Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece
Rating: K
Characters: Nami and Luffy (main); all Straw Hats
Word Count: 297
Prompt: Numbers
Special A/N: This drabble ended up being chosen as the winner for this prompt!
Ten Less, Nine More
"-and seventy Beli, four hundred and eighty Beli, four hundred and… ninety?"
Nami recounted – not that she's ever made a mistake before.
The count was still ten less.
"LUFFY!"
No one knew why, but Luffy had been snatching things. Sanji had a cigarette misplaced. Usopp was looking for a coloring pencil; likewise, Robin's drawing pen was gone. Franky realized one of his screwdrivers had disappeared. Chopper couldn't find a syringe. A page of Brook's music sheets had been taken. And, most mysterious of all, Zoro's earring was missing.
But stealing her money?! She would not stand for that!
It was Sanji who stopped her from killing their captain. "Nami-swan, you might want to see this."
When she spotted the centerpiece on the galley table, she discovered there had been another theft of her bank. They had found the bizarre trinket in a treasure heist from the last island. Robin had enlightened them.
"It's called a menorah, a religious candelabrum. People of this religion have a wintertime holiday that is celebrated for eight days. Each day is commemorated by lighting one candle until all eight are lit."
"But there are nine." Usopp stated. "What does the ninth do?"
Robin pointed to the middle stick, which jutted higher than the others. "The 'ninth' is called a Shamash. It is always lit and it is the candle used to light the rest. And if a candle goes out for any reason, it is there to relight it."
"So, it watches over the rest." Luffy declared, unusually thoughtful.
Using the things he had gathered from them, Luffy had created his own menorah. There was her ten Beli, in the second stick.
But it was the Shamash that left her breathless.
For it held nothing but a single piece of straw.