Ch. 2- Confessions

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

Nami came home that night, dropping her purse on the floor. Nojiko, naturally, became concerned when she saw her sister's exhausted face as she practically collapsed on the couch.

"What happened?!" Nojiko asked as she put her hand on Nami's shoulder. "Are you okay, Nami?!" She then knitted her brow, angrily. "Did that scumbag hurt you?! Because if he did-"

"N-no, no!" Nami answered. "It's okay, Nojiko...Luffy was actually very gracious." She then sighed. "...I was the stupid one."

"What do you mean?" Nojiko inquired, bewildered and concerned.

"...I...I kind of yelled at him," Nami said. "I told him he was treating his life like it was a joke. He never worries about how he's gonna get money or food or if he's even lonely! But...the more I thought about it...the more I realized something."

"...And what's that?" Nojiko asked.

"...I realized that I'm the lonely one," Nami answered as tears formed in her eyes.

"...Oh, Nami," Nojiko whispered as she held her younger sister in her arms, allowing her to sob quietly in her shoulder. "It's okay."

"...And he was so quick to forgive me," said Nami. "He even said...he wanted to see me, again...!"

"...I see," Nojiko mused with a soft smile and a warm chuckle. "Well...sounds like you made a new friend."

"And...I wanna see him, again," Nami began, "if only just to apologize."

"That sounds good," Nojiko replied. "I think he'd appreciate that."

Nami chuckled, despite her tears.

XXX

It was the middle of the afternoon, the next day. Nami was walking down the alleyway, holding a bag that held Luffy's usual order. She smiled and even chuckled a little to herself as he rounded the corner and saw the familiar barge waiting at the dock. As she drew nearer, she heard the sound of a child's laughter.

"Huh?" she muttered in confusion. "Who's that?"

As she neared the barge, she gasped as she saw a little girl run across the deck. She disappeared for a split second, but then she came running back the other way. Nami could barely see it, but it looked like she had black hair and a cute little butterfly hairclip on the left side. As the little girl ran by, Nami spotted something else running after her: a little Akita puppy.

It appeared Luffy had company over.

As Nami climbed up the gangplank and boarded the barge, the girl suddenly stopped in her tracks while the puppy stood beside her, both of them staring up at her. She smiled at the pair before she squat down to their height level, trying to look as non-threatening as possible and took this time to get a better look at her.

One thing Nami could say about the little girl: she was absolutely adorable. She had these sweet chocolate brown eyes and she wore a purple shirt a black paw print on the front, as well as a pair of white shorts.

"Hi, there," she greeted, kindly. "Who are you?"

The girl didn't speak. Instead, she opted to back away, eyeing Nami warily, but then she bumped into a pair of legs behind her, causing her to look back and see Luffy, who smiled at her.

"Hey, you!" he said. "I was wondering why it got so quiet, all of a sudden!"

"Big Brother!" the girl exclaimed as Luffy picked her up and held her in his arms.

"Hi, Luffy," Nami greeted.

"Oh, hey, Nami!" Luffy replied. "Good to see that you made it!" He then looked at the little girl. "It's okay. This is Nami, the nice lady I told you about. I told you she was coming here, today, remember?"

"Oh!" the girl chirped in realization.

"This is my little sister, Aika," Luffy introduced.

Yip-yap! The puppy barked, pawing at Luffy's legs.

"Hahaha!" Luffy laughed. "Right, and this is her puppy, Kumi."

"Hi, Aika," Nami said. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hi, Nami!" Aika replied.

"My Grandpa came and dropped her off here," said Luffy as he held Aika in his arms. "My brothers went to work and Gramps had a doctor's appointment, so there's nobody at home to watch Aika and Kumi."

"So that's why she's here," said Nami.

"Hope you don't mind," Luffy said as he put Aika down on the deck. "I know we made plans."

"No, no, it's fine!" Nami reassured. "Actually...I wanted to say something, anyway. Can we sit down?"

"Sure," Luffy replied as he put a chair for Nami, who sat down in it while he offered her an orange soda.

"Thanks," Nami said. "Luffy...I'm sorry about what I said the other night."

"Don't worry about it," Luffy said as he reached into his cooler and got out a can of root beer. "You're not the first person to tell me that, really. My Grandpa said the same thing and so did my best friend, Zoro."

"And none of that discouraged you?" Nami asked.

"Nah," Luffy shrugged. "I mean...yeah, there were times I felt like going back home, but the more time I spent here and the more I started to make it a place of my own...I realized this was my home."

"...Luffy..." Nami whispered.

"And besides!" Luffy replied. "Aika likes coming to visit me! She loves the water! Right, Aika?"

"Yep!" Aika answered as she looked over the railing.

"I just have to find a way to fix the engine," said Luffy. "Then I could take it out to the sea."

"...You're really happy out here, then," Nami realized.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Yep, I sure am!"

"...I wish I was as free-spirited as you," Nami replied.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "What do you mean?"

"...Turns out...I'm the one who's lonely," Nami sighed.

"...Oh," Luffy acknowledged. "I see."

"Yeah," Nami replied, a sad smile forming on her face. "I guess...I was actually jealous of you. The more I heard about how happy-go-lucky you are, here on this little barge...I realized...I was the one who wished for freedom like yours."

Luffy blinked at Nami, lightly squeezed her can of orange soda. Blizzard whimpered as he walked up to her and gently nudged her hand, causing her to smile and pet his head while Aika and Kumi stood nearby, blinking at her in innocent sadness. Then, Luffy stood up and walked up to her...before he put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up and see him wearing that same impish smile.

"It's okay," he said. "I know how you feel."

"...Really?" Nami asked.

"Yep!" Luffy replied. "Being stuck in the same place every day and doin' the same thing kinda makes life a little boring, huh?"

Nami chuckled and nodded her head in response.

"...You know," Luffy began, "I wouldn't mind if you came to see me, and not just to deliver my food."

"...Really?" Nami asked. "You wouldn't mind?"

"I'd love it if you come to see!" Luffy replied. "Gives me a reason to clean up my house, more! Just 'cuz I live on a boat doesn't mean I shouldn't have manners, am I right? Shishishishi!"

Nami snorted- which was something she didn't even know she could do- and broke out into such bubbling laughter, and Aika joined in with them (even though she didn't exactly know what her brother and his new friend were talking about). Even Blizzard and Kumi were joining in the laughter.

'...I'm glad I met this guy,' Nami thought as she looked at Luffy, who just kept laughing. 'At first...I thought I was concerned for his well-being...but I was really just jealous of how he lives. He's so happy-go-lucky and so carefree...and he's kinda cute, in a way...wait, cute? Where'd that come from?'

Instead of questioning it, she just gave Luffy this big smile, which he returned as he offered her another orange soda.

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