Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. However, I am the person who came up with several different backstories for the minor Heart Pirates (except for Uni – those ideas come from Tumblr's polarurchin, who has given me permission to use them in my fic).
Keeping Faith and Secrets
Nami bit her lip, writhing against the calloused hands that stroked along her bare skin. They were scorching hot but in the best way, the touches so soft they were more like flames licking along her skin than tangible fingers. They sure as hell urged liquid fire to pool between her legs, and she unconsciously ground her ass against the hard bulge that pressed against it. Her own hands were anchored in the soft, short strands of hair of the man behind her, leaving her body exposed and completely at his mercy.
"Shhhh," Law purred in her ear as the tips of his fingers danced along her naked torso in a symmetrical, intricate pattern. Circling her sternum, dancing up across her collarbone, down over her ribs, before meeting an inch above her belly button and repeating the journey in reverse. The breath against her neck was as hot as his hands, and she moaned as his teeth nipped sharply at her sensitive earlobe. "Just stay still and let me have my fun. You're not scared, are you?"
"Shouldn't I be?" she asked, even as she arched into his touch when his fingers curled around her breasts, just passing her nipples. She whined in disappointment at his intentional neglect, coaxing an amused chuckle from him as he trailed teasing bites down her neck, across her shoulder, to finally trace the hot tip of his tongue along her pinwheel tattoo.
He lavished it with attention for a while, clearly enjoying the helpless little noises that escaped her lips while he savored the taste of her skin. Eventually he was satisfied with teasing her shoulder and resumed his ministrations on her ear. "I'm only scary to my enemies, Nami-ya. Are you my enemy?"
She bit her lip, pensive despite the sparks of lust that crackled beneath her skin. "In a few years I will be."
"Good point. Maybe I should keep you as my prisoner," he replied, hands sliding south to grip her thighs. The very tips of his fingers brushed against her lower lips, chuckling at the molten honey that instantly coated them. "My pretty little plaything, wet and ready and all mine."
"I'm not yours."
Suddenly she was bent forward, her ass inadvertently pressing harder against his erection while her hands shot forward to break her fall. Her palms slammed against a smooth, cool surface, which she realized was a polished mirror.
She jerked back a bit as she saw her reflection; the pattern Law had been tracing was his chest tattoo, which now stood out starkly against her pale flesh. However, that action pressed her even closer against his bare torso, which Law took as encouragement, the pad of his index finger trailing up to circle her swollen pearl.
"If you're not mine, whose are you?" he whispered, lips pressed intimately against the shell of her ear as his gold eyes glittered in triumph and smug superiority.
"I'm…I'm a Straw Hat—"
In the mirror she saw Law's face darken before morphing into a truly wicked smirk. The hand on her clit shifted, plunging two long, rough fingers inside her cunt while his thumb stroked and flicked her little bundle of nerves. His fingers curled to press against her G-spot, making her buck against his hand while waves of lust rocked through her core.
"All I see is a traitorous whore," he sneered, free hand sliding back up to grope her breast. He finally deigned to give attention to her hard and rosy nipple, pinching and rolling it between forefinger and thumb. "Don't even try to deny you're enjoying this; the way you're melting into my hands says plenty."
She mewled in both pleasure and protest, her cheeks flushed bright red as she struggled to resist him. But why was she resisting? It felt so wickedly good, like indulging in a rich, delicious treat when she wasn't supposed to. But why wasn't she supposed to? Her foggy brain couldn't seem to come up with a specific reason, yet still she felt the instinctive need to deny him. Because somehow, despite the delicious sensations wracking through her body, deep down, she felt guilty for enjoying it.
Naturally, Law noticed her hesitation and straightened up, gazing down at her in disapproval before a wicked gleam appeared in his eye. "Well, if you don't want pleasure, how about punishment?" he asked, removing his fingers from her dripping core to caress the smooth meat of her ass. His other hand abandoned her breast to rest in the center of her back, holding her down against the reflective surface. "Will penitence make you feel better about enjoying this?"
"Penitence?"
Instead of explaining, he raised his hand and brought it down hard against her ass, sending a shock of pain rocking through the pliant flesh. The force sent her hips jerking forward, and a cry escaped her plush lips.
"Ah! Law, that hurt!"
"Of course it hurt. You don't want me to be gentle—you want it rough and dominating so you can justify to yourself later that you had no choice, even though you loved every second of it," he sneered, using more of his weight to keep her pinned while he continued to abuse her ass, pausing for brief intervals to roll his straining bulge against her dripping center.
As much as she wanted to argue, she found she couldn't—partially because the sharp sting of the blows took her breath away, and partially because, damn it, he was right. The blows were harsh, but the throb left behind echoed the one between her thighs, and somehow, the pain seemed to wash away the guilt.
Unconsciously, she arched her spine, throwing back her head and letting out a husky, rapturous moan as a particularly delicious spank sent electric pleasure through her entire nervous system. Tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes, her cheeks flushed a wanton red, and in the mirror she could see her lips were parted and swollen.
God, she really did look like a whore, didn't she?
"Don't make that face, Nami-ya," Law purred, leaning back over her to meet her gaze in the mirror. She gasped as his eyes became solid pools of gold while his skin turned alabaster white. "You're making yourself too tempting."
Nami's eyes snapped open, chest rising and falling rapidly as she came down from the high of her wet dream. What the fuck was that? her mind exclaimed, kicking the blankets off so that the cooler air of her room could shock her sweaty body back into full consciousness. Though, to her embarrassment, she found it wasn't sweat that was making her thighs glisten in the florescent lights.
A dull thud made her jump, and she peered over the side of the bed to find the North Blue art history books she'd fallen asleep reading had tumbled to the floor due to her startled awakening. She dimly recalled reading about some stained glass windows and a fountain that had been commissioned in the North for one of Artifakuto's churches, but her frazzled mind could barely recall the specifics.
And this is why Law trying to cram all that studying alone was a bad idea, she thought, running her fingers through her hair and massaging her temples. She was sure she'd remember what she'd read later, but for now, she had other things to deal with. Like trying to repress that dream and the implications it brought forth.
Sitting up, she glanced over to Ikkaku's side of the room, where her roommate was hunched over her desk working on a project. Her hair was up in a bath towel, indicating she must have just gotten out of the shower, though the earplugs indicated that she'd been back at least long enough to feel the need to block out whatever sounds Nami had been making. The plugs must have been really good, or the mechanic was so focused on her work she hadn't even noticed the falling books.
Feeling a little petulant, the ginger flung her pillow across the room, smacking her right in the side of the face.
"Hey!" Ikkaku cried, managing to catch the pillow before it could land on her desk and mess up her work. With a glare she pulled out her earplugs. "The hell was that for?"
"For not waking me up when I was clearly having a nightmare," Nami groused, sliding off the bed and slipping on a robe in case her roommate noticed the wet spot on her pajama bottoms.
A dark eyebrow rose skeptically. "Honey, those cute little moans you were making sure didn't sound like your average nightmare."
She pouted, annoyed that she'd been called out. How dare Ikkaku not tactfully ignore that and take the blame? "Then why'd you have earplugs in?"
"Because I'm not a voyeur. That, and I was trying to work." Tossing the pillow back, she added, "I would have woken you up soon anyway; Bepo says we'll be arriving on Artifakuto in a few hours. But if you want to try and catch a quick nap to finish up, I'm willing to go back to ignoring you."
Face flushing to almost match her hair, Nami busied herself with picking up the books from the floor, choosing an outfit for the day, and grabbing her shower stuff. She definitely needed one before facing the rest of the crew. "Smartass. I hope your next wet dream is about Urogue," she grumbled, selecting a pair of blue jeans and a white crop top sweater. From what she knew, the autumn island was sunny but cool, so it was best to dress comfortably.
"Ew. No thanks," Ikkaku replied, nose scrunching up in distaste. "My sexual fantasies are very exclusive. Only top-tier hotties make the list. Killer, Drake, Zoro—"
"I thought we agreed Zoro was too dumb to care about sex?"
"Real-life Zoro, yeah, but fantasy Zoro knows exactly what he's doing," she replied with a saucy wink. "In your imagination, any man can be the perfect plaything. Or the other way around."
Despite her annoyance, Nami had to giggle. While it could be rather exasperating sometimes, Ikkaku's casual attitude towards sex did make her feel less guilty about her occasional unconscious fantasies. She was no prude, but for most of her life, flirting and sexuality had been nothing more than tools for taking advantage of targets. And sure, she'd admitted attraction towards women, but that always felt safer, whereas desiring a man, while pleasurable, felt somehow more dangerous. Like the tables were being turned on her.
Now was not the time to self-analyze her weird relationship with desire, though. Maybe some other time, when she had a bottle of wine in her and wasn't about to go on another job with the Surgeon of Death.
"Speaking of toys, how's your new one coming along?" she asked, peering over the mechanic's shoulder. On the desk was a collapsible copper baton, but the wires sticking out of the bottom revealed that it was far more than it appeared. From what she'd gleamed from Ikkaku's rather technical explanation, she'd been studying Bepo's electro powers and the Clima-Tact to make it electrical, effectively allowing her to shock enemies into submission.
Adjusting some of the screws on the handle, she said, "Just about finished, I think. I'm gonna need to pick up some sort of moldable rubber for the handle while we're ashore, though. I can't risk losing my grip or getting shocked myself. I'm just glad we had so much spare copper on board."
"I'm surprised at your choice in materials. Why not steel or something?"
"Copper's conductive, but not particularly magnetic."
"Why would that matter?"
She gave her a look that implied the answer should be obvious. "Because Eustass Kid is a total psychopath with a devil fruit that gives him power over magnetism."
Ah. That would certainly explain it. "Aren't they in the New World?"
"Yeah, but we'll be heading there eventually, and I'm not taking any chances. Killer might have a soft spot for me, but Kid…well, he's both vicious and ambitious." Ikkaku tensed slightly, a shadow fliting across her eyes. "Experience has taught me to prepare for men like that. Especially when it feels like there's trouble on the horizon."
It was a good point, but there was something in her tone that implied that it wasn't just the Kid Pirates she was worried about. Maybe one of the other Supernova crews? Or was it Blackbeard and his cronies she was thinking about?
Realizing that Nami had sensed her thoughts had strayed to dark places, Ikkaku quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of taking chances, how's your new birth control doing? I know I was teasing earlier, but if you think that dream was a side effect, you should talk to Law." There was no humor in her tone—after the mishap with the last prescription, Ikkaku had been keeping a close eye on her, checking in on her frequently to ensure there wasn't another bad reaction.
Nami shook her head. "Nah, I think I'm fine. Temperature's been regular, and Law Scanned me and ran some tests yesterday. Everything looks normal."
"Good. If the boss decides he needs you to steal that vase, I'd rather you be at top strength."
"Why is he so intent on it, anyway?" she asked, leaning against the desk. "I know he's got some kind of interest in Flevance, but he's been way too vague about why. And those books didn't really answer my questions, either."
Upon accepting that he would need assistance if he wanted to pull off his latest heist, Law had given her a bunch of books about the North Blue to study as part of her cover—the Surgeon of Death was to be an art history professor doing research for a new book, with the Cat Thief as his lovely assistant. She'd scoured those books, keeping an eye out for anything related to Flevance that might give her a hint about why he was so invested, and while she'd certainly learned a lot about the once-grand city's rich history and its tragic fall, there was nothing the seemed relevant to their latest heist.
Crossing her arms and grumbling, she added, "Law's implied that the World Government covered up some important information about Amber Lead Disease, and that the vase contains a deadly poison. I don't suppose you could shine some light on things, could you?" Over the past few months, Nami had noticed that, while he cared for everyone on his crew, there seemed to be a few he was particularly close to. Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo were the most obvious, but he also seemed to take Jean Bart's opinions on things more seriously than others, and she swore she'd seen him actually hug Ikkaku once or twice.
And while they were his subordinates, they were quickly becoming Nami's friends, too. Surely one of them would be willing to clue her in, right? Being left in the dark was making her antsy.
Ikkaku glanced up at her, but the look in her eyes was sad and serious. "I'm sorry. I know what the deal is, or at least a decent amount of the story, but it's all stuff Law told me in confidence, and I can't abuse his trust, even for you."
She sighed, though she could respect her friend's reasoning. After all, if Luffy had entrusted, say, Ace's true parentage or some other massive secret to her, Nami wouldn't go around spilling it to anyone. And if she wanted the Hearts to respect her boundaries, she needed to do the same with theirs. "Fine. It's just annoying how he expects me to trust him when he won't even tell me why he wants a plain white vase."
"I'm sure he'll tell you once he's got it. Have a little faith. If not in him, then in me."
"You?" Nami asked, eyebrow raising.
Ikkaku flashed her a devilish smile that was oddly reminiscent of her captain's. "If he doesn't spill the beans, I'll nag the hell out of him until he does."
XXX
As she stood on the top deck of the Polar Tang, Nami studied the distant silhouette of Atifakuto. The skyline seemed to consist of golden domes and sharp steeples, and much of the city seemed to gleam a brilliant white. The island itself was composed of several tiers, like an enormous wedding cake, with various buildings and houses lining each level and massive staircases in between.
"Miss Nami," Jean Bart said with a polite nod. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"
She glanced up, double-checking the weather. There were a few clouds dotting the blue sky, but nothing that hinted at one of the Grand Line's many sudden weather anomalies would sneak up on them. "Yeah. Should be a good day for sightseeing and whatever the hell else Law's got planned. I'm only glad I don't have to wear the jumpsuit." Law had given the order earlier that everyone who went ashore was to be dressed in plain clothes so as to not draw unnecessary attention from the authorities.
The large man chuckled and leaned his forearms on the deck railing so to better speak to her. "Mmm, make sure to bring a pair of sunglasses; Atifakuto's a painfully beautiful place. Actually makes me kind of glad I can't visit."
"Why not?"
"It's the kind of place that likes to maintain a certain image, so anyone who doesn't fit their criteria is typically run out of town. Giants, Fishmen, people of the Long-Limbed tribes, and Minks get it the worst, but even normal humans that just look a bit different are harassed by the authorities the second they step onto the island. Plus, since they pride themselves on being noble intellectuals, 'uncouth' stuff like visible tattoos and scars get you the stink-eye. Needless to say, Bepo, Uni and I will be staying on the ship."
Nami's curiosity was piqued at that. Given his description, she understood by Jean Bart and Bepo would have to keep out of sight, but why Uni? He looked normal enough to her. Was it because of the bandana? Or was he hiding something behind it?
Her thoughts were sidetracked when Jean Bart continued, "Before I forget, Captain Law wanted me to tell you that he's taking you shopping, but don't get too excited—it's for a suit for the auction."
"He sent you all this way to tell me that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, suddenly feeling a little annoyed. He had the gall to invade her dreams and grope her, but couldn't make the time to see her in person? Ass. "What, too busy putting the finishing touches on his evil plans to chat?"
A massive shoulder lifted in a half-shrug. "Probably. You seem tense. What did he do this time?" he asked, brow furrowing in mild concern. Though not quite as frequent as when she'd first started sailing with the Hearts, arguments between the sarcastic captain and spunky navigator could still be occasionally heard echoing throughout the halls on bad days.
It occurred to Nami that she was getting testy over nothing. Just because Law had gotten hot and handsy in her dreams didn't mean she should be pissed at the real him. It was like Ikkaku said; fantasy men were often completely different from their waking counterparts. Especially since Law's own touches had returned to their usual light and subtle flirtation.
So why was she annoyed? Was she just sexually frustrated? Tired? Whatever it was, she needed to reign it in before the mission. She and Law had to make their act convincing, after all, and that would be difficult if she was snappish at him for imagined slights.
Sighing, she shook her head. "No, no, nothing this time. Sorry, guess I'm just a little overtired. Had an intense dream this morning."
Jean Bart sighed in relief that the pair wasn't on the outs. "Ah. Yeah, I've had some cranky mornings after rough dreams." He went quiet for a moment, brow wrinkled in dark contemplation before changing the subject. "Just a few more hours until we hit land, right?" he confirmed.
She could only imagine the sorts of dreams that would disturb a tough guy like him. Then again, from what little she knew of his life, he must have seen some pretty horrible things. She shuddered as she recalled what that Celestial Dragon had planned to do to Camie. How could anyone be so childish and cruel? Hell, even Arlong hadn't considered feeling someone to piranhas just for the hell of it. "Pretty much, assuming a storm doesn't pop up out of nowhere and throw us off-course. Which, considering how it's the Grand Line, is a pretty high possibility."
He gave a deep, hoarse chuckle. "True, but it's the risk you take when you become a pirate. Among others."
"I guess you'd know, huh?" she replied, not quite sure what to say since the attempt to change the subject to small talk didn't take. Part of her was curious about his old life, especially since, despite his scary appearance, he seemed to be a pretty decent guy. All she knew was that he'd spent far too long as a slave and had been a pirate of at least some renown before that. But like the rest of the Hearts, she followed the unspoken rule of not pressing him for details—just listen patiently if he felt the need to share. "It must be weird, not being the captain."
"Over twelve years as a slave makes taking orders pretty easy. At this point, I'm not sure I'd even know how to be a captain again."
"Give yourself some credit," she insisted, patting his shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sure you were a pretty decent leader during your time."
Jean Bart shook his head and gave a melancholy sigh, staring off into the distance, eyes glazed faintly with recollection. "It was my arrogance that got me captured and my comrades killed. We decided to take shelter on an island not under the World Government's jurisdiction. It was a wild place, but it had one rule—no fighting. You start shit, your ass is forfeit. Well, guess what dumbass picked a fight with a rival captain?"
Hand covering her mouth in shock, she connected the dots instantly. "Oh, god, Jean, I'm so sorry."
Though his expression was neutral, his voice was full of self-loathing as he explained, "Both of us should have known better, but we were drunk off our asses. When we came to, our crews had been slaughtered and their bodies strung up as an example to everyone else why you followed the rules. My ship was raided and burned. And me and the other captain, well, we were handed over to slavers."
Stomach lurching, Nami asked nervously, "What happened to him?"
He didn't even blink. "Worked to death. Didn't make it a year. Some days I wonder if he was the lucky one. It was Hell, but there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't feel like I deserved it. First for what happened to my crew, but then because I'd just been broken down to the point where I had no will to fight anymore. I was the property of a Celestial Dragon. They were practically gods. No one would defy them, at least not for a piece of dirt like me. Even if I did somehow get free, where would I go? I had nothing and no one, so why bother fighting?" His eyes clouded slightly as he recalled the horrors he'd likely endured over the years.
While she'd never been a true slave, Nami could empathize with his suffering. Blaming himself for the death of others, being worked to the bone by someone who saw him as a lesser creature, the utter despair once the last shreds of the fragile hope he'd been clinging to were gone…
Yet after a moment, his expression lightened significantly. "Then Straw Hat punched Saint Charlos right in the face and Law removed my collar, and it was like I was a real person again. I owe those two everything."
The gratitude in his voice helped soothe her own disquiet, and she found herself grinning faintly at the memory of Luffy's fist slamming right into that ugly bastard's face. "Heh. You know, that day was so crazy, I nearly forgot Luffy did that. He's such a troublemaker! I hope he's ok, wherever he is."
She suddenly felt guilty for not thinking about him as often. Perhaps she'd gotten used to his absence, but now that she was aware of it again, it was like she'd prodded an old wound, sending an ache through her heart. She missed his loud, obnoxious laugh in her ear, his too-tight hugs, his reckless thirst for adventure, his insatiable hunger for food, and his warm, reassuring presence and easy smile.
Nami had gone nearly two decades without Monkey D. Luffy in her life, but now that he was absent from it again, she was beginning to wonder if she'd ever truly lived before him.
"He'll be alright." Jena Bart's deep, steady voice broke through her contemplations. He may have had the face of a thug, but his smile was kind as he looked down at her. "From what I've heard that boy's almost impossible to kill. You'll see him again. Until then, you can count on me to protect you. I may not be able to repay him for what he did but keeping his navigator safe is a start."
"Thank you." A thought came to her; a question that had burned in her mind when she'd first stepped aboard the Polar Tang, and since Jean Bart was in a sharing mood, perhaps now was the time to ask. "Hey, you guys were probably the last ones to see Luffy before he ran off to train. I don't suppose you know where he is now, do you?"
With a grim frown, the helmsman shook his head. "All I know is Silvers Rayleigh managed to swim through the damn Calm Belt to find us after the Summit War and took Straw Hat under his wing. We left before they even headed back to Marineford, so I couldn't tell you where they went after."
The Calm Belt? Nami thought, tucking that little nugget of information away for later. That plan was brilliant and suicidal at the same time—Marines wouldn't dare follow them there, but it was notoriously dangerous to sail though, and few islands were charted due to the lack of exploration. Then again, Law's ship was probably one of the few that could manage it, relying more on its engine and propellers than sails. And despite being underwater, they rarely seemed to attract the attention of Sea Kings, so perhaps the sub had a Seastone coating to deter them.
Really, it had been damn lucky Law had decided to stick his neck out for Luffy. No one else probably could have managed to get him to safety, nor perform the necessary medical procedures to heal his wounds. To be honest, if what she'd heard about his injuries was true, even Chopper probably wouldn't have been able to keep him alive.
The question, like so many others pertaining to the Surgeon of Death, including his obsession with Amber Lead and his reason for recruiting her, was why?
As she stared at the approaching island, Nami couldn't help but wonder what idiot had ever claimed ignorance was bliss.
XXX
Atifakuto was packed to the brim with massive, elaborate buildings. The slate-grey cobblestone streets were lined with churches, banks, museums, libraries, auction houses, mansions, and other important-looking structures, their facades regularly adorned with Corinthian columns, balconies, stained glass windows, arches, steeples, spires, and more. Between those buildings were assorted shops and open-air cafes where various tourists and intellectuals loitered, most with their noses stuck in books or engaging in serious-sounding discussions.
It was almost painfully pristine, too. The public squares were filled with fountains and statues and neatly-cultivated gardens of monochrome flowers. Residential buildings had tall, iron-gated fences around the yards. Even the perfectly-straight trees that decorated the streets had fences around them, and the branches and leaves had been trimmed into perfect spheres. Not a piece of trash littered the street, metal tables and benches were polished to perfection, and even the few alleyways they'd passed lacked graffiti or any other signs of vandalism.
"God, everything is so white," Nami said, adjusting her sunglasses. Jean Bart hadn't been kidding, and she'd practically raced to buy a pair the moment they made it into the city, as the sun against the marble and plaster buildings was nearly blinding. Looking around at some of the tourists, she guessed it was a common issue.
"I've seen whiter," Law replied dully, not even squinting against the brightness.
"How come you're not in pain?" she grumbled.
"The hat helps, and the North Blue is full of snowy islands. When faced with snow blindness on a daily basis, stuff like this doesn't even faze me," he said, gloved hands stuffed in his black jean pockets. The grey button down shirt and black vest covered up his tattoos, making him appear almost respectable.
Frowning, Nami side-eyed him. Instead of his trademark spotted hat he wore a plain white fedora. The rim shielded his eyes slightly, though hardly enough to protect him from the full force of the glare. And while experience with snow blindness was a logical excuse, her gut said he wasn't telling her the full truth.
However, her head told her that it really wasn't important at the moment. While she found it odd that he'd fib about something so minor, she rationalized that it was because they were on an island surrounded by potentially nosy bystanders. Perhaps he was just paranoid about undercover Marines recognizing him. Or, as Jean Bart implied, even the normal citizens would watch them all the more closely if they didn't look quite like normal tourists or intellectuals.
"So," she said as they began ascending one of the massive white staircases that brought travelers to the island's various levels, "Where are you taking me shopping?"
"Level five of the city. There are cheaper places closer to the docks, but since we'll be at an auction where people have an eye for quality and minor details, it's better to spend the extra cash for the sake of our cover. And while my wallet would prefer that I just make you borrow Ikkaku's suit, I know you're more inclined to follow my instructions without complaint if I bribe you in some way."
"Oh, hush—we're still pretty loaded after that last job," she scoffed, waving her hand dismissively.
"We are, but aside from the fact that we'll be trying to purchase the vase legally, the Tang's not a cheap ship to repair if it gets damaged, so I'd rather save some money for a rainy day. That, and your greenhouse is looking like it's going to be a pricy investment."
"You'll thank me for it when you're saving money on fresh food and pharmaceuticals."
"Perhaps. That being said, you're only getting one outfit, so choose wisely."
Although Nami gave her best pout, Law was unmoved, so she was forced to accept defeat. Then again, from the look of the various academics wandering about, she didn't really want more than one—practically everybody was wearing dull, drab ensembles made of tweed or wool. Nothing cute or sexy, and what other reason would she have to wear a suit, anyway?
It took three more long flights of stairs to get to the appropriate level, and Nami forced Law to pause while she caught her breath. Law's long legs had allowed him to take the steps two at a time, forcing Nami to practically jog just to keep up, which was even less pleasant in heels.
"I'm beginning to wonder if I should throw in a pair of flats," Law observed, tone mildly sarcastic as he looked down on her. "If we need to make a run for it, you'll probably end up breaking your neck."
"Shut up," she grumbled, hands on her knees, cheeks pink with exertion. "I've made plenty of escapes in heels."
"Except you really shouldn't. Also, you'll catch your breath faster if you stand up straight," he chastised, wrapping a hand around her bicep and pulling her upright. "Being bent over like that isn't good for airflow."
Nami was suddenly aware that Law was so close she could feel his body heat, and his comment made her think of her dream and what being bent over was good for, causing her cheeks to redden further. Damn it, apparently her attempts to repress it that morning hadn't done shit. The way he loomed over her, low, chastising voice in her ear, made her thighs clench in anticipation and her tongue peek out to wet her suddenly dry lips.
Remembering that he was irritatingly good at reading her body's signs of arousal, she pulled her arm from his grip and turned around under the pretense of studying the architecture, though his low chuckle behind her said that she hadn't been quick enough to hide her response.
The façade of a large white church caught her eye, particularly the four enormous stained glass windows depicting saints and religious figures she vaguely recalled from the book she'd been studying last night. One appeared to be self-flagellating in penitence for something, while another was turned away from a trio of beautiful, scantily-clad women, his head held high in determination not to give into their temptations.
"Sure are a lot of churches here," Nami observed, rubbing her chin in thought. "Or at least tons of religion-inspired designs."
"History and art have always been closely linked with religion," Law explained, almost like he was practicing for his role as a professor. Resting a hand on her lower back, he led her down the street, lecturing as they walked. "Religions of all kinds have inspired artists for years, and in turn the clergy commissioned them to depict saints, stories, and gospel through their works. Those works idealize and glorify said religion while typically demonizing others. So, it's basically propaganda used to brainwash the masses in the name of a made-up deity."
Nami rolled her eyes, not in the slightest bit surprised at his cynicism. "Guess I should have pinned you as a hardcore atheist. You'd probably catch fire if you ever stepped into a holy place, anyway."
That brought a familiar smirk to his face. "Probably, but I've mellowed out from my youth. I personally think religion is worthless and its main purpose is to control people, but I can also see how it can do some good. People need something to believe in—a higher power that gives some sense or meaning to a chaotic world. And when you've got a dying loved one, it can be comforting to think they'll be rewarded for the good they've done. Or that your enemies will be horribly punished for all eternity."
They stopped at a fountain which depicted beautiful, alabaster angels and cherubs flying around, their expressions reverent and peaceful as they poured water from gold-plated jugs into the basin. The bare shoulders of the angels had what appeared to be swirling patterns carved into them, but it was hard to tell due to the glare, even with sunglasses. An engraved plaque sat at the base of the fountain, raised gold letters reading Blessings from the White City; Commissioned and Designed by the Flevance Royal Family.
This was another piece Nami recognized from her book. It had been made during the height of the country's wealth and providence, created and donated as a gift to show off the beauty of their famous Amber Lead ore. In fact, despite Artifakuto's own prominently white motif, much of it seemed dull in comparison to the brilliant white sheen of the fountain.
A shadow fell over Law's face for a moment and his hand dropped to his side to clench into a fist. He glared at the angels, tone almost accusing as he stated, "I was religious as a child. Then I saw Hell with my own eyes."
Beside him, Nami bit her lip, wondering what a god-fearing child could have endured to turn him into the dark, cynical Surgeon of Death. She knew his parents died before he was thirteen, and that he'd been terminally ill before he got a hold of the Ope Ope no Mi.
A terminal illness that the world believed was contagious, she remembered, staring at the smooth white faces of the statues. Up close, she could now see they had gold eyes, and was once more reminded of her dream. For a moment, she considered the possibility that Law was actually from Flevance, but immediately disregarded it. From what she'd read in the books and recalled from Bellemere and Mr. Genzo discussing the news when she was little, everyone who contracted that disease would have died by the age of ten. Beyond that, war had broken out and the White City had been completely destroyed, leaving no survivors. Even if someone had gotten out, the illness was so feared in the North Blue, doubted they would passed undetected for long. Still, he said Amber Lead Disease wasn't what people thought. Maybe the tragedy of Flevance hits so hard because of the parallels to his own life? Because that could have been him? Though, if misinformation about the disease was being spread—
Her train of thought was derailed when Law turned to her and asked, "Are you particularly religious, Nami-ya?"
Breaking her gaze from the fountain, she gave a non-committal shrug. "Eh, I'll pray when I'm in danger, but that's just more out of desperation than any real devotion. It's hard to believe in a divine power when most 'supernatural' phenomena end up having a logical, scientific explanation, and the last god I met got punched in the face by Luffy."
"You mean the Celestial Dragons?" he asked, leaving the fountain and idly strolling down the street, not even glancing back to ensure Nami was following. Not that he needed to; she was already at his heels, matching his languid strides as they walked and talked.
"Oh, yeah, forgot about them. No, this was back on Skypeia. Luffy beat up their god."
"…I'm going to need some context."
A small, amused grin curled her pink lips as she recalled that harrowing adventure. "The sky island of Skypeia. There was a guy named Enel who had the Goro Goro no Mi and basically ruled as Kami over the inhabitants. Would use Observation Haki to find people who spoke against him and strike them down with his lightning powers. Naturally, Luffy ended up picking a fight with him."
Law stroked his goatee in contemplation. "Ah. So Mugiwara-ya's rubber body was naturally rather effective against him."
"Yup! You should have seen that bastard's stupid face when Luffy took a full blast and didn't have a scratch on him!"
"He certainly does like to stir up storms," Law chuckled, a pleased smirk adorning his face. "It takes guts to regularly challenge people who call themselves divine beings. I'm assuming Mugiwara-ya killed him and proved he was as mortal as anyone?"
Nami blanched. Once again, she'd forgotten just how much more violent Law was compared to her captain. "What? No! I mean, Luffy ended up beating the crap out of him so he wouldn't destroy Skypeia, but Enel wasn't killed; he ran away to the moon."
"…what?"
As Nami explained to him the events that occurred on Skypeia, from how they arrived at the White Sea via kick-up stream to the centuries-long hostilities between the Skypeians and the Shandia to the survival game to discovering Liar Noland's city of gold, she saw Law's expression grow more and more flabbergasted.
For a few moments, he just stared at her in disbelief, then shook his head. "You people have the craziest adventures."
"Oh, like your path through the Grand Line's been a cakewalk," she grumbled.
"Alright, fair, but I'm now expecting you to tell the crew about finding Noland's city; a lot of us are from the North Blue and grew up with that story."
By that point they had arrived at the clothing store, and Nami wrinkled her nose a bit. As much as she loved new clothes, especially when paid for by someone else, the suits were…boring, to be perfectly honest. Muted colors, tweed and wool material, and there wasn't a lot of variation in styles or embellishments beyond the occasional ruffle or fancy buttons. At least Law seemed just as unimpressed, mouth twisting in disdain at the selection as they wandered towards the women's section and began perusing the racks.
Waving off a salesman who had started to meander over, Nami glanced at Law out of the corner of her eye, suddenly curious. "What was your route like, anyway?" she asked, keeping her voice conversational and just above a whisper so as not to attract attention from the workers or smattering of other clientele.
He shrugged, though she could see amusement twinkle in his gold irises. "Well, we dominated the first half with little trouble, but then it linked up with Eustass-ya's and suddenly things got interesting."
Given what she knew of both crews, that was an understatement if she'd ever heard one. "Sounds like you two don't get along great."
"He's arrogant, rude, psychotic, and a menace to society."
"So are you!"
"Yes, but I'm attractive enough for such traits to be ignored."
A snort of laughter escaped her, and by the grin Law flashed her, that reaction had been his goal. And while she'd love to deflate his ego a bit, unfortunately, Nami couldn't even argue with his comment—he was unquestionably handsome, and even his fashion sense had grown on her. Of all the Supernovas, he seemed to be one of the few who didn't favor outrageous costumes or look like he mugged a clown.
Pulling out an olive green suit, Law held it up, envisioning it on her before shaking his head and putting it back. "Needless to say, things were pure chaos whenever we ran into each other," he continued nonchalantly. "Eustass-ya has a short fuse, so it doesn't take much to rile him up. Our crews apparently would time how long it would take before a fight broke out."
"A fight that I'm sure you instigated with jackass comments," she countered with a snort, pulling out a white, ruffled blouse that was actually quite attractive. She carefully draped it over her arm to avoid wrinkling the material, pleased that she had found something that didn't feel so starched she'd have better luck trying on a piece of cardboard.
Law pulled out a striped blazer, but upon noticing the blouse she'd selected, immediately put it back and began searching another rack. "I won't deny that, but he's tried to provoke me more than a few times with ugly insults. Like offering to buy Ikkaku for Killer-ya's pleasure."
Nami froze, both at Kid's audacity and the reminder of the naughty confession the mechanic had spilled to her at the club. She found herself at a crossroads, torn between keeping her mouth shut and telling him that Ikkaku probably wouldn't mind being Killer's lover for the night, paid or not. After all, if the Kid and Heart Pirates met again in the New World, perhaps that knowledge would help Law keep his cool and prevent another fight.
Gold eyes rolled heavenwards as he pulled out a plain grey pencil skirt. "You can lose the deer-in-the-headlights look, Nami-ya; I know they fucked."
His bluntness made her wince, and she immediately glanced around the shop, grateful that the closest salesman was preoccupied with another customer. With how much religious iconography they'd passed to get there, swearing felt a bit out-of-place. "How? Did she tell you?" she asked in a hushed tone.
"My sole female subordinate was injured and alone for an entire night with a dangerous man from an enemy crew. If you think I didn't immediately give her a thorough examination to be sure she wasn't sexually assaulted, you're dead wrong."
That…made sense, to be honest. She recalled how he'd showed a similar concern after she'd had to face Harpin alone, and his violent retribution towards Jinzo when he'd found out she and Ikkaku had been drugged and nearly sold as sex slaves. It was clear he was protective of the women on his ship, and she was once more grateful that she'd fallen in with him instead of, say, Kid or Blackbeard.
Still, Ikkaku hadn't acted traumatized or anything by the incident, and she was still happy to fantasize about Killer if that morning's conversation was anything to go by. So clearly, any issue lay with their captains. "I'm guessing you don't approve?"
"I don't begrudge her the occasional plaything, and my engineer's no slouch in a fight, but I'd rather she stick to weakling civilians than pirates out of her league."
"I'm sorry, have you seen how hot Ikkaku is? No one's out of her league," Nami scolded, jutting out her hip.
"I mean in terms of strength. Don't get me wrong, everyone on my crew is well-trained and far from weak, but if she were to get in a serious fight with Killer-ya, I wouldn't bet money on her."
Puffing out her cheeks, she replied, "Hmph. Typical man. I'll bet you wouldn't act like this if the guys were interested in Jewelry Bonney."
Law looked torn between scowling and laughing before finally settling on a scoff. "On the contrary—Bonney-ya has particularly troublesome powers, and while her bounty is one of the lowest among us rookies, it'll be a cold day in hell before I underestimate a woman who was able to steal her ship from Big Mom."
"Big Mom? You mean the Yonko?!" Nami exclaimed, eyes bulging out of her skull. Holy crap, what kind of maniac would try to rob one of the Four Emperors? While most of her limited knowledge regarding the pirates that ruled the second half of the Grand Line was from rumors, most had the general consensus that only fools and death-seekers intentionally angered the likes of her.
"Keep your damn voice down," Law scolded, grabbing a periwinkle blue suit that met his approval and practically dragging her towards the changing rooms. Noticing they'd attracted the salesman's attention, he asked, "Mind if my assistant tries a few things on?"
At the affirmation, Law nearly shoved Nami into the most secluded fitting room he could find.
"Nami-ya, do us both a favor and hold off from making foolish outbursts in public," he said with a scowl, all but slamming the door in her face. "A woman of your…skill set should know the importance of being quiet."
The thief glared at him through the door, face flushed in both indignation and embarrassment. He had a point, but the way he'd reacted had been totally out of line. "Jerk," she muttered, stripping off her clothes to try on the suit he'd practically thrown into her arms. "It's not my fault you Supernovas are all such freaks."
Still, she supposed that he did have a good reason to be so critical of his crew's sex lives. For all he knew, Killer had ill intentions towards Ikkaku, or was being put up to it by his captain. And while the guys were no slouch in a fight, the likes of Jewelry Bonney could easily take advantage of their weakness to beautiful women.
Besides, relationships between enemy pirate crews rarely had happily ever afters. Even alliances eventually ended, usually in bloodshed. Hell, Nami was beginning to realize that Law was only taking his chances trying to seduce her because he had all the power in their situation.
Nimble fingers froze at that thought. While she no longer feared for her safety with the Hearts, the fact remained that, should things take a dark turn, she was basically trapped. If Law decided to keep her prisoner, she had no means to escape, nowhere to run to, and no one she could expect a rescue from. Sure, the Weather Wizards would notice if she wasn't at their meeting spot at the end of the year, but what could they do?
Hell, even her friends on the crew were ultimately loyal to Law.
It wasn't that she thought he would turn on her, but the fact remained that Nami was the kind of person whose default to most dangerous situations was to make a run for it. She liked having some kind of escape plan at the ready. How did she know this wasn't all just some long con?
Brown eyes squeezed shut as she shook those thoughts from her head. Law might be secretive, arrogant, sadistic, and kind of intense, but he's not looking to screw me over, she reminded herself. He's a smart guy who understands business. He won't go back on our arrangement.
A little voice chimed in that Arlong had understood business, too. In fact, that was why he betrayed her—she was too valuable an asset to lose. Looking back, she wondered if he'd been trying to secure her loyalty despite her obvious goal of buying her village's freedom, considering how he'd refer to her as a comrade and spew honeyed words about her being the only human he respected. He'd even begun buying her things like clothes and books, as if that would make her forgive him of his crimes.
A much louder voice, however, pointed out that Law wasn't Arlong. While he was sadistic and twisted and still kind of a creep, he'd also proven that he was loyal and did have a sense of honor. Arlong sure as hell wouldn't have helped Dr. Monroe get rid of his tormentors. Wouldn't have bought jewelry from a poor merchant woman to feed her kid. Wouldn't have fixed a musician's hands or forgiven a woman for using him to deal with her back-stabbing husband. Yes, Trafalgar Law could be cold and cruel, but she had faith that his secret good qualities would always keep him from sinking to Arlong's level.
Even if he did have ill intentions towards her, his crew was also different from the Fishmen. They actually liked her. Yes, while they were loyal to their captain, Nami had no doubt that they wouldn't stand for him betraying her. They were friends, after all. And even if that weren't the case, unlike when she was basically a prisoner at Arlong Park, now she had people who would do anything to rescue her. Perhaps the Weather Wizards couldn't do much in a fight, but they could get the word out that she'd been taken by the Surgeon of Death. Surely one of the Straw Hats would hear, or perhaps one of their other allies would set out to save her. Hell, Vivi had a whole army at her disposal!
Moment of crisis over, Nami finished buttoning up her blouse and slipped on the tight pencil skirt and matching jacket, admiring herself in the full-length mirror. The muted blue went surprisingly well with her vibrant orange hair, and the peplum the blazer sported made her waist look even tinier. The ruffles of the blouse cascaded daintily over her chest, making her look much sweeter and softer to the unwary.
Though she'd already decided that Law would be buying it for her, she stepped out of the fitting room to show off, pleased when he gave her a long, appreciative look and nod of approval.
"You're…surprisingly good at picking out women's clothing," she said, orange eyebrow raised questioningly.
A tinge of pink dusted his cheeks. "Who do you think Ikkaku nagged into taking her shopping when she needed a suit of her own?" When Nami continued to stare at him, he sighed. "My mother…she was a doctor and always dressed very professionally. After she died, I fell in with a group that had a woman with frankly the most atrocious taste imaginable. So, I basically just consider who would wear what and choose accordingly."
"So, you dressed me like your mother?"
His expression morphed into a dark glare. "Don't. I already know you're going to imply some weird fetish or complex, just like you did with the uniform."
Well, he wasn't wrong, and while she had planned on teasing him a bit, she could tell she was dipping a toe in dangerous waters. In all fairness, she'd be just as offended if he indicated that she had a thing for her dead mother. Chastised, her hands raised in surrender, dropping the subject. She may have been curious about his past, but she had no intention of mocking old scars. "Alright, alright. I'll hold off on any accusations of an Oedipus complex. I'm just glad your tastes were more strongly influenced by your mom than that other lady."
Law took a deep breath as if to calm himself before nodding and giving her a wry smirk. "So am I. Trust me, 'tacky' would be the nice way of describing that bitch's fashion sense. Then again, the whole Family had questionable tastes." For a moment, Law looked like he might say more, but simply turned on his heel and walked off. "Get changed and bring those to the front. We're done here."
Ok, he has to know that dropping little hints like that and then saying nothing more makes people want to pry into his life, right? Nami thought, slipping back into her normal clothes. If he doesn't start fessing up soon, I might just have to teach him a lesson about dangling secrets over a girl's head.
XXX
The air was crisp and refreshing when they got outside, though Nami scrambled to put her sunglasses back on as the blinding glare of the white buildings struck her eyes like a punch to the face. The shopping bag with her new suit swung merrily back-and-forth as they walked, a few extra items carefully tucked between the garments.
"So, how many accessories did those sticky fingers pick up?" Law asked, clearly amused.
She gave a little half-shrug. "Eh, just a few broaches and a wristwatch. Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if the owner's some kind of genius; his stuff's so boring it's barely even worth stealing."
"Pity. For what that suit and blouse cost me, I'd have preferred you'd gotten my money's worth."
Nami expected them to head back towards the ship, or perhaps scout out the auction houses in search of the vase, but Law led them to a small pharmacy. Even more surprising, instead of expecting her to follow him inside, he pointed at a bench across the road.
"Stay there, I'll be back in a few minutes—Uni asked if I could pick something up for him while I was out."
"Why?" she asked, confused and a little annoyed. It wasn't like she actually had any reason to go in—it was that he was leaving her outside like some kind of dog, expecting her to sit and wait patiently for her master. "I know there's apparently some prejudice against people that don't look 'normal', but it can't be that hard to hide whatever his deal is, right?"
Gold eyes rolled heavenwards at her defiance, though he really should have known she wasn't the type to do his bidding without an explanation. "Nami-ya, have you ever seen someone covering half their face and thought 'yeah, they're not hiding anything'?"
"Well, no, but if it's just scars or tattoos, that's not enough to get him run out of town."
"Oh, if only it were as simple as that." He didn't elaborate, merely pointed at the bench. "Sit. I won't be long."
"I'm guessing this item you're getting is as big a secret as what's under his bandana?" she asked, jutting out her hip and crossing her arms, making no move to follow his directions.
The slight tightening of his jaw and the narrowing of his eyes made it clear that he was losing his patience. "Not really, but it's a private matter, and I respect his wish for discretion. Considering how much of a fuss you gave about telling the crew your own secrets, I would have thought you'd be more understanding of such things."
Her jaw dropped and her cheeks went red, mortified that he'd pointed out her unthinking hypocrisy so blatantly. Before she could justify herself or apologize, his Room sprung up and she found herself on the other side of the street in front of the bench. Across the way, Law merely smirked and strolled inside, pleased that he'd gotten the final word.
The few people that had noticed the phenomena looked around, confused and a little panicked, wondering what had happened and where the blue bubble had come from and disappeared to. A few of them glanced at her, blinking in surprise, trying to figure out if she had really just disappeared and reappeared a few feet away.
Well, that was all the justification Nami needed to not just sit around and wait for him. They were supposed to be avoiding drawing attention, after all. It was his own fault, really.
"Besides, if he seriously thinks he can just go 'Sit. Stay. Good girl,' to me, he's a bigger idiot than Luffy and Zoro combined," Nami grumbled under her breath, strolling towards a nearby newsstand as if nothing had happened, hoping her nonchalance would make the gaping bystanders doubt what they'd seen. Despite her anger she knew better than to completely run off, lest she run into someone dangerous like on Grimm, but the little kiosk was just far enough away for her to be able to make a point and hopefully remain inconspicuous.
She didn't even make it that far, though, as the familiar voices of Shachi and Penguin reached her ears from a nearby alley. Curious, she went to investigate, cocking her head to the side when she found the plain-clothed first and second mates hunched over a newspaper, arguing in harried whispers.
"We can't let her see this," Shachi said, red hair for once not covered by his orca hat while familiar dark sunglasses perched on his nose. He looked anxious, his brow furrowed as he kept rereading the newspaper article in his hands, fingers gripping the page tightly.
"We can't hide it forever, though," Penguin argued. He too was without his trademark hat, his chestnut brown hair almost shocking to see out in the open while his pale grey eyes remained hidden behind yellow sunglasses. His arms were crossed over his chest, and while she could tell he was also concerned by the tension in his shoulders, his tone was much more even as he argued, "And keeping her in the dark could be putting her in even more danger."
"I know that, but you remember how things went the last time we ran into that bastard!" Shachi shot back. "If we tell her, she might run off to find him—"
"Law won't let that happen," he said sternly, tone leaving no room for argument. "Look, we both want to keep her safe, and the best way to do that is to make sure she knows she's in danger in the first place. Keeping it a secret will only cause trouble."
"Oh, this crew already keeps plenty of secrets," Nami interrupted sarcastically, strolling into the alley. "What's one more, right?"
"Hi, Nami," Penguin greeted, unsurprised by her sudden appearance.
Her eyebrows bunched together, bemused at his nonchalance. Even in heels, the cat thief was completely silent when sneaking around, and he and Shachi had been pretty involved in their argument. So how had he known she was there?
Tucking that question away with the many others she had about the crew, she decided to focus on the most pertinent one. "What are you two up to?" Nami asked, eyes narrowed at the pair.
"We could ask the same about you," Shachi pointed out, looking around in apprehension. His tone was slightly scolding when he added, "Shouldn't you be with Law? You didn't run off on him, did you?"
Perhaps she was just annoyed at being left out of the loop so much, but Nami was not having any change of topic. That, and it sounded suspiciously like these two were planning on keeping even more secrets from her. What was in that article? More bad news? Information about her nakama? They seemed certain that she would run off, so surely that must be it! If you jerks have news on my captain and are trying to hide it from me, she thought with a thunderous scowl, there's going to be hell to pay. "He's busy running an errand for Uni. He won't tell me what for, just like how no one will tell me why he's so obsessed with Flevance and this stupid vase, or where you guys took Luffy after Marineford. And from the sound of things, now you're trying to keep even more secrets from me!" she snapped, short temper rearing its ugly head.
"Whoa, Nami, we're not—ok, yeah, we've been keeping a few secrets from you, I'll admit—"
"I get I'm not always the most trusting person, but I'm sick of being kept out of the loop! Tell me what you were planning on hiding right now, or I'm not helping Law with his little scheme tonight," she whispered harshly. It was a bluff, really, but it was all she had at the moment, and she just wanted to know if they were keeping intel about Luffy's whereabouts a secret because they didn't want her running off to find him.
Penguin, ever the more sensible one, held up his hands to halt the argument. "Ok, I can already tell this is turning into a big misunderstanding." He waved Shachi over and pointed at the middle section of newspaper article they'd been arguing over. "Here. It's basically about how the Navy's stepping up their game against piracy; drafting people, harsher punishments, all that jazz, but we're mostly worried about the fact that they're pulling their forces from the other Blues and pooling them into the Grand Line and New World."
Slightly mollified that they weren't trying to hide anything about Luffy from her, Nami skimmed over the beginning of the article before focusing on the section Penguin was pointing at.
Commodore Ushi, who had been serving in the West Blue, commented, "This madness has gone on long enough. I've seen far too many innocents suffer at the hands of these monsters. The so-called Supernovas in particular must be brought to justice, as they just might be the harbingers of an even worse age of piracy."
Having grown up in the North Blue, which is famous for producing some of the strongest pirates, Commodore Ushi already knows exactly who he wishes to stop first. "While I'm proud of the work I've done in the West, part of me has always wondered if I could have done anything to hold off the damage caused by the likes of the Drake Pirates, Hawkins Pirates, and especially the Heart Pirates."
Meanwhile, it has been announced that Commodore Smoker, who recently had a run-in with Trafalgar Law and the Heart Pirates, has opted instead to transfer to the G-5 base in the New World. Both he and Base Commander Vice-Admiral Vergo have declined to comment on this decision, but this particular branch of the Marines is known for their extreme cruelty towards pirates. Rumors abound about their torture methods, from feeding captured pirates to sharks to burning them alive, though some claim it's a necessary evil in these uncertain and dangerous times.
Nami shuddered at the mental image of her crew burning at the stake or being dangled over a pool of sharks, but despite the horror of the description, she found it difficult to imagine Smoker would ever do such a thing. Sure, he was determined to capture most pirates he came across, but she still remembered how gruffly honorable he'd been at the gala, and even back at Rain Dinners in Alabasta. He was never going to be a friend of the Straw Hats, but she had faith that, even after a year-and-a-half of being stationed with a bunch of insane sadists, he'd maintain his moral compass.
That comforting knowledge in mind, she glanced up at Shachi and Penguin. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm going to see this as good news. If Smoker's in the New World, it means we've got one more Marine off our tail," she said with a confident grin.
For their part, the two men didn't look as reassured. "What? No, the Smoker stuff's honestly a relief," Penguin agreed. "And it's not you we're trying to hide stuff from. Hell, if you all lay low, the Navy might even think you Straw Hats are dead by the time you meet up again, so you're pretty much in the clear."
"So, you're freaking out because somebody's declaring war on you guys?" Nami asked, more confused than ever. Sure, it was pretty scary that the Navy seemed to be focusing their efforts on stopping them and other powerful rookies instead of, say, Blackbeard and his crew, but she didn't see why they were so concerned. Was it because they were some of the only rookies staying in Paradise?
Anticipating her unasked question, Shachi pointed at the paragraph above Smoker's. "We're freaking out because this particular Marine asshole is Ikkaku's oldest brother," he said with a barely-contained snarl.
Orange eyebrows shot up in shock. She knew her roommate had brothers, but she rarely did more than allude to them. "Ikkaku's related to a Marine?"
Penguin nodded. "Well, technically two of her brothers joined the Navy, but the other one's not a soldier as far as we know. Ushi, on the other hand, is a real bastard."
"Had the displeasure of meeting him once," Shachi explained, "back in the North Blue. He wanted to kill her so the higher-ups wouldn't know he was related to a pirate. Threatened to break my arm and shoot Penguin, too. All because he was worried about being passed over for a promotion."
"Apparently it's not the first time he'd tried to kill her, either," Penguin growled, teeth clenched hard and eyes narrowed beneath the shadow of his hat. "If it hadn't been for Drake, I've got no doubt he would have murdered her in cold blood."
"Drake?" Nami asked.
"It's a long story. The fact is, even though he didn't specify the Hearts, you can bet your ass he's going to come after us. And Ikkaku…" he trailed off, brow furrowing as he glared at the article.
Shachi regarded Nami over the top of his sunglasses, lips pursed and eyes intense. "Let me ask you something, Nami—have you ever seen Ikkaku genuinely scared? Even back on Grimm when dealing with Jinzo?"
Thinking it over, she replied, "No. No I haven't." Her stomach twisted as she sensed where this was going.
"We hadn't either until that bastard showed up. Him, and the freaky myths from her home island, seem to be the only things that genuinely scare her."
"Shit," the navigator whispered. It was hard to imagine her roommate, who was usually so vibrant and sure, scared, much less of a single man. This guy must be a real piece of work, Nami thought. Why hadn't Ikkaku told her about Ushi, though? Was it a simple oversight? Something that hadn't seemed important for her friend to know? Didn't think it was relevant because he was supposed to be far away in the West Blue?
Or had she kept it a secret because she didn't trust her? Would judge her for being related to a Marine?
She shook her head. Whatever her reason for not saying anything, Nami wasn't going to let her get hurt by her own brother. She had the feeling that, whether or not the engineer had seen the article, she knew something was coming, kind of like how Nami could sense a storm before it even appeared. Maybe it was instinct, or maybe she was reading the signs, but either way, she was preparing herself for trouble.
Nami looked at Shachi and Penguin, eyes beseeching. "You're gonna tell Law, right?" As irritated as she was at his constant secret-keeping, if someone was after his subordinate—especially some asshole Marine relative—he needed to know. This was the time his overprotectiveness was actually justified, damn it!
"Of course we are," Penguin said, as much to Shachi as to her, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We're just worried about dropping this on him when he's got other things on his mind."
"Like Amber Lead."
"Yeah."
"Ok, I'm pretty sure I already know the answer, but can either of you tell me why he's so fixated on the stuff?"
The pair stiffened, and her initial thoughts were confirmed—they weren't going to tell her anything.
Her irritation must have been clear on her expression, as Penguin said, "Look, you know how you were really secretive about your past because some pretty awful shit has happened to you? Well, Law's that times ten. I'm sure he'll tell you eventually, but…well, people have had a pretty negative reaction to that part of his life before. There was a lot of false information spread around. I get that it's a pain, and we don't want to keep you out of the loop, but…for now, just have a little faith, alright?"
"At least wait until after this is all over before demanding he give you his life story, ok?" Shachi added, running his hand through his ginger hair. The interrogation, combined with worry over Ikkaku's brother, was clearly stressing him out. "We've all got our secrets. You of all people should respect that, right?"
Heaving a sigh, she nodded, more annoyed at being called out on her hypocrisy for a second time than anything else. That, and she was beginning to realize that there was still so much she didn't know about her temporary shipmates.
Then again, there was still a lot they didn't know about her. Law and Penguin probably knew the most, but only scraps mixed with their own assumptions. But the sum of the crew's secrets still far outweighed hers, and once more, she noticed an uncomfortable imbalance of power.
Whether it was paranoia or greed, Nami did not like people knowing more about her than she did about them.
Still, at the moment, she needed to pick her battles, and the Amber Lead mystery was clearly going to be unsolved for a while yet. "Fine. I'll leave it alone. But you know, Jean Bart's the only one that's really opened up to me about his life before the Heart Pirates. Maybe you guys should have a little faith that I'm not going to run away screaming if you give me more than a few crumbs of your life stories," she sighed, looking down at the ground forlornly.
The pair glanced at each other, Penguin frowning in disapproval while Shachi leaned in close, hands raised to his mouth as if to keep what they were about to say from prying ears. "Ok, if it'll make you feel better, and you promise not to tell anyone we said anything, we'll tell you what Uni probably asked Law to get for him," he whispered.
For a second, the corner of Nami's mouth twitched upwards in a victory smirk before settling into a solemn frown. "I swear on my mother's grave."
Though her statement hardly seemed to appease the First Mate, Penguin turned away to give himself some kind of plausible deniability. Meanwhile, Shachi divulged, "Cream for some pretty nasty facial scarring. The kind that you do need to be a licensed doctor to get."
"Uni's scarred? Is that why he wears the bandana?" the reason seemed obvious, but Nami was hoping that, in confirming this information, she could glean why it was consider such a big secret in the first place. Scars were common enough among pirates, after all, but she was certain she'd never seen him take off his bandana in her entire time on the ship—not even during meals or on the beach.
"That's one of the reasons he wears it. The other is unfortunately what got him those scars in the first place."
"The assholes of his home island didn't like how his face looked," Penguin threw in, the tightness around his mouth indicating that he'd like to go back there and teach them a lesson.
Nami frowned, logic filling in the blanks herself. She wondered if Uni was anything like Chopper; rejected and attacked for being different. People were always most afraid of what they didn't understand.
Which, she supposed, was a good reason why the crew kept so many secrets. Perhaps they worried that she just wouldn't understand. That she would judge them or be frightened off.
A stupid concern, really. She was nakama with a talking reindeer, a reanimated skeleton, a woman who'd been declared an enemy of the World Government at age eight, and a rubber boy who was the son of the world's most wanted man. If those weirdos hadn't scared her away, the Hearts had nothing to worry about.
As much as she wanted to point that out, she had the feeling such a flippant reply wouldn't endear her towards any future life stories. From the set of his shoulders, Penguin already seemed upset that they'd spilled the beans on two of their crewmates without permission.
"You should get back to Law, Nami," he said, grabbing Shachi by the scruff of the neck and marching him out of the alley before he said anything else. Glancing over his shoulder, the ginger gave a wave goodbye, leaving the navigator behind.
Wandering back towards the bench, Nami pondered the information she'd discovered from her little run-in with the guys. There were still too many secrets for her liking, and she didn't like some of the implications of why they were keeping them, but for now, she was mollified. They trusted her enough to give her something, however reluctantly, because they wanted her to trust them in exchange.
That was good. Their desire to appease her could helped put the power back into her hands.
A shadow fell across her, and she looked up to find the Surgeon of Death looming above her, blocking out the white glare of the surrounding buildings.
"Good, you didn't move," Law said, pleasantly surprised to find her sitting where he'd left her. "Sorry I took so long. The cashier was painfully slow, and I had to convince them of my medical credentials. But at least Uni will be set for a while." Holding out his hand to help her up, he asked, "Ready to go? I think we're just about set for tonight. With luck, one of the guys will have found out exactly which auction house our prize is in."
Taking his hand, Nami decided that, if he didn't tell her exactly why he was putting so much effort into getting this vase and why he was so obsessed with Felvance, he'd have no one to blame but himself if she decided to start investigating on her own. After all, he should know by now that trying to keep things—even secrets—from Cat Thief Nami was pointless.
Knowledge was power, and she was determined to finally tip the scales in her favor.
"Great!" she said, pulling herself onto her feet. Her grin was as blinding as the fountain in the square. "I can't wait to get my hands on it."