Final Departure

Chapter 4: Reflection

Nami sat on her bed, her arms wrapped around her legs as she buried her head in her arms. They had arrived at the shore and anchored at least an hour ago, but Nami didn't feel like exploring the new island, or like facing anyone outside for that matter...

Sanji had knocked on her door once, yet, luckily he was enough of a gentleman after all to know when he wasn't wanted around and he had left her in peace since.

Chopper had come by. And she even would have considered letting him in, if only to hug the fur ball close and shed all her tears into that comforting softness... Judging from his trembling voice though the little animal seemed even more upset than her and surely that was the last thing either of them needed right now.

Of course Franky had not come to see her.

Luffy hadn't...

There was a knock on the door before Nami recognised Robin's voice.

"Navigator-San? Are you alright?"

She didn't feel like answering. Maybe if she didn't, everyone would just leave her alone.

...

"You could just as well open the door, since I'm already watching you" she heard Robin joke from the other side of the door in her usual, gentle tone.

...

..

"It can't be helped then" the older woman finally sighed. Nami didn't look up as she listened to a click and then a soft creaking sound.

Robin walked to the younger girl's bed while the hand that had unlocked the door from the inside dissolved into a mist of sakura blossoms. Then she sat down beside her, waiting quietly. For a while Nami just kept still, requiring a moment to adjust to the company. First came little hiccups, then quiet sobs... and finally the girl uncoiled, lying down on the other woman's lap and sobbing away freely. Robin stroked the tangerine-coloured hair comfortingly as she gave her another moment to catch up with her emotions.

"Ara, ara... that's a lot of tears for such a little woman" the dark-haired woman eventually spoke, making Nami quiet down a little. Wiping some tears of her cheeks, the young navigator just indulged in the comforting company of her Nakama for another moment. And finally she found the strength to speak.

"I just feel so strained all the time..."

"We all do" the older woman replied softly. "Everything's different after all and no one talks about it. Sometimes talking helps though, Nami."

The girl looked up now, feeling a little abashed. She was used to Robin addressing her with her title or at least adding 'San'; But there were times like this when she would call her by her name only... and the gesture always gave Nami an odd feeling of consolation. It had something warm to it, something maternal.

She pushed herself off the woman's lap now, rolling over to lie on her back and direct her gaze to the ceiling. Nami wanted to follow her Nakama's cue to try and talk about it, the problem was that she really didn't know what to say, because truly she didn't even know what had happened to her back there. Then sometimes there are situations where you only really begin to understand what you're feeling when trying to voice it out, and certainly this was one of those moments.

"I've judged him, you know?" she finally managed to put together. "Luffy I mean... I've judged him for acting like this. Ignoring what has happened and trying to make it go away." Nami raised her hand to cover her eyes as they began filling with tears again. "And yesterday I've done the very same thing, right? Removing that mark from our departure like that. It was the only thing speaking of Luffy's true emotions. I feel like I'm betraying Usopp's memory the way Luffy does."

"I'm sure you know that that mark is not what composed his memory..." Robin warmly remarked now. "We remember and cherish Sniper-San within ourselves, even when Captain-San cannot bear to accept that yet... But you know what truly is a devotion to our long-nosed friend?"

Nami didn't lift her hand from her eyes as she listened to the older woman's explanation, preparing herself to accept whatever she was going to say next. It made her feel ashamed, yet somehow it just seemed to her that Robin had a better insight on her feelings that she really had herself.

"That little boat is" Robin finished at last."And that one is one our captain accepted."

For another moment Nami just stayed still, trying to process the reasoning she had just been offered. Secretly, a tear rolled down from underneath her hand before quickly vanishing into the bedding beneath.

"I've really screwed up, haven't I?" she finally whimpered.

"There is no such thing as behaving wrong in such a difficult situation" her Nakama consoled the girl. "Everyone's trying to cope the best they can and so are you."

Pushing herself back up to be seated against the wall, Nami let the words sink in. Slowly, she pulled her legs close to her chest once more, wrapping her arms around them another time.

"Just how come you're so smart?" she quietly asked, partially joking, partially wondering for real, her knees against her lips muffling her voice slightly. Robin chuckled a graciously at the question.

"Well, I'd like to think it comes naturally when you're a historian" she finally answered. "People tend to learn from the past." Nami turned her face to the side at this, her eyes growing heavy with a certain gloom.

"A shame then, that some people don't seem to care for the past" she mumbled quietly in response.

Under her hand the young woman felt the Climate Tact strapped to her thigh. Absent-mindedly she began fumbling with the object that, by now, in some way seemed to have become so symbolic for her recent disquiet, even when it was supposed to be the straw that she should be able to cling on to.

"Robin, I..." she began before she felt anxiety prey on her mind another time, just like it had done so often lately.

"What is it?" the dark-haired woman responded with her usual, understanding voice, yet Nami couldn't help but feel the need to back-pedal. She simply wasn't ready talk about those fears just yet. What if talking about it made it...

... real?

"Uun...it's nothing" she responded quickly while putting on a faint smile.

Getting up from the girl's bed now, Robin turned around to smile at her younger Nakama encouragingly. "If that's so, we should get going. Everyone's waiting to set foot on the new island. Should I tell them you're coming, Navigator-San?"

"You guys go ahead, I don't think I'm ready, yet" the younger woman replied with a hushed voice. Robin only gave her an understanding nod before she turned around to walk towards the door.

"Oh and Robin..." Nami made her stop one more time. "If Zoro wants to go, tell him not to get lost! We don't know how long it will take for the Log Pose to adapt, so we could lose our course!"

"I don't think he'll go, but if he does I'll just grow an eye on his behind" the devil fruit user simply joked in response. "That way I'll always know where he is and I can enjoy the view at the same time" she finished amused, winking at Nami before closing the door behind her.

The young navigator just looked after the other woman somwhat puzzled for a moment, soon though she couldn't help but chuckle at that mental image under tear-soaked cheeks.

o-o-o

Everyone put up their hands to shield their eyes from the reflection of the sun. The island that spread before them was truly breath-taking, wholly coated in a lucent white, almost like a winter island that lay before them in the middle of a summer climate. It was the most beautiful sight, the only downside being that the glistening whiteness happened to cause slight snow blindness, which unfortunately was somewhat counterproductive to the stunning visual impression. Yet, the new-found land didn't fail to put the exploring Straw Hats in awe.

Luffy, of course, was the first to jump off the deck and dash through the white powered beach, marvelling at the ground that wasn't really sand, but something equal to it and the fact that this white, that reminded him of snow, actually felt warm. The next one to forget all sorrow for a moment was Chopper. No doubt that it was odd, seeing palm trees covered in white as opposed to pines, yet, he was feeling nostalgic at the sight and considering those past few weeks, this warm feeling inside was truly nice for a change.

"I'm curious to see what kinds of ingredients there are to find on a summer-winter island" Sanji commented where he stood next to Robin, still close to the ship. "I haven't had sufficient supplies to cook something special in days."

The young historian picked up some of the white powder and contemplated the glistening substance in her palm.

"You may have to contain yourself for a little longer" she answered ominously, then she smiled, her face reflecting an air of earnest interest. "Marvellous though, isn't it?"

Not bothering to respond, Sanji lightened himself a smoke. He took a deep breath before exhaling the white fume, watching it dance in the air before him.

"I take it Nami-San isn't coming?" the cook finally asked in a casual tone. Robin just shook her head.

"Franky and Marimo neither."

Unhurriedly, Sanji stored away his lighter in his shirt pocket before starting to walk towards the jungle line.

"Oi, you two! Let's go find some food!" the blond yelled on his way, causing Luffy and Chopper to abandon their play and fall in line. The only response Sanji received was an evidently strong appreciation for the 'finding food' part.

They made their way across the white beach wordlessly when a moment later Robin appeared at Luffy's side, just strolling along. Indistinctively, the young woman directed her gaze at the white glistening plants before them as she began to speak in a gentle tone.

"I talked to her before."

It wasn't so much a challenge than rather an invitation, yet, the young woman wasn't surprised when her captain didn't show any reaction to her words, sternly looking ahead. She had been prepared for the fact that Luffy wouldn't be eager to address the earlier happenings, so obviously Robin was not going to stress the topic. Still, she was sure that somehow he would like to know...

"I think Nami-San will be alright" she finished, knowing to drop the issue at that. However, it was now Luffy who managed to surprise his Nakama when this time he actually turned his head to look at her with a wide grin.

"What are you saying?" the boy replied in a joyful tone. "Of course Nami will be fine. I'm sure she's just tired."

Robin was almost amazed at the amount of denial that lay in this response. Not only in his statement, but that expression and voice as well. If Luffy wasn't actually believing his own words, he truly would be able to shame her own ability of suppressing all visible emotions.

Getting closer to the point that separated sandy beach from thick vegetation, the pirates were met with a surprising realisation. Whereas the white ground was some kind of powder, the white coating on the trees and plants seemed to be more of an actual coating. Scrutinising the odd surroundings, Sanji ran a hand over one of the palm trees. He first felt over the even surface before instinctively knocking on it. The substance seemed surprisingly hard but clean, reminding him of a thick layer of glass or something similar at least. Faintly, he remembered Robin's suspiciously knowing comment from before and he was just about address the beautiful, young historian when, suddenly, a rubbery object bounced him off his feet, causing him to smack against the solid glass-ish tree behind him.

"MEEAAT!" Luffy yelled as he jumped off into the white thicket, following a rather surprised little animal on the heel.

"What the hell, shithead?!" Sanji shouted after him angrily, his earlier question dying down on his lips.

"Wait Luffy, don't run off alone!" Chopper quickly panicked, chasing off after him before finally Sanji, too, found himself with no other choice but to follow.