On the stern deck of the Going Merry, an orange-haired figure was curled up in a corner.
Nami hugged her knees. The sea breeze tousled her hair but couldn't disperse the thick, lingering gloom between her brows.
The sense of déjà vu was strong.
Krieg, trying to plunder the Baratie, was just like the Arlong Pirates occupying Cocoyasi Village.
That day, when Arlong appeared, the image of Bellemere... the blood...
She believed Luffy would win against the Krieg Pirates, but it would probably take a lot of time.
Even though Luffy and the others were monstrously strong, those fish-men were even more like monsters.
She didn't want Luffy and the others to take that risk.
"I have enough money now. Enough to buy back Cocoyasi Village."
Nami's expression was dark.
She had prepared herself to bear the stigma of betraying her nakama and the consequences of possibly never being forgiven.
Thud!
"Huh? What was that sound?"
"Hey, Nami! What are you doing?!" Luffy shouted, sounding angry.
The sea breeze blew. Nami looked up, her bangs partially obscuring her vision.
There, on the railing to her left, a head sporting a trademark straw hat was... walking steadily towards her.
"How are you here so fast?!" Nami exclaimed in shock.
"Was it fast?"
"What do you think?!"
And how did Luffy even get here? They were already so far from the Baratie.
The immense shock flooding her mind, combined with the pressure of the last few days, completely overwhelmed Nami.
She stood up instantly, her vision went black, and her brain completely shut down.
"Huh? Nami."
Luffy stretched out a rubbery finger and cautiously poked Nami's pale cheek.
She fainted?
Did I scare her that much?
The knowledge in Luffy's head allowed him to make a quick judgment about Nami's condition.
No, now wasn't the time for that.
"Ugh... more studying."
Luffy was in agony.
This was pure torture.
Hardships were an unavoidable part of life.
He comforted himself with this thought.
He carried Nami to her room and, pulling out a navigational logbook conveniently, started reading.
Luffy, intermittently writhing under the system's painful torment, would bend down to check on Nami. Suddenly, Nami's eyes snapped open, startling him.
"Wah! You scared me!"
"You're the one who scared me!" Nami shouted, having regained her senses.
Nami jumped up, couldn't find her weapon, and could only stand there stiffly, staring stubbornly at Luffy.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Luffy asked.
"You know what I did," Nami said, biting her lower lip. "I left you all and stole the Going Merry. That's betrayal."
"So I came to ask you why." Luffy was multitasking. Of course, he knew the nature of Nami's action, and he also knew there had to be a reason.
"There is no why."
[Unexpected situation detected. Crewmate Nami has unspoken difficulties. Becoming the Pirate King requires the support of crewmates. Make Nami reveal the reason.]
[Time: Two-minute countdown...]
A "so that's it" smile appeared on Luffy's face, but he soon couldn't smile anymore.
With a smack, Luffy's hand firmly grabbed Nami, who was trying to escape.
"Luffy, let me go!"
"Nami!"
"What do you want to do?!"
Nami was scared, especially as Luffy's breathing gradually grew heavier while staring at her. That predatory gaze made her mind go blank.
"Just tell me!"
Luffy was getting scared now. At first, he didn't think it was that necessary. If Nami didn't want to say, then forget it; they'd find out the reason eventually during their voyage.
But now, that was fucking impossible!
If Nami didn't talk, he was going to explode any second.
Her lips now held the switch to his fate!
Luffy knew he absolutely had to make Nami talk now.
"Nami, we're nakama."
Luffy looked at Nami with a serious expression.
"Let go of my hand first! You're hurting me," Nami said angrily.
Luffy's hand was like a vise, making it impossible for her to move.
"Sorry, Nami. But this time, I won't let go." Luffy moved closer forcefully. As the countdown ticked ominously in his ears, the expression on his face began to change.
"Y-you... what are you trying to do?"
Nami had nowhere to retreat; she was on the bed, her back against the wall. Watching Luffy's increasingly heavy breathing, a strange feeling rose within her.
Luffy, he...?
What is he going to do?!
Nami's body stiffened. This trend was looking more and more like it! It completely shattered her inherent impression of Luffy.
It was like a harmless little bunny suddenly turning into a big bad wolf. No, wait, even a rabbit will bite when cornered!
Why did Luffy want to know the reason so badly?
For my sake?
Nami's expression became dazed, her heart pounding wildly. She watched the face getting closer, her own face flushing red.
"Nami, tell me, quickly!" Luffy urged desperately.
"Let go first, and I'll think about it!" Nami said, both embarrassed and annoyed.
"Don't make me hate you!"
"There's no time!" Luffy said, the corner of his mouth twitching as he looked at Nami.
"What do you mean, no time?"
"Nami, if you don't tell me now, I'm going to have to do something you'll find annoying."
Luffy didn't have time to joke around with Nami.
Nami was still confused, but what happened next made her pupils contract sharply.
Are you some kind of vampire?!
A tingling, numbing sensation spread from her neck.
"What are you doing?!"
Luffy raised his head. What he just did was a last resort. The girl before him now looked utterly humiliated and angry.
On her fair neck, partially visible beneath her orange hair, was a clear set of teeth marks.
Luffy's throat moved. Especially since that strange punishment was making certain thoughts stir within him.
It was like a new world had opened up.
The faint, elusive fragrance from Nami was so stimulating that Luffy's pupils dilated slightly.
"Nami, this is the last chance." Luffy stared at Nami, his gaze gradually lowering. As the countdown ended, his expression even became somewhat distorted.
Nami met his gaze for a moment and suddenly understood something. Her face instantly turned crimson.
"I'll talk, I'll talk! Waaah!"
It was finally over.
Luffy lay on the floor below the bed, his eyes unfocused, his mind empty.
He rubbed his backside and stood up. On the bed, Nami was staring at him with a mix of shame and anger.
"Nami, leave it to me. I'll punch that guy called Arlong into the sky!"
"Right now, I want to punch you into the sky first!" Nami said stiffly, the roots of her ears bright red.
Her mood had been immensely complicated before, but now only one thought remained in Nami's mind.
She touched her neck and her lower lip.
Luffy scratched his head awkwardly. He wanted to explain the reason too, but whenever he tried to bring it up, his words got muted somehow. What could he do?
Sometimes, when your brain is controlled by a strange little thing, it's really frustrating.
But at least he had learned the reason from Nami herself.
"Nami, why didn't you say something sooner?"
"I can handle it myself," Nami hmphed, feeling a sense of relief she hadn't expected.