A/N: There are a lot more chapters for Alabasta Arc. I'm excited to write it.

For new readers, welcome. I have confidence in my plot weaving but not in my grammar and sentence structure. I'm looking for a beta but haven't got the chance to find one yet. I'll re-read and correct mistakes in chapters from time to time...

Chapter 11: Luffy's Navigator

'Luffy's attacks are efficient. They don't miss and I can barely hit him. When I do hit him my Armament Haki is weaker than it usually is, being less effective in bypassing Luffy's devil fruit. Luffy's devil fruit allows him to tank so much damage. At this rate…' thought Ace. His brother's Observation Haki… Does it allow him to see the future!? Ace was also weakened by the Conqueror's aura Luffy is emitting… As much as Ace hate to admit it, Luffy was about to win his first victory against him.

"Gomu gomu no…" Luffy prepared his attack as he inflated his arms for a Grizzly Magnum, only for the arms to lose its Armament Haki and deflate immediately. Luffy flew into the air as air escaped from his mouth, turning into his Chibi form. Due to regaining his Armament Haki only recently and not having months of training, even using his Armament Haki alongside Gear Third and Gear Second exhausted him, similar to how he had been exhausted after using Gear Fourth when he fought Doflamingo in Dressrosa in the previous timeline. He needed time before he can use his Haki again.

The rain slowly subsided and the sky became clear again.

"Luffy?" Ace extinguished the fire barrier he had erupted and ran over to Luffy.

"Damnit, I needed just a little bit more time!"

"So you were pushing your body to its limits…" said Ace to himself loudly. Luffy's Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki was top notch. He had a mastery over them more than most people in the New World he had fought or seen their fights. However, his Armament Haki was… out of place.

"*pant*I can't explain how I travelled back in time, there was a magic explanation behind it, but I forgot. Shishishi. But I do know that this body, is the same one I used to have in this time. It needs more conditioning!"

"Bwaghaha! Looks like this a draw, Luffy. Your handicap is funny! You look even smaller than when we first met!" Like hell would Ace admit he was about to lose.

Turning serious, Ace came to a decision. "Very well Luffy, you've convinced me to hold off my pursue of Blackbeard. If Blackbeard is even stronger than you are now, then I need to warn the other Commanders who are also hunting down Blackbeard in the other parts of the Grand Line. I'll be returning to Whitebeard to relay what you've told me, Luffy."

"Great! Shishishi."

"Let's get you back to your ship." Luffy turned back to his normal size as Ace lifted him to his back.

"Hey, Ace. I need to ask a favour from you," asked Luffy as the two were on the way to the ship

"Yeah?"

Ace jumped aboard the Going Merry, carrying Luffy on his back. Luffy was slumped and looked weak. His eyes barely opening and his face a bit roughed up.

"Hey, Nami." Luffy greeted weakly.

"Don't just hey me after what happened! Do you think I didn't see you two fighting! There's barely a coast cliff anymore!"

"I apologize on the behalf of myself and my brother. It won't happen again." Ace politely bowed after he slowly lowered Luffy and laid him down onto the deck of the ship.

He continued his explanation, "We got into a duel over a matter, but it is resolved. Luffy exhausted himself from going all out with his power."

"Shishishi. It's been a while since I'm spent like this," said Luffy with a wide grin on his face.

Ace jumped on the railings of Going Merry, ready to jump down and depart on his special fire-powered boat.

"See you soon, Luffy!" With that, Ace departed and was soon no longer in their sight.

"You've got burns on your hands and elbows!" Nami noticed them immediately. Laying where Ace left him, Luffy lifted his hands and confirmed it for Nami. Nami sprinted into Chopper's corner in the lounge/kitchen, fetching medical supplies there.

"Thank you, Nami." said Luffy as their hands touched when Nami held his hands up to apply salves for burns.

"Baka Captain, looking for a fight when we already have a Shichibukai to worry about…" she quietly puffed. Putting aside the salves, Nami took out the bandages.

"Shishishi, I'm sorry Nami! I really mean to only talk with Ace." Nami finished wrapping Luffy's arms with the bandages.

She gave a small smile to Luffy. "But that's what I like about you, too. So independent from common sense, breaking all kinds of expectations I have had." Nami helped Luffy sit up.

Luffy was the first person Nami felt that she could trust to watch her back without her constantly looking over the shoulders. She wasn't used to this feeling of security, having been alone stealing from pirates and attempting assassinations of Arlong for 8 years. Before, she had to constantly plot her next plan of actions, getting every important information beforehand. Getting back, Nami shook her head as she focused on the matter at hand. They had to sail to Rainbase as soon as possible. She should help Luffy recover back his energy and get Merry moving.

Hugging Luffy from behind, she lifted him off the ground, intent on letting him rest in a comfortable bed. She barely managed to, as Luffy's feet still touched the ground and dragged across the deck as Nami pulled Luffy into the men's room. Securing Luffy on the Sofa, Nami went out to the main deck, climbed the main Mast and released the sail.

Climbing back down, Nami jogged to the Anchor room and pushed the capstan to lift the anchors. Now that the anchors were up, Nami hurriedly ran to the Lounge/Kitchen, where she pushed the steering pole to adjust the ship's course.

Nami let herself breathe, wiping the sweat on her forehead. Manning a ship by oneself was a challenge, but still doable. Her memories took her back to Baratie restaurant when she manned Going Merry by herself to Cocoyashi Village. She remembered Luffy taking responsibility for deflecting a cannonball, despite having the chance to completely shift the blame to the marines. Beforehand, Luffy was just honest and good-natured to her, but after observing Luffy taking responsibility and not looking to make excuses at all, he had her confidence of someone she could rely on. It gave her the impression that Luffy wasn't a happy-go-lucky and go flow with the flow kind of person, that Luffy takes matter into his hands when he needs to.

Shaking her head again, Nami wondered why this is bothering her. She had complete trust in Luffy after Arlong Park. It had been some time after they had departed from Cocoyashi Village but Nami remembered it like it was yesterday. She remembered feeling absolute despair as that mouse-faced marine took away eight years of her hard work. Arlong never planned to keep his word and let her buy Cocoyashi Village. She had asked the Straw Hats to leave to protect them from the Fishman Pirates. She didn't want them to get involved, she had a plan. A plan that failed miserably. Feeling darkness surround her as the villagers marched towards their death Arlong Park, Nami cried and clung to the only ray of light that stayed lit. The ray of light that she had refused help from only moments before.

What would happen in a world where Luffy took her words at face value and actually left her to her own problems alone? If she marched to Arlong Park and fought Arlong together, she would probably be kept alive while the others were killed, as Arlong seemed so intent in keeping her alive to use her. She would have committed suicide then.

But Luffy didn't leave. Her family, the Straw Hats, didn't leave. They respected her wishes and didn't interfere until she asked them to, desperately after Arlong had crushed her plan. Luffy saw through her… Nami wondered if Luffy has a sixth sense that told him that she needed help.

Nami saw the ship was steadily picked up the by wind, and thus adjusted the pole so that Merry sailed along the coastline. They'll get to Rainbase soon enough.

Confident that the ship was on course, Nami peaked into the men's room. Luffy was still on the sofa, resting. Good.

Satisfied seeing Luffy, Nami returned to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Meat is basic sustenance and our body gets healthier after consuming good food, but Luffy seems to take it to another level and re-energise so rapidly with meat. Perhaps his rubber body was the reason.

She opened the drawer and pulled out a kitchen knife. She wasn't a cook like Sanji, but she didn't survive alone for years without knowing how to prepare a basic meal. Plus, the fish in the fridge was already safely cleaned and filleted by Sanji.

Putting down the knife, Nami went out to the check and checked the ship's course. Hmm… she might have to adjust the rudder a bit to port. She went back into the lounge and corrected the ship's course.

Going back to the kitchen part of the room, Nami seasoned the fish before placing them on a frying pan, grilling the fish.

As she waited for the fish to cook, Nami took a glance at the dining table which was also used as the meeting room. Perhaps this was the source of her worry. Nami usually only trusted someone after getting to know them herself, instead of relying on someone else's trust. She didn't know Robin; thus, she couldn't bring herself to trust her. But she trusted Luffy, who somehow trusted Robin. Because of this, Nami felt out of depth, unsure.

"Luffy… Can I ask you something?" asked Nami as Luffy finished devouring five of the six plates of fish Nami prepared. He had come to the kitchen himself just before Nami finished grilling the fish. It seemed like Luffy was well on his way back to full energy.

"Sure, but lemme first tell you that fish was delicious! Shishishi!"

"Luffy…" Luffy turned serious as he heard Nami's tone of voice.

"When we were at Arlong Park… why did you stay despite me telling you to leave?"

Arlong Park. That was years ago for Luffy. He travelled back in this timeline and arrived at Logue Town, which was the point in time that was the prologue of their journey in the Grand Line. But he remembered it well. How could he not when he was so mad at Arlong for making his navigator Nami cry and suffer.

"It was your laughter, Nami. I can tell whether someone's laugh, cry or anger is real. You were really enjoying your time with us after we met at Orange Town. Our time laughing together in Going Merry and on islands looking for treasure and adventure was real. Your words and actions at Cocoyashi didn't make sense."

Nami closed her mouth as she did remember being her true self, letting her guard down on the Going Merry with Luffy and Zoro.

"Did you come to trust Robin the same way?" Nami asked. She needed to know this to trust Robin.

It was a simple question from Nami. She wanted to clear things up on the matter with Miss All Sunday. She did protest against trusting her. Yet for Luffy it would a complex answer. His brain was hurting thinking about it. A simple answer would have been yes. Luffy did come to trust to Robin this way. While Luffy can also generally feel whether someone is good-natured or ill-natured, it was Robin's cry and laughter in the previous timeline that gave Luffy the impression that Robin wasn't a bad person.

Flashback

Luffy's eyes fluttered open as he pushed himself one last time to escape from the crumbling ruin underneath the palace of Alubarna. He had just finished Crocodile off.

"I don't really understand. Why did you come here?" Luffy heard Vivi's father ask. It would seem the other end of the question would be Robin that had rescued him when he was near death's door twice. Once in Rainbase, and just now.

"Hoping and expecting are two different matters. I had always been looking for the true history. Scattered around the world, there is only one amongst the many… The Poneglyph that tells the true history. The one 'True History Stone'."

"What is this true history?"

"Forget it. It's been 20 years since I started searching for it. Here lies my last hope, yet it was nothing more than another failure."

"…"

"Even if I die down here, it was inevitable. I'm tired of this kind of life. All I wanted to know was 'History'. But my dream… has too many enemies." Robin's tears were real. Luffy could feel it.

It was getting worse. At this rate, all three of them would be crushed to death. Luffy stood up and picked up both Robin and Vivi's father. They were surprised he was up and still strong enough to carry them both. Robin was more surprised that he decided to save her as well.

Flashback ends

Robin's tears, giving up to despair was real. Later Luffy came to realise Robin was enjoying her time with the crew, which made her declaration that she wants to die at the Tower of Justice in Enies Lobby so out of place. It didn't make sense.

If it was a simple answer, then yes would be the correct answer to Nami's question. But Nami wasn't referring to his trust in Robin during the Enies Lobby fiasco or when she asked to join the crew at the of Alabasta in the previous timeline. She was referring to his trust in this timeline. In this timeline, Luffy had trusted Robin because she was a Nakama. Because she was already a Straw Hat, in Luffy's eyes, even though Robin did not join the crew yet.

Luffy doesn't see any reason to lie or deflect Nami's question. He could tell the answer to the question was important to Nami. She's asking a question about trust. He doesn't like doing things to others that he doesn't like being done to himself. He doesn't lie except if to cover for a friend, which he did for Ace and Sabo. He was bad at it, too. But telling the real reason will also imply to Nami that he was from the future. Should he tell Nami the answer he wanted to say? What effect could happen if he did tell Nami this early that he was from the future? His head hurt thinking about what could happen.

He travelled back in time to buy more time for all of them. But before he made the jump, all his crew had imparted advice to him. Each and every one of them had given their counsel of what Luffy should watch out for.

Flashback

Zoro had put his right hand on Luffy's left shoulder. Luffy felt Zoro gaze at him with his lone right eye.

"Luffy. Things are going to be different than they were when we first went through our adventure in the Grand Line. Sometimes, when you have to make a choice and you don't know what your actions will bring, leave it to fate."

Flashback ends

"Nami, I trusted Robin because she will become our Nakama in the future." It took Nami ten seconds before she responded, her mouth and eyes wide at what she heard.

Rainbase

Crocodile eyed a swimming Bananadile as he stood in front of the thick glass of his underwater base. Clenching his teeth, Crocodile wondered where the hell was Miss All Sunday. According to the schedule she was supposed to have returned at the latest yesterday. Were there any complications in her task to deliver instructions to the billions in Nanohana and call all the officer agents to convene in Spider's Cafe and come meet him here in Rainbase?

Purupurupur- Kachak

The call was quickly picked up by Crocodile.

"Report."

It was Miss All Sunday's voice on the other end. Not that it wasn't expected, since that line was only reserved for her, "I'm on my way to Rainbase. I've given the instructions to the billions and summoned the officer agents that I could, but there is a problem. Mr.2 is unreachable. I've tracked down his ship and found them in Nanohana. Only Mr.2's crew were there. They told me Mr.2 was stolen by another pirate crew that defeated them in a Davy Back Fight."

Crocodile gritted his teeth and his expression morphed, anger clearly surfacing on his face. That fool! Operation Utopia is on schedule to start soon!

Miss All Sunday continued her report, "I spent a lot of time looking for this pirate crew they described, to get Mr.2 back. But it was taking too long, so I'm now on my way back to Rainbase for the meeting with the officer agent."

"Good. I'll make improvisation and relay the orders to the billions in Nanohana myself using the Lizard Runners."

What Crocodile didn't notice was an information Miss All Sunday conveniently skipped. She did meet the pirate crew that the Mr.2's crew described. The Straw Hat Pirates. Miss All Sunday was extremely surprised after she came across that information, but it provided her with this convenient excuse of being late to Rainbase.

Spider Cafe

"Long Trip! Tired! Hip! Hurts! Hiphurts! And it's all your fault, Mr. 4, Duh!" complained Miss Merry Christmas as she and her partner Mr.4 entered the empty Spider Cafe. It was their usual stop in between missions. Miss Merry Christmas was a stout, middle-aged woman with red hair and Christmas tree-like tie.

"I'm sssssooooorrrrrrryyyyyyy" was the reply that came. The simple apology was exactly four seconds long. Mr.4's snail-paced talk was such a congruence to his appearance. Large and bulky, carrying a huge bat behind his back, Mr.4 might have been called a turtle a lot by his peers.

"Yeah yeah yeah yeah. How's business, Paula? Your place looks empty today. Empty. Empty Place. Duh! Duh!"

"This place is reserved for you guys today." The owner of the cafe, Paula replied. She was also Miss Doublefinger, or Miss New Year if one understood the Doublefinger nickname.

Unbeknownst to them, a figure was sneaking under the windows of the cafe, listening to their conversation. It was Mr.3, a defeated officer agent trying to regain his favour back. Mr.3 was defeated soundly at Little Garden by Roronoa Zoro of the Straw Hat pirates.

"Ah, it's nighttime now…" Paula commented. Miss All Sunday instructed her to guide the other three officer agent to Rainbase, where they would meet up with Mr.0 for a final operation. Why was Mr.2 not included though?

"Everyone is late! Late! Late! Mr.2 and the Mr.1 pair are still not here! Duh!" Just as Miss Merry Christmas said that, Mr.1 came through the door. With razor-thin hair, Mr.1's walk seems to emit a sound effect of a metal screech.

"It's 8 o'clock. All the agents that will be here are here already." Paula started as she took off her glasses and changed to her agent outfit.

"Paula, you are Miss Doublefinger!?"

"Hahaha, do you remember me saying I wasn't?"

"Tch. You're right. But where is Mr.2! Duh!"

"Miss All Sunday informed me Mr.2 has gone out of contact. We're going to Rainbase, the city of dreams. The man we call boss, the one who never showed his face… is waiting there." The four agents climb aboard the Baroque Works Officer Agents Amphibious Transport Turtle, Banchi. They did not notice a fifth person tagging along on their transport.

"Luffy, that makes so much sense why you're so much matured when we entered the Grand Line!" Nami shook Luffy as she held him on the shoulders.

"Whaddya mean, you make it sound like I'm an old man from when I travelled from. It was just three years ahead!"

"Luffy, I bet in the previous timeline you would have screamed ADVENTURE and slingshot yourself to an island as soon as we see one. But… Just three years is needed to get you this level-headed huh?"

"Shishishi you're right, in Little Garden, I did leave to stroll around first last time! But I got to show you, Usopp and Tashigi around this time!"

"So Luffy… Robin joined us after we helped Vivi save Alabasta?"

"Yes, Robin was only working with Crocodile because she wanted the read a Poneglyph underneath the Palace in Alubarna."

"and that was her deal with Vivi! Is everything she told us true?"

"Yes. Something changed though. Robin never approached us in Nanohana last time. After we met her in Whiskey Peak, we only saw her next at Rainbase with Crocodile. You guys went to Alubarna, I did battle with Crocodile, Robin saved me, then we went to-" Luffy said. His last sentence was blurted out pretty fast.

Nami interrupted Luffy since she wasn't able to catch up with the sequence of events Luffy is describing so fast. "Hold on Luffy, you can tell me slowly what happened… Did all of us went to Rainbase last time?"

"Yes… We went to Yuta first, since Vivi didn't know the rebel base moved to Kako-whatsit."

"Yuba and Katorea, Luffy."

"Yes. We had to cross the desert on foot for days to go to Yuba. There was this kind old man that gave us water he dug himself for days!"

"Then I guess we went straight to Rainbase for Crocodile because Katorea was so far away from Yuba?"

"Yep. Similarly like this time, Vivi was hesitant on confronting Crocodile, but defeating Crocodile was the only way to stop this rebellion. We went to Rainbase only to find out Crocodile had already sparked the rebels to siege Alubarna."

"Oh my god, it turned into a full-scale war!?"

"Yeah. I held Crocodile back and you guys all hopped onto this giant crab and went to Alubarna to stop the war. Crocodile got me good that time though. It was a complete defeat and I was left to die, but Robin turned back sneakily and saved me before she and Crocodile departed to Alubarna as well."

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Luffy…"

"It's okay, Nami. I'm sure you'll love her when you get to know her. You two were very close, being the only two female crewmates until more joined us much much later!"

"Koala, are you there?" The newly christened blonde second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army asked as he knocked on the door of his fellow revolutionary army member.

"Yes! Yes, I'm here, Wait a moment." After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal Koala who greeted Sabo at the door.

"Dragon-san got us a mission," said Sabo after he returned her greeting.

"Another one? You just returned from one, didn't you!" Koala looked for Sabo yesterday, only to find out Sabo went out on a reconnaissance mission.

"It's a stockpile mission this time. Dragon said he had a trusted source promising him funds for the revolutionary army."

"Did he say who it was?"

"He said it was family."

"Ooo. Interesting. Dragon never mentioned having a family before!"

"Yeah, what was more curious to me is that Dragon-san mentioned that this person named me specifically to collect it."

"Just us two?" Koala secretly hoped it was.

"I'm gonna go fetch Hack-san as well. It's a three-man mission."

"Owh." The tone of Koala's voice pummelled down, disappointed it wasn't a two-man mission.

"Where is the rendezvous point with the contact?"

"Jaya Island."

Chapter ends

Here in this chapter, I'm highlighting the role of Nami.

1. Nami as Luffy's guide. Not just as a Navigator, but also to keep him in line and more brainpower. She is the third smartest person in East Blue. Not sure where I read that. (1st is Benn Beckman and 2nd is Kuro)

2. Nami playing a huge role off the battlefield. I described what she did a lot to picture how hard she is working so many roles at the same time. A chef, a doctor, a helmsman and a Navigator. One Piece is a shonen manga and people who can fight would surely have more fans. Luffy, Zoro and Sanji almost always rank first, second and third as the most popular character according to Jump's pole. But no other Straw Hat is as flexible and versatile as Nami.

3. Nami's theme of trust and bond. I hope the scenes regarding trust above isn't too cringy, or too much drama. Is it? Do you like it?