The highest floor of Arlong Park.
Sea charts, walls, books—everything lay in ruins.
Break the cage, smash the shackles.
If this place was Nami's nightmare, then he would shatter it.
For Luffy, with his carefree nature, the only childhood nightmare was his grandpa Garp.
One day he would punch even Garp and smash that nightmare.
Your physical energy is compressed through training. Body toughness increases. Armament Haki proficiency +1.
Your physical energy is compressed through training. Body toughness increases. Armament Haki proficiency +1.
Congratulations. Through compressed training, your Armament Haki level has risen to Lv1.
Conqueror's Haki proficiency: 0/10000 Lv1.
You have obtained Armament Haki technique: Coating Hardening.
"So the reward time just pushed the level up?"
Luffy blinked. Now he understood why it was called reward time.
A reward should be a real reward.
Before he could react, the proficiency kept surging.
"This power…"
He glanced down.
Hard. His fist was hard.
He quickly grasped the nature of this force.
But it bled stamina fast.
First use, no proper control, and Second Gear was already a drain. The sudden loss of strength hit him.
His grin faded.
Hungry. So hungry. Starving.
Steam blew off him and vanished. He dropped backward, unwilling to move.
Before he hit the floor, a soft body caught him, arms circling his waist.
He turned his head and saw Nami's face.
"You idiot."
"I'm not an idiot." Luffy protested on reflex.
The evening glow burned like fire, red clouds lighting half the world. Torn sea charts drifted like fallen leaves.
As Nami's gaze followed the things fading away, a lock deep inside her seemed to open.
The last image lingering in her mind was that figure pounding his fists before Arlong Park.
"Why are you so heavy?"
She held the limp Luffy, arms straining, a touch of complaint in her voice.
She simply sat, setting his head on her lap.
Sunset gilded her face. Her orange hair seemed tinged with gold.
"It's because you're too weak," Luffy drawled. He felt drained to the bones—unless a huge pot of meat appeared.
"I just finished a fight. My chest is sticking to my back. I need twenty servings—no, fifty servings of roast to recover."
"You'll get meat. We'll throw a party tonight, when Zoro and the others arrive."
Nami's voice softened.
"I'll treat your wounds first."
"I think we can go straight to the party." Luffy perked up at once, strength returning to his soft limbs.
"Injured people sit still and get treated."
"It's just fatigue. Those dumb fish-men were too weak."
"Your hands are bleeding." Nami's tone turned serious.
"At sea, any wound can turn fatal. Until we have a doctor, you listen to me on this."
He had no real rebuttal. In his eyes, aside from loving money, Nami had no flaws.
Kind, careful, loyal. A little hot-headed, but truly gentle.
That's why he'd chosen her as his crewmate. So he stopped arguing.
"Thank you, Luffy," Nami said suddenly.
"Are you really Nami? Saying something like that. Don't tell me you're planning to dock my meat later."
"Give you a little sunshine and you blaze." She tugged his cheek, half exasperated.
That stretch of rubber felt oddly satisfying in her hand.
She recalled his reckless figure turning Arlong Park to rubble.
"What kind of idiot are you?"
Nami took Luffy's hand. It was raw and ragged.
Her heart fluttered again, unbidden.
"Where did you get the idea you aren't an idiot?" Luffy shot back. He'd heard that word his whole life.
Shanks said it.
So did a certain brat from back then—Uta, that one.
"Can you stand?" Nami asked.
"Can I lie here a little longer?" Luffy blurted.
For some reason, this position felt really comfortable.
And with no voice barking orders, it was heaven.
"Feels nice, doesn't it?"
"A bit."
"You perv."
She straightened, leaned down, and pulled at his cheeks.
They drew closer. Nami felt his warm breath on her neck.
"Hey, Nami, why are your eyes red?" Luffy popped up with a goofy grin.
"See, told you I'm fine."
Nami looked at him, nose stinging.
The tears she'd dammed up burst free.
"What kind of idiot are you…"
The choked sobs slipped out, shoulders shaking.
"Eh?"
She yanked his collar and pulled him forward.
"Let me lean for a bit. Pretend you didn't see, didn't hear anything…"
Her words broke into pieces. She pressed the hand gripping his collar flat to his chest and buried her burning face in the crook of his neck.
The muffled cries wouldn't stop.
"Nami, we're here to help!"
"We've endured for years. Let's take it to Arlong!"
"Wait, Nojiko, what are you doing?"
A crowd of villagers reached the gate, only to be stopped by Nojiko.
"The Arlong crew is finished."
"This good news isn't just for us. Go spread it."
"To celebrate today, prepare a feast."
Nojiko announced it to everyone.
Following the voices and the wreckage after the battle, she arrived just in time to see that scene.
She started forward, then stopped without meaning to.
Since Bell-mère was gone, Nami had forced herself to be steel, locking her softness away in the chart room.
The only place she could cry was that little room.
Nojiko's lips curved into a warm smile bright with tears.
Now there was another place.
In that straw-hat boy's arms.
Elsewhere.
"It's already over?"
When Zoro and the others entered the village, they were welcomed like heroes the moment people heard they were Straw Hat Luffy's companions.
They began to doubt their own identities.
Aren't we pirates?