Chapter 1
Escapes and encounters
Nami's whole face hurt after the beating; she could barely chew. She had long since developed a dislike for legumes, but her teeth would still hurt for a couple of days, and that's what was on the menu. She packed three cans of lentils in her bag before taking one of Arlong's ships and leaving. If she took one more punch, she'd 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 glance at her from the bed before Nami bolted out of the house and set sail.
The black eye limited her range of vision, and Nami knew she wouldn't get very far before the sea swallowed her up. But she needed to put as much distance as possible between her and the fish-men. With them nearby, she couldn't breathe easily, and she needed to focus to plan her next big theft. Plus, she couldn't forget the reason why her two fingers were bandaged, three ribs were sore, her jaw was loose, and one eye was blind; she had to keep mapping.
Arlong had already warned her that if she spent more time pillaging than drawing maps, he'd lock her up in that cursed room for a year to make sure she wouldn't forget.
She was sick of his threats, but unfortunately, she knew how real they were.
She had just turned fourteen, her chest had started to grow, and distractions for thefts had become easier. Nami still felt uncomfortable wearing overly revealing clothes, but little by little, she discovered the advantages of certain movements and theatrics that were taking shape to prey on the most unfortunate pirates.
When the island she considered her home disappeared from view, the tension lifted from her shoulders and the sudden weakness brought a few tears to her eyes, which got lost among the waves.
Nami didn't like crying, but when she sailed away from Cocoyashi, the emotions she always kept tied up surfaced, tormented. She forced herself to calm down as soon as she felt her cheeks grow cold, embarrassed by a weakness she despised.
Once she had composed herself, she grabbed her small cartography kit and studied the islands she had illustrated so far. The ones marked with crosses or circles, now blurred, spoke to her of days spent alone with paper and pen, of hidden problems and difficulties yet to be found.
The next one, she decided as she traced a black cross on the paper with her finger, would be a small island where she could heal while meeting Arlong's demands. Windmill Island would be perfect for that—Dawn Island.
When she lowered the sails, hiding the ship among the rocks of a steep cliff, the full moon shone high in the sky. Three days had passed since she left Cocoyashi, and her bones hurt less. Thanks to the silvery light filtering through thin clouds, Nami was able to disembark without much trouble.
Her drawing tools clinked as she walked away without looking back, stepping over stones toward a beach of soft, white sand.
The large windmills welcomed her like tall giants with wide arms, standing watch.
The spell of the darkness enveloping her as she walked comforted her. It was too late for night workers and too early for fishermen and farmers, and the solitude felt magical. Nami loved surrounding herself with shadows when she arrived at islands. The nights often revealed weaknesses and secrets hidden beneath the sunlight.
A gentle breeze blew, and the windmills whispered as their blades turned, and her hair tickled the nape of her neck. When she passed through the village, she sighed in relief. She hadn't seen a single Marine outpost, and the humble houses seemed just right for fishermen but offensive to the nobles. She wouldn't face many problems in that town.
Once she'd checked her surroundings and knew there wasn't much she could do at such an odd hour, she headed to the grove visible at the edge of the village. To her surprise, the trees had branches sturdy enough to hold her. The branches grew broad and strong, almost inviting her to hide among them. Nami didn't take long to accept that invitation, finding a thick, covered area that seemed safe.
Nami had always been agile, but her ribs and fingers slowed her down as she tried to climb the chosen tree safely. Curses and gasps escaped her as she climbed, but it was worth it when she reached her selected branch.
From up there, the world shrouded in darkness felt tiny, and Nami felt distant, removed from the reality waiting for her when she'd set foot on the ground again. For now, the night belonged to her, and content, she sought refuge in the solitude and silence as if they were old friends.
She opened the tube containing all her main cartography tools, pulled out a half-used candle, a box of matches, paper, and ink. A long night awaited her as she worked on the map preparations, but at least it would be a good night. No nightmares, no threats—just ink and maps.
Nami woke to the sound of jingling coins and a smile on her face. She loved the metallic clink of coins colliding, always singing about golden freedom when she brought them close to her ear.
The previous night, she had collapsed as soon as the candle flickered and finally met the melted wax that had stuck to the tree after hours of work. As she slowly regained her senses, the sweet sensation of gold faded, giving way to the strange sound of metal against metal, just inches from her head. It was usually hard for her to hear such sounds, so the noise unsettled her. Puzzled, she reached behind her, searching for the persistent sound that stopped as soon as her fingers brushed against a warm, unfamiliar body.
Her eyes shot open, blinded by the midday sun. Her face, already sore from the sudden movement over her numbed bruise, twisted in fear. Someone robbing her? Impossible.
The movement was so sudden and on such a small surface that her knees lost their footing, and she felt the void beneath her body.
Before her heart could even return to its rapid pace, a hand grabbed her arm, preventing her from falling from the great height.
The thief and savior watched her closely, under a too-long dark fringe, with a smile on his face and one of her golden compasses in his hand.
Silence lingered for a few seconds before Nami refocused on the tool the boy was holding.
"Why are you stealing a compass from me?"
The boy, who couldn't have been much older than her, smiled even wider at her question.
"Oh, I didn't mean to steal. I saw one of your legs from below and thought you were food, but when I climbed up and saw all your cool stuff, I wanted to know what it's for."
She pulled her arm away from his hand and sat more securely on the branch. Nami didn't get the feeling the boy was lying, nor did he seem like a thief. If he were a thief, she would have recognized him as one, but his appearance and face spoke of innocence and fun, not caution.
"They're cartography tools. I make maps."
The boy's dark eyes sparkled at her words, and the excitement on his round face made her smile.
"Are you going to make a map of the island?!" His enthusiastic shout reddened Nami's cheeks, flattered by his genuine admiration.
Unable to respond to his excitement without stammering, Nami nodded slowly.
"First, I have to explore the island, and..."
He stood up, and the branch trembled under the two of them. The redhead hurried to grab a compass and a quill that had rolled away with the movement.
"Then I can be your guide! I want to play at making maps too, so we can be friends. My name is Monkey D. Luffy."
The declarations, one after the other, each stranger than the last, left her unable to respond with anything other than her name.
"Nami."
Luffy's hand lowered to her eye level, and she squinted, even more confused.
"Friends seal their deals with handshakes," the boy explained with his usual overwhelming cheerfulness.
"I don't have any friends."
Luffy crouched in front of her and brought his hand closer to hers, waiting.
"I don't have any either, so 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 their back. Having a friend would be reckless. She knew it, of course, she knew she wouldn't be able to maintain that relationship for long. But despite everything, and without quite understanding the pull, she raised her hand and shook his.
There was no static electricity or strange winds when the deal was sealed. But despite everything, Nami felt a tingling in her chest.
A friend.
Her first friend.