Chapter 10: A Brief Prehistoric Interlude
The next few weeks flew by as the Straw Hats explored two other sky islands. With some help from the old wizards, the Sunny's hot air balloon was upgraded to allow for safe passage back down to the Blue Sea. In order to receive the technology from the old wizards, they had to swear that they would never share their secrets with anyone else. The pirates had looked at one other, shrugged, and easily agreed to the request. They didn't care to give others such an advantage anyway. With this option, they could now travel a considerable distance by air and bypass the treacherous waters of the Calm Belt.
In terms of deciding their next destination in the Blue Sea, Usopp had excitedly proposed revising Little Garden, since they were returning once again to the seas of Paradise. Whereas the sniper had been ecstatic at the prospect of reuniting with Dorry and Brogy and recounting their adventures in Elbaf, Nami had unsurprisingly been less ecstatic. After all, she had nearly died from a rare prehistoric insect bite on their first trip there, and she wasn't keen on falling ill with something else, despite Chopper's reassuring presence. But even so, she valued the wishes and desires of her nakama and was willing to compromise for them. And thus, they were currently docked along the familiar shores of Little Garden as Nami happily waved off her nakama from the safety of the Sunny.
"Nami-san, I would gladly protect you from all of the insects," Brook offered like the fine gentleman he was. "After all, I have no skin for them to bite. Yohohoho!"
"I have antidotes prepared and plenty of insect repellent too," Chopper chimed in, proudly brandishing a canister.
"I appreciate it, but I'd rather not risk it and prefer to stay onboard," she asserted. "You guys have fun though, and tell the giants I said hi!"
"Will do!" Usopp gave her a thumbs up. "We have a Den Den Mushi, so give us a call if anything comes up!"
"Nami," Luffy whined with a pout.
She couldn't help but smile at him. It was all she could do these days when it came to him. "Go have fun, Luffy. I'll be just fine with Robin."
His pout only deepened.
Sanji regarded the two women thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should stay onboard—"
"Not a chance," Zoro forcefully cut him off. "You already agreed to the hunt."
The instant the Straw Hats had decided to return to Little Garden, the two of them had struck up the idea of a rematch. Intrigued, the rest of the men, sans Usopp and Chopper, had joined in on the competition. The sniper wanted to spend as much time observing and catching up with the giants as possible, while the doctor refused to participate in hunting but agreed to be the judge. It was now a battle among men, and Nami wanted nothing to do with it. In truth, she just didn't see the appeal of barbarically hunting dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, and she had received plenty of dirty looks when she said so a little while ago.
There was a distant sound of a volcanic eruption, and the men looked at each other.
"That's the signal we'll use to start and end the hunt," Zoro instructed.
Franky folded his arms across his chest, narrowing his eyes shrewdly. "Don't you guys have an unfair advantage since you've hunted on this island before?"
The swordsman shrugged. "I don't mind giving you guys a head start if that makes you feel better."
Jinbe chuckled. "No need."
The cyborg agreed. "It's about the quality, not the quantity."
Zoro grunted in acknowledgement.
"What kind of reward does the winner of the hunt receive?" Brook asked curiously.
There was a brief silence as everyone took a moment to think about that.
Sanji was the first to speak up, a dreamy look on his face. "A date with both ladies?! A kiss?!"
Before Nami could tell him to get lost, Luffy interjected, rather vehemently, "That's a stupid reward!"
With his dreams trampled on, the cook retorted with a menacing glower, "What makes it so stupid?!"
"I already get kisses whenever I want!" The captain snapped back without missing a beat. "The reward should be something I don't have!"
There was a pause as his words settled in.
Nami reeled in shock, her face gradually turning bright red. Robin was highly entertained, her eyes sparkling as they keenly observed the reactions of the others. Sanji promptly dissolved into an ugly mess of tears, wailing about injustices, while Zoro roared with laughter. Usopp and Franky snickered. Chopper and Jinbe grinned broadly.
"Luffy-san," Brook began seriously, "some of us aren't as fortunate as you and would greatly appreciate an opportunity to receive a kiss from a beautiful woman."
"Eh?" Luffy stared blankly at the musician, his lips pulling down in a frown. "Then find a woman."
Brook sighed a little dejectedly, looking down at himself. "If it was only that simple."
Playing along, Nami pursed her lips in thought. "How about someone from the Mink Tribe? They loved you when we were in Zou."
Brook shuddered at that. "I was nearly mauled to death plenty of times, Nami-san. They loved me for my body and not my heart." He paused. "Not that I have a heart."
Everyone waited for his signature laugh, and when it didn't come, they realized just how serious he really was.
"Brook," Usopp spoke up tentatively. "Are you okay?"
"Are you lonely even though you have us?" Chopper asked in concern.
The musician scratched his afro, seemingly embarrassed. "No, that's not the case. It's just…" He looked meaningfully at Luffy, who was wearing a stern expression, and then at Nami, who was patiently waiting for him to continue. "When I look at Luffy-san and Nami-san, I can't help but wonder how nice it would be to experience the kind of love they share."
While the captain continued to stare at his nakama, the navigator gaped in astonishment, rendered completely speechless. Everyone was quiet, with the only sound coming from Sanji as he lit a cigarette with a soft click.
Usopp folded his arms over his chest and nodded sagely. "Well, I can understand your feelings. As someone who saw their relationship develop from the start, I can confidently tell you that I always knew they were made for each other."
Nami sent him a withering look that the sniper waved off dismissively.
"Brook," Robin called down, and the skeleton glanced up inquisitively. She smiled gently. "I'll give you a kiss if you win."
His demeanor drastically changed as he promptly perked up at that. "Yohohoho! Robin-san, you're making me blush. If I had a heart, it certainly would've stopped beating."
Sanji straightened attentively, his nostrils flaring and eyes glinting with determination. "Will you give me a kiss too, Robin-chan?!"
"If you win," the archeologist repeated encouragingly.
Nami glanced over at her nakama, arching an eyebrow at her willingness to entertain them. But she was silently grateful that Robin had stepped in, as she no longer had the desire to flirt with others, her nakama included.
"Oi, what about a reward for those of us who don't want a kiss?!" Zoro practically spat out the last word, impatience written all over his features.
"Bragging rights?" Chopper suggested.
The swordsman snorted in contempt. "That's a given. There needs to be something else."
Usopp raised a hand. "Although I'm not participating, I have an idea. Why don't you just keep it simple and allow the winner to decide what they want? Obviously, it needs to be within the realm of reason, and if it's something like a kiss, for example, the other party would need to consent first."
No one had any objections, and Zoro proceeded to walk into the jungle without another word.
Sanji sighed heavily, casting one last forlorn glance at the women before following suit. "Let's find a central location for Chopper to be stationed."
"Come on, Luffy!" Usopp looped an arm around the captain's shoulders, attempting to lead him away from where he was rooted in place. "Remember to call if anything comes up, you two! I'll be able to alert everyone else with a signal."
"Don't worry about us!" Nami grinned reassuringly before winking and blowing her captain a kiss. "Good luck, Luffy! Make me proud!"
"Oi, Nami, you can't play favorites," the sniper scolded half-heartedly. He actually didn't particularly care as he wasn't participating in the competition himself, but it was just the principle of it.
The navigator clicked her tongue. "Who cares? I'm not the one judging."
With a wide grin, Luffy allowed himself to be dragged away, calling over his shoulder, "I'll bring back the biggest dinosaur you've ever seen!"
Nami raised a threatening fist. "Don't go overboard and make the dinosaurs extinct! That goes for all of you!"
She only received apathetic grunts in acknowledgement. Rolling her eyes, she turned to her only female companion, a large smile overtaking her face. "I thought they'd never leave!"
Robin shot her a knowing look. "You don't mean that."
"Fine, I don't," Nami admitted with a shrug. "I could really use a date, but I'd rather it not happen here." She wrapped her arms protectively around herself, glaring distrustfully at the dense foliage occupying the majority of Little Garden. Then she turned to her nakama, regarding her thoughtfully. "Why didn't you go with them, Robin? I thought you would've been delighted to study a prehistoric island."
The archaeologist chuckled. "Well, let's just say that I've already experienced my fair share of this island." Nami recognized that she was likely referring to her time with Baroque Works. "And besides," Robin continued, "I'd much rather keep you company."
The navigator beamed at her. "We deserve to have quality time to ourselves. What do you want to do first?"
Both avid readers, the two women retrieved the books they had been meaning to peruse and settled in for a peaceful afternoon onboard the Sunny. Nami whipped up smoothies for them to sip on, and Robin prepared their lounge chairs and an umbrella to shield them from the sun.
Naturally, background noise was inevitable. They heard the occasional roar or screech in the distance as well as intermittent rumbling sounds that would sound ominous to a normal person. However, neither of them even glanced up from their books; as far as they were concerned, their overpowered and reckless nakama were the ones shaking up the island. If there was anything they should be concerned about, it was the imminent extinction of ancient species.
A half an hour passed by in comfortable silence between them. Nami shifted in her seat and finished the last of her smoothie before she glanced over at her companion.
"Robin, I know you want to say something," she started accusingly. "You keep giving me that look."
"How could I be giving you any looks when I've been engrossed in my book?" The archeologist questioned nonchalantly with her eyes still trained on the book in her hands.
"You've always been excellent at multitasking," Nami commented and lowered her sunglasses with a pointed look as she gestured to Robin's current use of her devil fruit power. She was using another set of hands just for her drink, one holding the glass and the other grasping the straw. "So please just spit it out."
Robin's lips quirked up, and she dutifully marked her page and closed her book. She got right to the point. "I noticed that you've stopped updating me on your love life."
The navigator tried her best to remain unfazed under Robin's intense scrutiny. She licked her lips, feeling a bead of sweat involuntarily form on her forehead. "Well, it's because there haven't been interesting developments lately. We pretty much spent the last few weeks exploring with everyone else, so we haven't been on an official date in a while."
"But you've still been seeing each other," Robin pointed out. "Including those instances where you two snuck off for some alone time."
Nami felt her cheeks heat up and internally groaned at her nakama's perceptiveness. But she should've expected this; Robin always knew. Huffing in resignation, the navigator shut her book with a resounding snap. So much for a productive afternoon of reading. "Okay, so we did see each other a few times for a little bit, but that doesn't mean—"
"How far have you progressed?" Robin interrupted bluntly, a sly smile pulling at her lips.
The navigator's mouth fell open, completely scandalized, and she struggled to recompose herself. "I don't see how that's any of your business," she retaliated defensively, growing impossibly warmer.
"Nami," the archaeologist intoned, clearly unimpressed with the younger woman's raised defenses. "I know that you have questions plaguing you."
Nami did her best to prove her wrong, pressing her lips together thinly. However, Robin was also always right. The navigator exhaled loudly and ripped her sunglasses away from her face, throwing them aside in frustration as she shot up to her feet. She planted her hands on her hips and scowled at her smirking companion. "I can't hide anything from you!"
"I'll take that as a compliment," the older woman decided in obvious amusement.
Nami began to pace restlessly as she updated Robin on her current status with Luffy. She found that it was much easier to speak when she wasn't face-to-face with the archaeologist. "Luffy and I are great—we have a comfortable dynamic built upon years of friendship, and I'm really grateful to have him. He respects me and truly values me, and although he still can't really articulate the reasons behind his feelings, I know that he loves me. I couldn't have asked for a better partner."
"But?" Robin prompted patiently.
"But," Nami echoed hesitantly, unsure how to best convey her concerns. "I'm worried about the pacing and progression of our relationship. I think—I think we could be going too fast?"
"Ah," the archaeologist said in understanding. "So that brings us back to my question—how far have you progressed?"
A vibrant blush bloomed across her cheeks as Nami quietly admitted, "Touching."
"Above or below the waist?" Robin pressed, expressionless.
"Uh." The navigator squeezed her eyes shut in mortification and brought her hands up to cover her face. "Both."
"In the past month?" The archaeologist didn't miss a beat.
"Yes," Nami squeaked out shamefully.
There was a brief pause. Then, Robin was laughing in that typical manner of hers.
The navigator peeked at her between her fingers, almost afraid to ask. "What?"
"Frankly, I'm a little surprised that's all you've done."
Nami's hands dropped from her face in abject horror. "What?!"
Robin tilted her head. "Nami, you and Luffy have known each other for years. Although your romantic relationship is fairly new, it's not like you two are still getting to know each other. Compared to other—you could say more 'conventional'—relationships, the two of you had a significant head start."
"B-But still, I feel like I've actually been learning more about him since we started dating. I think I'm getting to know another side to him, and I just feel…" She trailed off, averting her eyes uncertainly. "I just don't want us to rush into things, that's all."
"Does it feel rushed to you right now?"
"I—I don't know," Nami said truthfully. "He respects my boundaries, and we never go farther than what we're both comfortable doing. And honestly, every step we take together is new for both of us, so it's a lot of…experimenting."
Robin arched an eyebrow. "Are you dissatisfied?"
The navigator spluttered incoherently for a few seconds. "N-No! Nothing like that! Please don't make me go into details."
The archaeologist smiled complacently. "Are you happy?"
Nami worried her bottom lip and admitted in a small voice, "Extremely."
Robin's smile widened. "Then what's the problem? There's no set roadmap for a relationship—you progress at a pace that's comfortable for both you and Luffy. That's all there is to it."
The navigator pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing in thought. "You make it sound so simple."
"Or you could just be overthinking it."
Nami snorted at that. "Luffy always says that I worry too much."
Robin chuckled. "Most of the time, it's for good reason. But when it comes to love…I think you should just do what feels right. Sometimes, a logical explanation isn't the answer."
"So…you're saying that I'll know when it feels right to…you know…" The navigator gestured helplessly, too embarrassed to say what she was thinking out loud.
"Have sex?" Robin supplied with a small laugh.
"Make love," Nami quickly amended, blushing furiously.
Robin smiled, and it was a genuine, comforting smile of a wise woman. "Yes, I believe you'll know when the time is right."
The navigator mulled over those words for a little while. Then, she made a face as something occurred to her. "But where?"
"Pick a room," the archaeologist suggested teasingly. "We have plenty to choose from."
"Robin!" Nami hissed in chagrin.
"I'd be happy to mysteriously disappear for a night," Robin offered without hesitation. "Or several."
"No," the navigator said immediately. "I wouldn't do that to you. I'd ask Franky to construct another room."
There was a pregnant pause. Nami rushed to correct herself.
"Not that I want another room!" She insisted vehemently. "This is all hypothetically speaking."
"Hmm, of course," the archaeologist mused. "Hypothetically."
Feeling slightly more empowered now, Nami took a deep breath. "Thanks, Robin. I always feel much better after talking to you."
"Then don't try to hide things from me," Robin returned logically.
The navigator huffed out a slight laugh. "I—" She abruptly broke off upon catching sight of something in the distance that made her blood run cold.
"What is it?" The archaeologist was immediately alert, swiftly rising to her feet to take in the sight for herself.
There was a rapidly approaching Navy ship.
"Should we move the ship or…?" Nami's mind raced with various possible scenarios. There wasn't really another place they could move the ship to without having to pass by the incoming ship. She quickly ran to retrieve a pair of binoculars and assessed the approaching ship. What she saw made her frown in bewilderment. "It's definitely the marines, but they appear to be frantic or in some sort of trouble."
As calm as always, Robin grabbed the Den Den Mushi. "Let's alert the others first. Then we'll deal with what comes after."
Luffy rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he frowned down at his prey. He couldn't decide if this was his final submission for the hunting contest. He'd already taken down four other dinosaurs, with each subsequent one slightly larger than the previous. Was this the largest dinosaur on the island? He had no clue. The next volcano eruption could happen at any second, signaling the end of the competition.
Then, multiple things were suddenly happening at once. A cloud of green smoke ominously blocked the sunlight overhead. Usopp's signal. Utilizing his Observation Haki, Luffy located each of his nakama, and the distant rumbling sound of thunder immediately had him sprinting.
There was only one person who could summon thunder.
Nami tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, appraising the pitiful group of marines that were struggling to recover after being struck by lightning. "I'm almost sorry for going overboard, but really, you guys shouldn't have tried to attack us in your sorry state."
"Y-You're the S-Straw Hats!" One marine stammered. He was white as a sheet.
She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "For the fifth time, yes, you're right. So what made you think it was a good idea to try to capture us, hm? Just because we're women?" Her blood was pumping and internally, she wasn't as confident as she appeared to be. But being part of the Pirate King's crew meant carrying yourself with a sense of dignity and pride, regardless of your true underlying feelings.
Robin had multiple marines physically restrained with her arms as she worked on binding their limbs with rope. She appeared to be completely at ease and even seemed to be enjoying herself, if the slight upturn of her lips was of any indication.
"Who's in charge here?" Nami tapped her Clima-tact forebodingly, and the marines cringed. "Who do you report to?"
The two women had decided to strike first, as they hadn't wanted to risk any damage to the Sunny, should the marines decide to use their cannons upon spotting them. Therefore, they had taken Nami's waver over to the Navy ship, ensuring that the Sunny remained at a safe distance. While this was a rather bold move on their part, Nami had deemed it the most strategic move to make after recognizing that the marines onboard were in a panicked state.
So here they were, two women reigning over a ship of men.
Nami glared at the man who appeared to be the captain, based on his uniform. "You're the one in charge?"
To his credit, he stared defiantly back at her, his chin lifted proudly and a mocking smile on his lips. "Just you wait, Cat Burglar. We have aid on the way."
She pursed her lips at him, remarking dully, "If they're as incompetent as you, tell them to not even bother." Without waiting for a response, she turned to her nakama. "What should we do now, Robin?"
The archaeologist stepped back to admire her handiwork. They now had a large group of hostages and a Navy ship at their disposal. "Well, now we wait for the others and see what surprises await us."
Nami frowned. It was very fortunate that she and Robin had struck preemptively, before the marines could have reported the presence of the Straw Hats to anyone. Apparently, these marines had somehow lost their log pose en route to their intended destination. And their continued bad luck led them to the shores of Little Garden. She really hoped that the reinforcements coming to aid the lost marines wouldn't include an Admiral or a Vice Admiral—they would be more problematic to deal with. But really, the Straw Hats as a whole would be able to easily wipe the floor with them.
"Nami." Robin pointed to something in the distance.
That was astoundingly fast. Cursing under her breath, Nami briskly brought the binoculars hanging around her neck to her eyes. "One ship. I assume they're just sending over whoever happened to be in the vicinity."
"We should move this ship farther away from us," Robin proposed logically.
Nami nodded in agreement. "Once Luffy and the others arrive."
The marine captain audibly gulped, looking significantly less confident and more peaky. "Y-You mean Straw Hat Luffy?"
She arched a patronizing eyebrow. "Who else?"
The marines shifted uncomfortably.
"Nami! Robin!"
Just on time. Nami grinned victoriously at the marines, who abruptly cowered in fear. She walked over to lean over the side of the ship and greet her nakama. They had taken the Mini Merry. "We're here!"
In the next few seconds, Luffy was swinging aboard, his eyes flashing as he took in the situation. His attention went to his navigator first, his gaze sweeping her from head to toe as if assessing for any harm. "Are you okay?" There was a sense of urgency in his tone.
Nami smiled reassuringly and stepped closer to him, feeling significantly calmer in his presence. "We're fine. They're the ones who got hurt." She gestured pointedly to the tied-up marines, who were comically gaping at the arrival of the Pirate King. "Luffy, there's another Navy ship headed this way. What do you want to do?"
Sanji, Franky, and Jinbe climbed aboard, surveying the situation. The marines exchanged nervous looks at the intimidating appearance of more Straw Hats.
Luffy folded his arms across his chest. "Do we know who's on the ship?"
Nami brought the binoculars up to her eyes again. She sucked in a sharp breath in stark disbelief. "Is that…?"
Blinking, she wordlessly tossed the binoculars to Luffy. He frowned and took a look himself, his jaw dropping open incredulously.
"Smokey?!"
Sanji clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Not him again." Then he was prancing around with hearts in his eyes. "Is Tashigi-chan there as well?!"
Franky squinted. "Should we get out of here? We just have to round up the others."
"Where are the others?" Robin asked.
Jinbe spoke up, "The four of us made it back to the Sunny around the same time. We haven't seen the others."
Nami facepalmed. Knowing Zoro, he was probably lost deep in the jungle. She sighed heavily. "At this point, I doubt we'll be able to round up everyone and escape before the ship arrives."
Luffy grinned widely. "Ah, well. Let's greet them."
"How can you be so calm?!" The navigator snapped angrily. "I know that you two share a very strange history, but who's to say he won't apprehend us this time?! Or call for others?!"
"He won't," was all the captain said.
Nami desperately looked to her nakama for help and only received sympathetic shrugs in return. She huffed indignantly, her eyes sliding over to the marines. "Well, I suppose we have plenty of hostages to use against him if it comes down to it."
The marines didn't like the sound of that one bit.
"AH!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed, horrified. "MY DINOS!"
"That's what you're concerned about?!" Nami clobbered him over the head, and the marines collectively winced.
Cradling his head, he pouted at her. "I had a really big one, Nami!"
"Not as big as mine," Sanji countered smoothly.
"Or mine," Franky contributed.
"I'm quite confident my Brachiosaurus is the winner," Jinbe asserted.
He received many confused looks.
"You know the species?" Sanji questioned, raising an impressed brow.
"Save the chitchat for later!" Nami barked at them. She turned to her only supposedly sound-minded companion, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "Robin, are we really just going to wait here like sitting ducks?!"
The archaeologist's eyes shone with mirth. "I suppose we are."
The navigator groaned in defeat, doing her best to tune out the heated argument between Luffy and Sanji about their prey. As the ship drew close, the Straw Hats heard shocked choruses of "Is that Straw Hat?!" and "Pirate King?!" from the men onboard. Luffy grinned amiably and waved at them.
In the next instant, Smoker was standing before them, surrounded by a haze of smoke and a customary cigar hanging out from his mouth. His eyes were tight and wary as he regarded the Pirate King. "Straw Hat."
The hostages cheered ecstatically at the unexpected arrival of a high-ranked officer.
"Smokey!" Luffy greeted cheerily, his grin growing impossibly larger. "It's been a while!"
Smoker's jaw clenched as he swept his eyes over the pirates before him. "Where's the rest of your crew?"
The Pirate King shrugged. "Probably still hunting." As if only just realizing it himself, he whirled around to face his nakama in a flurry. "Oi, they're cheating! We gotta stop them!"
Nami clenched her fists tightly but willed herself to calm down.
"I can't say that this was where I imagined we'd meet again," Smoker admitted gruffly, his sharp gaze cutting over to the jungle.
Spirits rejuvenated, the captured marines enthusiastically called for their superior to defeat and apprehend the Straw Hats.
"Smoker-san!" Tashigi was leaping over from their ship. "I can't find—Straw Hat?!" She halted in astonishment, blinking at the currently present members of the Pirate King's crew. When her gaze landed on Nami, she inadvertently found herself smiling.
Nami arched a curious brow in return.
"I thought you might like to know that the children are still doing well," Tashigi offered as a greeting.
It took her a few seconds to realize what kids she was referring to. "Oh," Nami started, always pleasantly surprised by how Tashigi seemed to take it upon herself to provide an update on the children from Punk Hazard whenever they crossed paths. "Thanks, I'm glad to hear that."
The female soldier looked like she wanted to say more but was interrupted by her superior officer. "Tashigi, don't act so friendly."
"Oh." Tashigi's eyebrows rose in mild surprise as she pushed up her glasses. "Are we actually treating them as pirates again?"
"They've always been pirates!" Smoker returned sharply.
Tashigi frowned at him. "It's been years, Smoker-san."
She didn't say any more, but she didn't need to. The implications were loud and clear to him. It's been years since you've truly seen them as pirates. He glared coolly at his subordinate, who steadily stared back.
"Anyway," Luffy interjected. "Since it's just you guys, we can go back to hunting, right?" Without waiting for a response, he turned away and began to retrace his steps to Mini Merry.
Nami was utterly appalled by his unaffected behavior. Infuriated, she shouted after him, "Luffy!"
"Ah." He halted mid-step and glanced at her over his shoulder, blinking at her furious expression. Then, he smiled sheepishly and stretched an arm out to ensnare her waist. "Sorry, didn't mean to leave you behind, Nami."
Clearly, he had misinterpreted her anger. But she didn't have the chance to correct him, as she was flying through the air and being carried off the ship as he jumped.
There was a stiff silence as Smoker scowled, Tashigi waited, and the rest of the marines balked.
"Well," Sanji began, entirely at ease as he lit a cigarette. "Once we wrap up the hunt, I'll be preparing a feast. There should be enough meat to go around." He abruptly switched gears to specifically address the sole female marine present. "I'm always happy to cook for you, Tashigi-chan!"
"Hurry up, guys!" Luffy hollered from somewhere below.
"Duty calls," Franky stated with a shrug, leaving the marines behind without another word.
Robin and Jinbe followed, both sporting amused smiles. The former cast one last glance at the captured marines, who collectively shuddered.
"Wait for me, Robin-chan!" Sanji hurried to catch up.
"A-Aren't we reporting them to headquarters?!" One frazzled marine questioned.
Smoker turned to Tashigi. "Did you find the Eternal Pose?"
She sighed, an irritable look crossing her face. "Not yet. I don't know how it could've been misplaced. If we don't find it, we won't be able to leave this island."
"Eh?!" Several anxious yells came from the captured marines.
"It takes a whole year for an ordinary log pose to reset here," one particularly haughty marine informed his fellow soldiers. "Didn't you know?"
Tashigi's frown deepened. "They sent us to take care of the situation here, since our log pose had locked onto this island anyway, and yet we haven't found the Eternal Pose to leave the island. We should report to—"
"No," Smoker brusquely interrupted, "we're taking care of this ourselves. If we don't find the Eternal Pose, Straw Hat must have one." With that, he walked off with a sweep of his cape in a shroud of fumes.
His soldiers looked at one another, bemused.
"So…we're gonna join the feast?"
"Sounds like it to me."
Most of them cheered, as the Straw Hats had inevitably grown on them over the years. The captured marines remained thoroughly baffled.
As it turned out, the others were waiting for them back on the Sunny. Everyone had noticed Usopp's signal, but naturally, Zoro had trouble finding his way back to the ship from where he was deep in the jungle. Usopp, Chopper, and Brook had rapidly met up, only to split up again after the sniper sensed that Zoro was still in the jungle. It had taken a few extra steps to retrieve the swordsman, but they managed to make it back to the Sunny in one piece.
"What happened?!" Usopp demanded as soon as they had regrouped.
"Don't worry, it's just Smokey and his clan," Luffy supplied as he began to stretch out his limbs.
"Marines?!" Chopper and Brook exclaimed.
Zoro eyed their captain sharply. "Are we fighting them?"
"Nah," Luffy determined, "they're not gonna do anything."
"And how are you so sure about that?!" Nami demanded. "Just because you and Smoker have a weird…understanding of some sort, doesn't mean we can trust him! And others might come for us!"
"They won't," he returned simply.
"We're having a feast," Sanji contributed. "I expect we'll see them again soon."
"You invited them?!" Usopp's jaw dropped open.
The cook shrugged. "At this point, they're not our enemies. They're a group of marooned marines."
"Marooned?" Brook questioned.
"They apparently haven't found the Eternal Pose they're carrying with them to leave the island yet," Robin explained, having resourcefully left behind a pair of ears to eavesdrop. "Until they do acquire an Eternal Pose, they're trapped."
"So…" Usopp's brows furrowed. "That's none of our business, right?! We can just leave them behind!"
Nami jumped on those words, nodding vigorously. "Usopp's right! Let's leave now!"
"No," Luffy rejected with an air of finality. "The hunt isn't over."
She loved him. She really did. But one of these days, she was really going to kill him. "Who cares about this stupid hunt?!"
"I care!" Most of the males responded indignantly.
She waved a dismissive hand and scoffed, "We need to leave before the marines decide to come to their senses and call for backup! In case you've forgotten, we're no longer just the Straw Hats—we're the Pirate King's crew!"
"So act more like it," Zoro rebuked gruffly. "Why should we escape?"
Nami's mouth opened and closed, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You just want to fight, don't you?"
He had the audacity to smirk. "If it comes down to it."
"And if they take drastic measures? Say, I don't know, a Buster Call?!"
"They won't." Surprisingly, it was Robin who responded. She pointed to something behind them. "They're disembarking."
"Huh?!"
Nami watched in alarm as Smoker, Tashigi, their marines, and the previously captured marines all stepped on land, some a little fearfully. Most of them, if not all of them, had probably never set foot on Little Garden before. For good reason too. She turned away from the unnerving sight and approached her captain, giving him her best puppy dog look.
"Luffy, can we please just go?" She drew close and placed both of her hands on his shoulders before reaching up to stroke his cheek.
"No." He held firm, unflinchingly staring back at her. "I'm about to win."
Nami ignored the snorts and sounds of protest from the rest of the men. She brought her lips to his ear, smirking when he noticeably tensed. "I'll reward you regardless of who wins."
His hands settled on her hips, and he pushed her back a little, gently but resolutely. "Nami, there's something that I want, and I'm gonna win so I can ask for it."
Bewildered, she searched his determined gaze for an answer. "What do you want? Is it not something I can give you?" This was her first time hearing about this.
He beamed at her. "You'll see!"
She sighed and frowned at him, disgruntled. "Is there anything I can say or do to change your mind?"
His grin only stretched. "Nope!"
She smacked him lightly on the chest and rolled her eyes in defeat before stepping out of his hold. "Fine. Have it your way, but you better win."
He took off his hat and swiftly placed it atop her head. "Of course I will!" He hopped onto the ship railing and addressed the rest of the crew, cackling as his fists punched the air. "Let's go! The hunt continues!"
Lifting the brim of the hat, she watched him agilely leap down and speed off into the jungle. Their nakama hastened to follow suit.
"Oi, Luffy!" Zoro called after him. "We have to decide on new rules!"
"Come on, Nami," Chopper began as he adjusted the medical kit on his back, "I'll make sure you're well-protected from disease-carrying agents."
The navigator pursed her lips and turned to Robin. "Do you want to go?"
The archaeologist smiled. "We can't miss out on a feast, right?"
After much disagreement and squabbling, Luffy indeed pulled through to just barely surpass Jinbe's impressive Brachiosaurus and Zoro's Dreadnoughtus. Brook and Sanji lamented their lost opportunity for a kiss from Robin, both moping around for a while before voraciously calling for a rematch. Nami immediately demanded that Luffy reveal what he wanted as a reward, only for him to grin and announce that he'd let everyone know when they were back on the Sunny. So now, here she was, incessantly wondering just what he could possibly want while the rest of the crew gathered fruits and edible plants in preparation for a feast.
As if lured in by the smell of food, the marines were suddenly encroaching their space and didn't waste any time in gathering around the Straw Hats' bonfire. Smoker stood stiffly in the back, his eyes scanning their surroundings, while Tashigi warily glanced at Zoro, the one who held the title of the greatest swordsman in the world.
As Nami rested her chin on one palm and drummed the fingers of her other hand against her thigh, she briefly entertained the idea of Luffy asking for an endless supply of meat. But he essentially already had that. So perhaps something more sentimental? Her heart skipped a beat at the possibility of him factoring her into his reward—could it be something beneficial for her as well?
She abruptly had the distinct, unsettling feeling of being watched and straightened, highly alert. Her gaze landed on Smoker, who indeed was the culprit as he intensely watched her through a puff of smoke from his cigar. She blinked at him, perplexed and a little worried. He'd never observed her like this before—in fact, to her knowledge, he really only seemed to concern himself with Luffy. She didn't like his penetrating, calculating look one bit. She inched slightly closer to Chopper, who was seated next to her on the log and examining a few plants to determine whether they were suitable to use as medicine. Why in the world was he watching her? There was no way he knew…
Nami realized with a start that she was still wearing the straw hat and scrambled to yank it off her head, mentally berating herself for this lapse of judgment.
"Oh, Smokey!"
She heaved a sigh in relief as her captain conveniently showed up to save her. Luffy unknowingly but effectively blocked Smoker's line of vision as he bounded up to the marines. "You guys made it!"
"I hope you're hungry," Sanji announced as he continued to roast meat and stir a gigantic pot of stew.
The soldiers appeared to be conflicted, as if they were torn between enjoying themselves or reverting to the usual business of calling the pirates derogatory names and threatening them.
Unable to contain himself any longer, one marine admitted, "I'm starving!"
Another cut in, rather aggressively, "But we won't eat food from pirates!"
A third spoke up, a little hesitantly, "But remember how delicious it was? When we all ate together—"
"Shut up!"
The Straw Hats watched in faint amusement as the marines began to bicker amongst themselves. Smoker grunted in disdain and directed his attention to the man who was making himself comfortable on a large rock nearby.
"Are you stuck on this island?" Luffy questioned without hesitation.
"No," Smoker returned curtly.
"Oh," the rubber man said with a confused frown, briefly wondering if he'd heard incorrectly earlier. "What are you doing here then?"
Smoker snorted involuntarily. "That's what I want to ask you. What's the Pirate King doing all the way out here?"
Luffy stretched out an arm to snatch Sanji's first batch of meat. "Whatever I want!"
"You've wandered rather far from your zone," the marine commented.
"Huh?" Luffy furrowed his brows and shoved the meat down his throat. "I have friends watching over everything when I'm away." He was referring to the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, but Smoker didn't need to know the details.
Silence fell between them for a few moments. The marine grimaced. "What's next on your agenda?"
Luffy looked like there was something on the tip of his tongue, but then he surprisingly thought better of it and remained silent.
Smoker scoffed condescendingly, "A woman." It was a statement, not a question.
Shocked, Luffy promptly began to splutter incoherently. "Wh-Wha—"
"Cat Burglar."
When Luffy's mouth closed with an audible snap, Smoker rose an eyebrow in intrigue.
Taking exaggerated bites of his second chunk of dinosaur meat, the captain attempted to deny it, his eyes darting about relentlessly. He had always been a terrible liar. Where was Usopp when he needed him? "You're wrong."
"Where's your hat?"
Luffy's eyes immediately zeroed in on his hat, which was very much not where it should be. "Why's Usopp wearing it?! I gave it to—" He quickly broke off, but it was too late. He'd fallen for the bait.
Smoker was eerily quiet as he took a long puff of his cigar. Then, "Does your old man know about this?"
"Eh? Tochan?" When Luffy noted that the other man only continued to dully stare at him, he tried, "Jichan?"
Smoker gave him an almost imperceptible nod. Luffy's only response was to hastily stuff himself with more meat.
"So he doesn't," the marine concluded wryly.
Luffy swallowed. "Are you…?"
"Gonna tell him?" Smoker was thoroughly enjoying the dread the young man was failing to subdue. "I think I'll sit back and see how this unfolds."
"Oh, good!" Luffy beamed at him, evidently relieved. "I always knew you were a good man!"
"I don't want to hear that from you," Smoker muttered with a derisive snort. "He's bound to find out. If you're serious, that is."
He watched in mild interest as the Pirate King immediately sobered, his face tightening with anger from the offensive insinuation.
"Of course I'm serious!" Luffy exclaimed, drawing some attention from other marines nearby. "Nami is my navigator!" He paused. That was true, but somehow after voicing it out loud, it didn't entirely capture his feelings. There was a more suitable word. "My…" He trailed off, a puzzled look crossing his face. "Eh? She's my…" He frowned pensively.
Smoker was done with this conversation. He walked away from the younger man, who was still mumbling to himself in between bites, and looked over at his rowdy soldiers. They seemed to have abandoned all of their anti-pirate attitudes and were mingling and laughing with the Straw Hats. Even the ones who had been subjected to Nami and Robin's treatments were enjoying themselves. It was entirely off-putting and contradictory, but if he had to be honest, it had been this way for a long time. He reached into his cape and grasped the Eternal Pose he had stowed away. It had never been lost—he'd merely wanted to buy some time to understand the current circumstances of the Straw Hat Pirates, now that they were the crew of the Pirate King.
And now, he understood the circumstances clearly. His eyes strayed over to the navigator, who was staunchly refusing to even look in his direction. He made a mental note to keep Cat Burglar higher up on his radar from now on.
When the Straw Hats awoke after a night of feasting, they were surprised to find that Smoker, Tashigi, and all of the other marines were nowhere in sight. They'd presumably left without a word, and the pirates scrambled aboard their ship, just in case any unpleasant ones decided to show up.
"So? What's this mysterious reward that you want?" Nami asked for what seemed like the tenth time. Her curiosity was eating away at her, and she could tell that the rest of the crew was just as eager to learn what the reward was.
Luffy grinned at all of the expectant faces of his nakama. He took a deep breath before shouting, "I want a new room on the Sunny!"
There was a stunned chorus of "What?!"
"Why?" Nami demanded with her hands on her hips. Him asking for a new room hadn't occurred to her at all. "What for?"
"The baby!" He declared like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Eh?!"
Chopper was in front of her in a flash, eyes wide. "Nami, are you—"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" She grouched, an enraged flush spreading across her cheeks. "It's impossible!" Her sharp gaze cut over to her captain. "And you, don't get ahead of yourself!"
Usopp squinted at her in a manner that was highly unappreciated. "So you two haven't—"
She cut him off with a rough kick to his shin that had him buckling over in pain.
Franky spoke up, his tone completely casual, "I'll start working on it right away."
"What?!" Nami whirled around to gape at the shipwright. "No, I haven't agreed to this!"
"And why do you get to decide?" Zoro drawled, always ready to rebel against her bossy demeanor.
"Because I'm the one in charge of our finances!" She returned hotly.
"Nami," Robin interjected soothingly. "Isn't it about time for you and Luffy to have a designated shared space?"
The navigator blinked once. Twice. "Who says that it's time?!"
Robin's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Well, from our conversation yesterday—"
"I'm going to stop you right there," Nami interrupted with a dark glare. She directed it toward Luffy, who blinked back at her. "Are you okay with this, Luffy?"
"A room for the baby?"
"Not quite." She ran an agitated hand through her hair. "It…would first be for us…and then eventually…" She couldn't even finish her sentence coherently.
"Oh," Luffy said with a shrug. He grinned. "Sounds like fun!"
"Oh really?" Nami arched an eyebrow and pretended to nonchalantly inspect her fingernails. "That would mean moving out from the men's quarters. Are you okay with that?"
"Eh?! Moving out?!" Clearly, that hadn't occurred to him at all. "I don't wanna move out!"
"See?" The navigator smirked victoriously at the rest of their nakama. "We don't need a room after all."
"Do I really have to move out?" Luffy demanded with a pout. "I still wanna be with the guys!"
Nami clicked her tongue. "Well, I'm not going to authorize the creation of a new room if it won't be used."
The captain seemed to grow strangely pensive as he stared hard at her. "Are you okay with moving out?"
It was a challenge. She pursed her lips, weighing her options. "I am if you are."
"Why are they making such a big deal out of this? We'll still be on the same ship," Usopp whispered loudly to Franky, who shrugged in response.
"Okay," Luffy concluded with a nod. He turned to the other men, a determined expression on his face. "Sorry guys, I'm moving out!"
Nami's jaw dropped open. He wasn't supposed to change his mind so easily! Robin chuckled.
"Never thought I'd see this day come." Zoro rolled his eye and gave him a mocking salute.
Sanji was bawling on the ground. Usopp, Chopper, and Franky grinned widely. Brook chortled, and Jinbe looked like a proud parent.
"More room for the rest of us!" Usopp cheered in delight. He and Chopper began to prance around.
"Oi!" Luffy protested resentfully. "Shouldn't you guys be sad?!"
"The only sad one here is the shitty cook," Zoro informed scornfully.
"They grow up so fast." Franky wiped away a tear and pumped his fists in the air. "This is super!"
"Oh, how I envy you, Luffy-san," Brook added.
Nami snapped out of her dazed state and abruptly stalked over to Luffy, grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the rest of their crew. "We need to talk."
"I'll start making plans!" Franky called after them.
"We'll prepare the ship to set sail," Jinbe offered helpfully.
She threw open the door to the aquarium bar and tugged him in after her. As the door swung shut, she released his hand and spun around to face him, her anger bubbling. "What was that, Luffy?!"
He was preoccupied with his own thoughts. "Oi, Nami, why was Usopp wearing my hat yesterday?"
"I—what?" She stared him in bemusement, her ire temporarily forgotten.
"I gave it to you." The implications were loud and clear; she shouldn't have given the hat to anyone else.
Nami fidgeted under his piercing gaze. "I know, and I'm sorry…I ended up passing it to Usopp because Smoker kept staring at me." She exhaled a little nervously. "Do you think he knows?"
"Smokey?" Luffy raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah he knows." When he noticed her immediately tense, he attempted to amend with, "But don't worry, he won't tell anyone!"
"Did you tell him?!" She hurled at him, taking a threatening step forward.
"No!" He quickly retreated to the other side of the room, putting a safe amount of distance between them. "He just figured it out somehow!"
She regarded him with narrowed eyes, her jaw clenching as she pondered her next move. He recognized that he needed to change the topic. Fast.
"Nami, what do I call you?"
That threw her off perfectly. Confusion flitted over her face.
He grinned triumphantly and plopped down onto the cushions, scratching his nose. "You're not just my navigator." He angled his body to watch the fish swim about in the surrounding tank. "There's something more."
She was silent for a few moments, merely observing him as the tension gradually dissipated. Then she slowly approached him with a smirk pulling at her lips. "Oh, so you want to talk about labels now, hm?"
He tilted his head and glanced at her. "Are you my woman?"
She blinked at him, momentarily stunned by his abrupt question. She had to admit that she absolutely adored hearing him call her his. The possessiveness combined with his earnest gaze made her melt. Trying her best to keep her head on straight and ignore the warm and fuzzy feeling inside, she planted her hands on her hips and raised an inquisitive brow. "Is that how you see it?"
Luffy pursed his lips, his eyes shifty. "Dunno, but you're mine, right?"
She smiled softly and situated herself on his lap, bringing her legs to one side and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Of course. You're the only one for me, Luffy." She pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth and peered up at him from under her lashes. "And just to be clear, I don't share what's mine."
His response was a winning smile. "That's good, cuz I don't either!" He settled one hand on her thigh and the other around her waist. "So do I call you my woman?"
"That's…" She trailed off, biting her lip in thought as her cheeks colored. "Not bad. But I prefer something more meaningful. Like…girlfriend?"
He frowned at her. "That doesn't sound right either."
She returned his frown. "Then do you have other ideas?" She paused. "We can just keep it as partners for simplicity—"
"Queen," he interrupted brusquely with conviction. "You can be my queen."
Her breath hitched in her throat, and she stared at him in awe. It took her a few moments to remember how to speak, and she sounded breathless even to her own ears. "Luffy, that's…"
"Without the marriage part though," he quickly added.
She snorted lightly at that. "I can't help wondering why you're so opposed to marriage."
"It's unnecessary," he said bluntly.
"You're right, it's unnecessary for some people," she conceded. "But others may choose to marry for love, among other reasons. It's a commitment to spend the rest of their lives together."
His gaze was intense and unwavering. "You don't need to get married for that."
She wondered if his vehement stance against marriage had to do with the concept of freedom. Perhaps his fundamental beliefs led to the view that binding yourself to another person for life was a form of restraint. But if it was with the right person…
Nami gave in to the compelling urge to avert her eyes. "It's really up to the two people in a relationship to decide whether marriage is important to them."
Luffy's hand was on her face then, tilting her chin to force her eyes up. "Is it important to you?"
Her lips parted in surprise. She'd never really entertained the idea of getting married, so it had been easy to joke that she wouldn't marry him. She hadn't really thought about anything besides having a child when she committed herself to a relationship with Luffy, so now that he was directly asking her if marriage was important to her…she didn't have a clear answer. The fact that it wasn't an outright "no" scared her a little. "I'm not sure," she answered truthfully. "It's something I'll have to think about."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable, but she nonetheless hastened to change the subject. "Back to what I was saying earlier—why didn't you tell me that you wanted a new room?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise," Luffy said simply, returning his hand to rest on her thigh. "And it's also something everyone has to agree on."
"Still, I would've liked to know in advance," she replied with a sniff. "You should talk to me about these things first." She paused, then added cheekily, "Queen's orders."
He laughed at that and gave her thigh a small squeeze. "But it's fine now, right? We're getting a new room!"
"Our room," she added and wrinkled her nose. "That sounds strange."
Just yesterday, she'd mentioned the construction of an additional room to Robin as a passing thought. She couldn't believe that Luffy had the same thoughts, although for different reasons, and that it was actually becoming a reality now. It was surreal, and she honestly had no idea if this was the right step to take at this time, but to hell with it. Her heart soared at the prospect of sharing a bed with him and waking up in his arms.
"Gotta warm it up for the baby!" He declared proudly, ripping her away from her dreamy thoughts.
Nami barely restrained herself from hitting him. "What baby?!"
"Soon," he said with a self-assured grin.
"Confident, aren't you?" She quipped, grabbing the front of his vest with no real malice. Her fingers shifted to trail teasingly over his bare chest, and she was elated when he stiffened under her touch.
"Yep." His eyes darkened and his hands around her tightened. Right on cue.
She rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "Shut up and kiss me, you idiot."
His mouth was on hers then, and she sighed in contentment and allowed her hand to drift lower. He inhaled sharply and mumbled distractedly, "Can you…do the thing you did last time?"
Humming in approval, she pulled back slightly to give him a sultry look. "Who am I to deny my Pirate King?"
He clearly liked the sound of that, as his only response was to close the distance between them. Smiling against his lips, Nami decided then that she could definitely get used to being his queen. In the non-married sense, of course.
Back on the decks, Robin mentally patted herself on the back for suggesting the idea of a new room to Luffy a few days ago. Things were progressing splendidly.
~To Be Continued~
End Notes: Don't mess with Robin because she's always at least ten steps ahead. I had a really fun time writing this chapter, which is another long one at over 9k words, and I hope you guys had fun reading it as well. Special shout-outs to Telemma Hyelle (on FF) and Reachfan2 (on AO3) for their suggestions that brought the crew back to Little Garden and resulted in an encounter with Smoker. I really think that Smoker will continue treating the Straw Hats as the exception to the rules. I have no idea if Dorry and Brogy will even still be on Little Garden by the end of One Piece, but that's what I decided to go with in this fic. Here's to 1000 chapters of Oda's masterpiece and many more!
On a different note, I unfortunately have to share that my next update will take a little longer, as life is ramping up again. But I will definitely continue to write, as writing this has been a joyful and even therapeutic experience. I recently created a Tumblr (claudi-skies-writes) in an attempt to connect with others in this fandom, so feel free to pester me about the next chapter there or even just say hi. Thanks for reading as always, and I also want to let my guest reviewers know that I really appreciate you all! Until next time! :)