Ever since leaving Cocoyashi, Nami has taken to enjoying the sunrise with a cup of tangerine tea brewed by Sanji. Sipping on her refreshing beverage is something Nami tries to only indulge in, in the morning, not wanting to use up too much of her precious fruit. She still can't believe that Sanji did that for her, she wouldn't have thought he'd have the cognitive capacity to think of that with her sister in his vicinity.
Speaking of her sister, she reaches and rubs the bandages on her arm. The tattoo she helps construct with the remaining skin of her arm and the fading sting of the stab wounds she inflicted on herself during a fit of rage only gives her satisfaction, for the pain reminds her that what had happened was real and that she and her village are free.
Shifting her weight and lowering the newskoo's latest update she takes in the four boys who risked their lives and dismantled her worst nightmare all because she had asked. Even after ditching them, and betraying them, they still fought for her.
She glances down at the compass in her hand before looking back towards her crew only to still, her wide amber eyes double back to the compass as she catches the direction that it is pointing towards.
Merry is going off course.
"Hey!" She yells standing up the paper in her lap flopping onto the deck as she leans over the railing to shout at her dido of a crew.
"I thought I said stay northeast, why are we going straight north!?" She grinds her teeth feeling fed up, and it's only morning.
She slumps as her captain just sheepishly laughs, feeling foolish for even thinking they could handle something so simple.
"Sorry Nami! We didn't realize it, but look! There's an island!" Luffy shouts pointing to her left, his arm stretching obnoxiously close to her from his spot next to Usopp.
"Would you keep it down? I'm trying to sleep." The lazy drawl of Zoro makes a tick mark pulse on her forehead as the lazy bastard yawns before going back too deep.
"Oui! Don't shout at Nami-Swan like that moss for brains." She feels vindictive as the ensuing fight breaks out especially when Sanji gets a good kick at Zoro in their spar.
Turning her head away from the imbeciles she looks at the island her captain decided to stop before the grand line. Her brows furrow, taking in the decent-sized island that seems to have appeared out of nowhere.
Feeling stumped she makes her way down the stairs, her sandaled heels clicking as she walks down to her quarters.
Opening the door she struts towards the stack of maps she has collected and drawn, shuffling through them until she finds the one that has a detailed description of the reverse mountain's surroundings, specifically the islands surrounding it in the east blue.
"It seems to be an undocumented island." She muses feeling giddy at the aspect of being the first to draw such a find, even if it's a small one.
Taking out her mapping equipment she starts outlining the basics of the island, "I guess I won't put interest on them for delaying my money making." Nami says as she starts charting the coordinates.
Later finds a shaky-legged Usopp stepping onto the shore with his hands clutching his overalls in comfort as he listens to the wildlife, hoping no big creature pops out.
"G-guys I suddenly have 'I can't go into Tropical forests-itis!"
"Scared of a little forest." Zoro teases him, he's about to reply that he's the greatest Explorer to ever walk upon the earth but is drowned out by their captain.
"Oh!"
"Meat!!" Their captain shouts pointing into the distance as he runs off into the forest.
"Dammit Luffy, would you wait for one second!" Their navigator growls, raising a fist but not bothering to try and stop him from going off.
Turning to the other idiots, she gives them a look that says 'Go fetch him dumbass' causing Zoro to glower at her and Usopp to squeak as he's hauled off into the forest after their wayward captain,
"What about me Nami-Swan!" Sanji asks with hearts littering the ground as he waltzes around her prone form still on the deck. Hiding her grin she gave him a serious look, already knowing the dofus would do what she wanted, "You have a very important task,"
Usopp mentally wails as he follows behind the two members of the Monster trio.
The amount of eyes he feels on his person only intensifies that fear as they dart through the foliage and dodge trees, in his ever envy they barely stumble while he has scratches and bruises on his poor fragile body.
"Hey! Damnit Luffy, Zoro!"
"Wait up!" He yells only to trip over a branch slamming his face into the dirt. He just lays there in self-pity for a moment before hauling himself up whimpering in despair when he realizes that he has lost the only protection in this forest.
He's Usopp the explorer, the sea king tamer, the
GROWLLLL*
He thinks he can feel pee run down his leg as he slowly turns around to face the noise.
"Nice Kitty!" He squeaks as the jaguar peers into his eyes with a promise of death. The beast starts moving forward making his already shivering legs vibrate, his voice getting higher as he starts to back up waving his arms in panic.
"W-whoah, you don't want to E-eat me. I've got 'poisonous-to-big-cats-syndrome, you don't wanna catch that do yah?" He insists with vigor, narrowly dodging the swipe as he falls back.
"No! I'm too young to die!" He screams, hopping off his ass and hightailing it out of dodge.
The sound of paws chasing his feet makes a terrified scream breakthrough as he pushes his body to its limits. He thinks he can feel the moisture from its breath running down his back.
"No, no, no… oh!" he cheers as he bursts and throws some foliage into a clearing. His happiness is short-lived as a body slams into his body pinning him down, his fingers just catching the jaws aiming for his throat.
"Help!" He screams, feeling tears of desperation weld up as the sharp claws try to shove his hands off its mussel, only to let out a much-needed gasp of air as the weight is lifted off his chest.
"Good one, Tia!" The light voice of an unknown makes him tense, especially when he watches as a boy around his age simply tips off the branch at least three stories high above him landing in a crouch beside his panting form with no sign of wear.
The first thing he registers about the boy is the pure wildness of his attire. Dirty skin is barely covered in makeshift clothes made by weaving an odd mix of fur that only just covers the man's privates. And a half cloak draped over his shoulder exposing faded scars littering a lightly toned abdomen and chest.
"Uhh… thanks." He is not sure if this dude is truly his savior or if he just 'wanted the kill' so to speak.
"No biggie, it's been a while since I've seen anybody so it's the least I can do." The boy says with a sheepish smile before exclaiming, "Oh!"
"Here let me help!" The boy says suddenly invading his personal space, his pale braids smacking him in the face as he reaches and hauls Usopp's exhausted body. His legs only stand because of the boy's deceptively strong grip.
"Thanks," he says warily, only accepting the help as it's his only option at the moment.
"So, do you know- Ah!" He screams stumbling back as a Tiger twice his height prowls back into the clearing with a bloody maw and a patch of patterned fur hanging from its jaw.
"Hurry, we gotta run!" He says desperately, his adrenaline causing him to panic even more.
Where is Luffy and Zoro?
He's too weak, he needs-
"Hey, it's okay, she is my friend." The boy says stepping in front of him while gently holding him still the grip light enough that he can escape if he tries.
"She looks scary, but she's just a softy, truly." He says letting go of Usopp's shoulder after seeing the other won't run off in a panic.
"S-sure." He stutters out while eyeing the tiger, better to agree with the man who can command a beast to eat another one.
"So whatcha' name? Mines, well actually…" the boy seems to realize something.
"I don't have a name or well, I don't remember mine, it's been so long since I heard it." The boy shrugs like it's no big deal to not know one's name.
"Usopp, the name Usopp." He says puffing out his chest.
"You better remember it 'cause I'll be the greatest warrior to ever live." He says striking a pose, peeking an eye open with a slight smile as the boy lets out a laugh. Something tells Usopp that the boy is in desperate need of socializing, and might as well stay with the only protection he has until he regroups with his crew. Besides, he can see a sack of pebbles peeking from the boy's belt and wonders what that's about.
"The idiot is lost isn't he?" Nami says getting up from her massage ignoring Sanji's fluttering as she deadpans as Luffy returns without Zoro- wait.
"Where's Usopp!?" She screeches, grabs her captain by the neck, and starts to throttle his rubbery ass, it's one thing for Zoro to go missing, it's fine the man can handle himself.
But Usopp… on an island with predators that Luffy says reminds him of childhood.
"You imbeciles!" She growls slamming her fist into his skull,
"Ouch, Nami!"
"Nami-swan hits so hard!"
Using the fur of the dead bear to clean his sword Zoro resheaths it before surveying his current position. He swears the trees have shifted cause he saw Luffy running in the direction with the broken branch but it must have shifted cause he ended up back in the same place only with a damn bear growling. Killing things is simple, finding his way out isn't.
"-And you can use it to feel your surroundings!" The sound of the loud liar screaming soothes the tension that twinged in his body once he realizes the weakling was left behind.
"Yeah, it's pretty overwhelming at first being able to sense the energies of others, but very handy."
Zoro furrows his brows at the reply, not recognizing the voice but the lack of fear in their sniper's voice keeps him from drawing Wado.
"And you think I could learn it?" The insecurity in Usopp's voice makes him want to scoff. Does the fool think Luffy would just let anyone join his crew, even Zoro can admit Usopp has the potential to be a fearsome opponent once he loses his hesitancy.
The younger man's eye for sniping is nothing to sneer at.
The voice responds with a certainty that leaves no room for argument, "Definitely, the fact that you can do all that without Haki makes me jealous."
Curiosity brimming, Zoro shouts to Usopp making his way towards their voice. "Hey I've been looking for you, Usopp you good?" He says not admiring that he was lost and not able to make it back to the ship.
"Eh!" His crew mate yells as Zoro makes his way, his eyes immediately scanning Usopp before setting on the other beside him.
"So, who's this?" He's truly asking if the man is a threat that seems friendly.
Usopp shrugs, "Don't know, says he doesn't remember his name," making Zoro look towards the aforementioned man, who is currently picking his nose, and his gaze zoned off in a different direction.
Seeing that they both are looking at him the wilderness guy blinks asking, "Say what?" His finger was still lodged in his nostrils.
"You don't remember your name?" He asks feeling incredulous, how does one forget their name?
The guy rolls on his heels swinging his arms while flicking the snot off his finger making Zoro choke a laugh as the bogger flops on to the unsuspecting Usopp who fails in disgust.
"Just had no reason to remember it when I had no one to say it to." He says it like it's no big deal, and maybe it isn't to him.
"So-" his inquiry of why the strange dude is here is stalled by the sight of a tiger stepping out from behind Usopp and the guy.
"Shit!" He says instinctively leaping in front of his weaker crew mate, his sword -his only sword- raised in front of him at the ready.
"Wait." The calm command and tentative hand of Usopp stop him from dashing forward and eliminating the threat.
"That's just Tia, she's harmless." Their companion continues stepping out from his protection to walk up to the calmly sitting tiger who towers over them at least double the size of what he knows a tiger should be.
Her fangs glint in the sunlight making him realize it's not just a tiger but a saber-toothed one.
"Yeah, harmless." He deadpans as she coughs up and proceeds to cough up a hairball with a weirdly large bone sticking out.