Chapter 9: Back to the Skies - Part 3

After a week of non-stop partying on Skypiea, the Straw Hats decided that they needed a change of pace. It wasn't that they had a next destination in mind, it was just that they simply weren't used to staying in one place for too long. The Skypieans and Shandians were more than welcoming and eager to continue hosting them, and the Straw Hats didn't doubt that they could actually stay on Skypiea forever if they wished to. But they were getting restless—more accurately, some of them were getting restless. While Luffy was happy to continue partying, he had also been yammering on about exploring the surrounding seas, as there were many other sky islands they had yet to set foot on. Nami had reluctantly agreed that they would need to leave this paradise in order for her to map other islands, but she was worried about navigating the skies and the potentially deadly sea creatures lurking in these unknown waters. Zoro and Sanji had brushed off her concerns, the former with derision and the latter with a passionate claim that she had nothing to worry about with him around. Usopp and Chopper had expressed some uncertainties but were ultimately swept up in the exciting prospect of traversing territory few Blue Sea people had ever reached. Robin, Franky, Brook, and Jinbe had simply stated that they were in favor of whatever the others decided on.

Conis had presented them with a special log pose that was more sensitive at detecting the magnetism of sky islands, but she warned that it would nonetheless be tricky to find another sky island, as they weren't all stationary. But the Straw Hats were a relentless bunch and the proud crew of the Pirate King, and thus they were determined to meet the challenge, just like every other challenge they'd overcome in the past. Therefore, the Straw Hats grabbed (and in some instances, stole) all of the supplies they would need for the weeks to come and defended their ship from countless sky fish, sharks, and odd creatures they couldn't even describe. They spent a day wandering the sky clouds as Nami tried to determine the location of the next island, finding that navigating the skies was very different from the seas below.

Frowning down at the strange log pose, she gently tapped its surface. "We've been sailing for quite a while, but there's still no island in sight."

"Still nothing!" Chopper confirmed from the crow's nest.

A deafening roar rang through the air as yet another giant creature emerged from the depths of the waters, intending to bite off a piece of their ship and perhaps even some of their crew. Glaring at the contraption in her hand, Nami didn't even bat an eye as Sanji smoothly sent it flying back into the sky clouds with a few rapid and well-placed kicks.

"Thank you, Sanji-kun."

"Anytime, Nami-san!"

"Oi," Zoro interjected from his position. "Are you reading it correctly?"

"Of course I am!" She snapped back in annoyance.

Luffy swung up to where she was, peering at the log pose curiously. "Can I see?"

"No," she automatically responded, having grown accustomed to denying him over the years. At his crestfallen pout, she sighed and stepped closer to him. Sometimes, she still needed to remind herself to be nicer. "You can look, but just don't touch."

He obediently kept his hands out of sight as he leaned in to examine the log pose. "Why are there so many needles?"

"They all indicate different things. Like the log pose we used in the New World, these two needles may point toward different islands. Then there's also a needle that is somehow able to track the approximate speed a non-stationary island is floating at." She paused. "It's actually very advanced."

"I don't really get it, but it's cool that you do," he determined with a sunny grin. "You're the best navigator in the world, Nami."

While she flushed at his sudden praise, Sanji coughed something that sounded suspiciously like "wrong compliment" into his sleeve. Zoro rolled his eye and proceeded to cut down the large fish that was sailing toward them.

"Zoro, let's eat that fish!" Luffy called over to him. "I'm starving!"

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Jinbe spoke up from his spot in defending the Sunny. "I've never seen any of these fish before."

"The local chefs advised me to generally avoid the yellow and purple creatures," Sanji supplied. "I suppose this one is fine since it's green with white and orange spots."

There was a brief pause.

"How is a fish with suspicious spots any better?!" Usopp exclaimed from the crow's nest. He had been taking care of encroaching sea creatures from a distance. While he claimed that the distance was required to fully utilize his skills as a sniper, Nami suspected it also had to do with ensuring his own safety. But she didn't call him out—even the bravest warrior of the seas should be able to take a break from being brave every once in a while.

"It's better than starving!" Luffy threw back defiantly, his nostrils flaring. "I'll eat it even if no one else wants to!"

Nami placed a firm hand on his shoulder, prompting him to look over at her. "No, you're not. If we're going to eat anything from the waters, it will be the creatures we know to be safe. That," she paused and gestured pointedly to the weakly flopping fish Zoro had pinned in place, "isn't one of them."

"But—"

She cut him off with a finger to his lips. "Sanji-kun, can you prepare us a snack?"

"Right away, Nami-san!" The cook retreated to the kitchen in a flurry of hearts.

"So we're not eating it?" Zoro clarified, prodding the fish with his foot. "What a waste."

"Don't you start. Put the poor thing back," Nami ordered as she turned her attention back to the log pose.

Without warning, the ship was suddenly launched several meters in the air, and she instinctively clutched the log pose to her chest as everyone flew up with the ship. She didn't even have time to register what was happening or brace herself for her landing before her captain's arm shot out and wrapped protectively around her torso. He quickly reeled her in so that she was pressed securely against his side, and despite the situation, she found herself thinking how nice it was to be this close to him. She knew that he wouldn't have hesitated to save her like this in the past as well, but now that they were dating, the sentiment behind his action felt…different. More meaningful, in a way. He was staying true to his words and protecting her.

The Sunny crashed back onto the water, generating a splash that soaked most of them. Three tentacles thrust out from the waters below, threatening to capsize the ship.

"Jinbe!" Luffy locked eyes with his helmsman. No further words needed to be spoken. The fish-man nodded once in understanding and dove into the water to take care of the mysterious creature. Sanji burst out from the kitchen, his eyes wild as he assessed the situation. Zoro and Franky positioned themselves on standby, prepared to leap into action at any moment.

The tentacles retreated and the waters around them splashed vigorously as a few more impacts rocked the ship. Then, there was silence, and Nami released the breath she hadn't been aware of holding. With the task completed, Jinbe climbed aboard a moment later, and Robin thoughtfully handed him a towel.

"It was something resembling a kraken, although it had many more legs," he shared as if he was just commenting on the weather.

"Oh really?!" Luffy exclaimed in excitement, still holding Nami against him. He was undoubtedly thinking about his previous encounters with krakens. "We can make it get us to the next island faster!"

"I already beat it into submission," Jinbe confirmed, having already anticipated Luffy's reaction.

While the others offered various forms of approval, Nami couldn't help but gape. Being a fish-man most comfortable in the depths of the Blue Sea, Jinbe was the one among them who was most out of his element here. He had been feeling physically weaker and fatigued during their entire time in the skies thus far, and yet, he'd still been able to easily deal with any obstacle standing in their way. Their crew consisted of monsters—there was no other way to put it. And the worst one was the man next to her. She glanced at him, silently marveling at the fact that he was hers. Her captain, her partner, her boyfriend or something along those lines. And, somehow, he loved her.

Luffy swiveled his head slightly to regard her, and she abruptly noticed several pairs of eyes on her, some more probing than others. "Nami?"

She hadn't been paying attention. "Hm?"

"I asked if you're okay with the idea," he said earnestly.

"Oh, the idea," she repeated lamely. He must be referring to using the kraken. While she didn't like it, she supposed he deserved an affirmative answer after she'd denied him a couple times. He definitely had worse ideas. "Yes, fine, it's not like this is the first time we've been transported by a sea monster anyway."

Luffy beamed at her, evidently pleased, and the rest of the crew began their preparations. He loosened his hold on her then. But before he could pull away, Nami placed a hand on his cheek and swiftly pecked his other cheek.

"What's that for?" He asked, a little wide-eyed.

"Just because," she replied with a smirk, trailing her fingers down the length of his face before returning her gaze determinedly to the log pose. "Let's get to this next island before the sun sets."

To Nami's immense surprise, before reaching the island detected by the log pose, they came across an unmistakable sky island that she hadn't expected encountering again, particularly while in these waters—Weatheria. She briefly wondered if the fact that Weatheria was an artificial sky island explained why it was missed by the log pose. Seeing the island now, several years later, caused a wave of nostalgia to rush through her. She was ambivalent; it was both comforting to see this familiar landscape again and yet somewhat traumatizing. Although she'd spent a fruitful two years on this island and developed friendships with its inhabitants, it was hard to forget that she had been sent here against her will. It thankfully ended up working out, but getting there had been a traumatic experience that she never wanted to relive. She reached out and grasped Luffy's hand, giving it a squeeze as if to reassure herself that he was present. She looked over at the rest of the crew—they were all present. He glanced at her inquiringly, the excitement of setting foot on a new island dancing across his face.

She took a deep breath and addressed all of her nakama. "This is Weatheria."

The commotion instantly died down. Usopp's brows creased in concern. "You mean the same Weatheria from back then?"

"Yes." She gazed at the lush green hills and windmills in the distance. "It still looks the same, besides the fact that it seems to have upgraded to include…propellers among other strange devices surrounding the entirety of the island."

Franky squinted at the sight before them in disbelief. "It looks like this island is well-equipped to travel a considerable distance in the air with their advanced technology. They make Water 7 look like child's play."

"Maybe that explains how they even got all the way up here. When I was sent here…" She faltered a bit. "Weatheria was below the White Sea and floated above the Blue Sea."

"Nami," Robin began, "we don't have to stop if you're uncomfortable. This isn't the intended destination anyway."

The rest of the crew voiced their agreement, and Luffy squeezed her hand in a wordless show of support that tugged at her heartstrings. Nami smiled softly. "No, actually I'm relieved to see that it's still floating around the world, and I have fond memories of my time on this island. I spent two years here learning about the science of weather, and the old wizards treated me well enough."

"Wizards?!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper chorused in amazement.

"They're really scientists," Nami clarified. When their faces fell, she hastily added, "But with pointy hats and robes." As expected, their faces lit up again. "And I suppose you could say that their science really is like performing magic."

"Can I become a wizard too?!" Chopper enthused.

"Why don't we find out?" The navigator suggested with a wink.

Always the realist going around bursting bubbles, Zoro drawled, "How are we even gonna reach the island? It's still floating, and there's no path for us."

Nami gently extracted her hand from Luffy's and whipped out her Clima-tact, twirling it confidently. "You underestimate my abilities as the best navigator in the world." She looked over expectantly at Franky. "Now would be a perfect time to test that out."

"All right!" The cyborg pumped his arms in the air and jumped into action, disappearing under the decks of the Sunny.

After temporarily releasing the kraken-like creature, the next half hour was spent assembling what ended up functioning as a hot air balloon capable of transporting the entirety of the ship. With a combination of Franky's blasted fire and Nami's conjured wind, the Sunny slowly but surely made its way to settle on the clouds of Weatheria. The rest of the crew was highly impressed, some expressing it more vocally than others.

"Why didn't we just travel this way to begin with?" Zoro asked. "Could've avoided the annoying sea creatures."

"This is only suitable for short distances at the moment," Franky explained. "We need more materials to upgrade this model."

"Perhaps the old wizards will have some ideas for us," Nami suggested.

"Oi, oi, oi, oi! Oi, oi, oi, oi," came a voice in the distance.

Speak of the devil. She bubbled with laughter—she'd recognize that greeting anywhere. Some things would just never change.

There was an old wizard approaching their ship. "Oi, oi, oi, what do we have here?"

She leaned over the side of the Sunny, waving and grinning down at her former mentor. "I heard you the first time, Haredas-san!"

Visibly startled, the old wizard hastened his steps for a closer inspection of the ship and its crew. "I recognize this ship from the newspapers…and that voice…Nami-chan?!"

"The one and only," she confirmed with an amused chuckle. "It's been so long! My crew is here this time, and I'd love to introduce them to you. We were actually on our way to another island when we spotted Weatheria."

"Oh, I already know you group of pirates," Haredas insisted with a light snort. "Aside from the fact that you're infamous and frequently featured in the newspapers, Nami-chan spoke incessantly about that captain of hers during her time here."

The navigator blushed as her nakama sent her knowing looks. "That's an exaggeration—I didn't incessantly talk about Luffy," she retaliated defensively as she actively avoided Luffy's questioning gaze. "I talked about everyone! I missed all of you!"

"Not all equally though," Usopp ventured with his arms folded across his chest.

"Did you miss me the most, Nami-san?!" Sanji exclaimed.

Nami rolled her eyes. "Believe whatever you want." She turned her attention back to the old wizard. "Haredas-san, we'd love to see what's been happening on Weatheria!"

"Well, a lot has happened since we parted ways," Haredas started, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I'm sure you're wondering what we're doing all the way up here, and that's a very exciting story, I assure you." His wide eyes roamed over the Sunny and the makeshift hot air balloon. "And I'd love to know how you made it here as well!"

"Is that your way of inviting us to visit then?" Nami asked.

The old wizard chuckled. "It looks to me like you were planning to trespass anyway, but of course, you're always welcome, Nami-chan. Even though you resort to violence." He addressed the rest of the crew warily, "Are any of you as violent?"

"No," they intoned immediately with simultaneous shakes of their heads.

"Lies!" Nami hurled at them. "You're all much more violent!"

"I'm the Pirate King, but Nami is always hitting me," Luffy offered matter-of-factly. She glared at him menacingly.

"I'm the greatest swordsman in the world, but she's always ordering me around," Zoro contributed. She shifted her glare over to him.

"I welcome Nami-san's violent tendencies with open arms. It's her tough love!" Sanji gushed. Unsure what to even say to that, she opted to ignore him.

Her narrowed eyes swept over the rest of her nakama. "Anyone else have something to add?"

Usopp pressed his lips together, while Chopper blinked at her innocently. Robin chuckled, Franky popped open a bottle of cola, and Jinbe simply smiled.

"Well," Brook began, also a frequent victim, "Nami-san—"

"Yes, yes, yes, you're right," she interrupted loudly. "I admit that I'm violent, all right? Now can we move on?"

Haredas shook his head, a fond smile appearing on his face. "I see that you haven't changed at all. Well, welcome to Weatheria! Let's start our tour, shall we? I'll inform the others of your unexpected visit—they'll be very happy to see you again, Nami-chan."

The Straw Hats disembarked in a flurry of excitement. As she took in the sight before her, Nami thought about how meaningful it was to be able to show her nakama the piece of her life they'd missed. She glanced over at Luffy, whose presence was indisputably the most meaningful to her. As if sensing her eyes on him, he looked over at her, grinned, and closed the distance between them.

"So this was where you spent your two years, Nami?"

"Yeah, I'm glad I have this chance to show you." An idea suddenly struck her. "You know what, Luffy?"

"What?" He blinked at her.

Her lips quirked up. "Let's have our second date." Without waiting for a response, she called out to Haredas, who was chatting very animatedly with Franky as he led the tour. "Haredas-san, Luffy and I are going to do our own thing for a little while. We'll reconvene in two hours at your house. Please show my nakama around!"

The old wizard waved her off. "Just be mindful of the gardens, and don't go stealing anything!"

With a snort in acknowledgement, Nami placed her hands on Luffy's back and guided him down a different path when they reached a fork in the road.

"Have fun!" Usopp shouted after them.

Chopper ran as fast as his little feet could carry him to Nami, gesturing for her to lean down a bit so he could whisper, rather loudly, "Do you need protection?"

Everyone else shot him incredulous and disturbed looks, and she flushed crimson red, utterly appalled. "Would it kill you to be more discreet, Chopper?! And this isn't what you think—we're just spending time together on an innocent date!"

Luffy cackled, clearly entertained, as the reindeer scratched his head sheepishly. "See you guys later!" He grinned widely at his navigator. "Let's go!"

With an exasperated sigh, Nami fixed her blatantly staring nakama with a stern look, as if daring them to say anything else, before resolutely turning and leading Luffy away.

There was a brief silence as the rest of the crew watched them go. Haredas cleared his throat. "Well, I see that there have been some interesting developments. She really did incessantly talk about him; I assure you that it's not an exaggeration. Shall we continue the tour?"

"This place is so awesome! You're lucky you were sent here," Luffy determined as he plopped down on top of a grassy hill that overlooked a grand view. "Seems like this was the best place for you to study and train."

"In hindsight, it was," Nami agreed as she carefully smoothed down her skirt and settled down next to him, tucking her legs to one side. "In the moment, it was…complicated."

They had never really delved into details pertaining to the two years they'd all been separated. There had been a night, many years ago, when they all shared some stories from their own experiences, but that had been the extent of it. She had never talked to Luffy alone about any of the events that had transpired during those two years. It was mostly because she didn't even know where to begin, how to even start asking him about one of the most painful, if not the most painful, times of his life. And it was partly because she wanted to wait for him to speak first—she believed that he would voluntarily share anything he wanted his nakama to know.

But he never did bring up Ace's death or any of his feelings surrounding its occurrence. Over the years, he mentioned Ace in conversation on numerous occasions to the rest of them, but never specifically in the context of his death.

"Complicated?" Luffy questioned.

Nami took a few seconds to decide what she wanted to say. "Well, I was very relieved and felt fortunate that I'd wound up on Weatheria, out of all places. And knowing later on that it was an intentional move, it all made sense. But, at the same time, it was extremely difficult being apart from everyone." She paused, feeling her chest tighten a little. "Not knowing where anyone was or what anyone was doing. While I scoured every newspaper over those two years for any mentions of you guys, I also dreaded receiving the newspaper and prayed each time that I wouldn't see one of your lifeless bodies on the cover page."

The captain tensed in response to her admission, his eyes darting over to her face. Her eyes were downcast as she mindlessly picked at the grass. She exhaled and continued, "I missed you guys. I missed you. I don't think I ever told you this, but I tried to leave—several times." She steeled her resolve and locked eyes with him as she said her next works. "I wanted to be there for you, especially after Ace's death."

His face remained expressionless, almost eerily so. She wondered if he'd had to practice, and her chest constricted tightly. Then, he sprawled out on his back with the brim of his hat covering his eyes. The stiff silence dragged on, and Nami was about to say something else when he spoke, so quietly that she had to lean over him to hear.

"Ace's death…it was the worst moment of my life."

She froze, startled by his sudden admission after years of silence. Each year, on Ace's death anniversary, the rest of the crew ensured that they had a full day planned in an effort to keep Luffy's mind off of his late brother. None of them ever questioned if their attempts were successful, and Luffy never showed any signs of emotional vulnerability.

He sucked in an audible breath, and her heart ached for him. "I had Jinbe…and Rayleigh. Thinking about you guys helped, but it was so hard."

She waited for him to continue, but when a minute passed without any other words, she shifted closer to him. Bracing her left hand over his body on the grass next to him, she slowly reached over with her right hand and gingerly lifted the straw hat off his face. She leaned down a bit, her hair cascading in waves like a curtain shielding him from the world, as she examined his face and searched his eyes for any hint of emotion. He'd had his heart shattered, and she couldn't imagine how painful it must have been to mend it on his own. He steadily stared back, his expression still empty. Then, a drop of moisture landed on his cheek, and his eyes widened as it rolled down his face.

At first, she had the absurd thought that it was beginning to rain because the tear certainly wasn't Luffy's. As she watched his mouth part open in surprise, she realized with a jolt that it was her. Jerking into motion, she quickly swiped at her eyes, which were threatening to overflow with more tears. She tried to comprehend why she was the one shedding tears when he was the one with a reason to.

"Nami," he said softly.

"J-Just give me a minute," she whispered, her hands still covering her face. She inhaled shakily, willing herself to get a grip. She was supposed to be the one comforting him, not the other way around.

He was gently moving her hands away then, and in the next second, pulling her down against him, his arms winding around her back and fingers threading through her hair. For some reason, this only made her want to cry more. She buried her face into the junction between his head and shoulder, allowing herself to relish the warmth of his embrace where she felt safe and secure.

When she felt calm enough to speak, she cleared her throat. "I'm so sorry, Luffy. I've wanted to say that for a long time." She wasn't exactly sure what she was apologizing for—the fact that he'd helplessly watched Ace die in his arms, the fact that none of them had been with him, or the fact that he'd seemed to have run out of tears to cry.

His arms tightened around her in response, but he was otherwise quiet. Nami tentatively craned her neck up to peek at his face. He was focused on the skies above, watching the clouds drift. She adjusted in his arms so that she could see his face more clearly, effectively obstructing his view of the clouds to force him to look at her. His eyes snapped over to hers.

"I'm never leaving you alone again," she murmured, maintaining their intense eye contact. She affectionately brushed aside a few locks of hair on his forehead. "Don't hide your emotions from me. I want to know when you're sad, when you're angry, when you're in pain. I want to share the burdens that you carry and be the one who wipes away your tears." She pressed her lips to the space between his eyes. "From now on, I hope that you'll be able to confide in me your deepest thoughts and fears. We're in this together, and you're safe with me, Luffy." She gently placed a hand on his chest. "I'll protect your heart."

He was speechless for a few moments, blinking up at her in astonishment and wonder. Swallowing, he tried to ignore the lump in his throat. "You have to do the same."

The corners of her lips lifted at that. "Divulge my deepest thoughts and fears?"

"Everything that you said," he responded.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll always let you know how I'm feeling. Especially when I'm angry," she teased lightly.

He made a face, and she chuckled. His arms around her loosened, and Nami took this opportunity to make herself more comfortable, slyly sliding her legs to settle in between his and lying down completely on top of him. He didn't say anything and folded his arms behind his head, his attention back on the clouds above as she propped herself up with one arm and idly traced patterns on his collarbone with her finger. She tried to not be disappointed by how unaffected he seemed to be by the feeling of her body against his. If he glanced down, he'd have a fantastic (if she did say so herself) view of her cleavage. But alas, his gaze and mind remained transfixed elsewhere. She, on the other hand, was internally celebrating the fact that she could be this close to him whenever she wanted to be and definitely planned to do so whenever she could.

"Ace…" He began and her finger stilled. "He's still here."

Nami smiled wistfully; she understood that sentiment wholeheartedly. "The people who leave us are never truly gone."

"I learned so much more about him after his death. From his nakama, from others like Tama." She recognized that he was referring to the little girl in Wano who had looked up to Ace. Luffy was suddenly grinning, and it was a genuinely pleased grin that stretched across his face. "And he also lives on in Sabo!"

She knew how much it meant to him for his other brother to carry on Ace's legacy with his devil fruit. "Yeah, you're right."

"I wanna see Sabo soon," he declared resolutely.

"Of course. We'll contact him whenever you want," she reassured him.

There was a beat of silence. "That cloud is shaped like meat," he remarked offhandedly.

She poked his cheek playfully. "Sounds like we need to get some food into you soon." A thought occurred to her then. "Luffy, how do you think Sabo would feel about our relationship?"

His attention shifted back to her, a confused look on his face. "Why?"

Nami clicked her tongue in slight annoyance. "What do you mean 'why'? He's your brother; I'd like to know if he'd approve of us."

"Why wouldn't he?" He furrowed his brows.

Abruptly feeling like she'd asked a silly question, she huffed testily. "I'm just wondering if he's ever mentioned anything about your future or potential partner."

"Nope," he said simply. "We don't talk about that stuff."

She pursed her lips. "Really? Never?" As strange as that was to her, she supposed it probably had never come up in conversation due to Luffy's previous lack of interest in dating and relationships. "What about your grandfather…or even father?"

"Nope," he repeated. Although he sounded carefree, she felt a distinct change in his body as he tensed under her.

"Hmm, well, I wonder how they'll react when they find out," she mused.

He scrunched up his face and offered a noncommittal, "Eh."

She arched an eyebrow in intrigue, peering more closely at him. "Are you afraid of what will happen when they find out?"

"No," he said, a little too quickly.

Nami chuckled in amusement. "Don't worry, I'll protect you. Your grandfather wouldn't dare hit me."

He stuck his tongue out at her, and she flashed him a cheeky grin. Her mind drifted to her own family back in Cocoyashi Village. She missed Nojiko and Gen-san dearly, and a visit to Bell-mère-san's grave was long overdue. She made a mental reminder to write to them soon…possibly with the inclusion of recent developments. She involuntarily blushed at the prospect of reintroducing Luffy as her partner or even father of her future child. That was certain to cause a riot.

"Nami, what are you thinking about?"

She sighed and recollected her thoughts. "My hometown. It's been a few months since news of you becoming the Pirate King circulated around the world, but I still don't think it's safe for us to return to East Blue anytime soon." She paused, a grim expression overtaking her face. "Or if it'll ever be safe, really."

"That shouldn't stop us," he replied brusquely. "It's gonna be dangerous wherever we go."

"Then that's even more reason for us to not visit, right? Why would we risk putting them in danger?"

"Some risks are worth taking," he stated. "Family is one of them."

She considered him and the weight behind his words for a few moments. The way he had said those words sent a chill down her spine; perhaps it was the fact that he'd risked his own life in an attempt to save Ace's, and she didn't doubt he'd do the same for anyone else he considered important. She supposed he had a very valid point; if there wasn't ever going to be a "safe" time to visit family given their notoriety, then they shouldn't worry about when they were actually going to visit. It was just a matter of making it happen.

"You're sure that we'll be able to take care of any trouble we encounter there?" She couldn't prevent the skepticism from leaking into her voice.

"Yep."

Nami sighed heavily. "You're always so confident."

"You always worry too much."

"Well, someone should!" She snapped back.

"We're the most wanted group of pirates," Luffy deadpanned. "People usually stay away."

"Yeah, but there are still plenty of others plus the entire Navy who are out to spill our blood," she retorted. "We gain more enemies each day."

He shrugged. "Life's no fun without enemies to defeat."

"Says you!" She smacked his chest, and he winced. "I'd be perfectly content to live a life free of enemies."

"Then you chose the wrong path a long time ago," he pointed out with a laugh. "But it's too late now cuz I'm never letting you go."

Her breath hitched in her throat, and a coy smile pulled on her lips. She delicately grazed his face with her fingertips. "Why, Mr. Pirate King, are you flirting with me?"

"Eh? Flirting?" His brows crinkled in confusion.

"Never mind," she groaned with a roll of her eyes. "Are you ready to go? We still have some time before we're supposed to meet up with the others."

"What are we gonna do?"

She tilted her head in thought. "I can show you the different plants that are grown on this island and their various uses. It sounds boring, but their functions are actually pretty magical. Ah, and of course the cloud candy that Haredas-san used to bribe me with."

"Candy?!" He was sold.

"I thought so," she said with an airy laugh. "Let's go then."

She made to get off of him when he halted her movements by catching her wrists in his hands.

"Nami, thank you." Although he didn't specify what he was thanking her for, he didn't need to. His unwavering gaze spoke volumes.

She coughed and averted her eyes, a little embarrassed by the intensity swirling in his eyes. She could feel something in the air between them, and it was electrifying.

"If you're really thankful, you can thank me another way." She smirked at him and closed her eyes expectantly, desperately hoping that he'd learned a thing or two by now.

She involuntarily shivered when she felt his warm hands hold her face, and then his lips were brushing against hers in the lightest of touches. She hummed in satisfaction and deepened the kiss, pressing her mouth more urgently against his. Her hands found their way into his hair, while she felt his hands move to her back to bring her closer. A soft sound of delight escaped from her, and she added her tongue into the mix when an opportunity presented itself. He made a muffled sound that she couldn't interpret, but he didn't pull away. Taking that as a positive sign, she continued to caress his mouth with her tongue.

After a few more seconds of experimental prodding, she gently nipped on his bottom lip before leaning back and watching with half-lidded eyes as he gasped for breath, his pupils dark and unfocused. She was immensely smug about the fact that she could render him, the almighty Pirate King, both breathless and speechless.

"Practice is definitely paying off," she said lowly as she traced the outline of his lips with a finger.

Since the start of their relationship, they had shared a handful of kisses, mostly brief and often when they bid each other good night at the end of a day. With the rest of their nakama around, there was rarely time for them to spend quality time alone. She had a feeling that she would need to insist on increasing the frequency of dates from now on.

"Are you okay?" She pushed back her hair and huffed out a laugh as he continued to blink at her owlishly.

"Yeah," he breathed out, still seemingly distracted.

"If you're already like this just after making out…" She trailed off teasingly, allowing the implications to hang in the air.

As expected, he didn't catch on, and Nami winked. She stood up and stretched, straightening her clothes and basking in the afternoon sunlight. When she glanced down at where he was lying on the grass, she was stunned to find him still staring at her. More specifically, her behind. It wasn't the creepy ogling that she often received from strangers, but just simply curiosity, as if this was his first time actually looking at a woman's rear. She knew that this skirt made her butt look great, but knowing him, he probably wasn't even thinking about anything remotely sexual.

She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Like what you see?"

He didn't say anything in response and scrambled to get on his feet. Biting her lip, she drew close and placed her hands on his chest. The next words were tumbling out of her mouth before she could think them through. "You have permission to touch."

His eyes widened, and she felt her own mirror his. Blushing furiously, she shoved him away, as if he'd been the one to say something scandalous. "Not like a pervert! B-But as someone who respects me and…loves me."

She wanted to crawl into a hole and not come out for at least a month. Her face had to be on fire.

Luffy frowned at her and folded his arms across his chest. "Why's your face so red?"

"Because it's embarrassing!"

"Like I said before, it's just me." He looked at her seriously. "How are we gonna make love if you're like this?"

Her mouth opened and closed, and she had half a mind to hit him for being so straightforward. But instead, she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. When she reopened them, she regarded him with renewed determination. "We'll get there, but that doesn't mean I won't continue to feel embarrassed along the way. Dating…being with someone…it's all new to me."

"It's new to me too, but I'm not embarrassed," he responded bluntly.

She narrowed her eyes calculatingly at him. "So you're okay with me touching you then?"

"Yep," he said without hesitation.

"And just to be clear, I'm not talking about touching your face or hair like I've already been doing. I'm talking about…intimate places." She was certain she was either going to pass out or feel her heart leap out of her chest at any moment.

"I know."

"Well, fine." She was a little taken aback by how ready he seemed to progress in their relationship but did her best to feign indifference. With a haughty sniff, she crossed her arms over her chest to mirror his stance. "We'll test out your confidence soon."

"Okay." Never one to back down from a challenge, his stare continued to be unrelenting.

With a roll of her eyes, Nami broke the tension by reaching over and grabbing his hand, tugging it away from his body. "Come on, let's go already."

"Nami, we're in this together," he reminded as he fell into step beside her, beaming widely.

His conviction was reassuring, and she felt her own confidence build up. She nodded with a small smile, giving his hand a squeeze. "Together."

It seemed like the tables were turning as Luffy grew more comfortable with their relationship. She was pretty certain she was in deep trouble, but there was no one else in the world she'd rather walk down this path with.

~To Be Continued~

End Notes: So I ended up writing a Part 3 because I wanted to bring the crew to Weatheria, but the next chapter will mainly be set back on the Blue Sea. I was always bothered by their lack of a proper reunion after the two years apart; I assume they discussed things behind the scenes, but the transition into the Fish-Man Island arc was too sudden in my opinion. I thought it would be important for Luffy and Nami to have a heart-to-heart about Ace's death, and I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. Thanks for reading, and I'll do my best to have the next chapter up in the next couple of weeks to start 2021 off right. Happy Holidays! :)