I wake up to the sound of rain hitting the canopy above. The trees are giving us enough protection from the rain as to only allow a few stray drops to hit us. I always hated these kind of nights. It's still dark, but I should wake Usopp and Luffy up. There is a mountain at the center of this island, so we should get to higher ground before water flows into our campsight. "Luffy," I say as I try to shake my captain awake, "Luffy, get up. A storm's coming in. We have to get to higher ground." He's not even snoring. Was that all a part of his playful nature? Has he really changed this much?

The rain hitting the canopy above gets louder as the storm begins to pick up. Shit, we have to hurry. Based on the rock formations and the growth in this area, we are probably at one of the lowest points of the island. The area may flood. The area below my feet is already considerably muddy. At first I thought it was just the rain, but the canopy is providing too much protection for this deep of mud. We've got to get out of here now, but I don't have the strength to carry both of them out… "NO," I scream. I can't think like that. If these guys don't wake up soon, I'm their only hope. Once this area starts flooding there will be no hope of escaping the current. Besides, I look over at Luffy, if he goes under he's doomed. I look up at the mountain. I can see the water starting to flow faster down it's slopes. I've got ten minutes, maybe. If I can't wake them up soon, I'm going to have to drag them out of here, but our only hope is…up. I look into the canopy. I don't have any other choice. Luffy brought me far from the beech. This whole area will be swampland by dawn. If I'm going to save them, I'm going to have to climb.

If I wake up Luffy, he may still be in shock. Usopp, on the other hand, only took a punch, so he's my best bet. If I can't get him up in two minutes, I'll have to drag them up a tree by myself. "USOPP," I scream as loud as I can as I violently shake him, "WAKE UP." He doesn't stir. He's still out cold. "Shit, I'm running out of time. Come on, wake up," still no use. I'm going to have to do this myself. Luffy's first—he's lighter. "Let's go," I say to him, despite him being unconscious, and I drag him to the base of a tree. This one will be good, it has a lot of low branches to help me climb. I put his straw hat on his head, sling him on my back, and climb.

Excruciating pain shoots throughout my body, every injury is screaming…begging for me to let go and save myself. No, I can't. I can't let my friends die like this. I reach a branch that should be high enough to avoid the flooding, but as I pull myself up, Luffy's extra weight causes me to lose my balance and I fall into the rising water in our campsight. "Shit," I cry. If only I had some rope…wait a minute. Why didn't I think of this before.

I take Luffy off my back and walk over to Ussop. He should be heavy enough to pull this off. I tie Luffy's arm to his wrist, "Perfect, now I just have to climb up with Luffy's upper arm over my shoulder and I can pull him up. Then I can do the same with Luffy." I place Usopp on top of Luffy so that he will not come up as I pull his arm up the tree and I start climbing. I reach a suitable branch and look down. The water level is getting higher and the current is getting faster. This is a much bigger storm than I thought. I have to hurry.

I un-sling Luffy's arm from my shoulder and start pulling. Usopp is heavy, but it's a lot easier than trying to carry someone on my back while climbing a tree. I feel my wound below my ribs open, but I keep pulling. I'll have time to tend to it later. Right now my friends lives are at stake. I can't let a stupid injury get in the way of their survival.

I finally pull him to the branch and position him in a way so that he won't fall off. "Great," I say victoriously, "now for Luffy." If I start pulling his powers should reel him right in. I pull and he comes closer, but not in the same springy manner that he should…Oh no. His shoulder is submerged in water. His power doesn't work on any body part that's underwater and if I don't hurry he's not going to be able to breath soon. As long as his shoulder is submerged his arm won't retract. I have to go back down, fast. I jump down. As I hit the ground my ankle gives out, again. "Ah," I scream as I crumple to the ground. I don't think it's broken, but that was a really bad idea. But I can't let the pain take me. I have to save Luffy. I sling him over my back again and crawl to the tree. As long as he isn't stretched out I should be able to pull him up the tree. There's nothing to pull against me this time. I grab his wrist and start climbing—with only one foot and one hand—up the tree. Once I reach the branch I start pulling. Thankfully he's lighter than Usopp and he's not stretched out this time.

I get him on the branch and breathe a sigh of relief. "Finally, it's over." The water has risen significantly in the past few moments and it's moving quickly. If someone fell in there they would be doomed. I look at my ankle. It's swelling up badly. I need to make a splint once the storms over and this water runs out of the campsight. At least this whole ordeal is over.

Luffy shifts in his sleep and nearly falls off the branch. You've got to be kidding me. I quickly sprawl out and manage to keep him balanced on the branch, but his hat falls off his head. "NO," I cry. That hat is the most important thing in the world to him. If he loses it, he'll lose everything. I reach out for it and manage to grab it, "All right…" oh shit. I lose my grip on the branch and fall off, "AHHH," I scream. No, not now. Not after everything. I shut my eyes and wait for the cold plunge into the water, but I don't feel it. All I feel is sudden jerking and I involuntarily let go of the hat, "No," I try to grab it, but I'm moving away from it…toward the branch. I turn around and see Luffy, wide awake, pulling me up.

"Nami," he screams, "what are you doing." I start crying as he places me on the branch. So much for staying strong. The rain above us stops.

"Luffy, I'm so sorry."

"For what, Nami?" Does he not notice that his hat's gone?

"Your hat. I dropped it." He's going to be angry.

"I know," what? he doesn't sound like he even cares, "I don't care."

"What?" I sniff, "why?"

"I promised Shanks I would give him that hat back when I became Pirate King. That's never going to happen, so what's the point of going after it?" I'm speechless. Am I hearing things? Is this all some horrible nightmare? I have never, in all my six years of being a member of his crew, heard anything like that come out of his mouth.

"Luffy…" I say.

"Besides, I'm probably never going to see him again," he says in a defeated tone, "we're probably going to die here." My eyes narrow. No. this isn't possible. Monkey D. Luffy, the Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates with a 300,000,000 Beli bounty on his, is giving up?

"Who are you," I say. Tears stop flowing. I won't cry for this stranger.

"I'm Luffy. I used to be your captain."

I slap him as hard as I can. He doesn't turn his head back to face me, "Shut up, just shut up. I don't want to deal with you like this. What happened to my captain? The man who would laugh in the face of death?"

"He grew up," he didn't yell. He's perfectly calm, but he still refuses to look at me, "it's time you do the same. We're not kids chasing foolish dreams anymore, Nami. It's time to realize that it's impossible." those words hurt more than any of the injuries I have.

"No," I can't help it. All the years of my life spent holding tears back, but I can't do it this moment. "Don't say that, don't say that," I cry out, "I know you are going through a hard time, but you can't say something like that," I crawl toward him on the branch and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me," he says forcefully. I pull my hand back, "I'm not worth your pity. I'm not worth anything. You should have just let me die."

This isn't right. Luffy has broken. I never thought anything could tear his dream away from him. But everything he just said…could it really be that he has given up? Is this the end?


The final ingredient of turning a dream into a nightmare is a weary heart.