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Denial	By : Confession68 Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 6703 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
Author�s Note: I
have a new curse word in this chapter. However, I�m quoting actually lines
stated in the series, and that�s just what he said. I hate using such vulgar
words, but I knew it wouldn�t look right if I didn�t, considering the type of
story this is. It would have looked dorky or stupid�--; I just had to get that
off my chest. O.o Anyways, please enjoy and review my
story! XD

Denial

Chapter 17: Trust and Doubt

Luffy sat on the swing with one of his knees drawn up to his
chest with his foot rested on the seat. He had both arms draped over the raised
knee and his chin resting on it. He had his other foot on the deck and rocking
himself gently back and forth. He stared out at the setting sun quietly. He
didn�t care that staring at the sun for so long now caused spots to form in his
vision. Nami hadn�t returned the entire day. He was really beginning to miss
her. He had gotten used to her being with him almost the entire day.

He wasn�t even sure if he could sleep tonight without her
being there. He might just constantly wonder where she might be the entire
night. The wind added to the gentle sway of the swing. He shuddered at the fast
approaching chill. Only the tip of the sun was now visible over the horizon. He
still didn�t move. He continued to rock himself back and forth. Where did she
go? was all he could think about. It was ironic. For
the longest time he had been trying to get her to go away and to go back where ever
she came from or where ever she needed to go. Now that she had, all he wanted
was for her to come back. He had just accepted her today, and now she was gone.

He had been sitting here for about two hours now. After they
had explored the town, gotten all the information they needed and restocked,
they had just returned to the ship. Luffy had sat down on the swing, and hadn�t
moved since. Everyone else just kind of disappeared in their own areas of the
ship. No one else was on deck.

Suddenly, Sanji stepped out of the kitchen. �Oi, dinner�s ready!� he called loudly for everyone to hear.
After about thirty seconds, everyone began to emerge from the ship and headed
to the dining area. Luffy didn�t budge. �Oi, Luffy�did you hear me?� asked
Sanji as he looked down at him. He didn�t respond. He just continued to watch
the sun evanesce into the sea. He didn�t feel hungry at the moment. Sanji
frowned as he took a long drag of his cigarette. He stared at Luffy for a long
while, before turning and going back inside. He would make sure something was
left over for him just in case.

Luffy honestly didn�t feel like being around the others at
the moment. He just wanted to be alone. He would eat later if he felt up for
food. The last brilliant light of the sun disappeared under the sea and it
became darker. He still continued to stare at the brilliant colors. He could
now see stars in the dark purple sky from the corners of his eyes. Now that the
sun was gone, the temperature dropped. He shivered again, but still didn�t feel
inclined to move. He knew he had promised her that he would fix this, but in
all honesty, he had no idea how to even start.

Now that she was no longer here, he lost the confidence he
had that he could fix it. He had
never lost confidence in his abilities before. He was always confident he could
win or do what he had said he would do. However, this was way different. She
may already be dead and there really isn�t anything he could do about it. Maybe
he should go back to that island. However, it would be way too dangerous for
all of them to go together. They had barely escaped the last time and it was at
the cost of one of his precious nakama�s life.

�Nami�� he whispered.

What was he supposed to do? Should he leave alone? Should he
try to go back? No�He had to stay with his nakama. How was he supposed to fix
this? He couldn�t think�If she were here, maybe she might have been able to
help. He growled low in irritation. There was no point in thinking about that
anymore. He was dwelling, not something he ever did. He always just moved
forward. This is the first time he has ever come to a stand still for so long.
He couldn�t help but to remember Usopp�s words during their argument back on
Water 7.

�Listen Luffy, not everyone
can survive by just trudging forward like you do! I can�t just leave here while
abandoning a nakama!�

�Bullshit, it�s not
the same with a ship!�

�It�s the same! Merry�s alive and has potential too!�

That had all been over a ship. Usopp had said he would never
abandon a nakama. Yet, they had left Nami. He lifted his chin and slowly looked
up toward the dining area.

�You just move
forward, casting away useless nakama!�

It wasn�t the same�Merry was a ship. It�s true, he was
alive. He had saved them and he was grateful for that, and he had been very sad
when they had to say good bye to him. However, Nami was a human. She was an
important nakama to him. Yet, they had left her. They hadn�t even been sure she
was actually dead. He slowly furrowed his brows. He couldn�t move forward, not
this time. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Those were not his
nakama.

Suddenly, he made a noise of surprise. He felt dizzy. His
vision began to sway. His eyes widened. He felt like he was going to be sick. He
fell off the swing onto his hands and knees. He fell over onto his side and
passed out.

----

Nami lifted her head as she heard the click of the door. The
marine captain in charge of her walked in with a plate of food. She watched him
approach. He set down the food and then unlocked the wall chains. Once she was
free, she reached for the food. He walked away and then turned to watch her.
After swallowing the first bite, she looked up at him.

�What�s your name?� she asked.

He stared at her for a long while. �He�s so young�� she
thought to herself. He took a deep breath and looked away from her. �Don�t
fraternize with me, pirate�� he said in a low voice.

She frowned and then looked down at her food. �Sorry�� she
mumbled and then slowly continued to eat. She didn�t feel all that hungry at
the moment. She never thought she would hear herself think this, but she
actually missed the annoying noises of her nakama. Tears involuntarily came to
her eyes. �Had they really left me?� she thought to herself.

Jin turned toward the quiet woman. She was crying as she
ate. He felt a tug at his heart. He wasn�t a cruel man. He felt for this woman.
She didn�t look any older than he was. She had, from what he heard, apparently
been abandoned by her nakama. She had been ditched to a cruel fate while they
had gotten away. Pirates were real bastards. He didn�t like them in the least.

�Why did you become a pirate?�

The question was out before he could stop himself. She
looked up with a small sniffle. He felt another tug. �She sure is beautiful.
Why the hell did they leave someone like her behind?� he thought.

�I�� she started. Then she looked down sadly. �The man who
saved me�was my captain. He saved the lives of all my villagers as well. He
fought and defeated an evil pirate fishman named
Arlong. Arlong had forced me to join his crew and draw maps for him when I was
eight. He said if I didn�t, he would destroy my village. He made a deal with me
that I could buy back my village for one hundred million beli.
He lied to me and betrayed me. Luffy freed me in more ways than one that day. He�s
always willing to sacrifice his life for any one of us. When he asked me to be
his nakama before this, I agreed. I had seen it as an opportunity to get a lot
of money to be able to buy back my village from Arlong. However, he proved to
me by his actions just how different he was from the pirates I hated so much.
He�He�s a good person. I�ve never met anyone like him. When he defeated Arlong,
he said to me that I was his nakama. I�ve been with him ever since. They are
all good people.� she explained. She had whispered the last part.

Jin listened to everything she had just said. He wasn�t sure
if he could believe any of it or not. From how she talked about this captain of
hers, he could tell she cared a great deal about him. He had heard that she had
been left behind. Yet, how she described them, they seemed like people who
would never leave her behind. He didn�t sound like the kind of man who would be
a pirate. So, why was he? She had also said they were all good people. Why were
they pirates?

�By the way, my name is Nami�� she said quietly as she
continued to eat. Then she laughed softly. �But I�m sure you already knew
that.� she said very quietly.

He exhaled loudly and furrowed his brows. �Jin.� he replied.

Nami gasped quietly and looked up at him. �Jin�?� she said
quietly.

He furrowed his eyes deeper. �Aa�why?�
he asked.

She blinked a few times and then looked away slowly. �No
reason�� she replied. He tilted his head to the side. �I just feel like I�ve
heard that name before.� she said quietly.

He blinked at her a few times. �I don�t think I�ve ever met
you before�� he replied.

She furrowed her brows. �It wasn�t you�� she whispered. She
shook her head to clear her mind. �It doesn�t matter.� she said as she turned
and smiled at him. �Nice to meet you, Jin.� she said.

He looked at her a little surprised before finding himself
smiling in return. �It�s nice to meet you too�Nami.� he replied.

Nami�s smile faded and then she tilted her head at him.
�You�re not a corrupt marine. I think I can trust you. I�m glad you are the one
watching over me.�
she said as she looked down into her food.

Looking at her completely confused and slightly surprised by
her words, he walked towards her slightly. �You can trust me? Don�t you have
this backwards?� he asked.

She looked up at him again as she ate. �No�There are some
marines I wouldn�t trust�I�ve been betrayed by them many times before. So has
my village.� she said quietly.

He furrowed his brows at her. �Pirates are the ones who
can�t be trusted.� he said.

�Things may not always be what they seem�� she replied
quietly. She finished the last of her food and set the plate down. �Thank you
for the food.� she said.

He stared down at her for awhile before chaining her back to
the wall. Then he knelt down for the plate and turned to leave. He turned and
looked at her one last time. She had her head bowed and hair covering her face.
He frowned before leaving and closing the door. He handed the empty plate to a
petty officer before making his way to his office.

Nami slumped forward. She could feel tears sting her eyes
again. �Luffy�� she thought to herself. �He would never have left me�� she
continued. It was already day two since she had woken up. They had told her she
had been here for five days before she woke up. She had been here for a week
now. They hadn�t come back for her. More tears bunched up in her eyes. She
watched as one fell and splashed on the floor below her. Her eyes became heavy.
She closed them and ended up falling asleep.

----

Luffy�s eyes flew open. He stared up at the infirmary
ceiling above him. He shifted his eyes around and then sat up. His hand went
straight to his head. It was pounding. �Luffy!� cried Chopper as he ran to him.
�Are you alright?!� he asked.

�A-aa�What happened?� he asked.

�We have no idea�When we came out of the dining area you
were lying on the ground unconscious. You had a really
high fever.� explained Chopper.

�A fever�?� he asked.

�Aa�We brought you in here after we found you. I was able to
lower your fever.� he explained. He was quiet for awhile, and then he lowered
his gaze. �I know it�s probably because you�re so worried about Nami�Luffy�you
should think about your health too�You�re just recently recovering from a
really bad wound. Too much stress on your body and your mind�can make you
sick.� explained Chopper. He looked worried about him.

Luffy smiled at Chopper. �Don�t worry. I�m alright!� he said
as he swung his legs over the side and got off the bed. Chopper didn�t say
anything. He watched as Luffy walked out. He lowered his head and sighed.

Luffy walked towards the front of the ship slowly. He
couldn�t really remember what he had been thinking about before he past out. He
was pretty sure it had something to do with Nami. He wasn�t even sure why he
had past out. Also, he was pretty sure he had a dream just now, but he couldn�t
remember what it was about. He walked towards the kitchen. He figured he should
probably eat something. He looked up. It was already late morning.

He opened the door and walked in. Sanji was sitting at the
table with his head lowered. He slowly and finally looked up at Luffy. Luffy�s
expression turned concerned. He didn�t look well at all. �Oh�Luffy�you hungry?�
he mumbled as he slowly stood up.

�A�aa�� he replied.

He walked over to the kitchen and began clanking pots and
pans as he prepared to fix him something to eat. Luffy sat down facing the
kitchen. Sanji moved around sluggishly. �Had he not slept well?� thought Luffy
to himself. Come to think of it, Chopper hadn�t looked well either. He himself
didn�t feel well either.

Perhaps they were suffering from having to leave her behind
and from her death. Why hadn�t they stuck around to fight? Why did they leave?
He didn�t have the answers to these questions.

Sanji finished cooking and brought Luffy a plate full of
food. He set it down in front of him and then sat down next to him. He slumped
forward with his cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Luffy turned to the food
and stared at it for awhile. The steam was making his face warm.

�I�m sorry��

Luffy looked back over at Sanji in surprise. He had spoken
so softly. �Sorry?� asked Luffy quietly.

�For leaving Nami-san�I�m�I�m not even sure why we did�It�s
bothering me�a lot�I can�t shake this feeling�I feel�so guilty�We left her�� he
whispered.

Luffy frowned at Sanji. Then his eyes widened as he saw a
tear drip to the table. He slowly closed his eyes and looked away from Sanji.
He didn�t know what to say.

�It was like�I had forgotten something important before�but
I couldn�t�realize it�I don�t know what�s going on anymore�� continued Sanji
quietly.

Luffy turned back to him. Suddenly, Sanji slumped forward
further onto the table. �Oi, Sanji!� exclaimed Luffy as he grabbed his shoulder
and lifted him up. His cigarette fell out of his mouth. He had lost
consciousness. �Oi, Sanji!!� exclaimed Luffy as he shook him. He didn�t wake
up. He lifted him up and threw him onto his back and carried him to the
infirmary.

�Oi, Chopper!! Something is wrong with Sanji!!� he said as
soon as he threw the door open.

�Eh?!� exclaimed Chopper as Luffy laid Sanji down on the
bed. He looked him over. �He�he has a fever as well�� he said quietly.

Luffy looked down at Chopper in concern. �What do you mean?�
he asked.

�I think�I think we are all just going through a lot�right
now�We�re all feeling�regret�and guilt right now�We didn�t mean to make you so
angry with us�� replied Chopper quietly.

Luffy placed a hand on Chopper�s shoulder. �Don�t worry
about it. Just take care of Sanji, okay?� said Luffy quietly. Chopper nodded
with his head bowed.

Luffy made his way out and back towards the deck. He went
back into the kitchen and stared at the plate of food. He just didn�t feel that
hungry. He lifted it up and placed it back in the fridge. Sanji hadn�t even
bothered to lock it back up. He closed it and made his way back out. He was
sure something wasn�t right. He looked around. No one else was on deck. He
looked up towards the crow�s nest. Zoro should be up there.

Where was everyone? He walked downstairs and opened the door
to the aquarium room. Robin was sitting on the couch with her knees raised up
to her chest. She was watching all the fish swim by. She slowly turned at
hearing Luffy enter. She tilted her head and smiled warmly at him.

�Good morning, Senchou-san.� she said in her gentle voice.
She looked tired. She turned back to the fish tank.

He furrowed his brows and went back out. He closed the door
and decided to go in search of Usopp. He found him in his workshop. He was
huddled on the floor around a lot of things. He didn�t know what they were. He
walked up to him. Usopp turned at hearing him. Then he turned back around
without saying anything. He seemed to be building something.

�What�s up Luffy?� he finally asked.

�Nothing�I was just�coming to see what you were doing�� he
replied.

�Not doing anything really�Just working on this to keep my
mind off of things�� he said as he set down a tool and then lifted a different
one. Luffy frowned. Everyone seemed to be trying to forget�He himself, didn�t
want to forget. Maybe he did at first, but he just couldn�t accept something.
What that something was�? He had no idea. He turned and walked out. Usopp never
looked back.

He then made his way over to Franky�s weapons development
room. He opened the door and walked in. He was also working on something. He
looked a little less phased then the others. He turned at hearing Luffy enter.

�Oi, Mugiwara. What brings you here?� he asked.

�I was just�wondering what you were doing�� replied Luffy.

�Well, I thought I would work to add some things to the
ship. I�ve been working on a project to add to the docking system. There are
also a few improvements I thought of. I figured we will be here for awhile. I
might as well get some work done.� he explained. He was a lot more talkative
than the others. For some reason, he felt a little relieved.

�I see.� he replied as he squat down next to Franky. He sat
quietly watching Franky work.

�You feelin� better?� asked Franky
as he continued to work.

�Aa�a little�� replied Luffy as he leaned his chin on his hand.

�That�s good. Everyone else doesn�t seem to be feelin� too good though�� said Franky as he frowned.

�Aa�Everything will be okay�� reassured Luffy.

Franky turned to Luffy with a serious expression. �Aa, I
don�t doubt it.� he replied. Then he went back to his work. Luffy tilted his
head slightly. Franky seemed like the only one who seemed normal. He stood up
and then turned and walked out. Franky watched him leave with his serious
expression.

Luffy made his way back on deck. Then he looked up at the
crow�s nest. He sighed to himself. He was probably asleep. He made his way up
anyway. He opened the door and stepped inside. Zoro was sitting on the circular
couch that surrounded the room. He was turned looking out the window as his
face was resting in his hand. He turned to Luffy as soon as he entered.

�What is it?� he asked.

Luffy just shook his head. �Nothing�I just wanted to come up
here.� he replied.

Zoro turned back to look out the window. He looked just as
tired and miserable as Sanji. His movements were sluggish. He never did
apologize to Zoro for hitting him that day. He didn�t feel he should. He didn�t
exactly release him from the blame. Zoro was his first mate after all. It had
been his decision to leave. Zoro hadn�t really talked to him since that day. He
hadn�t talked to him either. These were pretty much the first words spoken
between them in a long while.

�I�m sorry��

Luffy furrowed his brows. �He�s sorry?� he thought to
himself.

�You were right�We should never have left a nakama behind. I
understand that now. We had looked for her and hadn�t found her. There was so
many of them and you were out cold. I didn�t want anyone else to be captured or
killed.� he said and then he furrowed his brows. �You know�I usually wouldn�t
have backed down�I�m not sure why I�� he started to say. Then he furrowed his
brows further. �I don�t know�� he finally whispered as he stared out the
window.

Luffy looked at him in concern. He seemed to be hearing that
a lot. �Don�t worry about it�We will fix this�� he replied. Zoro turned to him
and then nodded. Luffy turned and left the crow�s nest. He made his way down
and then stood on deck. Something was wrong. He had a feeling he may have
thought of this before. Suddenly, he felt very sleepy. He made his way to the
men�s quarters. He fell down on his bed and was fast asleep.

----

Nami turned to the click of the door. She already had a
smile on her face. Jin walked in with her usual plate of food. He walked over
to her and set it down. He undid her chains and instead of walking away, he sat
in front of her. She reached for her food and began to eat. She immediately
stopped and stared down at the food in surprise.

�It�s delicious!� she exclaimed. Then she looked up at him
in surprise.

�Aa�I switched them out. I could probably get into trouble
for this, but I don�t really care.� he said.

She frowned at him. He didn�t really seem to care about
anything. She didn�t really want him getting himself in trouble. Three days had
gone by since the first time they had talked. In those three days he would sit
and talk with her. She ended up telling him all the tales she remembered from
their adventures. She even told him about Luffy�s Jii-chan.
She found him to be very pleasant company. It made being there not so bad.

She smiled. �Thanks.� she said.

He smiled in return. �Don�t mention it.� he replied. He
liked seeing her smile. It made her even more beautiful than she was. He had
found her to be a very pleasant individual. She was not at all like a pirate.
He had seen pirate women before. All of them had been horrible. �So, you left
off with Bellamy. I can�t believe your captain allowed this guy to do that.
However, at least the guy got what was coming to him.� he said.

�Un, it didn�t take much either. One hit from Luffy, and he
was down.� she said as she laughed. He laughed too. �After that�well, we found
the island in the sky. It was called Skypiea. I�m
sure you won�t believe this tale, but I can assure you, it�s
real.� she said as she smiled.

�There�s a lot you�ve told me that I�m still not sure I
believe.� he said as he grinned.

�It�s all pretty unbelievable. Especially Enies Lobby�� she
said as she continued to eat.

�Now there�s one I want to hear about�How in the world did
you manage to escape there? Why did you break in to begin with? I had heard
rumors about that. Did you all really break in for a single person?� he asked.

�Un�We broke in to take Robin back. She is a very important
nakama to us. She had wanted to sacrifice herself for us. Luffy couldn�t allow
that. So, we broke in to get her back. We also ended up saving Franky who is
also now apart of our crew. I have to admit, there were times I thought we
weren�t going to make it out alive. However, I had no regrets. We leave no one
behind�We abandon no one�We were able to escape because our ship came to save
us.� she said.

�Your�your ship?� he asked with a
raised brow.

�Un�it turns out�our ship had a
spirit. He had come to save us. However�shortly after�He split down the middle.
We had tried to get him fixed, but the carpenters of Water 7 told us repair was
impossible. We had decided to see Merry off. Luffy had been the one to light
him. After awhile, it started to snow, but the snow was so bright. Then�he
talked to us�He had said he had been happy with us�and that he was sorry he
couldn�t go on more adventures with us. Luffy had been so upset�I won�t ever
forget that day.� she said as she looked down sadly.

�Your ship was alive?� he asked again.

She looked up at him and smiled. �I know,
that one is hard to swallow, but I promise you it�s the truth. I cried like a
baby when I realized we were actually watching Merry die. He had been alive. We
don�t know if our current ship has a spirit or not.� she said.

�If all of this is true�you are some pretty remarkable
people.� he said. Then he looked confused. �I just don�t understand why they
would abandon you if it were true.� he said as he frowned slightly.

She stopped on the ascent to her mouth and then lowered her
arm and head. �I really don�t know�� she replied quietly. �I wonder that
myself�Now they have that doll that�s going after them. I wish there was
something I could do�I want to save them�I want to warn them. I would give
anything to be able to do that. Even if it meant coming back here.� she said
quietly.

�You would really do that for them?� he asked.

�Un, I would.� she replied without
any hesitation or thought.

He looked at her slightly amazed. She would be willing to
sacrifice herself to save them. Didn�t she say Nico
Robin had tried to do the same? He had never met a pirate willing to give their
life for another member of their crew or for all of them. One thing he believed
about her was that she was a good person. Not once had she shown him anything
bad about her. He found he really liked her as a person. She had said her
captain had become a pirate because his hero whom had saved his life had been
one. He had made a promise to that man that he would be Pirate King and to return
his straw hat. He never would have thought he would ever learn the story behind
the straw hat.

Even though he was a good man, he had become a pirate, and
since he was a pirate and her savior and he had asked for her to join, she had.
They had also been the ones who had saved the kingdom
of Arabasta.
He had heard that it had been Commodore Smoker. However, when Smoker had been
asked about it, he had never given anyone a straight answer. Maybe it was all
true. Maybe she had been to all these amazing and unreal places with her
nakama.

She didn�t finish eating this time, even though the meal had
been better. She handed him the plate instead of setting it down. �Thank you.�
she said again.

He took the plate and stood up. �You�re welcome.� he replied
as he smiled down at her. He gave the plate to the man outside and walked back
to her. He chained her back to the wall. He felt a little bad that he had to do
this. Perhaps he could request she be able to roam freely around her cell. He
was sure she had a difficult time chained here. �Sorry about this�� he said as
he thought this.

She looked up at him a little surprised then she smiled.
�It�s not your fault�� she replied quietly. He looked down at her and smiled.

�I�ll see you tomorrow.� he said as he turned to leave.

�Un.� she replied. He gave her one last look before leaving
and closing the door.

He made the walk back to his office. He always seemed to
think about her almost the entire time he wasn�t in the cell with her. He was
pretty sure she was a good person. He didn�t think she would try to get on his
good side. She was probably just scared and lonely. Did she really mean what
she said? Would she really sacrifice herself to save her crew? He made it to
his office and sat at his desk. He had a lot of paper work to do, even though
he was looking out for her. He lifted his pen and began to write.

Half way through his report, he stopped. His thoughts went
back to the woman in the cell. If she were right about the people she traveled
with�then why would the government be after these people? Monkey D. Luffy had
defeated many Shichibukai. From what she said, all of
them had been evil men. What�s more is, he never
killed any of them. He had also saved many lives. If this was true, and the
government succeeded on capturing this man�They might eliminate a good man to
their world. He wasn�t entirely sure he could allow that. As it wass, he really didn�t want to see anything bad happen to
this woman.

He sighed to himself and leaned back into his chair. He had
always believed in justice. After all, isn�t that what the symbol on the back
of his coat represented? However, he was beginning to question some of the
marine�s sense of �Justice�. This Monkey D. Luffy seemed to believe more in
�Absolute Justice� than some other marines he had met in the past. That woman
seemed to believe in justice. Regardless of how he felt, there wasn�t anything
he could really do about it. He leaned back forward and stared down at his
paperwork.

He always did hate higher ups. They always seemed to let
their ranks go to their heads. He never demanded respect from his subordinates.
He always tried to earn it. The majority of his subordinates respected and
liked him. There were those who just couldn�t get past his age. He didn�t
really care either way.

Everything was bothering him. Everything she said�everything
he knew. Something didn�t add up. He put his hands in his face and then dragged
them down.� He wanted to do something,
but he didn�t know what. He couldn�t single handedly make things right. He
should stop thinking about it so much and resume his paperwork.

----

Luffy opened his eyes and looked around. He couldn�t seem to
really remember lying down or falling asleep. He blinked a few times. Some
memory was coming back to him. He had talked to a few of his nakama. Then
suddenly, he had just gotten sleepy. He sat up and swung his legs off the bed.
He stood up and made his way on deck. Suddenly, his stomach growled. He was
hungry. He made his way to the kitchen. Sanji wasn�t there. Then he remembered
that Sanji hadn�t been feeling well or something.

He made his way to the fridge. It was unlocked. He shrugged
and opened it. Inside was a plate of food. He furrowed his brows. He vaguely
remembered putting it there. He shrugged again as he pulled it out. He took it
to the table and just ate it cold. It didn�t taste as good cold, but he didn�t
really know how to warm it up. He didn�t really want to try either. Sanji
wouldn�t like it. After he was done, he took his plate and placed it in the
sink. He rolled his eyes to the side. Then he looked back down. He was pretty
sure Sanji was feeling bad. He decided to wash his own dish.

He felt a little weird. As if�something was missing. He
shrugged it off and put away the dish. He walked back out on deck. He saw
everyone come out from the ship. �Oi, where�s the Love-cook? Isn�t he supposed
to be making lunch?� asked Zoro.

�He�s not feeling well. He�s in the infirmary with Chopper.
You might have to make something yourselves. I already ate just now.� said
Luffy as he walked past.

�You didn�t eat everything did you?!� asked Usopp.

�No, only the plate Sanji made for me earlier. I didn�t eat
it. The fridge is open.� he said as he walked down to the deck.

He heard the door open and close as they all went inside. He
made his way to the swing and sat down. He rocked himself back and forth. He
found the swing comforting. He vaguely remembered swinging on it the night
before. Why was he having a hard time remembering things? Every time he went to
sleep, he seemed to forget something important. He leaned to the side and
rested his head on the rope of the swing as he continued to sway back and forth
on it.

Maybe Nami�s death was taking it�s
toll on his mind. �Nami�� he thought to himself. That�s right�Nami was gone�She
hadn�t returned all day the day before or today. He furrowed his brows. How
could he forget that? He stopped swaying and then brought a hand to his
forehead.

How was he forgetting anything? He heard noise behind him.
He turned to see both Sanji and Chopper making their way from the infirmary. �Oh, Luffy! You feeling better?� asked Sanji as he smiled.
Luffy furrowed his brows. Something wasn�t right. He was vaguely remembering
Sanji�s state before he past out. Now he looked just fine.

�A�aa�� he replied as he stared up at him in confusion.

�Good! I�m going to go make lunch now.� he said as he made
his way to the kitchen with Chopper behind him with a smile on his face.

They seemed cheerful�He blinked a few times in confusion. He
furrowed his brows deep. �Are those really my nakama?� he thought to himself.

----

Nami leaned her head back and closed her eyes to rest. A few
hours ago, she had eaten dinner. She was pretty sure it was night fall. She
could feel her energy leaving her. Jin had allowed her to walk around during
dinner. It had felt good to stretch her legs. She was sick of sitting here all
day. She yawned. She had told him more stories during her dinner. He seemed to
genuinely enjoy her stories. She had even made him laugh a few times when she
told him a few of Luffy�s antics.

She smiled in memory. It was nice to hear laughter again,
even if it wasn�t one of her nakama. She missed them so much. It had only been
a little over a week, and she already missed them this much. She especially missed
Luffy. She wasn�t sure why she missed him the most. She just did. If she ever
saw him again, she wanted to give him a hug. She scrunched up her nose at that
silly thought. Why did she want to do that? She felt her eyes become heavy. She
closed them and was fast asleep.

She opened her eyes to see people all around her. She
furrowed her brows in confusion. She looked around. There were so many people.
They were all wearing ball gowns and long coats. She looked down. She was
wearing one as well. She began to walk around, wondering where she was. She
looked up and froze. Just ahead of her was a man standing some distance away.
He had on a red and gold mask that covered the majority of his face. He was
also wearing a long black coat and black pants.

She wasn�t sure why, but he seemed to stand out from
everyone else, of course, the fact that he was staring right at her added to
that fact. She slowly made her way to him. Maybe she knew him. He watched her
approach without moving. When she finally reached him, he only stared down into
her eyes. She wasn�t sure if she knew him or not. She couldn�t see much of his
face. Suddenly, he held out a hand to her. She looked around and noticed the
people were dancing. Then she could hear music playing. It was a beautiful
song.

She turned back to him. He was still holding his hand out to
her. She slowly and hesitantly brought her hand up to his. He gently closed his
hand around it and gently walked up closer to her. He put a hand on her waist
and then led her into a waltz. She wasn�t sure how she knew how to waltz, but
she seemed to be really good at it, and so was he. He was extremely graceful
and agile. They spun around the ballroom, weaving in and out of people. She was
beginning to feel exhilaration from the fast pace. She felt herself smile up at
him. He smiled in return. She felt her heart skip a beat. Some how, she
recognized his smile. It made her happy. It was so warm.

She felt the urge to get closer to him. She slid her hand
from his arm to his back and stepped into him closer. His hand slid from her
waist to her back as he pulled her closer. The pace began to slow as they
stared into each other�s eyes. Then suddenly, they stopped. They only remained
staring into one another�s eyes. She could feel her breath coming in short,
ragged huffs. He leaned slightly forward, but then stopped. He looked a little
confused. She was just as confused. Why couldn�t she remember who he was? He
seemed so familiar to her.

She was beginning to wonder if he was having the same problem.
Suddenly, he slowly released her and began to step away from her. She went to
say something, but then found she couldn�t speak. He turned around and began to
walk away from her. She began to feel panic. She reached out to him, but found
she couldn�t move. She tried to call out for him, but her voice was mute.
People continued to dance and laugh all around her. She felt frantic as he
continued to walk away from her. She watched as he stopped and slowly turned to
her one last time. She held her hand out to him, but he only turned back around
and disappeared.

Nami woke up with a gasp as she felt tears stream down her
face. Then she gasped again as she realized she wasn�t alone. �Shh!� she heard as a hand covered her mouth. She couldn�t
see anything in the dark. She was a little frightened. �It�s alright. It�s just
me�� whispered Jin. She furrowed her brows in confusion. He removed his hand
from her mouth.

�What are you doing here?� she whispered. Suddenly, a match
was lit as he lit a candle.

�I�m getting you out of here.� he said.

Her eyes widened. �You can�t do that!� she whispered loudly.

He looked down at her in surprise. �What?� he whispered.

�You could get into a lot of trouble if someone found out! I
don�t want that to happen! You�re actually one of the good marines! I can�t let
you do this!� she explained.

�Which is why I can�t just sit back and
let this happen. You just proved to me how you truly are. I�m getting
you out of here.� he said as he began to unlock her chains.

�Please�don�t do this...Not for me.�
she said.

�I will and I am.� he replied as he
unlocked her shackles as well. �Here, I brought you your things. Your clothes
were damaged, so I bought you some new ones your size.� he said as he turned
around after she took them. �Hurry, I don�t know how much time we have.� he
said.

Nami quickly dressed and then walked up to him. �Thank you�I
can take it from here�I don�t want you getting into any trouble�� she said.

�Nonsense�I�m coming with you. I want to meet this crew of
yours.� he said.

�But if you�re seen with me�you could become a wanted man
yourself!� she exclaimed.

�I�ll be careful.� he said as he grinned. �Come on, we need
to go.� he said as he quietly and stealthily walked out. She followed along
behind him. She couldn�t even hear his footsteps. She was impressed.

They made it all the way outside without having been
spotted. After they were clear of the base, they made a run for the harbor. �I
have a ship we can take at the harbor. It�s pretty fast. We should get there in
three days instead of four. I�m afraid the doll should have made contact with
your crew by then. Hopefully we can stop it before it does any damage.� he
said.

�Alright.� she replied as they continued to run. She really
hoped he was right. She felt so much relief. She owed a great deal to this
marine captain. She hoped that they could pay him back in some way.

They made it to the harbor without any trouble. They quickly
boarded and then set out. He turned to her and then handed her the log pose. �I
assume you know how to use one of these.� he said with a grin.

She smiled back. �Of course I do!� she replied as she took
it and placed it on her wrist. They set a course and began to sail towards the
others. She felt excitement. She couldn�t wait to see them again. However, she
felt some dread. Had they really left her behind? She shook her head. She
didn�t want to think about that.

�You should get some rest. There are two separate cabins.
You can have the larger one on the right.� he said as he pointed to it.

�Thank you.� she said as she made her way to it. She went
inside and lit the lantern. It was a fairly good sized room. It had a large
bed, a wardrobe, and a desk. She made her way to the bed and sat down. She fell
over backwards on it. It was so nice to feel a bed under her again. She stared
up at the ceiling. She could still remember the dream she had. What had that
been about? Why had she felt such panic when he had walked away from her? Who
was he? When she had awoken, she had been crying. Why? She sighed before
sitting up again. She pulled back the covers and then laid down for sleep. She
pulled the covers over herself and continued to stare at the ceiling.

She was pretty sure she knew who he was�but for some reason,
it wouldn�t come to her. She narrowed her eyes. She had felt weird. She had
wanted to be near him. She didn�t remember ever feeling that way about anyone.
Why had she felt that way about him? She sighed as she closed her eyes. She
would worry about it later.

----

Luffy quickly sat up in bed. That was the first dream he
remembered in a long time. Who had she been? For some reason, he couldn�t
remember what she had looked like. He narrowed his eyes. She had been wearing a
mask�He couldn�t remember her hair color. They had danced together. He didn�t
know he could dance. He had done it so well. He wasn�t sure why he had walked
away from her. When he had turned to look at her again, she had looked
frightened. Why would he leave someone who was frightened? He was pretty sure
she had been calling out to him, but he hadn�t been able to hear her.

He hated that he had no control over his dreams. He had
wanted to go back to her. To tell her it was alright and that he was there.
However, why had he wanted to do that�? Who was she? He had wanted to be near
her. He had wanted to hold her close, but why? He was pretty sure he didn�t
know anyone like that. Except�for maybe Nami�Had that been Nami? He couldn�t
remember. He lay back down and stared at the underside of the above bunk. He
sighed deeply. He really missed Nami. It had been four days since he last saw
her. She had never come back.

He felt himself frown sadly. He really missed her. He would
sometimes wake up cold. She had kept him warm when she had slept with him. He
wanted to see her again. He thought that maybe if he wished for it enough, she
might come back, but she never did. He still didn�t know what to do. He had
promised her he would fix this. Yet, he hadn�t done anything yet. He was pretty
sure he should try and go back. He had gone to Enies Lobby for Robin. He could
surely do this. He still wasn�t sure how they had lost the first time.

They had never lost to so many marines before. He took a
deep breath. �It�s decided�Tomorrow we go back. We go back for Nami�� he
thought to himself before slipping back into sleep.

To Be Continued�

Author�s Note: I
hope you all enjoyed my chapter. I think by now things are becoming a little
less confusing, no? Well, everything will be explained in the next few
chapters. I hope you all have enjoyed my story so far! Please let me know by
reviewing! 8D Oh and during the waltz, I listened to Enya�s Caribbean Blue,
very pretty song. I just imagined it was what they danced to! XD

In no particular
order�

To Aleta Rois: Hehe, unfortunately this story will be confusing until the
end. It�s just the way the story is. Things should become a little clearer
after awhile though. So hang in there! XD Thanks so much for your reviews! :D

To Noodles: Yeah,
I know I am�Shishishi! XD It�s okay. Websites can be a pain in the ass. I
understand if it wasn�t cooperating. I still understood your review! XP I�m
glad to know you still loves me! XD I�m really glad
you are enjoying my story! Thanks so much for your compliments and reviews! :D

To yangdragon: Yeah, I�m not a believer in just a screw.
My characters make love, not have sex. Even though I know it�s the same thing.
They still have different meanings to me. I really appreciate that you think
this story is brilliant! :D Thanks so much for your review! :D

To zero12789: I�m glad you think
my story is good and that you love it! Can you believe it actually came to me
just like that show in the cartoons? It was like a light bulb went off and I just suddenly had the idea�Thanks so much for
your review! :D

To danny_maxwell: It�s okay. A lot of people who have read my
story complained about this very same thing. I cried writing the first chapter�Seriously,
I did�Thanks so much for your review! XD
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