11 Chapter 10

While I was thinking about how to start the conversation with Nami, I made a clone and made him go lay the oil that Ussop brought. Where did he get two barrels worth of oil? He even said he's going use the rest for the other slope.

I still wasn't really sure how to start the conversation, but at least I had to try "How long will you keep trying to avoid me?", my voice slightly trembled at the end. She didn't respond, so I continued "We can't continue like this if you are going to be a part of my crew."

She didn't seem to get angry at me saying that she is part of my crew, but she still denied it "I never said I will join your crew." She didn't say anything else after this, but I saw her trembling. Did telling me this made her sad? Or is it the fact that is past midnight and it might be getting slightly chilly. Not that I really feel it, the temperature seems perfectly fine to me.

"You could have easily left already by now. It wouldn't be hard for you to make up an excuse, in order to be left alone for a bit and leave us. You know where the boat is and you could navigate it alone, yet here you are, preparing to face off against a pirate crew with us." I'm sure she enjoyed the little time she spent with us.

She was silent for a few seconds, but asked me "Why?" I didn't know what exactly she meant, but I didn't get the chance to respond as she continued "Why are you like this? You are the first person that has been so kind to me in the past 10 years and yet you are a pirate. I despise pirates, they took away someone important to me, they took away my village and they took away my freedom and yet you, someone who has been nothing but nice to me, are a stupid pirate. Despite that, I figured, you are a nice guy, you could probably help me with gathering enough Berri to buy my village and then you tell me you are the son of the most dangerous man alive."

She was slightly starting to tear up at this point "Do you know that I was thinking of contacting the marines and inform them about you? The past couple of days, I was thinking of much money I could get of you, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. You are the first person that has done something for me numerous times, without me tricking him to do so."

Nami was crying at this point and it really hurt me seeing her like this. I wasn't sure what exactly I should do in these situations, so I went and hugged her and rubbed her back comfortingly. This always helped to calm down Damien, when we were on the run the first few months before he got used to it.

She started hitting me with her right hand, however, she was holding my vest with her left one. I'm no masochist, but since I don't feel anything from blunt attacks and this is what she wants to do, I will let her beat me for a bit.

Nami stopped beating me shortly and was now holding my vest with both hands and silently sobbing. she calmed down at some point, as I no longer hear her sob.

Thinking she is better now, I was about to break the hug. Before I managed to do so, she hugged me back and said: "Don't let go, please." So I continued hugging her and rubbing her back.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but at some point, I heard her whisper "Thank you" and she broke apart the hug. I flashed her my signature grin and said "Änytime for you". I blushed after the statement and I saw her blushing as well.

There was an awkward silence between us after that. She didn't say anything but she grabbed my hand and brought me to a cliff, where we had a view towards the sea. We sat down and watched the sea, not a word was spoken between us until she broke the silence and started telling me about her life until now.

She told me, how Arlong and his Fishman pirates came one day to her village. How they took away her mother from her. How they took over her village and are charging the villagers a tremendous amount of money, for keeping them alive. How they found out about how talented she is in drawing maps and forced her to draw maps for them. She told me how they offered her a deal, to buy off her village from them for the price of a hundred million Berri.

Throughout telling me her story, she started silently sobbing again, so I was already hugging her with one hand, trying to soothe her in any way I can. At the end she asked me to help her with gathering the necessary amount of Berri and that she was very close to having a hundred million. Instead of doing that, I offered her to straight up go and annihilate them. This is the first time I felt the actual urge to go and kill someone.

She denied my offer though and said she wants to do it her own way, otherwise, she wouldn't accept my help. Knowing how this might end, I didn't want to do it, however, I decided to help her out and do it her way, but I will definitely make sure to pay Arlong and his goons everything they have done to her and more.

The smile on her face, after I confirmed that I will help her, had me mesmerized. It almost seemed like her brown eyes were shining, or is it my imagination. I didn't really care much as I captivated by her, seeing her so happy.

We were probably staring at each other for a few minutes and once we realised that, we both looked away and continued watching the sea. My heart was literally jumping out of my chest at this point. I felt Nami hugging me back with her left hand and placing her head on my right shoulder. We silently sat there watching the sea currents under the night sky.

I think she fell asleep at some point, but I didn't move in order to not disturb her. I can easily watch for the pirates on my own, so I left her sleeping on my shoulder.

Morning came, however, there was no sight of the pirates. I'm not surprised considering, I was sure they would come from the other way. I was also barely able to hear a slight commotion on the other side of the Gecko Islands.

There was no point in staying here, so I woke Nami up. She looked embarrassed and apologised for falling asleep on my shoulder, to which I replied: "Don't worry about, you can always rely on me for anything, but we don't have time to waste, I think I heard the pirates from the Zoro and Ussops's side."

I was way faster than her, so I gave her a piggyback and ran to the side where we docked our ship. When we reached the slope, we saw a massacre. It seems Zoro and Ussop had beaten almost everyone here, however, the pirates were able to get past the oil trap it seems.

Ussop was currently on the ground panting and looking at his injuries, he looks pretty hurt. Zoro, on the other hand, was fighting two weird looking guys. Both of them had cat-like faces, however, one of them was short and fat, while the other was tall and thin. They both seemed pretty strong and were giving Zoro a run for his money.

There was one more guy who was still up. It was the guy we saw Kuro meet up yesterday, he was wearing pink heart-shaped glasses and seemed to be preparing to finish of Ussop. Before he could do so, I was able to reach him with one of my punches and send him flying down the slope.

That seemed to have surprised the guys Zoro was fighting and left them open for a moment, but that was all Zoro needed, as he was able to get them both with his three style sword style. I have to be honest, he looks pretty cool fighting with three swords. Maybe I should try using a sword as well or maybe I could go for a different weapon.

My thoughts were interrupted, by hearing someone coming close. Surprisingly I was barely able to hear the person footsteps, but I knew that they were close by. This should be Kuro, but I didn't expect him to be this good. I heard the commotion hear from the other side of the archipelago and yet I was barely able to hear him sneaking up.

Moments later, I saw him walking out of the forest area and looking at his face, he seems very displeased with the current situation. It seems he was prepared for a fight, as he was already wearing his claw weapons.