Chapter 1
Escapes and encounters
Nami's entire face hurt after the beating, she could barely chew. She hated legumes for a long time, but her teeth would still hurt for a couple of days and that was all what she could eat. She put three cans of lentils in her backpack before taking one of Arlong's boats and leaving. If she received one more punch she would end up locked in the map room for a month and she needed to get out of there.
Nojiko didn't even have time to give her a sidelong glance from the bed before she ran out of the house and weighed anchor.
The black eye reduced her range of vision and Nami knew she couldn't get very far without being swallowed by the sea. But she needed to put as much distance as possible from the fishmen. With them nearby she was unable to breathe calmly and she needed concentration to think about her next big heist. Furthermore, Nami couldn't forget the reason why she had two tied fingers, three sore ribs, a loose jaw, and one blind eye: she had to keep mapping.
Arlong had already warned her that if she spent more time pillaging than drawing maps he would lock her in the damn room for a year so she wouldn't forget it.
She was tired of his threats, but unfortunately, she knew how real they were.
She recently turned fourteen, her chest had begun to grow, and the distraction of robberies was easier for her. She was still uncomfortable wearing clothes that were too revealing, but little by little Nami discovered the advantages of certain movements, of little theaters that were taking shape to hover over the most unfortunate pirates.
When she stopped seeing the island Nami considered her home, the tension disappeared from her shoulders and the sudden weakness made her let out a couple of tears that were lost among the waves.
Nami didn't like to cry, but when she left Cocoyashi the emotions she kept tied up always woke up tormented. She forced herself to calm down as soon as her cheeks felt cool, embarrassed with a weakness she hated.
As soon as she calmed down, she took her small cartography equipment and studied the islands illustrated so far, those marked with crosses or circles that blurred together spoke to her of days alone with paper and pen, of hidden problems and difficulties to be found.
Next, Nami decided as she traced a black cross on the paper with her finger, would be a small island that would allow her to heal while meeting Arlong's demands. Windmill Island would be perfect for it, Dawn Island.
When she lowered the sails, with the ship hidden between the rocks of a rather steep cliff, the full moon shone high in the sky. Three days had passed since she left Cocoyashi and her bones ached less. Thanks to the silver light that filtered through light clouds, Nami was able to disembark without many complications.
The joint full of drawing tools made a sing-song sound as she began to walk without looking back among the stones, towards a beach of soft, white sand.
The great figures of the mills welcomed her in the form of tall, wide-armed, watchful giants.
She was calmed by the spell of darkness in which she was enveloped as she walked, it was too late for the night workers and early for the fishermen and farmers and the solitude seemed magical. Nami loved to surround herself with shadows when she came to the islands. The nights used to highlight the weaknesses and secrets that were hidden under the sun's rays.
The wind blew lightly as the blades murmured on the shafts that supported them and the hair tickled the back of her neck. When she crossed the town she sighed with relief, she had not seen a single marine barracks and the buildings of those little houses seemed humble, sufficient for the fishermen and insulting for the nobles. In that town Nami wouldn't have many problems.
Once she checked her surroundings, knowing that at these ungodly hours she wouldn't be able to do much on the ground, she headed towards the grove of trees that could be seen at the end of the town. The trees, to her surprise, had branches thick enough to support her. The branches grew wide and strong, as if they invited her to camouflage herself among them. Nami was quick to accept that invitation in a leafy, covered area that seemed safe to her.
She had always been agile, but her ribs and fingers got in the way of safely climbing the chosen tree. Curses and gasps accompanied her as she climbed, although it was worth it as soon as she reached the branch.
From there the dark world became tiny and she felt distant, far from the reality that awaited her once she set foot on land again. For now the night belonged to her and, pleased, she took refuge in the solitude and silence as if they were old friends.
Nami opened the joint in which she carried all the mapping tools, took out a half-consumed candle, a box of matches, paper and ink. She had a long night ahead of her until she finished preparing the map, but at least it would be a good night. No nightmares or threats, just ink and maps.
Nami woke up to the jingling of money and a smile on her face. She loved the metallic sound of coins clacking together that always sang of golden freedom when she held them to her ear.
The previous night she had fallen exhausted as soon as the candle's flame faltered as it finally encountered the melted candle that had stuck to the tree after hours of work. As she slowly returned to her senses, the sweet sensation of gold disappeared to give way to the strange sound of metal against metal a foot from her head. She usually had a hard time hearing him, so the noise made her uneasy. Surprised, she put her hand back, searching for the insistent sound that stopped as soon as her fingertips came across a warm, foreign body.
Her eyes opened unceremoniously, dazzled by the midday sun. Her face, sore from the sudden movement on the sleeping cardinal, contorted with fear. It couldn't be that someone was stealing from her.
The movement was so abrupt and on such a small surface that her knees lost support and she felt the void beneath her body.
Even before her heart had recovered its accelerated beat, a hand grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling to the ground from the enormous height at which she was located.
The thief and savior watched her attentively, under overgrown dark bangs, with a smile on his face and one of her golden compasses in his hand.
The silence lasted a few seconds before Nami focused again on the tool the boy was holding.
"Why are you stealing a compass from me?"
The smile of the boy, who couldn't have been much older than her, grew in response to her question.
"Oh, I didn't want to steal you, I just saw one of your legs from below and I thought you were food, but when I got to the top I saw all the cool things you have and I wanted to know what they are for."
She removed his hand from her arm to sit better on the tree branch. Nami didn't get the feeling that the boy was lying, nor that he was a burglar. If he was a thief she would have recognized him as one, but his appearance and face spoke to her of innocence and fun, not caution.
"They are mapping tools. I dedicate myself to making maps."
The stranger's dark eyes shone when he heard her words and the excitement she saw in that rounded face caused her to smile.
"Are you going to make a map of the island?!" The enthusiastic shout reddened the girl's cheeks, flattered under genuine admiration.
Unable to respond to that emotion without stuttering, Nami nodded slowly.
"First I have to get to know the island and…"
He stood up and the branch trembled beneath them both. The redhead hurried to pick up a compass and a pen that rolled away due to the movement.
"Then I can be your guide! I also want to play map making, so we can be friends. My name is Monkey D. Luffy."
The statements, one after another, each one stranger than the last, took away her ability to respond with anything other than her name.
"Nami."
Luffy's hand lowered to the level of her eyes and she narrowed her gaze, even more confused.
"We're supposed to be friends and friends seal their deals with handshakes." The boy explained with that overwhelming smiling character.
"I do not have friends."
Luffy crouched in front of her and put his hand close to one of hers, waiting.
"Me neither, that's why we can be friends."
Nami couldn't have friends. She couldn't afford burdens like that. She wouldn't even know how to treat someone with that label on his back. Having a friend alone would be reckless. She knew it, of course Nami knew that she couldn't maintain that relationship for long. But despite everything and without really knowing what the magnet was that attracted her to it, she raised her hand and shook it with the boy's.
There was no static electricity or strange winds midway when the deal was sealed. But despite everything, Nami felt a tingling in her chest.
A friend.
Her first friend.