Ripples to Waves

Every great decision creates ripples, like a huge boulder dropped in a lake. The ripples merge and rebound off the banks in unforeseeable ways. The heavier the decision, the larger the waves, the more uncertain the consequences.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Naruto.

Chapter One: Displaced Navigation

A roaring sea. The sky itself shifting, colours of a glowing green seeping into its very being.

Panicked roars and rushing feet, calls to action and orders full of trepidation.

An almighty wave.

Someone screaming her name. Howling it through the wind as the entire structure was overtaken and swept away, and she was the first to go.

Her name was screamed one last time, and she looked to see horrified eyes and a stretching hand coming towards her own as their entire family was cast into the ocean. But still that scream resonated through the water.

"NAMI!"

With a quiet yell, the orange-haired "six-year-old" awoke in the early hours of the morning, hand immediately clutching her left arm, digits curling around her shoulder as her gaze tore around her bedroom. A place she had known for the last six years of her uncertain life.

Uncertainty. That was all that echoed in Nami's head as she internalised the situation, as she had done for every second of her life so far. Nami regarded her previous thoughts, and from anyone else's perspective, that would have been an absurd amount of hyperbole. But not for her.

The first few years of her life had been odd, but Nami had been conscious as a baby. With her working mind, and memories that seemed like dreams, active since the unpleasant day her mother had given birth to her.

'Is she, is she, is she' echoed in her head as she thought upon the orange-haired woman who also resided in the house, and it made Nami's heart shift painfully, her stomach churning with both a loving regard and caution that no six-year-old should hold towards any parent.

Sagishi Kisho was a lovely woman, of that Nami held no doubt in her heart. Her smile was bright, and her hugs were warm, and she had graced Nami with so much love that it left the scarred woman crying at times. Tears of joy for such treatment, and to experience that maternal love once again was something Nami was forever grateful for.

But Nami was plagued by memory, and doubt. And once again that word…

Uncertainty.

"As long as you're alive, there will be better things and there will be many…"

The loving voice echoed in Nami's head, causing her to seethe in pain, bringing her near-sobbing face to her knees, arms now hugging across her legs as she curled in on herself.

Bellemere…

Nami's heart clenched with pain. The idea that the memory of her and Nojiko being nothing more than dreams caused her agony every time her thoughts drifted in that direction. How could it not? It left Nami in a daze, taunted by the idea of what was real and what was memory. Was this a fake world she was residing in? Or were her dreams, or rather memories, nothing but the conjuration of an insane mind?

And for four years, Nami went utterly insane pondering these questions. Her mother, or rather Sagishi, didn't know what to do with her; a child at the age of four already depressed; unknowing it was the mind of a twenty-year-old screaming into the wind. All that maturity, knowledge, and haunting memory; all being processed by the underdeveloped brain of a child. It was a tortured existence.

Or rather, it had been until a couple of years ago. And as she always did when she felt such depression sweep over her, that uncertainty, Nami reached into her bedside drawer; the wood scraping against its frame as she pulled on the handle. Pulling out her anchor, Nami gazed at it with a soft smile.

It was a miracle she found him, or perhaps he had always been there waiting for her? Having been rummaging around her room at four-years-old, having been trying to find some paper for her to draw on; Nami's hand had landed on something tucked away in the corner of the room. And when she had pulled it from its dusty confines, she remembered the sheer emotion she had felt. Something that had only existed in her dreams, in something she had begun to doubt being memory at all. It was as if she had yanked it from the cage of her mind and conjured it into reality.

With a squeeze, the clouds emerged from her Sorcery Clima Takt, the science of Weatheria unleashing the billow of white cotton-like substance, forming a cloud above her head. Only this cloud was alive, full of kindness and loyalty, full of soul. Nami's mind Danced, to the beat of a song that goal it was to avoid truths and realisations.

"Hey Zeus…" Nami croaked, beginning to calm upon seeing the cloud smile down at her with a sad expression, the Homie that had once belonged to an enemy that now could only haunt Nami's nightmares then quickly flying down into her arms. The navigator curled her arms around the fluffy anchor of her sanity, a smile now breaching her face as she embraced her friend.

A happier smile crossed the cloud's face as he gazed up at her, Zeus's mood brightening upon seeing Nami's do the same.

"Nami!" The cloud acknowledged her with a smile, which transformed into a grin when Nami flicked the hat on his head as a sign of affection, "Did you sleep well?"

The orange-haired girl sat up properly, letting go of the cloud, though he remained right above her lap, his size having been adjusted to match Nami's smaller form. Every day, Nami counted her blessings that evidently, something had remained from her previous life, something she could talk to and converse with.

"I did Zeus, thank you…" she said softly, as she got up out of bed, her feet brushing against the black, woolly carpet she had asked her mother to install for her. The carpet itself contrasted well with Nami's orange wallpaper, something she had requested for her fifth birthday. Nami's thoughts briefly left her, thinking of her economic situation.

Growing up, Nami had been poor. It was half the reason she obsessed about money in the way she did, money being the reason Bellemere was unable to live on after that fateful day. So, it left her feeling strange that her family's current monetary situation was more than stable. While she enjoyed the finer things, the feeling of Ryō between her fingers giving her immense satisfaction, she was somewhat spiteful of her current upbringing. Why was it in this life, whatever it was in its odd and unknown nature, that she had to be well-off? Why couldn't it have been before?

Nami continued to torment herself for a moment, lost in regret and anguish, before Zeus happily hovered over, having already fished Nami's clothes for the day on his back. The girl smiled gratefully, giving the water vapour a kiss on his cheek cutely before moving to get changed, Zeus beaming happily at her joy.

Once changed, Nami moved to her windowsill, pushing open the glass panes to gaze at the street below. Before she could even reach her watering can, Zeus stealthily moved over her tangerine tree which Nami had placed in the pot months ago and released a localised torrent of rain. Smiling at the cloud gratefully, Nami watched as her only friend hid out of view from the people of the city below, hovering near her cupboard.

Konoha…

Nami regarded the city amicably, moving to sit on her windowsill, legs dangling over the side as her bare feet basked in the sun now shining down on the military capital of the Land of Fire. Briefly waving at Hoshinoro-san, as she did every morning upon seeing the butcher who lived across the street, Nami took a deep breath while allowing herself to contemplate the geography and land she had ended up in.

The Elemental Nations were massive, that much Nami was aware of. Split into five main countries, those with the most political power and strongest militaries, the Elemental Nations were a political hellscape. With many other smaller nations dotted around the five main ones, Nami was still glad she had ended up in the Land of Fire. The people were nice here, that much Nami concluded, though she did admit she hadn't seen much beyond the confines of her house. Being the inquisitive and practical mind that she was, Nami was aware of basic information and facts, but there was only so much a child could inquire before people started asking questions. Though that changed with each rotation of the sun. She had been six for almost a year, and Nami was gaining more knowledge by the day, doing her own research that she knew everyone would attribute to the simple inquisitive nature of all children.

Briefly looking at the Hokage monument, an awesome sight every time she gazed upon it, Nami recalled everything she knew about the nature of the land she was now in. The Hokage was the leader of their village, which seemed to be a military city from what Nami could tell, given the ninjas with strange powers and how often Nami could see them wandering about. Of course, when she thought of ninjas and the Hokage, her mind led to… that day.

Nami could remember it, clear as any day. The day her breath hitched in her throat, the day her adult mind trapped in the body of a one-year-old baby screamed in horror as it tried to comprehend the monstrosity that appeared.

The Nine-Tailed Fox. Nami still had nightmares about it, on occasion, the malevolence having shook her to the core that fateful October night. She remembered rocking in her crib, instinctual tears streaming down her face as the world screamed around her. And then and only then, did Nami think she was going to die. That night, she had no way of protecting herself or her mother, something that brought back another package of unwanted memories from her former life.

Of course, the beast was eventually stopped by the Fourth Hokage, who had given his life to save the village. But Nami would never forget the terror, the same feeling she had gotten when gazing upon the likes of Big Mom or Kaido in her dreams. The Dance once again reappeared in force, to the beat of the song of sanity, her thoughts drifting again.

Still, the village had recovered, and for that Nami was proud and grateful. She really did love Konoha, having never lived in a place like it before, so full of life and different stories. While Nami would always prefer Cocoyashi Village, Konoha held a very special place in her heart, with the girl having extracted joys from its very nature in order to find happiness in a world that was otherwise dark. Nami gazed at Hoshinoro-san once again, watching him prepare his shop for the day, and let out a content sigh as he stocked his counter with meat products. Nami's mind tried to make the connection of the best customer the butcher could ever have or the best person who could prepare such goods, but the Dance continued on louder, sparing her from thoughts of pain and tears that were bound to fall.

She took another deep breath, analysing the weather of the Land of Fire briefly as she looked up at the sky. She turned around afterwards to see the map of the Elemental Nations, the Dance now roaring as her mind once again tried to scream and rip against its current situation. The Land of Fire was located quite centrally, towards the equator, meaning that it was often hot throughout the year; something the vain girl could get behind as she often sunbathed in her family's garden.

She stared at the map, almost in a trance, as a frown appeared on Zeus's face next to her, the Homie following her gaze. This happened each time, the cloud noted, and it too brought him sadness; though he was prepared to steel himself in order to comfort his best friend. Nami continued to stare, gazing at the map of the Elemental Nations.

The Dance stopped.

For it was unable to hide truth and pain anymore, and it would await its next duty.

A map of the world…

Tears built up in Nami's eyes, irises wavering due to the light having to travel through the water that was now threatening to spill down the girl's face. A map of the world. Her dream…

The dream she had been fulfilling on the Thousand Sunny was no longer possible, the ground beneath her feet had been mapped across the entire globe, and with it her dreams died in the darkest pits of her psyche. She would never fulfil her dream now, in fact, the feeling she was an alien amongst this entire world came back with full force as it always did.

How could she belong here? How could she have lived two lives? Where was the Grand Line? Where was the East Blue? Where was her crew? Where were Luffy and the others? Could she conjure them from her dreams as she did Zeus and her Clima Takt, alongside her logpose and bracelet? Why couldn't she? Was it her fault they would never appear? Would she ever see them again?

Nami choked out a sob as she stared at the map on the wall, a hiccup emerging from her mouth as she fell to her knees, a hand over her lips as she attempted to stifle her sobs. Her other hand clawed at the carpet on the ground, attempting to tear it asunder. Was the world around her even real? She could feel Zeus attempting to comfort her to her side, and she attempted to steel herself against the tide of emotion that was hitting her.

But she just couldn't, beginning to once again spiral into madness.

And so, the Dance did take a different form, conjuring a trick of the senses in order to stabilise its crumbling home that was the woman's mind.

She could feel the straw against her hair, the smell of the salty ocean and rubber permeating from the hat on her head, and Nami's face creased into a soft smile. A hand reached up to grasp the most important symbol in her life, but like that, it was gone…

But it had done its job, and the tears disappeared shortly after as Nami stood up with shaky legs and deep breaths. As long as that hat existed in her dreams, in her memories; there was nothing she couldn't do, nothing that could stop her from carrying on.

"Are you okay?" The voice of Zeus snapped her back to her room in Konoha, and Nami hugged him again with a sigh, the cloud reciprocating as best a formation of saturated air without arms could.

Nami just stood there for a moment, before letting Zeus go with a cat-like grin on her face, gazing at her only friend in the world. After all, when hanging around those of her age, Nami couldn't help but treat them maternally, considering she was in fact now of the mental age of 26. Zeus was all she had, and she would be forever grateful of his presence in her life, more than she could ever verbalise.

"I am Zeus, thank you…" Nami responded, picking up the Clima Takt from her bed and twirling it in her hands expertly. Nami genuinely did mean her response, happy that she was alive, no matter the conditions or consequences. She trusted Bellemere's words to be true, and she would never shy away from them.

As Nami moved towards the door to get on with her day, Zeus moved behind her, amassing above her head in order to keep up with his friend. "Were you thinking of them again?"

Of course, the cloud knew the answer, but he asked the question regardless. Like Mama, Zeus knew he was a forward person, who didn't like the pesky troubles that came with being deceptive or untrue to oneself. It was easier to just get things out of the way, confront them head-on, and live life true to one's wants and needs. That was what the cloud thought anyway.

Nami's hand stopped on the door handle, before turning around to look up at her friend, pain subsiding as she basked in her memories, "Yeah. It's just… I miss them…"

Zeus could see that as clear as day. After all, one didn't know how precious something was until they lost it, he had discovered that with Mama herself. Zeus too thought of the merry bunch on the Thousand Sunny, trapped in his own memories of the crew. Though he had not been with them long, the crew just having departed from Wano country, he had gotten used to his new family. "I miss them as well. Do you… ah, never mind!"

The cloud cut himself off before he had finished, though at the half-glare offered to him by chocolate eyes, the Homie gathered strength to finish his thought.

"Do you think we will see them again Nami?"

The question could not hide Zeus's sadness at the situation, which made Nami's heart ache for him, boundless sadness for the Homie as well as her own struggle. Of course Zeus missed the crew, he had bonded with them well over a short amount of time. Quite frankly, both knew Konoha's brightest days could not compare to the light and warmth of the Thousand Sunny.

"I… don't know Zeus." Nami responded honestly, unable to lie to her friend as to her own doubts which had crushed hopes over nearly seven years. Perhaps right after she had found Zeus, Nami had been as hopeful as anyone, but the years and time had been long; and even Nami could not stop the hopelessness. And uncertainty. Zeus's dropping expression caused Nami's heart to sink, and just as the Homie had a duty to cheer her up, she had the same duty with her cloud, "But at least we have each other!"

Upon seeing Nami's smile, Zeus let out a happy sound of confirmation with a massive beaming smile, before entering Nami's Clima Takt once again. Nami stared at the weapon with a tight, yet adoring smile; before twirling it in her hands once more, strapping it on the small of her back, out of sight.

Nami cast open the door, heading down to the kitchen where she could already smell breakfast being made. Feet gliding across the large wooden staircase, Nami noted that she had not lost any of her talent in stealth. It seemed even if she lived a new life, her talent had not disappeared, the instincts being too strong to ever be destroyed by a tide of change.

And those were the things that brought comfort upon the woman. For they proved the reality of her memories and dreams. After all, what other explanation could there be for Zeus, the bracelet that now sat on her wrist, or her skills? It was the only thing Nami could think of, after all.

Entering the kitchen, Nami saw the mother of this world who she loved so much prepare her favourite meal. Fried egg, sunny side up, with orange sauce. Her mouth watering at the smell and sight, Nami hopped onto the tall chair next to the kitchen counter easily. That was another thing Nami noticed. That the physical abilities that had been common in her previous life was not seen naturally amongst the people of Konoha at least. Nami knew that no one but ninja could fall as far or jump as high as many people of her previous life could; at least from what she had observed.

Casting those thoughts aside, she gazed happily at the woman who now turned to her with a beaming grin, headband reflecting the light off of her head as her jōnin vest encased her. If there was one thing that Nami was sure of, it was that she loved Sagishi Kisho with every fibre of her being. The woman, so full of love and warmth, was one of the few things that made Nami doubt her mentality of belonging to another life. With her, it was so easy to fall into the mentality of a child, a childhood which was lost to her previously. Her mother made it so very easy to be content, and Nami loved her to the point of death for it.

Nami didn't have to pretend with her mother, nor feel odd at giving the woman such a title; be it the chemicals in her child brain or Nami's own adoration for the woman, such was the truth. And Nami didn't care a single bit, words tumbling from her lips. "Morning Mom!"

Sagishi regarded her daughter with that ever-loving grin, reminding Nami of someone else, the sea and rubber once again filling her mind; though such a scent was cast aside when the plate of food was put before her. Sagishi's hair was a bright orange, which tumbled down to her shoulders, something she was comfortable doing despite her occupation, which spoke volumes in regard to her skill. Her eyes were a sapphire green and her nose rounded at its tip, but apart from that, she looked exactly as Nami did in her last life. She even sounded similar, though her voice was far more hardened and slightly deeper than Nami's had been, which the girl noted as her mother rubbed her hair, "Good morning sweetie!"

Nami let out a laugh through grinning teeth as her mother went to wash the dishes, before digging into her food which tasted as good as it always had done. Nami let her gaze fall upon her mother's back as she hummed a joyful tune, moving about the kitchen in order to clean the island and counter. Given how identical they looked, Nami often pondered if that is what her biological mother looked like in her previous life, considering the science of genetics and appearance. Though Nami didn't care about the fact considering she had Bellemere previously, it did make her wonder.

Tearing her gaze from her mother, she looked around their house, which was quite large considering how much money her mother had. While they didn't belong to a clan, which Nami had learnt about through general knowledge gathering, Nami's mother was an extraordinary Ninja; something which earnt her quite a lot of money. Thus, their generous house and life, something which Nami was grateful for considering her own attitude towards money. The portraits littered around the house were either of her mother and her life, or of Nami. Something to note was the lack of Nami's father in any of them, and when she asked the woman about it previously, Nami was surprised yet glad at the honesty she had received.

Nami's father had been, from what she translated from her mother's censored way of describing it, a one-night stand, a ninja from another village. Honestly, Nami didn't have any need of a father, as long as she had Sagishi. As such, Nami didn't really give it the time of day, though she was curious as to whether or not the man had brown eyes like hers.

Nami also loved to gaze upon portraits of her mother's life, ranging from her own late family to her genin team, the three happy children with their sensei located in the photo. Nami didn't know the names of any of them, and from the emotion of her mother upon description, Nami recognised they were dead. A twinge of sadness for her mother entered Nami's chest, but she recognised that such was the life of ninja in this world.

Looking upon the portrait next to it with a smile, Nami happily gazed at the portrait of her mother with her own genin team, of whom Nami was acquainted with well. Kotetsu, Izumo, and Sakuni were a fun trio, often getting into shenanigans Nami's mother scolded them for, but Nami adored their company. Besides, it did help that they doted on her with adoration whenever they saw her, be it out of fear or genuine love.

Finishing her breakfast and letting out a thanks, Nami hopped off her chair with a massive smile, ready to begin the day anew. Her mother regarded her with a raised brow, before a chuckle spread to her lips.

"Going to the park again?" Sagishi asked her, preparing to head out for the day herself. She was finally training her genin, that being Team 4, in their elemental affinities. Sagishi could feel the chakra paper within her pocket, but took the time to regard the daughter rushing for the door. The woman had little qualms with Nami's explorative side or leaving her in the house unattended. Nami was extremely bright for her age, something the woman noted proudly, and almost functioned better when Sagishi wasn't there. Not that the woman was worried, she thought with internal amusement. After all, Nami had an explosive anger, one that scared even her cute genin students. And Konoha was a safe place.

The park in question, the Konoha Library Park, was a massive area outside the Konoha library. Many children often played there, and while Sagishi knew Nami never joined in with them, the woman was aware Nami often went there to simply enjoy her day. With a confirming nod from Nami, Sagishi watched as the girl ran out the door, an 'I love you' tumbling from her lips before the mother could even get a word in.

With a smile and a sigh, Sagishi knew for certain she was happy with her life in general, and knew her daughter was going to be something special indeed...

Nami briskly entered the park through the South gate, given she herself lived in the South side of the village. The sound of children playing in their designated area of the park right next to the entrance was a familiar sound to Nami's ears, one which her internal adult was content to listen to. After her memories, or dreams, of Punk Hazard, Nami was happy to see children happy wherever she resided.

The Dance worked through her mind again, allowing Nami to move on with her life once again without entering an emotional state of trauma. Plopping down on the bench, Nami took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the park in all its glory. It was a beautiful place, and while Nami appreciated the ocean currents and the smells they brought forth more, she conceded that the park had a unique element she loved. If Nami had a choice in her location in this world, she would likely head south of the Land of Marsh, into the largest ocean documented. And explore as she had done once before, trying to find islands and adventure. Maybe one day…

Nami quickly took out her sketch pad, flicking through her many drawings with a soft smile, though the truth such drawings brought in their appearance caused the Dance in her mind to stir. After all, there were no need for maps anymore, and before Nami could fall into despair once again at such thoughts, her eyes landed on her sketch of a straw hat, red ribbon encasing its perimeter.

Such were the drawings of hopes and dreams, of ambitions and family; all represented by a single hat, family bound by the bowl of straw that sat on one particular head. Nami let out a chuckle, filled with pain and love and anger and memory, before extracting her pencil from her pocket. Having turned to a new page, Nami began with her art as she had done on every day before it, deciding this time to draw the landscape in front of her.

A genin team passed, evidently heading towards one of the training grounds, and Nami regarded them from the corner of her eye. The idea of ninjas, and their chakra, baffled Nami at times. Though considering the land in which she previously resided, nothing particularly surprised her in terms of oddity and incredulity. Still, Nami often wondered in the times when her mind raced with possibilities, if she herself had access to Chakra; though the orange-haired girl had never attempted to try and discover as such. Perhaps one of these days…

This line of thinking often led to Nami wondering if she would enter the academy and become a ninja. Militaries always gave Nami pause, considering the main military she knew was that of the World Government, an outright evil organisation which had committed sins beyond comprehension against her friends. Pirates they may have been, but the likes of Robin and Franky had suffered to such an extreme that Nami knew their true nature. The Dance perked its head and twitched its feet within her psyche, ready to begin anew.

And Nami considered Konoha in similar vein, though far better than the World Government, it was perhaps an evil system propped up by good people. Wars, slaughter, suffering, back-stabbing; Nami knew Konoha was likely capable of all of these things from a mere glance at the history books.

And it wasn't as if Nami hadn't experienced an environment similar to the one she was currently in. After all, the Land of Wano was full of clans, daimyo, ninja and their techniques. Nami's thoughts arrived to Tama quite quickly, a fond smile crossing her face as she remembered the adorable little girl who intended on being a kunoichi. The Dance once against began its rhythm, preventing her from thinking too much about her previous life as Nami once again thought on the issue.

Nami loved the city, loved the country she lived in despite the call of the sea, and she loved the people inside it. Her mother chief amongst that list, alongside others like Kotetsu, Izumo, and Sakuni. And Nami couldn't protect them without being a ninja, lest she be locked up for being a vigilante. It was a conflict that often griped at her brain, one she had come no closer to solving since she started thinking of such issues.

So, doing what was characteristic of both a free-willed pirate and a near seven-year-old, Nami let out a noise of indifference and shrugged, simply moving on from the issue until it became more pressing in the approaching months. She smiled softly at such a way of living life, a Shishishishi echoing in her head, and knew she had learnt from no one but the best.

Nami began to draw, the curves of her pencil echoing their contents onto the paper, forming lines and curves to form something far more collected, an imprint of a single moment forever captured by the intricacies of art.

Nami let her gaze fall upon the children playing, and it wasn't long until the girl noticed a lone child sitting on a swing, blond hair sticking out in all directions as they forlornly gripped the rope of the swing itself. Odd, she thought, having never seen him in this particular park before. A frown instantly crossed Nami's face, near 27-year-old motherly instincts calling at her to do something. Noticing the berth the other children gave this one particular child, Nami's feet were moving before she even had time to comprehend her actions.

A childhood of suffering once lived, Nami couldn't bare to see any other child experience such at all.

And so Nami did approach, entering the children's area of the park with a confident spring to her step, and her destination was clear to everyone else after only a couple of seconds. Nami was quickly intercepted by two children, a boy and a girl, who stepped in front of her with the clear intent of stopping her movement. Feet scraping against the ground, Nami brought herself to a stop, gazing upon the two curiously.

"What do you think you are doing 'eh?" the boy asked, wooden spoon in hand like a weapon, as the little girl moved to speak right after him, yellow paint around her green eyes, "Yeah, you don't want to go near him!"

Nami decided to be curious before letting her explosive anger potentially storm within, and she felt Zeus twitch nervously on her lower back upon hearing this. The Homie knew that this situation could not end well for anyone…

"And why not?" Nami rebuked in rebellion, her arms crossing over one another to show her dissatisfaction. Not only did she dislike the idea of a child being upset, but she hated being told what to do, "He's just a little kid… l-like us…"

Nami internally scolded her awkwardness and had to admit it was times like this when being an adult trapped in the body of a child was a pain in her ass.

"Everyone says he's a monster 'eh! A freak even! All the adults think so too!" he pointed out with a hiss, loud enough that Nami noticed the boy perk his head up, tears swimming in eyes full of pain and to Nami's horror, a growing acceptance.

And the Dance could not stop memories surfacing now, in full force. Nami could almost see the sunset, feel the wooden boards beneath her feet, and hear the sound of the waves…

A conversation like any other, an addition to the album of many introspective talks they had shared throughout their journey, the two knowing the other was their emotional anchor to the ambitions that needed such stability.

"I didn't have many friends back home, 'cept Ace and Sabo of course! Oh, and Uta too!" He noted, wide grin on his face as if such a thing didn't matter at all, and The Navigator knew that it really didn't. Such was the way idiots lived, she thought fondly, as her arms rested against the railing near the head of their home, upon which he sat.

The conversation had started as most of their talks always did, the two always getting into the mind other, such was the nature of the boundless friendship they held. After he had recounted the time in Dressrosa, in his own… abridged way, he had begun to recall his past. And it was to The Navigator's brief surprise, given it was he who imparted the information onto her through his own accord. Tales of his brother tumbling from his lips with smiles brighter than the clearest of days.

The surprise disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. The Navigator knew him after all. It wasn't that he had anything to hide, he of all people was as open as the waves of the sea itself, free in all respects. It wasn't as if he was keeping the information prior, but to him it didn't matter, for he was free from even being defined by the past. She listened intently, before The Navigator did ask as to why such a lack of friends was the case, especially given the personality he held.

"Oh, they all thought I was a freak. Ran whenever I tried to play with them! Even before I got my Devil Fruit!" He explained with a laugh and no care in the world, and The Navigator decided to feel the anger on his behalf, filling in the gaps that the heart of the free could not deign itself to feel.

Memories rushing through her head at once, Nami felt her anger spike and fist clench. It wasn't in Nami's nature to hit children, they didn't hold wisdom after all and were just children, but sh-

Her thoughts were interrupted by the two crying and running away, bumps on their heads and Nami's fist raised. The orange-haired girl let out an internal chuckle, though accompanied by a sheepish regard for what she had done. It seemed she had reacted out of instinct, caught up in memories of the past.

With a shrug, though feeling a slight twinge of guilt and knowledge the issue would be raised to her mother, Nami trotted over to the boy who now held a look of awe on his face. Such an expression scared off any doubts Nami held, happy to see the sadness fade in exchange for confusion and shock.

She sat on the ground, back resting against the tree as her Clima Takt slightly shifted against the bark, but both got comfortable quickly. Nami brought her knees up, uncaring if the dress that clung to either side of her legs got dirty from having been on the ground. Resting her forearms on her knees, she looked at the boy with a cat-like grin.

"The name's Nami! Nice to meet ya!"

Omake: Storm's Wrath

Kotetsu considered himself to be quite cool. In fact, Kotetsu would consider himself to be the coolest genin to walk upon the earth, God having graced them with his epic presence and awesome power. He also considered himself to be brave, and he knew this to be true.

He rushed into danger in their last C-rank mission, which nearly had been dangerous enough to be a B-rank. He protected his teammates when they had gone down and kept a level head. His sensei often lavished him with praise for this one particular trait, amongst all her constructive criticisms and teasing jabs. And thus there was nothing he feared.

Until today. The day his sensei had invited him over to her house for the first time. Such an occasion was important, and Kotetsu briefly let himself feel happy at the thought of his sensei, and how she loved them enough to bring them into her home. They all loved Sagishi-sensei to the point of stupidity, knowing she loved them back in equal regard.

But none of that mattered. None of it mattered to the… terror that lived in his sensei's house. Fear crawled over Kotetsu's spine, like spiders over web, and he almost felt the tears in his eyes as he heard footsteps approach. Sakuni and Izumo were already down, they had decided to run as opposed to hide. But his safety in the cupboard flew away with the approaching sound of feet.

Sagishi would later come back from having to pick up emergency groceries for the meal she intended on making for her genin, arriving home to see her three students in a pile, tears coursing down their faces. Her gaze landed on her spitfire of a daughter, sitting and reading a book with a dress torn at the left leg, and the woman could almost see the smoke rising from her fist.

She let out a chuckle full of adoration for everyone in the room. It seems her students had finally encountered Storm Nami…

And boom, new story! Honestly, I've been thinking of this one for a while, and I am so happy to actually begin it.

For those who follow my profile and saw this come up, hello again! Hope you enjoy this chapter, because I did writing it.

For those of you new here, welcome! Hope you enjoy all that is to come (and hopefully my writing style as well)

Now that is all out of the way, I just wanted to let some things be known.

Firstly, the reason I fell off the face of the planet is because my life kinda went to hell and I've only now gotten my head above water. And now, I want to take up writing again. I don't know how long this phase will last, or if it will extend beyond that (given I start new stories as one does Skyrim Save Files), but I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.

I think I want to focus on this story for a while, until I feel the call of my other stories. Given the ideas I have, I don't think I've seen a story of this nature in this particular crossover, so I am REALLY looking forward to getting it all onto paper.

ACTUAL IMPORTANT QUESTION BELOW

If anyone in comments or DMs could tell me how to get a Beta for this story, that'd be awesome. Because writing chapters isn't my weakness, it is checking the grammar and stuff in post that often kills the momentum. Anyway, I am completely unfamiliar with the whole beta process so help is desired! So, I figured I may as well seek to eliminate that step entirely (as I do not want my story to die)

Anyway, just wanted to make a couple of things clear before starting up!

1) This story will not feature god-like Naruto characters (in particular Naruto) stomping over One Piece characters (especially due to misconceptions in both fandom and fanfiction). In fact, considering the current scaling, One Piece characters stomp until like, the end of the Ninja War (destructive output of Bijuudamas aside)

2) There will be no harem for any character. If I see one more harem story, Naruto or crossover, I will weep enough tears to fill an ocean.

3) The other Straw Hats will appear, in similar adult in child body contexts to Nami. I am just focusing on Nami to start with as I feel she is the main human connection to the crew, especially in her role as one of the two foils to Luffy (the other being Zoro). However, the story will mainly focus on those who reside in Konoha for pacing sake.

4) Undecided on pairings, bar like Naruto x Fem!Sasuke (because that shit has completely affected my perspective of Naruto as a whole L)

Anyway, hope you enjoyed!

This is, TheHumulisScriptor, signing out!