Chapter 2
The next morning was as normal as always.
The entire crew acted like their usual selves.
Nami looked over at Luffy from time to time, but she saw nothing in particular wrong with him.
Then again, she knew it was probably all just an act.
Sighing, she frowned before continuing eating her meal.
"Nami-san, can we talk?" Sanji asked her as she was leaving the kitchen with the others.
"Huh? What is it, Sanji-kun?" She asked him and watched as he took out a cigarette.
"You remember the talk we had yesterday?" Nami nodded. "Well, I decided to see if what you said about Luffy was true and I saw something strange."
"Huh? What do you mean, strange?" She asked worried a bit.
"Well, I don't know if it's anything, but last night when he was sleeping, he started to act differently." Sanji replied.
"Did he have another nightmare?" She asked frowning.
"I don't know for sure, but it sure did seem like it." Sanji answered and closed his eyes.
Nami lowered her head with a sad frown on her face.
Sanji looked over to her and let out a sigh.
"Ne, Sanji-kun? Why does he always do this?" Nami asked with a sad tone.
"Do what Nami-san?" He asked, not sure what she was asking him.
"Well, it's just that whenever something happens that involves him, he always hides his feelings." Sanji raised his eyebrow. "I don't know how to explain it, but it's like he's wearing a mask. A mask that hides his true feelings." Nami heard Sanji chuckle a bit, which made her slightly angry.
"Ah, gomen Nami-san, I didn't mean to laugh, it's just that I find it hard to believe that." Sanji explained. "It's true Luffy hardly ever shows his feelings, but it's just because hes like that."
Nami could only frown.
'Maybe he's right...' Nami lowered her head before looking back at him with a big smile. "Arigatou, Sanji-kun."
"Haiiii Nami-swan!" Sanji exclaimed with excitement.
Nami walked out of the kitchen, leaving Sanji to attend to the dishes back in the kitchen.
She walked down the steps toward the grassy deck, letting the nice ocean breeze blow her long orange hair back with it.
She looked around and saw that her crew mates were each doing their own thing.
Robin was quietly reading a new book in her lawn chair.
Usopp was working on a new invention.
Franky was fixing the steering wheel up in front.
Chopper was grinding ingredients together to make more medicine for the crew.
Zoro was being Zoro as he was fast asleep leaning his head against the railing.
Brook was fixing up his violin while humming a small tune to himself.
And Luffy...
'Wait a minute, where's Luffy?' She couldn't see the rubber man anywhere.
He wasn't even on his favorite spot, where she saw him almost two nights ago.
Frowning, she decided to search inside the cabins.
Passing through each door, she couldn't find him anywhere.
This began to worry her.
It wasn't like him to simply be quiet around the others and not wanting to play with any one of them.
It was almost like Luffy was hiding something.
She passed by a door when she heard a sound.
Turning around, she walked toward the door she just passed by and was about to knock.
However, another sound was heard from inside and then came the sound of the shower head being turned on.
She sighed. 'This baka...making me worried over nothing.' Deciding not to knock, she turned back around and heading back to the deck.
Inside the room, Luffy stood in front of the shower head as the water ran down his body.
It's too late to stop it...
Luffy was confused by what the voice said in his nightmare.
"What did he mean by that?" He spoke and pressed his hands against the wall in front of him. "What the hell is going on?"
He began to take deep breaths to try and calm himself and his fast beating heart down.
Luffy wasn't sure what was going on.
Whatever it was, he hoped for it to stop so he wouldn't worry his nakama.
But that voice, it just kept ringing in his head over and over again.
The same six words only kept being repeating in his head.
He cursed under his breath.
"Stop it..."
Luffy clenched his teeth.
"Stop it!" He screamed and it only continued.
Luffy grabbed a hold of his head with his hands and began pulling his head in pain.
His head started to hurt as the voice grew louder in his head.
It hurts...doesn't it...
Luffy's eyes widened.
The pain will only increase...
Luffy breathing began getting heavier.
Stop fighting it...
You know you can't stop it...
Stop fighting it...Luffy...
"Stop it!" Luffy screamed.
"Luffy?" Luffy's eyes widened as he heard Nami's voice. "Luffy? Is everything alright?"
"U-Uh...yeah..." He replied as the voices stopped.
Nami heard him answering her as she frowned.
She came back finding it weird that Luffy was taking a shower this early in the day and when she arrived at the door, she heard him screaming.
However, when she heard him scream, she swore she heard fear in his tone.
She hardly ever heard Luffy sound like he was afraid.
She knew that when he answered her, he was lying.
Just the way he sounded she knew something was wrong.
"Are you sure, Luffy?" Nami asked.
"Y-yeah...I'm fine Nami...I'll be out in a sec..." He said as she heard the sound of the shower head being turned off.
She patiently waited for him to come out and when he did, Nami's eyes widened.
He was grinning at her.
But it wasn't just any grin.
No...it was a grin that she didn't recognize.
A grin that she never saw on Luffy's face.
A grin that had sadness in it.
"Yo, Nami. What are you doing here?" He asked her. "Ah! You need to use the shower? I'm done so go ahead." He told her, still having that grin on his face and walked past her.
She looked at his trailing back.
She bit her bottom lip.
"Luffy!" She yelled at him. "Something is wrong...why don't you talk to us about it. Aren't we your nakama! Why won't you let us help you like you always help us!"
Luffy stopped walking, keeping his back toward her.
"What are you talking about, Nami? I'm fine." He replied not turning around.
"Then why aren't you looking at me?" She asked.
Luffy lowered his head slightly.
"Sanji saw you...last night..." She swore she saw him tense up a bit. "He told me how you suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. He told me you also whispered something, but he couldn't hear it. What was it, Luffy?"
Luffy didn't respond.
"Luffy!"
He clenched his fists tightly, before turning his head. "It was nothing, Nami. Just another nightmare about Ace."
Nami knew he lied, but why didn't she stop him when he began walking again.
Just what was going on with her captain.
