And here it comes the last chapter! So sorry for the delay once again. ;'(
Luffy was, for lack of a better word, ecstatic.
Full of joy, happy and light as a feather. And it was not because of the amazing sex he had in the night prior.
Well, there was that too, but to be fair, he has always felt like that after he and Nami banged, which makes him wonder if she's really a magician considering he made him like sex as much as he likes meat.
But that was not the reason (or maybe it really was because he lost count how many times they did it yesterday. One? Two? Five? Or it was ten? After all, Luffy is always full of stamina and Nami had become way stronger since their younger days) — it was not the real reason.
It was already 6 a.m. and Luffy was pumped. It's true he was not the kind of guy to wake up late, because waking up late meant less time to enjoy the day and eat meat. Or to fish with Usopp or play with Chopper, or to watch Franky create amazing new robot parts or even to annoy Sanji in the kitchen. Waking up late meant he would miss the sun lightening Nami's sleeping face. No, he can't have that.
She was still sleeping right beside him, with one arm stretched over his chest, and right now she was drooling, which he would definitely grave in mind so he could make fun of her later on. Shishishi, silly Nami, I'm gonna make fun of you!, he thought. But even with her drooling next to him, he was really happy he could sleep with her every night, she was warm and he liked that.
That was also not the real reason.
He could hear from their bedroom the noise of things being dragged left and right on the deck. The sound of chitchat and a soft song coming out from a violin in the background was able to reach his ears — it seems the same song Brook was writing for three months and played for him the first time early that week.
And Luffy decided it fit.
Then, he heard him start playing another one Luffy knew, but with a slightly slower rhythm. Ah! He changed! I liked it, yeah, I did. Nami's gonna love it, shishishi!, he thought. Luffy started humming and singing in a low voice, being very careful to not wake her up.
Fascinating new thing
You delight me
And I know you're speaking of me
Suddenly, Brook stopped and Luffy frowned. He was liking the tune and was even singing and then Brook started again and Luffy was happy once more, but the skeleton stopped again and started and then stopped. The captain was starting to get annoyed and decided that the musician was going to receive a piece of his mind.
He kissed Nami's head softly, slowly disentangled himself from her embrace, and used his fruit to stretch and leave the bedroom as silent as possible. The clarity hurt his eyes and all the noises seemed way louder outside. Good thing Nami asked Franky to install panels on the walls that drown out the sound.
Right after he left the room, he saw how the deck was different — it seemed larger and already had a lot of chairs, a huge table that Sanji was decorating at the moment, an aisle with some flowers (it seems that Chopper and Usopp were arguing the best way to adorn it) that lead to an alter right below him, where Robin and Franky were starting to put up together. But he found Brook way down in the back, almost next to Sunny's figurehead.
"Oi, Brook! Make up your mind, are you going to play or not?!", Luffy was pouting and strode up to the skeleton.
"Oh, Luffy, you're already awake. Good, I need your help here on the food table", Sanji said without turning to him, "That stupid Marimo doesn't know shit, so it's better to ask the groom himself."
"Yeah yeah, just a second, Sanji."
"Luffy-san! I'm sorry if I disturbed your sleep!", Brook dropped his violin and said again, "I was trying to tune the song correctly on my violin so I wouldn't make any mistakes during the ceremony."
The ceremony… shishishi, yeah, I'm getting married today!
Everytime Luffy thought about it, he'd become extremely giddy. He was going to marry Nami at 4 p.m under tangerine trees and on Sunny. It seems a lot of people were coming, but he couldn't remember all the names — Robin and Tashigi were the ones responsible for the guest's list after all.
However, from all the amazing people he was sure would be on Sunny to see him marry the only woman he has ever wanted to spend his life with, he could clearly remember Shanks, Sabo, Dandan, and his father's names. With everything that happened in the world three years ago, Luffy thought he could only be grateful that those people survived and would be able to see him in one of the happiest days of his life.
He truly wished Ace and his grandpa could be there to witness him.
Oh well, they're seeing, I'm sure.
Luffy grinned and said happily to Brook, "Okay okay, but play to me the full song at least once, aye?"
Brook leaned in and said to him, with a soft voice of a grandfather speaking with its own grandchild, "Of course, my captain."
"Shishishi", Luffy grinned like a child, his annoyance already forgotten, "I'm gonna help Sanji, but I'll be listening, Brook!"
The skeleton only nodded and pulled his violin again, soft tunes flowing out and now Luffy could sing to his heart's content. The captain approached Sanji and started helping him, fixing the huge table which would be full of food and sweets in a few hours.
"Okay, Luffy. The desserts are already prepared, but now I need you to come and decide with me the main courses. Nami-san already decided the first courses", Sanji said while leading the captain to the kitchen.
"Meat. I just want meat", Luffy deadpanned.
The cook only sighed and hit his head, "You're not the only one eating today, freaking dumbass!"
Sanji rolled his eyes and pulled a piece of paper with a lot of dishes scribed, something like a menu, Luffy supposed. The captain already bored the moment he stepped inside the kitchen but decided to comply. After all, the whole crew was helping with everything and he should too. Luffy has never been one to let everyone else do all things for him. So with that, he decided to sit on the stool and lean in the stand with Sanji.
The captain tried his best to pay attention to his cook, he really tried, but it was almost 8 a.m and Luffy was starving. He didn't want to interrupt Sanji and the glint on his eyes, so Luffy endured the hunger. But, suddenly, he couldn't stop his stomach from growling and both boys jumped out of surprise.
They kept staring at each other and Luffy had his eyes widened. He really didn't want to interrupt Sanji.
"Wow, you didn't eat yet, Luffy?", Nami's voice came from the kitchen door and her eyebrow was raised, indicating she was mocking him.
"N-Nami… I was deciding the courses with Sanji."
"The main courses, moron. But forgive me, captain, I really didn't make your breakfast", Sanji stood up and walked to the stove, "You want something, Nami-san?"
"Just black coffee, but I can do it myself, Sanji-kun", she walked in Luffy's direction and kissed his head, "You left early."
"Yep. Brook was playing our song! I mean, he was trying, then I got angry and got up to scold him", Luffy frowned and leaned his head on her chest.
Nami put her left arm around his shoulders, locking him in a half embrace while drinking her black coffee and reading the headline of the newspaper where hers and Luffy's face were all over the page.
"Mm-hmm, I heard. You shoulda woken me up, cap'n."
"Nah. You shouldn't do anything today!", Luffy gave her his usual toothy grin.
His fiancee looked sweetly at him and Luffy's heart always soared when she did that. She stroked his hair and then kissed his lips with a mouth tasting like strong coffee. "Ewww, Nami, put sugar on your coffee, damn it!"
Luffy rubbed his lips with his arm and she just laughed out loud. "Aye, aye, cap'n. Anyway, I'll go outside to help because Zoro might break all the chairs with the way he's dragging them around. See you later, husband."
"Shishishi", the captain grinned like a child and turned his attention to Sanji again when Nami went out through the door. The cook seemed to have a weird look and Luffy just tilted his head in confusion.
Then the blonde glanced at the captain and said with all his intimidating seriousness, the one Luffy knew was able to make a lot of people tremble. The rubber man didn't though but knew better than to make any joke.
"I won't forgive you if you hurt her, Luffy. Even you being my captain."
The captain raised both eyebrows and said, desperate, "Why the hell would I hurt her?!"
"Because you're an idiot and don't understand these kind of things."
"What there is to understand? I love her and will do everything to make her happy. Do I need to understand something more?"
Is there still something I don't know?! But I really did everything to be good to Nami!
Sanji smirked and turned around to finish Luffy's breakfast. The captain kept thinking about the longing he saw in Sanji's eyes and something clicked. He frowned and decided to get this over with once and for all.
"Do you love her, Sanji?", Luffy's tone suddenly turned very serious.
Sanji looked over his shoulder, seeming to ponder his words carefully, and then said, "I won't lie that she has always had a special place in my heart. But I never knew if it was love per se."
"Mmm, I see."
The cook turned around with Luffy's food and the captain started to eat silently his eggs, bacon and a bit of meat — at Nami's request, Sanji was trying to balance his meal, trying to make him reduce his meat consumption, creating a really boring diet in Luffy's opinion. But Nami asked because she was worried, so obeying was what he would do.
But somehow, the air around them turned thick and the silence heavy. Sanji's answer bothered him and today was his goddamn wedding, the blonde was his goddamn friend and Nami was, to be really straightforward, the goddamn love of his life.
Luffy finished his food, got off the stool, and was almost convincing himself that it was not worth picking a possible fight on such an important day.
Brook was still outside practicing the song.
I'm surprised that you've never been told before
That you're lovely and you're perfect
And that somebody wants you
The lyrics were enough, honestly. Not picking a fight (especially for Nami) was not like Monkey D. Luffy, the future Pirate King. He had to make things clear, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to live in peace.
So he decided to stay, his instincts told him to fix that right here and now. Then he glanced at the blonde from out of the corner of his eyes and frowned, "Sorry, Sanji, but I can't give her up."
Sanji still had his back to him, but at Luffy's words, he turned to look at his captain and scoffed, "I didn't ask that. Besides, we could fight all we wanted, but Nami-san is the one who would give the final word."
Luffy crossed his arms and tilted his head. Well, he's right, but what I said still remains! Sanji just smirked and then indicated with his head for both of them to go outside and help the others, seeming to have finished what he had to do in the kitchen. The day was still beautiful, the sea was so calm and the weather so nice that made Luffy happier than he already was.
Both men leaned in the railing, just watching Usopp and Chopper finally agreeing in how to decorate the aisle, Jinbe and Franky deciding how to expand the deck once more so all the guests could fit, Zoro sleeping after gathering more tables and chairs, Robin still fixing up the altar. Luffy was under the impression he had never felt so at peace before.
Then he heard the sound of Nami's laughter while she talked happily with Jinbe. Luffy grinned softly and contemplated how lucky he was to have so many good things in his life, Nami being one of these. Of course, he still didn't have the title he longed for — after all, someone at its 27 years old wouldn't be able to have it yet — but after the war and so many losses, he was truly grateful for what he had.
He stared at the straw hat in her head and remembered how, in the end, Shanks really did let him keep the hat. The old pirate told him he couldn't be called Strawhat Luffy without a damn straw hat. He finally gave him as a gift and told him the hat was passed as good omen to good men and that Luffy had been no exception.
"I hope someday you'll pass it on to another worthy person so the meaning of this hat never dies. But I know you made a promise with a very deserving girl, aye?"
He and Nami decided to really pass it on to a deserving successor. Someday. For now, it was Nami's and only hers.
Then, the rubber man, blunt as he is, told Sanji something he used to think back in the days, "I've always thought you were a better option, ya know. You were all lovey-dovey with her."
Sanji snorted, without looking at the captain, "Nami-san had been in love with you for years but took a long while to realize it. So it makes no sense to wonder if I would be a better option or not", Sanji shrugged.
Luffy nodded and kept quiet once more. Nami had finished talking to Jinbe and now was helping Robin, the hat still in her head. So he didn't control the urge to stretch and give a quick peck on her lips, surprising her and making her blush to then scold him in the end.
"Shishishi, you're so silly, Nami!"
He stretched back and Sanji chuckled, "You're a good guy, Luffy. It's stupid of your part to think you're a worst option. You might not be lovey-dovey like me, but you are in your own way, aren't you?"
Luffy giggled and Sanji smirked, saying again, "You think I don't know that you love to cuddle with her? Or that you love to lay on her lap under the tangerine trees? Or that you feel stupidly happy when she's paying attention to you?"
"Shishishi", the captain had a slight blush on his face and scratched the back of his neck, not even managing to hide how easily he had been caught.
"Well, she must be all silly knowing she'll be the pirate queen, huh?", the cook turned to look at him, with an amused smile on his face.
Luffy laughed wholeheartedly and with a toothy grin, said, "I've always known it'd be her!"
Here it ends my first LuNa fic and I want to thank all you who followed my story. I truly appreciate all the kind words and hope you all had a great time!
Thanks and see you around, guys!