Ch 45 - What is Love?
The brat disappeared as soon as everyone boarded the Thousand Sunny and left the Flying Fish Hideout. She was not with them when they headed off to get Hatchi's takoyaki ship. She was not with them when they anchored the Thousand Sunny so that Hatchi could attach his takoyaki ship to the side.
Franky crossed his arms and frowned. If memory served him correctly, the brat very much enjoyed takoyaki...So where was she? And come to think of it...where was the dog?
Franky decided to go through the process of elimination and go from the bottom up. He headed straight for her room first and was surprised to see that she wasn't there. He then went to the energy room, thinking maybe she was just doing a routine maintenance check. She wasn't in there either.
He then went into the docking room and, of course, the brat wasn't there. There was no need for her to be. He was just about to turn to leave when he heard a splashing sound coming from Dock #1. He raised an eyebrow and slowly pulled up the gate. His eyes widened when he saw that the brat was floating in the middle of the water and clinging onto the back of her dog wearing only her bra and underwear. The hobby horse waver had been pulled out of the water with her clothes draped over it.
"Nana-brat. What the hell are you-"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Nana snapped in frustration, "I'm trying to swim."
She let go and flung herself into the water again only to start flailing about before sinking to the bottom. Her dog quickly dove down and pulled her up as she coughed up the sea water. "God damn it. God damn it. God damn it!"
She climbed back onto the dog and Franky couldn't tell if she was shivering from the cold or from fright. Franky silently stepped fully into the dock and closed the door behind him. There was no need for anyone else to find them. Not now, at least. He sat cross legged at the edge of the platform and he studied her silently.
She glared at him. "Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Aren't you going to ask why I have the sudden urge to learn how to swim?" she demanded.
"Are you going to tell me?" Franky shot back.
She fell silent as her and Pygmy floated in the water.
Franky sighed and he put his sunglasses onto his head so he could have a heart to heart with the brat. "Listen, Nana-brat. I understand that you're upset that you couldn't save Curly Cook but-'
"I wasn't good enough," Nana said softly with her eyes on the water. She lowered her head and rested it against the back of Pygmy's head. She could feel the hot tears start to fall down her cheek and she prayed Franky would think it was the water, "That's all there is to it. I wasn't good enough."
Franky winced as he recalled his words to the brat when she tried to jump in after Curly Cook. "What good could you do?"
"Ow, Nana-brat, if you're upset about what I said back then, I-"
"No...you were right," Nana replied with a sad smile, "How could I save him if I don't even know how to swim myself?"
She scoffed at herself. "God. Part of me realizes how pitiful I'm being and it's just making me feel that much worse." She took a deep breath and wiped the water from her face, "What's worse is that I even knew this was going to happen. We've even talked about it before."
"That what was going to happen?" Franky asked.
"That he was going to move on," Nana stated and let out a mirthless laugh. "You know, earlier today I wondered why I was jealous towards Camie but never towards Nami or even Robin...but as soon as I saw Camie bring him up from the water I knew...It's because even though he flirts and dotes on Nami and Robin, underneath it all, they are still just his nakama...but Camie...She's...What did he call it? 'Mankind's lifelong fantasy'?"
Nana looked over at the cyborg. "I may be his metaphorical angel but she is a bonafide mermaid! How could I compete with a fantasy come to life? She's everything he could ask for plus the added factor that she constantly needs someone to save her. She's the ultimate damsel in distress!"
She scoffed again. "But then what do you know? He falls into the water and no one else can save him except the mermaid! Talk about the perfect woman ..."
She shook her head exasperatedly at the situation. "Of course, he's going to choose her. Are you surprised? Because I'm not. I'm not surprised by any of it. I knew this was going to happen...and yet...and yet…"
Her voice broke and she bit her lip. She ducked her head and stared at the back of Pygmy's neck.
"Yet part of you hoped he would prove you wrong?" Franky finished for her.
"Isn't that stupid of me?" Nana asked softly, "Don't you think I'm being fucking ridiculous? I didn't even realize I had that part of me until just now."
Franky scooted himself closer so he sat at the edge of the dock with his legs in the water. "Nana-brat...I'm going to ask you something and I want you to answer truthfully but then we'll never speak of it again, okay? We'll leave it here. Just tell your Big Bro...No one else needs to know."
Nana nodded with her head still lowered. Franky reached over and with one finger, he lifted her chin up so she could look him in the eyes. "Are you falling for the Curly Cook?"
Nana's eyes refilled with tears. "I think I am," she whimpered and the tears started to pour over her face, "But I really don't want to be."
Franky sighed and pulled her off of her dog to hug her tightly to his chest as she continued to cry. "I finally get it," Nana choked, "When they say love is a hurricane. You can prepare for it all you want but when it comes through, you can't avoid it."
"Just let it out, brat," Franky sighed, "Just let it out."
They sat there for a long time as Nana vented all of her frustrations and hurt. When she was finally done, her hair had already dried.
"Alright, Nana-brat," Franky said gently as he got to his feet, "I'm going to go upstairs before people realize something's wrong. I'll tell them that you're tinkering with the Shark Submerge so just take your time down here. Don't come up until you're ready, okay?"
"Okay," Nana said quietly, "Thanks, Big Bro."
Franky grinned and gave her a thumbs up sign, "You're going to be super again in no time, Nana-brat. You'll see."
She didn't answer and she sat quietly with Pygmy at the edge of the dock while Franky lifted the gate and stepped out. He closed the gate and then walked past the cook, who had been smoking quietly right outside the dock and in the middle of putting out his cigarette.
"You heard?" Franky murmured.
The cook said nothing but he nodded while he dropped his cigarette into the middle of a half filled can.
"Good," Franky said as he patted the cook on the back, "Then go fix it."
Sanji had lit his first cigarette in the docking room when he saw Franky shut the gate behind him.
He had lit his second cigarette when the angel was berating herself for not being able to swim after him when the Flying Fish Riders had caught him.
He had lit his third cigarette after dropping his second cigarette when he heard the angel say that she was jealous of the mermaid.
He had accidentally crushed his fourth cigarette before lighting it when he heard the angel's voice break with sadness.
He couldn't breathe, let alone smoke from his fifth cigarette, when Franky asked the angel if she loved him.
And then he had almost lost the will to live when he heard her answer.
He had squatted to the ground and buried his head between his knees. His wrist hung limply in the air with the cigarette dangling between his two fingers. How big of an idiot was he that he inflicted so much pain in the angel and didn't even realize it?
He had listened to her cry while his cigarette burned up between his fingers. He wanted to go in and comfort her but he didn't know what to do or what to say. He thought by continuously telling her that he loved her, she would eventually believe him but it was clear that plan had backfired. The words were empty and meaningless.
He had lit a new cigarette when he realized the one he was holding was done. He took a deep drag and stood slowly back up as he leaned against the door frame. He had always said love was a hurricane and he never expected it to be a walk in the park but he had underestimated the damage that love could do. He put a hand over his eyes while putting the cigarette back to his lips.
Now the cyborg has told him to fix it. What a stupid request. If he knew how to fix it, wouldn't he have done so already? How was he supposed to prove his love to someone who didn't want to be in love with him? How was he supposed to show her how much he loved her?
He rubbed his eyes in frustration and then reached into his pocket to light a new smoke. He fitted the cigarette between his lips and then began to flick the lighter to ignite his vice. His eyes fell on the lighter in his hands and his eyes widened. He put both the cigarette and lighter back in his pocket and ran after the cyborg. "Oy, Franky! I need a favor!"
"Ah! Nana! Where have you been? Try some takoyaki!" Luffy shouted from Hatchi's ship when Nana and Pygmy emerged onto the lawn deck awhile later, "It's delicious!"
"I was...fixing up the Shark Submerge," Nana replied, "Didn't Franky tell you?"
Nana's eyes fell on Hatchi and Camie, who stood behind his stove, flipping the little balls and dousing them in sauce before plating them and handing it to Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, Zoro, and Brook. They were eating the food as fast as they were being served. Even Nami, who sat with Robin by the mast, was eating the food and getting sauce all over her face. She was a little relieved and surprised that Sanji was nowhere to be found. She'd have figured he'd be hovering around the mermaid.
"Nana-chin!" Camie exclaimed excitedly as Pappagu brought up a tray of takoyaki, "Please try some!"
Pygmy growled a little at the fishy folk but Nana gave him a slight nudge with her foot and he sat down obediently. Nana took the tray from the starfish and she smiled softly back.
"Thanks," she said as she popped one into her mouth. It was piping hot and she opened her mouth to let it cool before sinking her teeth into it. The sauce was rich and the texture was perfect. Not too gummy but not too soft. "Wow, Hatchi...this is really good."
"Keep eating! Keep going! It's on the house today!" Hatchi cheered.
Nana sat down next to Robin and Nami and she looked curiously at Nami, who was eating up the octopus balls happily. "Nami, are you...okay? I mean with Hatchi and...everything..."
Nami grinned back without a hint of sadness. "Why wouldn't I be? The takoyaki is delicious, isn't it?"
Nana blinked back in awe at the navigator's attitude and a relieved smile spread across her own face as she popped another takoyaki into her mouth. "Yah, it is."
"Ow, Nana-brat!"
Nana turned to see Franky waving her over from the aft of the ship and she curiously went over to him with her plate of takoyaki. "What's up?"
"Can you go get me your wrench?" he asked.
Nana raised an eyebrow. "My...wrench? What happened to yours?"
"It broke," Franky said flatly, "So I need to use yours. Can you go get it?"
Nana narrowed her eyes and she looked at him skeptically. "You know where it is...Why can't you go get it?"
Franky folded his arms across his chest, "I know better than to touch your stuff. Now go get it, Nana-brat."
"Okay…If you say so," Nana said in disbelief and then handed him her plate of takoyaki before walking off.
"Wait! The dog stays," Franky said as he grabbed Pygmy. Both the dog and its owner looked curiousy back at the cyborg. The cyborg cradled the dog in his arms as if it was a baby and not the size of a small pony. "I just...super want to cuddle with it right now!"
"What is wrong with you?" Nana scoffed but still headed towards her room.
She could hear the sound of light tinkering before she even got to her door. She wasn't sure what to expect to see but she certainly didn't expect to find Sanji, sitting on the floor, in front of the furnace with his back turned to her. He was hunched over with his head bowed low so Nana couldn't see what he was doing. His suit jacket was draped over her anvil and his shirt sleeves were rolled up.
"Come on, you jerk, just bend already!" she heard him mutter.
She took one step towards him and the floorboards creaked under her foot.
"Oy, Franky," he scowled without looking up from whatever he was working on, "Took you long enough. Did you find the alloy spray to set the gears together?"
Nana raised an eyebrow. "An alloy spray is only used for aesthetic purposes...It's not for binding," she stated slowly.
Sanji leapt to his feet with his hands clasped to his back as a pair of pliers dropped to the floor. "Nana-chan!" he gasped, "What are you doing down here?"
"I think you and I both got lied to by Franky," Nana said as she folded her arms in front of her chest, "The question is what are you doing in my room?"
"That jerk," Sanji cursed as his hand gripped something tightly, "I told him I wasn't going to give this to you until it was ready. I don't even have a speech prepared."
"Give me what?" Nana asked. With him facing her, she got a good look at his disheveled state. His tie was loosened and his shirt was unbuttoned at the top. There was a small amounts of sweat on his forehead. What was he up to?
"I'm an idiot. The world's biggest idiot," Sanji said, "I got carried away with my own fantasies that I forgot that my reality was so much better."
Sanji took a deep breath and he looked at her. "Nana-chan...I know I've told you time and time again that I love you but it's clear that words are not enough. You even said it wouldn't be and...you are right."
He ran a hand through his hair and looked nervously at Nana. She wasn't sure what to say and she stood in disbelief as the cook took a step closer to her and continued to talk. "There are not enough words to describe what you mean to me so I decided to put it in a language that we both could understand."
He reached for her hands and he held them tightly in front of him. "You once said that you loved my hands...that they were the hands of craftsman. So I've used them to convey how I feel about you...and only you."
Nana's eyes widen when she felt him put something in the palm of her hand. He turned her hand over and she opened it slowly. It was a small metal pendant made out of small gears that were welded on top of each other into a shape of a heart. It was almost done except for the border of the pendant. A thin steel band was bent to form one half of the heart but the other half stuck straight out.
She noticed that his fingers also had some minor burns and cuts on them from the metal work and her eyes widened. He had endangered his prized hands, the ones he had always protected even in battle, just so he could make something for her...and only her.
"Your hands!" she gasped.
"It's fine," Sanji replied hurriedly, "But how do you like the necklace? You walked in before I could finish it, Nana-chan, but if there's any changes you want-"
Nana closed her fist around the pendant, wrapped her arms around Sanji's neck, and kissed him. "You idiot," she muttered with her lips still on his, "A cook's hands are his life. What would you do if you hurt them?"
This time, the cook recovered faster from her surprise kiss and he kissed her back passionately. "I'd rather damage them than to hurt you," he growled back.
Sanji's arm slipped around her waist and he lifted her up into the air as his lips moved over hers. She could feel the stubble on his chin lightly graze over her skin as his mouth covered hers over and over again. His grip was strong yet gentle at the same time. She felt so safe and comfortable that she never wanted to leave.
Sanji wanted to devour her. The angel's lips were salty and she smelled like the sea. It surprised the cook, yet he found it very fitting. Yes, if he had to categorize the flavors of his female nakama, Nami-san would be tart with a hint of sweetness, just like her tangerines, Robin-chan would be sweet and refined, like a well-crafted petit four, and Nana-chan would be savory, hands down. She was salt, the most simple but vital ingredient. She brought out the flavor of life. Yes, he thought, What a perfect way representation. How could a cook not have his salt?
"I love you," he murmured every time their lips separated, "I love you."
"I love you too," she finally whispered back.
When he finally set her back on the floor and ended the kiss, he kept his arms around her and he kissed her gently on the forehead while she looked at the pendant in her hand. "Let's finish this together…" she offered quietly.
"Yes, Nana-chan," he said.
She looked up at him. "Before that...could you do something for me?"
"Anything for you, my angel," he replied.
"Could you call me 'Nana'? No 'chan'...no 'san'…Just Nana," she asked.
He blinked back at her. "Why?"
She smiled at him. "I want to you to see me as your equal. I just...want to be Nana. Your Nana."
"As you wish, my Nana," he murmured softly as he placed a kiss on her lips, her cheek, and then her forehead.
She stepped out of his hold and silently led him to her drafting desk. She sat him down in her chair and she put the pendant back in his hands. She then grabbed another plier from her peg board and she handed it to him. She stood behind the chair and then reached around his shoulders to cover his hands with hers.
"Now let's do this together," she grinned against his ear, as she showed him the trick to moving the pliers to shape the metal properly. As they worked on finishing the pendant, they both were silent. Only their hands moved but they moved together as one. The mechanic taking great care of the cook's hands while the cook focused on the mechanic's heart.
When it was done, Nana held the pendant close to her skin as Sanji tied the leather cord around her neck, finishing it with a kiss to the back of her head. The pendant was made up of loose metal gears that had been lying around Nana's toolbox...but to her, it was invaluable. There were small dents and scratches on it that the cook had accidentally left...but to her, it was flawless. To others, it might not be something special, but to her it was precious.
And Nana knew that how she felt about the necklace was exactly how Sanji felt about her. The cook was right. This was the language that they both could understand.
