Disclaimer: One Piece does not belong to me, it belongs to Oda.

First of all, I am sorry this update has taken substantially longer than most of the others! My life has gotten as crazy as I imagined it might. Though I've been finding solace from the hecticness in this writing, so I was able to steadily plug away at the next chapter.

Also - I knew this story was pretty long, but wow, I had no idea how long! I don't think I really had a conceptual idea of exactly how big of a story the word count here was translating to. I realize belatedly it might have been a good idea to break it up into two "books", but I would have organized things slightly differently, so its a bit too late for that. Anyway, I've just decided to label this chapter and the ones before it as Part I. And everything after it I'm going to consider Part II. So without further ado, here is the last chapter of Part I of the straw hat's adventures!

P.S. Thank you guys again so much for the reviews :) I cannot tell you how much I appreciate them.

Chapter 36

Her feet padded across grainy wood. It was cool. Slipping silently across the deck, Nami didn't pause until she had reached her door. As she grasped the handle, she glanced once over her shoulder. Across the ship, Zoro was stepping into the men's sleeping quarters. Halfway through the doorway, he looked up, meeting her gaze. Twisting the knob, she gave him a smile. As she slipped through the door, she knew his eyes were still upon her. Despite the cool air that followed her through the door, she was warm.

Hand flat against the door, she closed it as carefully as she was able. It shut with a soft click.

"How is Mr. Swordsman?"

Nami started. Turning quickly, she knocked her hand against the hard knob. Robin was sitting on her bed. The small lamp on the bedside table bathed her in a warm glow. An aged book lay open in her lap.

Wincing, Nami cradled her hand. "Robin! I didn't realize you were still awake."

"I wasn't tired." The archeologist looked to her hand. "Are you alright?"

Nami nodded. Shaking her sore digits, she walked to her dresser. Robin spoke over the sound of the scraping drawer.

"What were you two doing out there for so long?" The archeologist's voice was light, teasing.

Nami's arm jerked, causing the drawer to squeak as it was pulled to its full length. Ducking her head, she hedged, "Nothing."

Face warm, Nami dug for a pair of pajamas. It was true – she and Zoro had stayed out in the grove for some time. He had been warm, and his arms had wrapped around her; firm, but undeniably gentle. It had been nice. Nami flushed, amending her thoughts; it had been more than nice. He had kissed her - again. Nami quickly pulled off her shirt, replacing it with a thin sleeping tank. It had been the third time. She paused, absentmindedly touching a hand to her lips.

"That good?"

Blushing anew, Nami grabbed a shirt from the drawer and threw it at the teasing woman. Robin chuckled as she swatted away the flying item of clothing. After slipping into shorts, Nami dropped into bed with a heavy sigh. Letting her head fall to the side, she looked to Robin. "How did you figure it out already?" Nami draped her arm over her head. "We aren't even calling ourselves anything yet."

Robin laughed. Setting her book on the table, she rolled onto her side. Resting her head on her hand, she looked to Nami. Her eyes crinkled closed in amusement. "Truthfully, I've been waiting for this to happen for some time."

Nami coughed. "What?"

Robin smiled. "You two are quite compatible after all."

"I didn't even realize that I had feelings for him until we entered the labyrinth."

Robin tilted her head. "I've always thought it is those closest to an issue who tend to view it with the least clarity. In my experience, it is those who are slightly removed for whom the picture first comes clear." She smiled. "I saw it in your interactions. The way he looked at you when you walked away, the smile you didn't even know graced your face in his presence."

Cheeks heating again, Nami looked away. "It can't have been that obvious." She blinked up at the ceiling, stretching her arm out to idly smooth the pillow above her. "Robin – I like him a lot." She paused, breathing out. "It scares me a little."

"I know."

Nami looked to the side. Robin's blue gaze was gentle. "Sometimes it can be difficult to trust in others right? To give them a part of you; open yourself to the vulnerability of the affections of another."

"Yeah." Her fingers continued tracing minute creases in the fabric of the pillow.

Robin rested her head once more on her hand. "You know, I was scared too. When I first began to travel with all of you."

At Robin's frank speech, Nami's fingers stilled. She sat up, propping herself on her elbow.

"As we spent time together and I got to know all of you, inevitably, I became attached. I'll admit, it was scary. For most of my life, to trust in someone meant to be hurt. For many months leading up to Enies Lobby, I was sure that what I had with this crew wouldn't last – that it would go the way of all of my past associations" Robin smiled, closing her eyes. "I have never been happier to be proven wrong."

Nami felt a pinch in her throat as she remembered how close she had come to losing her friend. "Robin."

Robin waved her hand. "It is the past now. I have my nakama - all is well. My point is, I trusted in all of you and I was not let down. I believe that in trusting Zoro, you will not be let down either."

At Robin's words, Nami reached for the pillow. Wrapping her arms around it, she hugged it to her stomach. "I trust him." Nami paused, finding her words. "It's still hard letting go."

Robin nodded. "I think it will get easier." The archeologist rolled back, settling herself into bad.

As Nami tossed her pillow back into place, she glanced at the older woman. While they were on the subject - "Hey Robin, have you ever had feelings for anyone?"

Blinking, Robin tilted her head. A brief crease formed between her brows.

"Robin?"

Smiling slightly, Robin leaned back into bed. "Goodnight Nami." A hand emerged from the table. The light flickered out.

"That's not fair."

The archeologist didn't respond.

With a sigh, Nami dropped back onto her pillow. As she lay in the dark, she considered what had been on Robin's mind when she chose not to speak. But as her breathing slowed and her thoughts drifted, her mind turned to the world outside their room. As she slipped into unconsciousness, she thought of Zoro and the crew, and Willdren sleeping high upon the sail. Rolling onto her side, she was lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the sea.

"Nami!"

Waking with a cry, Nami rolled to the side – and kept rolling. With a startled shout, she fell from her bed, rolling down tilted floorboards. Sliding, her feet scrabbled against the smooth wood. Her fingers scraped uselessly over the planks. Cringing, she closed her eyes – and felt a cool hand wrap around her wrist. She gasped as she jerked to a stop. Grasping the wall and bracing her foot against the tilted floor, Robin held her.

With a creaking groan, the ship slowly righted. But its momentum continued, and soon the vessel swayed in the opposite direction. Robin gasped. Slipping, she lost her tenuous grip on the wall. Together, they slid towards the door. Before they reached it, the ship began to right itself again.

Pushing herself to her feet, Nami lunged for the door. She had no idea what was going on – but she was going to find out. Robin's slapping footfalls sounded close behind. They burst through as the ship began another tilt. Sprinting across the deck, Nami grabbed for the rail. As the deck tilted beneath her, she wrapped her arms around the thick wood.

All around them, the bay water churned. Thick swells stretched up on either side of the Sunny. Nami gaped. That certainly explained the tilting. Nami lifted a hand to her head, holding back the hair that had begun to blow wildly about her. It made no sense. Twisting, Nami narrowed her eyes, observing the bay. There was no way these kinds of swells could be occurring in such a protected body of water.

Across the deck, a door slammed open. An arm shot forward, gripping the rail beside her. With a snap, Luffy landed upon the edge. He held his hat down as he watched the waves. Raising his voice, he shouted over the screaming gale. "Nami! What's going on? A storm?"

The ship dipped down and then up in another swell. Nami tightened her hold on the rail. "I don't know!" She looked frantically around them. "It's not normal!"

As the ship tilted in the opposite direction, a sliding scrape announced the approach of another. His tanned hands grabbed for the rail a second before he stopped his momentum by bracing a dark boot against the wood. Zoro looked from Nami to the dark waves. "What is this?"

Nami ground her teeth. She was one of the best navigators in the world, and yet she had absolutely no idea what this was. It was all wrong. The air pressure was nowhere near what it should be for a storm of this size. Every navigating instinct she possessed told her a storm should not be occurring – and yet it was. She shouted in frustration. "I don't know! It's like the last storm we hit! It makes no sense." Nami froze. The last storm.

The ship tilted. Zoro braced himself against the rail. "The last storm? You think they're connected?"

"Maybe?"

"Nami!" Luffy stood on the rail. With his hand over his forehead, he scanned the churning sea.

"Baka! You're going to fall! What are you doing?"

Luffy narrowed his eyes. "There's someone out there."

At his words, she whipped around. Leaning over the rail, she peered intently towards the water. There was something – Nami squinted her eyes, leaning forward. She felt a touch at her elbow. Glancing to the side, she saw that Zoro had angled himself so that he subtly anchored the crook of her arm. She raised a brow.

"Don't want to have to jump in after you again."

Anchored by the swordsman, Nami leaned further over the rail. She narrowed her eyes as she peered over the churning waves. It was a small vessel – and it was cruising smoothly over the gigantic swells. As it came closer, she was able to make out deep blue sails. Watching its motion, Nami noticed something strange. Rather than fighting the waves or being tossed between them, the dark, churning water seemed to be pushing the boat forward. It was as if the waves were guiding it. Her eyes found the lone figure standing at the center of the small vessel. Nami's mouth dropped open. "Miko."

Zoro leaned forward beside her. "Miko? You sure?"

Luffy tilted his head. "The guy you saved?"

Nami nodded grimly. As the small boat approached, she was able to see him more clearly. His blue hair stood bright against the vessel's polished wood. The teen's legs were planted solidly on the deck, one slightly in front of the other. His arms were raised. One extended forward, the other to the side. The bands at his biceps caught the dim light as he shifted his arms rhythmically with the rocking of the sea.

Seeing his movements, Nami's stomach dropped. The memory of Miko's words in the forest returned to her. At the bounty hunters' mocking, Miko had crossed his arms. "Just get going – or I'll remember this when we are back on the water."

The truth hit her like a punch to the gut. "Oh god."

Zoro's gaze flicked between her and the boy on the water. "What?"

"He's controlling the ocean – he's making this storm." Nami gripped the rail. They were all in terrible danger.

"Shit. It won't take much more to capsize us."

On her other side, Luffy tugged down his hat. "I'll get him."

Lips screwing up in determination, Luffy began to wind up his arm. Before he could get far, Nami yanked the back of his shirt, tugging him from the rail. "Are you crazy? If he grabs your arm, you're done for in that water!"

Rocked back by another wave, the ship tilted sharply up. Nami's hand tightened around the back of Luffy's vest as her bare feet began to slide on the wet deck. Zoro's hand disappeared from her elbow, reappearing at her back. Under his steadying touch, her sliding decent was immediately halted. Releasing Luffy, she grabbed for the rail once more.

"What's going on?" Usopp's sharp cry barely carried over the water's guttural roar.

Zoro's hand remained a steadying presence at her back as she twisted, raking a hand over her head to hold back her entangled tresses. Usopp, along with the rest of the crew, had emerged onto the deck. Eyes squinted against the howling wind, the sniper clung to the heavy door of the men's quarters. Spread about him, the rest of the crew stood in varying degrees of composure. Midway across the deck, Chopper squealed. The reindeer transformed into his heavy point, swatting away several lawn chairs that had been picked up in a heavy gust.

Taking a breath, she shouted over the storm. "It's Miko! He's out there stirring up the ocean!"

Luffy's voice sounded suddenly at her ear. "Where's cool wing guy?"

At Luffy's question, Nami started. Where was Will? Her head jerked towards the sails. How was he faring in this wind? Narrowing her eyes, she was just able to make out his tiny form huddled amongst the trembling bundle of sail. Her shoulders drooped in relief. For a moment, she was concerned he'd blown away. In answer to Luffy's question, she nodded upwards.

"Nami-san!" Sanji stood at the center of the ship. The cook's arm was wrapped around the mast and his leg was braced firmly against the slippery deck. "Can we make it out of the bay?"

Nami squeezed the rail, envisioning the rocky outcrops on either side of the narrow entrance. "Maybe! It'll be close though!"

Sanji nodded grimly. "I'll take the wheel!"

Raising her arm to shield her face, Robin climbed across the deck. Behind her, Brook spread his arms to steady his tall figure on the wildly titling deck. At the front of the ship, Franky gripped the rail. His chin jutted out as he peered intently over the waves. "That's one hell of a narrow gap! If even one wave hits us the wrong way going through, we're done for!"

As he spoke, Robin pulled herself up beside Luffy. A few extra steadying hands sprouted around her as she joined them in looking at the tumultuous sea. Blinking against the ocean's cool spray, Robin scrutinized the scene. "Nami. Look at his trajectory."

As Nami refocused on the smaller ship, Luffy's voice sounded at her ear. "He's going towards the gap! To the ocean!"

Nami watched the small ship's movement attentively. It was true – Miko was on a straight course for the sea beyond. He had already begun to pass them by. What was he doing?

At her other side, Zoro's low voice was barely audible over the churning sea. "You'd think he'd be coming at us."

The smaller vessel didn't pause in its venture towards rocky entrance. However, when the boat was just beyond their ship, the teen upon it gave pause. The undulating motion of his arms momentarily halted as he turned to look upon them. For a still moment, he observed them. The rising waves cast dancing shadows over his face. A frown marred his features as his eyebrows drew sharply together; the picture of confliction.

Miko's eyes shifted, moving carefully over the wooden deck. Over Nami and Zoro, they paused. He blinked and Nami found herself staring into the boy's startlingly blue stare.

Nami went instinctively still. Her fingers twitched. Her clima-tact was still in her room – likely buried beneath a mound of sliding furniture. She wished she had it now. Beside her, Zoro shifted his weight. Leaning lithely forward, he seemed to be preparing to respond to whatever the teen chose to do next.

The boat continued smoothly forward; the boy's hands clenched at his sides. As his boat dipped down a swell, his shoulders drooped and his fists loosened. Remarkably, the teen's face smoothed. Save for a stubborn quirk at the side of his lips, his expression was neutral. Eyes still upon them, he inclined his head, giving them a brief, but steady nod.

When his head rose, he pivoted on his heel. Facing the narrow opening to the sea, he leaned forward, bending slightly at the knees. Head titled forward, he dropped his shoulders, letting his arms reach behind him. Without hesitation, he scooped his hands forward. Palms flat, he extended his hands in front of him. The ocean responded accordingly. A surge of water lifted beneath his ship. The rumbling water rushed forward, propelling the boy and the ship through the narrow gap in a spray of white foam.

And then his ship was sailing away. Out on the open sea, it was dwarfed by the waves that pushed it assuredly forward.

As they watched his ship fade into the muted light of the yet approaching dawn, the Sunny's rocking finally began to abate. The bay's water was already nearly calm.

Luffy jutted his head forward. His narrowed eyes scanned the horizon. But the boat was gone. "I guess he didn't want to fight." He scratched his head. "Maybe he thinks you guys are friends now – since you saved him."

Zoro leaned back. Crossing his arms, he watched the gray sea beyond the bay. "He has a sense of honor. Since we saved his life, he can't in good conscience take ours."

The last remnants of the once powerful gale wafted gently over her face. Suddenly weary, Nami closed her eyes and let the salty breeze wash over her features. "But what about next time?" Blinking her eyes open, she looked between her crewmates at the rail. "That power-" Nami clenched her hands over the wood. "We need to get to the next island. If he changes his mind, I don't want to meet him on the open sea." As a navigator, how could she hope to get them through a storm she could not predict?

Resting her forearms on the rail, Robin stared thoughtfully at the rippling water below. The creaking of the deck announced the approach of the rest of the crew. Seemingly oblivious to the coming of the rest of their nakama, Robin spoke. Her voice was low, and to anyone who did not know her, her tone would have seemed calm. "Umi no arashi. Otherwise known as the Umi Umi no mi. I've read about it – the ability to coax the ocean into great storms. That boy has it." The archaeologist knitted her hands together. "He alone is a powerful weapon in Ronan's arsenal." Robin's troubled gaze shifted towards her. "What other powerful individuals does Ronan command?"

Nami frowned. "We need to find out."

Robin nodded once. "Indeed."

"You said earlier – we might be able to find information on the next island?" Navigator and archeologist both nodded in response to their captain's query. Pressing his hat determinedly down on his head, Luff straightened. "Then let's go." Though his voice was quiet, his words carried weight. They were imbued with the implicit authority their captain sometimes chose to command. The Luffy who spoke in this tone was never questioned.

The deck at once came alive with a flurry of activity. Will gave a shout as the sails were loosened. Even as Robin left, taking quick steps towards the library, and Luffy marched to the front of the ship, Nami remained at the rail a moment longer. Arms still crossed, Zoro was motionless beside her.

Scooting infinitesimally to the side, Nami brushed her shoulder against his. Still staring forward, his weight shifted. Meeting her in the middle, his arm pressed back against hers. The touch was light, but reassuring. Nami breathed out a slow breath as her grip on the rail loosened.

Over the sea beyond, the sky had been gradually lightening. And now, as they stood upon the deck, the once gray sky was painted in a tentative melding of blue and orange. Standing in silence, they watched as light blossomed on the horizon. First, a lone spark blinked into existence. But it grew into a wavering line, peaking out, then spilling over the vast plane of water.

Nami squinted, blinking into the luminous glare. At her wrist, the log pose had re-set. Its needle, still and unwavering, pointed resolutely towards the brightening horizon. "You ready?"

The tender warbling of a bird, woken by the light, broke the ephemeral stillness of a world still acquainting itself with the dawn.

"Aye." The earrings dangling from his lobe caught the glare. Though his head remained forward, he raised his hand, setting it on the rail beside her own.

Deep within the forest, the bird continued its tenuous song.

Thanks for reading! As always, reviews are so appreciated :)

And sorry - got a bit poetic at the end haha. I've been thinking of Whitman's works recently, so I think I ended up channeling a bit the emotions his poems leave me with. Anyway! I promise I'll try to reign in the imagery a bit in the upcoming chapters.