Tired and Worn Author presents:

Try Not to Blow the Man Down

….do I really need to say it?

Hiya! Well! Here's the next one!

Chapter Five: The Very, Very, Very Strongest

Luffy saw the two woman fighting each other, Nami horribly bruised and beaten with Hancock a bit charred. Hancock was obviously victorious as Nami was barely clinging on to consciousness. Luffy ran over and grabbed Hancock by the collar.

"STOP HURTING HER YOU ASSHOLE!"

Hancock seemed to snap out of her rage and closed her eyes sadly. Luffy let go and stared at her with a furious expression, then headed over toward Nami.

"Oi!? Nami!?" He rolled her onto her back and flinched in guilt. Luffy had never seen her this beat up before. She coughed.

"I started it Luffy...I'm sorry..."

"Shut up! We'll talk about that when you're better!"

Hancock started to say something, then stopped and uncharacteristically began to cry. She kneeled on the ground and buried her face in her hands.

By now, everyone was watching in utter confusion, and Chopper had hurried over with his medical bag. He shooed Luffy away and Luffy narrowed his eyes, gave Hancock a very angry yet guilty look, and stormed off into the wilderness.

"Luffy!?" Usopp tried to go in after him, but was stopped by both Zoro and Sanji.

"Give him some space." They both said, and Usopp watched as Robin helped Chopper bring Nami to his infirmary.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hancock stayed by herself the whole day, frustrated and angry at herself. She should've known that to hurt Luffy's Nakama meant becoming a sworn enemy...She KNEW that! But that carrot-head pushed it too far...

Hancock clenched her fist at the memory. Even if she was Luffy's Nakama, that little shit deserved what she got.

"Leave me alone, Nami."

"Like hell! I heard Sanji talking to himself about what happened! You had better explain what happened!"

"It's not like I knew that it was going to happen."

"Oh really!? I heard that YOU were the one who had HIM up against the wall!"

"...why was the cook talking to himself about THAT?"

"Don't you change the subject...you were trying to gain an advantage weren't you!? Hancock?!"

"Luffy wanted it. He's the one who started the whole thing."

"You lying bitch!"

"I wouldn't lie about something like that..."

"SURE YOU ARE! LYING BITCH-SNAKE!"

"That little shit deserved what she got..." Repeated Hancock, picking at a blade of grass.

.

Luffy had also been unseen the whole day, not even coming back for dinner. Everyone was in a confused daze, and waited eagerly for Nami to wake.

At dusk, Luffy had returned just in time for Nami to wake up. Luffy walked into the infirmary and closed the door.

"Luffy?" Nami said, regaining her voice. Luffy turned toward her with a very tired and disappointed expression. She swallowed.

"It WAS my fault. I kept insulting her over and over. She was keeping her cool, and I became so angry that I hit her...I'm sorry..."

Luffy said nothing, then went over to the side of the cot and pulled her up sharply.

"I TOLD you two to stop fighting! Do you have ANY idea how hard this is for me!? The LAST thing I need is to have to worry about you getting KILLED!"

Nami retracted in fear, then Luffy let go of her and sat defeated on the floor.

"And you know Nami..." He closed his eyes. "It's neither of your faults...It's mine for not making the decision sooner. So I'm not blaming either of you."

Nami clutched at her sheets.

"Don't say that! It's not your fault!"

"Shut up! It is! None of this would've happened if I had just made a decision and went on with it!"

Nami sat up slowly and leaned out of the cot in his direction.

"It's not your fault Luffy. We're the ones who are making it hard on you, and I feel sickened at myself that we're making you struggle so much." She stared into his eyes firmly. "So stop being such a martyr...I can screw up too."

Luffy didn't say anything, then stood up.

"I will make my decision before dusk." Was all he said, before he walked out the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

After Luffy left the Sunny, he instantly went to find Hancock. Once she was found, he walked up to her and waited for her to notice him.

"I'm sorry Luffy..." Said Hancock suddenly. "I hurt your Nakama, and I won't be surprised if I'm a villainous monster to you now..."

"Who said that you're a villainous monster?" Added Luffy sharply. Hancock stared at her hands.

"I shouldn't have struck back...I should've let her hit me...It's not like it hur-"

"Hancock!" He snapped. Hancock jolted and began to collapse, sobbing her eyes out. Luffy watched this and plopped on the ground, covering his face in his hands in defeat.

"For god's sake...I don't want to hurt either of you...But I just hurt Nami and made Hancock cry...I'm the closest thing to a monster here..."

"You're not a monster Luffy!" Said the familiar voice of Nami. Luffy shot up and stared at her, standing with a blanket around her shoulders.

"What are you doing out of bed!?" Luffy exclaimed.

"You're not a monster..." She repeated, brushing aside his concern. Luffy warned her with her eyes and she swallowed.

"I'm feeling a lot better...Don't worry about me..."

Hancock's head lifted up and she glared into Nami's eyes with tearful, yet rageful eyes.

"Come to steal him at my moment of weakness, carrot-he"

"ENOUGH!" Shouted Luffy as he banged his fist against the ground. Both woman flinched and Luffy tightened his fist.

"Do you REALLY think I'm being stolen away by anyone!? I SAID that I would make MY OWN decision! It's not like a bit of concern from my own navigator, or a night near a fucking fishtank is going to change anything! But YOU TWO need to STOP for a moment, and THINK about how all this fighting is going to change anything! All it does is make me feel like a piece of shit...so PLEASE stop fighting!"

Both Hancock and Nami listened with extreme guilt. Both of them wanted to comfort him, but they didn't know how the other would act. There was a long period of silence.

"Everyone who knows me thinks I'm the very, very, very strongest; the toughest man of toughnessville...but I'm not...I'm only human you two...I'm only fucking human..."

It was the first time Nami had seen Luffy like this. He was right. He wasn't just an invincible bumbling idiot who could smackdown anyone who crossed his path. He WAS only human...

"Oi...Luffy..." Began Nami. She couldn't think of anything to say. Hancock then suddenly burst out.

"If you're only human, stop trying to hold the weight of everyone's feelings. It's ok to be selfish sometimes..."

Nami nodded in agreement.

"We HAVE been too hard on you...We've been the ones who have been acting like selfish little girls...We haven't stopped and thought about what you might be feeling."

Luffy lifted his head and smiled faintly.

"I'm glad you two are finally agreeing with each other..."

Both women jolted and pushed their foreheads together comically, growling at each other. Luffy laughed a bit at this and stood up.

"I promise I will have a decision at dusk...but..." Luffy took his hat off and instantly gave it to Nami.

"I need some motivation...Give my hat back when I make the decision...until then...don't even let me see it...alright?"

Nami nodded, and Luffy walked toward the Sunny, with only three hours to decide.

"He trusts you with the hat?" Hancock asked in disbelief once he was gone.

"He always had.." She said, placing it on her head. "Why me and not the others (except Usopp for God knows what reason..) I had never known why he trusted me with the hat instead of the others.."

Hancock frowned, then nodded.

"Well, I guess we will find out who he chooses soon..."

"It'll be me..." Muttered Nami.

"What was that!?"

"Huh? I didn't say anything..."

Both woman sighed and Hancock looked away.

"It probably will be you...carrot-head. He's known you a lot longer, and he trusts you so much more..."

"But I've never...really...well...Let's just say he never allowed me to pin him against a wall and snog him..." Replied Nami sadly.

"That's because you never tried..."

"He ASKED to go to the aquarium right? What else would he want to do?"

"Look at Luffy Jr. and the other fish?" Hancock said passively.

"Even HE doesn't go looking at fish for more than five minutes! Do you know HOW low his attention span is?" Nami laughed. "You said it yourself that he wanted it...right?"

"Yeah."

"Exactly..." Finished Nami and she looked down with a small smile.

"But he's liked you for a long time." Hancock added. "He told me himself."

Nami looked up.

"Really?"

"Yes. Think about it...has he ever given you any clues or hints?"

Nami thought for a moment. The hat...Arlong Park...Drum Island...even all the way back when we fought that dumbass butler...Kuro?

"But those weren't romantic...it was friendly..."

"That's why I think he'll choose you..." Hancock added. "Because what he displayed toward me and what he displays toward you are completely different. It's a man's instinct to want to kiss an attractive woman, but it's different if he actually cares so much about someone that he would be willing to intrust a treasure."

"...Oi...are you saying I'm not attractive?"

"No...I..." Hancock sighed in exasperation. Nami stopped her and smiled.

"Stop trying to act modest. Normally if a man kisses you that passionately, it normally means it's a done deal. Alright?"

Hancock rolled her eyes. Nami had noticed that she had stopped blushing very recently. It was almost as if she wasn't Lovesick anymore.

"Hancock?"

"I guess we'll see, right?" Hancock stood up and shook Nami's hand. "In three hours...one winner and one loser..."

"Yeah." Nami added, and they both headed out, waiting for the sun to fall.

I'm sorry if I resolved all the drama too easily, but I can't really think of anything else at this rate without basically saying that "Luffy thought for twenty more days, trying to resolve more conflict" and making the story redundant. So I might end the fic next chapter. I'm sorry fans but...*puts hand over heart* I HATE REDUNDANT STORIES!

But if you did like my story, don't fret, I'll have more OP stories out soon! :) Thank you all for reading!