I do not own anything besides these words and the cover art.

Sanji drove them in silence and pulled up the cemetery quickly. Zoro did not know how Sanji knew where to go, but when he did not unbuckle his seatbelt, Zoro finally opened his mouth.

"You're not coming?"

Sanji watched the light drizzle fall on his windshield and rummaged behind him to hand Zoro an umbrella. "Make sure you don't let her get wet. We can't have her getting sick again."

Zoro wanted to argue, but he simply nodded and took the umbrella and extra jacket Sanji brought. Zoro exited the car, but before he could close the door Sanji called out, "Don't get lost, idiot. This is the one time I need you to not mess up…"

Zoro ground his teeth and headed to the hill Sanji pointed to, the one with the scrawny looking tree. It was about fall, so the leaves had fallen and the tree looked quite bare. On the floor laid orange globes that when Zoro squinted, he recognized as ripe oranges. As he came closer, the sickly-sweet smell of decaying fruit hit his nostrils but then he saw her orange head against the tree bark. She was so small and her pale freckles skin shivered in the chill that swept cold droplets onto her.

He came up behind her softly and Nami jumped. She turned to look at him and Zoro saw her eyes were red and puffy from lost tears. Her hands held her body together, and Zoro quickly thought about the day he found her frozen in her tub.

Her teeth chattered as she spoke, "W-wh-what are…are…you do-doing here?"

Zoro threw the jacket over her body and she greedily took it without a thank you. He settled down beside her and propped the umbrella over both of them. He looked ahead and saw the engraving on the flat tombstone.

Bell-mère Macé

Marine & Mother

Nami looked at the dead stone and began in a hollow whisper, "We had an uncle, named Genzo. He could not afford to bury her, but he managed to get this stone made. When I finally got some money together, I moved her here. Far away from where she died…from the slums…from that…that life.

Her name in French…so stupid…so ironic…it means 'stepmother' and 'mace'. You know? The weapon…and the spice…Nojiko always said it was because of the spice. I said it was because of the weapon, because…ha, ha, cause she used to knock us right on the head with her fist when we acted up.

Me…I should say when I did…cause Nojiko was the good one. I was the bad one. The bratty one. The one that always fought her, caused her to smoke…and stress….and cry…I killed her, you know? I practically put that bullet in her chest….all cause I wanted some clothes that weren't hand me downs. All because I was such a selfish, stupid child…

And I still am. Shit, I still am. I told her such terrible things. I…" Nami's voice broke and her shoulders shook as the cries took over. She wailed as Zoro pulled her closer and she bent into his body and screamed, "I told her that I wished someone richer had adopted me instead. Can you believe that…that-that shitty thing? I said-said-said that!"

Her words caught in her wet throat mingled with her coughs and meshed with her tears. She raised her hands to beat at his chest, but she could barely manage that.

"I loved to read books about far away places. I wanted to map the world and visit every place…I wanted to show it to her what I finished, but she'll never see it. She'll never know how many places I've been or how many places I've added to that map. She will never know…because I k-killed her, Zoro." She raised her face as snot covered her lips and her eyes were wide and wet with tears. It was painful to see and Zoro could only give her a grim yet sad expression as she clutched him.

After what felt like hours and the howling wind died down, her calm dry voice spoke again, "Do you want to know what her final words were? She told us to live. She told me to…make my dream come true. And live…but have I? Have I done a single thing she asked of me? I cannot even leave this country without a disguise. I've barely gone beyond his reach. He's marked me, and I am branded…forever…I'll never be free if he is on my body like this. I'll never be free…"

Zoro interlocked his fingers with hers and as he gripped them together, she looked up. Zoro stared straight ahead, his eyes bore into the name that weighed heavily on Nami's heart. He cleared his throat, and he seemed unsure of his words but they escaped regardless.

"I am going to make you a promise…that the first thing I am going to buy with my winnings is…is a tattoo removal…for…for you."

He said it matter-of-factly as if it was a common thing to promise. Nami blinked her dry eyes at him, and she could not help but hear the giggle in the back of her throat that folded into a new cry. However, this one was not of sadness, it was of hope. Of life. Even in the darkness that constantly surrounded her, his was a whisper that comforted. It turned her tears to roses, to joy, to something other than what she was used to. He had such a naïve, luck-driven belief in the world, and though that logic irritated Nami, in this moment, all she could do was hold him closer as he promised her the world.

Music Inspiration/Theme: "Whispers in The Dark" (Skillet)

Ah, the song that was legit the theme song for every AMV (anime music video) everywhere. We all saw it, know it, come on? Right! I love-love-love Skillet. They opened my eyes to Christian Rock…and the magic that is AMVs. #trueartists

Also, I have been burning incense in my room lately, and I might just die of smoke inhalation…lol…though not that funny. ANYHOO.

I really went back into the canon to see how Nami would remember her mama, and Bell-mere was a champ. Honestly, I would be super messed up too with the kind of stuff that happened to Nami. She was a just a kid, but wow…wow. I mean suffice to say, everyone in OP has tragic childhoods, but look those precious babies now. Anyway, I really like that Zoro's character is quite somber here because I think that is true to him. He may find people annoying, but he listens and if anything, he doesn't need to hear the tragedy to fight for Nami…but he is precious and they are precious…and this story is taking up a lot of my life. Jkay, but seriously.

I hope I am still writing as well and with as much dedication as I started, but again, sometimes you can only proof-read so much, ya know.

Will Zoro keep his promise? Will the mark be removed? We have a fight on the horizon, but many feel this might be life or death. Who will die and who will live?

Until the next chapter, kiddos!

XoXo shipfiend