Nakama
"Waaahoo hoo haaaa!!"
"KUSOOO! Come back here, you! I'll beat your rubber ass good for stealing from my kitchen!"
"Haaa ha ha haaa...." Laughing like a maniac, Monkey D. Luffy sped around a corner, trying to run fast enough to elude the ship's long-legged and now very angry cook. He held a huge steak in his mouth, sausages wrapped around his neck and shoulders, and in each hand he carried a huge drumstick.
"Hey!" Nami cried, as the captain whizzed past, messing up her hair and making her newspaper flutter. She made a face, snapping the paper back flat.
But Luffy didn't hear. He was busy yelling. "USOPP! Look out!"
Usopp looked up from his work, but knew it was too late. Nevertheless he threw himself bravely over the chemistry set to shield it from harm.
Luffy dug his heels in hard, his hands grabbing instinctively for something to stop his imminent collision with the railing and then the salty blue below. He crashed into Usopp, and as soon as the dust cleared, with perfect comic timing, Sanji came barreling around the corner and did the same, swearing a blue streak all the way.
"Why you!" Sanji seethed, picking himself up and dusting off his sleeves.
"Aw, don't worry about me, Sanji." Luffy laughed carelessly. "Look! Usopp broke my fall." He held up Usopp's brown bandanna, which he had grabbed onto in vain.
"Gimme that!" Usopp cried. "Aw... look what you did!"
The crash had indeed ruined Usopp's chemistry work, but that was easily redone. The problem was rather...
Sanji and Luffy began laughing hysterically. "Your HAIR!"
Usopp tried to cover his head, embarrassed. "I know! Aw..."
The tanned boy's thick curly hair had been pulled through the bandanna and had now fluffed about his face in a poofy, tangly mess.
Luffy and Sanji could not stop laughing. "Ha, haha haaaa! You look like a--"
"A poodle!"
"A souffle gone wrong!"
"A mop!"
"A pile of noodles!"
Usopp's face grew red, like an angry tomato. With a beak. "Oh...! Just shut up!"
"Hoo hoo hoo! Ah ha--"
A shadow was cast over the laughing twosome. A very curvy shadow. Luffy and Sanji blinked up at the owner of the shadow, looking instantly sheepish.
"You two..." Nami growled.
"Nami-san..." Sanji looked terrified.
"Aw, Nami," whined Luffy. "We didn't mean it, we were only joking."
"GET LOST." she commanded. And instantly they did so, fearing the wrath of the redhead.
Usopp looked down at his bandanna, as Nami walked away. "Geez."
Suddenly he heard a funny noise behind him. He turned to see that Nami had dragged her chair over and was sitting down behind him. She whipped out a brush, and before Usopp could open his mouth to protest, she was brushing his hair.
"Hey!" Usopp tried to move away. "Ow!"
Nami pushed his head back facing forward. "Cut it out! I'm trying to brush your hair, here, goofy."
"No no no! If you brush it, it'll just get worse!" Usopp had little tears in the corner of his eyes from the smarting of his scalp. "Yeow!"
Nami stopped. "What do you mean?"
Usopp gestured to his hair. "I can't brush my hair. It fluffs out and then..."
She looked puzzled. "So then..."
"You have to..." Usopp tried to comb through his hair with his fingers to demonstrate. Nami watched carefully. His curls reshaped back into a single lock, as if by magic, fitting back together like a puzzle.
"Ohh..." Nami took in a breath of understanding. "I see now."
Usopp turned back around, a little embarrassed. Sometimes he really felt like he was so... weird. He let ot a little sigh. "You can't brush hair that's as curly as mine is. It's too tang--"
He finished his sentence in a gulp. Nami's fingers had begun working dilligently at the tangled mass of hair at the crown of his head. It felt really strange, of course, and Usopp didn't really know what to do. Was this a bad thing or a good thing? Instinctively his hand went to his wallet. Yep, still there. So what on earth was she doing?
Nami seemed deep in concentration as she untangled knots. "I didn't know that. So... you don't brush your hair?"
Usopp shook his head.
Nami laughed lightly. "Weird. I don't think I could do that. I'm always brushing my hair. It feels good, you know?"
Usopp smiled. "It's funny when you do." Every time Nami walked past a door or window, you could see her do a little "hair check" as she went by. He had noticed it several times.
"I guess that makes me vain, huh?" Nami trailed off. "Oh well."
Usopp shook his head. "Nah, you're other things, but I don't know if you're vain."
Nami yanked his hair. "Hey!"
He waved his hands. "Joking, jok-ing!" He rubbed his scalp. "You have cool hair, Nami."
Nami looked like she might laugh, but decided not to. "I do?"
Usopp felt stupid saying so, but... "It's always shiny."
Now Nami did laugh. Usopp's lips turned down in a grimace. "Why is that funny?"
"Because," she giggled. "I always thought the same thing about you. That you had cool hair."
Usopp felt his cheeks darken. "I do not."
"Yeah, you do!" Nami cuffed him playfully. "I like it."
"I don't!" He folded his arms. He had never liked his hair. He had always worn a cap or a bandanna or something to hide it. Not a single other kid in the village had even had WAVY hair, much less tight, kinky curls like his. It had always been embarrassing. "Who has curly hair like this? Name someone."
"Usopp!" Nami grinned. "Usopp does."
"No, no, no. Somebody else."
"That's enough for us, though." Nami twirled a bunch together around her finger. "It's cool, because it's different from mine. See?" She leaned forward and grabbed Usopp's hand.
Usopp allowed Nami to touch her hair to his fingers. "You're right," he agreed. Her hair felt smooth and warm, totally different from his own wiry spiral curls.
He remember having touched Kaya's hair once, too. Nami's hair was thick and bouncy, but Kaya's... Kaya's was feathery, Kaya's hair was like silk and flax.
"I miss her," Usopp said aloud, without thinking.
"Kaya-san?" Nami asked, quietly.
"Un." he swallowed and nodded, looking off into the distance.
"You're so lucky." Nami smiled softly. "You're the only one."
Usopp sat up straighter and blinked. "I didn't mean..."
"No, no." Nami slipped another knot free and wound the strand of hair around. "You should be proud. To have someone waiting for you."
"You have Nojiko-san," Usopp pointed out.
Nami chuckled. "Not the same, silly."
"Right. I guess not." He paused as she worked at the knots in his hair. He wondered how she would demand payback for the favor. Nami didn't do anything for free, after all. Then again...
"Hey..." Nami said, suddenly. "After the One Piece is found... what are you going to do?"
"I'm going back to Syrup Village," Usopp declared. "I want to see my friends again. I want to tell Kaya all the things we did. And... I don't like being so far away from her."
"From Kaya-san?"
Usopp shook his head. "From my mother."
Nami blinked. "Oh." His mother's grave, was what she knew he meant.
"Usopp..."
"Yeah?"
"I feel the same way."
Usopp smiled sadly. He knew all about Nami... he and Sanji were the only ones who had listened to all of Nojiko-san's story. Well, Sanji had listened probably hoping to hear some kind of naughty secret. Usopp had listened because he cared.
Then he thought of something else. "But before I go back and settle down... I have to find my father."
She nodded. She would want to, too. There was a lot that needed to be said, wasn't there?
"But..." Usopp gazed out to sea. "Then I'll go back home and live a happy life."
Nami smiled, and twirled the last lock back into place. "That's the last one."
"Thanks." Usopp patted his hair, checking out her work. "Hey, good job."
"Usopp?" Nami began, and then hesitated.
Her tone had changed, rising just a note, and Usopp was a little taken aback. "Yeah?"
"When you go back home? Can I..." she paused. "Can I come visit you?"
"Sure!" he exclaimed, sputtering in surprise. "Nami, we'll still be friends!"
"Will we?" Nami asked.
Does "nakama" end with a journey? Or does it mean something different?
"Of course we will!" Usopp clapped Nami on the back. "We're a lot alike, you know?"
Nami's face twisted into a funny line, her lips pursed, and then she burst out laughing. "We are?"
"Yeah." Usopp gave Nami a cheery smile. "We both know what it's like to be alone, and now we both know what it's like to have a friend."
Nami smiled softly as she walked away. "Well. Then I guess you'll have to let me visit."
"Of course." Usopp smiled to himself and turned back to his chemistry set.
After all, Nami didn't give things out for free.
Then again...
"Waaahoo hoo haaaa!!"
"KUSOOO! Come back here, you! I'll beat your rubber ass good for stealing from my kitchen!"
"Haaa ha ha haaa...." Laughing like a maniac, Monkey D. Luffy sped around a corner, trying to run fast enough to elude the ship's long-legged and now very angry cook. He held a huge steak in his mouth, sausages wrapped around his neck and shoulders, and in each hand he carried a huge drumstick.
"Hey!" Nami cried, as the captain whizzed past, messing up her hair and making her newspaper flutter. She made a face, snapping the paper back flat.
But Luffy didn't hear. He was busy yelling. "USOPP! Look out!"
Usopp looked up from his work, but knew it was too late. Nevertheless he threw himself bravely over the chemistry set to shield it from harm.
Luffy dug his heels in hard, his hands grabbing instinctively for something to stop his imminent collision with the railing and then the salty blue below. He crashed into Usopp, and as soon as the dust cleared, with perfect comic timing, Sanji came barreling around the corner and did the same, swearing a blue streak all the way.
"Why you!" Sanji seethed, picking himself up and dusting off his sleeves.
"Aw, don't worry about me, Sanji." Luffy laughed carelessly. "Look! Usopp broke my fall." He held up Usopp's brown bandanna, which he had grabbed onto in vain.
"Gimme that!" Usopp cried. "Aw... look what you did!"
The crash had indeed ruined Usopp's chemistry work, but that was easily redone. The problem was rather...
Sanji and Luffy began laughing hysterically. "Your HAIR!"
Usopp tried to cover his head, embarrassed. "I know! Aw..."
The tanned boy's thick curly hair had been pulled through the bandanna and had now fluffed about his face in a poofy, tangly mess.
Luffy and Sanji could not stop laughing. "Ha, haha haaaa! You look like a--"
"A poodle!"
"A souffle gone wrong!"
"A mop!"
"A pile of noodles!"
Usopp's face grew red, like an angry tomato. With a beak. "Oh...! Just shut up!"
"Hoo hoo hoo! Ah ha--"
A shadow was cast over the laughing twosome. A very curvy shadow. Luffy and Sanji blinked up at the owner of the shadow, looking instantly sheepish.
"You two..." Nami growled.
"Nami-san..." Sanji looked terrified.
"Aw, Nami," whined Luffy. "We didn't mean it, we were only joking."
"GET LOST." she commanded. And instantly they did so, fearing the wrath of the redhead.
Usopp looked down at his bandanna, as Nami walked away. "Geez."
Suddenly he heard a funny noise behind him. He turned to see that Nami had dragged her chair over and was sitting down behind him. She whipped out a brush, and before Usopp could open his mouth to protest, she was brushing his hair.
"Hey!" Usopp tried to move away. "Ow!"
Nami pushed his head back facing forward. "Cut it out! I'm trying to brush your hair, here, goofy."
"No no no! If you brush it, it'll just get worse!" Usopp had little tears in the corner of his eyes from the smarting of his scalp. "Yeow!"
Nami stopped. "What do you mean?"
Usopp gestured to his hair. "I can't brush my hair. It fluffs out and then..."
She looked puzzled. "So then..."
"You have to..." Usopp tried to comb through his hair with his fingers to demonstrate. Nami watched carefully. His curls reshaped back into a single lock, as if by magic, fitting back together like a puzzle.
"Ohh..." Nami took in a breath of understanding. "I see now."
Usopp turned back around, a little embarrassed. Sometimes he really felt like he was so... weird. He let ot a little sigh. "You can't brush hair that's as curly as mine is. It's too tang--"
He finished his sentence in a gulp. Nami's fingers had begun working dilligently at the tangled mass of hair at the crown of his head. It felt really strange, of course, and Usopp didn't really know what to do. Was this a bad thing or a good thing? Instinctively his hand went to his wallet. Yep, still there. So what on earth was she doing?
Nami seemed deep in concentration as she untangled knots. "I didn't know that. So... you don't brush your hair?"
Usopp shook his head.
Nami laughed lightly. "Weird. I don't think I could do that. I'm always brushing my hair. It feels good, you know?"
Usopp smiled. "It's funny when you do." Every time Nami walked past a door or window, you could see her do a little "hair check" as she went by. He had noticed it several times.
"I guess that makes me vain, huh?" Nami trailed off. "Oh well."
Usopp shook his head. "Nah, you're other things, but I don't know if you're vain."
Nami yanked his hair. "Hey!"
He waved his hands. "Joking, jok-ing!" He rubbed his scalp. "You have cool hair, Nami."
Nami looked like she might laugh, but decided not to. "I do?"
Usopp felt stupid saying so, but... "It's always shiny."
Now Nami did laugh. Usopp's lips turned down in a grimace. "Why is that funny?"
"Because," she giggled. "I always thought the same thing about you. That you had cool hair."
Usopp felt his cheeks darken. "I do not."
"Yeah, you do!" Nami cuffed him playfully. "I like it."
"I don't!" He folded his arms. He had never liked his hair. He had always worn a cap or a bandanna or something to hide it. Not a single other kid in the village had even had WAVY hair, much less tight, kinky curls like his. It had always been embarrassing. "Who has curly hair like this? Name someone."
"Usopp!" Nami grinned. "Usopp does."
"No, no, no. Somebody else."
"That's enough for us, though." Nami twirled a bunch together around her finger. "It's cool, because it's different from mine. See?" She leaned forward and grabbed Usopp's hand.
Usopp allowed Nami to touch her hair to his fingers. "You're right," he agreed. Her hair felt smooth and warm, totally different from his own wiry spiral curls.
He remember having touched Kaya's hair once, too. Nami's hair was thick and bouncy, but Kaya's... Kaya's was feathery, Kaya's hair was like silk and flax.
"I miss her," Usopp said aloud, without thinking.
"Kaya-san?" Nami asked, quietly.
"Un." he swallowed and nodded, looking off into the distance.
"You're so lucky." Nami smiled softly. "You're the only one."
Usopp sat up straighter and blinked. "I didn't mean..."
"No, no." Nami slipped another knot free and wound the strand of hair around. "You should be proud. To have someone waiting for you."
"You have Nojiko-san," Usopp pointed out.
Nami chuckled. "Not the same, silly."
"Right. I guess not." He paused as she worked at the knots in his hair. He wondered how she would demand payback for the favor. Nami didn't do anything for free, after all. Then again...
"Hey..." Nami said, suddenly. "After the One Piece is found... what are you going to do?"
"I'm going back to Syrup Village," Usopp declared. "I want to see my friends again. I want to tell Kaya all the things we did. And... I don't like being so far away from her."
"From Kaya-san?"
Usopp shook his head. "From my mother."
Nami blinked. "Oh." His mother's grave, was what she knew he meant.
"Usopp..."
"Yeah?"
"I feel the same way."
Usopp smiled sadly. He knew all about Nami... he and Sanji were the only ones who had listened to all of Nojiko-san's story. Well, Sanji had listened probably hoping to hear some kind of naughty secret. Usopp had listened because he cared.
Then he thought of something else. "But before I go back and settle down... I have to find my father."
She nodded. She would want to, too. There was a lot that needed to be said, wasn't there?
"But..." Usopp gazed out to sea. "Then I'll go back home and live a happy life."
Nami smiled, and twirled the last lock back into place. "That's the last one."
"Thanks." Usopp patted his hair, checking out her work. "Hey, good job."
"Usopp?" Nami began, and then hesitated.
Her tone had changed, rising just a note, and Usopp was a little taken aback. "Yeah?"
"When you go back home? Can I..." she paused. "Can I come visit you?"
"Sure!" he exclaimed, sputtering in surprise. "Nami, we'll still be friends!"
"Will we?" Nami asked.
Does "nakama" end with a journey? Or does it mean something different?
"Of course we will!" Usopp clapped Nami on the back. "We're a lot alike, you know?"
Nami's face twisted into a funny line, her lips pursed, and then she burst out laughing. "We are?"
"Yeah." Usopp gave Nami a cheery smile. "We both know what it's like to be alone, and now we both know what it's like to have a friend."
Nami smiled softly as she walked away. "Well. Then I guess you'll have to let me visit."
"Of course." Usopp smiled to himself and turned back to his chemistry set.
After all, Nami didn't give things out for free.
Then again...