Betareader of this chapter is Checkmate-13!

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Chapter 7. The Girl with the Darkness Within

"So boring…" whined Luffy, sprawled out on the bottom of their small boat, unenthusiastically watching the clouds.

"I wish I had some booze…" seconded Zoro, leaning against the side of the boat with his three swords propped against his shoulder, lazily observing the sky.

The straw hatted teen sat up. With a small frown marring his face, he scanned the horizon around them. A small fleck in the ocean caught his attention. He squinted. "What's that?"

The swordsman followed his captain's line of sight. "Isn't that people in the water?"

Luffy hummed before grinning. "Let's go fish them out. Maybe they know where the next island is."

Zoro just shrugged indifferently.

The three castaways noticed the approaching boat and started yelling and waving their hands. Once it was close enough, they swam to it and climbed inside. Both pirates watched them impassively, not even moving from their sitting positions.

"Ahhh, I thought I was gonna die!" wailed one man with a black cap.

"Yeah, floating in the sea for a day and night is not fun," agreed the brown-haired man.

"Whew… Thank God!" exclaimed the third man with orange, curly hair.

The first one eyed their two savers and then drew his saber. "How lucky of us for you to come save us," he grinned smugly. "We're the crew of Buggy-sama and this is his territory. We're taking over this boat!"

Zoro glared at him. Luffy shoved his pinky into his nose, suddenly lifted a leg and kicked the man across the dinghy. The poor bastard smashed into the bowsprit, flipped over it, and splashed back into the water. The teen flicked a booger after him.

The brown and orange haired men just gawked at the boy. Their brains were trying to comprehend the fact that his leg had just stretched.

Luffy prepared to kick out the two others, but Zoro stopped him.

"Wait, I have an idea." The swordsman stood up and cracked his knuckles, at the same time showing them a devilish smile. "My captain and I have been drifting around for several days now. Would you be so kind as to bring us to the nearest island?"

Nami knew she was in trouble. As her foot suddenly twisted painfully in her mad rush through the empty town, and she fell down to the ground grazing her knees and elbows, she realized that 'trouble' was an understatement. She was in deep shit.

Just yesterday everything was going so smoothly. She tricked some wannabes pirates and sailed off with their boat and their treasure. After that, she successfully stole the map to the Grand Line from Buggy and almost got away with it. Almost.

There was no distraction that Nami could have used to shake her pursuers, so she was left with only one option – to give the map back. Her life was far more important than a map, which she could easily steal back again. So the thief threw it to the pirates who tried to catch her, and while they were busy with that, she fled.

Unfortunately, Buggy sent his lackeys to guard every exit from the town as soon as he got his map back. There was no escape and no mercy for the thief.

She really should have left this ghost town right after her successful escape. Why she decided to stick around for longer, she had no clue. Nami was aware that greed someday may be her demise. She just hoped that it would happen after she freed Cocoyasi Village, together with Nojiko, Gen-san and other people who were dear to her.

The thief was able to hide through the night without being spotted. She even had a plan on how to escape, but at the last moment that stupid lion and his owner had to notice her.

And now Nami was going to die before fulfilling her dream, and finally freeing herself from the clutches of that despicable Fishman.

Nami tried to catch her breath after the fall. Her whole body ached, her ankle was burning with a sharp pain. The loud growling from behind made her flinch. The thief whipped her head to look at her assailant. The enormous lion was slowly walking towards its lying prey. The man on his back, Buggy's first mate Mohji, was smirking smugly.

The beast tensed up to pounce…

A loud and carefree laughter suddenly rang from one of the alleys, drawing the attention of everyone, before two strangers casually strolled into view.

A black-haired teenage boy with a straw hat was wearing the biggest, sunniest grin across his face as he excitedly motioned his hands around his head. "–of bees. My face became thiiiiiiis wide!"

The green-haired man with three swords strapped to his waist laughed from his companion's story, and was the first to notice the people in the street they'd just stepped on. He surveyed the scene. His eyes lingered a bit longer on the girl, then flickering to the lion and finally to his rider.

The hatted teen pointed a finger at the lion and beamed at his nakama. "Let's eat that!" he proposed.

Zoro eyed the beast skeptically. "Is it even edible?"

Luffy hummed. "My home island only had tigers, but I bet lion tastes as good as them," he licked his lips. "Meat is meat! It always tastes good!"

"Really?" the swordsman doubted.

The lion growled angrily.

"The heck are you two talking about?! Richie is not food!" The man on its back shouted in outrage. After a moment he composed himself and flashed a cocky smirk at the two strangers. "I'm Buggy's pirate crewmember, the Beast Tamer Mohji, and this is my pet, Richie the lion."

Nami tried to stand up, but just moaned as the pain surged through her ankle. Her mind was working a mile a minute assessing the situation. The green-haired guy with three swords looked like the pirate hunter everybody had been talking about lately. His friend was probably also a bounty hunter, even if he seemed a bit too young for the job. If she played her cards right, they would definitely help a poor girl in trouble.

Desperately grabbing for this chance, Nami cried out, "Boss, you came! I thought I was a goner!"

Zoro regarded her with a bored and uninterested expression. Luffy just tilted his head to one side, puzzled.

"You know her, Luffy?"

"Nope."

Mohji jumped down from his mount and folded his arms in front of his chest to show his absolute confidence. "Ohhh, so you're her boss, Green-head," he said, completely dismissing the short kid with the straw hat. "Your little thief really infuriated my captain. How about making amends for what she did?"

"Why would I do that? I don't even know her."

The beast tamer snorted. "Don't try to shirk your responsibilities. What kind of boss are you?" He stepped in front of both strangers, his lion towering over him in a threatening manner.

Zoro gritted his teeth in annoyance, but before he could retort, Luffy chimed in, "That's the weirdest fur cap I've ever seen!" He stared at the man's hair which had two small furry ears.

"You idiot, watch what you're saying! THIS IS MY HAIR!" screeched Mohji. "Your hat is what is weird here! Who could wear such an old, battered thing?"

Mohji smirked and lifted his hand to swat the straw hat from Luffy's head. The teen's face darkened. His fingers curled around Mohji's wrist with great strength. "Don't touch my hat," he warned. His eyes didn't hold any mercy as he tightened his grip and snapped the wrist like a twig.

Zoro slightly cringed and stepped back when he heard the bones cracking and the agonized scream from the beast tamer. Luffy was able to be ruthless when he wanted to. No one could have expected such cold-bloodedness from a scrawny kid who was usually only smiles and sunshine.

Nami suddenly felt shivers running through her body as she watched the straw hatted boy. Her self-preservation instincts kicked in, screaming at her to flee.

Mohji's wail abruptly stopped as Luffy pulled him closer and send him flying with a powerful kick. The man crashed into his pet lion, and flung them both across the street and into the house, destroying it in the process.

Nami flattened herself against the ground with a scared yelp as the beast's huge body flew past her.

Growling, the lion pushed debris off of itself and stood up with a loud roar. It glared at the hatted human who stepped a bit closer. Luffy suddenly shot both hands towards the animal while twisting them together, gripped it by its mane, and pulled it to himself as he unwound his arms, causing the great beast to soar through the air, spinning rapidly. The pirate smashed it head first into the concrete, which cracked under the impact.

Nami panicked. He was certainly not a normal kid! He was dangerous! Probably more dangerous than Buggy! Maybe even more dangerous than Arl–

The thief shook her head, trying to dispel that line of thought. She bit her lip. The kid was strong, but no human was stronger than a Fishman.

The straw hat slipped from Luffy's head and landed near Zoro. The swordsman picked it up.

"Jerks," muttered the black-haired boy, "trying to touch my hat."

Zoro froze with that specific hat in his hand. His eyes widened when he realized that it was him who was now touching it.

"I don't even want to eat you anymore!" still in a miffed mood, Luffy announced to the unconscious or maybe even dead lion.

The swordsman gulped nervously. Well, Luffy himself gave the straw hat to him just yesterday morning. It's not like he'd react to his nakama touching it in the same hostile way, right?

Luffy turned around and looked at his beloved hat being held by Zoro.

RIGHT?!

A huge grin broke across the teen's face. "Thanks, Zoro!" he happily exclaimed, quickly walking over to him and taking it.

The green-haired pirate let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. His new captain was such a troublesome person.

"Thanks for the help, guys," said Nami, cautiously. She knew nothing about these two. They were dangerous, especially the hot-headed raven boy. What kind of monster could stretch his limbs? Who in his right mind would beat up another person just because he tried to touch his hat? Not that Nami was ungrateful of what he did, but it unnerved her. She needed to tread carefully. "My name's Nami."

"I'm Luffy," smiled the boy, placing his straw hat back on his head.

"Zoro," grunted his companion. "Are you hurt?"

Nami sat up. At least they were civil, in a way. She flinched as she tried to move her leg. "My foot…"

The swordsman approached her, and squatted down to examine it. Luffy stopped right behind him and curiously observed what he was doing.

"You sprained your ankle. Nothing serious, you need to wrap it up tightly and give it a rest," concluded Zoro. He frowned when he saw the disbelieving face of the girl. "I lived in a dojo my entire childhood, this kind of injury was common there," he explained.

"Oh." Nami was surprised by that, but then she decided to ask what was bothering her. "You're Roronoa Zoro, the pirate hunter, right? Do you plan on claiming Buggy's bounty?"

The green-haired man smirked. "I quit the bounty hunting business when my captain here invited me into his crew."

"Shishishishi," Luffy chuckled. "We're pirates!"

The thief felt dread settle in. Pirates! She just jumped from one pirate group to another! What's with all the pirate scum in her life? Couldn't she meet someone who was NOT a freaking murderer?!

Both boys noticed a sudden tension in the girl's shoulders as she lowered her head and her face darkened. They shared a glance, but didn't comment.

"Go away," growled Nami through clenched teeth. "I don't need any help from people like you. I HATE PIRATES!" But then she gasped, realizing what she'd just said to these monsters.

Luffy smiled at her. "That's alright. We don't hate you, though." He glanced around the empty street. After they docked on the island, they hadn't see any other people, only some idiots, babbling about Buggy this, Buggy that, and attacking them without any reason. "Do you live nearby? We can lead you home," he suggested.

"No, I don't live here at all."

"What's up with this ghost town, anyway?" Zoro asked.

"Everyone ran away and is hiding from Buggy's pirate crew outside of the town," Nami reluctantly explained. She wished her foot would heal, so she could run away. But the thief was cornered, so she had no other choice but to play along for the time being.

Luffy hummed in though. "So it means all the houses are empty?" he asked no one in particular. He strolled to the nearest house, stopped in front of the door and tried to open it. The house was locked. "Excuse me, coming through!" the hatted teen announced loudly and kicked the door with all his strength.

The door was torn from hinges and crashed somewhere inside. Zoro facepalmed, and Nami's jaw dropped, as they watched the pirate enter the house without any qualms.

After a moment, Luffy popped in the doorway again. "Come on, Zoro, grab the girl and bring her in here. I'll search for some bandages and food."

"Aye, captain," Zoro grumbled.

Nami examined the tightly bandaged foot one more time, before leaning comfortably against the cozy couch. Zoro really knew how to take care of a sprained ankle, there was only a weak numb feeling instead of pain. Although he was still an ill-behaved Neanderthal! How dared he handle her like a sack of potatoes!

Nami shot an aggrieved glare towards the man who was lounging on an armchair across the living room. With a content smirk, the swordsman was slowly sipping from a bottle of rum. The thief sighed. The pirates! She really couldn't expect any manners from such people, especially that black-haired kid. Nami glanced at him.

Luffy was sitting in a cross-legged position on the bar separating living room and kitchen, leisurely chewing on his sandwich while staring at her. He'd been staring at her for a while now. Maybe he'd fallen for her? Or he was thinking of selling her? Or maybe even something worse…

"What's with the staring?!" the thief screamed in frustration, not able to stand it anymore.

Luffy stopped chewing and frowned. Nami tensed. Did she just go a bit too far? Zoro eyed her with disinterest as he took a gulp from the bottle.

"If you don't live in this town, what are you doing here?" asked the hatted teen.

"I came to steal a map from Buggy," confessed the thief with a sigh. "But his men caught me, and I had to give up on it to make my escape. I've been hiding since then."

"Steal a map? What kind of map would you risk your life over?" the swordsman wondered.

"Don't underestimate me! I'm a thief who steals from pirates!" Nami huffed. "That map is a path to the Grand Line. I'm planning to go there to steal from even greater pirates who have much more treasure!"

The orange-haired girl held her head high as she peered at the pirates, daring them to judge her because of her profession. But neither seemed to care about such trivial things. Zoro shrugged absent-mindedly and went back to enjoying his drink, and Luffy did the same with his sandwich. Nami was again surprised by how easygoing these two were.

"Do you know how to navigate?" inquired Luffy, giving her his attention once more.

"Of course!" the thief smirked proudly. "I'm the best navigator there is."

The wide smile grew on the straw hatted captain. "Join my crew!" he exclaimed.

A stern scowl found its way to Nami's face. "No way! I already told you that I hate pirates! I only like money and mikan!" She crossed her arms and turned her head to the side, ending the conversation.

Nami was furious. The nerve of this pirate! To invite her into his crew when she clearly declared herself a thief who steals from pirates.

Although…

Nami peeked at the young captain with a sideways glance. She was sure they had nothing valuable to steal, but they were both strong, and didn't seem to be very smart. She could definitely use brutes like that in the Grand Line. She had dealt with Arlong and the rest of his non-human crew for so many years, she could handle a couple more pirates. It shouldn't be extremely hard. The longer Nami mused, the more she liked the idea.

"I would consider making an alliance," she proposed at last with a sly smile, "with one condition."

An awkward silence settled in the room. Luffy once again was staring at Nami, not hearing or ignoring her offer. She fidgeted nervously.

Zoro glanced at his captain, and as he said nothing, he put forward a question, "You said you hated pirates. Why suddenly change your mind?"

"I didn't change my mind, but I can restrain my sentiments for a good business deal."

The swordsman paused with the bottle near his mouth. "Business deal, huh?" He took a gulp. "Well, it's up for the captain to decide."

Luffy just stared.

He couldn't pinpoint what exactly caught his attention in Nami's presence, taking a good look at her. Her emotions and feelings were heavily guarded, spiking only when she talked about treasure or her hate for pirates. But something was there. Something dark, heavy and thick locked under the tightest lock, shoved so deep inside her that Luffy couldn't help but take interest. It felt way too familiar to the darkness of his memories from that time. If there was a chance to help her, he wanted to do that.

The straw hatted teen smiled. "Alright," he said simply, sliding down from the bar and walking over to the orange-haired girl. "Let's make an alliance. That sounds like fun!"

Zoro rolled his eyes. Trust his child captain to make a decision based on if it's fun or not.

"We'll divide all the treasure we collect in half. I take one half and the rest of you the other," Nami set forth her conditions and smirked slyly. "Accept that, or I won't shake hands."

Luffy shook his head. "No."

"What?! Why not? It's a great deal!" the thief flailed her arms. "Fine! I'll take forty percent and you take the rest."

"Nope."

Nami clenched her teeth. "You're killing me…! Okay, we can share the treasure in equal parts between us three." She smiled confidently. That was definitely a very tempting offer. No pirate could pass it up.

Her smile faltered, when Luffy frowned again. "I don't really care about the treasure that much," he stated bluntly, glancing to his green-haired nakama over the shoulder and asking, "You, Zoro?"

The swordsman shrugged. "Not really."

"See?" the teen grinned at Nami. "You can have all the treasure, just pay for our food."

"And booze," chimed in Zoro.

"And booze," Luffy echoed.

The orange-haired thief regarded them both with suspicion. That was way too good to be true. She narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?"

The straw hatted pirate blinked. He scratched his head trying to figure out the catch. "I can eat a lot," he confessed, not sure if it would be enough to persuade his navigator.

"I can drink a lot," added Zoro.

Nami arched her eyebrow. The green Neanderthal seemed like he could hold his liquor, but that wouldn't be such a great loss considering their strength and opportunities to collect tons of loot. The boy with the straw hat was really scrawny, so Nami completely dismissed the possibility that he could eat more than her.

Strengthening her resolve, the thief grinned. "Deal!"

Next Chapter: Protecting the Captain's Back