Yay! Another chapter!

Thanks again for all the feedback! Remember, I read EVERY review, so if you have anything that you want me to change or whatever to make this story better, POST IT!

Also I was wearing my strawhat while writing this so...*thumbs up* I'm getting in the mood!

"Alright!" Nami shouted out. "If we're going to find these animal-bastards, we need to split up!"

Everyone looked at each other.

"Alrighty."

"Fine with me.."

"Sounds good."

Nami glanced toward Luffy, who was spinning his now-pretty hat on his finger.

"Luffy can chose..."

Luffy looked up and instantly said, "Me and Nami."

Everyone raised their eyebrows at his very quick remark, and Sanji was more than disappointed.

"But Nami-Swan needs me!"

"Then you can go with Robin." Luffy replied tortly. Sanji started swooning over Robin, while Nami blushed a little over Luffy's wanting to be with her. You didn't have to be a mind-reader to tell that Luffy was in his determined-mode. He placed the hat back on his head.

"You guys can decide the rest."

Usopp immediately went toward Zoro, who was less than thrilled to be paired with him. Brook went with Sanji and Robin, while Franky and Chopper found themselves paired. Robin was the only one who observed Luffy and Nami, and she chuckled a little bit.

"I wonder..."

Once everyone went in seperate directions into the hills. Luffy started rushing forward to find the animal-men. Nami facepalmed and ran after him.

"Oi! Luffy! Go slower would ya?"

Luffy halted quickly and turned around in a pouty expression.

"I just wanna beat people up soon..."

"Yeah yeah...Just walk, ok?"

Luffy huffed, which Nami took as a yes. They continued, walking side by side.

"Nami?"

"Huh?"

"I kinda liked that "kissing" thingy last night."

Nami stopped and glowed red. Luffy became worried.

"Are you ok?!" He poked Nami's cheek, then drew it back in shock of the heat.

"OW! Nami! You're burning!"

Nami's legs gave way and she held her head in her hands, shocked by the heat of her face also. She looked up at Luffy's concerned face and stuttered.

"It's nothing...I just...I..." She didn't finish. She didn't know how to deal with all that had been happening lately. It just felt so...wrong. Then, Nami had a realization. Fine, if I'm feeling this way, I had better stop acting like a childish idiot. If I really do love him, I might as well say it. Her cheeks cooled a little and she stood up. She was about to speak when Luffy interupted her with a very sudden and uncharacteristic kiss.

It wasn't like the others. It was the first truly genuine kiss they had shared. There was no confusion, no awkwardness, they both understood what was happening. After the shock was gone, Nami put her arm around Luffy's head, pushing his head closer to hers. They had locked for a while, before they both disconnected and looked at each other with equally amazed expressions.

Only one thing was going through Nami's mind. "How could Luffy of all people kiss like this? Was it instinct?"

Only one thing was going through Luffy's mind. "Why did that weird thing make me so happy?"

Luffy was the one who broke the silence. "Um...Should we keep going with the animal hunt?"

Nami thought for a moment. "T-that's a good idea..."

Luffy was starting to get this. He understood that stuff like kissing and holding Nami close was making them both feel good, especially Nami. All he wanted was Nami to be happy, and at the same time, it made him feel better too. Luffy grinned hugely and intertwined his fingers with hers while they walked.

"Nami?"

Nami smiled.

"Yeah?"

"You seem happier lately...You haven't been yelling or hitting anyone."

Nami laughed.

"Well, I guess you're right!"

Nami glanced over at Luffy, who was still grinnning with his eyes closed. She realized that, if he wasn't so thick-headed, he could be a girl-magnet. His skinny muscles, handsome face; Nami was surprised that she never noticed it before. Even his large scar on his chest seemed to give him a brave, bad-ass look. Who would've thought?

"I'm hot!" Whined Luffy.

"Yes you are..." Quickly answered Nami, who blushed heavily and coughed nervously. Luckily Luffy didn't dicipher her comment, and he stuck his tongue out, panting.

WHERE ARE OUR OTHER HEROES?

Team Zoro and Usopp:

"Huh! I could've sworn that the camp was over this way..."

"...I let you lead the way...didn't I? Why did I do that?"

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!? YOU GOT US LOST, DUMBASS!"

"HOW IS THIS MY FAULT!?"

Team Chopper and Franky:

"Franky! Do you have some sort of awesome radar-thingy to find these guys!?"

"I. In. Fact. Do. Watch. And. Learn-mecha."

"WOW! SO COOL!*sparkles*"

Team Brook, Robin, and Sanji:

"ROBIN-CHWAN!"

"May we..."

"PLEASE!"

"See your..."

"WONDERFUL!"

"Panties?"

"No."

"*falls on face*"

BACK TO THE CAPTAIN AND THE NAVIGATOR.

"Luffy?"

"Aa?"

"What's that noise?"

Luffy perked up his ears and heard the sound, footsteps, a lot of them. He guided Nami behind him and got ready for battle.

"Do you think it's the animal-men?"

"Possibly."

All of a sudden a bullet sprung out of a string of bushes behind them. Luffy detected it with his haki and shoved Nami forcefully out of the way. He slingshotted the bullet back into the bushes with his rubber body.

"Are you alright?!"

"Yeah! Just beat the crap outta them already!"

Luffy spun around toward the bushes and waited for another attack. Suddenly, a figure jumped in the air and landed behind Luffy. He spun around again and barely dodged the figure springing at him.

"So fast..." He muttered.

He realized that the figure was a frog, but as tall as a man and standing on legs. It was an odd sight. The frog bounded in a circle around him almost too fast for Luffy to acknowledge it's movements.

To Nami, the frog was moving at a faster pace then she had ever seen before. She watched the blur circulate around her flustered captain so closely, that she didn't realize someone sneaking up on her.

"NAMI!" Luffy shouted. As soon as he tried to escape the frog's circle, it head-butted straight into him, knocking him a good ten feet away. He got up painfully.

"I-is that frog using Haki?"

He stumbled up and held his arm out.

"Gear Second."

Once he was upgraded, he zoomed to the creature who had Nami, a dog, and knocked him away with a Jet Pistol. Nami fell back to the ground and quickly brought out her lance.

"I'll help Luffy! Stand under the cloud!"

"RIGHT!" He shouted back, doing so. The frog stopped jumping, wondering what the two were doing. Both Luffy and Nami smirked before shouting.

"Gomu Gomu No..."

"Thunderlance Tempo..."

"PULSE!" They both shouted as Luffy's Gatling mixed with Nami's lightning, forming an onslaught of electrical punches that hit the frog full on. Once the new attack was over, they looked at each other and flashed the victory sign.

"That was AWESOME!" Remarked Luffy. Nami laughed.

"I have to admit, that WAS awesome!"

But their excitement was short lived when they heard an assortment of clicking sounds and turned around. Hundreds of different species of animals were all pointing pistols at the two. Nami comically screamed and hid behind Luffy.

"THERE'S MORE!?"

Luffy smirked and swung his arm.

"Hah! Like bullets are going to do anything against me-"

A cat-man in the front pulled the trigger and, instead of bouncing off of Luffy, it passed straight through him, as if he wasn't rubber at all. His eyes widened in surprise and he fell over backwards. Nami looked down in horror.

"LUFFY!"

Heh heh...I LOVE cliffhangers SO much! I love torturing people! :)

See you guys soon!