Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds

Chapter 19: The Grand Line at Last

"Because Nami is our navigator!" proclaimed Luffy so loudly that his voice echoed through the room. Nami felt tears in her eyes, unable to think of anything she could possibly say to all that.

"You know it's true," Chopper told her firmly.

"I know," she said in a choked up voice. "I know all that... it's just... I never had anyone really fight for me like that... not since...?"

'Not since Bell-mère,' she added in thought and she rubbed her eyes on her arm—more glad than ever to have Robin there, patting her shoulder consoling.

"Well, you do now," Robin told her, understanding the feeling all too well. "Everything's alright now."

"Yeah," Nami agreed as Arlong chuckled darkly at what Luffy just said. "But those words mean a lot to me," she admitted softly.

"Really?" Arlong asked mockingly, "You want her to navigate your pathetic little ship for you? Ha... I guess you truly have no idea what a monumental waste of talent that would be." He gestured around to the maps in the room. "Look... there is no one else on the face of the planet who can draw sea charts with such accuracy and efficacy. That young lady has a gift."

Luffy kept looking around as Nami's eyes went to the desk... a small pen fell and clattered on the floor.

"What's that?" Chopper asked as Nami stared at it in horror. It was a pen that she had used for those eight miserable years... a pen that Arlong made her use until her hands bled and stained it. She had to bite down on her lower lip to stop her from crying out. She felt so stupid... getting so emotional just by seeing an old pen.

She stopped though when Luffy stretched his hand over to grab it and stare at it himself.

"And there isn't really anything as ultimately regrettable as wasting natural talent. Staying here and drawing up charts for me is her only chance of living up to her full potential!" Arlong declared.

"I think that there's nothing as regrettable as working for him," Sanji snarled and Nami had to nod in agreement. She regretted those eight wasted years and wanted to destroy each and every one of those maps... to see all her hard work go to Arlong just broke her heart. She rather see them all burn than in his hands.

Arlong and his pirates were her enemies; despite Arlong taking her into his crew she was never loyal to them due to what they did to her and her village. The reason she acted the way that she did was because he wanted her to. But because he considered her as just another arrogant human, he seriously misjudged her character and it cost him. Seeing Luffy tear the building apart was one of her happiest memories. It was a long time in coming, but her hardships were finally over...

"What is with these guys bragging so much?" Franky asked with a sigh. He was getting so sick of hearing these guys go on and on about themselves... why not stop acting like they're the greatest things since sliced bread and just get on with fighting?

"Hurry up and kick his ass, Luffy!" Usopp cheered on, not getting why he was still fiddling around with some pen.

But Luffy spoke, he said in a quiet, but dark voice, "This pen... is stained with blood."

"Blood?" repeated Brook softly before he let out a soft intact of breath and looked to Nami.

"Nami is that...?" Sanji whispered to her softly, but anger clear in his voice.

Nami only nodded, unable to speak because she was afraid that she would break down completely if she did.

"That... bastard..." Sanji hissed furious. He gave Arlong a death glare, willing to give anything for just one fight with him. He ached to break that guy's face in and snap off his nose... how dare he...? HOW DARE HE HURT A WOMAN LIKE THIS? He turned furiously to Luffy and started yelling.