AN:

I'm super excited to get this one out! I've had it in my head for a long while so it was fun to finally write it! I expect you'll have some questions after reading and I promise they will be answered in the future, lol.

As always thanks for the support and I'd love to hear what you think about the chapter!

Chapter 33: Homecoming

The closer Nami got to Conomi, the faster her heart began to beat. She looked over her shoulder at the dark clouds growing closer and couldn't help but sigh slightly in relief. She hadn't really been sure if she was going to beat it or not, however, the winds blowing the storm in her direction had also increased her speed and she'd managed to stay ahead… But not by much… It was definitely going to hit the island shortly after she arrived.

The orangette turned back to the land mass growing larger on the horizon and took a deep breath, slowly letting the air out after holding it for a second. Her plan was simple. Dock at the opposite end of the island, sneak her way to her house, grab the money she needed from underneath her tangerine trees, find a wheelbarrow to put everything in, and then, she'd try to make her way to Arlong Park unnoticed where she would, hopefully, finally free her village. Her heartbeat began to grow even faster… It was finally time to end her servitude to that blue-skinned monster… She hoped that this time, it was actually true…

Nami could only pray that everything went according to plan… She shook her head and began directing the boat toward the backside of the island. Hopefully, Nojiko wasn't home… That would surely complicate things…

"Keep going, Levi!", Luffy screamed over the pouring rain, "Don't lose her, no matter what!". His legs were wrapped tightly around the figurehead of the Merry and his muscles strained while he tried to keep himself anchored to the ship.

The vessel rocked violently in the sea as it traveled through turbulent waters, huge waves crashing against its sides and sending even more water over the railing, drenching the already-soaked ship even further.

The two traveling companions had slowed in their pursuit of their orange-haired navigator, the storm being the cause. It had been just as the boy predicted. It caught them in the middle of the night and their travel speed had been cut back considerably in consideration for the Merry. Levi said he could still follow the direction of Nami's scent, but it was obviously getting harder. The rain was making things difficult.

Luffy's eyes glanced around at the crashing waves before he looked down at the figurehead of his ship, placing his palm on the wood while he tightly held Levi's reins in his opposite hand. "You doin' alright, Merry?", he asked softly, the words barely making it to his own ears over the pounding rain. He waited a long moment for a reply but eventually lifted his hand with a sigh when one didn't come.

The ship had been quiet ever since it had first 'spoken' to him but the pirate captain was sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him at the time. He'd heard Merry's voice, he was certain of it. Why it refused to answer him now, he wasn't sure. However, that wasn't going to keep him from trying. He wanted to hear it again. It had been like that of a child, but, at the same time, so soft and soothing that it left him with a smile just thinking about it.

"Are we getting closer, Levi?", Luffy yelled down to the violently rocking waters, grabbing the reins with both hands once again.

The straw-hatted teen barely heard the loud rumble coming from under the crashing waves but the words reached him and he grinned determinedly, his eyes peering through the rain to the horizon. He didn't know how much longer it would be until they caught up to her, but they were getting closer… And once they found her… His navigator would be coming with him whether she liked it or not.

Nami stepped off her boat and looked up to the sky when she felt light raindrops hitting her skin. She eyed the darkening sky for a moment before shaking her head and grabbing the two treasure-filled bags from the boat.

With the large cloth sacks in hand, she turned back in the direction of where her home was and immediately started on her way. A part of her wanted to rush and get everything done as quickly as possible, but she managed to keep herself to measured steps, her eyes cautiously probing the area for anything that could get in the way of her freeing her village… The last thing she wanted was a repeat of what happened all those months ago… She hoped she never saw that rat-faced bastard ever again.

Anger settled in the orangette's stomach just from thinking of the man, so, she swept the thoughts from her mind and continued on her way, praying to whoever might be up there looking over her that, for once in her life, things would go smoothly.

Deep in the woods just outside the small village of Cocoyashi, a cottage sat. The house was small and would likely only fit a family of no larger than three or four. It was a quaint residence but it fit nicely in the area it rested in. The most eye-catching part of the small house was the beautiful tangerine grove resting just off its side, with lines of picturesque tangerine trees resting planted in the lush green grass.

Inside the cottage, at a small wooden table in the kitchen, two figures sat across from each other. The first was a tan man with a dark mustache and a multitude of scars marring his face. He wore a short-sleeved brown uniform that had a policeman-esque look to it. The most curious thing about the man's outfit was his hat and the pinwheel sprouting from the top of it.

The person sitting across from him was a woman. She had short light colored hair with a bluish-purple tint to it. Most of the straight locks were held back by a red ribbon, but the left side hung out and framed her beautiful face. She wore a simple yellow tank top that showed off her curvy figure and a pair of short jean shorts. Her skin was pale and the only thing marring it was the dark tattoo that started at the front of her left shoulder, ran across the top of her chest, down her right arm, and stopped just at the crook of her elbow.

The blue-haired girl sighed as she gazed at the knotted wood of the table the two sat at. "I'm tired of this, Genzo.", she said. She looked up at the man sitting across from her and could see his agreement with her words, "I want it to be over… It's been years…". Her gaze shot back down when she felt tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. "I just want Nami to be free… I… I just want her to be… Happy.", she whispered.

Genzo sighed much the same as the girl across from him, sagging in his chair. He felt the same way. It wasn't fair… It wasn't fair that she had to shoulder the fate of this village all on her own… But… What could they do? If they chose to revolt and try their hand at freeing themselves, it would make the years Nami spent as an Arlong Pirate pointless… If they even succeeded, which would be a very unlikely outcome… It would be even worse if they died in the process… He just knew the girl would put the weight of their deaths on her shoulders and that wasn't something he was willing to risk. At least, not at this very moment.

The man sighed again, seeming to shrink even further into his seat. "I know, Nojiko.", he eventually replied. He looked up at the girl still trying to keep her tears at bay and tried to send her a smile, the gesture falling somewhat short, "But, have some faith in your sister.". He leaned his head on the back of the wooden chair and looked up to the ceiling, "She's a strong girl… You know that as well as I do.".

Nojiko huffed angrily and looked back to the man across from her. "You think you have to remind me of that?", she seethed, "I've had to watch from a far while my sister suffers through literal slavery, Genzo… I know how strong she is….". Her burst of anger settled and a sigh left her mouth. "I'm sorry.", she apologized, taking a moment before speaking again, "I just miss my sister.". The last time she'd even talked to her had been close to a year ago and it hadn't really been much of a conversation…

"The worst part is she doesn't even know we know why she did it.", the girl added, "She thinks we all hate her for joining Arlong's crew…". Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes once again. "She's all alone, Genzo.", she whispered shakily.

"She's not.", Genzo replied firmly, sitting back up in his chair. His hands balled into fists, "She's not alone, Nojiko.". He looked to the girl across from him trying to brush away the tears falling from her eyes and his hands uncurled as he reached across the table to place his over hers, "She may not know it, but she still has us.". He sent the girl a small smile, "She'll always have u-".

A knock at the front door came and interrupted the man before he could finish, both of the table's occupants turning in the direction of the noise.

Genzo turned back to Nojiko and nodded his head toward the door, "Expecting someone?".

The blue-haired girl looked toward the entrance in confusion, "No…". Genzo was the only one that really came to see her… Who could it be?… A head of orange hair floated through her mind and she was suddenly on her feet. Was it her?…

A second, more insistent, knock came and Nojiko was pulled out of her thoughts. She shook her head, taking a deep breath before stepping in the direction of the door. More than likely, it was just someone from the village. "I'm coming, I'm coming.", she shouted in the direction of the entrance.

Genzo stood from his place at the table and made to follow the girl… For some reason he was nervous and he wasn't exactly sure why…

Nojiko's hand grasped the handle to the front door and she unceremoniously pulled it open, curiously glancing through to see who had come to visit her. Her eyes were met with white fabric and it took her a moment of looking around to realize that it wasn't just one person standing outside the house. They were… Marines?…

The man at the front of the group turned to face the girl but before he could introduce himself, his eyes found a familiar figure standing just behind her. He stared at the person in contempt, ignoring the girl who'd opened the door momentarily. "Why, if it isn't Mr. Genzo.", he said, an insulting tint to his voice.

Genzo's eyes widened, "… You.". He knew this man… He'd been questioned by him several times over the past few months… Mostly about Nami… He didn't know why the marine captain was so curious about her, but their conversations never left him with a good feeling…

The marine captain bowed, water falling from his wet coat, "Yes, it is I.". His back straightened out and he looked up, his gaze finding that of the girl he was there to meet. A slimy smile rose to his lips as he stuck his hand out to introduce himself. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting.", he said, smiling even wider when he felt a cautious hand slide into his.

"My name is Nezumi. I'm the captain of the marine branch that oversees the area your island rests in, branch number sixteen.", the man stated, his smile widening to the point that it looked like it would come off the sides of his face, "And, If you wouldn't mind… I'd like to ask you a few questions… About your sister.".

Nami continued to steadily trek through the forest, her cautious eyes not leaving a single area untouched. Her clothes were completely soaked through due to the now pouring rain, and she couldn't help but be thankful that she'd chosen to wear a shirt that wasn't white… Her eyes glanced back toward the wet bags over he shoulders and she could only pray that the few bills in them hadn't been ruined… She needed every penny.

The sound of thunder cracked through the air, making the orangette look up, and she sighed, her even footsteps never ceasing in their calculated movement. The storm was getting worse and she wasn't too happy about it. Now, she'd have to find something to cover all the money with so it didn't get ruined. Her stash wasn't made up of all bills, but it was a big enough chunk to make her worry about it.

The girl sighed once again. Things were already complicated enough before the storm… She shook her head, her eyes narrowing on a familiar opening in the tree line. She'd do whatever she had to, but she could think about that later. She needed to take things one step at a time. The first thing to do was get the treasure out from underneath the tangerine trees, and it looked like she would be taking that step soon… Her feet continued to carry her closer to her destination, when she suddenly froze in place, a loud voice rising into the air from the area her house rested in.

"Alright, Men! Good work! Our job here is done! Gather everything up and head back to the ship!".

Nami quietly made her way to the tree line and hid behind one of the large trunks, cautiously peering around the side of it to see what was going on. When her eyes found the large group of people standing in front of her house, she froze, a look of shock and horror taking over her face… No… This couldn't be happening… Her eyes shifted slowly across the area before they stopped, wide brown eyes staring, unblinking.

The orangette's heart began to beat so hard and loud it almost drowned out the sound of the pouring rain pounding the ground around her. Her face was hot and it felt like her blood literally began to boil underneath her skin. She continued to stand there and stare because it was all she could physically do, her rage-filled eyes glued to her mother's uprooted tangerine grove.

For what felt like an eternity, the girl kept her gaze trained on the destroyed tangerine trees, the anger in her stomach continuing to grow hotter and hotter as it twisted her insides into tight little knots. It wasn't until the voice that first made her stop spoke up again, that she was able to tear her gaze away from her precious trees, eyes dripping with tears of white-hot anger.

"As for you two.", Nezumi said, scowling at the two people on the muddy ground below him while his men held them both at gunpoint, "You're lucky I don't arrest you both right now.". The man smiled his slimy smile before making to turn away. "Obstruction of justice is a serious crime, I'll have you know.", he said over his shoulder.

Rage. It was all Nami could feel. The knots in the girl's stomach continued to tighten almost to the point of pain. It was all-consuming. The orangette didn't even feel her hands loosen, the sound of the cloth sacks splashing to the ground being covered by a violent crack of thunder.

Nezumi jumped at the loud noise, looking at the sky in annoyance. The wind was beginning to pick up and he couldn't help the widening of his eyes at the quickly darkening sky… It looked unnatural… A gust of air blew through the area and he was almost knocked over by its strength, scrambling to regain his footing. "Alright, men! Quickly now! I don't want to be in this storm any longer than I have to! Let's get a move on!", he commanded, still slightly off balance.

The marine captain finally stilled as a multitude of marines, each carrying large cloth sacks filled to the brim with valuables, stepped past him and in the direction of Arlong Park. He smiled in glee at the amount of money he'd made as he watched his men pass him by and eventually went to follow them. However, before he could take his first step in their direction, two gasps coming from the opposite direction made him stop and turn… What could those two possibly be getting so worked up about?…

Nezumi's body fully rotated and before he could even lay his eyes on the two, he was distracted by a scream of anger bursting into the air. He immediately went to turn in the direction of the noise, but the person the scream had come from was faster. Before he even had time to realize what was going on, a fist buried itself into the side of his face, a sickening crunch coming from the knuckle bones of the hand sinking into his skin and the cheek underneath. A cry of agony left his mouth before he was lifted off his feet and sent tumbling in the opposite direction.

The sounds of Nami's pained and rageful screams were drowned out by a loud crack of thunder ripping through the sky, Nezumi's body landing roughly in the mud and turning the majority of his white uniform, brown. She ignored the searing pain of her broken knuckles and took off toward the object of her ire, her stomach still twisted into tight knots of anger. One punch wasn't even close to enough to quell the fire burning underneath her skin.

Genzo and Nojiko watched the scene unfold with wide eyes, both too bewildered to fully process what was happening. The two sat there, frozen in shock and unable to do anything but watch while Nami sprinted toward Nezumi's downed form.

Thunder cracked in the sky and Nami dove through the air, her already broken fist cocked back. She didn't care about the pain. She only wanted one thing at that moment… She wanted this man dead. Her body roughly landed on top of Nezumi's just as the man turned in her direction and she shot her fist through the air, the roar leaving her mouth sounding like that of a lioness.

Nezumi screamed once again when he felt broken knuckles collide with his nose, the sensitive bones shattering underneath the force of the punch thrown at him.

The orangette wasted no time in readjusting herself so she was straddling the marine captain, her fist already in the air once again. The bloody knuckles shot downward and connected with their target once again, flying blood mixing with the water falling from the sky. Another roar left her lips and she raised her opposite hand, the appendage already curled and ready to strike.

Just when the girl's arm shot in the direction of the bloody face below, she gasped, the air leaving her lungs as a shoulder buried itself into her stomach. Her body was lifted off of Nezumi and she was sent careening backward along with the marine who'd tackled her. The two roughly landed, mud splashing on impact and covering both of their forms before they rolled to a stop. Nami growled while she struggled to remove the arms wrapped around her stomach but the man was much too strong. Before long, he had her in a sitting position with her arms held behind her back and her head facing the ground.

Almost like she was crazed, the orangette continued to fight against the man holding her down. It wasn't enough yet… The fire… It was still so hot… Her stomach felt like it had the sun inside of it… The knots continued to tighten while she watched Nezumi's men help the man slowly stand to his feet, blood dripping from his brutalized face. Even through her anger, she couldn't help the slight feeling of satisfaction suffusing through her at the sound of the bastard's cries of pain.

Nezumi stood fully to his feet and his eyes immediately found the girl who had caused all the pain he was currently feeling. He growled, yelping when the action irritated his broken bones, and pushed his men's arms away in anger. His feet carried him to a spot just out of the struggling girl's reach.

Nami stared up at the man defiantly. The more she looked at him, the more fuel was added to the fire, her stomach continuing to grow ever tighter. She fought even harder against the man holding her in place. At this point, it didn't matter if she could get out or not… She just had to do something… If she stayed still for even a moment, she was sure her rage would consume her…

The marine captain looked down on the girl practically frothing at the mouth in an attempt to reach him and scowled at her. He was angry. He'd never been in so much pain before and he hated it. His eyes shadowed as he brought his curled hand above his head. She was going to pay… Without hesitation, his fist shot out toward the girl's cheek, a snarl of anger leaving his lips, "YOU BITCH!".

A grunt of pain left the orangette's mouth when she felt Nezumi's fist crash into her face, her head snapping to the side. The only thing that kept her upright, was the man still holding her arms behind her back.

Genzo and Nojiko were suddenly snapped out of their stupor at seeing Nami being struck, growls of anger coming from both of them as they prepared to sprint to her aid.

"You two, stay where you are.", Nezumi shouted over the rain. He nodded his head in the direction of a couple of his men and their rifles immediately rose. "And you.", the marine captain said, facing the orange-haired girl once again. He bent down so he was at eye level with her, the scowl still firmly rooted on his face, "Unfortunately, I'm reluctant to damage you any fur-".

Red suddenly splattered over the man's eyes and he fell backward furiously trying to wipe bloody saliva from his injured face. His hand brushed against the tender bones of his nose a little too hard and he screamed in agony when he felt the shattered bones underneath the skin shift slightly.

Nami smirked a bloody smirk at the screams sounding into the air. They were so loud, she could hear them almost perfectly even with the crashing thunder and pouring rain. A part of her relished in it. The other part, however… Was still absolutely enraged.

The throb in Nezumi's face eventually settled down enough for him to sit back up and he growled in anger, his gaze landing on the person who'd caused him more pain than he'd felt in his entire life… He wanted her to suffer… Suddenly his hand shot forward and he grabbed the orangette by the mouth, squeezing tightly so her head stayed still and she'd be unable to talk. He smiled at the fiery stare of hatred being sent in his direction because he knew it would only make the girl angrier, "Like I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted.".

The sky flashed white, illuminating the maniacal glint in his eye as the marine captain continued, "I'm reluctant to damage you any further.". He shot the girl a knowing look and smiled wider to draw even more of her ire, "I think we both know why.". He felt the orangette attempt to bite the inside of his hand at the words. "Tsk Tsk Tsk, Nami.", he chided, squeezing his hand even tighter, "I'm afraid I can't let you do that.". He grabbed her face and roughly pulled her forward, pointing to the men still holding onto the bags filled with treasure, "You see those bags, Nami?".

The orangette's eyes widened when she saw what he meant. Several of his men were standing there with large cloth sacks hung over their shoulders. She didn't even have to guess what was in them… She already knew. The thought brought white hot tears to her eyes... It was happening again...

Nezumi only continued to smile while the look of distress on the girl's face grew, "That's your life's work right there.".

A sob vibrated on the inside of the marine captain's palm and he had to resist the urge to revel in the anguish he was causing the one who'd made him feel so much pain. "That's right, Nami.", he said, forcing the girl to look him in the eyes once again, "Your life's work is mine, now.".

The man's look of glee only grew. "That means…", he began, bringing her face mere inches away from his, "Once I'm gone…". His smile widened even further. "Your life will be worthless… Literally.", he said. His smile turned to a frown of disgust at the tears he could feel soaking his hand, "You'll have no more worth than a slave...".

Nezumi's ignored the hot liquid dripping onto his hand and the usual slimy smile he wore rose to his face once more, his ratty eyes peering deep into the tear stained brown orbs of his captive, "And that is all you will ever be... Arlong's little slave.".

Nami's body shook violently as she was wracked with sob after sob of anguish, the rage tightening her stomach into knots only seeming to grow with every word spoken.

"Oh, and Nami.", the man added, "If you even attempt to come after me when I drop my hand…". He pulled her face in the direction of where Genzo and Nojiko stood with their hands above their heads, "I will personally make sure those two spend the rest of their miserable lives in prison.".

The orangette's tear-filled eyes met her sister's and, try as she might, she couldn't stop her sobs. Why was it always like this?… Her eyes shifted to Genzo's and her tears began to fall even faster. Why did her life have to be one long series of unfortunate events?… The hand covering her mouth was suddenly removed and her sobs immediately sounded into the air as she tore her eyes away from the two, turning to watch Nezumi stand to his feet.

The cries were like music to the marine captain's ears. He sighed to himself in satisfaction, smiling one last slimy smile down at the girl he'd just taken everything from, "I meant what I said, Nami.". With his piece said and the situation resolved, he turned away from the orangette and signaled his men in the direction of Arlong Park, tenderly probing his injured face.

Nami watched Nezumi turn his back to her, sitting still while the rain continued to drench her already-soaked form. Her tear-stained eyes never left his form as he walked away with the only means she had of freeing herself and her people, the fire in her stomach rising to almost unbearable temperatures. Her teeth ground against each other, tears continuing to fall from her eyes unimpeded. She could hear the blood furiously rushing through her body, her heart pumping faster than it ever had before. It felt like she couldn't breathe.

The rain pounded to the ground all around the girl but she could barely even hear it she was so distraught. Her blurry eyes moved from Nezumi's back to one of the men carrying a sack of her treasure and she just couldn't take it anymore. "Stop.", she whispered into the air in front of her, choking on a sob before she could go on.

"Please.", Nami cried, gritting her teeth in anguish, "Please, stop.". She could barely even hear herself say the words over the thunder and rain, but she meant them… She would do anything… When the men still made no move to heed her words, a guttural scream left her lips. It felt like she was going to explode if she didn't find some way to release the anger she currently held in her heart. Her arms curled around her middle and she began to rock back and forth while she screamed into her chest, the knots in her stomach somehow continuing to grow even tighter.

"Stop!", the girl screamed again, looking up once more at the group of marines slowly but surely getting further away… Why was it always her?… The thought made her flush with more heat, her stomach curling something fierce. Everything was so hot… Too hot… She wanted it to go away…

Nojiko made to rush to comfort her sister but a hand snatched her by the wrist and she was stopped before she could take her first step. "What the hell, Genzo?!", she yelled, scowling at the man. Her sister was in pain and she couldn't just stand there and watch from afar anymore! Why the hell wouldn't he let her go?!

Genzo made no move to answer the girl, his eyes firmly locked on the arm he held in his hand. "The hair on your arms…", he said ominously, pointing at the her pale skin.

The blue-haired girl looked down in confusion, staring for a moment before realizing what he was getting at. The hair on her arms… It was standing straight up… The rain didn't even seem to be affecting it... She eyed herself in shock for a moment before her gaze shifted to the arm of the man holding her wrist… His hair was standing on end too…

Nojiko's vision shifted to her sister's still rocking form before it came back to her arm, the small hairs still standing straight up. The wind suddenly picked up and on instinct, she looked toward the sky… It was getting darker… And quickly… What the hell was going on?… Her eyes dropped back to Nami and, for the first time, she noticed that her orange locks of hair were beginning to rise seemingly all on their own.

Nami lifted her head to the almost black sky, unaware of the effects the air was having on her, and screamed until her throat was bloody. The knots in her stomach tightened drastically and the feeling made her almost want to vomit. It felt like she was inside the sun. Not even the rain bouncing off her skin could cool her down. Her crying eyes found the backs of the marines carrying away her life's work once again, and she just couldn't bear it anymore. The years of slaving away, every hardship she'd ever faced, everything that had gone wrong in her life, it all hit her at once… It all made her so… Angry... Like a raging inferno.

With her heart on the verge of exploding and the feeling in her stomach seeming to reach its peak, the orangette screamed one more bloody scream to the sky above before slamming her fists into the mud in front of her with every ounce of strength she had.

Nezumi and his men froze when they heard an ominous wail pierce through the air, all of them turning in the direction it was coming from. It was like that of a banshee… Honestly… It frightened them... They watched the girl slam her hands into the mud and for some strange reason… The action didn't seem like an empty gesture.

"I SAID, STOP!", Nami wailed, the fire in her stomach exploding outward and finding its way into every nook and cranny of her body as thunder violently cracked in the sky above.

Suddenly, the air around the group of men began to buzz and Nezumi couldn't help but look up, his curious eyes finding the almost black clouds hanging over them. Had they always been that dark?…

Before the marine captain even had the chance to answer the question, the tingling feeling running across his skin began to drastically increase, the hair on every inch of his body rising in response. He desperately glanced around at his men and could see they were experiencing the same thing… Something wasn't right… Panic began to fill him and his eyes found the sky again, hair still standing straight. The black clouds that met his sight seemed to part slightly and he eyed the white sky peeking through... What a strange occurrence… Too strange...

It wasn't until far too late that the man realized the light wasn't what he first thought.

Nezumi barely had time to widen his eyes before his vision was consumed with white, the screams of him and his men being drowned out by the large crack of thunder accompanying the massive strike of lighting that fried every single one of them from the inside out.

"We're almost there, Levi! Just a little further!", Luffy screamed over the rain. His slick hands tightly gripped the monster's reins as he eyed the land mass in front of him quickly growing larger, "Take me straight to Nami!".

The storm hadn't let up for even a second after it caught them. If anything, it had gotten worse the closer they got to catching up to their wayward friend.

Suddenly, the water directly in front of the Merry was sent in every different direction, the head of a large sea creature bursting through the waves as it roared at the ship moving toward it. It had the head of a cow and, honestly... It didn't really look all that frightening...

Without even thinking about it, Luffy sent a glare in the monster's direction. "Buzz off.", he growled, his even voice somehow cutting through the thunder and rain. He focused on the power he could constantly feel bubbling just beneath his skin and pushed it outward, Conqueror's Haki suffusing through the immediate area around the Merry. He didn't have time to fool around with sea monsters… His navigator needed him.

The air around the ship almost immediately became heavier under the weight of Luffy's will, the rain dropping from the sky beginning to look like it was shaking as it fell to the ocean below

The boy sent another glare in the monster's direction, flashing the large animal his eye from underneath his hat. The black pupil seemed to shrink in on itself before flashing back to its original size, the action being accompanied by another more concentrated burst of Conqueror's Haki that faded away once it had passed over the creature trying to get in his way.

The second wave of willpower rolled over the cow-like sea monster and it immediately began to visibly shake, something like sweat dripping from its large head. The first burst had been more than enough to make it turn tail and run, however, it was literally too frightened to move… And even though it had dissipated, unlike the first burst… The second show of strength had been much more frightening…

Without so much as another peep, the creature dipped its head back underneath the water and swam away from the lamb-headed ship with its tail between its legs… literally. It didn't care if its owners got mad at him… That guy was scary…

The straw-hatted pirate captain reined in the haki suffusing throughout the area and almost immediately forgot about the interruption as he and Levi continued in the direction of the island he would hopefully find Nami on.

It wasn't much longer before the two eventually made it close enough to where Luffy felt comfortable leaving the ship with his friend. He could have tried to anchor somewhere, but odds were the waves would, either, snap the rope the anchor was connected to, or, the Merry would be pulled underwater… Neither of those options was very appealing to him, so he'd decided to leave the ship with Levi instead.

"Alright, buddy!", the boy yelled down to the water, "I think I'm gonna swim the rest of the way!". The ship began to slow at his words and he dropped Levi's reins to hang around the figurehead of the Merry before launching himself off the wood, into the turbulent waters below. His body crashed into the cold water and he immediately swam up to Levi grabbing onto his side as he pushed them both through the surface of the water.

"Take care of the Merry while I'm gone. Alright, buddy?", Luffy shouted over the rain splashing into the sea all around him. He smiled when the large beast nodded its head and jumped off his back, gracefully diving back into the violently rocking sea. His body found the water once again and he wasted no time in speeding his way in the direction of the island.

The storm raged as the teen pumped his arms and legs as quickly as he could, massive waves crashing all around his quickly moving form. However, he paid them no mind. He only had one focus… That focus was Nami, and reaching her as fast as he possibly could.

Within minutes of leaving the Merry, the straw-hatted pirate captain felt sand underneath his feet and he immediately stood, sprinting his way to the shore. When he stepped out of the water, his head snapped up and down the coast as he came to a startling realization… Even though he knew Nami was on the island… He still had no idea how to find her…

Suddenly, the hair on Luffy's skin rose and his eyes were immediately pulled to the sky, a bright white arc of lightning consuming his vision. He watched it travel for a nanosecond, the white streak striking the island somewhere in front of him, before the accompanying crack of thunder almost burst his eardrums.

The boy held his hands over his ears while he gazed in the direction of where he saw the lightning strike and waited for the ringing in his head to die down. When it did, his hands dropped back to his sides and he immediately began to sprint in the direction he was facing. For some reason, it felt like his best chance at finding his navigator… He sighed to himself. If he ended up being right…

Black orbs widened when he suddenly remembered that he'd already found the girl playing with lightning once… He immediately cleared his mind at the thought, pushing his legs to move even faster. Hopefully, he wouldn't come across the same scene he did then...

Luffy's gaze hardened, his eyes laser-focused on the path in front of him and his legs moving as fast as he could make them, "I'm coming, Nami… Just hold on a little longer.".

End Note:

So, we've got some wild stuff going on with our navigator... All I will say is that there's an explanation that will be built upon as the story continues! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! See you guys in the next one!