Chapter 30: Decision.
Nami could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she hurried through the halls of the building, she didn't know why her blood was boiling in her veins and why she felt her heart was stuck in her throat. Her mind was busy finding the words that could express what she was feeling at the moment because she didn't know what was causing the pain in her chest. In addition, she did not know the reason which pushed her to go to meet Corazon and what she was going to talk with him, but what was sure for her was that she wanted to know if the man really knew her mother as Ikkaku said.
With every step she took, Nami became more and more stressed and the thought of coming back to her room was tempting. But the redhead knew that the heavy weight that was aching in her chest would grow if she didn't confront Law, she wanted to relieve herself of everything and also find peace, and to achieve that, the only solution Nami had found was to leave the rotten environment she was living in and that was a difficult thing to do because she couldn't change her life overnight.
When Nami got to her destination, she didn't even knock on the door before throwing it open, she didn't want to waste her time pretending to be polite when she never was before. The two men looked at her strangely, apparently surprised by her sudden eruption.
Examining the room with her eyes, the redhead noticed that Law was lying in his bed and she could see bandages covering his abdomen because he was shirtless. At that moment, she remembered the man had a serious injury and she started to feel bad for him because of what she did to him that morning, she had completely forgotten he was hurt when she hugged him tight.
"You came to give me a hug." Law stated, looking at her in amusement and causing an uncontrollable cough from Corazon.
"No!" She spat as she walked over to the bed, almost making the ground tremble so much she trampled. "I came for him." She added, gesturing with her hand in the direction of the blond.
"Me!" Corazon echoed as his eyes filled with absolute surprise.
"Yes," She asserted before taking a break to think about what she wanted to talk about with the man, unfortunately no idea came to her mind. "Heard you're Corazon, is that true?" She decided to take it slow, wanting to gain more time to think.
"It's me." He replied as a frown formed above his eyes.
"So," She started before clearing her throat, doing her best to keep calm, thinking about her mother always makes her feel nervous. "I heard you know my mom, is that true?" She asked seriously, putting her hands on her hips.
"Yes, I worked with her when she was still a cop." Corazon nodded, speaking cautiously because he felt the subject was sensitive for the woman. He had heard of the gruesome death of Bellemere who was murdered in her house, but he ignored the plight of her adopted daughters until Law sent him Nami's file during his mission in East Blue.
"She told me she worked in the New World before she left the police." Nami commented thoughtfully.
"Listen to me," Corazon said with a serious expression. "I want Bellemere not to worry about you anymore to rest in peace, I will help you out and I will protect you, you can count on me."
Nami's eyes widened, touched by the man's words which went straight to her heart, as if an arrow had pierced her.
"I," She gasped before turning her gaze gently to Law because she knew what she was about to say was not going to please him, but Corazon's presence gave her courage. "I want to go." She said warily, biting her lips when the dark haired man frowned.
"Go where?" Law asked as his posture stiffened, his golden eyes shining even brighter when he narrowed them.
"Go home," She answered bluntly, hiding her hands behind her back as she started to twist her fingers. "I don't want to stay here anymore."
"You can't go anywhere, your place is here." Law said in a commanding tone, like if he wasn't giving Nami a choice.
"My place is not here," She contradicted him after a moment of silence, the days of doing as he told her are over, she is no longer going to follow his orders. "If this man really wants to help me," She pointed her finger at Corazon, feeling her courage skyrocketing. "I'm sure he'll approve of my getting my freedom back."
"It's for your safety that I'm doing this." Law clarified before looking cautiously at Corazon out of the corner of his eyes. He had already spent hours trying to explain to the man that nothing had happened between him and Nami, he didn't want to have another weird situation to explain.
"I would be much safer at home." She pointed out sharply, starting to feel angry with Trafalgar Law's control over her life.
"Which home? Have you forgotten that you don't have anywhere to go?" Law asked, finding it hard to calm the anxiety that was stirring in his heart.
"I have a home," She pointed out before pushing a breath of air out of her nostrils. "Despite all the conflicts between us, my sister has always kept the door open for me and she looks forward to my return."
"This is a good thing." Corazon commented, trying to calm the tension between the two people who were throwing lightning bolts at each other.
"Why do you want to leave?" Law asked after a moment of silence, there was nothing between him and Nami, but he felt hurt as if she was leaving him.
"Because I'm tired of living like this." She hissed as she started to feel sad about the dark haired man.
She knew why he insisted on not letting her go and she also knew that if she started a love affair with him, their end would not be rosy, that's why, she preferred to prevent it from happening and run away.
"I don't want to live in crime anymore and feel all the time the fear of being killed anytime, for the first time in my life I want to live normally, I know it will be difficult, but it is much better for me." She added softly.
"It's a good decision," Corazon quietly nodded, immense happiness overwhelming him when Nami smiled at him for the first time, apparently delighted that he agreed with her. "Crime is a difficult road that leads to a terrible end, you will be safer away from it."
"I always wanted to stop everything, but I couldn't do it because of Arlong's presence in my village," She whispered, feeling relieved that Corazon approved her decision, even if he tried, Law couldn't stop her from leaving. "Now I'm freer after the gang is out of this world and I can go home without worrying about them."
"Do whatever you want, I don't care," Law growled, shrugging, Nami thought he was behaving like a little boy. "If you have finished what you have to say, you can go now because I want to rest." He added, looking at her with a deep frown.
"Okay," Nami nodded, trying to keep the expression on her face rigid so as not to show that she was offended by Law's attitude towards her. "Rest well." She forced herself to say those words before rushing out of the room.
A week has passed since Nami last saw Law's face, during those seven days she was busy combating the effects of drug shortage on her brain and preparing for her trip. Besides, she wanted to get used to the black haired man's absence because she was going to be leaving for East Blue soon, it was the best way to make the separation less painful for both of them.
It was really hard for the redhead, she felt very sad every time she thought she was going to get away from Law and her heart ached before the separation. Despite all the conflicts that took place between her and the surgeon of death, she fell in love with him and she knew that he too felt something for her, but she didn't want that love because in the future she and the man will live in different worlds and that was a big obstacle in their relationship.
Corazon's support had been of great help to her, Law respected the man and there was nothing he could do to prevent Nami from going to Cocoyashi because Corazon approved of this decision and he was also going to accompany the woman to her home to ensure her safety. Nami appreciated the kindness of her mother's friend who took Nami's decision very seriously.
The departure for East Blue was scheduled for the next morning and the countdown had started for Nami, the farewells were difficult and painful, but she was forced to do it as there was not much time left with the Heart gang, and even if she continued to deny it she was going to miss everyone even those who were hostile with her. That was not a first for her, traveling was part of her way of life and she was used to changing entourage frequently, but she swore to herself that this was the last time she would. Henceforth she would live with her sister in the house which is filled with memories she had with Bellemere.
While she got ready for dinner, Nami began to gaze at the walls around her as a sense of nostalgia washed over her. In the end, Nami was sad to think she was going to leave the hospital room she hated for the past months, it was weird but she got used to living there despite the short duration, it was sort of her home and she was going to miss it very much.
A half smile spread over her lips as she looked at herself one last time in the mirror, Nami wanted to leave one last unforgettable impression, that's why, she put on the most beautiful outfit in her wardrobe, a tight short red dress that showcased her gorgeous feminine curves, it looked like the dress she wore the day she met Law except the one she wore today had half sleeves.
Nami hoped to see Law during dinner because she had prepared herself especially for him, and even if she could not find him in the dining hall, she would go and find him to say goodbye. Despite all the reasons she had for not doing so, she wanted to see him and talk to him one last time before she left, on the one hand she was going to make the separation more difficult, but on the other hand she knew she was going to regret it if she didn't see him. This time her heart had won the battle against her mind, she was going to do everything possible to see the surgeon of death again, even if he was hiding from her, she was going to find him.
The first thing Nami noticed upon entering the refectory was the garlands hanging on the walls and the excessive decorations on the tables. The second thing was the number of people a bit high in the large room, there were the Heart gang members and also the Straw Hats. The third thing she noticed in her mind was that she had just arrived at a farewell party prepared especially for her because everyone started shouting her name as they rushed towards her.
She was so surprised and touched by the gesture that she couldn't even utter a single word, her tongue froze in her mouth as she tried to find the appropriate words to express her gratitude to everyone, she even felt tears sting her eyes from the emotion that overflowed her heart.
After she finished thanking everyone for the surprise, Nami's eyes began to scan those around her after she noticed that someone very important to her was missing, and when she concluded that Law apparently hadn't come to the farewell party, disappointment was all she felt and she couldn't appreciate anything anymore. She had surrounded herself with an invisible barrier as she sat in a table far away from the others to be alone, she couldn't hear anything so much she was upset, it was as if someone had pressed the mute button on a remote control. Nami let her face fall into her hands as she felt her heart tighten in her chest, she realized that this was her last chance to be with Law before she was separated from him and lived thousands of miles away from him.
It was her decision and she was completely up to it, Nami knew it was the right thing to do despite having to sacrifice her love for the surgeon of death. Having a broken heart was more bearable than having a broken life, besides being away from Law was preferable for him too because she was a hindrance in his path and a weak point for him. The story of the kidnapping had shown Nami how close death was to her and how much cruelty people could have, coming back to her peaceful village and living with the people she had known from her childhood was the right decision she had taken in all her miserable life.
When she sensed a presence close to her, Nami lifted her head to look at the person who had broken her loneliness, heaving an involuntary sigh, she felt relieved when she saw Shachi smile softly at her. His eyes were looking at her worriedly and she knew why, she was moping in a corner while everyone else was having fun around her.
"Why are you sulking instead of enjoying your last night with us?" Shachi asked before sitting down in the chair across from her.
"Because your stupid boss isn't attending this party." She answered sincerely, puffing up her cheeks as she crossed her arms.
"Law is sulking too," He said as an amused smile formed on his lips. "You are both pathetic idiots, you never get tired of playing cat and mouse."
"What?!" She blinked as confusion washed over her before she felt irritated. "Go tell Law that, he's the idiot behaving like a child."
"I've told him that before, and excuse me for my rudeness, but you too are an idiot who keeps hiding her feelings." Shachi continued to provoke her by increasing the tone of his voice to get the upper hand over her.
"I'm not hiding any feelings," She whispered inaudibly, shocked at the sudden explosion of the man in front of her. "I'm not hiding anything at all."
"You want me to believe that you don't feel anything for Law." He laughed with firmness in his voice.
"I don't…" She tried to answer before frowning when she realized she had gotten into Shachi's game. "I've already told you everything that happened between me and Law," She slammed her fist on the table to take control of the situation. "So stop pissing me off now, I just don't have the patience to put up with you!"
"Exactly, I'm doing this so that you don't make a big mistake," He remarked annoyingly, seeing that the woman was more stubborn than he thought. "I know you love Law and don't want to get away from him, so I don't understand why you want to move on the other side of the world?"
"I'm going to go home." She articulated the words softly so that her stupid interlocutor understood the importance of her decision. "I want to live normally and not be afraid of a bullet hitting my head by surprise anytime," She justified herself as the expression on her face turned sad. "Love is important but peace is more important to me, I want to be with Law but not in this kind of circumstance, from tomorrow I will be part of a different world from his and we will not be able to be together anymore."
"You both lost hope before you even tried to be together," Shachi pointed out, trying to understand the woman's reasoning. "You haven't given this love that you share a chance."
"Because there is no hope," Nami moaned as she felt her heart sink even more in her chest. "Me and Law are like night and day and because of our difference, we can't get along, we can't even discuss without having a conflict of opinion," She tried to explain a lot more to herself than to her interlocutor. "Even Law has figured out that this won't work out between us, which is why he's avoiding me."
"He's avoiding you because he doesn't want you to go," Shachi said, looking at her with a bored expression. "I think you're just trying to find some rationale for your decision without even considering the opinion of the other person involved in this matter."
"I'll tell you where to put what you're thinking and push it real deep." She spat at the man as she tried to calm her rage.
"Nami!" Shachi sighed feeling exasperated. "I think you need a chat with Law and clarify everything between yourselves."
"I was planning to go talk to him just to say goodbye because there is nothing to clarify between me and him." Nami lost her patience, slapping both of her palms on the table.
"If you are looking for him, you will find him in his room." Shachi smirked at her in amusement before getting up and leaving, making the woman bubble.
When she felt calmer, Nami stood up and began to walk outside the dining hall, quickly heading to Law's bedroom to say goodbye. "SAY GOODBYE!" She repeated in her head like a mantra.