Chapter 28: Girlfriends
Disclaimer: Yeah, well, you don't own One Piece either!
Warning: Lemons.
Previously:
Love! Romance! Drama!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Habit was a hard thing to shake. Tashigi knew that the 'Straw Hat' pirates were only slightly more organised than a kindergarten, but she had been conditioned for discipline and order after years of being a marine. She woke up in the morning, and she expected drills, locker checks and an entire routine of protocols every morning. That was what a Marine ship was, a clock that worked not on gears, but on routine and discipline and work. Every officer had schedule to keep, one so constant that it wasn't simply memorised, it was drilled into their very bones.
On this pirate ship, on the other hand… well. As far as Tashigi could tell there, were literally, absolutely, no rules on board. Each crew member could just sleep in as long as they liked, eat whenever they were hungry, and basically just do whatever they wanted the rest of the day. Sometimes, Tashigi couldn't believe that the ship was still afloat.
Nevertheless, Tashigi still found herself waking up before dawn every morning, at six o clock on the dot even without an alarm clock. The routine was just too well-established for her body to break.
It was still dark as she clambered out of her hammock, squinting in the very faint light of the cabin. The women's quarters were filled with sleeping bodies, yet Nami's bunk was empty and apparently Robin had gone to bed very late last night. Still, that wasn't particularly unusual. Tashigi knew that she wouldn't be able sleep in, and were body was still twitching in preparation for her phantom morning schedule, so she figured that she might as well make herself useful.
Quietly, Tashigi pulled on her jacket and boots, crept outside onto deck, and sighed silently as the fresh, salty air stung her eyes. This early, the ship was completely deserted and Tashigi paused, thinking about everything that had to be done on a Marine ship each morning. With a shrug, Tashigi proceeded to check the heading, inspect the cannons, and then suddenly she was falling into such a familiar rhythm that she ended up sorting out the mess in the meeting room, scouring the grime off the walls, and then mopping the deck with practiced efficiency.
Even as the sun started to rise, she was still working. Somehow, it just made her feel better to have something to do. She was working just hard enough to build up a comfortable sweat, and the exercise felt good to wake her up properly.
It was well past nine before everyone else started to wake up. Sanji was one of the first awake; the chef paused for a morning cigarette outside on deck, before heading into the kitchen to work on breakfast. Fairly soon, the aroma of cooking bacon woke everyone else up faster than an alarm bell.
Tashigi could hear the room filling up with frantic, hungry activity, but she hated leaving a task half-finished. She finished off mopping the deck completely clean, before clutching the mop tightly and walking into the meeting room.
The memories of her old Marine routine were crystal clear. Well, Tashigi decided as she pushed the door open, I might as well try to bring some order onto the ship.
It felt so reassuringly familiar as Tashigi fell into a familiar march towards Luffy. Instinctively, her boots knocked together, she clutched the mop over shoulder like rifle, and saluted smartly at the captain.
"Sir!" Tashigi announced smoothly. "The heading is on course, wind is fair, cannons are operational, inventory has been taken, and the deck has been cleaned, sir!"
At once, the room went quiet. All eyes focused on Tashigi, still saluting Luffy formally. The captain blinked repeatedly, seemingly lost for words.
"… Ummm…" Luffy mumbled hesitantly, scratching his head confusedly. "… Uh… thanks?"
Tashigi's face twitched. Behind her, Zoro started laughing. The former marine's shoulders drooped as she dropped the salute. "It's called discipline, people… !" Tashigi mumbled under her breath irritably, dropping down into a chair. She actually looked a bit disappointed. "… Honestly…"
The room broke into friendly laughter and bickering. Vivi rubbed Tashigi's shoulder reassuringly while Zoro passed her breakfast across. Chopper and Aisa started giggling as they took turns to salute each other playfully, and Tashigi couldn't help but grin as she felt the comfort of it all break over the group.
The only person who didn't seem comfortable, strangely, was Luffy. The captain barely touched his food, but he was constantly alert and twitching. The last crew member to arrive was Nami, who quietly crept in as the meal was nearly over. Luffy's eyes instantly widened in surprise, relief and concern as she opened the door, and it looked like he had to resist the urge to run towards her. Otherwise, no one else paid her any particular attention, except for Tashigi, who noted quietly how hesitant Nami behaved as she sat down, and that her eyes were red as if she had been crying.
There was some unspoken tension at the meal between them, but Tashigi decided not to press it. Everyone else was too distracted as Usopp started to tease Tashigi and Zoro over their relationship, causing Tashigi to blush and Zoro to become uncharacteristically reserved. Pretty soon, Chopper, Aisa and even Conis began teasing the couple gently, causing Zoro to become more and more uncomfortable and awkward.
Sanji still grumbled loudly every time he even saw Tashigi and Zoro standing too close to each other; apparently the chef found the concept that any woman could be remotely interested in the marimo to be vaguely insulting.
No one really noticed that neither Nami, Luffy, nor Robin said a word for the entire meal.
Afterwards, as everyone else was clearing away, Tashigi noticed Luffy rush towards Nami and quietly ask her a question, his eyes bright with concern. Nami blushed, mumbled something, nodded and quickly walked away. Luffy didn't look reassured, but for the rest of the day Nami deliberately kept her distance from the captain.
Tashigi quietly made a note of it, and then deliberately kept silent. She figured that they needed their space.
I'm crazy, Nami thought finally. Yep, everything about this is crazy.
Nami spent most of the day pacing around the ship. For the majority of the morning, Nami was with Conis, discussing Dials, potential modifications to the ship, different Dial weapons, and then even sparring with the Dial mechanic. Then Nami intruded on Wiper as he was building the new cannons, right up until the moment when the Raider finally told her to scram. Nami later sat next to Usopp and Chopper as the doctor tried to brew Rumble balls that would work with Usopp's Toad Toad fruit. Nami even went to Aisa to talk about Mantra, but then she had to leave as Luffy and Zoro approached to continue to train Zoro's own underdeveloped Haki.
In short, Nami did absolutely everything possible to stay busy without having to think. She couldn't even sketch out maps by herself without starting to think about the whole situation.
Luffy and Robin. The whole thought that the two of them were together was mind-blowing. She was mature, beautiful, impossibly composed and intelligent, and he was… well… Luffy.
And to make matters worse, Nami's heart still skipped a beat whenever Luffy tried to ask if she was alright. She could see the concern clear on his face every time he approached her, and he instinctively knew she was lying every time she mumbled some excuse, he just never understood why. There was genuine pain in his eyes every time Nami avoided him, which just made it even harder for her to look at him.
It actually, physically hurts Luffy whenever I'm upset, Nami realised slowly; he really cares about me that much.
The thought made her knees go weak.
She loved Luffy. She loved how moronic he could be, she loved that mindless way he would clean his ear in public, and she really, really loved how he just always… cared for her. He was her best friend, but Nami just wanted more…
And every time Nami started to think like that, she remembered the offer that Robin had made to her the night before. It was an offer that she, well, she was trying very hard not to think about it.
I've gone crazy, she thought firmly.
The thought of Luffy holding her like he had been holding Robin last night was intoxicatingly insane.
Goddammit I've gone crazy, Nami thought firmly, slapping her forehead repeatedly to knock out the daydreams.
And then, during the height of Nami's insanity, she would think about Vivi as well, and the way that the princess felt about Luffy. That was the level of crazy where Nami couldn't even trust her own head.
She couldn't concentrate on anything else all day. It was evening by the time Nami felt so mentally exhausted that her mind was a mess. The Going Merry wasn't a big boat, but somehow she had managed to avoid Luffy for almost a whole day.
And now I've just got to avoid him tomorrow too, and the day after that, and then the day after that, Nami thought with utter dread. She had no idea how long it would be until their next island. It could be weeks.
How much longer can I survive trapped on a boat with the man I love and the two other women that love him just as much?
It was at that point that whatever resolve Nami had dissolved. As Sanji cooked the evening meal, Nami slowly headed towards the rear of the boat, where Robin lounged on a chair, quietly reading a book in the fading light.
For the first time, Nami saw the dark-haired archaeologist in a way she had never seen before. Robin had always been beautiful, but now Nami felt a ping of jealously as she looked at the women. Robin was wearing a revealing tank top exposing plentiful cleavage and shorts that clearly showed off long, lean and gorgeous legs, but somehow she wore it with an air of maturity that just seemed so… natural. Nami and Robin had been friendly, Nami had even looked up to her like a big sister, but now Nami suddenly saw Robin as a rival.
The thought made Nami's throat hoarse.
Quietly, Robin folded her book and looked at Nami. There was a pause.
"Hi," Robin said after a few seconds. "Do you want to talk?"
Nami nodded quietly. She hesitated slightly, before finally sitting down on a chair facing Robin's. Last time they had this conversation Nami had been crying madly. Now, she was struggling just to think of the words to say. Robin just waited patiently.
Oh god, Nami thought with growing discomfort, I can't believe I'm actually going to talk about this .
She took a deep breath. "… What… happened last night…" Nami muttered awkwardly. She despised feeling awkward. It was almost as bad as feeling powerless. "… Could you explain?"
Robin raised a delicate eyebrow. "What part?" She asked politely.
Nami's fists tightened. "Everything."
The archaeologist paused. "Luffy and I have been together for a while now," she said simply. "We are in a relationship. We know that in a small crew, sex can make things… awkward, so we decided to keep things secret from the others. I am sorry that you found out the way you did last night."
Nami took a deep breath, but didn't reply straight away. "And what about what you said to me last night?" She demanded, her voice becoming angrier.
"What do I need to explain?"
"How about the part where you offered a fucking threesome ?!" Nami snapped.
"I did no such thing," Robin replied coolly, folding her arms. "I know you like Luffy, and I simply said that I would be able to accept it if you were to form a relationship with him. If you are willing to accept my relationship, then we could come to some arrangement."
Her voice was as composed as ever. Robin had the best poker face that Nami had ever seen. "However," Robin continued simply. "That wholly depends on you and Luffy coming into a similar agreement."
"So you're—"
"All I'm offering," Robin interrupted smoothly. "Is that I wouldn't interfere if you wanted to pursue a more intimate relationship with our captain."
Nami bit her lip. It would be easier if Robin gave her a reason to be angry. Instead, the archaeologist was being so reasonable it was horrible. Nami should have hated herself for even entertaining the notion.
"You want to share him?" She mumbled under her breath.
If Nami hadn't been looking closely, she would never have noticed the faint flicker across Robin's otherwise unreadable face. "We would always have to share him," Robin replied after a short pause. "He belongs to the whole crew more than he would ever belong to one person."
The navigator couldn't reply. Somehow, all her emotions just roared through her body but jammed in her throat. Robin just looked at her quietly, while Nami twitched slightly under her cool gaze.
"It's ok to be hesitant," Robin said quietly. "And I would completely understand if you don't want to. But the option is there if you do."
Nami didn't respond. Robin hesitated slightly. "Luffy and I meet in the storage room at ten, after everyone else has gone to sleep," she said finally. "If you are looking for a private moment to talk to him, then you could always meet us there tonight."
The thought made Nami's heart pound furiously. Robin slowly picked her book up again. "If you choose not to come, then I will assume you've made your decision."
It was several long seconds before Nami reacted. Her breaths were long, deep and uncertain. She had barely even realised she made a decision right up until the moment when she heard her voice whisper the words gently.
"I'll be there."
Luffy had been distracted all day. Nami barely even looked at him, and he never knew what to do. The whole situation just left him lost. Robin, his number one source for all things women related, never explained it to him, and even Vivi was unusually quiet after their late night drinking session, though that might have just been a hangover.
Not for the first time, Luffy felt so completely and utterly lost at anything not related to punching bad guys in the face. And he thought that he had been getting better too.
It was only when the crew was settling down for the night, Luffy sensed Robin waiting in their regular meeting spot using his Haki. Then, a few seconds later, he sensed Nami walking towards her, and both waiting the storage room. At that point, Luffy had to force himself not to dematerialise into lightning to rush towards them.
He arrived in the storage room at only quarter to ten, but it seemed like everyone was early. Luffy's looked confusedly between Robin and Nami, struggling to think of what to say. All his previous apologies and explanations had been awful, and his throat stammered as he tried to say something.
Nami was waiting for him. She was awkwardly standing next to the barrels and crates, pale faced and anxious in the faint light. Nami was wearing her pyjamas, having crept out of bed with a jacket thrown over her shoulders. She was barefoot, with her hair unkempt and messy. Luffy's eyes widened in surprise.
"Nami, what's—" He began weakly, but he was cut off as Robin lightly touched him on the shoulder.
"It's alright," Robin said quietly, rubbing his shoulder affectionately. She paused to peck Luffy lightly on the lips. As her lips touched his, her scent was overpowering, and then she moved to his ear. "Don't worry about me, I approve," she whispered very quietly in his ear. The words left him even more confused. "Just be honest with her."
Luffy frowned as she pulled away. He was about to question what she meant, but then Robin just motioned to Nami. "I think you two need to have a talk. I'll give you some privacy."
With that, Robin quietly walked out of the room, leaving Luffy alone with Nami. As soon as the door closed behind her, everything was still.
Nami looked uncertain of herself. Luffy really didn't like it when Nami was uncertain; it wasn't a natural look for her.
Several seconds passed awkwardly. The quiet was deafening. Finally, Luffy spoke softly.
"I've really got no idea what to say here," Luffy admitted honestly. "I know I've done something to upset you, and I'm really sorry for being a moron, but I just want you to be—"
"No, Luffy, it's alright," Nami cut him off gently, smiling softly. She hesitated. "It's not you, it's…" She sighed, before relenting. "Could just you sit down here, please?"
Nami hesitantly took a seat on one of the barrels. Luffy nodded and sat down next to her. "Are you unhappy with me and Robin being together?" Luffy asked softly.
She paused, biting her lip softly. "It's not…" Nami took a deep breath. "The reason I was so upset when I saw you two together, well, it's because I… I was jealous of seeing her with you like that."
Luffy's face was completely blank. Nami gritted her teeth and forced the words out. "I was jealous because I like you, Luffy," she said finally. The words felt vaguely like putting a big 'stab me' sign right over her heart. "I wanted to be with you in the same way she was with you."
"Oh," Luffy mumbled dumbly. A few seconds passed. "Oh." The gears started to churn into motion. It took a long time for the understanding to actually dawn. "Oh…"
Each second felt like an hour of painful torture for her, and it was long time before Luffy responded. Finally, he spoke. "Nami… I… I don't want to…" Nami braced herself for the dagger. "I don't want to hurt you."
Gently, Luffy took her hand. His touch was so soft and reassuring that Nami felt the tension soothe out of her muscles. "I don't ever want to hurt you," Luffy repeated earnestly. "I just… I just don't know what to do."
"You could be honest," Nami said quietly. "Do you… like me Luffy?"
"Of course!" There was no hesitation.
"Do you like me in the same way you like Robin?"
That caused a pause. Luffy's brain strained as he tried to convert his feelings in to words. It was not an easy thing to do.
"I really don't like comparing the two of you," Luffy said finally. "You're Nami and she's Robin. Anything more than just… makes me feel weird."
It was such a Luffy answer that it caused Nami to growl. It was completely earnest but absolutely unhelpful. Suddenly, Nami realised that Luffy was just as new to this as she was. They were both out of their depth here.
"I just need to know Luffy," she said slowly. "I just need to know if you feel the way I do. Do you… could you love me… or am I just a friend?"
Luffy's mouth dropped open. Both, he almost replied instantly, but there was an edge to the question. "Nami…" He asked carefully. "If I say something wrong here… will I hurt you?"
She looked at him with wide, pleading eyes. "If you say something just because you think that's what I want hear," she replied carefully. "Then that's going to hurt me a lot more. I need the truth here."
She was trembling. Luffy had made a vow once that he would always make her smile. He had never, ever wanted to break that promise.
Slowly, with tremendous care, Luffy moved forward. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and he gently held her in a soft, comfortable hug until she stopped trembling. Her body sagged into him.
"You're absolutely precious to me, Nami," he whispered quietly in her ear. It was the most truthful thing he could say. "I don't know how to describe you any more than that, because you're just too… you're too amazing - I don't have the words. You're not Robin, and I don't want you to ever be Robin, because you're perfect the way you are."
She didn't respond. "And I'm not sure what I should do here, but I would just do absolutely anything to make sure you're happy." He gulped. "I don't know how to answer your question, because you are my friend and I love you for that, but I…" He hesitated again. "I want you to be happy. I want you to be able to smile, and I want to make sure that you never, ever have to cry again."
Her arms slowly crept around his torso until she was hugging him back. "And what about Robin?"
"I want to make sure she's happy too," He replied earnestly. "I can't rank you, you're… you're both priceless. I just… I just wish I knew what I could do to make sure you're smiling."
The seconds crept by quietly. In the dark, the only sound was Nami's furiously beating heart, but she wasn't trembling anymore. She was so close to Luffy that she could feel every tremor of his body, and his scent sent her into a daze of emotion. For one timeless moment, she just didn't want it to end.
Then her hands moved slowly up his back, and she could feel that his heart was pounding just as hard as hers was.
"Luffy…" She muttered quietly, before gently pulling away. "You could kiss me…"
They were sitting so closely that their noses were nearly touching. Luffy's hand was on hers and had never moved. The air was so tense that neither of them moved in fear that everything would snap.
"Kiss you…?" Luffy repeated softly.
She nodded breathlessly. "If you want," Nami muttered, with a slight shrug.
There was absolutely nothing that he wanted more. Luffy stared at her incredulously, his brain nearly collapsing in on itself.
Suddenly, Robin's approval made sense.
"Oh," he murmured dumbly. "Huh."
Their heads crept together slowly. Luffy's lips felt so dry. Nami gently tucked her hair backwards behind her ear.
Time seemed to fail them. Their hearts were beating so fast that each second felt like a lifetime. Luffy couldn't even remember making the decision to move, but then it seemed like the world was shrinking and Nami's lips were just moving closer to his.
They were so close that he could feel her breath on his mouth. He could see every dot in her irises, even in the gloom.
Then, with excruciating gradualness, her skin touched his. His nose brushed against her cheek and their lips pressed together. The same breath passed between two lungs.
Everything collapsed.
The kiss must have only lasted a few seconds. It felt like much longer.
After a lifetime, they both slowly pulled away. Both of their eyes were wide.
"Huh," Luffy murmured speechlessly.
Nami nodded slowly. "Yeah," she whispered.
Nobody spoke. Reality crashed around them. All the emotions that she been holding in just exploded. Slowly, Nami's eyes started to swell with tears. Luffy's mouth dropped open.
"You're crying," he said with panic. "I'm sorry, did I something? Don't cry, I shouldn't have… Was it my breath-"
"Idiot!" Nami snapped, but gently. She smiled brightly, even as the tears ran down her cheeks. Her hand instinctively slapped lightly off Luffy's forehead, causing them both to grin. "They're good tears."
"Good tears?" Luffy asked quietly.
Nami nodded, before wrapping her arms around him and snuggling into his torso. "Yep," she said definitely, sniffing quietly. "The best tears."
"Right," Luffy muttered. Strong arms wrapped her, and Nami's whole body sagged. The barrels they were sitting on were hard and jagged, but suddenly Nami had never been so comfortable.
The minutes passed slowly. There were so many questions, but they just didn't seem so important as their bodies rested together. After a while, Luffy finally asked. "So… what happens now?"
"I don't know," Nami admitted, but she was too content to care. "Could… could we just talk for a bit?"
"Of course." Luffy paused. "What about?"
Nami smiled softly, stroking his arm. "Tell me about that time you beat Arlong."
Luffy glanced downwards. "You were there."
"I know." Nami shrugged. "I just want you to hear you tell it."
"Ok," he nodded, shuffling backwards before settling in against the wall. "Well, once there was thief who stole from pirates, and she was a really nice person even if she could be an ogre some of the time—"
Nami pinched his shoulder playfully. "Ouch!" Luffy winced. "Alright, fine, most of the time, but she was still - Ouch!"
They both giggled quietly. Nami slowly lifted her legs up until she was resting in Luffy's lap, feet against the wall. Luffy's hand rested in her hair, gently curling her soft orange tresses around his fingers.
Slowly, they started to talk. First about Cocoyasi Village, and then Loguetown, and the Grand Line, and suddenly they were recounting their whole journey to each other. It wasn't anything they hadn't talked about before, but suddenly it was so quiet and tender that every word felt precious.
Nami admitted how long she had cared about Luffy, and then Luffy told her all about how guilty he felt that he let them get hurt in Alabasta. Neither of them even noticed the hours passing as time just tickled away in the isolated storage room.
"It's late," Nami muttered finally, recognising the time. Strangely, she wasn't even remotely tired. "Or early, anyways. We don't have long left, people will be waking up, I guess."
"Yeah, I suppose," Luffy muttered unwillingly. He didn't want the moment to end. "I guess we have to go."
Nami closed her eyes and nodded. Slowly, she pulled herself up. Her body was lean and cat-like. Instantly, Luffy couldn't help but to admire her supple and slender frame. Nami sighed as she sat up, before glancing to Luffy.
It's time for the night to come to an end, she figured. She really never wanted this moment to end. As soon as they left the cramped storage room, things would get awkward, they would have stuff to sort out and everything would be complicated.
Right now, it was just him and her, and it was so, so simple and comfortable. She really didn't want that to end.
The thought made Nami pause. Well, she thought slowly; the night's not over just yet .
She took a deep breath, before looking back at Luffy, feeling her heart race with sudden exhilaration.
"Luffy," She asked quietly, brushing her hair back coyly. "Could you kiss me again?"
There wasn't nearly as much hesitation this time. Nami had took off her jacket in the night, her hair was a mess, she had no make-up, and she looked so good that it was all Luffy could do to not kiss her constantly. As their lips touched, their hearts nearly stopped.
Nami gasped as she felt his tongue brush against hers and into her mouth. The feeling of his touch was delirious.
By the time they broke, they were both panting for breath. Nami's cheeks were flushed; Luffy's mouth was still hanging open. Nami grinned, chewing the end of her hair as she felt the phantom sensation of the kiss shudder through her body.
And, just then, whatever doubts Nami had were out of the window and sinking like an anchor into the sea. She just didn't want that feeling to stop. The adrenaline pushed her onwards.
"Luffy…" She muttered in sultry whisper as she leant backwards against the crates. "Don't stop kissing me."
He smiled, and then the next second he pressing onto her. She didn't even have time to gasp as suddenly his lips pulled the breath straight out of her lungs. Nami's body collapsed into Luffy's arms, and then they were both squeezing into each other.
It was cold in the room, but at that moment the heat was unbearable. Nami couldn't help but moan as his lips caressed hers, and then her hands were automatically pushing up his chest and pulling his jacket off.
God, his abs are like stone, Nami realised suddenly as his muscles pressed around her. Luffy wasn't skinny, not anymore, and he was broad shouldered and muscled enough that Nami felt the desire burn through her.
Suddenly, Luffy was bare-chested. "Nami…" He muttered gently. "… Are you sure—"
He was cut off as Nami gently bit his bottom lip. At that moment, there was absolutely nothing else she was surer about. I want him, Nami thought with a ferocity that surprised her. It hadn't been planned, but right now there was nothing she could do to stop herself even if she wanted to.
"Yes," Nami muttered hungrily, wrapping her hands around his back and pulling her body in tightly. Her breasts squashed against his body. "I'm sure. Just don't stop."
Luffy nodded dumbly. "Ok," he murmured, and Nami gasped as he started to lightly kiss downwards on her neck.
The pressure from his body was maddening. His mouth was everywhere, kissing and caressing from her ear down to her collarbone, while his hands stroked every inch of her body, tracing the ridges of her muscles all the way to her breasts.
Nami's flaying fingers finally latched onto his waistline. Between his kisses and her own heartbeat, it took several clumsy seconds for her to unlatch his belt. Finally, her hands managed to slip into his trousers, and she gasped as she felt his manhood inside.
Oh my god, I've just touched Luffy's cock. The thought caused Nami's mind to go blank.
"Are you alright?" Luffy asked, as Nami seemed to hesitate. He sounded almost amused.
Nami gulped and nodded, trying to stop the hesitation from taking over her. "Fine," she said defiantly.
Luffy grinned cheekily as he wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Do… do you know what you're doing?" He said with a smile.
"Of course!" Nami protested, but he could feel her nerves.
"You've just never… done it before?" He asked softly. Nami bristled.
"How hard can it be if you can do it?" She snapped, but it was playful.
Luffy grin widened, realisation dawning. "Oh wow… that means…" He said teasingly. "… I actually know something that you don't!"
The pride in the statement caused Nami to break down and giggle. Luffy could always just put her completely at ease, despite the growing tension between them. "Idiot!" She growled, slapping him across the forehead. Still, she paused to kiss it better afterwards.
"Hey, that's actually a big deal for me," Luffy protested playfully, as he gently wrapped his arms around her legs and lifted her off the ground. "Let me have this moment."
They kissed again, more passionate and more ferocious than the last. "Idiot," Nami moaned breathlessly, as Luffy's hands massaged her hips. He gently placed her so she was sitting on a nearby crate. Nami took a deep breath, her eyes rolling from the ecstasy of sensations tingling across her body.
"Hey…" Luffy muttered, still kissing downwards. He slowly dropped to his knees, until he was kissing down her torso. "… I told you…" Nami gasped as he tenderly kissed her navel. His hands gently played with the hemline of her trousers, before pulling the fabric down her hips. His mouth was still moving downwards. "… let me have this moment…"
For a second, Nami felt completely dumb as she realised what he was intending. Carefully, Luffy pulled her pyjama trousers off her legs, and slowly positioned himself between her thighs. Her womanhood was moist, hot and soft as his lips pressed against hers, between the fluff of orange hair.
Nami gasped so loudly she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from crying out. His tongue was suddenly inside her, and it was a feeling so intense she couldn't even think of anything else. It was a sensation so foreign, strange, but so utterly incredible that Nami was left speechless. Her back arched and her fingers bit into the crate tightly.
Her head knocked off the wall as she leant backwards, but she didn't care. She gasped and moaned, but the only words that she managed to say were in a tight, forced growl.
"… Don't… stop…"
The whole night, Robin spent it outside on deck, distractedly reading her book as she tried very hard not to think about what was happening in the storage room beneath her.
She had promised herself that she wasn't going to use her powers to eavesdrop. She had almost kept that promise, too.
I knew this was going to have to happen, Robin thought quietly. She had even given permission. Still, that didn't make it any easier to swallow.
Only someone who knew Robin very well would have been tell how disturbed she was as she sat out on deck, and watched the sea roll around the ship.
Nami's eyes flickered open lazily as the sunlight hit them, but she groaned and tried to go back to sleep. Her leg was still wrapped around Luffy's naked body, and he felt so warm that she just didn't want to move. She was naked as well, and the wooden floor boards were chilly, yet Nami was draped around Luffy with her head snuggled into his chest.
The throbbing between her thighs hadn't faded all night. It didn't really hurt, but she could feel the pressure from where Luffy had pushed through. Drops of blood still speckled across the floor. It was slightly uncomfortable to close her legs, but Nami was too otherwise content to care. Luffy was fast asleep, and Nami was happy to just rest on his body despite the daylight.
It took a long time for her tired brain to make the connection. Despite the daylight…? She thought sleepily. Her eyes opened suddenly.
"Oh crap!" Nami cursed, instantly jumping upwards. Luffy groaned and stirred with the movement. "Luffy!" Nami hissed quietly, shaking his body urgently. "Luffy, wake up! It's daylight!"
He groaned loudly in protest. Nami had to cover his mouth as he pulled himself awake. "Quiet! " Nami hissed. "The others - they're awake!"
Luffy's eyes rolled tiredly as he pulled himself up. "Wha…?" He groaned.
Nami groaned with irritation, crawling across the floor to pick up her clothes. She honestly wouldn't be able take it if they were discovered naked on the floor of the storage room. Last night had been utter bliss, but now that she was awake the worries were already seeping through.
"Get dressed and be quiet!" Nami hissed urgently at Luffy, throwing his pants at him quickly. She quickly pulled her bottoms on, and tried searching for her top. "They're going to wonder where we are-"
"It's alright," a calm voice interrupted suddenly. Nami jumped as she heard the door open and close quickly. "I've taken care of it."
"Robin!" Nami squealed in shock, rapidly covering her exposed breasts with her arms. Luffy clambered upwards, hiding his manhood with his trousers. Robin didn't seem even slightly concerned by their nakedness.
"Hey," the dark-haired woman said gently, politely averting her eyes. Robin picked up Nami's top from where it had been thrown across the room and passed it to the navigator. "I've covered for you," Robin explained simply. "I told the crew that Nami is having a long morning bath, while Luffy is practicing his walking on air technique in the sky somewhere. Take your time, get cleaned up, come out when you're ready."
She quietly placed a bucket full of warm water on the ground, along with a few towels. Nami glanced sheepishly between Robin and Luffy quietly, but took the towel gratefully and started to wash her body up a bit. Luffy staggered upwards and quickly pulled on his clothes.
"Hey, Robin," Luffy asked with concern. "How are you—"
He was silenced quickly as Robin pressed her mouth down to his smoothly. The kiss was soft, affectionate and gentle. Luffy blinked in surprise.
Nami was left speechless as she watched the man who she had just slept with kiss another woman. Nami had to suppress the cold shiver that crept down her spine. The day was just full of firsts.
"I'm fine," Robin said simply, passing a towel to Luffy walking away. Robin politely smiled at Nami as she passed. "I'll stand on-guard outside, come out when you're ready. Breakfast is being served upstairs, don't walk out together."
With that, Robin left the room. Nami gulped quietly and rubbed his eyes. "And to think I thought that was going to be weird," she muttered under her breath.
Luffy was frowning unhappily. Despite how she was acting, he could tell that Robin wasn't ok. Doubt started to crawl up on him.
"What about you?" Luffy asked after a while, turning to Nami. "Are you alright?"
Nami smiled softly. "Yeah," she answered honestly. "I am, actually. Last night, it was… it was special. I knew the morning after was going to be weird, but…" Nami hesitated slightly. "… but maybe we can work through the weirdness."
"Right," Luffy nodded. He felt absolutely exhausted and it was only just breakfast. He looked at Nami curiously. "Did… did you enjoy it?"
Her smile widened. "Idiot," she chided, lightly slapping him over the head. "Of course I enjoyed it."
Luffy grinned. "I like being your idiot," he admitted quietly, heading towards the door.
"Good," Nami laughed. "You're good at being an idiot."
He smiled brightly, and they kissed and left the room. Luffy went first to avoid suspicion. Nami waited a few minutes, sorted her hair out, and then left after him.
Robin was outside, waiting patiently at the stairs. Nami approached cautiously. "Hi," Robin said politely. "I've got something for you."
She handed Nami a small leather pouch. The navigator took it gingerly. "What is it?"
"Herbs," Robin said delicately.
Nami unfastened the pouch. Inside, there were several different pockets, all filled with small bags of various dried leaves. "Herbs," Nami repeated confusedly. "What for?"
"Protection," Robin replied gingerly. Nami still looked confused. "Mugwort, pennyroyal, various others. You know, for… prevention."
Realisation dawned. Nami's hand went to her stomach instinctively. "Oh," she muttered in shock. "You mean… oh."
Robin nodded. "Yes," she said softly. "I thought you might want to avoid the trip to Chopper."
"Right. Yes, definitely. Thank you," Nami blushed with the thought. Chopper was a more than capable doctor in most respects, but women's health definitely wasn't one of them. Nami looked down at the pouch hesitantly. "Um… How do you…?"
"You can brew it into a tea," Robin explained reassuringly. "It tastes foul, but drink it the morning after. There are various… recipes available."
Nami was still blushing. Her mother had died when she was very young, and she had never had anyone to teach her these things properly. Robin must have noticed her discomfort. "I could show you, if you want," she offered kindly, before adding, "Your choice, of course."
The navigator gulped, but then nodded. It had been a certain aspect of sex that had completely been forgotten in the moment. Now Nami was kicking herself for not thinking about it.
"Yes, please - I do," Nami nodded definitely.
"Ok," Robin agreed. "But let's go to breakfast first. Meet me in the bathroom afterwards."
"Right," Nami nodded as they started walking up the stairs. Robin held the door open for her.
After a pause, Nami finally had to ask. "Are things going to be awkward between us?" She murmured quietly as they went out on deck.
"Not unless you make it awkward," Robin replied. The sounds of breakfast were already audible. "We're all on the same boat here."
As Nami walked into the room, she glanced at Vivi awkwardly. A stab of guilt hit her as she watched the princess. Yeah, Nami thought sadly, we're all on the same boat.
After breakfast, Nami cornered Luffy outside. The captain looked at her with clear concern. "What's wrong?" He asked uncertainly.
Nami had to force the words out. "I think it's probably best if you had a talk with Vivi sometime," Nami suggested quietly. "In private."
Luffy went to bed early that day, earlier than everyone else. It was still bright outside, but he was absolutely exhausted, both physically and emotionally. The memories of Nami, and Robin, still flickered at the front of his mind.
It had been a long day. Luffy was still trying to make sense of most of it. He was too exhausted to get very far.
Girlfriends, Luffy thought to himself. That had been the word of the day. He had thought he had known what the word meant, but suddenly it seemed more complicated than ever.
I now have two girlfriends, he thought stupidly. An unspoken agreement between the three of them just seemed to develop somehow. He and Robin had been in relationship before, but Robin had always avoided using the word 'girlfriend' or 'boyfriend'. Now the words were out there.
Luffy had kissed two different women today; and he realised that he cared about them both with everything he had. Two different priceless objects.
Girlfriend, Luffy mused quietly. He knew the word, but he was just realising the connotations. As he laid in bed and felt the sleep creep over him, he continued to roll that word around in his head as he thought about everything that was precious.
Huh… I never realised how utterly terrifying that word was before…
That was the last thing he remember thinking before the sleep overtook him and his eyes flickered closed…
… Luffy's eyes shot open quickly. Suddenly, he wasn't in his bed anymore.
Luffy gasped as he glanced around the unfamiliar room. It was dark cavernous room, with brown stone walls and a ceiling so high that it was lost in shadows. There was no obvious light source, but somehow everything was completely visible. He wasn't on the Going Merry anymore; it felt more like he was underground. Panic started to seep in as Luffy glanced around at his surroundings.
Even though he had never seen this place before, Luffy couldn't help but feel like it was familiar somehow.
"Where am I?!" Luffy demanded to the quiet, stony room, and he heard his voice echo infinitely around the cavern. He suddenly realised that he was wearing his jacket and trousers again, fully dressed.
I'm dreaming, he decided slowly, as he stared straight upwards at the infinite roof above him. This has to be a dream…
"You're not very smart, are you?" A patronising voice drawled from behind. Instantly, Luffy spun around.
In the corner of the room, it looked somebody had been living there for a long time. The brown stone walls had been painted bright green, and there were even pictures of goofy, colourful shapes hanging on the walls. There was a pink bed up against the wall (a waterbed by the looks of it), and an orange armchair was facing away from Luffy.
"Who's there?" Luffy demanded, walking towards the room.
Littered across the floor, there were further signs of an inhabitant. There was a palette covered in paints and a half-finished, crudely-drawn portrait on an easel, a workstation with dozens of clay cups, and a sketchpad filled with rough drawings, clearly the result of years of crude work. Colourful dolls, toys and figurines in the shapes of dinosaurs, dragons, and all sorts of weird animals were dotted across the floor. It looked like a child had lived here for years, or at the very least an adult with an eccentric personality.
Luffy's sandal knocked against a toy of a baby dinosaur abandoned on the ground. It was made out of rubber.
"Oh dear," the voice muttered dryly. There was someone sitting in the armchair, facing away from Luffy. "You really are dumber than I was expecting."
"What's going on here?!" Luffy demand angrily, but he was growing more and more confused the more details he started to take in.
The whole habitat, a large room within the cavern, looked like it had been made completely out of rubber, but then abandoned. The desks were mess, the pictures ripped off the walls, and all of the toys thrown madly across the floor. It was like somebody had had a tantrum in the middle of the rubber room.
And then there was dull orange armchair. That was the one bit of furniture that just didn't fit with every else. The rest was bright colours, gaudy rubber and eccentric toys, yet the armchair was old, tasteful and mature. It looked like it was made out of fine fabric and it reeked of posh wealth.
A fancy chair dumped in the middle of a childish room.
Luffy paused as he glared at the enclosure. Slowly, he could feel the killing intent rising from whoever was sitting at the chair; angry, savage, bloodthirsty and distinctly inhuman. It was presence that made every hair on Luffy's body stand on end.
"Who are you?" Luffy repeated again, but this time was voice was more defensive. Slowly, Luffy dropped into a fighting stance, ready for anything.
There was a sigh. "Oh my," the voice muttered irritably. "I guess I'm going to have start with basics with you. Don't worry; I'll use short words so your pathetic mind can keep up."
It was a man's voice. Slowly, the figure stood up and turned around to face Luffy, casting a disdainful look over the gaudy rubber surroundings. He was a man, not particularly tall, fairly young, with bleach blonde spiky hair and wearing a dark suit without the jacket. His shirt was spotlessly bright white, and it would have almost been formal, if it not for the collar that was unbuttoned and the sleeves that were rolled up. There were several bright gold rings on his fingers, expensive bracelets across his arms, and multiple golden studs through both ears.
But it was eyes that were the most striking thing. His eyes seemed to glisten. He had the most electric eyes that Luffy had ever seen.
"Well, hello there, Monkey D. Luffy," the man muttered dryly, his voice drenched with arrogance and sarcasm. "I figured it was about time for us to have a little chat."
Luffy glared at him, glancing nervously around the room. Instinctively, he didn't like this man. He couldn't even sense the man's presence with Mantra. "What is this place?" Luffy demanded.
"What do you think, numbskull?" The man sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I wouldn't expect you to be able to understand it, but surely even your own ape-like intelligence could put two and two together. You're inside your own head." The man smirked viciously, motioning to the empty cavern. "Hence why it's so empty."
Luffy blinked. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Hell…" The man repeated quietly, his eyes flashing. "Very interesting choice of words."
Luffy's hands clenched into fists. "I won't ask you again," Luffy said darkly. "Who are you?! "
The man quietly cracked his knuckles. "Careful now, boy . Don't act like you're in charge here," the man warned dangerously. There was a slight reverberation in his voice. "If you're very polite and you keep your head down, then I might just allow you to leave here alive. If not… well… I'm not really known for giving second chances ."
This man was an enemy. That was something that Luffy was very good at determining. "I don't like threats," Luffy muttered, cracking his knuckles.
The man just smirked, rubbing his spiky blonde hair backwards. "Oh, you have no idea," he muttered under his breath.
There was no hesitation. In an instant, Luffy slammed his hand forward, willing the electricity to flow from his palm. He had practiced enough; there should have been a roaring bolt of lightning. Except this time, there was absolutely nothing.
Luffy's eyes widened in shock. "What the…?" He mumbled in confusion. "… My power?"
"'Your' power?!" The man growled, his face contorting with rage. "You mean this power?"
His hand shot open. Before Luffy could even react, the lightning burst from his fingers and crashed into Luffy. The power sent him crashing across the cavern and slamming into the far wall. It hurt. It hurt a lot.
"Your fucking power?! " The man screamed furiously, all composure gone. Instantly, the man disintegrated into lightning and reappeared next to Luffy, slamming his fist with such force that it felt like it snap his body in half. "You think you own my power?!"
The lightning roared in pure, primal rage and suddenly the air exploded into sparks. Luffy didn't even have time to gasp as suddenly a hand of electricity picked him off the floor and slammed him bodily into the wall.
The well-dressed man was gone, transformed into a giant being of pure, brilliant white lightning with sharpened teeth and insane eyes.
"YOU THINK YOU ARE IN CONTROL HERE?!" The monster roared, tightening its clawed fingers around Luffy until his bones started to crack. "IT MIGHT BE YOUR MIND, YOUR BODY, BUT IT IS MY POWER THAT YOU ARE USING!"
Luffy could barely breathe. The pain was more intense than anything as he felt the electricity burn through him. He wasn't immune to lightning anymore.
"And believe me, brat, I know a thing or two about power!" The lightning monster spat furiously. Slowly, Luffy became aware of two large horns protruding out of its head.
Horns like a devil.
The realisation came slowly. The monster grinned, revealing a mouth full of sharp, electric fangs. "Yeah," it said smugly. "My name is Rumble Rumble. You can call me Mr. Rumble. And I want have a little chat."
Meanwhile…
The smoked bacon, leek and roast garlic quiche cooked slowly in the oven. The filling was only just starting to set, but already the delicious aroma was mouth-watering. It had been in for exactly 19 minutes, 34 seconds, and approximately 8 minutes, 56 seconds to go.
Hamilton stood over the oven with a timer, watching the pastry cook carefully. He didn't need to watch it so closely, of course, but he had always found a strange sense of peace in watching his food cook.
Next to him, Dagmund glared at the leader impatiently. Dagmund was extremely short and stocky, a dwarf with white straw hair, a leathery face and a constant scowl. "Well?" Dagmund demanded. "What we going to do?"
"I'm going to cook a quiche," Hamilton replied calmly. "Then I'm going to eat a quiche. You're welcome to join me in eating the quiche, of course."
"I meant…" Dagmund said irritably. "… what are we going to do about our whole situation here. You know as well I do that the chief-of-staff should be here by now. He was meant to come to check on our whole operation. Something must have happened to him."
"He is really strong, mind," Namami added, from the table. The tall man straightened out his cowboy hat, resting his spurred boots on the table casually. He had a long ageless face, flamboyantly dressed in leathers, with black, greasy hair. "There's not much in this half of the ocean that could happen to the number two of the whole Revolutionary Army."
"He's still too late," Dagmund protested. "Something must have happened."
The quiche was cooking well. Perhaps I should turn it down a bit, Hamilton mused; give the crust time to soften. "Yes," Hamilton agreed coolly. "He is far too late. Still, that is a problem for after the quiche."
Dagmund groaned and irritably went towards back towards the table, for a game of hold 'em against Namami. They were still arguing about their missing chief-of-staff right up until the minute they heard a crash from outside, and a cheerful whistling coming down the corridor.
Bloodgrin strolled happily into the room. The scarred man grinned brightly, and he was holding a larger wafer corn filled with ice cream. "Howdy, boys," he said merrily.
"Oi, Bloodgrin," Dagmund asked urgently. "What do you think about the late arrival?"
The scarred man just waved his hand dismissively, licking his ice cream. "You guys worry too much. Won't make any difference by fretting about it," Bloodgrin said with a shrug as he dropped onto the chair. "Just do what I do - just take life as it comes."
As soon as Bloodgrin sat down, Daisuke stood up and walked to the opposite side of the room. Daisuke was so fat that he was nearly round, and heavy enough that the floorboards creaked with each step, but also so timid that he could barely even stand next to Bloodgrin. Daisuke was currently trying to stay as far out of the argument as possible.
Dagmund was still arguing, but Bloodgrin refused to care. Hamilton continued to stare intently at his quiche, but slowly he became more distracted by a tingling in the back of his mind. Something was wrong.
After a few seconds, Hamilton finally looked up. "Bloodgrin," he said finally. His voice was quiet, but it still silenced the whole room. "What are you eating?"
Bloodgrin looked bemused. "Ice cream," he said simply, holding up the wafer corn as illustration.
"But where did you get the ice?" Hamilton asked calmly.
Bloodgrin just shrugged. "Haven't you looked outside? It's snowing like mad out there."
There was a pause. Hamilton moved to turn the temperature down on the oven. "Is it now…?" he mused under his breath, mind reeling. Hamilton was smart enough to make the connection very quickly. He turned to his crew. "Everyone grab your weapons; we've got company."
There was a mumble from the four men. "What?" Namami protested. "Because of snow?"
"This is an autumn island, during summer," Hamilton said simply, not even turning around as he went for the door. "Why would it ever be snowing?"
Namami just shrugged and holstered his dual pistols. Dagmund grumbled as he picked up his crossbow. Bloodgrin kept on licking his ice cream.
"You're supposed to be a swordsman," Namami commented, frowning at the weapon-less Bloodgrin. "Where's your sword?"
Bloodgrin just scoffed. "As if I need one," he bragged, holding up his ice cream confidently. "I could kill a man just as easily with a cornetto."
Daisuke was so scared that Dagmund had to pull the fat man outside. Daisuke was, admittedly, ten times the dwarf's size, but Dagmund was stubborn.
"I don't want to go!" Daisuke protested weakly. "I don't like fighting!"
"Tough - you're good at it," Dagmund growled, kicking Daisuke with a steeled-toed boat so hard that he nearly flew out of the ship.
Outside, Jaya Island was obscured by a heavy flurry of snow, but Hamilton was already walking ahead, straight towards the golden bell. The rest of his crew followed cautiously.
Cricket Town was deserted. It was freezing cold, but the Revolutionary never cared. Hamilton walked calmly through the snowstorm, before slowly picking up on a weak presence. The intruder obviously knew how to hide themselves from Observation Haki - Hamilton had very nearly missed it.
Slowly, he approached another figure, standing in front of the golden bell. The intruder was a young woman, with bright green long hair, a voluptuous figure, wearing very skimpy clothes despite the cold. Hamilton's eyes narrowed. She wasn't shivering.
"Can I help you?" He asked coldly.
The woman jumped. Apparently she had thought the snowstorm would be enough to hide her presence. Still, she recovered quickly, turning to face Hamilton with a smile and coy glance.
"Hey there!" She said pleasantly, in a high-pitched apologetic voice. "So sorry for trespassing, but this bell is just, like, so amazing! I'm a research student, I'm actually do my doctorate on it, and I just so wanted to-"
"You're lying," Hamilton interrupted, folding his arms as he started at her indifferently. She was a good liar, but he was a better one.
Instantly, the woman's eyes turned almost predatory. She smiled and licked her lips. All of the fake cheer and innocence was gone, replaced by a cold focus. "Well," the woman muttered sarcastically. "I suppose that makes two of us, 'Professor'."
Hamilton smiled pleasantly. "Well, actually," he corrected smoothly. "… that makes six."
At once, the rest of his crew stepped out of the snowstorm, all of them taking positions circling the intruder. Even, Daisuke, fumbling and cowardly, managed to step forward in what could have been seen a threatening manner, if Dagmund hadn't been required to give him a shove. Namami had his guns holstered, but his fingers were twitching to draw, even despite the cowboy's vulnerability to the cold. Dagmund had his crossbow armed and ready.
Bloodgrin, true to his word, wielded his ice cream cone threateningly. "'Ello, love," he said cheerfully. Unlike everyone else, Bloodgrin wasn't even remotely bothered by the freezing temperature. Immunity to cold was part of his unique condition. "Ya wouldn't mind just coming with us for a bit?"
The intruder didn't move. There was something almost bird-like about the way she sized up all of her opponents. Clearly experienced, Hamilton decided, probably strong . Not that it would make much difference.
"How about we keep this reasonable?" Hamilton offered. "Why don't you just tell us your name and what you're doing here?"
She smiled coldly. Around them, the snowstorm started to swirl. "Monet," she introduced calmly. "And I'm just here waiting for my boss to come back down. I figured I'd check out the local attraction while I'm waiting."
"Hmm…" Hamilton mused, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Well, that's a concise answer. Then I suppose the next question to answer is…" His smile didn't waver. "… why exactly should we allow you to leave here alive?"
Monet's smile was vicious. "Hmm… Now that is a hard one…" She deliberated, before raising her hand. "How about three hundred tonnes of snow? Would that be a good answer?"
With a flick of her wrist, the sky exploded into furious explosion of snow. Hail as fast as bullets from a Gatling gun burst everywhere. The others dodged, but Hamilton took the full brunt of the attack. Snowballs as sharp as dagger cut towards him, and the Revolutionary didn't even try to block.
Before anybody could even react, Monet was already moving again. The snow twisted around her, forming a wall of solid snow to the block the others while the snowstorm hid her movements. In seconds, the Revolutionaries were blocked and Monet had a clear path towards her ship.
Monet grunted in satisfaction as she turned to run. The others were still blocked by the wall of snow but Monet was already leaving towards the harbour. She barely made it five steps when she heard the voice from behind her.
Hamilton sounded almost bored. "That was a fairly poor answer. Very bad form."
Her eyes widened in shock. Hamilton calmly walked towards her, brushing the snowflakes off his sweater vest. "Did you really think it would be that easy?" He asked curiously, folding his arms again.
Monet paused, turning around to face him. She had hit him straight on. Monet was sure that she had never missed, and the snow hadn't been blocked either. It was like her attack had just gone straight through. Snow that cold could shear through flesh like a knife. It should have shredded him to pieces.
And yet Hamilton standing there, completely unharmed.
There was a pause. Monet's eyes narrowed. "Are you a Logia Devil fruit user?" She asked cautiously, dropping backwards in a fighting stance.
Hamilton just chuckled. He was short, slender and completely unassumingly dressed, but somehow the aura of danger still excreted from him. It was enough to make Monet twitch. Hamilton had never tried to be threatening his whole life.
"No; I'm most definitely not Logia," he admitted. "Although I have eaten a Devil fruit. As a matter of fact, I am a… well… I suppose I am an Anti -Logia Devil fruit user."
Her hands clenched. "Anti-Logia…?" Monet muttered slowly. "How's that possible?"
Hamilton smirked. "Oh, lots of things are possible." He slowly took off his horn-rimmed glasses, and placed them carefully in his pocket. His eyes were cold. "Now then, you have exactly three minutes, seventeen seconds to give me a reason not kill you, or otherwise I'm going to tear your limbs off."
There was absolutely no humour in his voice, or in his eyes. Everything about the statement was completely and utterly serious. Despite herself, Monet slowly took a step backwards.
"Why such a precise time?" She asked cautiously. She was already judging everything up; the distance to her ship, his position, how far she could get. She was outnumbered and against an unknown foe; battle didn't seem like a good idea and Monet was a pragmatist at heart.
"Because then I've got to take a quiche out of the oven," Hamilton replied pleasantly. "You're running out of time."
There was a long pause. Monet weighted up her options carefully. Then, Hamilton took a step forward.
"Wait!" Monet shouted suddenly, holding up her hands innocently. She forced a smile. "Hold on. You met with Nico Robin not too long ago, didn't you?"
Hamilton paused. "Yes," he said with a nod, sizing up every movement expertly. She clearly had an angle. "Why?"
Monet smiled with fake sweetness. "Well, I'm just surprised that you helped her, that's all," she said coolly. "I would have thought that the Revolutionaries would have had more reason to stop her, all things considered."
He didn't react straight away. He took then time to examine every possibility behind the statement before answering. He was a very methodical man.
"Explain," Hamilton said sharply, all pleasantries gone.
Monet's grin widened. Information was key in her business, and Monet always took great care to always be better informed. "Just how much do you really know about Poneglyphs, and the Ancient Weapons?"
Hamilton's eyes darkened. He glanced towards the golden bell briefly. He paused for a few seconds.
"I'm listening."
Author Notes:
Well, I had fun with this chapter. There has been a lot of drama recently, I wanted to move things forward. Please tell me how I did.
A bit more development on some OC baddies, as well. I wanted to make sure they were distinct and interesting enough. Hamilton and his crew are going to be around for a while; I've got a nice storyline planned for them.
As for Mr. Rumble… well… I quite like Mr. Rumble, actually. I've been planning that plot twist for a long time :)
Next chapter: 'Awakened'…