Chapter 5: Special Nakama

'Shiki...' I thought to myself. 'Didn't that stereotypical mexican Largo say something about joining a division back in Little East Blue?' I tried thinking back further but just ended up confusing myself more. 'Maybe I'm overthinking it...'

I steadily plodded along behind Luffy, still carrying Florina on my back. He seemed to be happily humming a song to himself while grinning like the idiot he is.

"Hey Luffy!" I called. "You ok?"

"Yep!" he replied. "Just a bit hungry."

"Nani!? But you just ate giant land squid tentacles!"

"But I'm still hungryyyy..." he whined.

I sighed to myself, how did this moron become my friend and captain?

Oh yeah, that's how.

Flashback

I still couldn't believe he did it. That straw-hatted guy had managed to beat Buggy and save my hometown. Easily! I had to admit, I was very impressed.

But of course there's a catch, he was pestering me to join his now three membered crew, saying it was because of my 'mystery power thing'.

"Join my crew!" Luffy yelled.

"Why should I?" I replied. "I was planning to sail solo."

"That's really cool, but why not come with me?"

I sweat-dropped, was he listening to a single word I said? "Listen, I appreciate the offer, but I have my own dreams to fufill."

He tilted his head at me. "Really?"

"Yeah. I wanna become the worlds greatest Rokushiki master!"

"You mean that mystery power thing?"

I once again sweat-dropped. "Sure, why not. But...there's a different reason I wanna be a pirate, have you ever heard of the Blue Scarf Pirates?"

"Nope!" he bluntly proclaimed with a toothy smile.

"Well I became friends with the captain a few years ago. Back then I thought all pirates were evil, but this guy..." I smiled. "This guy was the nicest old man I ever met. His name was Marcus and he was retired by the time I met him, he always told me stories of him and his crew's adventures in the Grand Line-"

"Sugoiii! He went to the Grand Line!?" Luffy yelled with sparkles in his eyes.

"That's right." I laughed. " He was the best friend I ever had, and he only had one regret in his life, do you know what it was?" Luffy shook his head like a little kid. That he didn't see the One Piece with his own eyes." I immediantely crossed my arms and frowned. "And when those Buggy Pirates came along he stood up for us! They killed him for that! Protecting the only place he could settle down in! I was going to stop them but my own mentor held me back! Because he was an ex-pirate!"

I sighed. "So...I wanna see the One Piece, even if it's just so I can look at it and not touch it. To make sure that if there is a place we go to after...you know...I can tell him. Do you see now? I have to fulfill two dreams, by myself."

Luffy's hat seemed to be covering his eyes when he next spoke. "You have a dream of your own, and you wanna help this old guy..." For once he actually seemed deadly serious. "But that doesn't mean you have to find your dreams on your own. Guess that's your choice." He then stood up. "Ok then! See ya!" And started walking off.

I just stood there for a second, contemplating the actually smart words he just spoke before calling to him. "Listen Luffy, if you really want me to join your crew then-"

"Yay!" He cried wrapping his rubbery arm around me. "Skinny's our new nakama!"

"My name's not Skinny!" I yelled at him with shark teeth. "It's Ellix! Wodos T. Ellix!"

"That's too long." he whined. "I'll just call you Ellix."

"That's what everyone calls me." I replied sweat-dropping.

We started to walk to the port when he turned to me. "Hey, don't you have another old guy friend? Don't you wanna say goodbye?"

I just shrugged my shoulders. "Nah, he's not a huge fan of pirates."

As Luffy continued walking I turned around to face the man who had trained me for the last 11 years standing on top of a building. Still wearing his tattered Marine vice-admiral coat. "See you again Oren!" I yelled.

"You filthy pirate!" He shouted with tears streaming down his face. "Go make your dreams come true!"

And with that I turned and ran after Luffy.

Flashback End

So yeah, Luffy came through for you when it really mattered.

We continued walking on until I heard a little voice come from behind my back. "Mr Ellix..." Florina squeaked.

"What is it Florina?" I asked. In reply she used her good arm to point ahead of us, I followed the line of the finger until my eyes rested on a large creature blocking our path.

The worlds fattest lion.

I immediately stopped and started to walk as quietly as I could around it. "Luffy!" I hissed. "Be very quiet! We don't want this thing-"

"HEY FATTY! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Luffy screamed. Florina and me then watched in amazement and horror respectively as he stretched his arm back before slamming his fist into it's face. "Gum Gum Pistol!"

The lion woke up instantly with pure rage flashing in it's eyes. As it roared we started running. "You baka!" I roared myself. "What the heck did you do that for!?".

"It was in the way." he replied innocently.

"So you PUNCHED IT!? How would you feel if I came and punched YOU when you were sleeping!?"

He pondered this for a moment before replying. "I'd feel you'd be like Nami."

"That's not right!"

"Mr Luffy! You really can stretch!" Florina yelled grabbing Luffy's cheek and stretching it. "Your so cool!"

He then began blubbering like a baby with sparkles in his eyes. "Flori called me cool!"

"You two are far too calm!" I yelled as the monstrous fuzz ball almost made me it's breakfast.

We had just happened to run into a giant scorpion nest. "Luffy! Whatever you do don't-"

He stomped on three of them.

We now had a four-creature mob chasing us.

"YOU UTTER BAKA!"

xxxSTRONGxWORLDxxx

I don't know how long we ran for, but I was exhausted, and that obese lion and scorpion trio were STILL after us!

"Ellix! Ellix! It's Sunny!" Luffy cried happily.

I faced forward and saw he was right! There was Sunny, stuck in the groung but there none the less.

"Sunny!" I called to our ship.

"Mr Ellix! Mr Luffy! That's your ship? It's so pretty!" Florina yelled.

"Luffy! We can't lead these things to Sunny!"

"Ok! Umm..." he seemed to be thinking when I heard a familiar voice.

"Ellix! Luffy!"

I stopped as soon as I heard it, making sure I wasn't imagining it, I turned to the supposed source. The first thing I saw was what looked like a giant duck crossed with a peacock. But then she was there. Wearing a two piece bikini and waving over at us. The most important person to me.

"Nami!"

Flashback

I just stood there, to be honest, I didn't know what to do. She was wrapping bandages around her now wounded shoulder, still crying from Luffy's earlier statement. I slowly started walking until I felt a hand grasp my arm. I turned to the owner to see her looking at me with a mix of anger and sadness, tears streaming down her face.

"Your all bakas." She sobbed. "Your all gonna die against them for me, and it's all my fault, none of you can win...and I'll lose you too. Stupid, stupid baka." she directed at herself.

My heart was breaking just looking at her, wounded, crying and hating herself, no-one should ever feel like that. I knelt down and placed my hands on her shoulders. "Nami...look at me." I said in a soft voice. She turned her head away to avoid eye-contact. "Please, look at me."

She slowly turned her head to face me. "We will not die. Until Arlong Park is finished, none of us will stop fighting until we win! But you have to believe in us! Do you believe in us?"

She looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "I-I believe in you." she whispered.

I smirked, that was all I needed to hear. I stood up and turned around. "ARLONG!" I yelled. "WE'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" and I dashed off using Soru.

xxxStrongxWorldxxx

Finally I reached the top of the mountain, holding Nami as tightly as I could against the wind and snow with a giant ominous castle standing before me.

"I made it..." I gasped. I looked back over the edge, 'But Luffy...' I mentally punched myself. 'No, Luffy will be fine, he always is. I have to find a doctor.'

I went to take a step but instead fell face-first into the snow, slinging Nami over my back so I didn't squash her. "What!?" I yelled into the wind looking back at my legs. They were completely exhausted from my over-usage of Geppo, and had become numb from the cold.

"Damn it!" I cursed. Trying to punch some life back into them, but to no avail. Instead I kept Nami slung over my shoulder with one arm, while using my other arm to slowly drag my way through the snow. It felt like eternity until I reached the huge double doors.

I leaned Nami against them and proceded to bang against the door, or at least attempt to. "Hey!" I called in a hoarse whisper. "My nakama is sick! She needs help! Anyone!?" No reply. I leaned against the blockade between me and my goal, my body numbing from the cold.

I looked over at Nami and raised my hand to her forehead, instantly pulling away, it was red hot to the touch. With shaking arms I took off my large black coat and wrapped it around her, shivering from my loss of protection.

"N-Nami?" I asked. "C-Can you h-hear m-me?" she still sat there, not moving an inch. "I-I'm s-s-so sorry, I tried m-my best. B-But I'm not Luffy." I then did the only thing I could do, I pulled her close to me and wrapped her in my arms. "Don't w-worry, you're g-gonna be okay.

I could see black spots dancing at the edge of my vision. "You're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay." the darkness around my eyes was slowly closing in. "You're gonna...be...o...kay..."

As I felt myself fall unconcious I heard the large doors swing open.

And I swear I saw Nami smile.

xxxStrongxWorldxxx

I was sitting on the edge of Water 7 after our huge fight with CP9, still covered in a few bandages. I was wearing a dark green shirt with the Galley-La company logo printed in white on the front, along with some red shorts.

"Ellix?" I turned to the owner of the voice to reveal that it was Nami. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh nothing." I replied half-heartedly. "Just thinking."

"Mind if I join you?"

I looked at her for a second and smiled. "Sure!" She sat down next to me, like me, she was wearing a Galley-La shirt, except this one was yellow and the logo was orange. We sat in silence for a minute until Nami spoke up.

"Ellix...back at Enies Lobby...what Devil Fruit did you eat before you turned into...that?" she whispered.

"I ate the Dream-Dream Fruit."

She frowned at me. "Dream-Dream Fruit? So it's not a Zoan then."

I frowned myself. "No...it's a Paramecia, I don't know what happened back there, but I just felt really...dark. If you get what I mean."

"I think so." she replied.

I then gave a long loud yawn. Nami glared at me. "Sorry, am I boring you?"

"No no no! It's not that!" I replied frantically. "I think it's an after-affect of the Dream-Dream Fruit, I feel really sleepy all of the time and I have a craving for cheese."

"I guess that makes sense." she said resting her head in her hands. "If it is called the Dream-Dream Fruit it requires you to be asleep."

"That's right! Doririririri!" I clamped my hand over my mouth and Nami burst out laughing. "And that's another side affect. Luckily it doesn't happen all the time. Hahaha." The last part was to prove my point.

Nami sat up after her laughing fit. "So, any other side affects?"

"Well ever since Enies Lobby I've been having dreams every night."

"Really? What sort of dreams?"

I blushed. "Oh nothing."

"What are you hiding? You can tell me." she said in a sing-song voice. "Unless it's naughty."

My face heated up even more. "No! Nothing like that!" I sighed. "I've been dreaming...about...you."

Nami seemed taken aback by my answer. "I'm sorry, me?"

"Yeah" I said having a new-found interest in my own feet. "And not like that! Just, every time your there, your always happy and smiling and...that makes me happy too." I couldn't hear a reply. I started looking down at the water, since I couldn't swim anymore I guess I could just save myself the embarrassment.

I flinched at the touch of a hand to my face, and was forced to turn to her to see her...smiling? "That's pretty sweet of you, but I am gonna have to charge you for dreaming about me, you now owe me 5,000,000 berri."

"N-Naniiii!?" I yelled. "That much!?"

"Wellllll..." she sang with a smirk. "I could drop it all, if you do one little thing."

"Anything!"

"Tell me what I want to hear."

I crossed my arms. 'Tell her what she wants to hear? What does that mean?' Realization dawned on me and I just stared at her.

"Well? Do you want your debt dropped or not?"

I swallowed the multiple lumps forming in my throat. "N-Nami." I stuttered. "I-I...I...I..."

"Yes?"

I murmured under my breath.

"Can you repeat that? I couldn't hear you."

I murmured again, louder this time.

"Once more?"

"Nami I love you!" I blurted out without thinking.

I wanted the ground to swallow me up as my face turned as ripe as a tomatoe and I started sweating nervously.

But she just smiled at me, making me as happy as I could be. "Right answer."

She then placed her hands either side of my face and kissed me. On the lips. Everything else just became meaningless in that kiss, the only thing that mattered was the woman in front of me.

When she pulled away she simply smirked at me and said: "When I think about it...I guess I love you too."

Flashback End

So now me, my captain and my girlfriend were running away. "You bakas!" the red-head yelled. "Why'd you bring them over here!?"

I pointed an accusing finger at Luffy. "It's all his fault!"

"Nani!? Traitor!"

"Miss Nami is very scary..."

"Ellix! Who the hell is that!? Don't tell me you-"

"No! I would never! This is Florina! I'm helping her get home!"

It was at that point when we heard lots of zapping sounds coming behind us. We turned to see the duck/peacock standing triumphantly on top of an electrocuted lion and three fried scorpions. Luffy went into sparkle mode. "Sugoiii!"

"Phew, that was close." I said, letting Florina off. I then turned to Nami, panting and out of breath. "Sorry for not saving you." I mumbled sheepishly.

She just smiled and ran into my arms. "Silly baka." she whispered.

xxxStrongxWorldxxx

Luffy, Florina and I were sitting around a campfire eating roasted scorpion (it's a lot less weird then it sounds) with our giant duck saviour. Nami had got some clothes from Sunny and was changing behind a large boulder. "Where are the others?" she called out from behind her temporary changing room.

"We haven't found them yet." Luffy replied with a mouthful of scorpion meat. "Your the second person I've found!"

I sweat-dropped. "I found you Luffy..."

"Anyway-" he continued. "-you should try some of this scorpion! It's really good!"

I turned around to face her and spat out my mouthful of scorpion in Luffy's face. Our ginger navigator was weariing a pair of VERY short shorts, a colourful top and had her hair done up into two small pigtails at the back of her head. I just continued to gawp.

"Hey Ellix!" Luffy cried. "What's the matter? Don't like your scorpion? Can I-"

I slapped his stretching hand away from my food. "You have your own." I told him.

He put on his pouty face. "Meanie. Well Billy likes it, don't you Billy?" Luffy turned to the duck who quacked in reply.

"Billy?" Nami asked.

"Yeah! I called him that cause he feels all tingly!" he then pinched Billy's cheek, giving him a shock in return, which Luffy just laughed off.

"Oh right." she said. "Since your rubber electricity doesn't hurt you." She then came and sat beside me. "And what have you been doing?"

I just shrugged. "Surviving, trying to find you and everyone else, the usual. Oh! And of course finding Florina's home!" I added, pointing to said girl.

Florina looked at us for a second, then looked over at my captain. "Mr Luffy? Do Mr Ellix and Miss Nami like each other?"

He grinned at her. "Yeah Flori! Ellix and Nami are special nakama!"

"That's what you call us anyway." Nami said politely turning down some scorpion.

Florina then turned on Nami with her huge grin. "So are you called Wodos T. Nami Mrs Nami?"

The red-head smiled. "Not exactly Florina, but we do love each other."

She just smiled again. "Okay! Mrs Nami!"

I just smiled myself, I would do anything for Nami, especially if someone messed with her.

Flashback

Me and Lola burst through the floor onto a very surprised Absalom and zombie priest. "Damn you Namizo!" Lola roared.

"I'm back circus freak!" I yelled. "Where's Nami!?"

"You again!?" The man yelled. "And Lola as well!?"

We literally crashed into the floor, glaring at the eater of the Clear-Clear Fruit. During our journey on Thriller Bark I wore black slacks with a flame design from the ankles up to my knees, my shirt was purple with red chain designs, and I also had a painting of a black and white skull on the back of my right fist.

"Ellix!? Lola!?"

I turned to the owner of the voice and gasped. I know I had seen her after breaking in with Sanji, but I still couldn't get over how beautiful she looked in her white dress and veil, and this time she was awake! "A goddess!?" I blurted out. "Oh wait! No... your definitely human Nami, as close as you can get though." I ran up to her, fighting back the urge to burst into tears and say she deserved so much better then me.

"You and Lola really came after me!?" Nami proclaimed.

"Of course!" I looked at Absalom with pure hatred. "No way was I gonna let you marry THAT."

"Namizo!" Lola yelled at us. "How dare you take Absalom away from me!"

"W-Wait Lola! I didn't agree to it!"

"NO WAY DID SHE AGREE TO IT! THAT DAMN MUTANT FORCED HER TO!" I shouted.

"Lola." Absalom growled. "That woman is my future wife, step aside."

"SHE IS NOT! YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER PERVERT!"

"Absalom! Ellix! You must know the truth!" Lola yelled, pointing a sword at Nami. "That is Namizo! And she is actually a man!"

"NANIIIIII!?" Me and Absolom screamed together.

"N-Nami isn't a man Lola! I know for a fact!" I proclaimed remembering 'Happiness Punch'.

"And I peeped at her in the bath!"

"SHUT UP!" I roared attempting to punch him while being held back by Nami.

Lola then started an onslaught on the both of us. "I'll make you pay Namizo!" we rapidly ran backwards to avoid the blades.

"Lola!" Absalom said. "That's my future wife your attacking!"

"IT IS NOT!"

"Ellix!" Nami whispered. "The attacks are deliberately missing us."

"What?" I studied the swords movements closely and discovered that Nami was right.

"It's okay Namizo, Ellix." she told us in a hushed tone. "You must go and be happy together."

"Wow." I started. "Thanks Lol-Hey wait! I don't swing that way! Nami isn't a man!"

"Run now you two!" she yelled as she leaped towards Absalom. "Marry me Absalom!"

"No way!" he replied.

Nami grabbed my hand and started running. "Come on you baka!"

"My bride is escaping with that straw hat crew member!" I heard a certain freak yell. A loud bang was then heard and we turned to see Lola passed out, smoke coming off of her.

"Lola!" We yelled together.

Absalom stood there panting. "How dare you make me waste an attack on such a weak zombie." he sneered.

I was about to smash his face in using Soru when Nami grabbed my wrist. She was clutching her Clima-tact in her other hand. I stopped and walked over to the side, simply watching as the red head slowly walked over to Absalom, half of her weapon detached and spinning while charging up electricity.

"So..." Absalom panted. "You've finally given up huh?" He then turned to me. "And you as well? Excellent." Nami was almost in front of him, the Clima-tact sparking with electrical energy. "Let's finish our wedding shall we?"

She then brought the spinning rod down onto his unsuspecting skull, his whole body lighting up yellow. "Swing Arm!" she yelled. Absalom then stood there, frozen. "I know that didn't work the last time, but I had to do something!" it was then that he collapsed backwards. We stared at him for a minute before Nami cheered. "Alright! It worked!"

We suddenly heard shallow breathing from a certain zombie. "Lola!" Nami cried. We both rushed over to the wounded warthog. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Namizo, I am just glad you are safe."

"Lola, there's something you should know, I really am a woman!"

She chuckled. "You baka, I already knew that." she then turned to me. "Ellix, you must take care of Namizo, do you promise?"

I nodded with tears in my eyes. "Of course! I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have her!"

The zombie smiled. "Good. Now get going, your nakama are battling Oars as we speak." and with that she passed out.

We regrettably left her and ran down the long dark hallway. "Thanks for coming to save me." Nami said while running.

"I would never let a guy like Absalom take you away!" I then started crying again. "Your too beautiful to be with me! You should find someone else!"

"What are you talking about you baka!? You sound like Sanji!" she yelled.

"Yeah, I've been around him too long." I said, switching to a deadpan tone, I smiled at her. "But you really do look beautiful."

She blushed slightly. "You sweet baka. This isn't the time for that! Let's get to Sunny and see if it's okay!"

"Right!" I agreed as we exited the castle. We suddenly heard another loud bang, we both turned to see Oars stuck in the ground, legs flailing in the air and his loincloth falling below his-

"WE SAW NOTHING!" The two of us yelled in unison before dashing off as fast as possible.

Flashback End

I started crying again. "I'm too damn lucky to have her! It must be a crime or something!"

"Ellix is acting weird again!" Luffy called as if telling a teacher.

"People who like each other are so weird, right Mr Luffy?" Florina spoke up.

He nodded with a child-like understanding. "Special nakama are weird."

Nami glared at the captain then turned on me. "Baka, always degrading yourself, you should have a little more faith, I don't mind being with you."

I slightly blushed. I can't say I think of myself as attractive. My dark-brown hair is the same length as Luffy's, though unlike his, which sticks out every way possible, mine is neatly combed. Nami always says she likes my eyes, I just see them as being blue. And yes, I'm skinny, but at least I'm a bit taller then Luffy, AND I don't have any scars. But I'm humble enough to admit that without Rokushiki I would be nowhere near him in terms of physical strength.

Nami suddenly got berri signs in her eyes. "Now if only you were a little more rich." I rolled my own eyes as she abruptly stood up. "Okay, we've wasted enough time here, let's go find everyone else."

Luffy did his trademark grin and stuffed the rest of the scorpion into his bottomless stomach before standing up and thrusting his fists into the air. "Yosh! Let's go find our nakama!"

xxxStrongxWorldxxx

Dori: Dream

Phew! Finally got this chapter done, sorry for the wait.

To TheRealEvanSG thank you for your second review and your constructive criticism, I hope this chapter is a little better.

Thank you for reading! Reviews and questions are much appreciated. One Piece belongs to Eiichira Oda, Ellix, Florina and her family and Silver are all property of me.