Nami stared down at the old capital, amazed at all of the people down below from the balcony of the room she had been given. She had never quite seen so many men and women all at once - even Germa's capital did not seem so large as this city.
Ruskaina, the city of the Dark Elves.
"Your majesty," Nami looked back to smile at Camie who curtsied with a shy smile. "Your majesty, the king is waiting for you in the audience chamber."
Nami smiled warmly, "I should finish changing then, I think."
She twirled in the mirror briefly when Camie finished helping her, and she marveled at the fine embroidery that covered her bosom. It drew the eyes there, she realized.
Her hands smoothed down over the deep blue skirt, and she smiled confidently. On their retreat to the city, Nami had been able to give it some ample thought. She would give herself to her new husband upon the wedding without complaint. If he was able to repeat what he had done that night, she would be remiss if she did not bear some pain for her husband and for her future heirs.
She would make this marriage work - even with pain.
"Your highness, what about your hair?" Camie paused when Nami turned to head for the door.
She smiled back at her, flipping the luscious locks back, "We like it down." He had run his fingers through them that morning in the tent in an attempt to 'comb' it. It had just turned into a fervent lip-lock session.
Down in the audience chamber, she found herself staring at his bare chest - the man was just wearing his loose mage pants! He was even barefoot! Nami tried to keep her eyes up, but they kept trailing down to his hard body, and dark nipples.
She blinked when she noticed the Dark Elf woman standing before him.
xXx
Luffy watched the beauty glide into the room, and he sighed, relaxing on his throne, and gazing at the vision.
Hancock stepped into his way then, and he tried to look around her, but then she said, "The men who followed you are at the gates. We've refused their entry."
Looking up at her, he frowned in a bit of concern, "Oh, yeah. The princesses are being taken care of, right?"
"I have delegated ladies to keep watch over them." Hancock glanced over at Nami then, and his fiancee stared at the taller woman.
"You ..."
Hancock seemed to consider her before she smiled, "I see. This is your chosen mate? She will carry strong babes for you."
Luffy gaped at her. That had been Hancock's usual argument to sleep with him - that he needed to spread his seed with women that would bear him powerful children. Nami would carry strong kids!?
Nami seemed to try to stand taller, glancing at him nervously for some reason, "I remember you. So you survived the attack."
Smiling, Hancock said, "Yes, and I see that you've been reunited with your charge."
Blinking rapidly, Nami looked at him again before she blushed, pulling back a step, "You're the infant!" She cupped her hot cheeks, staring at him.
"Shishishi! Yeah! I'm all grown up!"
For some reason, she swayed slightly, looking dizzy, "Is - is that why you came for me!? She said she - she wanted us to ..." Luffy watched her before he began to smile again, resting his chin on his hand. She seemed to snap to attention then, pouting at him, "You! Rapscallion! What are you smiling at!?"
He smiled wider, and he watched the color from her face reach down to her chest. How easy it was to make her do that - and she didn't smack him either.
Hancock said, "That High Elf princess you captured would make for a good carrier as well."
Luffy gaped at her, blinking in shock before he hit the armrest, "I just want Nami!"
Nami shifted slightly, biting her lip. The black-haired beauty frowned down at him before she sniffed, "If you keep the curse, you could have more children with her alone. That would be acceptable."
Standing, Luffy snapped, "No! We're fixing this or - or ...!" He didn't know what he would do if they couldn't cure the curse.
"You want to cure the Dark Elves too?" Luffy looked up at Nami, surprised. She came over to take his hand, squeezing it, "I know the way to do it! But I need mages who don't need a focus aid!"
He slowly raised his other hand, "I don't need one ..."
"For which ability?" She leaned in so insistently, he got caught up in her earnest eyes.
"Ah ... all of them."
She seemed shocked, "Which ones do you have ...?"
"All of them. Ah, except yours."
Her face colored, and she stared at him in surprise before he jumped as her knees hit the floor.
"Nami!? What's wrong!?"
"We ... we can undo the curse! Right now!"
His jaw dropped, "What!?"
Hancock gaped at them, stepping in, "Luffy, you mustn't!"
"I'm not gonna just spread my seed or whatever, Hancock!" Luffy said, frowning.
"There's an army at your gate! Those men who followed are moving the forces around the city into an offensive position around us! We must have the people ready for battle! In two months, we can nearly double our numbers! If we give up that small advantage, there will be no city or people!"
He stared at her, his eyes widening slightly. Of course. That unfortunately did make sense.
Luffy sank back into his throne, scowling at the floor, "Damn it ..." He made a fist, gripping tightly as he tried to think of a way through.
"And if you have too many people, you'll starve the city," a deep voice said. Luffy looked up in surprise to see Jimbei enter the audience chamber. "We don't have a choice either way. If the kings attack us, at least, we're behind strong walls."
Sitting up, Luffy said, "Almost everyone here is a fighter, Jimbei! Just lead the defense!"
He bowed then, "My liege, I will do whatever it takes to protect the queen. That includes her own body. If you don't cure the Dark Elves, a two-month pregnancy would tear her young body apart."
Luffy looked at Nami a bit worriedly, but pushed it from his mind. She had not permitted him to sow his seed into her womb. It seemed there was a good reason to not do so yet. Nami had been trying to insist on the wedding night, but he didn't see any difference. There was nothing special that was going to happen then anyway.
Nami was a healthy pink, but she nodded, standing back up, "A woman's body is resilient, but ... he is right." She said, looking at Hancock, "I remember hearing about miscarriages in the tents."
Hancock frowned softly in concern then, biting a thumb as she seemed to withdraw in thought, "Yes ... that was the case. Some men were rough, yes, but it happened to all of the non-Dark Elf women eventually. We could choose to not carry."
"The other women couldn't," Nami turned to Luffy then, "Are the non-Dark Elf women safe?"
"Yeah ... even the men. Rape's punishable by death," she actually paled, but she nodded after a moment.
"I ... see."
Jimbei hummed a deep rumble, "We should release them all. The fewer people that eat food means the less food we lose to those who might not fight on your side."
"Not everyone ..." Luffy said, scratching his chin in thought, "There are some who married Dark Elves here ... They'll stay and fight for who they love."
"Not anyone," Hancock said. "All we would do is add to their number."
Jimbei hummed, "That may also be true ..."
"We have lots of food in storage," Luffy ventured though he knew he was not the tactical one. "And the river runs through the city. Most people here eat fish. "
"I see ... I'll take everything into account." Jimbei glanced at Nami before he nodded to Luffy, "I'll see to the defenses, and order the people to abandon the fields to come into the city. Don't allow the farmers out. The armies would just strike them down without prejudice. You must undo the curse though."
Luffy gazed back at the familiar, yet different face, considering before he stood and put his hand
on Jimbei's shoulder, "I'll do whatever it takes to protect Nami."
Bowing this time, Jimbei said, "I also brought the prisoners down to the dungeon."
Staring at him in confusion, Luffy said, "You put the princesses in the dungeon?"
Jimbei looked at Nami again, and she stepped up, "No ... not them. The Vinsmokes ... the Germa royal family. I imprisoned and chained them all ..."
"Sanji ..."
xXx
Peering in on the tired, dirty man, Luffy frowned. A collar to keep him from using magic was around his throat - as were around his brothers' and sister's necks. They were all in separate cells, and Luffy crouched in front of Sanji's, looking at the man who he had once thought the kindest in the world.
A man who would feed his starving enemy.
"Sanji ...?"
He stirred, squinting up at him in the dark, "Who ...?"
Luffy wasn't sure how glad he was that Sanji didn't remember, but he made the attempt anyway, "It's me. Luffy."
"The Dark Elf King?" He gawked up at him before scowling, "So the bitch sold us off to you, huh? Do your worst!"
He saw then why Nami refused to come down. Luffy clutched the iron bar to keep from reaching in to beat him, "Sanji ... don't you remember me? Zoro? Usopp? ... Chopper?"
His eyes were not blank, just full of rage, "What's wrong, monster!? Scared of a real man!?"
"What about Zeff?"
"What are you planning!? Do what you will or kill me!"
Luffy sagged, staring at the stranger. He hadn't even reacted. Sometimes, they knew people in the past that they had known in Luffy's memories. Sometimes. "You became what they wanted here, didn't you?"
As the man in the cell raged and screamed, Luffy stood and walked away.
At the top of the stairs, Nami waited. He gazed up at his worried fiancee, and she grasped his hands to squeeze them when he stopped a few steps below her.
He knew. They were not the same people. Sanji was not the man he remembered. Even, Nami, as similar as she seemed, was not the same woman - something was in her that could imprison an entire family to enact justice.
Nami was a queen.
She whispered, "What were you hoping to see?"
"A real man," he said at last.
She dropped her eyes, but he finished climbing the stairs to tilt her chin back up. He kissed her lightly before taking her hand to tug her along.
Nami stiffened when Hancock joined them, and Luffy looked at her in concern. She didn't seem to do well with the other woman. She even pressed against his side, slowing him down a bit as she wrapped her arms around his one. He pouted slightly. Usually, he didn't like walking slowly, but something was obviously off with Nami.
Had it been all the talk about carrying his babies and the seed stuff?
"Luffy, the herald has delivered the news to the people. When will you complete the ritual?" Hancock said.
He considered, looking at his wife-to-be. She was straightening her skirt for some reason. He brushed her hair behind her ear, "Are you ready, Nami?"
"That's Queen Nami to you ..." she whispered, but she turned to look at him before she nodded. "I'm ready whenever you wish."
Luffy smiled, stroking her cheek, "I don't think you're ready for that yet."
Her face blossomed red, "That's not what I was talking about!"
"Shishi, yeah, sorry, I know." He kissed her again before he pulled her along. She stared up at him as they walked, and he began to pout, shifting slightly, "What's wrong?"
"It's ... really happening then? We're really going to cure the Dark Elves ...?"
He squeezed her hand then, smiling, "Yeah ..." He pouted, "Did you want ... a baby?"
Her eyes widened, and she ducked her head as pink covered her, "Of course ... I'll give you all the heirs I can."
His throat tightened. He had not thought too much about all the things Hancock and Alvida had said. They had always attempted to get him to lie with them again so that he would give them children. Wasn't this no different from them?
"Ah ... right," he said and tried to imagine it. Luffy tried to imagine the child. His shoulders hunched slightly, staring into nothing. He couldn't picture it, and for some reason, that scared him more than anything else.
"My lord," Nami smiled, touching his shoulder, and he glanced down at her. "We'll need some space. Where's somewhere that's open to the sky?"
Unable to think of some future, possible child, Nami naked in the moonlight popped into his head instead, "Ah ... I - I know a place." He looked back at Hancock, and said, "Bring dinner up to my room for us later."
Nami gaped as he dragged her along, "Your room!?"
xXx
Nami was looking around in confusion as Luffy moved to open the door to the balcony. He looked back at her with a raised eyebrow, "What's wrong?"
"This ... this is the room you moved me into ..." she said, pointing at the new wardrobe, "My clothes are in there now."
"Well, yeah," he said, "If you're gonna be my wife, we're gonna sleep together."
"But we're not even married yet!" She flushed, looking at the bed in seemingly a new light. "I didn't even sleep with ..."
He paused just outside in the starlight, looking back, and his eyes widened, "Where did you sleep?"
She bit her lip, "By myself ... after he left for the night ..."
Unable to stop his scowl, Luffy huffed, looking away. He was down in the dungeon. All it took was a rope. Swallowing hard, he pressed a hand to his forehead. Abruptly, he wondered if he was the same man.
Swallowing nothing, he held his hand out to her, and he said, "Nami, c'mere."
Approaching slowly, she took his hand, and he pulled her into his arms. She just felt right there. For a moment, the terrible thought faded. Sighing, he laid his head on top of hers and closed his eyes. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around him as well, "Your majesty ...?"
"Stop calling me that ..." he grunted, pouting at her. "It's too sexy."
She sucked her lips into her mouth in surprise, and he laughed at the expression. Nami frowned then, pinching his cheek, "You say the strangest things ..." After a moment, she said, "Do you want to ... retire for the night?"
He snickered before kissing her hand, "That can wait ... this is important."
"Yes ..." She laced her fingers with his, squeezing tightly, "I'll show you how the spell works."
xXx
The sky glowed. Just on the edge of the horizon, a dark magenta glow began to emanate from the city of Dark Elves. A lone guard, on night watch, gaped up at the change in the dark sky. He smacked the man next to him, who snorted and sat up straight.
"Wha ...!? What the hell!"
When the soldier pointed, the other man turned to look just as the color flickered to green and the color spread deeper into the sky. The second man ran screaming into the camp.
"The - the Dark Elves! They're doing something! Wake up! Wake up! Rouse the general!"
Green changed to orange. It covered nearly half of the sky now, and the first man tilted his head up to gape up at the moon. When the orange passed over it, the moon changed into a dark purple, and his jaw dropped.
He realized then that the stars were emitting a strange, eerie periwinkle light.
Finally, the color flashed to a deep red.
In the night, the man twitched when the silence was broken by the cry of an infant.
He blinked in bafflement back into the camp before vaguely recalling that one of the Dark Elf camp whores was in the middle of labor.
Shuddering, Brook pulled his soldier's cap off, staring down at it before he tossed it aside, and ran into the fields.
He had not signed up for this.
xXx
"How do we know it worked?" Luffy said, looking out over the incredible color changes happening over the sky.
"Hopefully ... it will show in the children," she glanced at him. "Robin told me you ordered them to stop having children though ..."
"There's still some pregnant people," he frowned, "that contraption stuff doesn't always work."
She laughed softly, "Contraception?"
"Yeah, that!" He smiled, tilting his head as he leaned back against the balustrade, looking at her.
Nami quieted as she stared back, and she bit her lip.
Luffy pouted, "Is something wrong?"
"No, I suppose not ..." Sighing, she closed her eyes before she said, "My lord, I ... I wished to speak to you alone now."
Smiling slightly, he said, "We're alone now, Nami."
She stood a bit taller, lifting her chin, and Luffy blinked, watching her look at him seriously, "I know I was always warned that men's carnal desires are infamous, but I truly hope that you aren't tempted. Hancock is very beautiful herself, and - and the princesses are too, but ..." She trailed off, and her eyes were still shut tightly as her shoulders hunched.
"Uh ... they're beautiful, sure," he said, his head tilting back to the other side as he raised an eyebrow. Nami's shoulders shook suddenly, and he blinked before jerking upright when she covered her face, "Nami!?"
"I'm sorry ...!" Luffy ran over, hovering uncertainly. What had done this!? "I just ... I know you must look at other women, but, please, come to me first! I'll take it even when it hurts!"
He twitched, grabbing her wrists to pull them aside, and kissed her fiercely. She gasped, but her arms went around him, pulling their bodies together. He pressed her back against the wall of the castle before parting.
Growling, Luffy tilted her chin up, "I won't ever hurt you! Never! Even your heart! I promised to never let you cry! So ... don't worry ..." He stroked her cheek, wiping her tears away as she stared up at him. "You are mine, and I am yours."
"Luffy ..." she whispered, and he possessed her lips and tongue.
As she moaned and squirmed against his body, Luffy grunted, lifting her off her feet to press her into the wall. Nami squealed when he pulled her skirts up so he could thrust his hips up against her core. Her thighs pressed tightly around him for the support, and he grasped her rear only to pull his head back with a shock.
Luffy pulled her skirts up to look down, and she squeaked, trying to push them back down, "Don't look!"
"My tongue's already been down there though," he tried to look around, trying to peek under her multitude of skirts underneath. Wasn't she hot? Hancock and Alvida did not wear this many.
Where were they?
"That's not the point!"
"Where's your panties?"
She blinked rapidly at him, "My what? What are panties?"
Luffy looked up at her purely baffled face before he felt heat spread through his face and loins, "You don't ... wear any ...?"
"I don't even know what they are!"
Luffy narrowed his eyes, "So ... you don't wear panties ..."
She seemed to shrink back, staring into his lusty eyes, "No ...?"
Leaning in, Luffy touched his forehead to hers, "And you don't even know how hot that is ..."
Groaning, Nami pouted at him, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Smiling, he set her back down onto her feet, and let her skirts fall back down to cover her. She stared at him in confusion, blinking before he knelt down, and dove under her skirts.
"Lu - your highness, what are you - haaah!"
xXx