Author's note: I do not own One Piece, Oda-sama does.

So, here is the next chapter!

Happy reading~!


.

.

.

.

Nami slowly opened her eyes. She was surprised to see the swordsman at her bedside sitting in the wood floor in front of her. Zoro's back was leaned at Robin's bed with his legs bent to support his body. Nami thought she was dreaming. She blushed at the thought that the swordsman watched over her but she still believes that this is just a dream. The orange-haired woman saw his arms rested on one of his knee. She reached for it but hesitated. To hr surprise, he grabs Nami's hesitating hands and just took hold of it while his eyes were still closed. He felt Nami smile at him and slowly the slender hands of the woman fell motionless and light as she drifted back to a dreamless sleep.

Finally Nami opened her eyes satisfied with the sleep she had. She saw her hands dangling at the bedside as if it was reaching for someone. There was no sign of the swordsman in her room.

"So it was really just a dream?" Nami sighed as sadness took over her again.

Nami stretched her arms up high and decided to take a bath. After taking a bath, she does her hair in a high ponytail letting some hair strands at the side of her face. She decided to wear white long sleeves that looked almost like a short dress. She looked at the mirror and took a deep breath as she readies herself to face upon curious and worried faces of her friends. She forced a smile on her face.

….

Meanwhile at the Crow's nest, Zoro is having his usual training. Someone has opened the hatch but still Zoro continued to lift some dumb bells. As it turns out his visitors are Franky and Usopp as they went to approach him. Usopp cleared his throat making Zoro looked at him suspiciously.

"Luffy wants to see you at the infirmary." Usopp nodded as he said this.

"That's it?" Zoro looked at the two of them "Why does Franky have to tag along with you?" with that Franky and Usopp tensed and started to sweat like mad. Zoro didn't bother to ask them more as he went down the hatch to the infirmary.

"Whew~! That was close!" Both the cyborg and the sharpshooter said at the same time. They are laughing hysterically while they hurried down the lawn deck.

….

Zoro decided to knock first at the infirmary door. "Come in." Leon answered back which when Zoro heard, a big vein popped at his head. He didn't like hearing that man's voice and most especially didn't want that man speaking to him. He went in with his eyes close and closed the door with a bang.

"Luffy..You called for me?" Zoro asked loudly. Leon wanted to speak but he was just plainly astonished at what he was seeing of the swordsman.

Zoro waited patiently for Luffy to talk but there was no response only a small snicker from Leon.

"WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?" Zoro asked irritated as he opened his eyes.

He looked everywhere but Luffy was not there. They heard a 'click' sound from the door knob and a loud 'thud' from the outside. Zoro jerked and looked back at the door.

"GODDAMN IT!" He shouted while he tried to open the door. It was locked from outside.

He banged at the door and kicked at it but still it won't open. He heard footsteps running around the infirmary and a small series of snicker from the cyborg and the sharpshooter. Their footsteps are becoming faint as they went away down the ship.

"IDIOTS!" Zoro shouted as he continued to kick at the door.

"Will you quiet that down? Injured man trying to get some rest here!" Leon said sarcastically.

Zoro turned to look at him with a demonic aura making Leon shiver

"I…DON'T CARE…." The swordsman said in a hissing whisper.

Zoro immediately turned around to face the door and took his fighting stance and reached for his sword but yet again he was outsmarted. He forgot his swords at the Crow's nest. He took it off while he was doing some lifting with the dumb bells. The swordsman let out a frustrated growl.

He continued kicking at the door. "It feels like a big chunk of metal prevents the door from opening." Leon commented. He felt the need to help the swordsman get out of the room but he felt he needed to tell him something.

Zoro plopped down his body on the wood floor sitting in a cross-leg position.

Leon decided that this was the moment to tell Zoro. "Hey, Zoro." The swordsman opened his one good eye and looked at him intensely. "I will tell you what happened last night and the reason why you should believe that I didn't do it and that I am not guilty." Leon got no response from the swordsman and that silence gave him encouragement to go on in telling the part of his story.

….

Outside the infirmary room, there really was a big chunk of metal that covered the door.

Nami walked out of her room with an obvious fake smile on her face. As she opened the door, without warning, a cute reindeer jumped at her bosom to hug her tightly.

"Chopper~!" Nami screamed but decided to return the hug of the reindeer.

She hugged him tightly as she burrows her face in his fluffy neck. She felt like crying as she sniffs the mystic fur. Chopper looked up at her and she saw that the reindeer wants to cry too as his eyes produce beads of tears ready to fall down. She heard footsteps coming over them. She looked up and saw everyone at the deck except Leon and Zoro.

Everyone was looking at her smiling like nothing happened last night. She smiled back and sighed. "It will be in a few seconds." Usopp whispered to Sanji. And in a few seconds, Nami spoke. "Hey!" in her voice her true emotions are hidden "Sorry for last night-"But she was cut off.

"Yeah! yeah! We know you are sorry Nami." Luffy said while he approached closer to Nami. The navigator saw what Luffy was holding, Zoro's swords. He carelessly holds it like it was just any other toy.

"You are a terrible liar Nami." Usopp said in a cocky tone. Her attention went back at them and she was so sure that she can't mask her scared face now. She was caught-off guard.

"What are you talking about? I am not lying. Why would I lie?" Nami asked them.

"Or rather hide?" Sanji commented. "But of course, I can always forgive you for lying to me." He added. It surprised the navigator a lot.

"We know what Leon did to you last night and what you feel for what he did to you. We understand you." Franky stated. Nami was frozen in place while she hugs the reindeer at her bosom.

"Thank you everyone for understanding." Nami smiled at them. She thought the conversation was over when Usopp added something that shocked her.

"We know that you have been good friends with one another and been in love with him as you spend time with Leon." Usopp's tone was serious and it made Nami shakes with fear as he continued telling the rest. "We also know that Arlong have done bad things with you and Leon. We know that dark past of yours and that hidden story you didn't want to know others off.

"How did… how did you know?!" She still didn't know how to react at what she is hearing. Her body gave in. Sanji went over her to catch her arms as she fell at her knees.

"We have spies you know?" Luffy laughed. Robin and Brook went forward. "Sorry Navigator-san, we just want to help. Last night I told Franky about it and it turns out everyone out here were secretly listening." Robin gave her most apologetic smile at her.

"Don't worry Nami! We will protect you more than ever!" Chopper said as he slip of Nami's embrace to stand boldly hoping that she could see how serious he was.

"Yeah! Don't even think that we will think lowly of you. Before you became my crew, I already know. Just out of instinct I guess. I have been observing you ever since. Maybe I am just waiting for you to tell us yourself." Luffy gave her a sincere smile.

"I have some clues about it too and did some observation and research myself. You have hidden it quite well Navigator-san. I might say I am very impressed as it takes me to do great measures before I knew." Robin complemented her.

Nami didn't know if she would be angry, amazed, confused or just look foolishly happy at the burden being lifted at her.

"Sanji, Usopp, Chopper and I didn't have any idea since yesterday. " Franky admitted.

"Well, we didn't have any clue if Zoro knows." Usopp scratched his head and chuckled "We locked him at the infirmary room so that he will not be able to hear since we have already invaded too much of you, we decided to leave one out as you have requested Brook and Robin not to tell Zoro."

"YOHOHOHOHO! Poor swordsman-san!" Brook commented.

"You didn't want to trust us with that secret but Nami, we are your family and friends. You can trust us to accept you and protect you with all our strength!" Luffy cheerfully shouted and danced around her while Zoro's swords dangle at his rubbery embrace.

Nami looked around her and saw everyone smiling at her. Sanji nodded at her. Franky and Usopp gave her thumbs up. Brook gave her his signature laugh. Chopper looked at her sweetly. Robin gave her a gentle and reassuring smile. Luffy bent down to offer his hands out to her while his other hand clumsily holds the swords. Nami just stared at him. Tears started to fall down at her cheeks carelessly and as she reached for her hands to wipe it, it continued to flow ceaselessly.

"This…This is one of the happiest day of my life.. I thought you guys.. I don't know what to say. I.." Nami laughed while tears keep on falling down her cheeks.

Luffy tilt his head when she saw Nami laughing and crying at the same time. He thought maybe Nami is crazy after all. He was startled when his navigator took his hand. He lifted her up to a standing position. At that, Nami flung herself at Luffy in a tight embrace. The archeologist was surprised when the navigator reached for her and embraced her with Luffy.

They let go of the embrace and Sanji offered Nami his handkerchief, which the orange-haired girl accepted happily. Now a heavy burden was lifted upon her yet again. She was saved by the Strawhats pirates again.

"Okay then! Robin told me that when you confessed to Zoro that you cried because he held at his swords." Luffy confidently said while eyeing the swords he was holding.

Nami was dumbfounded hearing this from her captain. A vein popped in Nami's head but before she can react Luffy went to the railing.

"So I have decided to throw this overboard.." with that Luffy threw Zoror's swords.

Everything went slow motion.

Everyone's jaw dropped and at that moment a gust of wind and a sound of a crashed wooden door were heard from the infirmary. The metal block that seemed to cover the door that was placed by Franky and Usopp to prevent Zoro from getting out of the room, went flying down the ocean water.

A very angry and irritated Zoro came out (with Leon) while seemingly supporting Leon's shoulder to walk. He saw Luffy and his swords thrown in mid-air unto the ocean.

"SHIT!" He shouted

In his eyes, everything went in slow motion. His jaw dropped too and accidentally or intentionally threw Leon on the side as he ran and jumped over the railing to catch his precious swords. He caught two of his swords but missed Wado Ichimonji, Kuina's sword. He tried to reach for it but it seems to keep on falling away from Zoro. With this Zoro's eyes softened, like he had concluded and decided something. Suddenly out of the corner of his eyes a color orange passed by him. He looked at it and saw Nami reached for that sword. He tried to reach for Nami this time. Her hair flows and touched Zoro's reaching hands. He went to grab her arm but before he could do that a gust of wind caught them and lifted them back on board.

Nami and Zoro landed at the deck with much grace and balance. She gave the sword to Zoro and winked at him. "Hey! 10,000,000 beli for that!" and away she went as she punched Luffy at his head. Zoro was so stunned at that time to even come up with a smart reply at her. He even forgot to yell at Luffy for throwing his swords because he can't seem to forget that image of Nami that seemed to defying gravity as her hair flows with the wind.

"Zoro! We are just talking here about something you shouldn't—" Luffy was about to say it but Nami beat him to it and gave him a swollen face.

Zoro smirked at the sight. 'She seems back to herself again.' He remembered Franky and Usopp and looked for them and saw that they were unsuccessfully hiding themselves behind Robin as the archeologist steps aside to reveal the two culprits.

"Robin dear! That's unfair you should not expose me to danger~!" Franky cooed at her. Robin just chuckled at the cyborg.

"Nami…" Suddenly everyone become quiet when they heard Leon called out to her. Instinctively, which confused and made Zoro more curious, Robin, Sanji, Brook, Franky and Usopp stood in front of Nami like they are protecting her from Leon.

'Something must have happened while we are in the infirmary. They know something I don't' this was the first time the swordsman kind of feel out of place in the crew. He doesn't understand why wouldn't they join him and lock him instead. It wasn't like it was his birthday and decided to have a surprise party for him for them to hide what they talked about.

But Leon continued to walk forcefully and roughly near Nami. He was having a hard time since his injury from Sanji is not that fully healed. His knees gave in and fell unto the wood deck. He looked at her pleadingly. "Please! Listen to me.." Everyone was surprised when Luffy and Zoro with Chopper, went beside Leon as if they agree with him and stand by him. "You should listen to this man.." Zoro said.

This shocked them. Why would the swordsman say that? They don't know but through hard times and all, they have learned to trust him and his instinct except his sense of direction.

Nami was having a hard time to look at Leon and eventually when their eyes met, the man spoke.

"I am sorry about what happened last night!" Leon said. "But the fact is, I am not as sorry and as guilty at that."

"FUCK THIS—" Sanji muttered under his breath but he was stopped when a deadly glare directed at him came from their captain.

"What happened that bloody night…and last night was not my doing!" Leon shouted.

'What bloody night is he talking about?' Zoro thought. He looked at Nami.

"It is not my doing believe me!" tears started to fall from Leon's eyes. "ARLONG! ARLONG.. HE MADE ME DO IT!" he shouted and with that everyone was evidently shocked as Nami gasped like she needed air.

'ARLONG!?' Nami was shaking as scenes from that NIGHT came flashing at her head like pictures of a haunted past.

.

.

.

.

.


Author's note/s:

Hi dear readers, thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for more updates. I have a lot of pending fanfic stories to write too so stay tuned for new story titles that I will post in this section. I am going to rewrite and change Chapter 1 of Hidden Story. So like I said, Stay tuned!

Thanks to Novi-chan's review! Uwah! A good spoil~! Haha, I looked it up after I read your review. Aaaah! Sabo is really alive! I knew it! I am excited to see him grown up too. Hope there's a Sabo with Nami scenes hihih! I am so hyped!

Thanks also to those who favorite and follow this story~!