Emichii: Hello everybody! This is Saving Nami, chapter seven. Please review everyone!

Chapter Seven: Close to freedom

"This is yours, right, Nami?"

Nami stared at the paper goggle-eyed, unable to speak. Zoro, still under restraint, struggled with Coroneos' men.

He came… to rescue me and now he's… been captured because of me, I… There were so many things I wanted to say but I'm afraid. And there's nothing I can do, because I'm… too weak-

Nami dropped her head down and her hair swished towards the ground. Teeth gritted, she uttered, "Yeah, I wrote that."

Zoro groaned as he felt his blood circulation being cut off. The last time he was in this situation was when Nami had betrayed him and the others and he'd been captured by Arlong's crew. Nami had rescued him and rejoined Luffy's crew but he remembered swearing to himself he'd never trust that girl again.

Now… he was on his own this time. And once again, it was all because of Nami.

He must be out of his mind. The things he went through for this girl and he'd fought so hard to dislike her but… love is a hard thing to fight.

Zoro sighed and leaned back onto the cold stone wall. He was chained and bound. In a cold stone cell. The ceiling was really high and the walls were perfectly smooth. There was a big metal door to the cell which was heavy and locked on the outside. There was no light except through a small barred window in the wall above Zoro's head.

This must be the place they keep rehab patients, thought Zoro. And if they keep them in here long enough, the patients go crazy.

Zoro tugged at his chains again. How am I meant to get out of here?

Sanji had hijacked another one of Coroneos' boats and was sailing towards Coroneos' island and tower-thingy. (I like to think of it as some kinda castle with a tall tower in the middle.)

He hoped that Nami was doing okay. When the boat arrived, Sanji took a light step off and onto the island. It was pretty spiffy, he decided, but a bit too quiet. Weren't they meant to be guards all over the place? And people to take on the intruders?

(Well, there were but then Zoro came and everyone went inside to discuss random things.)

How was he meant to get inside? There didn't seem to be any sort of door. Then he noticed stairs leading up into a dark corridor and a pair of doors at the end. That must be the entrance. So Sanji, with his long legs, speedily made his way up to the tower, and his true love, Nami.

Nami sat alone at the window, hands covering her eyes.

Zoro had been captured and imprisoned. And now, she was still stuck in this castle tower thingy with Coroneos. How did she ever get in this situation in the first place?

She didn't look up but she heard the door open and footsteps on the floor towards her.

Not raising her head, she asked, "What do you want, Coroneos?"

He was standing in front of her, long coat swishing around him, silver eyes melancholy.

"…I'm sorry,"

"Huh?" Nami looked up in a hurry. "What are you talking about?"

"You want to go home, don't you?"

"…Y-yeah,"

Coroneos smiled sadly. "Tomorrow… I'll let your friend go and you… can leave too if you wish. I know that you have your heart set on your crew and your captain, and that I'm no competition for anyone in your crew,"

"…"

Nami frowned. After everything Coroneos had tried to do to keep her with him, now he was simply letting her go.

Coroneos turned slowly, ready to leave, "After all, what I really wanted all along… was to sail the Grand Line with you."

She stared as he walked away. Heavy boot steps on the floor that echoed a million times louder in her head.

Just why… why did everything have to be so confusing?

Zoro was half asleep when sound came from outside his cell. He yawned and opened one eye lazily.

The orange-haired navigator pushed open the metal door and peeked around it at the swordsman. She had a set of keys in one hand and she used the other hand to poke Zoro.

"Ouch." said Zoro flatly.

Nami glared at him. "Shut up," she said.

Zoro challenged her, "What are you doing? Coming to rescue me? When you're the one who needed rescuing so badly? Wouldn't you so much rather spending your time with you beloved Coroneos?"

Nami stiffened. "I do not love him."

"Yeah, you do. You talked to me about him for ages,"

"But… I don't love him anymore," Nami's eyes fell along with her voice. "I guess… right now, my feelings are all jumbled up inside me right now."

"…" Zoro watched her. She was being so honest. Was there… even some hope that maybe… maybe she could somehow… end up falling for him? Even if it was just wishful thinking, it swelled up in his chest, a warm feeling spreading all over him… the tiny bit of hope was blossoming.

It was dark and they were alone in the cold cell. Nami fumbled with the keys. She selected one key and used it to unchain Zoro. Zoro watched the chains fall off his wrists and clink onto the floor.

"…Coroneos is going to let you and I go tomorrow, but… just in case he changes his mind, I'm going to unchain you now so that you can escape by yourself. But…" he could see that Nami's face was flushed in the dark, "…please, Zoro, if you manage to get out of here… just please, will you… wait for me? So then… we might be able to leave back to our ship together… please… will you wait for me?"

Zoro stared at her. "I…okay." he said.

Nami's shoulders dropped. The keys fell on the floor.

And the warm feeling returned as he felt her arms around him and her body pressed against his. She hugged him. Didn't know why, but being so close to Zoro had never felt so warm before.

Neither of them knew why it was happening and neither of them knew what to say. but it was okay. They could just remain silent. And wait.

Chapter seven end.

Emichii: That was a pretty weird way to end a chapter but who cares? Read and review everyone!