Hello again everyone! Thank you once more for taking the time to read my story. I apologise for this update being slightly late, I decided I wanted to do a proper short story arc and spent far too long planning and not writing. Anyway, this story will be the first of a three part series. I will shift the focus slightly off of Luffy and Nami and more onto a developing plot line, however they are still the primary characters and their interactions will be present in every part. After this three part series is completed in a couple of weeks, I will likely go back to writing one-shots that all tie together. I hope you enjoy it!

The Pale Green Light: Part 1/3

"Nami, come here!"

The navigator almost fell off the hammock when she heard the yell. Catching herself before she could fall, she jumped down and rushed outside.

Luffy sat on the prow of the small sloop, excitedly looking out into the ocean ahead. Nami immediately noticed that the thick fog that had been surrounding their ship for the last couple of days was still present. She walked up behind Luffy and tried to find what he had spotted through the mist.

"I can't see anything?"

"Just wait a sec." Replied the man without moving his eyes.

Nami moved her focus back to the fog and sure enough, a moment later, she saw a dull green light flash through the clouds. She furrowed her brow. It was too low to be a lighthouse but it didn't seem to move on the ocean, meaning it couldn't be a ship.

"What do you think it is?" Asked Luffy hopefully.

"... I don't know."

The light flashed again and this time it unsettled the navigator. The hue of green seemed poisonous, almost a warning more than a calling. Her instinct was to avoid it and she once would have tried to convince her partner that was the best option. But she knew it was pointless. They had been on the small boat for days without entertainment and Luffy was desperate for action.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the raven haired man sniffing the air. "Whatever it is, it smells good!"

All of a sudden the boat stopped with a small thud and Nami lurched forward. Without looking around Luffy stretched an arm and caught her, stopping her from hitting the ground.

"What the…"

He placed the woman back on her feet then reached an arm out towards the flashing light. His hand grabbed something solid and he laughed. "I thought it was ages away but it's right in front of us! This fog is crazy!"

Nami leaned over the edge of the boat and tried to see what they had hit. Floating just above the water was a platform of metal grates, small waves splashed through the square holes. Luffy hopped down and checked his footing.

"Feels solid, it's definitely not floating." He said with a grin.

Nami was struggling to share in his enthusiasm. This shouldn't be here.

She had asked Luffy to come with her while the Sunny was being coated for Fishman Island, intending to chart the sea in the corner of the Calm belt and the Red line, south of Sabaody. All the maps she'd seen of the area so far had no locations recorded in this area. Much less a man-made platform.

"Wait a sec, Luffy." Nami ran back into the cabin and grabbed her clima-tact. Better to be prepared.

Returning outside she vaulted over the edge of the sloop and joined Luffy on the grates.

Giving her an excited grin, her captain began pacing forwards, hands behind his head. "Man, I can't see anything. You reckon there's nothing else attached? Just a giant platform?"

Nami shook her head. "You wouldn't bother to build something like this if it didn't have a purpose."

Luffy whistled as they strolled further away from their boat, his excitement seeming to grow with each step. Nami felt herself becoming more and more unsettled, it felt like they were doing exactly what someone wanted them too and she never liked that.

While Nami was trying to make sense of their surroundings she heard Luffy yell excitedly. "I see something!" He then sniffed the air. "And it's where the good smell is coming from!" She removed herself from her thoughts and looked ahead. Bleeding through the fog in front of them was a soft yellow light. While she didn't find it comforting she was glad it wasn't the sickly green from the start. She stopped Luffy before he could get any closer, grabbing him by the collar.

"I know it's been a while since we've had a proper fight but I have a bad feeling about this. Remember we have a child, neither of us can afford to die here."

Luffy waved a hand dismissively "Of course, Bella is my number one priority." Nami sighed, despite his reassurance his eyes were full of meat.

"Now let's go to the smell!" He faced back towards the light and started towards it, a small jig in his step. Nami sighed again then followed suit.

Luffy yelled with joy and Nami stopped in her tracks when they saw the source of the light. It was coming from the large windows of what appeared to be a restaurant, standing alone on the otherwise barren platform. Through the windows they could see wooden tables, made and ready for guests but all of them were empty.

"It just shouldn't be here…"

Luffy gave her a confused look "We found Sanji in a place like this."

"It was a very different vibe, Luffy. No fog or creepy green lights and it wasn't in an almost abandoned part of the Grand Line."

Luffy shrugged, "Then we'll just have to ask the chef what he's doing out here."

Nami conceded, she had ways to convince Luffy she was right on every matter other than meat and fighting. When it came to those two things it was almost impossible to influence him. Putting on a smile she decided to just go along with things. Besides she'd feel better after a proper meal.

A bell rang as they opened the door and the heat of the room rushed over them. Nami slouched slightly, her tension dispelled by the relaxing warmth.

Luffy glanced around, like a dog looking for a bone. "Where's the meat?"

A frail, raspy voice answered him. "Take a seat sir and I'll bring it out."

The couple jumped as an old man dressed in a tuxedo stepped out from behind the open door. Luffy licked his lips and grabbed Nami's wrist, pulling her to the nearest table.

"Wait Luff-"

He sat Nami down gently before quickly getting into his own seat and slapping his hands on the table.

"All the meat please grandpa!"

Nami swivelled around in her seat to look at the man, a serious expression on her face. "Could you please bring us a menu, I'd like to know the prices."

Luffy pouted. "We have more than enough money to spend on meat."

Nami waved a finger at him. "If we thought that about everything, we would have been broke years ago."

The old man coughed and interrupted them. "Everything is free. The master rarely gets visitors." He flashed them a smile, revealing a row of brown stained teeth. A shiver went down Nami's spine at the gesture.

Luffy whooped with excitement. Before the navigator could get a word in, the butler turned brusquely and strode through a door at the back of the room. Luffy hummed to himself, doing a little dance with his knife and fork.

Nami watched the door swing shut then turned to Luffy. "This is super weird."

"They're giving us food, so they're good people right?"

"We've talked about this numerous times. If someone gives you something for no reason, it's because there actually is a reason."

Luffy whacked his fist on the table. "Yeah! They're nice!"

"Occasionally. But I don't think so this time."

Nami's face became focused.

"What worries me, is that I can't see what anyone would have to gain from this. Maybe they're slavers? But they're so far from anyone and in this fog. It's like they're desperate to hide something."

Luffy shrugged.

"Let's just ask when the old guy gets back."

The two waited for the butler to return. But after an hour there was no sign of him and Luffy began to moan.

"Namiiiiiii, why is he taking so long."

He wilted like a flower and his head hit the table. Nami pat his raven hair, gently trying to comfort him.

"Who knows. We can leave if you want?"

The man lifted his head, a look of betrayal in his eyes.

"And leave the meat?"

Nami knew this was not an option but she had wanted to avoid suggesting the other one. She resigned herself with a sigh.

"Maybe we should go look for him then? Can't be much back there."

Luffy hopped up and started walking towards the door that the butler had used. He turned his head without stopping, "Ok, let's go."

He waited for Nami at the door, tapping his foot softly. When she caught up. He hesitated for a moment. Nami was praying that behind, they would find nothing more than a simple kitchen. Her heart raced as Luffy turned the handle and slowly opened the door.

Instead of a kitchen, they found themselves in a small, dark room. The room was made from concrete, floor to ceiling and not a single object was present. The only thing of interest was a double set of silver doors on the wall in front of them.

"An elevator." Whispered Nami.

Without hesitation Luffy crossed the room and pressed the button. He turned back to Nami looking annoyed.

"They're making us work for this meat. I just wanna eat."

Nami ignored his comment and inspected the doors.

"Do you think it goes up or down?"

Just as Luffy was about to reply they heard a bing and the doors opened. Luffy grabbed Nami and pulled her in. He reached for the controls and pressed the only available button. Before Nami could utter a word of protest they began their ascent.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The butler knelt in a large room shrouded in darkness. A sickening sucking noise filled the chamber and the stench of death permeated the air.

Sweat ran down the butler's brow as he addressed his lord.

"You have two new guests, master. One appears to be the King of the Pirates."

Hearing the words, the creature in the darkness halted it's feasting and two hungry red eyes appeared through the shadows.

"He thinkssssss he is the ssstrongest. But he knowsss not of those that lurk in darknessssssss." The voice gurgled as it spoke and sounded as if a chain was being drawn accross it's vocal chords. "He will soon disssssscover there are beasts who hunger for thingsss more primal than money and power."

END OF PART 1