Chapter 35- Conclusive Decisions
One Piece © Eiichiro Oda
Noppera Spark, Beau-Père, William Henley, Cherry Triangle, Wonderland Island, and the Static-Static Fruit © HatOnFire/Me
The man who laid in his bed got up with a jolt, his heart racing and his body tensing up.
'W-Where am I...?' The fish-man thought, running his head against his forehead, feeling sweat. His breathing was almost irregular, which made sense as his mind went back to the experience he went through.
Arlong remembered how he lost. There was the gun Nami took, her pulling the trigger, and the purple flash that followed soon after.
"I ask that you relax," Noppera Spark murmured from the background, standing next to a human medic. "You were given quite an unusual beating, after all."
"Noppera...?" Arlong blinked, noticing a few bandages obscuring his bruises. "You... Brought me here...?"
"Don't try to thank me," Noppera bluntly spoke, "Those bruises were your own fault, and I would never have attempted to rescue you if I weren't getting paid."
"Yes, yes, of course..." The saw-nosed pirate still tried taking in his surroundings, seeing he was in an infirmary. A few doctors were finishing up with writing whatever notes they had. "Why are these humans here? Did they treat me?"
"Indeed. We are aboard the ship of my client. He's the one who hired me to break you out."
"Some measly human paid you?"
"You don't need to speak to me in that fashion, Arlong," A man of no nonsense interrupted while closing the door, "I'm hardly 'measly,' as you eloquently put it."
"Who are you?" Arlong questioned, "What do you want?"
"Considering we might encounter Straw Hat Luffy in the future, whether separate or not," The human approached the bed, "An alliance would be a thoughtful plan."
The man had black hair slicked back, with round glasses doing little to make him appear less dangerous. He wore a black suit with a black tie, black pants, and black and white striped shoes. He even had a black captain's jacked draped over his shoulders.
"This is Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates," The jellyfish merman answered on his behalf, "And he has a proposition for you."
KURO. MAN OF A THOUSAND PLANS. CAPTAIN OF THE BLACK CAT PIRATES.
BOUNTY: 16,000,000 Berries.
"If you're interested, of course," Kuro added, his glasses slightly moving down from his face. He readjusted them with one of his palms, and not with his fingers.
"Why would I be interested in working with a human?" Arlong growled, almost getting out of bed. "I would've gotten myself out."
"Yes, I'm sure you would've," Kuro remarked without smiling, "And I'll have you know you weren't my first choice for a partnership. But you're one of the few who I feel can assist me."
"And again, why?"
"Are you familiar with the Ryugu Kingdom?"
"The royal kingdom of Fish-Man Island...?" The sawshark fish-man pondered over the inquiry, "What do you want with them? You don't seek to harm them, do you?"
"If it's necessary to depose them, I would," Kuro stated, "But if my plan works out as I hoped, it won't have to come to that."
'Although, even in the most perfect scenario,' He thought, 'This will cut it close. A gambit such as this will cost me as it would benefit me.'
"I'm through now, captain," Noppera intruded on the mastermind's reflections, "Pay me and I'll go. Remember that I don't work for free."
"Of course," The man in black motioned to a table with a sack on it, grabbing it by the neck. He opened it up, revealing some coins and jewels in it. "I will offer you more when I have need of your services again."
"What you want from me is clear," Noppera grabbed the sack immediately, not wasting time in attempting to leave. "But I have no interest is overthrowing His Majesty and frightening the people of my home."
"Not even for the treasures that lie in the kingdom walls?"
"A desire for the incomprehensible element may come with an abrupt end," The mercenary muttered, "Abandon your fantastic mission now, and you might survive."
"I don't understand where you're getting at, human," Arlong couldn't wrap his mind around what he was hearing, "You have to be stupid to mess with that kingdom, with a certain warlord around. And from what I heard, it's part of Whitebeard's territory."
"But the risk will be worth it for us both," Kuro replied as Noppera left the room with his money, "We will gain great wealth and the strength of a superior race of warriors. All I require is your partnership and a few essential items."
"And what will I get from this?" Arlong crossed his arms, paying attention to his words.
"You will get what you desire: a chance to show the world the might of the fish-man race."
"Do you realize what you're asking of me? You're telling me to recruit an army that could subjugate the humans, and you know I care little about your kind."
"I care not as well," Kuro smirked like the snake he was inside, "Most of them are spineless weaklings or brainless simpletons. I have no remorse allowing you to do as you please to them."
"Oh, is that so?" Arlong raised an eyebrow with a sneer, "You're willing to sell out other humans for our partnership?"
"I take it you accept my offer?"
"...We have an accord, partner," Arlong stood up from his bed, sealing the deal with a handshake with Kuro. While he was partially repulsed that the human would throw away his own kind like that, he was more amused than disgusted, so he didn't question it. He never did like the human race anyhow. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you plan to take Fish-Man Island, without harming my brothers and sisters?"
"Allow me to answer that question with a question," Kuro slightly chuckled, "What do you know of islands in the sky?"
XXX
"And... done."
Putting down the pen with a sigh, Nami checked the time, knowing that the hour is getting late.
'Sanji would be cooking right about now,' She shook her head, looking back on her work. 'He's likely discouraged by everything.'
Nami knew that the others felt this way as well. Being talked down by Luffy, justifiably, had worsened the attitude of everyone else aboard. Some of the crew was frustrated with themselves, others were driven to tears, and once again, she felt so defeated.
'There's nothing left to do,' The navigator thought, 'It's done. Everything.'
"Not quite, Nami," A voice spoke, causing Nami to stand up, almost suddenly knocking the chair over.
"What in the...?!" She questioned, seeing her mother surrounded by a glowing light. "Belle-Mère?!"
"You just saw me yesterday, Nami," Belle-Mère's ghost smirked, "Why so surprised?"
"Y-You... What... Why are you here?!" She kept stammering, clearly bewildered. "Are you just a figment of my imagination?!"
"Was I a figment when you were trying to kick that sawshark's ass back to the sea?"
"S-So... You were there!"
"Uh-huh."
"B-Belle-Mère...!" Nami teared up with a smile, running to hug her.
"Wait, Nami...!" The deceased tried to say something to stop her, but even she got taken off guard when Nami pulled her in an embrace. "H-Huh... I-I guess I can be touched. I didn't think that could happen... Since I'm dead."
"I-I didn't think I'd ever see you again...!" Nami sniffed as her mother returned the affection.
"I didn't think you could hug me again. Shows what I know."
Belle-Mère chuckled as though she was told a very creative joke. While she wished this moment could last for a long time, she remembered why she was here.
"How come you're here?" Nami questioned, wanting to know how and why she was able to talk to her and hold her, for that matter.
"I couldn't tell ya," Belle-Mère shrugged, "But why I'm here? It's 'cause I was summoned to talk with you."
"Really?"
"It's about your boyfriend," Belle-Mère stated without tact.
"B-B-BOYFRIEND?!" The navigator cried out, her face turning red in one second flat.
"Eh, captain or boyfriend, there isn't much of a difference with you, I think."
"H-Hold on a second!" Nami was getting embarrassed, "Luffy's not my boyfriend!"
"You're on a first-name basis, right?" The ghost wondered teasingly.
"That's not the point!"
"Yeah, you're right," Belle-Mère became a little serious, despite smiling. "Your captain is still moody."
"Huh?" The redheaded girl blinked, realizing the slight change of subject. "Yes, he is. What about it?"
"What about it?" Belle-Mère repeated, "Nami, I came here because I was told this kid is dejected and that you have to help him."
"Me, help him?" Nami sighed, "Sorry, but I can't help."
"Don't do this to me," Belle-Mère frowned, intently gazing at Nami's medical eye patch. "You're the only one who'll get him to listen. He didn't mean to hit you there."
'I wish he didn't, but there's nothing I can do about it,' She thought.
"I'll just make it worse, even if I do want to talk to him," Nami walked away from her mother for a moment, looking at her cartographer's desk. "Things are already bad, in case you haven't noticed."
"I did notice. But there's a chance you can do something about it. You're not so busy anymore."
"But what can I do?" Belle-Mère's youngest daughter solemnly pondered, "He's hurt because of us, forget that he's angry. I've no right to-"
*SMACK!*
"OW!" Nami hissed, rubbing the back of her head. She was smacked there by Belle-Mère on purpose at that.
"Wrong," Her mother verbalized, "There's at least two things you can do."
"Y-You hit me again..." Nami whispered, thinking back to that time.
"Okay, I shouldn't have done that, but still. Your captain continues to blame himself for what's happened."
"Seriously?"
"Yep. He's holding himself accountable for when this whole thing started."
Nami pinched her nose, keeping herself from being totally exasperated.
"I thought we moved on from that..." She mumbled under her breath.
"The part where he thought you didn't believe in him was taken care of," Belle-Mère pointed out, "But the start of the whole thing, that's the real problem, along with this current ordeal."
"Luffy just thinks he has to be responsible as the captain," The navigator concluded, "Even for things beyond his control..."
"Then tell him he isn't. At least tell him that, even if you don't want to admit how you care about him."
"I DO care about him!" Nami shouted, only to double back on her words. "I mean, I can't say that part... I don't-"
"Whether you don't want to say that or not won't always be for you to decide. As long as that feeling is there, it will be revealed no matter what."
"But... That's..."
Nami became nervous, having to inhale and exhale to ask her next question.
"If I tell him that, then what?" She queried, "Will he be happy to know that, or will he be ashamed in me for saying that, thinking I'm lying just to get sympathy?"
"That's up to you, Nami," Belle-Mère replied, "I'm no expert on relationships. In fact, since taking you and Nojiko in, I've grown distant from my own brother."
"Beau-Père?"
Nami realized that Belle-Mère did have a brother, noting her interaction with the Marine commander.
"Don't be too surprised if you don't remember Beau-Père," Her mother told her, "I only mentioned him once or twice, so only Nojiko would remember. I wish I could've gotten him to meet you when I was still..."
"I'm sorry," Nami hugged Belle-Mère again, this time with sorrow and pain on her mind. One look at her, and the dead woman knew what she was trying to apologize for.
"My death wasn't your fault. Just like your sins and actions aren't your captain's fault. You have to tell him that yourself."
"He must think we resent him for telling us how badly we hurt him and how he's keeping us from running out on him. But that's not true."
"You know what to do, my daughter," Belle-Mère smiled proudly, glowing brighter than before. "Live through this. Do so, then you'll find happiness yet. Unless it already found you."
"Belle-Mère..." Nami tightly held her mother, not wanting to let her go. "Mom..."
"I love you, Nami."
"I love you, too."
In a flash of light, Belle-Mère's spirit had disappeared, leaving twinkling particles that went out in a few seconds. Nami was hugging no one else but herself in that moment.
With a sad smile, she had left the library, exiting the way she came in. She crossed over to the other side of the ship, knowing what she had to do. Despite being filled with doubts, this is one loose end that has to be taken care of.
"Luffy?" She called for the captain while moving up to the helm, "Luffy, we need to talk."
"Nami?" Luffy stirred, lifting his hat up and sitting up. He was resting on the figurehead when his name was called.
"Luffy, can I talk to you?" Nami asked, squinting with her visible eye, seeing the sunset shine in front of the Sunny, even with a few large cherry blossom petals descending from the sky.
"What is it?" The dark-haired boy wanted to be alone, making that clear with the tone of his voice.
"You may be the captain," Nami steeled herself, "But that doesn't mean you can just lift the weight of the world on your shoulders."
"Huh?" Luffy got confused, unable to assess his navigator's words properly. "Wait, what are you trying to say?"
"That you shouldn't blame yourself for everything. I know you think it's your fault that we lied to your face, but it's not."
"But it happened because I pushed you to that point," Luffy quietly huffed, "I'm the idiot that forced your hand."
"It was our choice to make, Luffy. That's on us, not you. And we admitted that this doesn't deserve an apology."
"But was the choice I made the right one? I was so angry, and Robin spying on me out of paranoia didn't help much."
"What do you mean by that?" Now the navigator had her turn to be perplexed.
"It's just the timing of it," The captain scratched his head, "I don't think... No, I shouldn't have said those things until later, giving us a chance to calm down and process this. I made a mistake..."
"We all make mistakes," Nami responded, "But this isn't something to beat yourself up over. You didn't lie about the flag, let alone steal it."
"I-I guess not..." Luffy was a little bit bothered by Nami's reasoning, but not in a bad way. He couldn't help but think about that moment so long ago.
Mulling over her own words, Nami began to question what she was telling Luffy.
"Now that we can think about it," She spoke first, "It wasn't your fault that our flag got taken, or ours, to a point. Whatever happened, one of those birds from that bounty hunting group would've taken it anyway.*"
(*A/N: One Piece Anime: Lovely Land/Ice Hunter Arc)
"Oh my God..." The young man facepalmed, having a revelation. "I'm such an idiot! I forgot that those guys were responsible for everything from the start!"
"Even so, that doesn't excuse us for what we did."
"Not entirely, but I thought that-"
"You were at fault?" Nami finished, "You're not. Luffy, it's not good for you to take the blame for any bad thing that happens to other people around you. It's literally teenage angst taken up a notch."
"Heh, yeah," Luffy snickered, "But I am a teenager, seventeen. I forget that a lot."
"With what we all go through, it's not surprising. I forget I'm eighteen, too."
Luffy nodded, feeling better. He and Nami stared out at the horizon, basking in the glow.
...
...
They were like this for a few minutes, until he broke the silence.
"I don't know what to do now," The captain almost agonized over where to go next, "I can't take back what I said. I meant some parts of it, but... Nami, what can I do?"
"I just came here to remind you you're not responsible, that's all," Nami told him a partial truth, not wanting to bring up whatever additional reason she had.
"I-Is that right?" For some reason, Luffy felt relieved, yet glum.
"M-More or less," Even Nami felt the same way, but did her best to not show it.
It grew quiet again, but the awkwardness wouldn't linger for long.
"I should tell the others," He decided, jumping to the helm deck. "I should've waited to say that I can't trust or forgive them. They just saved me. You just saved me."
"And we have only ourselves to blame for causing you grief."
"R-Right..."
Heading for the dining hall, Luffy checked the dorms in case someone wanted to stay away from everybody else.
"Everyone's having dinner, Luffy," Nami told him, having went through the dining hall on the way. She escorted him upstairs and opened the door. "Come on."
The rest of the pirate crew and Henley were sitting at the table, eating ramen soup that Sanji cooked up. Henley was having trouble eating it with the chopsticks he was given, unable to handle them.
"This is a lot harder than it looks..." He mumbled, watching Zoro hold them perfectly as he ate the noodles.
Even Brook was having some trouble with them, his bony fingers practically clashing with the utensils.
Aside from the musician and redheaded hybrid's whispers of frustration, everyone was quietly eating. After the captain's scolding a few hours ago, it was clear no one was willing to speak to each other.
"Oh good, you're here," Sanji looked to his right, seeing Luffy and Nami at the door. "There's ramen at the bar. You can get it and sit wherever you like."
"Thanks, Sanji," The two thanked him, sitting at the table with the others.
"This ship's a little bigger than I remember," Henley noted, looking at some empty seats at the table. Adding the ten of them, that meant there were fourteen seats for the table. "Were those seats always there?"
"Just about," Franky answered, "Why do you ask?"
"I thought the ship felt small, that's all," Henley shrugged.
"We have some additional space on this ship," The cyborg explained, "I even had plans to remodel the crow's nest to have two rooms, just like the observation room with a bath and library.
"Really?" Zoro spoke, almost coming off as uninterested in the exposition.
"Yep. But I thought one room was good enough, so I just forgot about it. Maybe I can add to some space on the ship... Assuming I still have time."
Luffy slurped some of his noodles, feeling troubled over what to say. Whatever he was going to do, he'd do it after he finished his meal.
XXX
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Grand Line...
There was a simple island with tropical trees, grass, and sand. For some odd reason, there was a giant paw print on the sandy coast, taking in some water from the tide. A large figure was scoping out a gigantic raft from a distance.
"Ze-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!" Blackbeard chortled, gulping down an entire bottle of alcohol. "We might as well party all the way to the Marines!"
"To think a guy like Fire Fist would lose to our captain, right?!" Jesus Burgess loudly exclaimed, "Wi-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!"
The Blackbeard Pirates were having another party, apparently the eighth one in a row. They were still celebrating their captain's victory over the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Portgas D. Ace.
"Keep laughing like that, and you're liable to choke on something," Ace spat, chained to the mast. While his body was chained to it, he was also restricted with Sea-Prism Stone cuffs. There was no way for him to escape. "But don't let that stop you. Keep laughing your ass off."
"You really shouldn't be so aggravated with your loss," Van Auger pointed out, somehow unfazed by the events around him. "Fate decides when you die. Your end was coming, it was only a matter of time."
"There's no way I'm going to die because of the likes of you," Ace growled, "When I get out of this, you're all dead."
"You keep saying that," Teach rolled his eyes while munching on cherry pie, "But it's all bark and no bite. I was only going to kill Straw Hat Luffy, not you."
"And I told you I wouldn't allow that!" The shirtless man fired back.
"Ze-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha! You did say that, and I guess you didn't! But you gave me a more valuable life to give away! Yours!"
The captain laughed with Burgess as loud as possible, with Lafitte lightly chuckling, Doc Q coughing, and Auger merely remaining silent.
"Wi-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!" The champion with upper body muscles grabbed a whiskey bottle and poured it down on Ace's head. "It's on me! Have some!"
"You're first on my list, Burgess," Ace grit his teeth, filled with humiliation and rage all at once.
Before anyone else could even say a word, Bartholomew Kuma suddenly appeared in an instant, interrupting the crew's uproarious antics.
"BARTHOLOMEW KUMA?!" The pirates yelled in shock, too late to defend themselves when the Warlord stomped the ground with his feet, entering a sumo stance.
"Thrust Pad Cannon!" He swiftly thrust his arms back and forth with open palms, launching paw-shaped pressure blasts at the crew, knocking them down.
"Why are you here?!" Ace demanded an answer, but Kuma was quiet. He trudged over to Teach, removing a string containing two keys from his neck.
"You bastard...!" The rotund man seethed, "Why did you...!?"
"Do you have a preferred island to go to, Fire Fist Ace?" Kuma ignored Teach, asking the second division commander as he unlocked the chains, partially releasing him.
"You're going to send me away?!" Ace shouted, "But what about Teach?! I can't leave right now! I've got to fight him!"
Just then, Kuma slammed his right hand down on Ace's skull, making him drop to the floor.
"It's pointless if you die right now," The Warlord murmured, unlocking his cuffs as quickly as possible.
"H-Hey!" Burgess growled, dashing at him to strike. "Don't take our prize!"
"Pad Cannon," Kuma simply fired a paw to strike the champion's chest, sending him flying into the ocean. "Don't interfere."
*BANG!*
Van Auger shot for Kuma's face with his rifle, but having seen it coming, Kuma deflected it. And in succession, he jabbed a hand at Ace, who could tell what was happening, but was unable to function. Promptly after that, he disappeared.
Blackbeard got up with the small crew that was with him, and the reality just set in.
Portgas D. Ace was gone, vanished without a trace.
"EEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
In a fit, Blackbeard activated his Devil Fruit, the Dark-Dark Fruit, and a wave of black energy quickly seeped out from his cloak and on the ground he stood on. His hands were coated in the energy as well, and his face became contorted like an angry demon spawn.
"WHAT THE HELL...?!" He bellowed, "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR DAMAGE, KUMA?!"
"I have decided," Kuma spoke to him, "That you cannot be allowed to replace Crocodile."
"W-Was this fated to happen to us?" Doc Q questioned coughing a storm, "Is there a greater purpose to this?"
"This Warlord thinks he can do what he wants because he's stronger...!" Lafitte twitched an eye, smiling all the while. "He should be taught a lesson..."
"NO!" Blackbeard took one step forward, causing the large raft to rumble. "HE'S MINE."
"Such a powerful Devil Fruit," Kuma mused within earshot, "I was right to prevent you from becoming a Warlord. You represent a danger as great as the World Government itself does."
"You want me to tell them that when I bring your barely breathable body to their doorstep?" Teach snarked as Burgess got back aboard, "I think I've got enough power to take you on!"
"You'll only die straining yourself," The paw-palmed cyborg replied.
"It is foolish of me to battle a Warlord, risking the chance of becoming one myself," The stout captain admitted, "But after what you just did, it's not something I can forgive. You've got some nerve, and I wasn't planning on having to deal with you."
"My reasoning has led me to stop you. You do not need to know how I came to such a conclusion."
"If you're gonna be like that, have it your way. Just don't blame me for killing you on accident."
"Target acquired," Kuma murmured, taking his stance, planting his feet firmly on the raft. In return, Blackbeard surrounded himself was a swirling black aura, preparing to attack. This would be one tough battle, even for one of the Seven Warlords...
XXX
"Thank you for a great meal, Sanji," Nami thanked, to which the cook nodded his head in reaction. "Now, Luffy has something he wants to say."
"Y-Yeah..." The captain stood up, having figured out how to proceed.
"If you're going to keep telling us we suck, go ahead," Usopp brought down his head, tired of today.
"N-No, it's not that..." Luffy stated guiltily, letting the others look to him. "I'm not going to take back what I said because I can't. But I wish I could've said all that later instead of in the moment. It's not fair to you after how hard you worked to save me."
The ones Luffy held accountable wore stoic expressions, no longer with any gloom in them.
"Look, I can't change my mind on this, guys. But you were pressured into lying, because of that big guy with the body heat and his group. I think they were a family or something. Anyway, they took the flag and for whatever reasons you had, you hid the truth from me."
"It's no excuse, Luffy," Robin interjected, "We know what we did was wrong and there's nothing we can do to repair the damage."
"Still, I shouldn't have chewed you all out. You were still recovering from your wounds, and all I did was kick you while you were down."
"You said what you had to, Luffy," Zoro shook his head, "I can't blame you for getting mad at us."
"Yeah, none of us can," Franky agreed as the others, minus Chopper, Brook, and Henley, nodded together. Chopper only learned of the secret when the group got afraid of being found out, Brook wasn't part of the crew until after the incident, and while Henley was guilty in some areas, he was never involved with that scenario.
"That's great, but let me say this to you guys..." The black-haired young man told, softly smiling and bowing his head. "Thank you. All of you."
"HUH?!" Everyone except for Nami exclaimed in surprise. Their own captain, who berated them for gravely breaking his faith in them, was actually thanking them after all that happened?
"I know," Luffy kept smiling, "It's strange. At this point, I can't trust most of you and forgiving you is a long shot, even for me. But you're sorry about it, and you went through hell just to save me from myself. I can't let that part go unsaid."
"I-Is that it...?" The sniper rubbed the back of his skull, only a little bashful.
"Pretty much. But this could affect my decision on what to do with you. We'll all just have to see."
"But you're still mad with them, aren't you?" Chopper walked up to Luffy, not quite understanding everything.
"Yeah, but not as much as I should be right now. We may have the right to be angry, but if we stay that way, we may never be able to get anywhere."
"Or we'll blind ourselves into rejecting others," Brook chimed in, "Destroying our relationships beyond repair."
"Weren't you the one who told me that 'a crew that crosses a line with the captain is a crew that shouldn't be trusted?'" Luffy partially recalled, "Or something like that?"
"True," Brook responded, "But I haven't thrown away the alternative. But it's as you say, a long shot."
"I just need a lot of time to get everything right," The straw hat captain checked back with the other members, "None of you are off the hook, but you didn't want to go this far. That's why I'll relent for now, until we get to the next island."
"That would have to be Wonderland Island," Henley mumbled aloud, "But it'll be hard to get there since we got into the Cherry Triangle. There's magnetic interfere in this area, and your Log Pose will go crazy until it straightens up for a bit."
"Robin said the same thing back there,*" Nami nodded, keenly looking at the pose.
(*A/N: OP: Shattered Faith- Chapter 10)
"We'll see what we can do for tomorrow," Luffy affirmed, "And Henley?"
"Yes, sir?" The hybrid slightly perked up.
"Let me say that someday, I'll forgive you," Luffy told, "But I won't forget what you did."
"Oh, right..." Henley ruefully noted.
"Nami, could you come with me, please?"
"Sure, Luffy," Nami did as she was told and followed her captain out the door.
"Usopp?" Chopper questioned, his hat obscuring the look on his face.
"Y-Yes, Chopper?" Usopp felt a little nervous, wondering what else he was going to say.
"I'm sorry I wished for you to die," The doctor uttered, walking over to the infirmary. "I shouldn't have said that."
"I'm sorry I made you think Luffy would kill you if you didn't keep this a secret with us," Usopp acknowledged, "That's on me."
"Yeah..." Chopper didn't show his face, but he was coming close to crying. "But I don't forgive you. Even if Luffy might try to, I won't."
He closed the door before the resident liar could answer back to him.
"We deal with this in our own way," Brook whispered to the long-nosed one, "Chopper might forgive you, but it will take time."
"And I'll never live this down," Usopp clenched his fist, "No one's ever going to forget this, right? That's fine. I've talked out of my ass too much and I've run out of chances."
"We'll see if he'll give us one more chance," Sanji whispered, "But I wouldn't bet on that ever happening."
'This might be for the best,' Robin's face turned sad as she thought so.
'Luffy...' Zoro fiddled with one of his chopsticks, blowing some air out of his mouth.
Franky went silent, pondering what Luffy will do.
Outside on the grassy deck, the captain stopped in front of Nami, turning to face her.
"What is it, Luffy?" Nami asked.
"I, um, still have a few more things I want to get off my chest," Luffy began, "Looking back, I did things that I wasn't proud of. I put you and the others in a lot of danger for thrills, and me being, me, made things worse than they were. I'm sorry for that."
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry," The redheaded girl murmured, "I hurt you. Even people who had no part in my problems were caught in the crossfire. Besides, you're making the right choice in getting rid of us."
"Again, is it right? You made a big mistake, but I've made plenty."
"That doesn't change the fact I let you down more than the others. When you decide to let me go, I'm sure you'll-"
"When?" Luffy blinked, "You mean if! That hasn't been decided yet!"
"How can you be sure you'll be better off with me?" Nami retorted.
"How can you be sure I'll be better off without you?"
The young man with the straw hat rubbed his eyes, feeling drained from Nami's attempts to influence him into firing her.
"Look, I'm not smart," He admitted, "I'm nothing without a navigator. I need you, and you know that."
"Why is this discussion happening?" The navigator crossed her arms, looking away. "I'll end up hurting you again if you keep me in, I just know it."
"I accidentally hurt you, remember?*"
(*A/N: OP: Shattered Faith- Chapter 11)
"...We're both a couple of screwups, aren't we?"
"We're both hypocrites," Luffy let out a dry and humorless guffaw. "We tell each other not to blame ourselves, but we do so anyway. We don't even do what we say we do."
"Yep."
"But I'm the devil's son, so that can't be helped."
"Oh, Luffy," Nami sadly breathed, "I'm so sorry I called you that. I was-"
[BGM: The Sign of Friendship!, One Piece Movie 8: Episode of Arabasta]
"Nami, I'm over it," The Straw Hat pirate calmly told, "You apologized for that already. I was only joking."
"Oh," She murmured, "But we both have... No... I still have things to be sorry for. Like that debt from Drum Island..."
"That's alright. I forgive you for that, too. And for the incidents with Arlong and Shiki."
"W-What?" Nami stuttered a little, "N-No, Luffy, those times were serious. You shouldn't-"
"You believed in me," Luffy smiled, setting his hands on her shoulders, careful not to squeeze them. "You just didn't wanna get me involved with Arlong, and with Shiki, you didn't wanna feel weak. I made the mistake of thinking you didn't trust me for that time."
"And this time, you don't trust me for what happened." Nami mirthlessly laughed at herself, "Karma's a bitch. Just like me."
The captain couldn't find any joy in Nami's self-deprecation, just as she couldn't with his.
"You can be hard to work with sometimes," He mildly spoke, "But we've all been there. It doesn't mean I hate you."
"How can you still tolerate me? Any captain would get rid of me for being who I am."
"I'm not any captain. And I like you."
"W-What?" The navigator questioned, turning beet red from his haphazard statement.
"Uh..." Realizing what he just said, Luffy stuttered a little, until he could come up with something to follow up on that. "Y-Yeah! You were always taking this journey seriously, so I can't blame you for acting this way! Heh heh heh..."
Both of them were looking into each other's eyes, forgetting that they were sweating bullets and their cheeks were getting rose-colored. It would've gone on forever if an action wasn't done.
"H-Hey, N-Nami?"
"W-What is it, L-Luffy?"
Acting on impulse, Luffy pulled Nami in for a hug. He wasn't sure if he was making her feel happy or worse when he did so, but it wouldn't stop him. For the woman who was heavily involved in his rescue, he just had to say or do something, anything!
"Thank you," He whispered in her ear, "For everything."
The redheaded navigator was incredibly shocked from the gesture, even more so by Luffy's voice echoing in her ear. It got to the point she accidentally activated the Static-Static Fruit! She subconsciously allowed static electricity to flow out from her body and engulf the captain and the entire Thousand Sunny! The figurehead of the ship even appeared to be surprised, despite having only one neutral expression!
Everyone was still in the dining room as Chopper was in the infirmary, so they had no idea what was going on. Henley actually tried grabbing the doorknob out, except he received an electrocution the second he attempted to turn it!
"Not again!" He whimpered as he crumpled to the ground.
"THE HELL?!" Everyone except for Robin shouted, their jaws dropping to the floor. Still, she was no less taken aback.
"Eh?" Luffy just noticed the orchid-colored sparks coating him, Nami, and the entire ship. "What the...?"
"Luffy...!" To his own surprise, he didn't notice Nami until she hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his waist. He held her close, grinning like his usual self.
Cherry blossoms larger than life glided around the ship, almost as if they were compelled to avoid touching it.
"I don't want to leave just yet...!" The navigator whispered, her visible eye welling up with tears. "Even if you say I'm out, I can't accept that! There's so much I want to do with you!"
"Give it time..." The captain softened, pulling away to look at her. "A captain needs a navigator, right?"
"Luffy...!" The girl sniffled, "I..."
"I'll forgive you someday. Right now, 'thank you' is good enough for me."
"I should be thanking you..." Nami calmed down with a smile, continuing the embrace and letting her visible eye dry as the static continued crackling around them.
The two remained in place until the static dissipated. While it appeared to be gone, the residual energy lingered throughout the ship, which Nami could sense.
"Hey, did I do that?" She looked around in confusion, separating from him.
"Yep..." Luffy replied.
"Straw Hat!" Franky called out from the kitchen, opening the door. "The runt got electrocuted! You happen to know what caused that?!"
Luffy and Nami looked at each other, with Luffy making a snorting sound in his mouth. It made Nami giggle a little, causing the captain to chuckle. And then, the two of them laughed loudly, confusing the shipwright from above. Still, he grinned all the same.
XXX
Three days later...
"Where am I?" Ace woke up in a paw-shaped crater, looking around him.
Ace took in his surroundings as calmly as he could, seeing a thick jungle with trees, grass, bushes, and occasional pile of mud.
"Great," He sighed, frustrated with himself. "Lost in the middle of nowhere, separated from the only transportation I got, and I'm no closer to avenging Thatch. Damn."
What he didn't know was the kind of island he was stuck. The outer view of the island showed a few rock formations, inferior to the large mountain towering them. That structure had several snake statues carved at the top, with an engraving on the mountain itself. The engraving was in Japanese Kanji, which means...
Kuja.
ONE PIECE: SHATTERED FAITH
END
NEXT TIME ON ONE PIECE:
Luffy: Okay, where's the island?
Henley: In front of us! The one with the gigantic tree at the center!
Zoro: Guess you'll actually decide who stays or who goes, huh?
Luffy: You had to say that...
Nami: This whole Devil Fruit deal is really tough for me. I hope I can learn how to use it better.
Chopper: What do you want?
Henley: I need a doctor to help me with administering this serum.
Brook: A castle?! Behind the island?!
Luffy: Next time, a new story! One Piece: Trouble In Wonderland! I'll be the King of the Pirates!