Welcome to the last chapter of this story. Sorry it took me so long to post. I've been busy with school and I've had other things to deal with. Anyway, this chapter is the last and I want to thank all my reviewers. They've helped me alot and it's cool to know that other people like my work. Well, without further delay, on with the last(very fluffy) chapter or Pirate Queen.
Chapter 25
Vivi threw her bag down. It landed with a dull thud on the bed infront of her. Her bed. Everything was happening so fast. She needed time to catch up.
Nami pushed open the door and walked into the room along with Robin. "Welcome home." Nami said with a smile. "I guess this is your room now."
"Yeah." Vivi replied as she took a seat on the bed beside her bag.
"Hey, cheer up. I know it's hard to leave but believe me, it's better to not try and say goodbye." Nami said as she thought of her own farewell.
"I guess. Nami, do you ever regret coming with him?" Vivi asked.
Nami sat down beside her while Robin went to her old bed and pulled a dusty book off the shelf. "No. I think I would regret it more if I hadn't come. He gave me my freedom and a chance to get my dream. I've seen the world and I met alot of good people. Sure, it's been hard at times, but I will always say it was worth it."
Vivi smiled. "I wish you guys would stay. Then maybe I would understand what I missed and get to make up for it."
Now it was Nami's turn to look away. "The past is past. We have our own responsibilities. It just so happens that Luffy's allows him to be a pirate." With that, she stood up and walked to the door. As she opened it, she said without turning around, "I'll be in the mikan grove if anyone needs me." After that, she slammed the door behind her.
"I guess I hit a nerve." Vivi said.
"That is a sensitive spot to her." Robin replied. "Miss Navigator was the one to suggest we split up. It was shortly after her son's second birthday that she called a meeting of the crew, minus Luffy of course. She said it was time we went our seperate ways because we had people to find and places to go that just couldn't be done when we were all together. had his restuarant and Miss Navigator had a family. Long Nose-kun had some girl to find. Cyborg-san missed his family and his friends in Water 7. Doctor-san needed to travel the world, not just the Grand Line. I myself went with him for awhile. And of course Mr.Swordsman had to find Hawk-Eye Mihawk. We all agreed it was time to go, even if it would be hard. Miss Navigator was the one who told Luffy we were leaving. He later found out it was her who had suggested the leave. I think she still regrets this. If I had a choice, I would stay now. My work is done and I have no one to find. No home to return to. I'll talk to him later." The last part was more to herself then to Vivi and after this, she walked out of the room to go who knows where, leaving Vivi alone.
"So Nami was the one...to break them up." Vivi thought, barely able to grasp the thought. It just didn't seem possible. "I have to do something about this!" she thought. Quickly making up her mind, she slung her bag under her bed to take care of later and then left the room. She found her way to the deck and then to the mikan grove where she found Nami under one of the trees. As she got closer, she saw the rising sun glistening off the tear streaks on Nami's face. "Nami-san?" Vivi said softly.
Nami ran her hand across her face, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying. "What do you want?" she asked coldly, turning her face away from Vivi.
Vivi, not detered by Nami's coldness, sat down beside her and watched the sun rise. After a moment of silence, Vivi spoke. "When I was 14, my father told me something. He told me you can always fix things that are broken. All it takes is a little effort."
"Robin told you, didn't she?" Nami growled, still not making eye contact.
"She might have." Vivi replied.
"Figures." Nami muttered.
"If it bothers you this much, why not just talk them into staying?" Vivi asked.
Nami turned around now. As she spoke, the anger, tears, and hurt shone clear on her face. "You don't know what it's like! To live with this guilt! I hurt him!!! The person who would have died if it meant I would have lived!!! I abandoned him!!!!! I SPLIT UP THE CREW OF THE PIRATE KING!!!!!!!" She buried her face in her hands as the tears streamed down her face.
Vivi patted her on the shoulder. "I understand because I hurt him too. I was the one who turned him into a murderer. But I talked to him and now I'm here to stay. You can do the same thing. Talk to him. Talk to all of them. I think they might agree with you." Vivi said gently remembering what Robin had said.
Nami sniffled a little before finally calming down enough to say, "I guess. It's worth a try, right?"
"Remember what you told me? About how I should have faith in Luffy? Now it's your turn. Have faith in him." Vivi said and then she walked away, leaving Nami to think things through.
As she watched Vivi walk away, Nami brought her knees to her chest, folded her arms over them, and then laid her head on top of her arms. She watched as the sunrise ended and the day began. When she looked to her left, she could see the last remaining sights of Nanohana and the rest of Alabasta. "Maybe Vivi's right. Maybe I should take my own advice and have faith in him. Faith that he will forgive me and that we can start over. But Vivi doesn't know the whole story. Nobody but me or Luffy does. If I could take back that time 6 years ago, I would." she thought. She felt the tears coming. "Stop it! Those days are gone and you'll never get that opportunity back. Besides, there's Sanji and Vivi to think about. Still...I need to talk to him and make things right. For both my mistakes." She stood up and made her way to Sunny's head where she was sure Luffy would be.
The deck was deserted and her footsteps echoed on the wooden planks. "Why does this feel like a death march?" she thought. When she reached the front of the ship, she grabbed onto one of the spines that made up the lion's mane and pulled herself up. She landed on her feet next to a sleeping Luffy. She sat down, unsure of what to do. "He's asleep. I should just leave. No. Wait! I won't get another opportunity like this." Making up her mind, she gently reached over and shook him. "Luffy. Luffy! Wake up!"
"Huh? Oh! Hi Nami!" he said as he slowly sat up and straightened his hat.
"C-C-Can we...you know...talk?" she stuttered.
"Sure. What's wrong?" he asked, finally sensing her discomfort.
She took a deep breath and looked away before speaking. "I want to talk about us. Everything that's happened. From that time 6 years ago to the time until we left. Even these past few weeks. You showing up at Baratie. You saving Alabasta again. You and Vivi. There's too much that's been left unsaid and I want to fix it. Now."
Luffy gave a heavy sigh. "I thought we were past all this Nami." he replied, suddenly more serious. His hat was pulled down, casting a shadow over his face and hiding his features.
Nami finally looked at him, although she could see nothing. "But I never got past what happened and I know you haven't either!!! You may say it's over but it's not!!! We can't just pretend that night never happened!!!" she cried.
He tilted his head up, revealing his face. When he spoke this time, it was softer, yet firm, "Talking won't change anything. It won't change what happened and the way things turned out. You know that right?"
"I know." Nami said softly. It was a truth she didn't want to accept although she knew it was the truth.
"Okay then. Where do you want to start?" he asked firmly, not yielding in his tone.
"From the beginning. The first thing that went wrong." Nami said heavily.
Luffy nodded. "Okay. What about it? We both know what happened."
"Yeah...but..." Nami stammered as she thought back to that night.
6 Years Ago:Night on Thousand Sunny
The moon shown into the crow's nest, giving it an eerie glow. Luffy sat inside, half asleep. He hated being on watch at midnight. Everyone else was asleep and there was nothing to do. Just as his eyes were almost completely shut, a slight rustling from the crow's nest entrance snapped him awake.
"Hello?" he called out.
A second later, a hand appeared and Nami pulled herself into the crow's nest.
"Nami?!" Luffy gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't sleep." she replied as she crawled over next to him and pulled her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.
"How come?" he asked, confused. Nami hadn't done anything like this before.
"I just have alot to think about. That's all." Nami said as she layed her head on her knees. She stared at the wall without saying anything else.
Luffy studied her intently, trying to make atleast a little sense of the situation.
Finally, she spoke. "Luffy, there's something...something I want to say to you. Well, sort of ask you. I just don't know how to say it." she said, this time turning her head until she was looking straight at him.
"O-O-Okay..." Luffy stuttered.
She took a deep breath. "This is something I've been wanting to say for along time. I just never had the courage. I don't know when it really first started. I guess when we were at Arlong Park. Yes. That's when it began. I tried to get rid of it and, for awhile, it worked. But now that we're almost to the New World, I'm afraid that you'll die and I will never have a chance to say this. Luffy...I...I like you. More than just in the nakama way. What I'm trying to say is...I...I love you Luffy. I owe you my life...my freedom. You gave me everything." she finished.
Luffy turned away and tilted his head down so that his hat shadowed his face like it so often did. He remained silent, his only movement was the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in and out.
"Luffy...?" Nami asked as she reached a hand toward him.
He looked up at her with such an icy glare that she quickly retracted her hand.
"What's wrong?" she said, a little fearfully.
He sighed, softening slightly. "Nami...I...I don't really know what to say. I..." he stuttered trying to find the right words.
"It's okay." Nami said, smiling slightly. "It took me forever to-"
Luffy cut her off. "No. It's not that simple." he said. "You see...I don't know how...how to say this...to say...how I feel."
"How...you...feel." Nami said, a sense of dread creeped into her voice.
He seemed to be contemplating what to say for he was silent for a long while. When he spoke though, his words were gentle, almost comforting, yet firm. "Nami...I don't know the best way to say this so I guess I'll just say it. I...I sort of already have someone that I love and...right now...that person isn't you. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad but...I made a promise and I really care for her..." he stuttered helplessly.
"Oh. Well then, I guess I should be getting to bed then. It was nice talking with you. I'll see you in the morning at breakfast." she said and then she was gone.
"Nami! Wait!" Luffy called but she was long gone. A second later, he heard the slam of the door that led below deck. The sound made him cringe. "What have I done?" he thought.
Present
"Then that's that, right?" Luffy asked, bringing Nami back to the present.
"Umm...not exactly. If you want the truth, I never got over that. I couldn't think of anyone else or any reason you would have said that. I guess you meant Vivi when you were talking about someone else. And I know that I should be happy for you. Both of you. But I can't help but feel a little jealous, a little hurt. Like I'm not good enough or something. And it hurts." Nami replied.
"If you still feel that way, or even if you felt that way, then why did you marry someone else?" Luffy asked.
Nami bit her lip and looked away. "Do you want the truth?" she asked.
"That's why we're talking, isn't it?" Luffy replied.
"Yeah...but...okay." Nami said, finally giving in. "The next day, I went to Sanji. I was hurt and I new he wouldn't deny me attention. And when he acted like I was the best thing in the world, it felt good. So I encouraged him and he took it. After awhile, he told me he loved me and asked me how I felt. I knew how it felt to be hurt and I liked Sanji, as a friend, and I didn't want him to go through what I had, especially after I had led him on, so I told him I loved him too. And then he asked me to marry him and I said yes. Soon after, I ended up pregnant and I knew that was it. I would dedicate myself to him and our child, no matter how much it hurt me. Does that explain anything?" Nami asked.
"I guess. It doesn't explain why you left. That's the one thing I don't get." Luffy said, more relaxed this time.
"It was a selfish reason. It was me who wanted to leave and I didn't want to do it alone. I was tired of seeing you and being with Sanji. I thought it would be easier to forget you and focus on my family if I could get away. Zeff's death was the perfect excuse for me and Sanji. Plus, we had our son to think about, so, I got the crew together and told them it was time we left. This, of course, was three years after our little...er...incident. Like I said, I didn't want to leave alone. I told them that since you had your dream, it was time we got ours. Robin still hadn't found the Rio poneglyph and I told her she wasn't going to find it following you around. I told Zoro that before I went to Baratie, I would help him find Mihawk. I convinced Usopp that he should go back and see that girl Kaya in his hometown. Chopper needed to learn more about medicine so I told him he needed to travel more than just the Grand Line. Finally, I told Franky he should go back to Water 7 and take care of his...umm...family. They eventually saw my point and we decided to leave. You know the rest of that story." Nami finished.
Luffy sat in silence, processing what she had just told him.
"Luffy...I want to ask you to forgive me. I know I was wrong and I've lived with this guilt for years. Please Luffy." Nami begged.
"I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago. I just didn't know how to tell you. I was afraid of what you would think. That's why I never came and saw you. I really wanted to, but I couldn't." Luffy said.
"I understand. So...umm...are we okay?" Nami asked.
Luffy grinned. "Always." he said.
She smiled. They sat there, watching the horizon as the last of Alabasta finally disappear behind them.
"Hey Luffy..."
"Yeah?" he asked, looking over at her.
That's when she grabbed his face and kissed him.
"Just wanted to know what that feels like." she said and then hopped off Sunny's head and headed toward her room.
Luffy sat exactly where he was, unable to move. "What just...happened..." he thought. He quickly shook it off and decided to go see if lunch was ready.
"Oi Sanji! Is the food ready yet?!" Luffy called out as he threw open the kitchen door. He saw something on the stove and immediately made a grab for it.
"Not this time Luffy!" Sanji said as he landed a kick in the middle of his face.
Luffy went flying out of the kitchen and back on deck.
"Stay out until lunch!" Sanji yelled and then slammed the door shut.
Luffy sat up, straightened his hat, and laughed. He hadn't realized how much he had missed this daily ritual of getting kicked out of the kitchen by Sanji. He decided to go find Usopp or Chopper and goof off until lunch was done.
Meanwhile, Nami was busy. She knew she had to move quick if this was ever going to work. Knowing Luffy, he would be bugging Sanji for food about now. That meant he would get kicked out and soon go looking for Usopp and Chopper. They were first. She found her way to the men's room and knocked.
A moment later, Franky opened the door. "Eh...Nami...what are you doing here?" he asked, confused.
"Now is that any way to greet me?" she replied innocently. "Well, since you asked, I'm looking for Usopp and Chopper. Are they around?"
"Yeah. They're in here." Franky replied, jabbing his thumb behind him.
"Well can I talk to them?" Nami asked, on the verge of losing her patience.
Franky shrugged. "Sure." He didn't move.
"Can I come in?" Nami growled.
"Uh...sure..." Franky replied. He stepped aside and let Nami pass.
"Usopp, Chopper, we need to have a little talk." Nami said sweetly.
"Um...Usopp...do we owe her money?" Chopper whispered.
"Not that I know of." Usopp replied.
"Oh. Good." Chopper said.
By the time Luffy arrived ten minutes later, Nami was long gone and things where looking up for her.
"Oi! Usopp! Chopper! I'm bored! Let's do something!" Luffy cried as he burst into the room.
"Can't. Busy." Usopp replied. He had found his old inventing materials and they were currently spread out on the floor surrounding him.
"Sure!" Chopper agreed happily. He had been bored with no one to play with when he was gone. Now he had Luffy again.
The rest of the day passed just like any other. It was like they had never been gone.
As the sun set, Sanji opened the door of the kitchen and called, "Dinner's ready!"
A second later, a pounding of feet was heard, then a crash, followed by the door to the kitchen bursting open, and then finally Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper landing with a thud on the kitchen floor. The rest of the crew stepped over them (or on them) and quietly took there places at the table.
Once everyone was seated, Sanji proceeded to set the table with his amazing dishes. As the men began their battle for food, Sanji set wondefully made plates in front of the girls.
"It's beautiful Sanji-kun!" Vivi exclaimed.
"Food is art. I'm so glad you like it Vivi-chan!" Sanji cried with hearts in his eyes. At that moment a piece of meat was flung in his direction, only to be snatched by a rubber arm and shoved into Luffy's mouth. "Some people just shove it down and don't understand the art." Sanji muttered as he took his seat next to Nami.
When everyone was done eating, Nami stood up and cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention. "Umm...I have an announcement to make." she said nervously.
Everyone but Luffy and Vivi broke out into large grins. They all knew what she was going to say.
"Luffy, when I say this, I'm speaking for the whole crew. We've talked and we want to ask you something now." She paused to collect her thoughts and take a deep breath. "We want to come back. At the time, we may have thought leaving was the best thing, but now we realize we were wrong. We need you and you need us. We're nakama. After all we've been through, we can't just go our seperate ways. Our dreams have been achieved and it was only because of you. We may not have known that at the time but you were the one who gave us the faith and the fight to continue. We are what we are only because we met you and joined this crew. So why leave? We're sorry for leaving you here and we really want to come back. Please Luffy. We need a captain." she said with a small smile. She was on the verge of tears but she refused to let it show.
Franky, on the other hand, was bawling like a baby. The tears flowed freely from his eyes along. "So wonderful. So emotional!" he cried, pulling out his small pink guitar.
All eyes went to Luffy as he stood up, his face completely shadowed by his hat. When he looked up, they could see the gleam of tears in his eyes. "I want you guys to come back! I was just too afraid to ask. I thought you didn't want me to-"
"Shh. We know Luffy. That's why I said all that. You don't have to say anything. We understand." Nami said softly.
Vivi smiled. "Way to go Nami-san." she thought, completely oblivious to the fact of Nami and Luffy's little meeting that afternoon.
The mood lightened as Sanji began to clear the table and each person started to their quarters to retire for that night. It had already been decided that Luffy had first watch. They were already headed to their next destination, Baratie. Sanji had to resign and Nami had to get Nathan.
When Vivi was sure everyone was asleep, she pulled the sheet she had been using as a blanket off and sat up in the bed, her legs dangling over the side. She slipped on her sandles and stood up as quietly as she could.
"Going somewhere princess?" a voice asked from the darkness.
Vivi frooze. "Robin h-how did you know I was up?" she asked, bewildered.
"I pay attention to small details. That's how I've stayed alive for so long." she replied.
"Oh." Vivi said quietly, unsure of what to say. There were so many questions she wanted to ask Robin now but she decided that that would have to wait. She decided it was probably a sensitive area.
Robin chuckled quietly, knowing very well the questions running through Vivi's head. Although her answer had been the truth, her true intent was to plant these questions in the princess's mind. "I'll tell you about it later seeing that we will be spending alot more time together." Robin said.
"Yeah." Vivi said awkwardly, slightly shaken at the fact that Robin had guessed her thoughts. There were so many things about this woman that she didn't understand. Maybe one day she would know the truth.
"You never answered my question." Robin pointed out. "Are you avoiding it?"
Vivi dug the toe of her sandle into the wooden floor and stared down in that direction as if she could see it in the pitch black. "I...couldn't sleep. I thought I would take a walk."
Robin caught the hesitation in her voice but let it go. "Homesick?"
"A little." Vivi admitted, this time telling the truth.
"Then a walk is the perfect thing princess." Robin replied.
"Yeah...umm...so...I'll see you in the morning." Vivi said and hurried toward the door, determined to make her escape.
"Okay princess." Robin said as the door creaked open.
"And one last thing." Vivi said, pausing in the doorway, her back to Robin.
"What is it?" Robin asked.
"Don't call me princess. I'm a pirate now." Vivi said and shut the door.
Inside, Robin smiled. "I'll keep an eye on her. I see why Luffy fell for her. Those two are so much alike. Stubborn but also great leaders. He just makes up for the courage she lacks." Robin thought. "Maybe I should watch them tonight. No, I'll give them their privacy." And with that, she drifted off to sleep.
Vivi walked quietly through the silent hallways. When she finally reached the deck, she was greated by the chilly night air. She suddenly wished she had brought her sheet with her. The flimsy gown she had borrowed from Nami was too thin and the wind cut through it. Shiviring, she made her way to the bow but stopped when she reached the main mast. She leaned against it and stared at the person sitting on the lions head. It was funny. Even though he was older then her, she had always thought of him as a child. He had been so immature then. But now, looking at him in the moonlight and reflecting back on recent events in Alabasta, she realized that she couldn't think that way anymore. He had changed. What exactly had changed him, she didn't know. Maybe losing his crew had shown him how cold the world could be. Maybe being a king had foeced him to grow up. It didn't matter why. All that mattered was in the time he had left her until this moment now, he had become no longer a kid, but a man. In a way, it was sad. With that realization came a sudden insecurity. Quickly brushing that aside, she made her way across the lawn and up the stairs until she stood directly behind the lions head. If Luffy had heard her coming, he didn't show it.
"Luffy, d-do you want some company?" she asked, cursing herself for the hesitation in her voice. It was just Luffy after all!
"Huh? Oh Vivi, it's you! Sure!" he exclaimed. He slid over, leaving her an opening on the lions head.
She started to climb up but her gown tangled around her legs, sending her crashing back down to the deck. Before she could stand up, two arms wrapped around her and lifted her up to the lions head.
"Sorry about that. I should have helped you." Luffy said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He noticed her shivering. "Hey Vivi, are you okay?" he asked, suddenly concerned.
"Just a little cold. Aren't you?" she replied, noticing his vest and shorts. "I mean, it's freezing out here."
Luffy paused for a moment as if just noticing the temperature change. "It's cold!!!!!" he cried out.
Vivi giggled at his sudden outburst. In reply, she moved closer to him. "You know...we could go inside." she suggested. "Or...we could stay out here and try to keep each other warm."
Luffy smiled as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him until their bodies were touching. She wrapped her arms around his waste and they both sat in silence, watching the horizon and just enjoying each others company.
Eventually, Vivi spoke. "Dinner was interesting." she said.
"Yeah." Luffy replied.
"And I thought we would be alone." Vivi teased.
Luffy grinned. "We are right now." he pointed out.
She looked at him and slowly their faces began to come closer until their lips met in a soft kiss. They held each other tight, not willing to let go. They finally let go when tiny flakes of snow began falling on them.
"It's beautiful." Vivi said in wonder as she looked up.
Luffy looked up and saw the snow flakes grow ever bigger. "Just like you." he said. Then, realizing what he had said, he blushed and turned away.
"It's alright Luffy. We're going to be married, right? You have to get used to these things." Vivi said softly, not wishing to disturb the silent world of snow.
He smiled and nodded. Then he pulled her close and they sat there, watching the snow fall until Vivi fell asleep. At the end of his watch, Luffy carried her down to her bed and kissed her one last time before leaving the room and going to bed himself.
As he lay down, he smiled. He had Vivi. He had his crew. And even if they didn't stay forever, he knew she would. As he drifted off to sleep, he knew that this was one adventure he would never forget.
The End
So, what did you think? I know the ending is kind of cheesy but I bet you never expected the NamixLuffy part. I wanted this chapter to have a lot of twists and I think I succeeded. Anyway, there's the possibility of me doing a sequel to this story and if I do, I'm pretty sure the little LuNa part will be important. So, what did you think? I hope you enjoyed it because I had fun writing...er...typing this. Until next time:
-MonkeyStrawhatLuffy
