A/n: ARGH! Shock! It's a Nami x Zoro Fanfiction, one of those rare sights probably only to be witnessed by a very few… Oops, there I go again. Listen, this is my first Fanfiction since… ages, (its been about 2 years since I started anything new) but I've been writing too much Original fiction. And YES, THIS STORY has a plot; I sat down and planned it out (3 HOURS it took!)

Note:

"SPEAKING" – the Original novelistic way!

Thinking –All thoughts are expressed in italics.

And finally… I don't own Once Piece characters.

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BLOOD MONEY

Chapter 1: Disguise of Love

By Hisoka B

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The fire dimmed in the musky shop as the old lady sat silently behind her table, patiently waiting as she observed each of the girl's expressions. "Are you going to ask me a question anytime soon?" she asked tolerantly as Nami glared at Vivi.

Nami, for as much as she had complained about wasting her money on a fortuneteller, her objections had been submerged when she had realised Vivi's eagerness. "Nami," Vivi whispered to her annoyed friend, "You should ask THAT question."

"What question?" Nami scoffed. She honestly didn't know what her friend was trying to tell her, or understanding why she even offered to pay for such a teller.

"Well, being on a ship full of male nakama…" Vivi began with emphasis on the word 'male', but Nami interrupted her hastily. "WHAT! I'm not wasting my ß100 on THAT sort of question."

The fortuneteller sighed. As soon as the two girls had entered her divinity shop, she had at first, assumed them to be not the typical sort of love crazy girls, but she was wrong. The way they each had suspected her items for sale had suggested the girls were both very sceptical. However, in the end, they were still the typical teenager girls they were. A love question. Of course.

"Okay okay," Nami growled, defeated. Vivi smiled as they turned back to face the fortuneteller. "I've got my question," Nami chanted through gritted teeth.

"Very well dear," the teller smiled carefully, "Ask it and I will answer it to the best of my spiritual abilities."

Yeah, spiritual abilities…whatever. Nami whispered to herself. "Lady, please tell me," she sighed as Vivi cheered her on from the side. "Will I ever find -true- love in one of my nakama?"

Upon hearing Nami's question, the fortuneteller smiled. About ninety-nine percent of women asked a similar question. The teller nodded, acknowledging the question before she closed her eyes and concentrated.

Nami narrowed her eyebrows as she unconsciously fidgeted, she didn't believe in this sort of psychical stuff. Tarot cards, karma, fate and destiny were not able to predict future or warn you. Vivi probably didn't believe in it either, but the starry look in Vivi's eyes suggested she wanted to. However, Nami had to admit, she found herself being curious. If the teller said yes to her question, she would be then be given the question of who could it be? She would probably drive herself paranoid if she were to try and work out the answer.

The teller's eyes snapped open. "I see your future young lady." She smiled. "The answer to your question is yes."

Vivi's eyes lit up even further. "I KNEW IT!" She hugged her exasperated friend dearly as Nami gently shook her off. She wanted more for an answer. The teller nodded, she had caught Nami's glance. "Young girl, your relationship will be a turbulent one, but you will realise your feelings of love before he does."

"What?" Nami demanded, "Lady, this is almost sounding like some sort of sick joke-"

"No, I'm quite sure such a thing will happen quite near in the future," the teller grinned.

"YEAH right."

"You do not need to pressure yourself from the truth."

"What truth?" Nami slammed her palm on the teller's table. "I've travelled with those morons for quite some time now, and currently, my only feelings for most of them are frustration and irritation!"

"Admiration and respect is also one of those feelings." The old lady replied stoically, undisturbed by Nami's outburst. "Soon one of your nakama will earn another one of your feelings-"

Nami cut the old lady off, dreading the word the teller was forming. "Urgh," Nami shook her head, "I'd like to see them try, because they'll have to DIE in the process. Be happy you managed to cheat me of ß100 today, because it won't be happening again."

Vivi sighed, "Nami…"

"Let's go Vivi," Nami stormed out of the shop, but Vivi smiled gingerly to the old Lady.

"I know you were not cheating us, obaasan (Japanese respectful word for Old Lady)." The old lady simply nodded, smiling. "Go chase after your friend, darling."

Stomping her way back to the Going Merry, Nami cursed herself for being so foolish. Wasn't she the one who told Vivi not to take whatever the teller said seriously? And here she was, getting extremely frustrated at what the old lady had predicted for her.

"Calm down," Vivi said upon catching up to her.

Nami tried to smile but felt herself weighed down with the bags of food and provisions. "That experience was certainly not a good way to end our little shopping expedition wasn't it?"

"No, you just got a little scary back there," Vivi told her "but that's okay. I would have acted that way too if I was told such a future."

Nami nodded.

"But," Vivi continued devilishly, "She didn't seem like the sort to swindle a young girl's heart…"

"Vivi, we are in the Grand Line. I don't know what to expect, and a person who claims to see the future is the last I'd believe." Nami shook her head as they saw the harbour in their view. "It's impossible I would fall in love with one of them."

"I'm not so sure, you and Luffy seem to have your moments." Vivi chuckled upon glancing at the appalled look on Nami's face.

"I love that guy, I really do. Except I don't think I'd ever feel for him in a romantic way."

"Well then there's Sanji," Vivi suggested, "He's always eager to please you."

"US. He's always eager to please US." Nami corrected, "Sanji-san is willing to do anything for a pretty lady. If I fell in love with someone who's as –loyal- as him, it'll drive me insane."

"Well what about Zoro then?"

Nami dreaded that question. "Well, we obviously don't get along," she clenched her fists a little, "And he does OWE me quite the amount of money."

"But that's because you always add more money to his debt. And not just a bit of money, Nami, you add thousands." Vivi laughed.

Nami nearly dropped her packages, "Yeah, but is it possible to fall in love with someone who repeatedly keeps calling you a bitch and assuring he's going to send you to hell if you couldn't make it yourself?" She had raised her voice unexpectedly, and Nami cowered a little knowing what would be running in Vivi's mind.

"Saying you hate a person is a common way of hiding your true emotions." Vivi grinned evilly.

"GAH!" Nami growled irritably, "not for him! But thanks, you reminded me of his massive debt. I'd have to try and get an answer from him tonight, or I'm going to keep adding interest!"

Vivi smiled, she knew she had hit a nerve. The chemistry is definitely there. She snickered to herself. I just hope something will happen before we get to Arabasta.

Arriving at the Going Merry dock the two girls were greeted by an ever-eager love-hearted eyed Sanji who carried all their packages to the storage cabinets. Luffy, Chopper were playing cards with Usopp who had finally found some people who were worse at playing cards than him. "About time," Usopp paused and watched the two board the ship. "Although Luffy and Chopper are fun to play cards with, there's just no suspense! I can tell literally guess what cards are in their hands!"

"Eh!" Luffy looked up, ignoring Usopp. "Ah! Nami and Vivi! Now we can finally get going to Arabasta!" He jumped and made his way to his favourite spot on the Going Merry.

Nami smiled and raised her arm into the air, "Hai!" she answered.

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As the night breeze propelled the Going Merry at standard speed, the Straw Hat pirates and Vivi enjoyed relaxing themselves in the peaceful atmosphere on the ship. Well, in most of the places anyway. Nami had spotted the swordsman slumping on the top deck, appearing to be asleep. Wandering over to him slowly, she remembered she had spent all afternoon relaxing; preparing herself for the inevitable argument that was bound to occur. She walked her way over to him, before standing in front of him and crossed her arms. "Zoro, I know you're awake." she started but he cut her off quickly.

"Let me guess, you're wondering when am I going to repay my debt?" His eyes were still closed as Nami narrowed her eyebrows. Was she that predictable?

"How did you know?"

A familiar smirk graced his features, "what other time do you bother me?"

"Do I bother you? Well…" Nami placed her hands on her hips, unsure of what she was saying, "But that's not what this conversation is going to be about. I've calculated your debt and it is currently at ß1, 000,000. And YES, I want to know when you're going to return it."

Zoro's eyes shot open at the amount of money. "What the hell? I don't remember it being that hefty… HOW much interest do you charge woman?"

"Not nearly enough……" she smiled wickedly as Zoro glared at her. "But it can easily TRIPLE if you don't pay off any of it soon."

"WHAT!" He crossed his arms, and Nami prepared herself for it. An insult with 'bitch' and 'hell' in one sentence… "Next time, if you don't fall into hell, I'll force you down bitch!" Zoro snarled angrily. Nami sighed, his insults needed new ammo. "Zoro, since I consider myself a nice person, I'm prepared to give you a whole week to pay me back."

"Geez Zoro," Usopp had heard their conversation and strolled over to them, "how much do you owe her?"

"Some large, crazy, insurmountable sum that she made up." Zoro grunted his reply, shaking his arms in the air to express his frustration. She's going to annoy me forever if I don't find a way to pay off this insanely large debt.

"I didn't make it up!" Nami growled, "You're just so lazy in returning the favour back then, I've simply been doubling the amount of the money that you owe!"

Zoro twitched his eyebrows irritably, "doubled? What sort of a person are you?"

Ah… Sanji's queue. The cook jumped in to answer the question, "Nami-san's a wonderful person, you dumb muscle headed swordsman!"

"Oi." Zoro glanced at the cook sceptically. What the hell had caused Sanji to revolt in such an outburst?

Zoro picked himself up and ignored Sanji's accusing face as he walked away. Nami stared after him frustratingly, before glancing back to Sanji. "Thanks, Sanji-kun. However, I think you went too far."

"Nami-san!" The love hearts returned and all Nami could do was smile simply. However, it was turned crooked when the Going Merry suddenly rolled backwards.

"What was that?" Vivi and Chopper came running out from the cabins.

"We just seemed to hit air!" Chopper gasped, waving his hooves in the air.

"Why did the ship seem to travel backwards just a minute ago?" Luffy appeared with a mouth full of food but what caught by Sanji, "HEY!" Sanji's eyebrow twitched, "I was saving that for tomorrow!"

"Eh?" Luffy answered casually. But before Sanji could deliver any punishment, men with appearances of pirates jumped out from thin air and raced towards them.

"What the hell going on!" Sanji cried as he raced to protect Vivi from a random pirate.

"I don't know, they just appeared from nowhere!" Vivi cried as she grabbed Chopper.

The strange looking pirates kept coming, but now they were screaming, "We want your navigator! Give him up or else!"

"Eh?" Luffy looked dumfounded, "Since when was Nami a man?" he pointed to the Going Merry navigator as Nami felt herself fume. He had just given her away dammit! The men turned to Nami and began to enclose in on her. What was everyone else doing? Luffy, Sanji and Chopper were kicking the ass out of some random men while Usopp ducked behind the barrels.

Yet she felt a hand cup her mouth as a bag was pulled over her. How had a man gotten behind her? The only explanation was the invisible ship had moved, it now facing the Going Merry's rear and the men had closed in from behind. Clever assholes. But where was Zoro?

It had been both quick and strange, yet Nami still couldn't comprehend how in the world the pirates with an invisible ship had captured her. But there she was in the end, hand-tied and chained, and all she could do was stare as she watched the Going Merry seem to float away from view. When did things like these happen? Morons. She thought irritably.

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A/N: I know everything happened quickly in the last few moments, but the point is, Nami is captured and you-know-who is going to go save her. Everything you want explained would all be in the second chapter.

However, I forgot to explain Carue or Vivi's pet bird is not mentioned in this fic… whoops… forgot there. The Arabasta arc is so long, I kind of forgot!