Two is Company


Luffy, in an act of desperation, manages to save Nami from being separated on Sabaody; and now joins him on Amazon Lily and beyond. Impel Down, Marineford; none are ready for this company of two.

This story is a Redux of the work Search the Wind by Shadowonthewall6. Link can be found in the post-script.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. Or… that's just what they want you to think.


Chapter Three: No Man Is An Island

Getting into places was remarkably easy. You would be surprised by just how many guards didn't pay attention to the smaller details. The mundanity of doing the same thing every day allowed subconscious slips to occur. Besides, the bigger a place was, the more entrances it had, making it harder to guard in principle. Furthermore, people often completely underestimated the lengths that the truly desperate would go to achieve their goals.

There was also something to be said about the dangers of becoming too comfortable. The Calm Belt and Sea Kings offered such a formidable defence that it was easy to become complacent on Amazon Lily. There hadn't been an incident in years; why would there be one today?

All of these factors allowed Nami to breach the massive city nestled within rock walls and a mountainside. The mountain was truly a sight to behold, with countless serpents etched into its structure like monuments. The carvings served both as reverence and as a form of intimidation.

And Nami was certainly intimidated, that much was clear. With the word 'Kuja' imprinted on the mountain's face in a blood-red, the navigator felt increasingly out of her depth.

Not only had she lost those blasted women, but she was now stranded in an unfamiliar city, with a bunch of strange women who looked quite strong to boot. Nami looked down at her getup and felt her eyebrow twitch in both worry and annoyance.

It wasn't as if she stood out, no sir. Her yellow shirt was tattered beyond belief, and her shorts were clearly not the island's fashion, considering everyone else paraded around in their pants.

Not that Nami minded, of course. She was practically the least shy person she knew, with the exception of maybe Luffy himself. But fitting in was more important than retaining her amazing and, in her opinion, sexy fashion sense. Regardless, it looked completely alien compared to the rest of the inhabitants and she needed to ditch the clothes quickly.

Hopping over a garden fence, Nami spied a washing line with a mischievous look—jackpot.

Nami quickly grabbed the clothes and dove into a nearby bush, swapping out her own outfit for the new one. It wasn't long before she tumbled back out of the bush, taking a moment to inspect her clothes with interest. The brown fur top and small loincloth around her waist left little to the imagination. Nami was quite fond of the colours and their simple elegance, and she would have taken a moment to admire her own rear if the damn thing didn't itch so much.

Nami took a moment to seethe at the feeling, already worried about the inevitable chafing and rashes that might come from this getup. Adjusting her skirt one final time, the orange-haired girl pushed the feeling aside. She needed to find Luffy after all, and god knows what they could possibly be doing to him.

The city itself had a simple layout, and Nami quickly grasped its overall shape and design. However, she had no frame of reference for where Luffy might be. Those women could have taken him anywhere, after all, so where the hell was she supposed to begin? Eventually, Nami shook her head and started to wander aimlessly, hoping that destiny would present her with her captain.

Thank the gods that destiny kept a close watch on Monkey D. Luffy, even if he would tell it to get lost.

Nami crashed into what felt like a person, both yelping as they fell to the ground, clutching their bumped heads. Nami heard the sound of crashing objects as well, realising she'd knocked something out of the other person's hands. Grea-

The navigator looked up at Margaret and almost squealed with glee, suppressing her relief at seeing someone who could lead her straight to Luffy. Quickly feigning an apologetic state of emotion (which wasn't entirely for show, they had crashed into one another quite hard after all), Nami rubbed her head for emphasis. "Sorry about that."

"No problem. It was my fault, given I wasn't paying attention," Margaret responded, smiling as she watched Nami pick up the medicine bottles that had tumbled out of her basket. Once Nami finished putting all the bottles back into the basket, she held out a hand to the blonde City Defender. Margaret accepted it with a smile, allowing Nami to pull her up.

Nami could have laughed—she really was too good at sneaking. Infiltration complete!

"Thanks!" Margaret said, easily picking her basket back up. "My name's Margaret. I don't think we've met before."

"Oh, my name's Nami. I'm actually from the east side of town and haven't really ventured out further than that. I only recently moved here. Had to get away from it all, ya know?" Nami's lie came out so easily and perfectly that Usopp would have been jealous. Then again, Nami had lied to everyone, including herself, for eight years, so it had become an easy habit. The cat-like grin that sported her friendly face only made her seem more trustworthy, and it was a grin practised to perfection.

"The East District?" Margaret pressed briefly, to which Nami gave a simple nod. "I had a friend from East District. She said you are all really nice company."

Nami couldn't stop the nervous chuckle that bubbled from her lips as she tried to keep her lies and story as simple as possible. "While we do like having fun, I needed some more peace and quiet, I think. The… loud Sea Kings were too much."

Dammit, why did she have to embellish?

Though, from the look on Margaret's happy face, the lie she'd spun hadn't been noticed.

"Understandable, they have been so loud lately. It may be the Marine ships that keep venturing further and further into the Calm Belt, disturbing the territory? That three-kilometre radius isn't enough if you ask me."

"Ya know, I was just saying that to a friend of mine yesterday. What a coincidence!" Nami's guile was a sight to behold.

"Every day there's something else. Earlier, while I was helping this young woman, I heard some kind of roar or yell. It very well could have been the mating call of a Sea King!"

Nami had to suppress her anger, resisting the urge to smack Margaret across the back of the head. As if; she should shove her Clima-Tact up where the sun doesn't shine. Taking a small breath, the navigator seized the opportunity that had just presented itself.

"A young woman you say. Is that what all this medicine is for? Is she okay?" Nami asked innocently, her expression giving nothing away as Margaret nodded.

"My friends and I found her in the jungle. She had eaten the 'Grow-On-Your-Body' Mushroom." Margaret was becoming more comfortable with the exchange, and Nami almost applauded the gasp she gave in response.

"Wow. The 'Grow-On-Your-Body' Mushroom? Don't they usually grow in clusters with laughing mushrooms?" Nami's inquiry was innocent enough. "What did you do about it? Did she die?"

Margaret shook her head, and her response gave Nami an indescribable feeling of relief that crawled up her spine. "Belladonna is taking a look at her. As you know, she practically knows the cure to everything on this island."

Luffy was safe, for the time being. But, from what Nami could tell, this was a women-only island. What exactly would happen when they found out Luffy was a man? She doubted it would be pleasant, and Nami watched Margaret chat away, forcing herself to conceal her worried expression.

She had to shoot her shot, and she had to do it now.

"Do you mind if I accompany you? I really don't know anyone here…" The small smile that graced her lips, carefully crafted to appear socially worried and awkward, was perfect in breaking Margaret's final defences. The seconds that Nami waited for a response felt like days. If Margaret questioned her desire to accompany her, that might lead to other questions being asked. If not, she could find Luffy with ease.

This was make or break.

"Sure!" Margaret chirped, and Nami could have cried in relief if not for the act she was determined to maintain. "I need to deliver this medicine to the doctor's office. Do you mind carrying the other basket? It would save me making two trips!"

Margaret quickly gestured to the second basket, and Nami nodded, picking it up with an ease that helped her blend in further. The physically weakest on the crew Nami may be, but she was an experienced sailor and a Straw Hat pirate. She was by no means normal or average.

'Just hang on a little longer, Luffy. I'm coming!'

"By the way, Nami," Margaret began, prompting Nami to look at her with a curious expression. "Nice hat!"

Blinking for a moment in confusion, Nami realised that Luffy's hat still graced her head. It had become so comfortable that Nami had almost forgotten it was there, but the compliment made her beam.

"Thanks!"


It didn't take long for the two to arrive at Luffy's location, and upon getting a proper look, Nami could have groaned in disbelief. The sheer number of women surrounding the building was not helpful to any sort of escape plan, especially with how they were transfixed on whatever was inside, mumbling as they peered in.

"Margaret, I see you acquired the medicine… and who is this with you?"

"Yes… the saga of 'who is your new friend?'"

Nami peered inside the building as they approached, maintaining as friendly a smile as possible without seeming too eager. The two women who had been with Margaret before, Sweet-Pea and Aphelandra, were inside next to the mushroom-infested Luffy, who looked worse than he had before. There was a third woman, her black hair twisted into a ponytail, who was looking at Nami with… unkind eyes.

She was going to be a problem, wasn't she? The way she stared at the navigator and impatiently awaited an answer made that clear.

"Kikyou, this is Nami. She's from the Eastern District." Margaret responded with an easy smile, as casually as if she were recounting the weather (which, in Amazon Lily, was always the same—'none'). Though it seemed Kikyou didn't share Margaret's sentiment, glaring at Nami with an expression that was hostile at best.

Nami opted to ignore her, kneeling beside Luffy to unpack the medicine from her basket, while her eyes roamed over him to check if he was okay now that she was up close. Still, she had appearances to keep up. "So, Margaret, where do you want me to put this medicine?"

"No need for that, my child…" Margaret couldn't respond as a voice cut her off. Nami almost jumped in surprise at the interruption, turning to her left to see another woman standing in the doorway. Her skin was slightly darker than everyone else's, her raven hair framing her pronounced cheekbones in a way that Nami thought she pulled off quite well. Nami assumed this was Belladonna, and her assumption was quickly confirmed.

"Belladonna, Nami and I managed to get some medicine to help the patient." Margaret's casual explanation did Nami a great favour, as Belladonna smiled at the two and grabbed the baskets.

"That shouldn't be necessary, but your kind thoughts should also do wonders for the patient. Plus, I believe these can be administered as a painkiller, so they should be quite handy." The woman took the baskets into her office, and Nami almost snorted. Painkillers? Those never worked on Luffy, she should know, given the number of times she had administered them to the boy during their adventures in the East Blue.

The navigator gave her head a slight shake to stop herself from reminiscing about the days when it was just the two of them and Zoro; otherwise, she might break her ruse entirely. The good news was, Belladonna had not questioned her presence at all, likely in part due to Margaret. A cat-like smirk nearly graced her features at the thought.

"What took you so long to get here, Belladonna?" Kikyou questioned in her usual angry tone, with Sweet Pea following up in a similar line of questioning. Both women clearly felt the witch-doctor's tardiness warranted questioning.

"Well, it's strange," Belladonna began, emerging from her office with a puzzled expression. "One moment, my clothing was drying on the line outside. The next second, it was gone."

Nami felt as if the ground had opened up to swallow her whole.

"The saga of 'those troublesome raccoons.'" Sweet Pea's voice seemed to be filled with anger, and given the way she had quickly responded, it seems the troublesome raccoons were a recent incident for her. Margaret nodded in response, patting Sweet Pea on the back.

"It's true. The raccoons have been stealing a lot of things lately." Margaret cast a sad look in Belladonna's direction, mouth twisting into a small frown. "And I remember buying you that clothing for your birthday…"

Nami felt the sweat upon the small of her back now and couldn't help but make herself as small as possible. Perhaps a feeble attempt to prevent Margaret from recognising the clothes she now wore.

"Actually, it's alright, Margaret. I found some new clothing outside my home, just past the garden in the bushes!" Belladonna said with a wide smile and hoisted in front of them a very familiar flower-patterned T-shirt, as broken and battered as Nami had left it.

'Okay, you know what?'

Margaret, Sweet Pea, and Aphelandra gasped in shock at the sight.

'Fuck my life!'

"Such an unfamiliar design…" Margaret noted as she examined it with interest, her hand cupped under her chin. "If you ask me, it sort of reminds me of the style the Snake Princess usually wears."

This, obviously, caused the entire group to gasp, even Kikyou. Nami looked at each of them with a deadpan expression, from Margaret all the way to Belladonna, as they gossiped away.

"Do you think the Snake Princess may have left it for you to receive?"

"It's possible. I did help her with the flu last year after her trip to Rusukaina—remember, with the Defectors Incident?"

"WOW! THAT'S AMAZING! THE PRINCESS HERSELF GIVING YOU A GIFT!"

"The saga of 'many congratulations to Belladonna.'"

"Oh my. You are all too kind."

"I must also say, congratulations, Belladonna. It is nice to finally see your skills getting recognised, and by the Snake Princess no less!"

"Though, I do wonder why it is so damaged…"

"The saga of 'those damn raccoons.' Up to no good again!"

Nami cleared her throat, rage building in her centre. "Excuse me, guys, but I thought we were here to help the person dying from the mushroom attack?"

Perhaps she had been a little too harsh, given the way her voice echoed across the room. But in all fairness, the situation was nonsense. Nami liked royalty as much as the next woman. If the next woman was a woman who liked royalty. But there was a time and a place.

Kikyou, however, seemed to disagree as she rounded on Nami with her ever-present glare. "HOW DARE YOU! YOU CLAIM TO BE A MEMBER OF THE KUJA TRIBE AND YOU DARE TO SPEAK SUCH… SUCH NONSENSE! PLACING THIS NOBODY ABOVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE PRINCESS?!"

The thundering voice startled Nami, and she paled at the sight. They sure did love this Snake Princess of theirs, considering they were letting Luffy's life hang in the balance just to discuss her. However, the navigator was far more focused on Kikyou's words.

The woman had outright confessed that she didn't believe the identity Nami had constructed, and it wouldn't be long before that escalated into something far worse. She needed to be on her guard.

"Kikyou, she is correct," Belladonna half-scolded, perhaps recalling her Hippocratic Oath—if secluded, tribal witch-doctors even practised such a thing. "This jabber is wasting precious time."

The woman pushed through the other Kuja and began to properly examine Luffy. After a few seconds of soft humming, Belladonna reached forward with a delicate hand and plucked a single mushroom from Luffy's chest. Though, the boy remained unaffected.

"A little help, please," the witch-doctor drawled, prompting the other women to gather around and pick the rest of the mushrooms off Luffy's body. It didn't take long before the rubber-man was completely mushroom-free, allowing Nami to release the breath she had been holding.

"He's cured…" Her voice came out softer than she would have liked, but she was sure it could be chalked up to simple relief and concern for life.

"Well, not quite. That was only half the process…" Belladonna interjected, and Nami looked up at her with a half-frown, confused as to what else needed to be done. "Please, stand back."

On cue, Nami and the rest of the women took several firm steps back, all wondering what the witch-doctor was up to. Belladonna pulled a match from her pocket and struck it against a nearby snake. The stick lit up in a brilliant flame as Nami felt her stomach drop in confusion.

"What the fu-" Nami couldn't finish, as the match was already floating towards Luffy's unconscious body. In the mere blink of an eye, Luffy was now on fire (the mushrooms seemingly acting as an accelerant), devastatingly so. The boy couldn't help but jump around and scream comically.

"LUFFY!" Nami's terrified yell escaped instinctively. Was Belladonna attempting to kill her captain? Did she know who he was? Had her disguise been seen through? Questions raced in her head in rapid fashion, but Nami couldn't help but blurt out the common denominator for all of them. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

Belladonna merely looked at her with a clinical yet curious expression. "If I hadn't set him alight, the mushroom's roots would simply create more mushrooms on his body. They must be forced out through heat and reduced to ash."

The other Kuja Tribe members nodded in surprise, trying to understand her reasoning for burning an injured civilian alive. Margaret seemed to disagree, at least somewhat. "Belladonna… do you not think that was slightly extreme?"

The woman paused and considered her words for a second before shrugging. Witch-doctors gotta witch-doctor, after all.

Nami, meanwhile, tore her gaze back to Luffy in both anger and worry. He was lying down in pain, still unconscious with his mouth open in an expression of agony, now with added burn marks on his body. Her stomach somersaulted several times, his injured state rousing that sense of guilt once again. His bruises and wounds were extensive. Between the Marines, Kizaru, Sentomaru, and Kuma, Luffy had taken a clear and severe beating. All to protect her useless hide.

She couldn't protect Luffy, or anyone else for that matter. he had broken down in the face of Kuma's handiwork as well. And once again, that voice whispered to her.

Luffy would never sacrifice himself again. Not for her weakness.

Never again.

Kikyou, in her perpetually angry tone, interrupted Nami's fervour with a glare she could feel but couldn't quite see.

"East Girl." Nami briefly thought she was referring to the East Blue, turning to the Amazonian in an internalised panic. "What is a… Luffy?"

Nami couldn't help herself; she paled and properly turned to the woman. "W-what?"

"A Luffy. You practically bellowed the word when Belladonna set the young woman alight."

Time seemed to stop with the pin that dropped, as Nami struggled to hold back her panic now. She had to get out of this predicament, now.

"Nope…" She pretended to think. "I didn't say that."

"I believe you did…"

"Actually, Nami, I agree with Kikyou," Margaret announced, and Nami held back her scowl. Traitor! "I think you did say Luffy. What is that?"

Nami's nervousness grew as her mind raced with a million thoughts per minute. She reached a feeble conclusion on how to get out of this.

It was time for Usopp levels of bullshit.

"I didn't say Luffy… I said… er… luu... lu… ky… yeah, lucky! I said lucky! As in, er… 'it's lucky we could get rid of the mushrooms!'"

Nami gulped loudly. It seemed Usopp's competency had rubbed off on her as well. She was dead. So absolutely dead. There was absolutely no way any of these people were stupid enough to believe that.

"Oh right! I understand!" Margaret said with a wide smile, and Nami could have fallen over in shock. If she didn't steady herself, she would have collapsed in disbelief. There was no way that worked?!

Belladonna's sage-like nod nearly forced Nami into a set of comic tears. The woman looked directly at Kikyou, as if imparting some kind of wisdom that befell her as a medical practitioner. "I believe Nami must have gotten her words confused."

Kikyou merely scoffed, rolling her eyes as she walked out of the hut, making sure to slam her shoulder into Nami's on the way, whispering as she did. "I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Nami almost shivered.

'Great job Nami. In town for thirty minutes, and I already have a new enemy. Who am I, Sanji?'

Belladonna, however, seemed to notice her inner turmoil. "Ignore Kikyou, Nami. She's always been that way, ever since she was a child. It makes her a good guard, but sometimes not… the best at social situations."

Nami nodded and turned back to Luffy, wanting to cement her cover further. "It looks like she's been in a battle."

"I agree," Belladonna said, turning to the remaining occupants in the room with a thoughtful expression. "I suggest you bring her to the springs for a healing bath."

The other Kuja nodded, and before Nami could even protest, Luffy was carried outside and dragged to the hot springs. Nami, however, opted to wait, deciding it was best to cement herself with someone who trusted her and distance herself from Luffy for a moment. She had found the hot springs in her wandering earlier, after all.

Nami began picking up mushrooms with deft fingers before placing them in a basket and handing them to Belladonna. The witch-doctor smiled in thanks.

"Thank you, Nami. And once again, please don't mind Kikyou. You'll find that you have plenty of friends now that you've moved to this side of the city." The navigator let a genuine smile cross her face at Belladonna's kind and easy-going expression. "If you wish to meet up with me later for a cup of tea, please, feel free."

Okay, now Nami allowed herself a proper smile.

"I'd love that." Nami grinned in her cat-like manner before turning her head towards the hot springs, her priority clear. "I should catch up with the others."

Belladonna nodded, giving Nami a wave as the orange-haired woman ran off to chase after Luffy. Her steps were quick, desperate to make sure Luffy didn't wake up and immediately get himself into trouble, as he normally did. Given her pace, it didn't take her long to reach the hot springs.

The crowd Luffy had drawn was not ideal, Nami noted. Furthermore, it wasn't exactly the easiest to get through given the packing of people. Nami felt her panic turn into anger, pushing women aside until she reached the front of the crowd. Upon her arrival, Margaret gave a happy wave before motioning towards the pool, signalling for Nami to join and help them.

Nami wished she had her swimsuit right now. Oh well. With that, the navigator jumped into the hot spring and waded through the water to reach Margaret. Her clothes felt somewhat uncomfortable, mainly because she wasn't used to wearing tribal clothes such as these. She would be comfortable stripping, but ironically, the women on this island didn't seem to do so. Well, Margaret was without her top, but aside from her, this seemed to be the case.

It wasn't like Nami was keen to strip (though, in truth, she liked to show off to other women whenever she could, but she'd take that vindictive secret to the grave), so she took the fact in stride.

Margaret handed her a soap-filled sponge as the navigator reached her. "Here you go, Nami!"

Nami paused, staring at the sponge in her hand, then looked directly at Luffy. And then at Margaret.

Did she want her to… help wash Luffy? Nami felt the eyes of the crowd on her, or at least she thought so. Nami conceded with a sigh.

It wasn't as if she hadn't seen Luffy naked before, at least, in some capacity. Luffy, being the way he was, would run around the deck naked if they didn't stop him. He was too much of a free spirit. But she had never quite been this close to a naked Luffy before. Okay, heal Luffy, then make a break for it. That was the plan.

'The things I do for you, Luffy…'

She began to clean the rubber-man, and soon, everything began to drown out. The crowd's anxious whispers faded, and even Sweet Pea and Margaret's chatter was drowned out. The sound of the springs faded away too. All that remained was Luffy—his shallow breathing. And his body.

Nami's face managed to turn crimson. Normally, Nami wouldn't feel particularly embarrassed in situations like this. For any other member of the crew, she would simply grit her teeth and get it over with. But with Luffy, something about this felt odd. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was a hesitation in her strokes that wouldn't be there in this situation normally.

She had also never seen Luffy like this, floating as he was in the water with his hair spread out, a calm expression on his face. Her fingers curled over the sponge and accidentally brushed against his abs. Now, she properly blushed—something the other women would likely attribute to the heat of the springs.

She had never felt Luffy's muscles before, at least like this. Nor had he been naked the previous times.

Wait…

Naked?

Nami turned her gaze to her captain's concealed lower half, her eye twitching nervously. Nami was no stranger to male anatomy, she had been around considering her efforts in getting money for Cocoyashi. This really wouldn't cause her much embarrassment normally. A mocking giggle would be all that would emerge. But she could feel her fingers twitching nervously as she just sort of stared.

What the hell was wrong with her? Since when was she… shy?!

Nami was never shy. This was a fact.

"Hey Margaret, Nami," Sweet Pea interrupted her thoughts, though barely. "There's still a mushroom on her body."

Nami looked at the area of Luffy's body Sweet Pea was grasping and almost let out a delirious laugh, if not for the fact that the jig was up. If she hadn't been so… shy, she would have handled that area herself and avoided this issue altogether. Damn you, Luffy!

Margaret blew the bubbles away from the area to get a closer look. Nami coughed with a sheepish expression, forcing herself to look the other way. Now she was shy AND trying to respect Luffy's privacy. God, damn it, was this punishment for the Happiness Punch back in Alabasta? Her heart started pounding harder now, as if desperately trying to play her ribcage like a xylophone.

And then, because of course she did, Sweet Pea tried to pull it.

"DON'T DO THAT!" Nami yelled, her face burning with either embarrassment or second-hand embarrassment as she grabbed Sweet Pea's shoulder in a feeble attempt to stop her, only to hear the telltale sound of Luffy's body stretching just out of her line of sight. Her brain proceeded to instantly short-circuit.

W-what?

Luffy could… stretch… down there? But… what…

Nami's face burned all shades of red as her brain put two-and-two together. Nami was no pervert (perhaps a lie), but now she was drawing the same conclusions anyone would upon realising such a thing. Luffy or not, the implication of the discovery did its magic; because if Nami was more observant at the moment, she would notice the single trickle of blood that ran out her nostril. Thankfully, Kikyou's interruption from the side of the spring saved her reaction from being noticed, and Nami quickly hid her blush below the waterline.

"Well, if it can't be pulled off, we shall have to burn it off." Nami didn't know whether to faint or laugh. She just sat in the water for a moment, trying to regain her composure. Several footsteps from behind her garnered her attention, providing a much-needed distraction from the situation.

"Whyat? Whyat? Whyat do we have here?" An old woman emerged from the crowd, stepping through easily (more so that they parted with respect).

"Elder Nyon! This girl had mushrooms growing from her body, and we can't pull this one off!" Margaret explained urgently. The woman, who Nami now knew as Elder Nyon, looked over at Luffy, and instantly, Nami could tell she knew. The jig was up. They were done.

The old woman nearly fainted, staggering backwards to the point she almost fell over. Nami wished she could shut her up or make her disappear. But no, she knew what the woman was going to say.

"This yone is… this yone is… A MAN, IS IT NYOT?" Nyon shouted as she pointed to Luffy with an accusing finger, as if revealing a twist villain at the end of a children's show. The members of the Kuja Tribe blinked and stared blankly at Nyon for a moment before turning their gaze back to Luffy.

The silence broke with a loud scream—no, several screams that blended into one, as yells erupted from the entire crowd.

"A MAN?!"

"WHAT? YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"

"I DIDN'T EVEN BELIEVE THEY EXISTED! WHAT IS ONE DOING HERE?!"

Now the panic had spread completely, hysteria swept over the group as they ran around like headless chickens. Nami didn't even bother pretending to join in. Screw being sneaky, Luffy somehow managed to fail at that even while unconscious. As soon as he woke up, they were making a run for it.

'Well, Luffy, look what you've got us into now.'

She sighed, placing a hand on her forehead in exasperation.

'So much for tea with Belladonna, huh?'


Could this be another chapter? It very well might be.

First off, I want to be honest and say this is not my normal upload schedule. But I've found myself with time (that will likely end tomorrow) and it has allowed me to work at a fast pace. Not that I'm complaining of course.

So, yeah. Cool.

I've started doing planning beyond the bits that the Search the Wind chapters already cover, and let me tell you, I believe I have cooked. I am so excited to tell this story. I can't say it is what Shadowonthewall6 originally intended (they have not got back to me yet) but nonetheless, I am dying to write it all out.

It shall be awesome!

This was a fun chapter I thought. By the way, as a quick side-note, I am of the belief that Nami is potentially bi-sexual. I don't think there's enough evidence within the show to justify it (one line to Kalifa can't make an entire agenda) but it's a fun headcanon. That said, I interpret it more as heterosexuality with a "hey I'll do whatever man" rather than a love for women. Actually, I think that's more in line with heteroflexibility?

I don't know, I'm rambling (it doesn't really affect the story much, just thought I'd blather). Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!

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Mario 64: You shall see what happens. It'll be good, I think, but you shall see. Nami would naturally be stronger with Haki (as she was learning it in the original Search the Wind), but if I did make a sequel to this story, Nami would naturally be far stronger if she had Haki for two years.

Once again, I am not a powerscaler I swear. But Nami's got one of the best offensive power sets on the crew. I would unironically put her either at Franky's level, or above Franky and right below Jinbe. Zeus, and hell even the Clima-Tact, do NOT fuck around. But Nami's issue has always been that she's a glass cannon, unable to take any hits and realistically fight to the capacity of those stronger than her.

You give her combat training, and Armament Haki for defence to boot? She slots in right with the likes of Franky (i.e. those right below the Monster Trio and Jinbe) and honestly may even surpass that. So yeah, that is that benefit, let alone anything else that happens in the story.

Andy Rahman: Profound as ever. Here the chapter is though :D

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Search the Wind:
https/s/6495693/3/Search-the-wind

Please don't forget to review, positive or negative. I love hearing from you guys!

That said…

This is, TheHumulisScriptor, signing out!