Outside, cheers and laughter rolled on.
After oppression pushed to its limit, the village of Cocoyasi was cutting loose, celebrating its rebirth.
Arlong Park, the symbol of that rule, was now a ruin. Total annihilation.
Even if every villager had fired a cannon, they might not have managed that level of destruction.
Anyone who didn't know better would think that man had a blood feud with Arlong's crew.
In truth, they'd only met today.
Arlong never imagined that would be his end. There were barely any survivors, and the few fish-men missing arms and legs were finished off by Zoro and the others who arrived just in time.
"He looks like a very capable captain."
Nojiko glanced at Nami lying on the bed, fair shoulder bare, a white towel draped over her back. "Didn't you say he's been studying medicine lately? This is a good chance. Why not let him practice on you?"
"Do you hear yourself?"
Be Luffy's guinea pig? Absolutely not.
And she'd just poured her heart out in his arms, sobbing her eyes out. Now, whenever she pictured his face, she wanted to bury her head like an ostrich.
Nami, flustered and annoyed, glanced at the tattoo on her arm.
She looked at Nojiko's arm too, where the same mark sat.
When Arlong's crew discovered Nami's genius for navigation as a child, they branded that tattoo on her arm and forced her into the crew.
Seeing Nami cry back then, Nojiko inked her own arm and turned herself into a "delinquent" to share the burden.
"You and your captain seem pretty close. That long-nose said you two even shared a room."
"That was a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding. We really were studying."
"Sure, sure. Studying knowledge and positions alike. I'm not against you dating."
"Nonsense. And why would I need your permission to date?"
Hackles up, Nami tugged the edge of the towel tighter over her chest and sat up. "Sounds like you've gone too long without a beating. Let me give you a little color before I set sail."
"Tsk." Nojiko's brow twitched. "Impressive. Planning to smother me with your chest?"
Nami's lips curled. "Think you can handle it?"
"Six of one, half a dozen of the other. If you can, why can't I?"
Even so, Nojiko slapped playfully and couldn't help noting Nami's startling growth, then said, "Lie down. This thing's been here too long to be easy to erase."
"I'm not that skilled. Don't blame me."
"Keep yapping and I'll flatten you."
The sisters bantered on.
Nojiko had just dabbed alcohol on a cloth when a voice sounded outside.
"Nami!"
Luffy. Nami stood up on reflex, then realized and her pupils shrank.
The latch clicked. The door swung open, a bit too forcefully, and Luffy stood panting in the doorway.
"Uh?"
He froze at the sight of Nami in a bath towel that barely contained her dizzying curves, eyes going a little blank.
He had only come for his hat.
"Close the door."
"Oh. Oh."
Luffy obediently shut it and stepped inside.
"You didn't lock it?" Nami ground her teeth at Nojiko.
"I did, but your captain's too strong." Nojiko checked the broken lock.
Seeing Nami's mortified face, she smirked.
Nami, embarrassed. A rare sight.
Nojiko wished she could snap a picture. So this was what a girl in love looked like. Nami had always been so breezy and bold.
"Ow, my hand cramped," Nojiko said.
She waved Luffy over, explained what Nami wanted done, and handed him an honorable task.
"The door's busted. I'll go fix it. Keep it down and don't make any weird noises."
"Are you brain-cramped?" Nami yelped. "Hey, don't you dare leave."
Nojiko didn't look back. No call could stop her.
Only the two of them remained.
"What are you looking at?"
"Huh? What?"
Luffy was still thinking over Nojiko's instructions, and when he looked up Nami was clutching the towel tight across her chest, staring at him with an unreadable expression.
He suddenly felt a little cold.
"Nami, um…"
"Hmph."
That huff said plenty.
Muttering under her breath about Nojiko, she padded back to the bed on bare white feet.
"Fine. You do it. And keep your eyes where they should be."
"Nothing to see."
"You—" Nami shoved herself up, and the towel slipped.
"Ah. You rubber idiot, you will forget everything you just saw."
"Sorry. I think I've got a photographic memory," Luffy said truthfully.
"Drop dead."
Luffy wasn't exactly confident in his technique, but with both Nojiko and Nami insisting, he could only grit his teeth and get to work. He stared, hyper-focused, and it felt harder than taking down Arlong.
"Why did you come here?" Nami asked.
"I came for my hat."
"Hah. Excuse. You pervert probably waited outside to rush in and peek."
"If I rushed in, does that still count as peeking?" Luffy shot back.
Nami was briefly at a loss for words.
Even a rabbit will bite when pushed.
Luffy's once guileless temperament was getting sharper.
Pressure made people explode in all kinds of ways.
He'd been under high pressure day and night, nothing like the empty-headed drift he used to live in. Arlong's crew had been the first to pay the price.
Especially after he'd flung open a new door in his mind.
"Done. I'm dead tired."
Nojiko stepped in just in time to hear him.
"Am I interrupting?" She came in smiling with a set of clothes. "The feast outside is hitting its peak. You two can always continue later."
"No meat left?" Luffy groaned.
"Oh there is. Look at Nami." Nojiko poked his springy cheek with a finger.
Nami now wore only a bikini top and tight blue jeans.
The tattoo on her left shoulder had become a tangerine and a pinwheel, with a tiny straw hat added.
"Nojiko."
Nami only dressed like this because she had nothing else at hand. A bikini was still better than just a towel.
"Nami's got great taste. There are lots of fun outfits in the room. Maid, bikini, stockings and heels. Want to take a look?" Nojiko propped her chin and pitched to Luffy, ignoring Nami's spluttering.