Asteria Nightmare
Part twelve of a fanfiction by Velkyn Karma
Disclaimer: I do not own, or pretend to own, One Piece or any of its subsequent characters, plots or other ideas. That right belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda. The only thing that belongs to me here is the concept for the story.
"The question isn't would you die for a friend, it's do you have a friend worth dying for."
~Kristin Mikula
It was close to noon when the Straw Hat Pirates finally left their roadside meeting place. The sun directly over their heads was a comforting presence, wiggling through even the dense red-gold canopy overhead to splash light on the packed earth of the path.
They had taken an hour to rest and discuss their new plans, more determined than ever to retrieve their nakama's stolen dreams. The break had largely been for Sanji-kun's benefit, since the cook had to recover from having his own Dreamshard stolen, but the rest was a blessing for Nami (and Usopp as well, she was sure), who had found it exhausting to fight on top of almost no sleep. She felt tired and sore all over, but sitting for a short while seemed to help her recover at least a little of her strength. By the end of the hour, while she wasn't exactly looking forward to hiking all over the island, at least she was sure she could manage it.
And while they rested, they talked strategy. Nami's team had initially discussed returning to the Thousand Sunny to drop off the afflicted Zoro, but that plan seemed too risky now. With Chopper, Franky and Brook no longer on the ship to protect their dreamless friends, the Sunny didn't seem quite as safe as before, even if they did anchor it out on the ocean and away from land. Nami was sure the unnatural storm that had dragged them to Asteria to begin with was connected to the Nightmares somehow, if the similar screams she had repeatedly heard were any indication. If the creatures summoned that storm again and Luffy, Zoro and Robin were dragged into the water...two of them couldn't even swim, and she doubted Zoro could either in his present state seeing as he could barely stand under his own power, let alone rescue them.
Besides, it was too far a trek to risk by now. It had taken them a full day to reach the village of Remia from where they'd docked the Sunny, and the city had to be even farther. They didn't know how much time their friends' dreams had left, or if this mysterious Queen of the Night could destroy them, but it wasn't worth the risk of wasting time. And even if they did manage to recover the Dreamshards, they would still have to make the long journey back to the Sunny to return them to their sickly crew mates—a journey during which they would inevitably be chased by the Nightmares trying to steal them back.
So, despite the worried looks from Usopp and Chopper in particular, it was decided that they'd just have to bring Luffy, Zoro and Robin with them during the strike at Oneirosa. It would create new risks, and they'd have to be watched and protected very carefully. But it would also mean they could restore their dreams as soon as they managed to recover them from the Nightmares and hopefully add them back into the Straw Hats' fighting-fit ranks. Sanji-kun had warned they would be tired, but none of the three were strangers to fighting under exhausting conditions—Nami was sure it would work out, somehow.
Sanji-kun had also been concerned about the plan for another reason: keeping them fed. "I haven't seen any sources of food since we've been here," he'd said flatly. "Robin-chan found hints of fields yesterday, but they're all dead, nothing's even growing wild. No animals, no fruit trees or wild vegetables, no fish in any of the streams we've passed. We can't fight these things on an empty stomach. We need all the strength we can get."
Which had been a perfectly valid point, Nami agreed, though it frustrated her. It would mean they'd have to go back to the ship after all, and waste precious time restocking just so they would be able to fight at their strongest, without shaking from hunger pangs. But Franky had come to their rescue in that regard. Grinning widely, he'd opened the enormous pack Chopper had carried on his back in Walk Point when they'd first arrived, revealing an abundance of non-perishable foods, and even a small cooler of his own creation packed with a number of fish.
"How did you get into my refrigerator?" Sanji-kun had asked with a mix of bewilderment and suspicion, after his initial relieved expression at the sight of the foodstuffs.
"I've got override codes from when I built everything," Franky had answered, a little smugly. Sanji-kun had looked horrified, but the cyborg had only laughed and said, "Don't worry, Curly-Cook, I won't share'em with Straw Hat. Promise."
Nami was impressed with the cyborg's foresight, and almost could have hugged him for it, now that things were so dire. In addition to the packed foods, Chopper had also brought a number of extra medical supplies for more serious injuries, and Franky had included a dozen extra Thousand Sunny-donated parts not intended for their weaponry, things that Nami was sure they could use to fortify a safe haven later. There was no need to return to the Sunny at all now, meaning they could enact Rescue Mission: Recover our Nakama's Stolen Dreams! (as Usopp had dubbed it) immediately.
So as soon as they all felt significantly rested, and the sun was well overhead in the sky, they shouldered their packs and set off. Nami took the lead as their navigator, and grimly led them back towards Remia, with the others in tow. She wasn't one hundred percent sure where the city of Oneirosa was located, without an exact map. But Robin had mentioned it was at the center of the island, and Nami thought she had at least a rough idea of the direction in mind. She figured that, if she combined her rough estimates with the directions of the roads leading out of Remia—which Robin had also told them was a very important village, and connected to Oneirosa in some way—she could probably find it.
Still, even returning to that broken-down wreck of a town gave her the chills. Remia held terrible memories for her now, and she had her Clima-Tact (now temporarily serving as a walking staff) in a white-knuckled grip at the very thought of returning there. But if going there would help her and the others save Luffy's, Zoro's, and Robin's dreams, then she'd just have to suck it up and do it. Luffy wouldn't hesitate in the least, if their positions were reversed, and it was her dream that he had to save.
Even with all of her determination, though, the going was still slow. She was exhausted, and knew for a fact that Usopp and Sanji-kun, at least, who had been through the same sleepless night as her, had to be as well. And they were still in possession of their dreams and relative strength, too. Their dreamless nakama provided a whole new set of problems, weakened as they were.
Zoro and Robin could barely walk, and while they had both been roused when the pirates first left, they frequently passed out for no reason at all, other than perhaps the exhausting internal struggle to keep pushing forward when there was no goal to motivate them in their empty minds. Neither one really complained, though they were both clearly suffering. Zoro swore furiously or muttered under his breath to himself sometimes, but when directly asked if he was okay, or needed a break, he would always stubbornly insist that he was perfectly fine even when he obviously wasn't. And Robin was silent as the grave. She never seemed to ignore them, exactly, and seemed almost anxious to know where her nakama were at all times, but she never contributed information or her own thoughts anymore, and sometimes didn't even bother to answer questions when asked. Neither one moved very fast, and both frequently tripped and stumbled, even when they weren't passing out.
In the end, the rest of the crew divided up Chopper's enormous load of supplies that he'd been carrying in Walk Point, while the reindeer carried their dreamless nakama on his back. His Walk Point was still not quite strong enough to carry the two of them at once—especially somebody as heavy as Zoro—although he swore he could do it in a pinch, if the Nightmares attacked all of a sudden. Instead, they had Robin and Zoro swap every half hour, one riding while the other was helped to walk, usually by Usopp, Sanji-kun, or Nami herself, who were closer in height range than Brook or Franky to their dreamless companions. Robin accepted the treatment wordlessly—she didn't seem to know how to argue anymore, or profess her own opinion on the matter, and simply submitted to their care with a quiet, almost disturbingly resigned air. By contrast, Zoro complained irritably every time he was forced to accept help, and especially when he was made to ride on Chopper, insisting that he could walk—though unsurprisingly he'd pass out as soon as he was on the reindeer's back, which at least quieted him a little. Thankfully, they didn't have to worry about Luffy, who was returned to the sling across Franky's back as soon as they started moving. His occasional bouts of empty chanting were certainly disturbing, but at least they had no trouble moving him.
It took them almost two and a half hours to get back to Remia, and Nami shuddered as she watched the broken down buildings come into focus ahead of them again. It was just about two thirty in the afternoon by Sanji-kun's watch, and everyone, even Franky, Chopper, and Brook, was ready for a well-deserved break. Nami allowed it—she wanted nothing more than to rip her sandals off and lay down for a nap by this point, herself—but with a great show of self-discipline insisted they wouldn't stay here too long.
"We were attacked here before," she said by way of reasoning. "We know for a fact the Nightmares can find us here again. I know we can fight them now, but better to avoid confrontations at all if we can. And we might've been able to hide for one night, but I don't think we'll be so lucky the second time." She swallowed slightly, unable to completely hide her fear of being stuck in that hole for another night, listening to the Nightmares clatter above her.
The others nodded in agreement, especially Usopp and Sanji-kun, who remembered all too well the literally Nightmarish experience alongside her.
"What shall we do then?" Brook inquired. "I understand that we plan to attack this Oneirosa City, but I certainly don't think we can accomplish it tonight. Nami-san, Sanji-san, and Usopp-san look dead on their feet...though certainly not quite to my level, yohohoho!"
"He's right," Chopper agreed. The doctor had reverted to Brain Point for the break, though he still sat next to Zoro and Robin, both of whom were passed out cold with their heads pillowed on packs. "I know I'm tired, and we got a good night's rest last night. You guys have been through two battles on top of not sleeping at all, that's definitely not healthy. If we try and fight this Queen of the Night thing, and the other Nightmares, when you're like this...you'll get hurt, really bad." He looked worried.
"I don't intend to try fighting them tonight," Nami said. "We're already halfway through the afternoon. I'm sure by the time we get close to the city, it'll be close to sunset as well. I know they're not harmed by sunlight, but they will be at least a little blinded, and I'd rather use any advantage we can get. At any rate, we definitely don't want to fight them at night, they'll have the advantage then."
Usopp shuddered. "You're right. We definitely don't want that." And he glanced anxiously at the two sprawled out, exhausted forms of their nakama on the ground, and at the sling still wound carefully around Franky's shoulders.
"So what do we do then, Nami-san?" Sanji-kun asked, lighting up a cigarette (Franky had grabbed him a fresh pack as well, knowing the cook's unfortunate ability to go through far more than he should in a day).
Nami considered. "We'll keep going," she decided eventually. "We need to get as close as possible to the city without being in it, so we can scout it out and be close enough to smash our way in there before the Nightmares can react. I bet they've never had anybody attack them in their own nest before. We could probably catch them by surprise."
"We don't know that there will be any shelter farther ahead, though," Usopp pointed out, looking worried. "I mean, if we're going to attack during the day, we'd need to stay out there somewhere overnight." He gestured with a wide sweep of his hand to the woods, winced only a little when it pulled on his injured arm. "And we'd be closer to those...things. It'd be bad enough if we got caught by Harvesters or Shepherds, but I bet those arm...snake...whatevers live closer to the city, too. And those basket-monsters."
"The snake-arms do seem to only show up in large groups," Brook added helpfully. "Three of them attacked the Thousand Sunny, and it looked like they were directing the smaller ones, like captains or generals. There probably would be many more closer to the city."
Nami blinked in surprise. "Generals, that was one of the four terms Robin translated for us," she realized. "Harvesters, Shepherds, Generals, and Attendants. Which means those ones are probably the smartest, and the most difficult to beat."
"That must make the basket-Nightmare an Attendant, then," Sanji-kun observed. "The one that didn't seem like a combatant. Makes sense...Robin-chan said they were made to deliver what her other servants harvested, and it was the only one that could carry the Dreamshards around easily, in its basket." He looked a little more enthusiastic now. "Those are the ones we'd have to search for, and Robin-chan said there were only three of them, so if we can find them..."
"Then we can get everyone else's dreams back," Chopper finished enthusiastically.
"But that's only if we can get close enough!" Usopp protested. "Like I said, they'll be swarming all over, and if we don't have a shelter to survive the night in—"
"Don't sweat it, Usopp," Franky cut in. "If it's a city, it's bound to have a lot of storehouses and stuff on the outskirts, too. It takes a lot to supply people in a big place like that with everything they need. Water Seven was a lot like that before the Sea Train was built, and we didn't have outside resources like this place. They'd definitely supply themselves from farms and shops and stuff on the outside. As long as we can find a building a little more isolated, then Sunny can help us make it safe, easy!"
Usopp looked a little more reassured now, and Nami nodded in agreement. "Right. We should be able to find someplace we can use, as long as we don't draw attention to ourselves, so we need to avoid fighting at all costs! Franky can fortify our shelter for the night with scraps from the Sunny, and it will give us a place to rest, hide Luffy, Zoro, and Robin, and make a plan of action."
No one else objected, and after resting for about twenty minutes they set off once more, sharing a little water around from their flasks and rousing the two dreamless members of their crew. Nami led them to the Northernmost part of Remia, and after a little searching they managed to find an ancient pathway that seemed to run in the same direction as her rough estimate of Oneirosa's location. Hefting their weapons and circling protectively around Zoro, Robin, and their two supporters (presently Chopper and Usopp), they set off down the road towards their goal and, hopefully, the missing dreams of their crew.
This new stage of their travels went just as slowly as before, though this time the reason was place solely on Zoro's and Robin's inability to move very fast. Nami still felt tired, and she was sure Sanji-kun and Usopp were too (although the former would never, ever admit to it as long as she was around, Nami was sure) but their short rest in Remia had put a little strength back in her step.
That, and the newfound determination of the group as well, now that they had a plan. Up until now, their wanderings all over the island of Asteria had been fairly silent, and their groups always thick with tension. That tension was still there now—Nami didn't think it would disappear completely, as long as Luffy, Zoro and Robin were around to silently remind them of how much they had lost, and how much they could still lose. But now it was dampened by a fierce resolve, as each of the remaining Straw Hats—even the normally timid ones like Usopp and Chopper—prepared themselves for the coming battle, and strove to protect their vulnerable crew mates. They had a way to fight back now, and a plan of attack, and the Nightmares had hurt their friends. The Straw Hat Pirates would never let that stand, and that fueled them in a way that nothing else could.
It was fortunate, in a way, because the deeper they went into what was clearly Nightmare territory, the more encounters they had. The roads had been relatively clear for them for the past day, and Nami would have been inclined to say the creatures ignored them entirely if they hadn't been attacked on the road that morning. But it seemed that Remia was a marking stone in the creatures' habitat, and when they began the trek towards what Nami hoped was Oneirosa they started coming across patrols of the ugly, terror-inspiring creatures. They were clearly routine, unlike the hoards of Nightmares that had attacked them previously: usually three or four of the ugly brutes, mostly Harvesters, and occasionally a larger group that included a Shepherd as well. Once, very far into the journey, when the forest started breaking up around them and it was only a few hours before sunset by Nami's estimation, they had even come across a party of ten of the disgusting creatures, with not one but two Shepherds herding them.
Even early that morning, if Nami had encountered one of those patrols—even thought about encountering them, or walking straight into their territory like they were now—her stomach would have gone cold with the terror and hopelessness of the situation. Before they had barely survived against three of the creatures, and the only reason they were still standing was because the Nightmares chose to retreat. Wandering into dozens of patrols, with the willing intention of hurling oneself into their nest, sounded like a suicide mission.
But the crew was prepared now, and had already worked out a little strategy. Before the patrols were terrifying, but now they were a perfect chance to practice executing their new plans before the actual battles began. While whoever was caring for their dreamless crew mates—usually Chopper, with Usopp or Nami assisting the non-rider—hung back defensively, the others charged forward to lay waste to the patrolling Nightmares. The creatures enthusiastically engaged them, hoping to steal another Dreamshard or two, not realizing they were hopelessly outmatched now.
Franky's Sunny-based weaponry was just as effective as before, and turned their previously barely-felt attacks into monster-destroying one-shot kills. Brook's music stunned the creatures before they in turn could stun the pirates with their strange terror-blasts, ruining their most effective technique, and everyone else had at least one Nightmare-kill to their credit. Even Nami, who had to use her Clima-Tact like her old bo-staff to make effective use of the Sunny's enhancements, was able to wallop one or two straight in the head and send them bursting into oily smoke. Indeed, some proved even more effective at Nightmare-killing than others: Usopp's new nail artillery, now dubbed "Dream Stars," was extraordinarily useful for killing groups of the creatures at range, and Sanji-kun's new Sunny-powered kicks were now strong enough to kill even the much more enduring Shepherds in one hit. They were always careful to completely decimate any Nightmare patrol they came across, to prevent news of their movements from getting back to the creatures' nests, and pushed their way steadily forward into the black heart of Asteria.
Even with Zoro and Robin to slow them down, Nami was still satisfied as they moved onward. They were making good time, and while frequent Nightmare patrols made their progress somewhat halting, at least they were no longer being stopped in their tracks, or worse, forced to retreat. She didn't have a pedometer with her, or a map in her head to calculate how many miles they'd treked since Remia, but she was sure it was quite a few.
About three hours before dark, by her calculations, the forest was already beginning to recede completely, replaced by open fields and the occasional strip of broken-down buildings that might have once served as trading posts. It wasn't a town, not really. But it was an indicator of a former civilization, and, as Franky had pointed out, once a place where the city of Oneirosa had likely purchased many of its necessary foodstuffs and other trade goods to supply its citizens. In the distance she could see an enormous structure that she mistook at first in the lengthening afternoon shadows to be a huge hill, or a small mountain. It was Usopp who first pointed out, with his much better eyesight, that it was actually an enormous wall.
"That must be it, then," Nami said triumphantly. "If it's a wall, I'd bet anything it's the city border for Oneirosa. We've made it."
"You're simply amazing, Nami-san," Sanji-kun said delightedly, pausing at the front of the group where he'd once again taken point to spin around and shower her with praises. His mood had improved considerably with the recovery of his dream and the proof that he could, as he put it, 'flambe those shitty spiders,' and he seemed far less tense than he'd been that morning.
"I know," she said, pleased with herself. Finding the city had been a shot in the dark—admittedly an educated shot in the dark—but the fact that they'd come across it first-try was enlightening.
"We'd better find a place to hide then," Usopp said with a frown. He was currently taking his turn hefting Zoro around, who was certainly not making things any easier as he seemed to have temporarily passed out again. Even so, the sniper managed to juggle their currently not-a-swordsman enough to lower one of his goggle extensions and take a quick sweep of the area. "We've got a little tree and building cover here, but if we go any farther we'll be on open ground, and in the dark those Nightmares will catch us easy."
Franky nodded in agreement. "I don't see any right now, but I'm sure that'll change soon. Usopp is right...we should find a place to hole up for the night and make it safe while we've still got daylight."
"I agree," Nami said decisively. "Franky, you're our building expert, and you know how many Sunny reinforcement supplies we have. Pick out a place you think you can fortify that will still have room for all of us."
"You got it, sis!" the cyborg said, and somehow managed to fit his plank-weapon into one of his classic poses. "I'll find us a super place to hide!"
In the end their shipwright settled on a small storage barn, about the size of the boys' cabin back on the Thousand Sunny. Once upon a time, Nami supposed the stone structure had probably been used for storing seeds or harvesting supplies, or maybe for the furs or produce its owners found in the forest. The building was still fairly intact for being centuries old, and was set partially in the edge of the red-gold forest's tree-line, at the back of a large farming property. It was large enough for all of them and their supplies, with a little extra space so they weren't all crammed in like canned sardines, and hidden enough from view that any fortifications they added to the building wouldn't be immediately noticed by the Nightmares unless they were carefully scrutinized.
Usopp and Chopper waited outside with their dreamless crew mates, and Franky for additional backup, while Sanji-kun, Nami and Brook explored the little storage barn from top to bottom, examining every square inch of its dusty confines. Like the cellar they had spent the previous night in, there were a few broken remnants of what had once been tools and ceramic jars for storage, but little else, and certainly nothing alive or threatening. There was no second floor, not that they would have used it, and the walls and roof were still in fairly decent condition, with only a few small holes here and there. Most important to Nami was the thick coating of dust on the dirt-packed floor, which had no recent tracks at all from any creature beyond their own footsteps. Nightmares had not entered this place in a long, long time, not since their food source in the area had vanished centuries ago, and that meant they likely wouldn't be returning any time soon, either.
The navigator deemed the shed safe after their thorough investigation, and the rest of the crew immediately set to work. Luffy, Zoro and Robin were brought inside the relative safety of the shed and laid out on the blankets that Franky had packed in with their other supplies. Zoro and Robin were awake again, and occasionally tried to sit up or (in Zoro's case) even try to leave, insisting on helping with the defenses. Both were still clearly exhausted and very weak, though, and never lasted very long before passing out again or simply laying back down to rest. Those fits were starting to happen more often, which worried Nami, but there was little they could do about that.
Luffy never stirred at all once he was laid out, only continued to stare up at the ceiling with his eyes blank and empty. As always he would occasionally start ranting quietly about how something—something that they now knew was his Pirate King dream—had been stolen from him. Now that he was within earshot of the other two dreamless Straw Hats, his ranting only served to hurt them: both Zoro and Robin would almost frantically cover their ears and wince in pain as they were reminded of a loss they clearly could not comprehend and didn't want to consider.
It was infuriating and saddening to watch, seeing three of the strongest, most driven people they knew suffering in such an unfair way. But it also kicked the rest of the crew into gear, working at the height of their abilities to defend themselves and prepare for an all-out onslaught the next morning. While Chopper remained with their three invalids, keeping them as comfortable as possible or (in Zoro's case) from doing anything rash, Franky recruited Usopp and Brook for setting up their fortifications. Rolls of sailcloth were unfurled and fastened securely to each of the storage barn's four walls on the outside, preventing another case of the creatures potentially bursting through and taking them unawares. Nami suggested using Robin's scent trick as a passive defense, and donated her jacket to the cause when Franky agreed that it was an excellent idea. By the time they were finished setting that up, not even Chopper—temporarily called outside to lend his nose to the defense—could tell where the scents originated from. Perhaps most encouraging of all was Usopp's ingenious (though she'd never outright tell him that) little invention, stringing several pieces of cord from the Sunny as booby-traps; springing them wouldn't hurt the Straw Hats, but would certainly kill one or two Nightmares, and give the crew advanced warning that the monsters were approaching to boot. And through it all Sanji-kun kept himself quietly (for once) perched in the high boughs of one of the larger red-gold trees, keeping an eye and an ear out for any oncoming Nightmares that might pose a threat.
They worked quickly and efficiently, and Nami found herself fleetingly wishing the boys could be this focused back on the Thousand Sunny. She killed the thought quickly. Their fooling around was annoying, but she'd pay almost anything to be back on the ship yelling at them for their antics right about now, because it would mean everything was back to normal. The thought was sobering—she'd been having a lot of those lately, she realized with a grimace—and used it as further incentive to fix this whole mess and recover her nakama's dreams. After half an hour of solid, relatively quiet work, their temporary home was well prepared and ready for any Nightmare attack.
Now they just had to prepare themselves. Sanji-kun traded places with Usopp and dropped out of his tree-perch, saying something about dinner, while the rest of the crew (sans Chopper, still inside their shelter) gathered together for a quick discussion.
"We should still have watches, sis," Franky said seriously, folding his massive arms across his chest. "These defenses should hold pretty well against an actual Nightmare attack, but it's probably still safer if we keep an eye out before we have to use them."
"You're right," Nami said, and from above them Usopp added his own agreement, volunteering to go first since he was already watching. She nodded up to him in thanks, and added, "You guys figure out a watch schedule. Make sure one of you three go first...those of us that were out last night are going to need all the rest we can get."
"Sure," Franky said with a frown. "But, sis, you always organize the watch shifts, even back on Sunny. Why the change of pace?"
"Because I've got other plans," Nami said decisively. "While you guys keep watch and guard Luffy and the others, I'm sneaking into Oneirosa City."
Usopp spluttered from above, Franky and Brook looked stunned, and Sanji-kun and Chopper emerged from the confines of their temporary base with equally shocked expressions on their faces. "Are you crazy, Nami?" Usopp finally managed to yelp from his perch in the tree. "If you go in there they'll tear you apart!"
"I don't think so," Nami said seriously, "Not if I'm careful." The others looked doubtful, and to be honest she couldn't blame them. The very thought of going into an almost-literal spider's nest like that made her want to curl up in a ball and whimper to herself. Entering Oneirosa was the last thing on her list that she wanted to do.
But she had to do it; there was no other way. "Look," she said, explaining carefully, "Our attack tomorrow has to be so fast they won't know what hit them. We need to punch through these Nightmares so sharp and quick they don't have time to recover, and push further in the advantage the confusion will give us. We might be able to fight back against these things, but they still outnumber us ten to one, at least...if we go in there unprepared, we're doomed."
"We've got weapons to fight back now," Chopper said doubtfully.
"And music to stun them," Brook added. "I certainly wouldn't call us unprepared."
"But Oneirosa is a city, guys," Nami said. "Think about how confusing it was to find our way around Water Seven before we were familiar with the place. Or what about all the towns we visited in Alabasta? We don't know the layout of Oneirosa, but if it's a city, it's bound to be confusing. If we just barge in there without having a slightest clue about the city's layout, we'll lose any advantage we gained with our preparations, wandering around like Zoro trying to find his way back to the ship." It was a particularly poignant reminder of the importance of the attack, invoking one of her crew members, while at the same time accurately describing exactly what would happen if they just threw themselves at the city without any preparation at all. The others looked grim, understanding all too well what she meant.
"Not only that," she pressed, "But while we're staggering around the city, trying to find out where to go, we'll be fighting our way through hordes of Nightmares. And not just the soldier Harvesters, either, but the really tough ones, the Shepherds and Generals—" truly it was ironic to think of the Harvesters as easy to beat now, when they'd caused so much trouble only that morning, "—and even if we can beat them, they'll still be wearing us down the entire time. Imagine if we came across this Queen of the Night in that state...how well do you think we'd do? What if we get the others' Dreamshards back, only to let them die because we couldn't defend them long enough for them to recover?"
The others looked worried now as she pointed out these problems, and more than one glanced back anxiously at their temporary shelter, where their three dreamless nakama were safely stowed.
"That's why I've got to go in tonight, before the sun goes down completely," she said, gesturing to the sky. "There's maybe two hours left. If I can sneak in, I can at least figure out a general direction for us to attack in. Maybe even plan out some routes for us to take, or what building the Queen of the Night is in. If it gives us another advantage tomorrow..." She let it hang.
"But they'll catch you, Nami," Chopper said, his voice small, more childlike than usual. "If you go in there they'll find you and steal your Dreamshard!"
"Nonsense," Nami said, forcing an edge of cheer into her voice that she hardly felt. "I used to be a thief, remember? Just because I'm Luffy's navigator now doesn't mean I forgot how to stay unseen. I'll sneak in nice and quiet, take a look around, and sneak right back out. They won't even see me, let alone catch me." They still looked unsatisfied, and so she sighed and said in exasperation, "Look, you can argue with me all you want, but I'm still going. You're lucky I'm even planning to sneak in...if this was Luffy, he'd just decide to break down the doors and fight everything right now, even with darkness coming."
That actually got a chuckle out of the remainder of the crew, and though they still looked concerned for her safety, Franky, Brook, and Chopper eventually nodded, and Usopp wished her good luck from up in his tree. Sanji-kun, however, was more of a problem: he met her eyes levelly and said firmly, "I think you have a good point, Nami-san, but I'm going with you."
"Sanji-kun—" she started, but he held up a hand to forestall her.
"I apologize for interrupting you, Nami-san," he said, and she could tell he sincerely meant it, "But I can't let you go alone, especially not in there with those shitty spiders and Hell only knows what else. I'm sorry, and I'll do whatever you say, but you can't go in there by yourself."
It was a very, very rare moment of assertion towards any woman, let alone herself, and for a moment Nami was tempted to punch him in the head for practically giving her an order. She forced herself to cool down, however—clearly, her over-tiredness was starting to fuel her temper more than it should—and after thinking it over more carefully, realized his insistence on coming was actually a good idea. Even if they did have the ability to defeat the Nightmares with their new assortment of Dream-powered weaponry, it still wasn't a good idea to face even one Nightmare single-handedly, much less a whole city full of them. And as sneaking partners went, Sanji-kun wasn't a bad choice. When he wasn't doting on girls, he had a clear head for strategy, and had proven himself more than capable of creeping around to assist the crew in some way. His masquerade as Mr. Prince back in Alabasta, or his actions at Enies Lobby, came immediately to mind. She knew he could be stealthy, and having an extra set of eyes to look for routes, clues, or potential enemies definitely wouldn't hurt.
"Okay," Nami agreed, after a moment, and Sanji-kun practically wiggled delightedly as she accepted his offer—never mind that he probably would have followed her anyway, even if she had forbidden it. "Sanji-kun is with me. The rest of you, try and get some rest and get ready for tomorrow...we should be back in a few hours."
Sanji-kun frowned. "I didn't have a chance to make dinner, but—"
"Don't sweat it, Curly-Cook," Franky said, waving a hand. "Daylight's burnin' and we can wait a few hours. If we get really hungry I'll just dole out some of the stuff that doesn't need any preparations."
"Don't waste it," Sanji-kun ordered sharply. "Okay, Nami-san...lead on! I'll follow you to the ends of the earth if I must!"
"Keep your voice down," she ordered sharply. And after checking that her Clima-Tact was still carefully wrapped in the Sunny's cord and strapped firmly to her leg, she set off towards the towering walls of ancient Oneirosa City, Sanji-kun on her heels.
Buuh...sorry this is so late, guys. I wanted to have it up earlier, but just couldn't motivate myself to edit it. VelkynKarma is weak against Rain. It's like my personal creativity-sapping seastone.
Fun Fact: Sanji is probably one of the characters I have the least amount of things in common with (which probably explains why I love him so much). I can't cook for my life, I abhor smoking, romance bores me, I have no interest in dating, and I'm pretty non-aggressive by nature. We don't even share the same hair color or gender! If I had to find a common denominator, I'd probably say that we both swear far more often than people initially expect of us (I come across as polite and soft spoken to the untrained eye...but I do love me some curse words). But, that's probably not a good thing, haha.
~VelkynKarma