One Piece: Childhood Sweethearts
One Piece © Oda
Monkey D. Star, Bulldog, and Blizzard © Me
Summary- What if Nami used to live in Windmill Village, and she and Luffy were childhood sweethearts? AU, pre-timeskip.
This is a follow-up to the previous one shot.
It is a sunny morning in Windmill Village. Everyone is busy doing their usual routine; shopping for groceries, getting chores done, fishing in the bay, etc.. On this particular day, two little villagers are begin a little routine of their own.
"Girls!" Bellemere called as she set a plate full of fried eggs, bacon, and toast on the table. "Time for breakfast!"
As soon as she made that call, two little girls rushed to the table: her two adopted daughters, Nojiko (age 8) and Nami (age 6).
"Wow!" Nami said. "This looks really good, Bellemere!"
"Yeah, as always!" Nojiko added.
Bellemere smiled as her daughters enjoyed their breakfast, and soon sat down to join them in the meal.
Several years ago, when Bellemere was a Marine Lieutenant, she had gotten herself involved in a war between her troops and a band of pirates at an island somewhere in the East Blue. The resulting battle was very bloody, and a great many had lost their lives. Bellemere herself was gravely injured in the fight, and she was about ready to give up on her own life when suddenly, a little girl carrying a tiny infant appeared from the wreckage of the village: a 3-year-old Nojiko and a baby Nami. Unable to leave the children alone, she brought them back home with her and insisted the doctor treat them for an illness first before getting her own wounds tended to.
Despite the protest of many of the villages, Bellemere had decided to quit the Marines and raise the girls on her own, claiming that she was old and mature enough to do so. Ever since then, these three have been living together as one happy family.
Suddenly, there comes a knock at the door.
"Oh," Bellemere said.. "Well, who could that be?"
The knocking came again, following by the chiming of the doorbell.
"Coming, coming!" Bellemere called as she went to open the door.
To her surprise, it is revealed to be a woman of average height with long, beautiful, raven hair, bright brown eyes, and a long, pink dress, and standing beside her is a black-haired boy of at least five years of age wearing a blue shirt, red jean shorts, and sandals on his feet.
These two are Monkey D. Star, Bellemere's good friend, and her son Monkey D. Luffy. Star, who gave birth to Luffy a year after Bellemere brought Nami and Nojiko home, was the only one who supported Bellemere's decision to adopt the two girls.
"Good morning, Bellemere!" Star greeted her.
"Star!" Bellemere said as she pulled the woman into a hug. "It's so nice to see you! What a surprise! What are you doing here?"
"Well, Bellemere, it's funny you should ask," Star answered before she looked down at Luffy, who looked a bit miffed. "You remember my son, Luffy, right?"
"Oh, who could ever forget this cutie's face?" Bellemere asked. "Why's he looking so grumpy? Did he skip breakfast this morning?"
"Actually, Bellemere," Star said, "I came to talk to about your daughter, Nami."
"Nami?" Bellemere repeated, puzzled. "Why? What does she have to do with this?"
"She hit me, yesterday!" Luffy shouted, bluntly.
Bellemere's eyes went wide before she looked back at the kitchen, a glare in her eyes.
"Nami~!" she called, angrily. "Come here! NOW!"
Upon hearing Bellemere's voice, Nami swallowed the last of her toast before she went over to Bellemere. When the 6-year-old saw Luffy, all she did was sneer.
"What are you doing here, weirdo?" she asked.
"Nami, be nice!" Bellemere barked. "Now, this is Star and her son, Luffy. Luffy, here, says that you hit him yesterday. Why did you?!"
"Because he was being mean!" Nami said. "I tried to say hi to him, yesterday, but he wouldn't even look at me, so I hit him in the head!"
"Luffy was probably shy, Nami," Star noted. "After all, you've got a rather cute face."
"Mom!" Luffy cried, a blush appearing on his face. "Don't say it like that!"
"Nami, I want you to apologize to Luffy this instant," Bellemere said.
"No way!" Nami said. "I don't wanna!"
"I said apologize!" Bellemere shouted. "Or no tangerine sundae for dessert tonight!"
"But that's my favorite!" Nami whined. "Ugh…fine!" She then turned to Luffy, who gave her this look that said "I'm waiting."
"S…s…sorry," Nami grumbled.
"Luffy, what do you say?" Star asked.
"Apology accepted," said Luffy.
"Good," Star said. "All's well that ends well."
"I'm really sorry about what Nami did, Star," Bellemere said. "I have no idea what got into her, but I assure you it won't happen again, will it, Nami?"
"No, ma'am," Nami said.
"That's what I thought," Bellemere said. "Now, go and finish your breakfast, and later, you and Nojiko can down to the playground and play."
"Okay," Nami said.
"Thank you, Belle," Star said, calling Bellemere by her nickname.
"No problem," Bellemere replied with a grin. "Let me know if you need anything else."
"I'll probably come by to get some tangerines from you, later," said Star as she and Luffy turned to leave. "Come on, Luffy. Let's go and see what Makino's up to. Maybe we'll pick up something for lunch later."
"Okay!" Luffy said happily as he took Star's hand and walked alongside her.
Nami watched as Luffy left with his mother, and as she did…she couldn't help but feel this odd feeling forming in the pit of her stomach…and it wasn't hunger.
XXX
That afternoon, Bellemere is at her house, washing the dishes after Star came by earlier for tea. However, she is about to be in for a very big surprise…and not the good kind.
Just then, she heard the front door open.
Sounded like the girls are home.
Bellemere smiled as she went to greet them, but when she did, she gasped in horror when she saw that Nami, for some reason, is covered in dirt, and she had a bruise on her cheek! Nojiko stood beside her, and she, too, looked like she had suffered a beating.
"Nami! Nojiko!" Bellemere cried. "What happened to you two?!"
"…Bellemere?" Nami asked. "C-can we go to Luffy's house?"
"What? Why?!" Bellemere questioned before her eyes narrowed in a stern expression. "What did you to him, Nami?! Did you get into a scuffle with him, again?!"
"No!" Nami said. "It's just…well…"
Flashback; 45 minutes ago
Nami and Nojiko were at the playground, sitting in the sandbox together and making a little sandcastle, which had been decorated with some shiny pebbles and colorful seashells that had Nami had collected.
"Here!" Nami said as she held up an orange feather. "Let's use this as the flag!"
"Good idea!" Nojiko said as she gently placed the tip of the feather into the very top of the sandcastle.
"It's perfect!" Nami said.
Just then, the sisters heard footsteps coming from behind. Looking back, they saw that it was none other than Luffy.
"Oh, hi, Luffy," Nojiko said.
"What are you doing here?" Nami asked, irritated.
"…can I play with you guys, too?" Luffy asked.
"No way," Nami answered. "Why would we wanna play with a weirdo like you?"
"Nami, we really should be nice to him," said Nojiko. "After all, his mom is Bellemere's friend."
"So?" Nami questioned. "He's still weird."
Nojiko sighed before she got up and turned to Luffy.
"Sure, Luffy," she said. "You can play with us. What do you wanna play?"
"Can we play pirates?" Luffy asked.
"Okay," Nojiko said. "How do you play pirates?"
"You pretend that you're on a pirate ship and having a big adventure out at sea!" Luffy said. "Uh…I know! Let's pretend that the seesaw is our ship, and I'm the captain!"
"Why are you the captain?" Nami asked.
"Because I can be!" Luffy said. "That's what I'm gonna be when I grow up!"
"You wanna be a pirate?" Nojiko asked.
"Mm-hmm!" Luffy said with a smile. "My Mom said I can be one!"
"Why would you wanna be a pirate?!" Nami asked. "Pirates are evil!"
"Well, my Mom says that not all pirates are bad guys," said Luffy.
"How does your mom know that?" Nami questioned. "Has she even seen a good pirate?"
"Well…I don't know," Luffy said. "I never asked her, but she says that I'm gonna grow up to be a great pirate, one day! Who knows? Maybe I'll get myself a crew and find the treasure of Gold Roger!"
"You mean One Piece?" Nojiko asked.
"Yeah!" Luffy answered. "If I find it, then I'll be the new King of the Pirates! Won't that be cool?"
"Please," Nami said. "From what I hear, people who go to the Grand Line never come back. They call that sea the Sea of Death."
"Nami!" Nojiko said.
"I mean, yeah, having treasure and money is great and all," said Nami, "but even I wouldn't risk my neck for it! So why bother? If you two wanna play pirates, then go ahead. I'm going home."
But as Nami turned to leave, she suddenly bumped into a boy of at least 12 with blonde hair, buck teeth, a red shirt with a picture of a snarling bulldog on it, green pants, and brown shoes. Behind this boy stood at least four more boys of equal age.
"Well, well," said the red-shirted boy. "Look who's playing in our sandbox again."
No sooner did he say this that he suddenly pushed Nami down, her bottom landing on the sand. Nojiko was at her side in an instance.
"Haven't you messed with us enough, Bulldog?!" Nojiko asked. "Go pick on someone else!"
"Yeah!" Nami said.
"And why should we?" the boy known as Bulldog asked. "It's more fun to mess with you girls. Right, boys?"
"Right, Bulldog!" the other boys shouted in agreement.
"Now get outta my sandbox!" Bulldog barked. "And get rid of this stupid sandcastle, too!"
KROOSH! Bulldog stomped on the sandcastle, completely crushing it.
"Hey!" Nami and Nojiko shouted.
"Stop it, Bulldog!" Nami barked as she attempted to hit Bulldog, only to get pushed back again.
"Get her, boys!" Bulldog ordered his vassals, who quickly moved in to deliver a beating, but then, Luffy suddenly stood in their way.
"What are you doing here, Goofy?" Bulldog asked. "I thought I told you that I don't wanna see you around here again!"
"You leave Nami and Nojiko alone, Bulldog!" Luffy shouted. "They're my friends!"
The sisters gasped when they heard Luffy speak those words, but Nami seemed more surprised than Nojiko.
Didn't she just hit Luffy in the head, yesterday? Why was he calling her his friend all of a sudden?
"Friends, huh?" Bulldog asked. "In that case, you can all get walloped together! KICK THEIR ASSES, BOYS!"
"YEAH~!" Bulldog's followers before they proceeded to lunge at Luffy, Nojiko, and Nami, and not long after, the sound of blows being landed is heard, followed by grunts and shouts of pain before Nami screamed Luffy's name.
Flashback end
"Oh, dear," Bellemere said. "Well, we should get you cleaned up first. Then we'll go see Luffy."
"But I wanna see him now!" Nami protested.
"Nami, he only got hit in the eye," Nojiko said. "It's not gonna kill him."
"I don't care!" Nami snapped. "I wanna see him right now! Please, Bellemere! I just wanna make sure he's okay! Please?!"
Bellemere seemed surprised at first, but then she smiled.
"All right," she said. "Let's go see Luffy right now."
Nami smiled at his.
"Thank you, Bellemere," she said.
And so, Bellemere brought Nami and Nojiko to Star's and Luffy's house to visit. Needless to say, Star was surprised at seeing the sisters all beaten up, but she allowed them to see her son, who is resting in his bedroom with an icepack over his left eye, which had gotten bruised and very swollen since Bulldog punched him.
When Nami asked how he was feeling, he just gave her this wide, toothy grin and said, "It's no big deal! That punch didn't really hurt at all!"
Nami still couldn't help but feel bad for what happened, though. She apologized for chastising Luffy about being a pirate, and promised that she would play pirates with him and Nojiko when his eye felt better, which seemed to cheer the boy up a bit.
"Hey, Luffy?" Nami asked. "How come you wouldn't talk to me when I met you, yesterday? And how come you told Bullfrog that Nojiko and I are your friends?"
Luffy got a bit quiet at this before he looked away.
"Well, to be honest," he said, "my Mom was right. I was a little shy. You're really pretty, Nami."
"I am?" Nami asked, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
"Yeah," Luffy answered, the same blush appearing on his cheeks, too. "I never met a girl like you. I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn't get my words out. Just when I was about to say something, you started to tease me, and then you hit me on the head and left."
"I just thought you were being mean," Nami said, sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Luffy. If I knew that you were just being shy, I wouldn't have done any of those things. I really am sorry."
"It's okay," Luffy said. "I'm not mad at you, anymore."
Nami smiled at Luffy, who smiled back at her, but then, smooch! Nami suddenly kissed Luffy on the cheek, which surprised…and disgusted him at the same time.
"Eww, yuck!" Luffy cried as he wiped his cheek. "What'd you kiss me for, Nami?!"
"I dunno," Nami said, teasingly. "Maybe…because I like you a little?"
Luffy stood at Nami in slight irritation and bewilderment.
"Girls are weird," he said.
XXX
A few days later, Luffy, Nami, and Nojiko started to hang out more. They would go to the playground every day to play pirates, and, like Luffy had proclaimed, he always played the captain. The girls had such fun with him, pretending to go on treasure hunts and fighting vicious sea monsters.
Also, Bulldog, or rather Buford, and his little entourage never bothered them again, due to both Star and Bellemere telling on the 12-year-old boy's mother.
As far as the trio was concerned, he was grounded for 4 weeks.
Despite all the fun times, they didn't last too long, for on May 5th, Luffy's sixth birthday…tragedy reared its ugly head.
XXX
"W-what?!" Nami cried. "Luffy's mom is gone?!"
Bellemere sadly nodded in reply, a few tears spilling from her eyes. She had given her daughters the news that Star had contracted a severe case of pneumonia three days prior to today, and since she waited too long to get help…she sadly passed away, earlier this morning. What's worse…she died right in front of Luffy.
"Poor Miss Star," Nojiko muttered, sniffling.
"But…but that's not fair!" Nami shouted. "It's Luffy's birthday today, isn't it?! Why did she have to die on his birthday?!"
"I don't know, Nami," Bellemere answered. "These things…they just happen, and there's nothing we can do about them. Star was a very good friend of mine, and I've actually been missing her when I found out she was going to die by today…but we have to at least try and be strong…for Luffy's sake."
Nami gasped in horror.
"Luffy!" she cried before she turned and ran out the door. She rushed out into the village, calling Luffy's name until she eventually found him outside Makino's Party's Bar, leaning against the door frame with his hair concealing his eyes. In his hand, there is a golden locket…a last minute birthday present from his mother.
"Luffy!" Nami called as she ran to her friend's side. "Luffy…I heard about what happened to your mom. Are you…okay?"
Luffy raised his head, revealing a big toothy smile on his face, much to Nami's surprise.
"I'm okay, Nami," said Luffy. "Really."
Why is he smiling?! Nami thought. His mother died before his very eyes, didn't she?!
"Luffy, why are you smiling?!" Nami asked in disbelief.
"I shouldn't waste my energy crying," said Luffy. "My Mom would want me to be strong, right? I can't be a great pirate if I start crying over little things, right?"
Nami's eyes went wide, and then, THWAK! She punched Luffy right in the jaw. Makino, who happened to be coming outside at the moment, and Nojiko, who left the house to find her sister, both gasped in surprise. Even Luffy was taken back by how forceful Nami's punch was.
"YOU IDIOT!" Nami shouted. "IF YOU'RE GONNA CRY, THEN CRY ALREADY!"
Luffy's eyes widened at those words.
"Luffy…I know it hurts because your mom meant so much to you," Nami said, tearfully, "but you can't just smile about it like it's nothing! Crying won't make you weak! It makes you stronger! Maybe not physically, but it helps you endure any hard times you come by! So if you're gonna cry, then cry already! If you really wanna be strong like she wants you to then…let it out, and then move on…okay?"
A pause, but then, plip-plip! A few tiny droplets of water fell the ground…from Luffy's eyes.
Luffy sniffled as waterfalls of tears fell from his eyes. Nami found herself in the same situation. Without warning, she grabbed Luffy into a tight embrace, refusing to let go for anything, and no sooner had she done so that Luffy let out a gut-wrenching sob, and that soon turned into a scream.
"MOOOOOOOOOMMYYYYYYY~!"
~One year later~
"NAMI! YOU COME BACK HERE WITH THAT BOOK, YOU LITTLE THIEF!"
Nami panted as she ran through the streets of the village, carrying a book in her arms as she ran. Chasing behind her is the book shopkeeper, literally fuming mad.
"I SAID COME BACK HERE, YOU BANDIT~!"
Nami braked to a halt and dove for the cover of a nearby alleyway, and no sooner had she done so that the shopkeeper ran by, leaving the eight-year-old unnoticed.
Nami heaved a sigh of relief and snickered.
"Sucker," she said.
Recently, Nami had begun to develop of stealing things. No one really knew why, for sure, but it was possibly due to the fact that she had started to notice that Bellemere didn't have much money. Not only that, but Nami also discovered that she had developed a talent for cartography, which is why she had stolen the book in the first place.
As Nami prepared to exit the alley…
"Hi, Nami!"
The girl gasped before she turned around, only to sigh in relief when she sees that it is only a seven-year-old Luffy, wearing a light blue shirt, blue jean shorts, a pair of sandals, and a tattered old straw hat. Also, he appears to have a scar under his left eye.
Last year, about a few weeks after Star's funeral, Luffy had grown rather depressed, but then one day, while hanging around the Party's Bar, he and Nami met a rather famous pirate: the legendary 'Red-Haired' Shanks! Shanks and his crew brought Luffy out of his funky when they began to regale him of their past exploits and adventures, and Luffy held so much admiration for his crew, that he wanted to join them the next time they set sail. He even stabbed himself under his eye with a knife to try and prove his courage to the pirate captain! Of course, Shanks turned him down every time, and he would often tease Luffy for being so young, but Nami really knew that the man was really doing it out of protection for her friend.
Then one day, in fact it was two weeks ago, a gang of mountain bandits came into the bar, demanding sake. Unfortunately, because Shanks and his men had taken most of it, the bandit leader, Higuma, became angry and outright humiliated Shanks in front of his whole crew and then leaving. However, instead of getting angry themselves, Shanks and his pirates just laughed it off, something that Luffy didn't take very well. He believed that Shanks should've fought back instead of laughing, but the red-haired man believed it was nothing to get worked up over.
Luffy wasn't convinced, so he attempted to leave the bar, but as Shanks tried to stop him…his arm seemed to stretch like rubber! That's when Nami pointed out that Luffy had eaten a strange fruit from inside a box. Lucky Roo, one of Shanks's men, revealed that in the midst of the commotion, Luffy had accidentally eaten the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit, which caused his body to turn into rubber…at the cost of never being able to swim, ever again.
Of course, Luffy was devastated, but at the same time, he was still mad at Shanks for not sticking up for himself, much to Nami's exasperation. Then one day, as Luffy was still brooding at Shanks, Higuma and his gang returned to get some more grog. As they drank, Higuma began to mock Shanks and his crew, saying that they were cowards for night trying to fight back, but then, Luffy surprised them by trying to stand up for Shanks. Nami tried to stop him, but then Higuma turned on both the children and threaten slit Nami's throat open, something that Luffy didn't react well to. Before anyone could stop him, Luffy tried to attack Higuma and his gang, only to end up getting beaten in the end.
While Makino, Nojiko, and Bellemere ran to find Mayor Woop-Slap, Nami ran to go find Shanks and his crew, who appeared in the nick of time. When they got there, they saw Luffy getting pummeled by Higuma and his men. The pirates immediately fought back, and Lucky Roo even shot one of the bandits in the head! Just when Higuma was about to get himself captured, he suddenly fled with Luffy. Shanks and his friends were prepared to go to the mountains to try and find them, but then Nami realized that there was one place that pirates wouldn't think to look for a mountain bandit: the ocean.
When she got there, she saw, to her horror, that Higuma had already kicked Luffy off the rowboat he had stolen, but just when the gloating bandit was about to make his escape, a giant sea monster appeared from the waters: the Lord of the Coast. Higuma was soon devoured, and knowing that Luffy could no longer swim, Nami attempted to dive in and save him, but someone beat her to the rescue: none other than Shanks himself. The Red Hair Pirate captain saved Luffy from the Lord of the Coast, scared him off with a vicious glare, and then thanked Luffy for standing up for him in the bar.
However, in the midst of saving Luffy…Shanks had lost his left arm to the beast.
A day later, Shanks and company had decided to leave the island for good. Luffy and Nami were sad to see him go, but Luffy had decided that he would become a pirate on his own, something that Shanks teased him about. That's when Luffy made a bold statement.
"I'll become a pirate greater than you!" Luffy shouted. "I'll gather up my own crew, go the Grand Line, and find the One Piece, and then…I'LL BE KING OF THE PIRATES! JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE!"
Shanks was so moved by Luffy's declaration, that he left the boy his prized possession: his straw hat. The two made a promise that once Luffy had achieved his goal, he would return the hat to Shanks, something that Luffy didn't take lightly.
A few days after that, Luffy's grandfather, Marine Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp, had taken Luffy away to Mt. Corbo to live with another gang of mountain bandits: the Dadan Family. Garp left Luffy in the jungle surrounding the mountain in order to turn him into a Marine, whether his grandson liked it or not. Naturally, Nami was worried that she might never see Luffy again, but then she learned that he would sometimes sneak his way back into Windmill Village, which meant that they could still hang out together.
Also, Nami learned that Luffy had gained a couple new members of his family: two older brothers.
But anyway, back to the story.
"Getting into trouble again, huh, Nami?" Luffy asked.
Nami stuck her tongue at Luffy while giving him the "OK" sign.
"You should talk," Nami said. "You pretty much bring trouble to yourself like how rotten food brings flies."
"Huh?" Luffy asked, shoving his pinkie up his nostril, something that Nami grimaced at.
"Anyway," Nami said, "let's get going before that shopkeeper comes back."
"Yeah," Luffy said. "Ace and Sabo don't like to wait, anyway."
"There you are!"
Nami gasped and turned when she saw the shopkeeper from earlier.
"And don't think your little boyfriend will save you this time!" the shopkeeper barked.
"Boyfriend?" Luffy repeated, bewildered. "Who, me?"
"Luffy…RUN!" Nami cried before she dove underneath the shopkeeper's legs, and Luffy, who is still trying to process what the man meant, followed after her.
"Hey! Where do you brats think you're going?!" the shopkeeper shouted before he gave chase after them. "Come back here, Nami! Bellemere's gonna have your head when she hears this!"
"Hey, Nami!" Luffy said as he ran alongside her. "What's a boyfriend?"
"What?!" Nami questioned. "Luffy, let's not talk about it now! Let's just go to Mt. Corbo and meet up with Ace and Sabo!"
"Okay!" Luffy said.
Soon, Luffy and Nami escaped from the shopkeeper after entering the mountain trail, and after the long walk, treacherous walk through the jungle, they finally reached the treehouse where Luffy lived with his brothers, Ace, a boy of at least ten years of age with black hair and freckles, as well as an orange shirt that had kanji for war in the front and the kanji for peace in the back, and Sabo, another boy the same age as Ace wearing some rather fancy yet tattered clothes, including a top hat with goggles, who soon came out to greet the two.
"Where the hell have you two been?" Ace asked a bit coldly.
"Get off my back, Ace," Nami said. "I just had to get a book."
"She stole it," Luffy pointed out.
BONK! Nami punched Luffy in the back of his head.
"OUCH!" Luffy cried. "Why'd you hit me?!"
"Because you have a big mouth," Nami said. "So, where are we going today? The city, again?"
"Yup," Ace said. "Gonna pull off another eat-n-run."
"Yeah," Sabo said. "Hunting for your food gets boring after a while."
"Yeah!" Luffy agreed. "And today, there's a special on barbecue!"
"Sounds nice," Nami said. "Just let me put this book away first, and then we can go."
"Every time we see you, you're always carrying out some stupid book," Ace said.
"Hey! Don't make fun of Nami!" Luffy spat. "She's gonna make a map of the whole world, one day! Right, Nami?"
"That's right," Nami answered as she climbed the ladder up to the treehouse.
"She's a really smart girl," Sabo noted. "I wouldn't be surprised if she became a navigator when she gets older."
"Yeah!" Luffy said. "Maybe she'll be my navigator when I start my pirate crew!"
"In your dreams," Ace muttered.
As the boys waited for Nami to put her book away, the older two noticed that Luffy seemed to be troubled by something.
"Hey, Luffy," Ace said. "What's up with you?"
"Do you guys know what a boyfriend is?" Luffy asked, making his brothers' eyes go wide in surprise.
"Uh…where'd this come from?" Sabo asked.
"Well, while Nami was running from the book shopkeeper, he called me her boyfriend," Luffy said. "What's a boyfriend, anyway?"
A pause, but then, Luffy heard the sound of snickering. He and Sabo turned around and they see Ace, trying to stifle his laughter until he broke out in a guffaw, falling on his back as he did.
"What's so funny?" Luffy asked.
"That crazy old man thinks that you and Nami are a couple!" Ace cackled.
"Wait…what?" Luffy asked.
"Uh…let me explain it to you, Luffy," Sabo said.
XXX
"Wait, WHAT?!" Luffy questioned.
Sabo nodded in response. He had just gotten through explaining what being a boyfriend meant.
"Eww~!" Luffy cried. "I don't wanna be Nami's boyfriend!"
"Luffy, I'm sure that shopkeeper didn't really mean it," Sabo said. "Besides, you're just kids. That doesn't mean you're really boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Oh," Luffy said. "Well…I still don't wanna be Nami's boyfriend, even when I do get bigger!"
"Well, Luffy," Sabo said, "you might say that now, but…when you get older, you're gonna start noticing Nami a bit more."
Luffy tilted his head, bewildered by what Sabo meant, but at that moment, Nami came down from the treehouse after she put her book away.
"Okay, I'm ready to go," Nami said.
"Great, let's go," Ace said. "I'm starved."
"Me, too!" Luffy said.
With that, the four children left for the city to get lunch. As they did, Nami, for some reason, started to hold Luffy's hand during the walk. At first, Luffy seemed a bit annoyed and tried to pull his hand away from her, but then, he started to find that it wasn't too bad. In fact, he started holding Nami's hand, too, even while they were running from those angry cooks.
After they made it back to the treehouse, Nami saw that it was starting to get late and it was about time she headed for home. Of course, Luffy decided to escort her back. Along the way, the two had a rather interesting conversation.
"Nami…remember that book shopkeeper guy called me your boyfriend?" Luffy asked her.
"Yeah," Nami answered, carrying her "liberated" cartography book. "Why?"
"Well," Luffy said as he scratched the back of his head, "I was wondering…would you like it if I was your boyfriend?"
"What?" Nami asked. "L-Luffy, where is this coming from?"
"Well, when I asked Sabo what it meant," Luffy began, "at first I thought it was kinda gross, but…now that I think about it…I realized I kinda like you."
"You mean as a friend, right?" Nami asked.
"Well…no," Luffy said. "I mean…I really like you, Nami."
"You do?" Nami asked, receiving a nod from Luffy in response. "But…why?"
"Well, like I said before," Luffy said, "you're really pretty, and…I also like how tough you can be sometimes, like you when punched Sabo for taking your ice cream!"
Nami laughed sheepishly at that one.
"Also," Luffy said, "you're really fun to be around, and you're really smart, too!"
"Aw, thanks, Luffy," Nami said with a blush on her cheeks.
"So what do you think about me?" Luffy asked
Nami furrowed her brow, looking deep in thought before she looked at Luffy with a smile.
"Well, Luffy," she said, "to tell you the truth, I kinda started liking you ever since you stood up to those bullies."
"Really?" Luffy asked.
"Mm-hmm," Nami hummed in reply. "Also, I think you're really brave…a little dumb, too, maybe, but still pretty brave, and…you're kinda cute when you smile."
Luffy blushed at those words before he gave Nami a big toothy grin, and Nami giggled before she kissed the boy on the cheek, but instead of wiping it off, Luffy giggled before he held Nami's hand and continued to walk her home…only for Nami to get a fierce scolding from Bellemere for stealing the book earlier today.
~3 weeks later~
Luffy and Ace are standing at the docks of Windmill Village in front of Nami and Nojiko while Bellemere carried some boxes onto a boat.
Today happened to be a rather sad day for the children. Bellemere had been invited to come and live in a new village: Cocoyashi Village. The only problem is that this village is located on a different in the East Blue, and that meant only one thing: Nami had to say goodbye to Luffy.
"So…this is really it then, huh?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah," Nami replied.
"Are you sure you guys don't wanna come?" asked Nojiko. "We have plenty of room where we're going."
"Maybe," Ace said, "but Bellemere doesn't have enough money to raise all of us. It's a generous offer, though. Thanks."
"Nami! Nojiko!" Bellemere called. "Hurry up and say goodbye, girls! We have to leave, soon!"
"We're coming!" Nojiko called before she turned to the boys with a solemn look.
"Well…you better get going," Ace said. "Don't let us hold you up."
Nojiko before she turned and boarded the boat.
"Nami, come on!" Bellemere called.
Nami just stood in front of Luffy, who looked liked he was trying to fight back tears.
"I wish I didn't have to go," Nami said. "I wish I could stay with you guys, but…I can't leave Bellemere and Nojiko."
"I know," said Luffy. "I'm gonna miss you, Nami."
"I'm gonna miss you, too," Nami said.
"I wish Sabo was here to say goodbye, too," Luffy said, "but…he's in a better place, now."
Nami sadly nodded her head.
"…we can still be boyfriend and girlfriend, right?" Luffy asked.
"Y…yeah," Nami answered with some hesitation.
A slight pause, but then, smooch! Luffy kissed Nami on her cheek, causing her to gasp silently and a blush to appear on her cheeks. She looked at Luffy, who smiled at her…sadly. Nami sniffled before she burst into tears, then she turned and boarded the ship.
"Ready to go, Nami?" Bellemere asked as she gently pet Nami's orange hair.
"Yes," Nami answered.
"Nami…don't feel too bad," Bellemere said. "When you have a sweetheart…it means you're fated to be together."
"…so…that means Luffy and I will see each other again?" Nami asked. "But when?"
"Well, I can't really say when," Bellemere answered, "but I know it's not forever."
Nami smiled a bit at those words.
With that, Bellemere and her two daughters sailed off in their moving boat, but as they did, Nami heard a voice call out to her.
"NAMI~!"
Nami turned around and saw Luffy, who stood at the very edge of the pier with tears falling from his eyes. Even Ace, who usually tries to be abrasive, couldn't help but shed tears.
"NAMI!" Luffy shouted. "IF WE EVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN…WILL YOU JOIN MY PIRATE CREW?!"
A pause came, but then a tearful Nami leaned over the railing, not too far so that she wouldn't fall in, and shouted "I PROMISE I WILL! EVEN IF I HAVE TO COME AND FIND YOU~!"
Luffy watched as the boat sailed on towards the horizon until it disappeared from his sight. He sniffled before she wiped away his tears and smiled.
"Yeah," he said. "We'll definitely see each other again."
~Ten years later~
Orange Town, in the East Blue, at exactly 9:45 am…
"HEY, YOU BITCH! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING WITH THAT MAP?!"
"COME BACK HERE, THIEF!"
A young orange-haired, brown-eyed woman of at least 18 years of age wearing a white shirt with blue stripes, a golden yellow skirt with white rings, and a pair of brown boots is running through the cobblestone streets of Orange Town, and not too far behind her a trio of thugs, armed with sabers.
What in the hell have I gotten myself into?! the woman thought as she ran. How could I be so stupid to think that I try and sneak into Buggy's base and steal his map without someone noticing me!
"HEY! DIDN'T YOU HEAR US?!" shouted the bald-headed thug with bolts in his skull. "COME BACK HERE WITH THAT MAP, RIGHT NOW!"
This is just insanity! the woman thought. I mean, it's not like all the answers to my problems will fall outta the sky!
"…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH~!"
BOOOM! Something suddenly crashed into the ground behind the girl with a colossal thud. The girl turned around and saw a boy of at least 17 emerging from the cloud of dust, surprisingly without a scratch on him. He has black hair and a small scar underneath his left eye, and he wears a red vest, a pair of blue jean shorts, sandals on his feet, and a tattered old straw hat on his head.
For some reason, the girl couldn't help but feel she recognized him…but from where?
"Well, that was a surprise," said the boy, "and…that was really awesome."
The girl seemed surprised at first by this boy's rather surprising entrance, but then she smirked.
He might be of use to me, she thought.
"Man," the boy said, his hands over his stomach.
"Boss, it's you!" the woman said, happily. "You came to help me, right?"
"Huh?" the boy asked. "Who're you?"
The girl didn't answer. She just turned and ran off, leaving the boy at the mercy of the brutes.
"They're all yours, boss!" she called. "Have fun!"
The boy turned around to face the three men, who stared down at him menacingly.
"You're in trouble now, kid," said the man with the checkered bandana. "You should've just let your crony fend for herself!"
"Crony?" the boy repeated. "What are you talking about?"
"You know what we're talking about!" shouted the man with the little ponytail. "Give us back that map!"
"What map?" the boy questioned. "I'm just trying to look for some food!"
"Food's the least of your problems, now!" barked the bald-headed man, who punched the boy in the face. In doing so, he caused his straw hat to fall off his head. The boy gasped before he turned to the bald-headed thug and BAP! He punched him, right in between his eyes! The man fell to the ground while the boy held his hand out behind him, and his straw hat fell right into his palm.
"You better keep your hands off my hat," the boy growled as he placed the head-wear back on his crown.
"YOU LITTLE PUNK!" the other two thugs shouted before they attempted to lunge at him, sabers drawn.
XXX
The boy dusted off his hands, looking down at the now unconscious thugs.
"Jerks," he grumbled.
"Wow! You're really strong, aren't you?!"
The boy turned around and saw the young woman from earlier.
"Hey!" the boy said. "You're that girl who set me up! Who are you?!"
"Oh, I'm just talented who steals from pirates," said the woman. "The name's Nami!"
The boy gasped.
"N…Nami?" he repeated.
"Yeah," Nami answered. "That's my name."
Suddenly, the boy ran to her and captured her in an embrace, much to her surprise.
"Nami!" the boy cried, joyfully. "It's you! I can't believe it!"
"Do I know you?!" Nami asked, angrily as she tried to push the boy away from her, but then he looked up at her…and gave her this broad toothy grin that she instantly seemed to recognize.
"…Luffy?" Nami asked before she smiled. "OH, MY GOD! IT'S YOU!"
Soon, the two began to laugh and scream and embrace each other happily, saying things like "I can't believe it's you!" and "What are you doing here?!" as well as "It's been so long!"
Just then, and completely out of nowhere, Luffy kissed Nami…right on her lips. She seemed surprised at first, but then, with some hesitation…she kissed him back, and it looked they stayed that way for hours.
After ten years…these two childhood sweethearts have been reunited.
After maybe 30 seconds, they broke away to breathe.
"So, uh…yeah," Nami said. "It's been a while, huh?"
"Yeah," Luffy said.
"Luffy…what were you doing?" Nami asked.
"I was kissing you," Luffy answered.
"No," Nami said, "I mean…how did you fall from the sky?"
"Oh, that!" Luffy said. "I accidentally got picked up by a big bird."
"Somehow, I'm not surprised," Nami said. "You were always getting yourself eaten by something when we were younger."
"Yeah," Luffy said. "I hope Zoro and Blizzard will be okay. I mean, I'm sure they can find me! Blizzard does have a really great nose!"
"Wait…you mean Zoro the Pirate Hunter?" Nami asked.
"Yeah!" Luffy said. "He's part of my pirate crew, now!"
"I see," Nami said. "Then who's Blizzard?"
"Oh, he's my dog!" Luffy said. "He actually joined my crew first!"
"I guess that makes me the forth, huh?" Nami asked.
"Huh?" Luffy asked.
"Remember, Luffy?" Nami asked. "I promised that I'd join your crew, ten years ago when I was moving away."
"Oh, right!" Luffy said. "I guess this means you're part of my crew, now!"
"Um…Luffy?" Nami asked. "Listen…I don't think I can join up with you…just yet."
"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "How come?"
"Well…I need your help first," Nami said. "Is that okay?"
"Okay!" Luffy said. "What do you need help with?"
"Well…I need you to help me steal some treasure," Nami said.
Luffy stared at Nami for a moment, but then he gave her his signature grin that she loved so much.
"Where do we start?" he asked.
THE END…?
Review, please!