Maybe if she had been a little bit more confident, and put her foot down more adamantly, they wouldn't be in the situation they were in, but as it stands, she was staring down at a map of an island trying to navigate how they were going to get back their kidnapped companion. She sighed, wishing that the said companion wasn't the idiotic person he was. Had he been a little smarter, he might have noticed the people they ran into weren't mere admirers, but bounty hunters. Having his new bounty being released in the news and on a new bounty poster, its no wonder people were aiming for him. His bounty was a one billion five hundred million before they even reached Wano's borders, and she was surprised nobody went after him then, but as it stands, with his bounty much higher now, they were facing quite a few people who believed that though his bounty was so high, with the weak appearance he had, especially in comparison to the yonko, who his new bounty rivaled, there was no way he was as strong as the bounty implied. It didn't help things that the boy was way too gullible in the face of food.
"I just saw a couple buildings destroyed, what did Luffy do this time?" Zoro asked, as he miraculously walked into their meeting place only a couple minutes later than they had announced. It was a miracle.
"That's the issue." Jinbei stated as he looked over the map with Nami.
"There's no marine base on this island, and other than fishermen's ships, there's no ships either, so they're most likely on the island, waiting for a marine ship to come by, before handing him over." Sanji stated, as he leaned over the map.
"Did Luffy get into trouble again?" Zoro asked as he came near the map.
"Unfortunately," Usopp sighed, feeling helpless in the corner of the top floor of the saloon. With all these large bounty people from such a prominent crew, it was easy to threaten the bartender to let them use the area, not to mention keep quiet about the situation should any bounty hunters show up.
"I saw a few bounty hunters heading up a mountain." Zoro stated.
"You sure it was a mountain?" Sanji sighed.
"I know a mountain when I see one, bastard cook." he retorted.
"You're sure they were bounty hunters?" Sanji pestered.
"I used to be one, of course I'm sure they were bounty hunters."
"Up a mountain, huh?" Nami repeated, trying to remain calm.
"That's going to be difficult." Robin sighed, "with how many mountains are on this island, I wouldn't be surprised if we found Luffy after he's just a skeleton."
"No time for your creepy jokes, Robin," Usopp mumbled.
"This is Luffy we're talking about," Franky stated, "he went head on with Kaido, I'm sure he's fine."
"Yeah, fine." Usopp mumbled again.
"What's got his panties in a bunch?" Zoro asked.
"He blames himself for it," Chopper stated. "Usopp, Nami, and Luffy had gone to get some supplies, and while Nami had been shopping for clothes, Usopp and Luffy had gotten distracted by a street performer, I did too, he was very funny." Chopper stopped, "I saw some people come up to Luffy and Usopp, offering them some food if they help them build their house."
"So Luffy obliged, because it was food, and Usopp just let him go?" Zoro finished.
"That's what he said."
"I should've actually looked at the guys' faces!" Usopp cried, "at least then I could be helpful with something!"
"Luffy would have run off to eat even if it was Sanji or Jinbei by his side." Nami sighed.
"Oi, what about me?" Zoro stated, not exactly liking this remark.
"Or Zoro." Nami sighed, "what bothers me is that based on Chopper's description of the men, it's basically impossible to find them in this town."
"Why is that?" Zoro asked.
"They look just like the next guy. Because Usopp couldn't catch their face, and Chopper was too far away to see their faces, or any feature that would be helpful, we could grab a regular citizen by mistake, letting the actual kidnapper go free." Jinbei explained.
"So what are we left to do, Nami-san?" Brook asked, standing from beside Usopp.
"We know some bounty hunters went up a mountain. We know they had bribed Luffy into food. We know they dress and act just like any of the citizens of this town. We also know, from a bit of digging, that this island has no direct way to contact the marines, and waits for marines to come by the island to stop for supplies, and pick up any pirate or criminal that the bounty hunters seem to catch. And the last time the marines were at this island was a week or so ago."
"When are the citizens expecting them to show back up?" Robin asked.
"Anywhere between this week and next." Nami replied.
"So we're short on time."
"Good news is that, based on what Zoro said, we know the mountains are better for Luffy, because of sea water." Nami sighed, her furrowed brows relaxing, somewhat.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Robin replied. "Apparently, the citizens worship some god on in a temple on one of the mountains, at the head of the river that flows down it and into the sea. There's a whole hot spring up there that they say is a gift from their god for clean water."
"Clean water is still better than sea water, though." Nami quickly retorted.
"Not by much, though. If they put Luffy into the spring, it might take longer, but he's still gonna lose his strength regardless."
"You think they'd put him in water?"
"Probably, its the best way to subdue a devil fruit user, and Luffy's gullible enough to do it with, high bounty or not."
Nami's eyes widened, "I'm trying to remain calm here, Robin," she stammered, "now isn't the time for your jokes."
"I wish I was joking, Nami, but I don't want us to close off the possibility."
"We have Jinbei, I'm sure he could help us!" Chopper cheerfully explained, though he was just as worried as everyone else.
Nami looked out the window, "Which mountain had the temple on it?"
"Despite what most thing," Robin answered, "it isn't the one in the center of the town, but the largest one, closest to the cliffs."
"The cliffs?"
"I'm sure you've noticed this island already, but, like Jaya, it gets a lot of knock-up streams, and most happen right around that cliff where the temple is. Unfortunately, unlike the Jaya stream, it doesn't merely shoot up the island, but utterly destroys it. The knock up streams seem to just rotate around the island though, so you don't need to worry about the island falling into the sea and everyone drowning" Robin explained, pointing to one half of the island.
"So that mountain should be the first we check." Nami stated.
"Unless you want to split up." Sanji offered.
"No," Nami replied, "We've wasted enough time here, it would be best to take the full force to stop the hunters." she looked at Zoro, "and we don't have time to start looking for another crew member."
Zoro rolled his eyes at this statement.
"How long will it take to head up the mountain?" Chopper asked.
"At least half a day if we're lucky."
"Nami-san." Jinbei interrupted, "we should leave a group of people here in case Luffy subdues them before we get there."
Nami blinked, "Of course." she looked around the room, "Sanji, Zoro, Robin and I will head up the mountain, and the rest will stay here."
"I'm coming too," Usopp stammered standing up, "I feel responsible."
"Sure," Nami sighed, not wanting to argue, "you come, too."
Half a day, bullcrap, they had been walking uphill for eight hours already, and weren't even at the half-way point. Nami heaved, as she hurried forward, "Zoro, stop, I feel like we've gone in circles."
"We've never walked downhill, though, Nami, nor have we left the riverbed." Robin countered, "besides, I've led him back on track every time he sways off course."
"But…" Nami pouted, "we've been at this for nearly half a day, and we haven't even come close to halfway up the mountain?"
"It's okay, Nami-san," Sanji placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure Luffy's okay."
"Just be thankful we haven't run into any bounty hunters yet." Usopp sighed, still feeling responsible.
"Well the idiot got himself into this mess."
Nami sighed, and took another step up the mountain, trekking after them. She dearly hoped Luffy was alright, she didn't know what she'd do without him. How was he to become the pirate king if he gets turned in before he even finds the next road poneglyph. She heaved again as they continued their journey uphill.
A couple hours later, and the trek suddenly seems a whole lot easier, which is ironic, because the mountain should be going steeper, now. They reached a clearing and decided to stop for a little rest.
"Wait, Nami." Robin exclaimed, "This is the first part of the temple."
"The first part?"
"There are five parts of the temple, there's the Head, which is at the head of the river, then there's the Back, which is one the opposing side of the river, the left and right Wings, which is on either side of the river, and the Heart, which the river flows through."
"So this is the heart?" Nami asked, as she noticed the river flowing under a bridge that appeared more to be a building than a bridge.
"Nami! What's that?" Usopp pointed into the water as something goldish colored with a bit of red bobbed up and down in the water.
Robin spawned an arm on an overhanging tree branch and plucked the item out of the water, so they could all inspect it further.
"Luffy's hat!" Nami cried, grabbing the precious item from Robin's limb.
"He's up this path for sure." Sanji stated, with a proud smirk.
"Oi, you guys." Zoro called, having stopped at the entrance of the temple.
"What?" Usopp called.
The small rescue team huddled around him as they looked into the temple. Inside there was a hoard of weapons, and a few broken sea prism stone cuffs. While they wouldn't actually be able to imprison him, they would still be able to immobilize him. Nami glanced at the ground, seeing shreds of red and purple, along with splattered blood.
"Hey, doesn't this look a lot like his captain's coat?" Usopp asked picking up a discrded garment of clothing.
"That is his captain's coat." Nami exclaimed, grabbing the fabric, and inspecting it.
"What outfit was the captain wearing Nami-san?" Sanji asked, as he picked up one of the larger pieces of red fabric.
"He was wearing his red cardigan with that purple sash he…" Nami stopped short, as she looked down at the blood on the ground.
"It's not fresh, but it doesn't look like it was a stain from yesterday." Robin stated, wiping some of the blood with a spawned hand.
"Do you think…?" Nami couldn't finish her question as the words caught in her throat.
"No." Zoro stated with certainty, "This is Luffy we're talking about."
"But, if they imprison him with sea prism…" Nami stuttered, before placing the hat firmly on her head, and wrapping the coat around her shoulders, as he had worn it.
When they finally reached the Head Temple, Nami gasped. Shreds of Luffy's attire were spread out everywhere, and his sandals discarded in the middle of the temple grounds. "Luffy." Nami mumbled under her breath.
"What would you do, mosshead?" Sanji asked, "if you were still a bounty hunter?"
"I'd just defeat them, and hand them to the marines."
"You wouldn't tear up their clothes?"
"Never, that's not right.
"You think his clothes just tore from the woods then?" Nami asked, shaking slightly as she looked at the temple before them.
"Enough talking," Zoro yelled, pulling his swords out.
"No, wait, we can't have them knowing we're here." Robin stated, placing a hand on his, to stop him from doing one of his many flying attacks.
"Luffy's in there, though, Robin."
"We don't know that for sure." Sanji sighed, "this could all be a trap to lure the rest of the crew in, so they can get a larger reward."
"Can we risk that though?"
"I'm gonna sneak in," Usopp resolved, "I have one of the smaller bounties, and I look harmless, though I'm terrifying."
"You?" Zoro blinked, "you don't have a 'Can't-head-into-the-temple-to-save-Luffy-or-I'll-die' disease this time?"
"No!" Usopp exclaimed, before composing himself, and putting on a brave face, though his legs were visibly shaking.
"I'll come with you." Nami decided.
"We'll be right behind you, Nami," Robin smiled, as Sanji stopped Zoro from getting lost again.
Nami gulped, as she grabbed Usopp's shoulders behind them, as they tiptoed into the temple. She could hear some cruel laughter of one of the bounty hunters. "Luffy is here." she whispered to Usopp, which made him freeze at the feel of her breath.
"Can't believe such a man was so easy to capture, glad we waited until his bounty was this high!" one of the bounty hunters laughed.
"Ya think we coulda dragged God Usopp with him?" another snickered, "if their captain is this stupid, it must have been pure luck they got this far into the New World, and with that Kaido thing, too."
Usopp frowned, if they had tried to bring him with Luffy, then they wouldn't be in this situation.
"I saw them leaving Cat Burglar Nami at the shop, thinking we could have gotten her, too? She's got one of the smallest bounties."
"Putting their pet aside."
Nami tightened her grip on Usopp as they inched forward.
"What do you think, captain?"
"Is the water doing you that much damage?"
They heard coughing, and Nami nearly jumped out of their hiding spot, if Usopp hadn't put an arm out to stop her. "They're great in numbers, Nami, let's wait for Zoro to wreck the temple."
"Hey, captain, which one of your petty crewmates should we bring here next?"
"Probably another devil fruit user, those guys are dangerous."
"Nico Robin is one, isn't she?"
"And the skeleton has to be one, right?"
"Think the cyborg is one, too?"
"He looks kinda stupid, maybe we should lure him next."
Usopp and Nami heard a cough, "You dare touch anyone on my crew, and I'll kill all of you."
Luffy! Nami pushed forward again, but Usopp stopped her.
"He's alive, atleast, Nami." he whispered.
"Oh really?" one of the hunters snickered, "you'll do what?"
"Touch my cre-" he was cut off by a huge splash and gurgling.
"Touch what?"
All Nami and Usopp heard was a bunch of coughing.
They dunked him under water. "Usopp, I can't wait much longer," she whispered.
"Ah, let him drown, the poster says 'Dead or alive' afterall."
"Sure thing."
A splash again, and Nami pushed past Usopp, and rushed into the room. All eyes turned to her, but her focus was solely on the baptismal tub.
"No, Nami!" Usopp exclaimed, peeking out of his spot.
"Cat Burglar Nami, and God Usopp." one of the bounty hunters smiled, "Didn't expect the weakest of his crew to come crawling after him.
"Come on, Zoro, be reckless," Usopp whispered to himself, loud enough for Nami to hear.
"The idiot probably got lost again," she whispered back, locking her eyes with the man who pushed Luffy's head back under, having pulled it up as if to show him that his crew was stupid enough to try and find him. "Luffy!" Nami yelled, rushing forward.
"Nami!" Usopp yelled after her, as bounty hunters rushed at her.
"Lightning bolt tempo!" Nami screamed, grabbing her baton and swinging it down at them.
Usopp looked up to see a bunch of tiny clouds shooting lighting bolts down at the bounty hunters. He hadn't even noticed she had let some out of her baton. He grabbed his slingshot, and placed one of his pop-greens into it, before shooting it out. A bunch of bamboo shoots shot up from the ground, shocking the hunters, but not enough to stop them from taking a charge at them.
Nami rushed forward, dodging another plant that Usopp shot at them. "Luffy," she muttered, "He's gonna die, you bastard!" she screamed, swinging her baton at one of the bounty hunters' nether regions.
"Cat Burglar, you bitch." a bounty hunter exclaimed, grabbing her from behind, and kicking the baton out of her hand.
"Luffy!" Nami screamed, struggling to free herself.
"Seems like it's our lucky day, boys." the hunter who caught her smirked, as he grabbed her chin, and made her look back at him.
"Zoro! Sanji!" Nami screamed, helplessly, "Now's the time to destroy the temple!"
"What are you shouting, you bitch?"
"Seis Fleur!" Nami heard followed by a crack, "Clutch."
"Robin!" her tears poured out of her eyes.
"Diable Jambe!" they heard Sanji yell, before one side of the temple was completely destroyed by his singular kick. "Ah, that idiot didn't lose his way in here yet?"
The other side of the temple was suddenly cut down, "Ah, so this was where the party was." Zoro stated, looking at the group of people that had gathered.
"You idiot, where'd you get lost this time?" Sanji muttered, "I almost was late to save Nami-san, because of you."
"We're here to get that idiot," Zoro muttered, pointing to the tub that Nami had rushed over to. "Not save Nami."
"She was in danger!" Sanji screamed, "I heard her passionately calling out to me to save her."
"Robin saved her, you idiot love-cook." Zoro bickered back.
"Now's not the time to argue, guys!" Usopp exclaimed, aiming another pop green at the bounty hunters who were sneaking there way up to Zoro and Sanji.
"What do you mean by that, marimo?" Sanji snapped, as he walked toward the swordsman, kicking a hunter who had gotten behind him.
"You got a problem, Swirly Brow?" Zoro smirked, walking up to said love-cook, while hitting a hunter with the blunt end of his sword, still knocking him out effectively though.
"Is the captain actually the weakest on the crew?" the man who appeared to be the leader of the bounty hunters asked, as Robin spawned arms around him to keep him in place.
"Believe it or not, he's actually the strongest." she smiled, looking at the scene before them.
Nami hurriedly pulled Luffy out of the water, pushing the bounty hunter out of the way. As soon as he tried to attack her, though, Usopp had shot a pop green on him, and the plant held him in place. "Luffy! Luffy!" she called, laying him down on the temple floor, outside of the water he had been drowned in. She placed her hands on his chest, and began performing CPR on him. "If only he wasn't freaking rubber!" she cried, pumping her hands up and down on his chest.
"Seems like we'll be getting that bounty after all," the hunter Robin was holding back smirked.
"Clutch." Robin clenched her fists together, earning a scream from the man, before he was deemed unconscious. "Zoro, use your armament haki."
Zoro froze from swinging a sword at Sanji's leg, and rushed over, "For what?"
"CPR."
Zoro made a disgusted face, "What?"
Nami was crying as she continued pushing down on Luffy's chest. The ends to his shirt were torn, and probably the back of it, too. Even his sash had little tears in it. Robin gestured to what Nami was doing, to explain to the green haired idiot.
"Yeah, yeah." Zoro complied, as he kneeled on the other side of Luffy, and powered up his hands. He placed the two in the position Nami had, and pushed down on his chest as soon as she had removed her hands.
"Thirty rep." Robin mumbled, as nothing happened. "Pause, Zoro. Nami."
Nami nodded, and tilted Luffy's head back and plugged his nose. She opened her mouth, took a deep breath in, before breathing out into Luffy's. One more time. Nothing happened, his chest didn't rise or fall.
"Zoro." Robin commanded.
One of the bounty hunters got up, only to be kicked back down by Sanji, "Don't you dare interrupt Robin-chan and Nami-san."
"Thirty rep." Robin mumbled, her brow slightly furrowed, she was worried, "Nami."
Zoro stopped, and Nami breathed into Luffy's mouth again.
"Zoro."
"Nami."
"Zoro" Robin's voice was becoming more strained, as Zoro's brows were becoming more and more furrowed. Nami had tears continuously streaming down her cheeks, as Usopp patted her back with tears flowing down his own, as if to comfort her. Sanji would knock down the hunters who were getting up, looking back occasionally at the situation, his expression more concerned each time.
"Nami."
"Zoro."
"Nami."
"Zoro."
"Luffy!" Nami cried, slamming her face onto his before Robin could command another rep. "Luffy, just wake up!" she cried, before breathing into his mouth the second time. "You idiot."
Zoro began pumping again, before leaning back on he heels and stopped, and Nami shot him a glare. "Zoro, why?" Usopp asked.
"Because he's-" Zoro began, with a sigh, but was cut off by Nami grabbing his collar.
"Don't say it, Zoro." she yelled, "Don't say it. He isn't, okay? He isn't, okay? You have to continue, you have to!"
"Nami-san!" Sanji exclaimed, "Luffy's-" Nami cut him off with a glare.
"Zoro, continue, please!"
"Nami." Robin sighed, earning a glare from the navigator.
"Nami, Luffy's fine." Usopp stated, having looked at Luffy when Zoro had first trying to explain why he stopped.
"He has to be." Nami snapped back at him.
"No, Nami, he's just sleeping now." Robin continued what they had all been trying to tell her.
"What?" the tears in her eyes were forming again, but this time, with relief, as she looked down at him. His chest heaved up and down, obviously struggling, his eyes were closed. Nami held a hand over his mouth and nose, and felt his breath coming out. "We have to get him back to Chopper!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arms, and trying to hoist them up onto her back.
"Let Sanji or Zoro carry him, Nami." Robin sighed, as Zoro lifted Luffy up in his arms. One of the captain's hands dangled, as his head rested against Zoro's chest. His feet swung as Zoro stood back up.
Eventually, they rejoined the others, who had gathered on the Sunny. They had to stop occasionally, when Luffy would stop breathing to perform CPR on him again, but made it all back safely. It was evening the following day when they had arrived. Chopper hurriedly rushed over as Luffy hung from Zoro's arms. Nami was still wearing Luffy's straw had and captain's coat, having not taken it off since putting it on, but she followed behind Zoro, in a state of fear and relief. Relief that Luffy was alive, but fear for how long that might last, with all the stops they had made on their way down the mountain. It should have been a shorter walk down, because they were going downhill, but ended up being longer because of the state Luffy was in.
"Ah, Luffy!" Chopper exclaimed, "get him to the medical bay, now!"
Zoro obliged, with Nami at his tail. Luffy was laid in the bed, as Chopper hooked some equipment up to help with his breathing. Nami watched, not taking an eye off of her captain during the whole process.
"Luffy's unconscious, Nami, that's all." he stated, "I'm gonna get the water out of his lungs, and then it should only be a day or two before he wakes up."
"We'll be able to leave this island before the marines come, then?" Zoro stated, as he looked down at the idiot who had driven them to this island in the first place.
Chopper nodded, "if all goes well." he glanced at Nami whose face flipped to fear, "which it will." he finished.
"All right, I'll see you later, I'm gonna get some sake," Zoro replied, leaving the three of them alone in the room.
It soon ended up being the two of them, though, because after Chopper finished extracting the water Luffy had swallowed, he left Nami to tend to him. It had to have been at least an hour or two, before someone knocked on the door, Usopp opened it, with a plate of food for Nami. Luffy's nose twitched, but he didn't move from his position. Nami smiled slightly on seeing him react to the smell of food.
Chopper was right, about two days later, Luffy was sitting up coughing. Nami leaped from her seat, snapping herself awake as soon as she had felt the bed move. "Luffy!" she exclaimed, grabbing at his hand, much to his surprise.
"Luffy?" Chopper asked, opening the door, and seeing Luffy's wide eyed expression. "Luffy's awake guys!"
"Alright, we're setting sail, leaving this dumb island! Super!" Franky called, "I got the coup de burst ready!"
"Sails are good to go?" Jinbei called out onto the ship.
"All ready!" Usopp called from the crow's nest.
Everyone yelled out, "Coup de Burst!" as the ship shot into the air, everyone, except Luffy.
"Wait, wait, wait! We're leaving the island already?" Luffy asked, grabbing Nami's hands back, "but I didn't get to explore it, yet!" He jumped up from the bed, suddenly noticing all of the medical equipment attached to him. "What's all this?" he asked, as he pulled it off, "Why am I in here?" he opened the door, Nami grabbing his shoulder behind him.
"Luffy," she tried explaining, but he stretched his arms, and snapped himself over to Jinbei.
"Oi! Jinbei! I'm the captain, I didn't say it was okay to leave the island!" he yelled as the ship splashed into the water again.
"Luffy!" Nami yelled as she rushed up to Jinbei.
"What?" Luffy snapped back, looking back in the direction they came, "I hadn't explored the island! I didn't get the meat those nice guys offered, I-"
Nami grabbed his face, "Luffy, those nice guys were bounty hunters, and you nearly died."
"But I didn't." Luffy replied back, grabbing her hands off his face, "so let's go back."
"The marines will get there by the time we reach the island again, Luffy." Sanji sighed, handing Nami a drink.
"But-" Luffy pestered again.
"We'll have to come back to that island another time." Nami tried compromising.
"What?" Luffy exclaimed, before rushing to the back of the ship, "I didn't get to try the meat that guy was talking about!"
"Sanji can make better meat, Luffy." Nami replied, having rushed after him. She wrapped her arms around his torso, his clothes the same ones they had saved him in, "thank you for staying alive."