The days flew by as they got in to a routine. Luffy would train, they'd eat together, talk, rinse and repeat. Nami wore the signature straw hat the entire time. She kept waiting for him to ask for it back, but that never happened. She wasn't going to complain, it made her feel special. For the longest time, Luffy only trusted her to keep the hat safe. But now he also trusted her "daughter."

Nami still felt bad that she was lying to Luffy. She had no idea how she was going to break the news to him. That she's been lying this entire time and that "Bell" isn't real. But she just couldn't bring herself to end it.

Luffy was just so…kind to "Bell." Sure, Luffy was nice to everyone. But this felt different. The warm smile he gave her when he talked, the way he patted her head, and the look in his eyes. That look. What was it?

-

"Did your mom ever tell you about the sky islands?" Luffy asked.

Nami didn't even realize she blanked out. They were walking back to the camp together, hand in hand. Occasionally, Luffy would wildly swing his arm in a silly way. She was embarrassed that something so stupid brought a smile to her face.

"She told me all about it."

"I got stuck in a giant snakes belly without even knowing it! Shishishi, your mom had to tell me when she got trapped too."

Nami chuckled at the memory. Although, at the time she was beyond frustrated with her captain.

"Maybe when you're a bit bigger, we'll take you there sometime."

Nami blinked.

"Huh?"

"You'd love it! It's beautiful up there."

Nami stared up at him.

"I don't know. I'm…not a pirate. I'd just annoy you."

Luffy stopped suddenly.

"You could never annoy me, Bell. We're Nakama, remember?"

He squeezed her hand and smiled at her in that familiar way. The same way he's been smiling at her since she arrived. It was tender, full of care and…

Love.

Luffy continued. "You know, after we leave this island. I could talk to your mom about her visiting you more. Also…only if you want of course, I-I could visit you too. Maybe take you on some adventures."

It finally clicked in her head. Luffy was looking at "Bell" like a father would look at his daughter.

Tears started to well in her eyes. Even though "Bell" wasn't his, Luffy still wanted to be there for her. Luffy wanted to be a dad to her child.

Nami found herself imagining them raising a little boy or girl together, playing together, teaching them how to sail, loving them.

Noticing the tears, Luffy carefully picked her up. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"I'd…like that." She said.

Luffy brought her into a hug. The straw hat was now dangling against her back, as Luffy lovingly stroked her hair.

Nami was still no where close to figuring out how to break the news to Luffy that Bell didn't exist. If anything she only dug herself a deeper hole. But she was sure about one thing.

Luffy will be a terrific dad one day.

-

Nami watched as Luffy finished practicing observation haki. He was blindfolded while sparring with a gorilla he "befriended." It wasn't able to land a single blow on Luffy, which amazed Nami.

"That's enough for today," Luffy said, giving the large beast a high five of all things.

"How does it work?" Nami asked, as they walked back to camp.

"Observation Haki? It's hard to explain. It's kinda like a feeling. I can feel everything around me."

"Do you think I can learn it?"

"Shishishi, you should just ask your mom to teach you."

Nami froze.

"Huh?"

"I think she learned it before I did. She's able to tell when storms are coming before there's even a hint of them."

Nami remained quiet until they returned to the camp to eat. She thanked him for the play of food.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked.

"Of course."

She looked in his eyes and lost her tongue. How was she supposed to ask him this without offending him?

"So…the way my mom described you. It's very different than the way you've been acting. I-I mean…I—"

"Bell, she said I was an idiot. Didn't she?"

She blushed. Just when she thought he'd be upset, Luffy broke out into a fit of laughter.

He wiped a tear away. "Yeah, that's our Nami for ya."

She crossed her arms. "But you're way smarter than she thinks you are. Why do you never show it?"

Luffy finally settled down his laughter. "I never thought I'd have to explain this."

"Let me guess, don't tell my mom?"

He hesitated. "You ugh...you can tell her, if you want. I guess she has a right to know."

Nami's eyes widened.

"For this to make sense, I need to tell you about Shanks." He got up and sat down next to her. He lifted the straw hat off her head, holding it out in front of him.

"Shanks is the man who gave me this hat. My most valuable treasure. When I was your age, I wanted to be just like him. A badass pirate captain, with a loyal crew, going on adventures. Pirates have a reputation of doing...let's call them bad things. I experienced these bad things first hand when I was little, and I saw the way those captains acted, how they treated their crew."

He spun the hat around his finger, smiling softly.

"Most captains are cruel, they treat their crew like servants, and their smiles are fake. But Shanks was different. Him and his crew were like a family. They laughed, pranked each other, and they even in the difficult times, they always had fun. That's the kinda crew I wanted. I promised myself that when I became a captain, I would make sure that my crew mates always had fun."

he finally put the hat back on her head, winking at her.

"I take things seriously and I do listen to what my crew says. But I try to be silly every so often, just to remind everyone to smile. That's what's most important."

"Why?" She asked, quietly.

He grinned, looking very much like his bounty poster. "I want to be the king of the pirates, because the pirate king is the most free man in the world. There's nothing more free, than smiling in the face danger. My dream, is for everyone to live in a world where no one can take away their smile."

Nami didn't even notice that she had leaned her head on his arm. It took everything she had not to start crying. She had already been crying too much as of late.

"That's why when the pinwheel guy from your mom's home village told me to always protect Nami's smile, it was an easy promise."

Genzo made him promise that? And he remembers after so long.

"Maybe I over do it. But I know everyone on my crew has had bad childhoods. I act goofy to remind them that's it okay to have fun. I know they get annoyed sometimes, Shishishi especially your mom. But in a world so full of darkness, I think a goofball captain is exactly what they need."

"My mom said you are an amazing captain, Luffy."

He chuckled, squeezing her shoulder as he brought her into a one arm hug.

"Thanks, Bell."

-

They sat in silence for a little while longer. Eventually, Luffy heard the soft snoring coming from Bell. She looked so peaceful, head resting against his arm. Carefully so he didn't wake her, he scooped her up and carried her to the cabin.

Luffy tucked her into bed and smiled as he watched her clutch the blankets. Like last time, he bent down to kiss her on the forehead.

"Goodnight."