Chapter 5 Bleed
Nami ran as fast as she could through the forest. She finally reached the graveyard. She stopped for a moment and looked back over her shoulder. She didn't see him. Almost.. She went to run again but tripped over a tombstone.
She held her leg. The stone had scrapped her knee and it was throbbing in pain.
"Nami! Wait!" she heard Luffy shout.
She gasped and quickly got up and ran out of the graveyard.
Seconds after she had left, Luffy arrived in the graveyard. He turned his head in both directions searching for her. Then he noticed the blood on the stone. He knelt on one knee and examine it. He lifted his head.
"Nami.."
It had been a whole day since the Straw Hat Crew had lost their captain. But they wouldn't give up. Even if they had look forever! So there they sat drifting drifting, searching for any remains of their beloved captain or fellow crew member and Navigater.
Then they saw it.
"What's that?" Zoro said pointing to and object in the water. Everyone ran to the side of the ship to look.
"It's Luffy's hat!" Usopp cried.
Robin sprouted an arm out of the side of the ship and threw it up to them.
"He's gone!" Usopp wailed with fountain like tears shooting of of his eyes.
Zoro looked at the hat, "No he's not!"
"What makes you say that?" Sanji asked.
Zoro chuckled, "Knowing Luffy he wouldn't even die with out this hat!" he looked off in the distance, then pointed, "Let's sail in that direction, it's our best shot!"
Nami ran through the blinding dark, once in a while the trees would shield the beams of the moon, and Nami couldn't even see the hand in front of her face. She ran even though she didn't know where she was going. She just knew Luffy was chasing her and she couldn't let him catch up. I can't put him in danger again.. Finally she could see the light of the moon again. Her eyes desperatly scanned for the markings they had made on the trees.
She saw one and she ran toward it when all of the sudden out of what seemed like nowhere Luffy jumped her. The two pirates rolled on the ground until they stopped. He pinned her hard against the ground, determined not to let her up.
"Let me go!" she demanded, pushing his face with her free hand.
"No!" he pinned her free hand down, "Not until you tell me what's going on!"
Nami bit her lip.
"Tell me! I can help you!"
A tear slid down her cheek. No you can't. No one can help me..
"I don't need your help!" she growled at him struggling.
"Stop it Nami!"
"Let me up!"
"No!"
She kicked him back and she scrambled to her feet trying to get away. He grabbed her and held her hard by her shoulders.
"Let me go!" she screamed at him, punching his chest, "Let me go!" punch! "Let me go!" punch! "Let me go!" punch!
He took every hit, not trying to stop her or asking why.
Hot tears streamed down her face as her punches became weaker and weaker, "L-let go.. Let-"
She was surpised to have Luffy pull her forward into his arms and against his chest. He hugged her tightly. She stood still in surprise, staring over the shoulder her face was being pressed against. She soon found her own arms lifting slowly until they were around him as well. She hugged him tightly and cried.
If I told him...
"It's okay..." he said softly.
If I told him...
She continued to cry, her tears soaking into his shirt.
What would he say?
"You can tell me, Nami.."
If I told him...
She opened her mouth to speak but the words she longed to say wouldn't come out.
If I told him...
She swallowed them hard even though they burned inside her chest.
Would he turn me away?
I can't do this to him... She gripped his shirt tightly. I won't let him get hurt again because of me. She pushed herself out of his arms and (imagine this in slow motion) slapped him across the face. The sound of it seemed to echo through the forest. As if recording a mistake that she could never forgive herself for. They both froze a moment in the forms they had taken. Nami's hand was still raised in the air in the height she had slapped him in. And Luffy stood there, his head still turned in the direction she had slapped it.
Even though he wasn't looking at her, the look on his face cut deeper than any knife. It was a look of feeling betrayed, hurt, deceived and countless other emotions. It cut through her making her feel guilty and made her long to apoligize.
If this was a mistake it was too late to make up for it now. As far as she was concerned there was no reason to stay when there would be nothing left. There's nothing left for me... She ran.
If I could say these words I longed to say...
Luffy didn't watch her go. He stayed in his position and said nothing. Then he turned his head. His hair shadowed his face but you could see his eyes lift and stare in the direction she had left. Would he go after her?
Would he turn me away?
After what seemed like being lost for hours Nami finally reached the beach. And she found she didn't have to wait for Arlong, he was waiting for her, him and a crew of snake men. She was hesitant but she finally went over to him.
He smiled "Good girl, Nami. I knew you would come."
Her eyes glanced at the ship behind him. She assumed it was his.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Let's just get this over with."
"All right," he grinned, "Right this way, Nami."
Nami started to make her way up the gank plank when suddenly, Arlong grabbed her.
"Hey! What are you doing!" she demanded.
He laughed hystericly, "You didn't really think I was going to let that straw hat get away with what he did to me, did you? Come on, Nami, you know me better than that! You're still coming with us of course, but you're just the bait!" he answered her.
Nami was furious! But it really didn't matter anyway. She was positive Luffy wouldn't come after her so this whole thing was just a lost cause.
He went on, "When he gets here I'm going to finish him off!"
She laughed.
He looked at her suspiciously, "What's so funny?"
"You fool," she began lowering her head smiling slyly. "He won't come! I made sure of that!"
Arlong looked off into the distance."Oh, yes, he will, I know he will."
What a fool! she thought. After what I did to him he'd never come after me! He'd never-
"Nami!"
Nami gasped. Her heart skipped a beat. T-that voice... It can't be him! Her head slowly lifted. Sure enough it was him, he was running towards them. He came anyway? But why? How could he come here after what I did to him?
"So you're finally here," Arlong said with a chuckle. "I knew you'd come."
Luffy looked shocked for a moment. "You! You're dead!"
Arlong laughed, "And yet, here I am!"
The pirate captain glanced at Nami then back at Arlong, "You're the one who hit Nami! Weren't you!" Luffy growled clenching his fists.
The merman smirked, "So what if I did?"
The rubber man growled shaking his fists with a dangerous look in his eyes. "You'll pay for that!" Luffy's fist went flying forward.
Arlong jumped out of the way, letting Luffy go flying past him. "I see you're using the same old tricks! But I've learned some new ones!"
Before Luffy could ask what he meant blood spattered in the air as something cut a small scratch on Luffy's face. He stopped for a moment, felt his face and looked at the blood on his hands."What the-" A couple other cuts appeared as if someone was hacking at him with a pocket knife.
"I ate a cursed fruit as well!" Arlong told him, "The Scratch Scratch fruit! I can scratch you up by merely using my mind!"
More scratches appeared. "I could scratch you to death if I wanted to but I prefer to make your death slow and painful!" He let go of Nami and pushed her over to one of the snake men.
Luffy ran at him, "Gum Gum Blast!" Arlong grabbed Luffy's arm and threw him down. Luffy lifted his head out of the sand, as he did three scratches appeared on his face. He growled and stood then ran at him again trying to punch him. Arlong went to grab Luffy's arm but Luffy tripped him with his leg. Luffy jumped on top of the merman and started rapidly pounding on his chest. A scratch cut across his eye, "AHHH!" Luffy screamed holding his eye in pain. Arlong took the opportunity and kicked Luffy off of him. Arlong rushed at him.
"Luffy!" Nami screamed.
But about the time Luffy took his hand off his eye Arlong had punched him in the face sending him skitting across the sand. Arlong grinned and gave the pirate time to stand. When he stood arlong walked up to him, Luffy went to punch him but Arlong grabbed his fist. Then without warning he ripped Luffy's shirt open. Luffy stared at him questionably, he looked into Arlongs eyes, they turned into the eyes sharks have just before they're about to kill.
Dozens of scratches ripped at Luffy's chest. His eyes slowly looked over at Nami as blood trickled down his chest. Her face was shocked and scared. Sweat heavily clear on her face. His eyes rolled back and he fell onto his knees, then forward.
Nami screamed. "LUFFY!" she cried.
She tried to get away but the snake man held her tightly.
Arlong kicked Luffy's body, he didn't move. Arlong laughed, "Okay, our job is done here! Let's set sail for Coco Village!"
"NO!" Nami screamed trying to charge at Arlong.
The snake man held her back by her wrists.
"I didn't agree to this! You didn't tell me this would happen!"
"Tough luck, girl! But don't worry about anything, things will just go back to the way they were!"
Nami gasped. The way they were?
"NOOOO!" she screamed. What have I done? What have I done?
"Bring her along!" Arlong motioned to the snake man.
She struggled with all her might to break free, "NO! NO! LUFFY! LUFFY!"
"I think we're getting closer!" Chopper announced to the crew.
Usop looked off in the distance, then pointed, "LAND HOE!"
Zoro ran to the side of the ship and raised a telescope to his eye. "Yeah, that's land all right! Finally I thought we'd never-" he gasped, "LUFFY!"
"WHERE?" everyone asked stampeding over to the side of the ship knocking Zoro down.
A weak finger lifted and pointed, "Right there! On the shore line!"
When Zoro stood Usopp took the telescope and looked for himself, "HE'S ALIVE!"
"Where? Where?" Sanji questioned squishing up against Usopp's cheek.
"THERE!" Usop said angrily, pointing.
Sanji took the telescope from Usopp and looked, "He is alive! But where's Nami!"
Chopper took the telescope from Sanji. "I guess we'll find out when we ask Luffy."
When the ship was moared everyone hurried off of it.
"Luffy!" they all screamed.
Zoro was the first to get to him. He knelt beside him. "Luffy?"
When Luffy didn't answer he flipped him over.
"He's in pretty bad shape." Zoro said looking Luffy over as Chopper knelt beside him.
"Let's get him onto the ship!" Sanji spoke up when he got to his captain.
Zoro and Sanji started to lift him.
"Nami..."
Zoro and Sanji exchanged looks then looked at his face. "Luffy?"
Luffy's eyes opened part way. "Nami.."
"Where is Nami?" Sanji questioned franticly.
Luffy eyes shut slowly and his head fell forward.
Zoro looked at Sanji, "Let's get him on board."
Nami sat in the dark, her hands chained to the wall.
There was nothing she could do. Luffy was dead and soon she would be making maps for Arlong again with Coco Village under his command. I've ruined everyone's lives including my own. And now Luffy's dead and it's all my fault. She felt like she was going to go insane. All the things he had said were running through her head, echoing, like she was in some ghostly nightmare. It's almost like I cut him and made him bleed myself! She began to cry. How could this happen? How could this happen?
Authore's Note:
I know the "Scratch Scratch Fruit" thing is kind of lame but it works well with my idea. I know it's probably not a real cursed fruit so don't flame me! Btw I saw someone complain about how I use what Luffy says in the anime when he attacks "Gum Gum kick" or whatever. I just wanted to tell them I'm not going all original with this fanifc, I get most of my knowledge from the anime, I haven't finished the manga yet. The only reason I called "Zolo" (american anime name) "Zoro" (original manga name) is cuz' I have a friend who would spaz if I didn't so I'm sorry if everyone's not in perfect character or if I use something from the amercian anime verson. So sorry readers. :( Btw to that one person, thanx for the constructive critism I can use what you told me! Thank you:) And don't worry I don't hate you. It's just a fanfic nothing to get uppset over.