"Wanna get married?"

Nami deadpanned.

Did he just... There's no way that just happened, right?

"Nami?" Luffy questioned wearily, waving a hand in front of her face after being zoned out for quite a while.

Abruptly shaking her head to disrupt her trance, the woman placed a hand atop Luffy's shoulder. "Luffy, you know I want to be with you for the rest of my life more than anything, but..." Nami paused, quickly thinking it through in her head.

It's too soon. Right?

In all honesty, they've known each other for quite a while but haven't been dating long. Not to mention, they're still trying to finish school. So it's definitely too soon.

Right?

Luffy twisted his lips, forming a panicked pout. "But?" he retorted.

"...But it's not the right time for us." She surveyed his look of disappointment and grimaced, immediately feeling a wave of guilt wash over her.

Wrapping both her arms around his waist, Nami took a step forward to form an embrace. She expected Luffy to react the way he just did, but marriage was a big deal to her and she wanted to do it right which meant she preferred it not be rushed.

"Baby steps, Luffy." she whispered against his chest.

Hesitantly, he returned the embrace, burying his face into the crook of her neck with a sigh.

He's just happy Nami was in his arms again. Losing her, even for an instant, was the worst feeling to ever overcome him.

He loved her and he'd be by her side no matter what life threw at them.

"You okay?" she hummed, basking in the feeling of his strong arms.

The atmosphere was extremely soothing and felt so right. The two couldn't help but feel pure bliss.

"Yeah." he murmured, giving her the confirmation she needed as he squeezed her a bit tighter.

The tip of Luffy's nose began brushing against a sensitive spot of her neck which made Nami jump. "Luffy! That t-tickles!"

"Does it?"

Luffy's eyes shut with glee and his lips formed a wide smirk when he only dug his face in deeper, moving his nose from side to side, thing that pulled squeals and high pitched giggles from her.

The orange-haired woman began to push him away in attempts to escape to no avail; Luffy held a firm embrace and soon, his laughter began mixing with hers.

"L-Luffy!" she cried.

It's moments like these that made him want to marry her oh so badly. Luffy never really cared for marriage before, but with Nami... it was a commitment he was prepared for and he needed her to realize that there was no one else for him but her.

He wanted to spend the rest of his days by her side.

Only her and no one else.

After a minute of torturous laughter, Luffy ceased his motions and pulled away to take her all in. Nami was huffing, trying to catch her breath with the widest smile on her flushed face.

She's so beautiful.

Luffy couldn't help but observe her.

"...What?" she asked with sparkling eyes, noticing his lingering stare.

Without saying a word, he moved in, slowly connecting their lips in a soft and tranquil kiss. Nami's heart immediately began to swell in her chest and she swore she felt her heart rate accelerate tenfold.

Luffy drew her closer, longing to bask in the feeling of her warmth.

"You're the only one for me, Nami."

He never thought he'd come to grow fond of the chest pains that Nami caused him, however, now he refused to believe there was a better feeling than this.

The feeling he was so sure of: Love.

He loved her and he'd wait all an eternity to be her husband if he had to.


Two Years Later

"Nojiko, hurry up! Are you really going to make Ace wait on his own wedding day?" Nami barked from outside the door.

From inside, the woman scoffed. "It's my wedding day too, y'know." she mumbled to herself, rolling her eyes whilst gathering her things. Nojiko took a moment to glance over her appearance in the vanity mirror and she couldn't help but internally squeal.

The dress she was wearing was wearing a dazzling, lace mermaid gown that hugged her hips stunningly and barely hit the floor. It was the gentlest shade of cream and her hair was pinned up in a loose bun with a few loose strands of waved hair in the front in order to accentuate the detailing on the back of her dress.

Her lips stretched wider, immensely satisfied with what she saw. Never had she imagined wearing an actual wedding dress and being dolled up like this, yet here she was, about to marry the man of her dreams.

It truly felt like something out of a fairy tale.

Nojiko made her way to her door, gripping the glossed bronze knob before letting out a heavy breath of air.

Here goes nothing.

Opening the door, Nojiko stepped forward into their living room as she finally came face to face with a now teary eyed Nami.

Out of the two, Nojiko was typically the more dramatic and emotional one, however that didn't seem to be the case today. Nojiko beamed at her little sister and as she stepped closer, she took notice of Nami's fresh tears that cascaded down her cheeks.

"You look so beautiful." she sniffed.

Gently cupping both her cheeks, Nojiko wiped away her sister's tears with the pad of her thumb, making sure not to smudge her makeup. "Thank you, Nami. I definitely feel beautiful." the woman chuckled. "Why are you crying?" she asked softly.

"...I wish Mom were here to see you."

Nojiko immediately wrapped her arms around her little sister, embracing her tightly. "Me too." she whispered. "...But I'm happy I get to share this day with you."

Nami choked out a small laugh and pulled away to see her sister refraining tears of her own.

"I can't believe you're getting married."

"I'm in a freaking wedding dress and I still can't believe it." Nojiko snorted.

The sisters erupted into a fit of giggles and did their best to eventually compose themselves.

Nami glanced at the wall clock. "We gotta go. The girls are waiting downstairs in the limo. You ready to do this?"

The woman nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Then let's go get you wed."


It was a radiant Saturday afternoon during Spring and the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom, their proof in the form of small dusty pink petals that were scattered on the grassy floor. In the venue's botanical garden area, white wooden chairs were placed in neat rows and above the alter stood a beautifully decorated arch with fresh flowers.

Guests began trickling into the garden little by little, most exchanging hushed whispers about how large and bear-like the officiant appeared to be and how awkwardly he gripped his Bible, some enjoying the soft melodic sounds coming from the pianist, and others chatting amongst themselves, eager to celebrate the bride and groom and their big day.

Eventually, all the chairs became occupied and the pianist took a pause before playing Canon in D, signifying to the crowd that the ceremony was now to begin.

Simultaneously, Ace promptly made his way down the aisle to join the officiant at the alter when the crowd began to whoop and holler cheerfully, some fist bumping him on the way up. Anyone could see without a doubt how loved both Ace and Nojiko were.

It was now the wedding party's turn to walk the aisle and needless to say, Nojiko was a nervous wreck. She snuck a glance towards the crowd from the window facing outside the garden. Since she was on a second floor, she had the perfect overview of the event and she just about fainted right there and then.

It's not that she developed cold feet, rather, she was taken aback by how the man that was moments away from being her husband appeared. He was so dazzling. She eyed him with a look of endearment and longing and although she knew Ace thought she was beautiful, she internally hoped that today he would find her to be the most beautiful she's ever been.

The sound of approaching heels clicked against the wooden floor snapped her from her daze. "Nojiko, you ready?" asked Nami, a warm smile on her face as she gripped her small bouquet.

"Ready." She nodded.

"I'll let Garp know then. I'll see you soon, okay?" Nami assured, giving her older sister one final embrace before heading down to pair up with Luffy.

The couples in the wedding party made their grand entrance one by one as they emerged from the first floor of the bridal suite. Robin with Zoro, Sanji with Vivi, Ussop with Carrot, and Chopper following closely behind as he carried the set of rings. The bridesmaids lined up on the left and the groomsmen on the right on either side of the alter.

A faint knock could be heard against the hollow wooden door of the upstairs bridal room.

"Can I come in, Kiddo?"

"Yeah! A-All ready!" she stuttered, immediately recognizing her grandfather figure's voice.

Garp entered the room shortly after and bellowed out a hearty laugh upon a quick inspection of the lavender-haired woman. His reaction was a very boisterous, Luffy-like one and the giant teddy bear of a man began sniffling.

"You look gorgeous." he affirmed.

"Thank you, Garp." she smiled.

Garp had taken Nojiko completely under his wing and even more so once he was informed that she and Ace were an item. Thus, Nojiko found him to be the most appropriate person to walk her down the aisle. She loved him and he came to be the grandfather she never had.

The pair receded down the steps and Garp held his arm out towards her to which Nojiko gladly obliged, hooking their arms together before letting out one last nervous huff of air.

While the two gingerly stepped out into view towards the alter, Ace was flabbergasted at her beauty. And now, in a very Garp-like manner, he too began holding back joyous tears that threatened to escape him. The moment she stepped out, the audience stood and there wasn't a single invitee that wasn't smiling from ear to ear in the bride-to-be's direction.

"Who presents this young lady to be married today to this young man?" asked the towering officiant.

"I do." replied Garp confidently.

Garp led her closer towards Ace and upon close inspection, she cracked a huge smile at the tears that gathered in his eyes.

"I love you." she quietly mouthed.

"I love you too." he mouthed back.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are thrilled to be here today to celebrate and witness the matrimony of Ace and Nojiko. On behalf of this beautiful couple, thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to attend today. "

The officiant gave a lovely speech regarding the importance of marriage and how he was grateful to have met both Nojiko and Ace during this journey before announcing that the couple had prepared their own vows.

Nojiko reached out to grab Ace's hands and they both started chuckling nervously, eliciting soft laughing from the crowd. "I'll try not to cry today." she said towards the guests, making their laughter multiply.

"Portas D. Ace..." she began. "From the moment I met you, I knew my life would change for the better. My mother always taught me to trust my gut and my sister, the latter was screaming at me to give you a chance and boy... I'm glad I did. The more I got to know you, the more I fell for you. I thought you were too good to be true, but little did I know, you were real and your love was the most genuine and honest love. I vow to always love you and always be by your side, not only as your best friend, but also as your wife."

Tears finally escaped the freckled man and he was a fumbling mess. It was now his turn and he exhaled a quick nervous breath before he spoke. "Nojiko, I never believed in love until the day I met you. It sounds cliché but once you stop looking for something, it really does find you and that was the case when you stepped into my life. I'll never forget the day I saw you on campus. That day, I swore I had just seen the most beautiful woman in the world and I'm really glad you dropped your books in the hall and it happened to be on my way to class. After I helped you I thought 'Finally I get to talk to her!'

At this, everyone chuckled once more. "...thank you for being in my life and I'm excited to start this new chapter together. I love you."

The pair radiated joy and the atmosphere was filled with mirth.

"Can we have the rings please?" asked the officiant before Chopper handed them one another's wedding bands. They exchanged rings and the officiant asked them to repeat after him, promising each other to love one another forever until death do them part.

"Ace, do you take Nojiko to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I sure do." his plastered smile grew wider.

"Nojiko, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Absolutely a million times yes, I do." she immediately replied.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ace, you may now kiss your wife."

He cupped her face and planted a soft kiss on her lips before the audience began to clap and whistle at the scene. Nojiko was content beyond comprehension. This truly was the best day of her life and her new start as Portgas D. Nojiko.


"A toast to my brother and my new sister-in-law, Ace and Nojiko!" announced Luffy through a microphone whilst holding up a glass of champagne.

"To Ace and Nojiko!" reciprocated the plethora of guests.

The reception ball room erupted in cheering as the couple locked lips yet again from their table.

The rest of the evening had gone exceptionally smooth. It was all Nojiko wanted and more; to celebrate the day with not only her new husband, but her friends that have come to be like family and most of all, her little sister.

In the corner of the ball room, a small table was placed with a picture of Bell-Mere, along with a bouquet of flowers. When Nojiko caught glimpse of it, she tried her best to contain the waterworks but ultimately failed. It was Nami's idea and she told Nojiko that this way, their mother would be with them on her special day. It was a very thoughtful gesture.

After dinner, Garp announced the couples first dance and Ace made his way to the open space with Nojiko in hand. It was a romantic slow dance and shortly after, the DJ invited everyone to the dance floor too.

Pretty soon, several couples made their way up to party along side the bride and groom.

"They sure do make a great couple." Vivi stated to Robin, Carrot, and Nami whom were sitting near her at the bridal party table.

"They sure do." Robin chimed in. "Maybe that'll be one of us soon." the raven-haired woman winked discreetly at Vivi, causing her to devilishly smirk.

"I'm placing my bet on Vivi and Sanji-kun. Seems like you guys are already an old married couple anyway." Nami retorted, now facing the women before teasingly sticking her tongue out.

At this, Vivi playfully nudged her and chuckled as she got an eyeful of Sanji and the rest of the groomsmen by the open bar, hyping Zoro up to chug beer after beer. "Guess we'll have to wait and see." she replied.

A tap on the microphone resounded within the ballroom and Nojiko had her bouquet in hand as she announced she'll be doing the bouquet toss now and if all the single females could come up to join her.

"Are you guys gonna do the bouquet toss?!" asked Carrot cheerfully.

Robin quickly stood. "Of course."

"Meh, I'm not really up f-"

"Hell yeah we are! Let's go, Nami. You're coming too!" Vivi interrupted and immediately gripped Nami's wrist, pulling her up to drag her away with the other females despite her protesting.

"Gather around, ladies!" Nojiko exclaimed.

Nami joined the group of women alongside Vivi, Carrot, and Robin. She didn't think she'd catch the bouquet or even come close to it, (although she secretly wish she would) nevertheless, she gave in for Nojiko's sake and to join in on the fun.

Nojiko walked a few feet away and faced away from the women before the crowd began cheering, encouraging Nojiko to toss her bouquet. "TOSS IT! TOSS IT! TOSS IT!" they eventually began to chant.

Laughing, Nojiko steadied herself, swinging the bouquet in front of her up and down before ultimately only pretending to toss it. The ladies in the group protested jokingly, others continued to hype her up but Nojiko only repeated the action.

The bride turned back around to face the ladies. She sported a wide cheeky smile as she stepped towards the group, eventually halting in front of Nami before handing her the bouquet.

"...Nojiko?" she asked perplexed as she took it.

As might be expected, the orange-haired woman was puzzled. The party-goers also began to suddenly holler which confused her even more.

Suddenly, there was a tap on her shoulder and when she turned, there was Luffy in all his glory kneeled on one knee, eliciting a surprised gasp the woman. Nami just about lost it as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth from the shock but also from excitement.

Oh my God, it's happening!!

He opened a small velvet red box in her direction. "Nami, will you marry me?" Luffy voiced loudly enough for her to hear amongst the erupting cheers.

Nami didn't even bother looking at the ring, he could have proposed to her with a string for all she cared and she'd without a doubt still accept him as her fiancé. Their two year anniversary came and went quickly and she was more than eager to settle down with Luffy and follow in her sister's foot steps.

Memories of him proposing two years ago invaded her thoughts and in the moment she truly did feel like she let him down for rejecting his offer however Nami was glad they waited. The couple had become closer than ever and she was certain that no one or nothing would tear them apart.

Furiously, she nodded while trying to hold back tears of joy.

Nami was also immensely impressed that for someone as obvious and loud-mouthed as Luffy, she definitely did not see this coming. It caught her off guard in the best way possible and she was so thankful for her older sister and her best friends in being able to help plan this.

Luffy formed a face-splitting smile and removed the ring from the box, slipping it carefully on her dainty ring finger before she pounced on him and hugged him tightly.

Monkey D. Nami... it has such a nice ring to it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for the newly engaged couple!" Ace announced from the microphone with Nojiko by his side.

Applause echoed throughout the ball room and from Luffy's embrace, Nami bashfully looked around the room unable to contain her laughter. Their friends approached them and Vivi, Robin, Nojiko, and Carrot all hugged Nami close.

"You guys are the best! You definitely had me fooled!"

Sanji, Usopp, Zoro, Ace, and Chopper all gathered around Luffy in turn, exchanging fist bumps and high-five's.

"Whose idea was this?" Nami question to the group.

Ace smirked in Nojiko's direction. "Take a wild guess."

The lavender-haired woman giggled before throwing her hands up playfully. "Hey! Luffy wanted to propose anyway so we just took advantage of the fact that everyone would be here."

'Shishishi' "It's true, Nami. Nojiko really pulled through."

"Thank you for making this happen, you guys."

The group exchanged warm smiles and nods.

In that moment, Nami felt incomprehensibly grateful. She never in a million years would think that her life would have changed so radically.

Sure, cartography was still special to her, but nothing could ever replace the relationships she's built and the metamorphosis she went through. Nami was able to wholeheartedly say she fulfilled the promise she made to her Mother.

She let nothing get in the way of her dreams.

The End.


A/N: Thank you to everyone for joining me on my second crazy ride :) Life has been insane in a good way lately and I haven't been active here much but I appreciate your patience nonetheless. I really hope to write more stories in the future with more pairings when I have time but I hope you all liked this story! Let me know your thoughts!

Stay safe everyone!

-welostzoroagain