Nami's and Nojiko's Mother: Belle Mere.
Nami came to her old childhood home where Nojiko was.
Not long after returning, she destroyed a lot of things in frustration.
Now, she sat at a table, laying over a treasure map she got back from Arlong Park (after the fishmen returned it without her knowing).
"What's wrong Nami?" Nojiko asked.
"Nothing! I just want to take a rest for a while," Nami replied.
"Take a rest? But you don't have to destroy stuff while taking a rest. And if there really was nothing going on, you wouldn't have brought out that map," Nojiko said, "You promised me that you would tell me everything."
"It's just something stupid," Nami replied.
Nojiko sighed.
"It's them, right?" Nojiko asked, "I met one of them."
"What?" Nami asked.
"Yeah! The captain that loves to lie," Nojiko explained.
After hearing that, Nami finally gave in and told Nojiko what happened.
"I see. They came back to get you because they thought you were their friend," Nojiko said.
Unfortunately, Nami fell asleep after telling her that much.
"Friend, that's the word that hurts this kid's feelings the most," Nojiko said.
…
The rest of the Straw Hat crew continued to sit where they were at while their captain sleep.
"Shouldn't someone wake up Luffy?" Usopp asked, "I mean, what if he unleashed Haki in his sleep?"
"Can someone even do that?" Sanji asked.
"I don't know, but once Luffy got hypnotized and went berserk and unleashed a huge amount of Haki and knocked out a good portion of the crew and removed the front of the ship single handedly," Zoro responded, "If the hypnotist that hypnotized him in the first place didn't done that again, who knows what would happened. Although, when he did, Luffy just removed the front of the ship. So when he fell backwards asleep, the front of the ship fell back with him and knocked out more of the crew."
"Seriously?" Gin asked, "That guy did all that!"
"Then maybe, our key to defeating Arlong, is to hypnotized Luffy again," Sanji said.
"Maybe, but Usopp and I know better than to risk it," Zoro said.
"What do you mean?" Sanji asked.
"When Luffy was hypnotized, it seemed nothing could stop him. And, you think he's unpredictable now, he's at least 50 times worse hypnotized," Usopp explained, "Even we didn't know what Luffy will do next, and we were watching him the whole time."
"That's why Usopp, Nami and I agreed never to let Luffy get hypnotized again," Zoro said.
"Hmm… if it was that bad, maybe we should agree to avoid it too," Gin said.
"I rather wait and see before I agree to anything these two says," Sanji said pointing at Zoro.
"Meaning, you rather wait until Nami tells you herself," Zoro responded, "Which might or might not happened. But if Nami doesn't rejoin us, and Luffy does get hypnotized again, you'll regret it."
"Tch!" Sanji responded.
There was a long yawned.
They turned to Luffy who was finally waking up.
"That was a great nap!" Luffy asked.
"Well hello sleepy head," Zoro greeted.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" Luffy asked.
"Just sitting here talking while waiting for you to wake up," Usopp replied.
"Really? Why?" Luffy asked.
"Because we still need to decide what to do now!" Gin replied.
"Really? What did you decided on?" Luffy asked.
"We haven't decided on anything!" Sanji yelled.
"Why?" Luffy asked.
"Because we were waiting for you to wake up!" Zoro Usopp Sanji and Gin yelled.
"Geeze! No wonder Nami is so frustrated after talking to you," someone said.
They look to see it was Nojiko.
"Nojiko," Usopp responded.
"Whose that?" Luffy asked.
"Nami's elder sister," Usopp replied.
"Nami's sister! No wonder she's so beautiful!" Sanji said with hearts in his eyes.
"What do you mean by that?" Zoro asked.
"Oh yeah! I forgot that Nami had a sister!" Luffy responded.
"You knew?" Usopp yelled.
"Yeah! Nami mentioned about her when I met her," Luffy responded.
"And you didn't tell us about this why?" Usopp asked.
"She told me it was none of my business so I didn't bring it up," Luffy replied.
"Knowing Luffy, that was the last thing he probably fully listen to before spacing out the rest of their conversation," Zoro said.
"Uh-huh!" Gin agreed.
Nojiko could still hear them and sweat dropped.
She cleared her throat, getting their attention.
"I only came here to tell you everything about Nami. In return, please don't get involve with our business and leave this island," Nojiko told them.
…Meanwhile…
Nezumi and his men had arrived on the island, claiming to be there to help them, but really was helping Arlong to help himself.
…Straw Hats…
Luffy was now arguing with his crew about listening to Nami's past.
"I don't want to listen to that, because I don't care about her past!" Luffy replied.
That earned him a kick from Sanji into the ground.
It didn't hurt Luffy, but that didn't stop Sanji from stepping on his face, smushing his face into the ground.
"Listen caref Luffy! We all had to listen to your past about your brothers and your foster mother, including Nami. So the least you can do is listen to Nojiko about Nami's past!" Sanji said.
"How do you know I told Zoro Nami and Usopp about my past?" Luffy asked.
"We talked about it while you were asleep," Usopp replied.
"I have to agree with cury brow there," Zoro said.
"But I don't want to!" Luffy complained.
"Well, there's one solution," Gin said.
They tied Luffy up to a tree and tied his arms so he couldn't plug his ears.
"Let me go!" Luffy complained.
"We will, once Nojiko finish telling us what she has to say," Sanji told Luffy.
The others didn't know, and what Zoro forgot about being told, Luffy was tied up before, and knows how to break out of ropes.
"Don't worry about Luffy. Just tell us the story," Zoro told Nojiko while resting at a tree.
"What about you?" Nojiko asked Zoro as he fell asleep.
"You agreed to make Luffy listen to the story and then you take a nap before she told you?" Usopp yelled.
"And I agreed to leave the Krieg pirates and join them," Gin said.
"Fine I'll listen!" Usopp said.
"Me too!" Sanji agreed.
"Yeah I'll listen," Gin agreed.
"Zzzz"
"Let me go!"
"We should of gagged Luffy's mouth while at it," Gin said.
"No wonder these guys give Nami headaches," Nojiko said.
…Orange Tree Farm….
Nami woke up from her nap and saw that she was alone.
She looked at the oranges.
"Soon Belemere. Soon everything will come back to me. Kokoyashi village, the orange form, and my dream," Nami thought as she looked at her map.
…Straw Hats…
"It happened 8 years ago," Nojiko said, "Even before Arlong took over, Nami and I lived with what our adopted mother could give us. Unfortunately for Nami, sometimes that wasn't enough…"
…Flashback…
10 year old Nami had just stolen a book from a bookstore and 10 years younger Genzo had caught her.
"Let me go! It's just one book!" Nami yelled, "Don't be so stingy. They got a lot already!"
"Don't be stupid. They are a bookstore. So they are supposed to have many books!" Genzo scolded, "How many times have I told you not to steal?"
"But my house is poor! I have no choice!" Nami cried as she stuck out her tongue, "Don't be so stingy."
…
Genzo forcefully took Nami back to her childhood home.
"Belle Mere! Belle Mere! Come out here!" Genzo yelled as he bang at the door, "Your little kitten has made some trouble again!"
A woman with long dark red hair that was style in a way that it looked shaved in the side, wearing a light blue checkered buttoned shirt with the word 'Mace on the front, dark pants and a cigarette in her mouth.
This was Nami's and Nojiko's adopted mother Belle Mere.
"That's so noisy. What is it?" Belle Mere asked.
Belle Mere noticed that Genzo brought Nami.
"You're home already, Nami?" Belle Mere asked.
"Yes, Belle Mere!" Nami replied.
"Don't be so happy!" Genzo yelled.
"I want you to take care of her! How many times has this sort of thing happened?" Genzo asked, "Everyone in the village knows about this already."
"But she's still young. How about you, Genzo? When you were young, you also used to steal from others," Belle Mere said.
"Because of your backup, these kids have become so bad!" Genzo yelled.
"I know. I know. You must have paid for her, right?" Belle Mere asked and offered herself in a flirty way (A/N: That I rather not go into much details in this story).
"Stop making fun of me!" Genzo yelled as he was bright red in embarrassment.
…Later…
"I am so sorry Belle Mere, but I really wanted this book," Nami apologized.
"If you wanted it, why didn't you tell me?" Belle Mere asked.
"You're so silly Nami," 12 year old Nojiko responded, "If I were you, they wouldn't be able to catch me!"
Belle Mere hit her daughters for that.
Although she seemed to go easy on them in front of Genzo, she was a stern parent.
"Don't be thieves!" Belle Mere scowled at her daughters.
"That Hurt!" Nami cried.
"I was just kidding!" Nojiko cried.
Finally the two calmed down.
"But Belle Mere. You won't buy this book for me," Nami said.
"It's just a book. Why wouldn't I buy it for you?" Bell Mere asked.
"Because we're poor," Nami stated.
Belle Mere sighed at Nami.
"Nami, Nojiko, this year, the weather is good and every farm has many oranges. So the price of oranges is dropping, and I can't make a good amount of money," Belle Mere told her daughters, "Understand?"
"Understand!" Nami and Nojiko replied.
…Later…
After eating, Belle Mere looked at a map that Nami made herself, while Nami read her new book.
"Wow! A map of this island! After sea map, you learned how to do land maps? That's amazing!" Belle Mere complemented.
"Yes. Right now, I'm studying about how to navigate a ship," Nami explained.
"It's your dream, right?" Nojiko asked.
"Yes. I wish to travel around the world with my navigation technique, and with it I will make a map of the world!" Nami replied.
"A map of the world? That's very interesting. SO this map is the first step towards the dream!" Belle Mere stated.
Nami noticed something about her adopted mother.
"You haven't eaten anything lately Belle Mere," Nami said.
"I already ate oranges. I'm on a diet now," Belle Mere said.
"Then I won't eat either," Nami responded.
"What are you saying? Children should eat a lot," Belle Mere stated.
"Then you must be lying about why you're not eating!" Nojiko said, "You're not eating because we don't have any money."
"Is that true?" Nami asked.
"I'm on a diet. Don't underestimate the power of oranges. Even though I turned 30 years old, I still have a very healthy skin," Belle Mere explained as she rubbed her face with her hands, "It's all because of these oranges."
"But your hands are pale!" Nami responded.
"Just shut up and eat!" Belle Mere yelled.
Then Belle Mere took out a handy-down dress with a lion on the front with the words 'lion' bellow it and stripes under that.
"Here Nami! A beautiful dress by Belle Mere," Belle Mere said.
"I don't want it," Nami complained, "It's Nojiko's old dress."
"You have no choice because you are 2 years younger than me," Nojiko told Nami.
"But I want to wear a new dress too," Nami argued.
"I wear the old ones too. You're my younger sister, so get used to it!" Nojiko yelled.
"I'm going to the orange farm," Bellemere said.
However, the two weren't listening.
"But you're not my real sister," Nami argued, "We're not even related!"
Belle Mere slapped Nami so hard that Nami fell on the ground.
"Nami!" Nojiko yelled, "Belle Mere!"
"We're not related! So what?" Belle Mere asked, "You don't have to care about that. From now on, don't talk about that again!"
"But Belle Mere, you're not our real mother. If you didn't have us, you would live better! If you didn't adopt us, you could buy food, beautiful clothes, or whatever you wanted to buy," Nami cried, "I wish I was adopted by a rich family!"
Nami ran off before Belle Mere could respond.
"Nami!" Nojiko cried.
"Nami," Belle Mere said, obviously hurt emotionally by what Nami said from the moment Nami said she wasn't blood related to Nojiko.
"You don't believe her, do you?" Nojiko asked, "You don't wish you haven't adopted us, do you?"
Belle Mere looked at Nojiko.
"Nojiko, even though you act like a kid sometimes, you are very mature for your age," Belle Mere said, "Can you bring Nami back here? I'll prepare a delicious dinner for both of you."
"Okay!" Nojiko agreed.
…
Nami went to the only person she could think of, and that was Genzo.
Although she and Nojiko didn't admit it, they consider Genzo as a father figure.
Belle Mere does know about it, but she never complained and for a good reason.
"So, you're coming to me?" Genzo asked.
"Yes. I ran away from home," Nami replied.
Genzo laughed at her.
"From outside the village to inside the village? You call that running away? What an idea," Genzo laughed.
"If she didn't have us, Belle Mere would be happier," Nami said.
"Why do you think that?" Genzo asked.
"Because of us, Belle Mere is poor. And because of me, the villagers hate her," Nami admitted.
"Oh don't worry about that! The villagers didn't like her before she had you," Genzo laughed.
"What?" Nami asked.
"Yeah! When she was your age, she was a troubled child, just like you," Genzo explained.
"Really?" Nami asked a bit surprise.
"Don't be surprise. Anyone here would tell you the same thing," Genzo explained, "It shocked everyone that Belle Mere became a marine and left the village."
"Really?" Nami asked.
"Then one rainy day, she came back badly injured carrying you and Nojiko, while you two were sick. We insist to help her, but she did insisted to get you two treated first," Genzo explained, "You were only a year old, and Nojiko was only 3."
"But wasn't I abandoned under a bridge?" Nami asked.
"No. That was a lie. I head that it was the time which she was almost killed in a war and was near death, she found you two. Funny thing was that when she saw you, you were laughing, as if not aware of what was going on. You two gave her the strength to live," Genzo explained, "Your relationship was thicker than blood."
At that moment, Nojiko came into the house.
"There you are!" Nojiko yelled.
"Nojiko," Nami responded.
"She has come to take you home," Genzo said, "You better go."
"Pirates!" a villager yelled.
…Outside…
The Arlong Pirates had arrived and was already took over the whole island.
He told the villagers that every man woman and children on the island had to pay a tax to survive every month.
Adults had to play 100,000 berries, while the children had to pay 50,000 berries.
Of course that means for families that the person in charge has to pay for every single person in their family.
"What are we going to do Nojiko?" Nami aksed, "Will Belle Mere be okay?"
"She must be okay! They can't find our house because they can't see it from the village," Nojiko explained.
As if by bad luck Arlong noticed smoke coming from the direction of Belle Mere's house.
The Arlong Pirates headed off to the house.
Nami and Nojiko followed as fast as the two could run.
…
When they arrived, Belle Mere had Arlong on the ground with a gun at his head.
"Sorry, but I used to be a Marine," Belle Mere said, "Your pirates from the Grand Line, right? You've come a long way. What do you want with this village?"
However Arlong bite down on the gun and destroyed it.
"What?" Belle Mere responded.
"You're just a puny human. You can't hurt me," Arlong said.
Arlong forced Bellemere off her and into the ground.
"Belle Mere!" Nami yelled as she and Nojiko came out.
"Nojiko! Nami! Get back!" Belle Mere yelled.
"So, you do have some kids," Arlong said, "Well then, since I'm feeling generous, I'll let you live as long as you pay double the tax."
"Belle Mere!" Genzo yelled running up to them.
"Genzo! Protect my daughters!" Belle Mere said.
"What?" Nami and Nojiko responded.
"Listen! I only have 100,000 berries in my savings. I'll give it too you if you leave my daughters alone!" Belle Mere requested.
"Oh really?" Arlong asked.
"Belle Mere! Don't!" Genzo responded.
"Belle Mere!" Nami cried as she ran to her adopted mother.
Nojiko
Arlong got off Belle Mere, allowing her to sit up so that she can hug her daughters the moment they came to her.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean what I said!" Nami cried.
"Don't leave us!" Nojiko cried.
"It's okay! I wanted to get you everything you want, but couldn't," Belle Mere said, "I wasn't a good mother."
"Don't say that! We don't care! We just want to be with you!" Nami cried.
"Belle Mere used to be in the Marine, right? You have to be good! Just kill them!" Nojiko cried.
"If I finish the map of the world, who will look at it? Belle Mere has to stay and look at it!" Nami cried.
"How touching. It's really touching," Arlong said, "How about this, since you were a marine officer: a pirate's natural enemy, if you give your life, I would cut the tax from these girls," Arlong said.
"And you won't hurt them?" Belle Mere asked.
"Yes! I won't hurt them," Alrong agreed with an evil grin.
"Somebody help us!" Nami cried.
Genzo started shooting but Kuroobi cut him for it.
"Stop Genzo!" Belle Mere yelled, "I need you alive to watch over my daughters as the father figure you are to them!"
"But Belle Mere," Genzo responded.
Belle Mere stood up with Alrong's gun pointed at her.
"Nojiko, Nami, I love you very much!" Belle Mere said.
"No!" the girls cried.
"My daughters. No matter how dark things get, always look at the bright side of things and be patient. Because one day, good things will happen,"the last thought went through Belle Mere's head as Arlong shot her in the head, killing her instantly.
"Bele Mere!" Nami and Nojiko cried.
"Under my control. A person with no money isn't allowed to live!" Arlong laughed, "You puny humans should understand this!"
"Captain Arlong! I found a lot of maps!" Hachi yelled coming out of Belle Mere's house.
"Give them back! Those are mine!" Nami yelled.
"No Nami!" Nojiko yelled as Hachi picked up Nami.
Arlong looked through the maps.
"Ho! This is very good! This kid wrote these maps?" Arlong asked, "Hachi take her with us!"
"Sure thing," Hachi said, "Sorry little girl, but it's captain's orders!"
"Let me go!" Nami yelled.
"Wait! You've already got these kids' money! You told us that you wouldn't hurt them!" Genzo yelled.
"Yes! I just want to borrow her, but I promised that I won't hurt her," Arlong said.
"Genzo Help!" Nami yelled.
"Don't do anything to these kids!" Genzo yelled.
Kuroobi cut Genzo's face with a sword.
"Genzo!" Nami yelled as Arlong and Hachi took her away.
…
Days later, Nami returned to the village.
She told the villagers that she joined the Arlong Pirates, Arlong wasn't too bad, and that she made friends with one of the fishmen (Hachi).
This caused the villagers to start hating her and called her a witch.
Only two Genzo and Nojiko didn't think badly of her, but Genzo hid it well.
Nojiko was still acting as Nami's big sister.
They understood that Nami only did what she did to prevent others from dying.
Later that day, Nami told Nojiko that she could buy back the village if she steals 100,000,000 berries.
It wasn't until a year later that Nami started doing so by stealing from pirates.
...End of Flashback…
"Since then, Nami been stealing money from pirates and saving it up to buy back our village. Just so no one would die for her sake," Nojiko said.
"How sad!" Usopp cried.
"So sad!" Sanji cried.
"Pathetic," Gin said.
"Zzzz"
"Now do you understand why you must leave?" Nojiko asked.
"Yes, but it's not our choice. It's Luffy's," Gin said.
"Speaking of which. He was quiet for a long time," Usopp said.
"Yeah, too long," Sanji said.
They turned to the tree where they left Luffy and saw that Luffy had somehow broke free sometime during Nojiko was telling her story.
"That idiot broke free!" Sanji yelled.
"How did he even break out?" Usopp asked.
"He must of used Haki," Gin said, "I don't know how, but he must have."
"Zzzz"
"Well where could he be?" Nojiko asked.
"Who knows?" Sanji replied, "He could have went to find Nami, or he left to battle Arlong."
"Either way, we could be in trouble," Gin said.
"Hey what's with all the yelling?" Zoro asked.
"Luffy broke free!" Usopp yelled.
"Oh," Zoro responded, "Well, we better go find him."
"We need to keep a better eye on Luffy than this later," Sanji said.
"Tell me about it," Usopp said.
They got ready to go.
"Geeze, I tell them to not leave, and this happens," Nojiko said, "How did Nami get mix up with these guys?"
"That's us Straw Hat Pirates for you," Gin said, "In several ways, each of us holds a burden."