Ch. 8: Nami Enters.
I stretched out my arms and tried to ignore the sound of a bunch of shouting idiots. I could hear the sound of people talking outside, and somewhere far off, a dog barked furiously. I could sort of understand dog…
'My home...Our…treasure…away…he'll come back…' the dog was probably only reassuring himself.
Waves lapped calmly against the side of the ship…it was so quiet in here though…but my boat is loud….and I can hear everything…
Wait….WHAT?!
I snapped my eyes open and jumped to my feet. I was in a cabin in a ship…where was my boat? I need that…
I looked around and calmed down slightly when I saw that I was alone. My tail twitched as I headed towards the door. I could tell that there was an animal on the other side of the door…it would probably tell who ever this ship belonged to that I was awake…
A Cheshire grin came across my face. I opened the door ever so slightly, and heard a lion roar.
'Even better.'
I morphed into my calico form and crawled under the low bed. I watched as multiple pairs of feet rushed into the room.
"WHAA!"
"Where'd she…."
I darted out from under the bed and out the door. I skidded to a stop in front of the lion. I heard the men walking towards the door and dived behind the lion. Luckily, he did nothing to alert them that I was behind him.
*Hello older brother* I greeted the lion once the men had left. They were all arguing over who had to tell Captain…Buggy, that I escaped.
*Young one.* the lion looked down at me, *Why are you on this ship?*
*I don't know. Please do not tell those humans I'm on this ship…* I looked up at the lion with pleading eyes.
*I will not tell. But you should get off this ship immediately*
*I know, I just need to find my friend's boat.* I rested a paw on his side while I spoke and I began memorizing the DNA. I was copying it down so that I could change to this form. It would hurt unbelievably for most of the time until my body became used to the transformation.
I also notice the scars that marred the skin under his golden fur, and I felt a twinge of sympathy go through me. I came back to the real world when his tail twitched and tapped my head lightly.
*Your boat is tied on the dock outside*
*Is this a pirate ship?* I immediately began to feel a small blossom of fear. Pirates, with a pet lion, with what looked like whip scars all over him…men in ridiculous clothing…
*Yes. This is the Buggy Pirates' ship, although I find it more of a circus than a pirate ship…*
I only stared at him in horror…a circus….why do I always get abducted by people like this?
The blossom of fear immediately bloomed into a full-fledged panic, and tremors wracked through my small body. Even though their name was different, it could still be them…
They found me. It's over, I'll be put back into the cage they'll beat me again…I'll be sold… they'll kill me.
Slaves who ran away are lucky to die before they're recaptured.
Fear pulsed through my veins and every fiber in my body told me to run as fast as physically possible, even faster than that. My claws extended and I rooted myself to the floor. My fur bristled and my mind screamed to run away. But then, my body wouldn't move.
The lion curled his tail around me in concern. I only stood there and shook in fear of the pirates.
But they couldn't be the same pirates. It was impossible. Those pirates were still on the grand line. My fear soon became hilarious. What was there to fear? They didn't know I could turn into a cat.
As soon as the fear had begun, I relaxed.
*What had you scared little one?*
*Clowns and circuses are not something I can enjoy, but thank you big brother for your help.* I gave him my Kitty-smile before I darted off down the hall towards the stairs leading to the deck.
I stared in horror at the deck of this ship. IT HAD A CIRCUS TENT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
I darted towards the gang plank so I could get off of this sailing nightmare, when I heard someone shouting their head off.
"MY MAP! GET THAT THEIVING DEMON WOMAN!"
"Y-yes captain Buggy." I looked just as an orange haired girl jumped off of the ship. I decided to follow her, since she looked like someone who'd stir shit with me, and I was looking for a good time.
And I can always get my boat later.
I leapt off the boat and raced after her. She was really slow to me…but what ever.
I looked back and saw three men chasing after us. One had stitches all over him…he reminded me of the Doctor on the Circus Pirates' ship, Dr. F. Stein. I'll call him Stitchy. The second one had sideburns, so I'll call him Burns, and the third dude, we'll just call him Ugly.
In the distance, I could hear the sound of a giant bird flapping its wings and someone shouting. It was slowly getting louder, as though it was heading towards us.
As we ran, I realized how empty this town was. There was no one but us and the pirates. Oh, and the dog that was still barking.
"Stop! You can't run from us!"
"Thief! Give back our navigation map!" the pirates shouted. To my terror, they were gaining on us.
'Should I go cheetah?'
"I finally have it! The map to Grand-line!" I looked up at the girl in surprise. And then the Cheshire grin came on.
I need that map for my adventure…I'll just have to 'Borrow' it from her.
The pirates were complaining about their deaths, when there was the sound of a cannon firing. The loud 'BOOM' resounded in my ears and I winced…
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" there was suddenly a crash behind us, and the girl was thrown to the ground. I managed to roll and land back on my feet though.
"Some one….fell from the sky!?"
"WHAT?"
"Why did they shoot me with a cannon? Damn it." I heard a voice say from the dust cloud.
I couldn't quite place the voice. It was familiar…so I must have heard it recently…but where?
"Whew! Finally landed!" a boy said as the dust cleared to show him holding his straw hat down on his head.
Something about his was very familiar, but I just shrugged it off. He probably wasn't that important anyways.
"WHAT THE! He's still alive?!" The pirates all shouted in disbelief. I could only laugh.
The girl suddenly got an evil smile on her face before she clasped her hands together.
"Oh 'Boss'! You're finally here! I've been waiting for you to save me." She jumped to her feet and started running, and I decided to follow her, since the Straw hat dude would probably die. "I'll leave everything to you!"'
"AH! SHE RAN OFF AGAIN!" I heard the pirates shout behind us. We rounded a corner and she jumped onto a dumpster, and then onto a roof.
"Why are you following me?" she looked down at me while giving me a quick pet. I only rubbed against her leg.
"I guess you live me huh?" she looked sort of sad now, "But I can't take you with me."
We walked along the roof tops until we could see the straw-hat dude and the pirates. We sat down and watched.
Stitchy knocked the hat off of the guy and he slammed his fist into Stitchy's face. The pirate was thrown backwards, past his friends.
The Straw-hat-dude grabbed his hat and said something in a menacing tone. I shivered slightly, even though I didn't know what he said.
The two remaining pirates charged at him. For some strange reason, I felt worried about the guy…
He quickly dealt with the two.
"WOW! You're really strong! You beat those guys with swords bare-handed." The girl said, and I felt myself puff up with pride for the guy…as though we were friends. Which is impossible since I don't have friends.
"Ah. Who are you anyways?" The guy asked her. And then he looked at me, "And why do you have Coby's cat?"
'Coby? Who's Coby?' I searched through my memories for someone name Coby, but all I saw was a flash of pink.
"I am a thief who only steals from pirates! My name is Nami, want to be partners?" she rubbed her fingers together in what must be the universal sign for money, "And it's not my cat…she was just following me."
"Only steal treasure from pirates?" the Straw-hat guy looked at her in a slight glare, and I began to fear for Nami's safety.
His glare was like my father's. It was like there was a dark aura hidden deep under their skin, and it was shown through their eyes. It chilled you down to the bone to see it; it was almost like the devil inhabited their souls…
Something in that glare though…reminded me instantly who he was.
Luffy.
The pirate.
But one question wiggled through my mind; Where was Zoro?
