bikini top, leaving her naked and vulnerable before the wild eyed man. Zoro lowered himself on top of her so that their faces were only an inch apart. Nami closed her eyes as the man dragged his hand down her body, setting her skin ablaze. She felt him position himself, and screamed in ecstasy as he sheathed himself inside her.

Zoro could feel his mind go numb as he slipped into Nami's slick opening. No matter how many times they touched, she always had the same effect on him. After so many months of this whirlwind romance, the thought of losing her over something so petty frightened him beyond belief. She had changed him, and there was no going back.

"Don't leave me" Zoro said, grinding his hips against the navigator, making her shudder.

"I don't want to" Nami said, raising up so he could go deeper. "So…make it up to me."

In one swift movement, Zoro flipped the woman onto her stomach, and slammed into her from behind. Nami threw her head back and in surprise and Zoro took the opportunity to grab a handful of long orange locks and twist them around him wrist.

"Cum for me" Zoro hissed, slamming into her again. She moaned loudly and dug her fingers into the headboard, holding on for dear life.

Over and over, Zoro pounded into her, and Nami cried his name with each thrust, feeling him rub against her deepest point. Knowing that neither one of them was going to last much longer, Zoro released the navigator's hair and leaned in close, his lips right next to her ear.

"Marry me" Zoro whispered, thrusting into the woman one last time.

"Yes!" Nami screamed as she felt the waves of release begin to roll through her body. Zoro came too, capturing her lips in an earnest kiss as he emptied himself inside her.

The couple fell to the bed, struggling to breathe as the final aftershocks began to subside.

"I'm so sorry" Zoro said, pulling Nami close to him. "I didn't know how much the money meant to you. I promise I'll do whatever I can to earn it back."

Nami snuggled closer to him and heaved a great sigh of contentment. "It's okay" she replied. "I'm just happy that you're finally taking our family seriously. It's going to be a huge adjustment for the whole crew, and if we're going to do this, I really need you to be on board with it. I need you now more than ever…we both do."

Zoro cocked an eyebrow and stared at the woman curiously. "Wait—who?"

It was Nami's turn to cock a brow. "Didn't you read the card I left you in the training room? Robin and I spent like two weeks putting this scavenger hunt together for you so…wait." Nami rolled onto her back and threw an arm limply over her face. "I just remembered that you're an idiot."

"Huh?" Zoro said, more perplexed than ever. "What are you talking about? I saw some note earlier today telling me to go to see Chopper in the infirmary but I figured it was just Luffy or Ussop pulling some stupid prank on me. What's going on?"

Nami took the man by the wrist and placed his hand on her belly purposefully. "It's a boy" Nami said, burying her face in the pillow. "All day I waited for you to say something. I thought you were angry at me." She giggled. "Turns out your just stupid."

Zoro lay frozen in his spot for what seemed like an eternity, listening to the faint sounds of the guitar from up on deck. Nami watched his face unsure of what to say. 'Maybe he is angry' she thought solemnly.

Without warning, Zoro jumped up to his feet and let out a tremendous wail of joy. "I'm gonna to be a father! So the money—"

"We're going to need a lot" Nami laughed, tears welling in her eyes.

"Who knows?" Zoro asked, frantically trying to pull his clothes on.

"Right now, only Robin and Chopper. I wanted to surprised the crew tonight, during the party."

"Well hurry up and get dressed!" Zoro exclaimed. "There's still time! Let's go! But wait…how long until you're due?"

"About six more months" Nami said. Zoro scoffed and crossed his arms.

"I can't wait that long!"

"Now, now" Nami grinned. "You'll just have to be patient."

Lawd Hammercy! It's been four years, but I promised you guy a sequel and here it is. I hope you've enjoyed my conclusion to Patience. To all my die-hard One Piece fans, I love and cherish you. We won't stop until the Strawhats reach their goal!