Disclaimer: I do not own.

Warning: Hope you like your water with lemons!

As Long As You're Mine

Zoro's hands trailed over her skin followed a few moments later by his eager mouth. The sensation was simply divine and left Nami feeling breathless. As his tongue laved her most intimate places his hands squeezed her thighs deepening her pleasure. With her own hands teasing her now very heavy breasts, Nami moaned his name making Zoro quicken his pace until her low moans turned into loud screams.

Feeling her climax, Zoro rose from his place between her legs with a smug smirk at having so successfully satisfied her. His moment of glory was short-lived, however, as the willful woman grabbed him roughly by the collar and pulled him to her with a low plead of, "More!"

Zoro was only just able to catch himself with his arms before crushing her, but it didn't seem to bother Nami at all. Her lips were already covering his own and her hands were blindly removing his shirt with a desperate dexterity. In just a few seconds, Zoro was divest of his clothing and looking into the wide needy eyes of his lover. There was such a hungry look in her eyes that Zoro couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. He sat up on his knees and brought Nami up into his lap so her legs were on either side of him. She had to lean back slightly to accommodate her protruding belly, but it was easy enough with Zoro's strong arms supporting her.

As Zoro slipped inside of her, Nami arched her back and let out a hiss of delight. Gripping his shoulders tightly, she began rocking her hips back and forth while Zoro lifted his own thrusting into her over and over again. It was no time at all before Nami was vocalizing her pleasure once more, her screams keeping time with their hips.

"Oh. My. Oh Fuck. Oh Zoro! Oh!" as her rambling became more incoherent, Zoro's grin grew wider. It was nice to know he had such an effect on her. Watching her repetitive bouncing and the gentle bobbing of her breasts as he took her was mesmerizing. Her eyes were shut, but there was a look of pure ecstasy on her face. Knowing he was the one who put it there made Zoro want her even more. Plunging deeper inside her he let out his own low, satisfied moan.

Eventually, Nami's muscles began to clench and her screams coaxed Zoro's own orgasm. When she collapsed backward onto the mattress panting and heaving, there was an expression of such happiness on her serene face. Looking at the woman in wonder, Zoro caught her wrists and brought her hands up to his lips to kiss them. Then he kissed her everywhere he could. He kissed her knees, her belly, her hips. He kissed her breasts, her neck, her shoulders. He kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead. And then, after a lengthy look into her hopeful honey-coloured eyes, he pressed a simple and promising kiss to her lips before he pulled back to look once more into her beautiful face. With one hand he brushed the sweaty orange hair back from her pale face while his other hand traveled lower over her belly and came to rest on her hip. His words were plain, simple even, but they contained a truth so powerful no other words could even compare as he whispered, "I love you."

There was a tired smile on Nami's face just before she pulled him down for another kiss. After a moment, a delicate yet insistent hand snaked around Zoro's manhood and began stroking him to arousal again. Breaking their kiss, Zoro laughed, "I'm not a machine, woman!"

Giving him a slight pout, Nami countered, "Oh please! If you can do a thousand reps with your weightlifting, you should be fine for one, or two, or six rounds with me!" She finished her comment with a catty, devilish smirk and Zoro could hardly stop from pouncing on top of her.

"Have it your way, Vixen," he called climbing on top of her once more.

As the weeks wore on, they had become more comfortable with their physical relationship and the hesitation had disappeared between them completely. They both freely sought their delights from the other's body. It had been hard for Zoro at first, since he was afraid of selfishly using Nami, but the pregnant woman's libido cured him of that notion rather quickly. If anything it was Nami who was always seeking pleasure from him. Perhaps it was the advanced state of her pregnancy that made her so bold, but she stopped being shy about asking for exactly what she wanted from Zoro and when she wanted it. This helped Zoro ease into a point where he was comfortable starting the encounters with Nami.

Nothing in life could compare to the feeling of entering your room at the end of the day and finding a willing woman waiting for you in your bed. One evening when Zoro had returned from his work out just a little earlier than usual, he had beaten his lover to their chamber. Instead of waiting for her to come to him, he sought her out. It was a good thing he had because she was so wrapped up in the map she was working on, she had completely lost track of time.

It had been a long day and though he had Nami already that morning, his lower regions twitched excitedly at the sight of her bent over her map. Sneaking up behind her, he had pulled aside her long cascade of orange waves and kissed the back of her slender neck.

"Come to bed, Nami," he whispered in her ear. "I want you now."

The knowledge that Zoro needed her excited Nami, and she turned around to kiss him properly. It was nice to know that she wasn't the only one in the relationship that was so needy. And she knew that the sight of her drove the swordsman wild- it was a powerful feeling and she realized that they wouldn't make it all the way back to the room before they had to come together.

In the bedroom, Nami smirked to herself as she recalled the occasion and decided she wanted to see that look of adoration one his well-defined features again. With a soft shove to his muscular chest, she encouraged her lover to lie on his back so she could climb on top of him. The greedy look on his face as she bounced up and down on him caused her vast pleasure emotionally as well as physically. New sensations washed over her as she moaned and looked down at him with a wanton glance- Zoro had turned her into a very vocal lover.

Tonight it seemed the swordsman was not going to be content to lie there and let her do the work. Holding onto her hips for leverage, Zoro bucked his own hips up into hers lifting Nami clear off the bed as he did. Of course this brought forth another round of pleasure filled screams from his orange haired love.

Meanwhile, in the room below, Luffy was frantically shaking Chopper over and over again shouting, "Wake up! Chopper wake up! It's an emergency!"

The poor addled reindeer blinked his bleary eyes and attempted to take in his rocking surroundings. "Luffy," the doctor asked confused, "What's wrong. What are you doing?"

"There's no TIME!" Luffy insisted, "Listen! Nami's having the baby!"

Only a day or so ago Chopper had explained to Luffy about the birthing process and how it was rather painful and made women scream. He had to explain this because Luffy had asked why Nami got so pissed off every time Franky joked about the labor. Listening now, Chopper heard it too. Nami was screaming! It wasn't just one scream, she was screaming over and over and over. With large frightful eyes, Chopper began shouting, "Ahh! Nami's having a baby! Quick someone get a doctor! A doctor! The baby is coming!"

A pillow came out of nowhere and hit Chopper so squarely that the reindeer toppled over to the floor. "That's you!" Usopp shouted in an annoyed sleepy voice.

"Oh right!" Chopper said picking himself up off the floor. "I better get up there!"

As Chopper and Luffy fussed about getting everything the doctor needed ready, Sanji pulled the pillow off of his head. He had put it there to block out the horrible noises. Each scream had cut him as cleanly as a knife and he wasn't sure how much he could take. The cook was in quite an irritated mood when he said loudly, "Chopper, do NOT go up there!"

Chopper and Luffy stopped their fussing and looked at Sanji. Pushing himself up from the bed, Usopp looked on too while Brook laughed quietly. Confused, Luffy was the first to speak. "Sanji, why don't you want Chopper to go up there if Nami is having the baby? She needs him!"

Pulling a cigarette out from the pack on his night table, Sanji light up saying, "Nami is not having her baby tonight. Just listen." As the men listened Nami's shrieks grew louder, Usopp blushed and after a moment, Chopper hid himself behind his hooves.

After blowing out a lung full of smoke, Sanji said, "Go back to bed. There's nothing to worry about tonight."

Usopp laid down and pulled the covers up over his face and his pillow over his ears while Chopper hopped back into his bed wishing his ears were less sensitive.

"But I don't understand. If Nami is screaming, aren't we going to help her?" Luffy asked scratching his mess of wild black hair.

"Yo ho ho ho!" Brook laughed loudly now. "I think Zoro-san is already helping her plenty!"

"Wha?" Luffy started, but Sanji cut him off sharply, "No! We aren't going to help Nami because she doesn't need help."

Now Luffy looked at the skeleton because he seemed to be just a little more forthcoming. "How is Zoro helping her? If it's something with the baby, Chopper should go up there."

Brook was still in stitches as he said, "It's nothing with the baby. Zoro is just giving Nami-san his bone! Yo ho ho ho!"

"His bone?" There was only one person on board the Sunny who was just-bones and that was Brook.

"Oh for the love of!" Sanji shouted as he realized he was going to have to put things in plain terms if any of them were going to get sleep that night. "Nami doesn't need help! She's not in labor. She's busy getting fucked by that shitty-ass swordsman!" The cook then stormed from the room letting the door slam loudly behind him and leaving an awkward silence in the room he vacated.

There was a long tense pause before Luffy finally spoke. "If Nami likes it, then why is she screaming?"

A pillow smacked Luffy in the face and knocked the captain off balance. It was clear that no one was going to tell Luffy the reason.

At breakfast the next morning, Sanji lacked his usual perky spirit and Luffy kept eyeing Nami and Zoro suspiciously. Chopper and Usopp sat awkwardly looking down at their food while Brook clicked his long bony fingers on the table. Franky was eating easily oblivious to the other men's discomfort while Robin watched the company discerningly.

Though most meals aboard the Thousand Sunny were loud boisterous events, this one was quiet and slightly awkward. It livened up a bit once Luffy started stealing food and everyone could concentrate on something other than the sounds that had come from Nami's room last night. Eventually, when the hustle of the meal had picked up, the crewmembers began talking normally again. The awkward moment had passed, and just as equilibrium had returned to the dining room, Luffy, with a mouth still overflowing with food, raised an eyebrow and said, "tho Thami. Ith thou thike thwhat Thoro thoths, thwhy tho thou thream tho thuch?" Of course in fluent full-mouthed Luffy it translated as: So Nami. If you like what Zoro does, why do you scream so much?"

The room fell silent except for the sound of Usopp choking on a chicken bone. Everyone had their eyes on Nami as her face turned a very violent shade of red. For a moment she couldn't move or speak she was so flustered! Then, just as Franky was starting the Heimlich on Usopp, Nami's fist came out and smashed into the top of Luffy's head with a satisfying thwack! Then, for good measure, she added a few other lumps to the one she just gave him.

"Hey!" Luffy shouted. "What did I do?"

Sanji was the one who answered him since Nami had angrily left the room. "Don't say shit like that to Nami-san!"

"Why not?" Luffy asked. "I want to know! Do all girls scream like that? It sounds unpleasant." Then a sudden realization hit him and he turned to the archeologist and asked, "Hey Robin, do you scream like that?"

"Don't say thing like that to Robin either!" Sanji shouted aiming a kick at the Captain's head only to find it had been reinforced with haki.

"Actually, Luffy," Robin said with an amused smirk as she stood to leave the room, "I can be much louder than that."

The cook immediately stopped holding his injured foot and got a nosebleed at the same time that the chicken bone finally dislodged from Usopp's throat and smacked Zoro in the forehead eliciting a low growl of "Watch it!" from the swordsman. Brook's jaw had fallen open while Chopper blushed madly. Usopp was recovering his breath while Franky laughed and Luffy looked confused around at the men in the room.

Rubbing his forehead, Zoro looked at the captain and said, "Listen Luffy. Girls make all sorts of noises when they like what your doing. Sometime they scream, sometimes they moan, sometimes they sound completely different. But if they make any noise, you're probably doing it right." At this point Zoro got up and left the room as well while Luffy was still concentrating on what Zoro said.

"So," Luffy started using his limited skills of logic and deduction, "if girls don't make a noise you're doing it wrong?"

"Ow!" Franky shouted holding up one beefy hand, "Not even!" Then he explained, "Some women are quiet delicate flowers. They don't make much noise, so it's harder to know just what they like, but loving them is as satisfying as loving the loud ones. Even more so if you can make a quiet girl scream like the loud ones! Or louder," he said with a wink.

Franky then stood to leave the room too, so Luffy turned to Usopp. "So you want the girls to scream?"

A very flustered Usopp began to flail his arms wildly and cried, "What the hell are you asking me for?"

Brook was laughing loudly and said, "Don't worry Luffy, it isn't a painful scream. It is a happy scream."

"Girls scream when they are happy?" Luffy asked more confused than ever.

By now, Sanji had recovered his senses and shouted, "Just stop. You're confusing the boy!" Then in a softer tone to Luffy he said, "You'll understand when you grow up a bit and actually want a woman. For now, just don't worry about it!" Then Sanji began cleaning up the mess from the meal while Usopp, Chopper and Brook escaped another round of questions from Luffy.

Finally when everyone else left, Luffy turned back to Sanji and said, "But it must be hard for you to hear Zoro making Nami so happy. You always are like 'Oh! Nami-swan!" There was a concerned look on Luffy's face so Sanji knew that the captain meant well even if he was rubbing salt into a very sore wound.

The cook gave an exaggerated sigh before he light a cigarette and tersely replied, "Leave it, Luffy."

With a shrug, Luffy adjusted his hat and bounded from the room leaving the cook to his thoughts. It was difficult for Sanji to get used to the idea of Nami being happy without him. And it was even harder knowing that she bestowed her affections on that muscles-for-brains swordsman. There were plenty of good things about Sanji to be certain. He'd be able to make some woman very happy someday. But that woman wouldn't be Nami. She didn't need him. Not like that. Sanji took his frustrations out on the dishes he was washing, at least at the end of the day if he didn't have the girl, he'd have an immaculate looking kitchen.

Sometime between breakfast and lunch, the awkward feeling finally dissipated from the ship's atmosphere and was replaced by excitement when someone shouted, "LAND!"

As everyone made ready to make ground, anticipation flooded the crewmembers as they all thought of the treasures that waited for them on this new island. Food, money, booze, meat, plants, secrets, and more lay hidden in the dense jungles on this lush green Island. Nami called out directions so Franky could steer the Sunny and avoid the rocks that sprung jaggedly up just beneath the waves. When the ship had finally landed and the crew made ready to disembark, Usopp approached Nami cautiously.

"N-nami?" he asked in an unsteady voice.

"Oh jeez! I'm not going to eat you! Relax will you!" Nami shouted not having the patience to deal with the sniper's skittish manners.

"Sorry!" Usopp squeaked and attempted to approach her more normally. "I just thought you might still be pissed from earlier."

Tapping her foot impatiently Nami crossed her arms and said, "I might be if you don't get to the point!"

Another squeak and the man said, "Right!" After composing himself he added, "I just wanted to let you know I finished the improvements you asked me to do." He then handed a bundle to Nami.

Feeling the familiar weight in her hands, all traces of annoyance fell from Nami's face and she threw her arms around the younger man in an elaborate display of gratitude. "Oh! Thank you, Usopp! I'm sure it's perfect! And you did it so quickly too!"

Usopp, who was being bounced around in Nami's arms, attempted to make sense of the situation. It seemed so normal for Nami to hug him thus as she had always treated him like a brother of sorts, but now he knew it was not to be expected. After returning the hug for a moment, he pulled back and gently grasped the woman's upper arms. He looked into her shining amber eyes and saw not one trace of the darkness that had clouded her features in the more recent past. Naturally, the pain was still there, but it was now buried far beneath the surface. A wide grin spread on Usopp's face, a reflection of his friend's features. "You're really okay, aren't you Nami?"

Nami herself hadn't realized quite how well she was doing until Usopp pointed it out and she suddenly saw that her reaction was indeed exactly how she would have responded before all the mess with Doflamingo started. Somewhere along the line, this new Nami had merged with her old self so that there was no longer a dissonance between her and her past. Everything that had happened had been accepted and she no longer felt torn between the girl she used to be and the girl she had become. Her grin widened as she replied, "Yes. I really am."

Usopp pulled her into a hug this time before letting her go and scurrying off to go prepare to disembark. Nami wandered over to the railing with a whimsical smile as she opened her bundle and stroked her fingers over the cool, smooth, blue surface. After a while Nami put the package away in her room and was met by a pair of strong arms encircling her waist.

"I convinced the cook to go ashore with the others, so we have the Sunny to ourselves for the afternoon," Zoro said behind her as he lifted her hair aside and kissed her shoulder and neck.

"Mmm," Nami giggled leaning into his tender embrace. "How will we pass the time?"

With his mouth gently sucking on her neck and his hands already under her shirt firmly gripping her breasts, he chuckled and pushed his erection against her. Pinching her sensitive nipples he quipped, "I'm sure we'll think of some thing. Their clothes were shed quickly both looking forward to a day alone to enjoy each other.

The island turned out to be quite sparsely populated, so when Luffy returned that evening bearing a treasure map, Nami immediately made plans to go searching in the morning.

Zoro and Sanji both volunteered quickly for the party and Robin muttered something about wanting to look into some artifacts that appeared out that way. A moment later, Franky said he might as well join them while Luffy , Usopp and Chopper said that they had other plans on the island the next day. Brook, being the odd man out, would take a guard shift.

So the next morning, Nami was ready for her own adventure! Even the fact that this venture was pre-approved as a safe trip, the idea of stretching her legs off the ship was so appealing. In a good mood that morning, she dressed in a pair of denim black shorts with a fitted orange tank and matching heeled sandals.

"You seem perky this morning," Zoro commented as he fastened his coat over his haramaki.

"Yes!" Nami admitted swirling about in a circle. "Just think of all that treasure we are going to find!"

With a derisive snort, the swordsman chuckled, "Good to know some things will never change."

Sashaying up to her lover, Nami snaked two arms around the man's neck and teasingly pressed her breast against his chest. "Just like you'll always get excited when there is someone strong to slice up."

His arms were suddenly around her lifting her so that her legs automatically wrapped around his waist and he backed her up so she was leaning against the wall. "Just like how I'll always get excited when you're pressed up against me?" Then to emphasize the point, her buried his face in her neck and ground his hips against her making the woman moan with need.

"No," Nami answered playfully, "that last one is new." After another few minutes of feeling his hardness pressed up against her sex, she asked, "How long do we have before we need to meet the others?"

"About twenty-five minutes," her lover informed as he moved his mouth from her neck down to her breast.

"Right." Nami's slender fingers slid encouragingly into his hair ruffling the long green spikes. "That gives us, what twenty minutes? We'll have to make this quick."

Zoro laughed against the soft skin of her pale breasts as he set her down only long enough to undo the fastening on her denim shorts.

Twenty-seven minutes later, Zoro and Nami rushed out onto the deck tugging their clothing straight as they went. "Ow! Swords-Bro!" Franky shouted at the pair, "You guys took long enough!"

Nami's face took on an adorable pout almost immediately and her hand went straight to her belly. "I'm sorry, it was my fault. I was having some slight cramping and needed to drink some more water before we could leave. Zoro was just looking after me."

As she blinked her large doe eyes, Sanji kicked Franky's cyan head, "Shitty Cyborg! Be more considerate of Nami-san's delicate condition!"

While the men were otherwise distracted, Robin walked behind Nami chuckling softly. "They'll be less inclined to believe you if they notice your shirt is on inside out."

Nami's cheeks colored slightly as she hid herself behind Zoro and pulled her shirt over her head and then back on the correct way. With the minor adjustment, Robin winked at the younger girl causing Nami to blush even harder.

"Alright," Nami said smacking both Sanji and Franky on the heads simultaneously and thereby ending their argument. "Are we going to find some treasure or what?"

The treasure hunting party walked on a good long way toward the center of the island and Zoro only managed to get separated from the group and lost twice. Kicking the swordsman in the head, Sanji shouted, "How the hell do you keep getting lost when you can't even move five steps away from Nami?"

Knocking the cook back with the butt of his sword, Zoro shrugged as they continued to climb up a rocky path.

"Nami-swan, this path is pretty steep!" Sanji shouted, "Your condition is still so delicate! Do you need to be carried? Some of us are gentlemen and are more than willing to offer!"

While Zoro thumped the cook in the back of the head, Nami gritted her teeth and said, "No. Really, I'm fine!" Following her map, she continued to lead the way to the treasure. "Just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean I'm an invalid!"

Smirking, Zoro nodded at the chastised cook. Firstly, if Nami did need to be carried, he would be the one doing the carrying, and secondly, Zoro knew Nami well enough to know that she wouldn't let something as normal as pregnancy stand in the way of her quest for treasure. She'd get her gold and she'd get there on her own two feet.

The men knew better to argue with her tone so they followed behind she and Robin silently. Their venture would take most of the way as they needed to go inland, which involved a good deal of upward climbing and then they would have to navigate a cave in a mountainside. It would be a trying journey, but Nami felt like she could use some excitement these days.

On a less difficult path, heading in the opposite direction, Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were hopping over logs and ducking under branches. "I still feel a little bad about what we did!" the reindeer lamented. "Just because Nami can't go to a hot springs, doesn't me we should have kept it a secret."

"Nonsense!" Usopp declared, putting an arm around Chopper's tiny shoulders. "Remember what happened a couple months ago when you told Nami she couldn't take a hot bath anymore?"

It took Chopper a few minutes to remember as he tapped his hoof lightly against his furry lip. Then the incident came back to him and he shouted, "Yes! Nami broke the hot water valve and said, 'if I can't get a hot bath no one can!' Oh!" he exclaimed as the realization suddenly hit him, "So you mean, if we told Nami she may have said we couldn't go because she can't?"

"Exactly!" nodded Usopp. "Every time you feel guilty, think of those three weeks of cold showers before Franky was able to purchase the replacement valve!"

"It was really terrible!" Luffy put in shuddering at the memory.

"Ha!" Usopp laughed, "You didn't even take a shower the whole time! What do you know of it?"

"Shi shi shi!" Laughed Luffy. "But Nami and Robin said I smelled too much so they dumped the ice water on my head before Sanji would let me in to eat breakfast!" Pouting now, Luffy pushed a branch out of his way, but accidentally let it go before Usopp passed so that the latter caught the branch full in the face.

The three pirates prodded along down the path that would lead to the hot springs when Luffy suddenly shouted, "Hey look! Another ship!"

Both Chopper and Usopp thought another pirate ship was something to be wary about, but Luffy picked up his pace interested in meeting the other guys who landed here.

"Do you know that flag?" Chopper asked the sniper.

Usopp shook his head. "I wish Nami or Robin were here. They know all those Jolly Rogers!"

The three pirates headed off toward the direction of the ship that was anchored off the shore just a bit away from the hot springs. They didn't need to make it all the way to the ship since the pirates had begun exploring and were already making use of the spring. Running right over, Luffy splashed into the water stripping on the way. "Hey!" he shouted.

Usopp approached laughing apologetically. "Sorry, he's just a bit excited."

There was a large fat man inside the springs with a dour face and a surly expression. With a heave of his great chest he sighed and huffed, "Indeed."

"Well," Chopper said shimmying out of his shorts and into the water, "You know what they say. The more the merrier."

Even though the water was only waist deep and they were sitting, Usopp insisted that his two friends wear their water wings. You really couldn't be too careful with devil fruit users after all.

The fat man simply raised one inquisitive brow as the three pirates has stripped and slid into the spring across from him. Not one of the Straw Hats even noticed that the Fat Man's crew didn't even enter the water while he was in there. One of the members of the other crew approached their captain holding a paper whilst the Straw Hats were busy splashing each other in the warm waist high water.

"Captain Beauregard!" the man said in an undertone, "Look at this wanted poster! That kid is Straw Hat Luffy. The one who caused all the trouble in Marineford a few years ago! His bounty is really high, I don't think you should make too many waves, Sir!"

The large, stout man tapped his fat sausage-like fingers against the jeweled top of his cane that rested in front of him in the water. As his fingers drummed, there were several loud clinks from the man's many rings. "Listen here, Folan," he said to his crewmember, "These small-time pirates only get big bounties because they have to go through so much to get here. They have to get from their home-ocean to the Grand Line, then cross it and get to the New World. Naturally they attract attention doing so, everyone knows the marines have a stronger hold on those old-world seas anyhow. Attention is not the same thing as power. Those small-town pirates can't hold up a candle to a New World Man like me. But still, a pirate with such a bounty is probably hiding a good deal of treasure on his ship. Once we find out where it is, it will be ours for the taking. Prepare a troop of fighting men. Don't let these kids see you. Easier to take what's theirs when they aren't there to defend it."

Captain Beauregard flexed his meaty fingers and ordered a different man to light him up a cigar as the first man ran off to round up some minions. When he spoke again it was loud enough for the Straw Hats to hear. "Nice day for a dip, I'll tell you what. Never a more splendid time to let one's bones relax than after a long journey. Did you boys just get here as well?"

The three Straw Hats turned and looked at the wide man wondering why he spoke so formally. Wasn't he a pirate? While Luffy released his hold on Chopper's neck, Usopp pulled his arm back from where it's just landed against Luffy's skull. Suddenly their horseplay seemed completely unwelcome. With a laugh, Luffy straightened up, scratched his head and answered, "Nah! We got here yesterday. Took our first day exploring. That's how we found this hot springs! And the treasure map too! Which was a good thing because Nami would have never let us come if she didn't have the treasure to distract her."

"That's right!" Chopper added with a glance in the direction they'd come. "If Nami wasn't off hunting treasure we'd probably be stuck waiting at the boat until the island logged!"

"Gah re hee hee hee hee!" laughed the rotund captain. "So you snuck away. How clever!" All three younger men beamed up at the other Captain proud of their deceit. "Still, I've never heard of a treasure on this island."

It was the only prompt Usopp needed to stand and begin giving a dramatic flair to the map they'd only just found. "You've never heard of the legendary treasure of Captain Sheepbeard? Why all pirates know the tale in these parts! He ran aground here after a terrible storm and yet somehow managed to salvage most of his ship's precious gold and jewels! But with no ship all he could do to leave was string together a raft, so he buried the treasure at the center of the island hoping to re-build his crew and one day return. But everyone knows no one can sail these waters in a mere raft! Sheepbeard left this island and was never heard of again! Some say he drowned. Others say he met his end in a Sea King's belly. Me? I think lived, but with no proper navigation system all he could do on his raft was wait to get to the next island. His makeshift craft was tossed about on the waves for months until he crashed onto some island. But by the time he got there, he was driven mad by the hopeless listlessness of his own journey! Now, they say his treasure is cursed! Anyone who takes it might face the same fate! Will they drown? Be eaten alive? Or be driven mad by the very treasure itself? Only the most fearless warriors of pirates would brave that treasure!"

As Usopp carried on and on about the treasure, Chopper and Luffy watched with rapt attention and didn't even notice Captain Beauregard signaling to his first mate Folan to take two teams one to the center of the island where the pirates were treasure hunting and one group to the east where the Straw Hat's ship should be easy prey.

"Now forgive me for interrupting, boys," the portly captain said as he turned his chin along with the many rolls of his neck back toward the three young men, "but I couldn't help notice that wide brimmed straw hat on your head. You wouldn't happen to be the famous pirate Straw Hat Luffy would you?"

"Oh?" Luffy said with wide eyes, "You know me?"

Laughing again, the Captain said, "Now you boys must regale us with the tales of your journey. We are all too excited for such famous company! You must have some stories to tell!"

Scratching his head under his hat, Luffy shrugged. "Sure I guess. But telling stories always makes me hungry! You got any meat?"

"Have we got meat? Of course we have! Cookie! Get these boys some meat!" the man shouted hoping to distract these three for a good long while.

"Alright!" the Straw Hats shouted as the drool hung from their eager lips in anticipation of their next meal.

By the time Beauregard's crew caught up with Nami and the others, the Straw Hats were on their way back to the ship. The treasure haul had been just as promising as Nami hoped. There were five large sacks of treasure split between the three men. With their arms so full, the men could scarcely see where they were going, so they plodded along behind Nami and Robin trying not to bump into things. They had made it half way back to the ship with no incident, so the group as a whole was feeling quite confident.

That is why Franky didn't expect Robin to stop short in front of him and he practically collided with her. He was only just able to stop in time, but Zoro and Sanji weren't so fortunate and crashed right into the cyborg's back. "We've got trouble," Franky informed as he moved his treasure sack out of the way to get a better view.

The words prodded Zoro and Sanji into immediate action. Two sack's s of treasure went crashing to the floor while the metal of Zoro's swords sang as they cut the air ready to meet their next target. Sanji had kicked away both his treasure sacks as his leg began to burn with his fury for an opponent who would attack the women up front.

Suddenly a sweet voice cut through the men's anger. "What are you two doing? There's no one left to fight."

Looking around Franky's large form, both Zoro and Sanji were able to see eight men all laying on the ground, contorted and twitching, while their skin and clothing were all singed. There was not one man still able to fight. And right in front of the eight incapacitated men, Nami stood grinning back at them with her Clima Tact slung easily over her shoulder and her prominent belly shaking with laughter. Robin's smile was sly and there was a playful look in her eyes- her arms were still crossed in front of her chest. It had only taken the men a second or two to free their arms and ready their weapons, but the girls hardly needed any time at all to deal with the intruders.

Nami laughed and said, "Relax! We've got this!" Then after a moment, her eyebrows lowered and she growled, "More importantly... why did you drop MY TREASURE?"

As Zoro and Sanji put away their weapons and set about gathering the treasure, they were both lost to their own thoughts. Zoro was attempting to hide his smirk. As far as he was concerned it was good to see Nami kicking someone's ass again. Sanji, on the other hand, truly lamented the fact that he didn't get to play the hero. "Nami-swan! Robin-chwan!" the man crooned, "Are you all right? Do you need me to tend to any injuries, or carry you away from this rubble?"

With a soft chuckle Robin declined. "No thank you, Cook-san."

Coming up behind Sanji, the swordsman dumped two sacks of treasure into the thin man's arms. Caching the sacks with an 'oof,' Sanji turned to look at the cyborg standing next to him. He was the only man among them who didn't drop his treasure and rush to the ladies' defense. "Hey, Cyborg! What gives? Weren't you gonna help us defend the girls?"

Giving a hearty laugh, Franky shook his cyan head. "Never underestimate a woman! Especially ones as SUPER as those two!"

The group laughed as they carried on toward the ship, enemy pirates long since forgotten. When they reached the Sunny, it was to find Brook sipping tea casually on the deck with no less than fourteen unconscious men laying at his feet. "Ah!" he said in greeting as he spotted his nakama coming up the gangway. "What great timing! I just finished dispatching with these ruffians and was about to haul them off the ship."

As they carried the men off the ship, Brook told them how these pirates came up suddenly a short while ago and said they were taking over the ship. But they became confused once Brook played a melody on his violin and he was able to take them out in a few swings. The other crew seemed easy enough to dispose of, but with the treasure collected and the island explored, there was really no other reason to stay. When Luffy, Usopp and Chopper returned some time later- looking surprisingly refreshed and not noticing the injured bodies they stepped over to get to the ship- the Straw Hat Pirates decided it was time to leave.

At some point the men from the other crew must have come to and hurried back to their Captain because when the Thousand Sunny pulled away from the shore later that afternoon, they were nowhere in sight. When the Sunny rounded the island and passed by a large bear-like ship, several cannon balls came flying straight at them.

"Hey look!" Luffy shouted as he waved wildly! "Captain Bo decided to see us off!" Even as he said it, he inflated to the size of a balloon to deflect the cannonball back where it came from. "Isn't that so nice? Bye, Captain Bo!"

Usopp and Chopper also waved bye to the bear-ship while Zoro sliced and Sanji kicked away the rest of the cannonballs.

"Luffy!" Zoro shouted when they were finally out of range of the cannon fire.

"Huh?" the captain asked turning to look at his first mate with wide eyes.

Shaking his green head the swordsman said, "You make the weirdest friends!"

There was a general agreement around the ship as everyone nodded and looked to Luffy for an answer.

But all Luffy did was adjust his hat and shrug. "Oh well... let's eat! Sanji! Meat!"

Not one to argue with a direct order from the Captain, Sanji said, "Coming right up!"

Nami took her traditional place on deck shouting directions at Franky who was at the helm. Zoro and Brook retreated to the Crows Nest to train a bit before dinner while Chopper and Usopp wandered into the Usopp Factory. While the men busied themselves about the ship, Robin settled down on deck with a book.

Dinner was a loud event as always, but Nami noticed that one pirate wasn't trying to be louder than all the others in the room. Instead he was looking at her nervously and bouncing anxiously in his seat. "What's wrong Chopper?" Nami asked in a concerned tone.

"Well," Chopper pouted, "I was hoping we'd have better luck on that island. I thought there'd be a hospital or a medic or something! You're already thirty weeks! Things aren't going to be so easy very shortly. What if it takes a while to find the next island? Or what if that island is a wild as this one? We could be sailing when you go into labor!"

Truthfully, Nami had been so focused on the developing relationship between she and Zoro that she hadn't paid much attention to counting the weeks of her pregnancy. Really it seemed repetitive at this stage, but now that Chopper had brought it to her attention, she realized there were only ten weeks left. "I'm sure we'll get to land before the baby comes Chopper. Don't be so worried!"

But Chopper shook his fuzzy little head. "You can't be certain of that! This is too far along to not know where we are headed!"

In a soft voice, Nami tried to placate the little deer, "I know that you're upset because we couldn't find anyone to give us an idea of the length of time it would take us to reach the next island, but we still have plenty of time."

"Besides," Sanji added kindly, "Even if we don't make land before Nami goes into labor, we already have the best doctor around on our ship." Beside the cook, Zoro nodded his agreement to this sentiment.

It took Chopper a few minutes, in which he looked around the room, to realize who they were talking about. "Me?" His little cheeks turned violently pink, "Don't think just because you call me a good doctor I'll be happy! Assholes!"

Everyone smiled at this. Chopper's mind was distracted for a moment, but Luffy, who had only been listening up until now turned to the reindeer with a very serious expression on his face. "Chopper!" the captain called demanding the little doctor's attention. "We will get to land before Nami goes into labor! That is a promise!"

No one question Luffy when he used that tone. If he said it like that, there was no uncertainty left. With a wide grin, Chopper nodded and said, "Right!"

All around the table, the Straw Hats all showed their own consent. Nami reached a hand out to touch Luffy's arm while Zoro and Sanji smiled approvingly. Resting her chin in her long slender palm, Robin gazed affectionately at her captain. Franky and Usopp's endorsement was louder as they both went into a verse about how Luffy was the best Captain accompanied by a dance. After setting his tea cup down Brook sighed and said, "Such conviction fills my eyes with tears! Although, I don't have any eyes! Yo ho ho ho!"

Because Luffy said they would get to land before they needed to worry about Nami's baby, it was so. The crew accepted his words as absolute truth. And it was with an easier mind that everyone went to sleep that night.

Author's note: Oh! So sorry that took SO LONG! With the holidays and birthdays I've been swamped not to mention the fact that I had to plan a party that is happening tomorrow. AND to top it off, we all got sick! _ So the next chapter should be out much faster than this one was! Kinda a mellow/happy chapter, but there are big things coming in the future!

Thank you for reading! Please review!